The Beer Circle » Beer, Russian Imperial Stout, Tröegs Brewing Co. » Tröegs Scratch #83 – ¿Impending Descent? Ale

Tröegs Scratch #83 – ¿Impending Descent? Ale

December 16th, 2012 | Add a Comment | Written by Kenton Martin

Tröegs has been experimenting with their Scratch Series for a few years now. Personally, I’ve been following them closely and have tasted nearly every one from #46 and above. Some can be a gamble, but that’s part of the fun when trying these small test batches. Occasionally, the Trogner brothers come out with something extraordinary. The first this happened for me was about a year ago when I first tasted Scratch #55 – Double IPA. Now, I am compelled to write about their most recent addition to the Scratch Series.

Once I saw the announcement of this Russian Imperial Stout, I already knew this would be one I couldn’t miss. Being a good writer, I picked up two cases to split with many of the other Beer Circle writers. The theme of ¿Impending Descent? has to do with the upcoming hype of December 21st. Even though most people don’t really think the world will end in a week, I would be okay if this is the last Scratch Series ale I ever had. Here’s the introduction from the brewery:

As we spiral further toward the end of the Mayan calendar, we at Tröegs felt obligated to brew a special beer to commemorate the expiration of planet Earth. We think it’s a pile of gibberish (just don’t quote us on that, though… you never know)! Either way, celebrate the countdown to extinction and raise a goblet of this colossal Russian Imperial Stout as we plummet into utter oblivion. If your tongue doesn’t disintegrate as a result of the birthday party cheesecake jellybean BOOM, at the very least this beer will wreak major havoc on your taste buds. Yes, ¿Impending Descent? is as enormous, face-melting, and palate-numbing as it sounds. If there ever was a last beer to enjoy before Doomsday, this is it. Here at Tröegs we say, “Bring on the apocalypse!”

Appearance
Pours out very dark and is very opaque. It's colored a very dark brown with almost no head. Minimal lacing to the glass afterwards.

Aroma
The roasty blend of the coffee/chocolate scent is first noticeable. The dark fruit is subtly contained behind the roast blend and is barely noticeable.

Taste
This is an Imperial Stout all the way in taste. The dark fruit blends very well with the chocolate/coffee typically a part of stout flavors. The body felt a bit thin, but it still contained all of the stout flavors I expected.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability
This went down really smooth! For a second, I thought I was drinking a Bourbon County Stout. While of course there is no bourbon flavor to fill out the mouthfeel, this contains all the other blending characteristics that I remember from my previous review. It doesn't hit you like you'd expect from a high ABV stout, and I attribute that to it having a great blend.

Value
A scratch beer's value definitely has a relative characteristic. For me, it's a 20 minute trip, and costs ~$10 a six-pack when buying a case. So, for me, it's a great value.

Overall
This beer reminded me of a Bourbon County Stout without the bourbon. If Tröegs isn't already, this would be the beer to age in barrels in release in a future Splinter Series. This scratch sold 150 out of 500 cases in just one day! Let's hope the success of this beer convinces them to make a similar seasonal offering!

Beer Stats
Style:Russian Imperial Stout
Serving:Bottle
Size:12 oz
ABV:10.90%
BA Score:N/A
RB Score:N/A

According to the brewery’s Facebook page, 175 cases sold on the first day. By 5:30 PM on Friday evening they were completely sold out of cases. Hoping this is a good sign of feedback to Tröegs to offer it again in the future!

Last updated by Kenton Martin at December 16, 2012.

Written by Kenton Martin

Kenton is a Southeast PA native who began diversifying his beer tastes alongside many of The Beer Circle writers at Zeno’s beerfests in State College, PA. He continues to live in the area and is an avid follower of the local microbreweries – going so far as to try his hand at brewing himself. Initial results have been very successful. Find Kenton Martin on Google Plus

Follow Kenton Martin on Twitter

Filed under: Beer, Russian Imperial Stout, Tröegs Brewing Co. · Tags: Review, Russian Imperial Stout, Troegs Brewing Company