REVIEW: Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout

This is my first beer ever from Hoppin' Frog. I have only been aware of them for the past year or so, from seeing their bottles at Jungle Jim's. It's a bit odd that they don't have more of a presence here in Cincinnati since they're only a few hours north up I-71. Anyways. To the Beer!

From the label:

This Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will crush you like no other! This is the grand-daddy of all stout styles, with an intensely deep roasted and full bodied flavor. A robust hop character adds a refreshing balance.
9.4% a/v | 107 OG (25.3°P) | 60 IBU

I don't know If I've ever had an imperial oatmeal stout. I've had plenty of imperial/ double stouts and imperial russian stouts and normal old oatmeal stouts, but imperial oatmeal? I believe this is my first.

This beer pours a silky pure black. Seriously, this is one dark beer. Not even any hints of deep red or amber when the glass is held to light. Black as sin. It pours with a thin chocolatey brown head that recedes fairly quickly. No real lacing to speak of.

The aromas are pretty subdued with this one. Nothing really jumps out. Toasty, malty, slight dark fruit, and roast cocoa.

This beer is full bodied and the oats used in the brewing give it a pretty incredible smoothness. Very drinkable. A little bit of flavors of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and espresso. The hop flavor is pretty understated for a beer that is 60 IBU but you do get a bit of the bitterness on the finish. The alcohol warming is evident.

After the first snifter-full I was still a little lukewarm on this beer. I mean it was good, but this is a beer that proudly proclaims two recent GABF (Great American Beer Festival) gold medals. I was hardly blown away by it. The second glass was a different story. I think once the beer had a chance to warm a little bit more it was worlds better. The hop character became much more pronounced and it became a much more interesting, flavorful, balanced beer. Just goes to show you that big, complex, higher ABV beers should really be consumed closer to cellar temperatures. This is one that I would highly recommend.

Note on scoring: 
I am going to be using the Netflix style rating system.
5 stars - I loved it
4 stars - I really liked it
3 stars - I liked it
2 stars - I didn't like it
1 star - I hated it


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