I’m always amused when I see craft brewers tie Russian Imperial Stouts to the Soviet era. That’s the case with Renegade Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout, which features the classic symbol of communism boldly emblazoned upon an appropriately red hued can. Those that know their history, and especially their history of beer, will be aware that imperial stouts were not Russian at all, but English beers brewed for export to the Czarist courts beginning with that of Catherine the Great in the 18^th century.

The Soviets, of course, ended the Czarist line with Nicholas in October of 1917. It’s very unlikely that much Imperial Stout from the decadent west made its way into Soviet Russia during the communist period, yet brewers seem convinced that there were apparently.

Be that as it may, this phenomena has led to a lot of interesting can and bottle labels, and Renegade Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout is no exception. This beer from Denver, Colorado based Renegade is not sold in Georgia, but like the first imperial stouts that were shipped from London through the Baltics to Moscow, my sample survived a perilous journey from Colorado to Canton. Georgia that is.

The brewery says this about the beer on their website:

This strong stout is filled with flavors of vanilla, coffee, and dark chocolate. Smooth in body but dry on the finish, it’s hard to beat a good stout. Hammer & Sickle got its name from the history of the style. Stouts were common in England, but one beer-maker wanted to export his stout to Catherine the Great of Russia. In order to make the long voyage without spoiling, the stout had to have a high alcohol content.

Well, imagine that. They do know a bit of history. Renegade Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout has a hefty alcohol content of 9% by volume, so sip gently! It has 60 IBUs and is a late winter mid-spring seasonal beer. Renegade lists Hammer & Sickle as a 2013 Bronze Medal Winner for Imperial Stout Category at the Great American Beer Festival.

Renegade Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout pours to a jet black color with a medium sized head of creamy tan foam and a big luscious nose of bitter roasted coffee. Taking a sip, the beer has thick full mouthfeel and tons of roast, really a huge coffee presence and dark bittersweet chocolate too. Very roasty in the finish, this one could use some licorice for my taste but then the bold coffee notes make up for that.

Really and truly an excellent example of the style! It had me craving oysters, although that’s really another sub-style of stout, but perhaps it was the intense roastiness and very dry quality from same that reminded me of a good Irish stout.  A beer I would buy again? Da, comrade!

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