Tomb

In this world of super-sized everything, even the beer world isn’t safe. The industry term, however, is “double” or “imperial.” This is annoying, as it belittles and confuses beer’s great history. Only one style of beer should be allowed to carry the “imperial” appellation— the beer of the Russian royal court — Russian Imperial Stout.

The now-defunct John Courage Imperial Stout once proudly proclaimed on its label that it was brewed for the Empress of the Russians for more than 200 years. It dubbed itself the Emperor of Ales, which sounds more impressive than the King of Beers.

Allegedly, Peter the Great fell in love with stouts during a 1698 trip to England and he wanted them sent to the imperial court in Russia. The original beer, brewed at lower alcohol content, spoiled somewhere along its 1,000-mile journey to St. Petersburg. Determined to save face, the brewery tried again — rapidly increasing the amount of alcohol and hops, both natural preservatives, for their second effort.

The result was a pitch-black concoction with red hues and enough alcoholic warmth to take away the bone-chilling cold of a St. Petersburg night. The brew has enough softness to appeal to all beer drinkers, including one Catherine the Great. British brewing records show the royal court drank shocking amounts of it. After drinking a few myself while researching this article, I believe the Boney M song Rasputin is really a loving ode to imperial stouts.

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago

He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow

Most people looked at him with terror and with fear

But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear…

Full of ecstasy and fire

In Calgary, we are lucky to have access to a host of great imperials.

• North Coast Old Rasputin (California, nine per cent) — Named after the “lover of the Russian scene,” this beer has warm lasting notes of coffee and sherry and is sure to warm the cockles of any Russian love machine. Old Rasputin was my introduction to the style, and it remains one of my favourite examples. This imperial is a special order item exclusive to Co-op Liquor Stores.

• Brew Dog Merciless Rip Tide Stout (Scotland, eight per cent) and Paradox Stout (10 per cent) — These punk rock brewers make a great imperial. The Merciless is a smooth, dark brew with well-hidden booziness, but their Paradox Stout is the more interesting beer. The Paradox is an imperial in a royal tartan kilt. It is aged in various whisky casks, which makes for a big, peaty hybrid whisky-beer combination.

• Rogue Imperial Stout (Oregon, 11 per cent) — This big brute shows a tender side with a chocolate start but finishes with a pleasing mouth-puckering quality. This is a great showcase for Rogue’s motto, “when in doubt, add more hops,” and in this case, it makes for a great imperial.

• Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout (England, seven per cent) — This is a relatively mild imperial. It is an idealistically simple beer, which offers layers of roasted sugar and espresso — a great introduction to the style.

• Lagunitas Imperial Stout (California, 8.2 per cent) — Paraphrasing its label, this beer is bourgeois, belligerent, buxom and chaotic. These stoner-surfer-skateboarder dudes brew everything big, but this beer’s subtle complexity contrasts with its hugeness.

The imperial stout is a winter treat fit for royalty. With roastiness and cocoa characteristics, these beers are like big boxes of chocolate. Try one with a funky piece of Stilton, some chocolate or a fine cigar. Whatever you do, take your time with this royal indulgence.