Newport Craft Newport Storm Vlad Russian Imperial Stout

Brewing this Cyclone wasn’t as easy as previous ones; it took round-the-clock brewing and three “maxed mash tuns” to deliver the high extract/sugar content which would translate into Vlad’s hefty ~ 9% ABV. Further, extra tank conditioning time was required to create the smoothness.
All of the additional production effort is easily rewarded for those who love stouts specializing in dark roasted and chocolate flavors. Over 15% of this finished brew was created by a confluence of darker specialty grains chosen to be just under the “whoa, that is an intense flavor” threshold. Vlad drinks remarkably balanced given the higher alcohol and dark malt additions with flavors of rounded baker’s chocolate and dark roasted coffee. We also used a new ingredient to us: chocolate wheat, to help create the lasting thick tan foam head that invites you to the next warming sip out of your favorite tasting glass.
Warrior hops were chosen as the sole hop in this brew and were only added to create a rounded bitterness to compliment all that dark malty sweetness. The emphasis with this brew are the waves of chocolate, roasted, cherry, coffee, and finishing roasted flavors that will almost pleasingly overwhelm you.