Mission Brewing Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout
I’m not sure what prompted me to but a Russian Imperial Stout on a Spring day with record breaking temps (low 90s), but that’s what I did. Did I regret my decision? Let’s find out.
Appearance
Whoa, this stuff is dark. Dark, dark, dark brown that I’d feel comfortable calling “pitch black.” You like dark beer, this is dark! On top sits a dark brown head that’s there for a minute then dissipates pretty quickly.
Smell
Immediate smells are oatmeal, chocolate, coffee, cookies, cocoa and some dark fruits and raisins. Strangely, I took a big smell 10 minutes after cracking the bottle and the smells were almost non-existent. Weird, huh?
Taste
Similar to smell with big coffee aromas, mocha, and toasted malts up front. Definitely boozy. Not much carbonation, which is weird. Is that why the smell was strong at first, then disappeared? Tastes great…definitely toffee and chocolate, but not overwhelming like Mogli. Great balance.
Despite the appearance, this is a pretty thin and viscous brew. Yeah, it looks like you stand a 
damn fork up in the glass but looks can be deceiving, can’t they?
ABV/Price/etc
This is brewed by Mission Brewery in San Diego and it’s the first beer I’ve had from them. Most of their other offerings look a bit ho-hum, but they’ve got an Imperial Red Ale I’d like to try. Next time.
I paid $9 for a bomber and the ABV comes in at an expected 9.8% ABV…relatively low for a Russian Imperial Stout.
Overall
This is a great representation of an RIS. If you like Old Rasputin, Dark Seas is the same quality, though a bit more chocolate/mocha-ish. Although I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle, I’d expect that I would enjoy it even more with some colder weather.
Note: The ABV hits pretty hard. I’m accustomed to drinking brews with high test, but for whatever reason (long run earlier…who knows?), this hit me hard and pretty much ended my night.
I’d recommend this for anyone with an affinity for dark beers that won’t weigh you down. Even on a warm Spring day.
Enjoy!