Brewer's Reserve Imperial Stout 2008

My favorite local brewery usually only does growlers and pints, but they bottled this years Brewer's Reserve, which is their first crack at an Imperial Stout. They used the first runnings from their house stout which is very good. They hand bottled about 300 or so bottles and they were available only at the taproom.

The Brewers at Blackfoot River Brewing Company come together once a year to brew a single batch of a very special ale, which we refer to as "Brewer's Reserve". The 2008 Brewer's Reserve is our interpretation of the style of beer that British brewers made for Russian royalty during the 1700's. Blackfoot Imperial Stout is brewed with Montana grown and malted Metcalfe 2-row barley, British specialty malts, and hopped with Magnum and Goldings. Big, full-bodied, rich, and roasty. Brewer's Reserve undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle resulting in a fine yeast layer at the bottom - please handle gently prior to pouring. Best aged at cellar temperatures at least one year. Enjoy!

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Style – Russian Imperial Stout
ABV – ???
Brewed In – Helena, MT
Availability – Brewed Once

Score – 7.4/10

Appearance
Very nice presentation with a classic looking label on a cork and caged bottle. Pours jet black with a dense, light tan head that has moderate retention. Looks like everything you could hope for in a RIS. So far so good...

Smell
The aroma is dominated by roasty malts and coffee. No presence of alcohol whatsoever.

Taste
There is a nice sweetness upfront that transforms into a big coffee and bittersweet chocolate flavor as it finishes. The alcohol is completely absent (wonder what the ABV is?) The flavor is very pleasant, but pretty straightforward and overall is pretty forgettable.

Feel
There is almost no carbonation at all, which for the style is OK, and is very heavy on the palate. It is nice and chewy and leaves a thick coating in my mouth.

Overall
While not a bad beer by any means, there is nothing about it that is especially memorable. I was hoping for much more, especially with the $15 price tag. I have a couple more that will be in the cellar for a while, but I'm not expecting much out of them.