Brew Review: Widmer Brothers Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout ’12

I stopped in at D’Vines in Columbia Heights the other day looking for something new to try. I was hoping for something dark and strong to celebrate the cooler temperatures and found this beer. I’m a fan of the Widmer Brothers Heffeweizen and figured that a Russian Imperial Stout would do the trick.

The beer pours black with almost no head. There is some light fruity sweetness on the nose from the raspberry that is mellowed out by a bitter chocolate aroma at the end. The flavor is mostly dark, bitter chocolate as expected from an imperial stout. There is some fruit sweetness at the end whcih helps balance the lingering bitterness. There is less fruit taste than I expected from the aroma but that keeps the beer from being too sweet. It has a surprisingly thin mouthfeel for a boozy stout, which I appreciated.

Overall, I enjoyed drinking this beer. It is very drinkable for an imperial stout and wasn’t too sweet despite the raspberry. The lingering bitterness keeps it from being a sessionable beer for me though. Plus, at 9.3% ABV in a big bottle it could make for a short session.

-DK