Tasting Room: Widmer KGB Russian Imperial Stout

Now, all those wheats that have been in these reviews so far are fine and dandy. But from where I stand, the top of the beer class is the imperial stout. And Widmer's latest in its "W" series, the KGB Russian Imperial Stout, certainly delivers.

It delivered so well, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture. So here's the label instead.

Some imperial stouts are brewed to be smooth and sweet. KGB, on the other hand, is one that's not afraid to play a little rough. The beer features a sharp bite, at least at this point -- it'd be interesting to see what aging one does for it -- in which both the choice of malts and a healthy dose of hops are apparent.

The KGB wins on appearance, too. It sits neatly in the glass, with a healthy tan head and an aroma that says "stop wasting time looking at me and just drink up." (Upon said drinking-up, be aware of the 9.3% abv... If your beer actually tells you that, it may be time to call it a night.)

So far, the plan just seems to be for this beer to stay a limited edition and not a regular seasonal, which is a shame -- though a win for Widmer, as I'm now going to have to make another store run to pick up a few bottles.