That (to me) over-hoppiness will, I feel fairly confident, die down over the next year or two, making this a beer I really, really want to come back to about May 2013, and again in 2014. And, ideally, in 2021.
So wrote Martyn Cornell in the conclusion of his run through a series of vintages of Courage Imperial Russian Stout, composed following the release of a new version by Wells & Young. And now 2021 is upon us and it's time to find out if the beer has fared better than the Luton brewery has.
My bottle is actually a whole year younger than Martyn's, being the 2012 vintage. The hop levels never bothered me when it was fresh and I think they have stood the beer in good stead. There is still that metallic bitterness, but now it's adding a much needed dry side to something that otherwise tastes largely of chocolate syrup and dark sherry. There's a vinous, casky briskness, and just a little savoury autolysis. All the features of long-vintaged strong dark beers are here, but not extreme. You know you're drinking something old, though not spoilt; not yet anyway.
It's not a revelation, and I'm not even sure it's an improvement on the fresh version, but it is enjoyable. A new sweet side has emerged, adding a mellow richness that wasn't there before. The oxidation is a little dramatic, even if it's not ruinous. If this beer has a sweet spot, I'd say it's before the 9-year mark.
