Do forgive the slightly blurry photo, I must be particularly shaky tonight.
Appearance: Deep black, no light penetration anywhere in the glass. I over-poured a bit expecting this brew to be substantially more viscous like other Imperial Stouts I've tried. A thick light brown head formed as the beer settled, fluffy with lots of big bubbles. As the head dissipated the color gradually became darker near the edges of the glass and remained light brown in the center. Moderate lacing as the level descends.
Aroma: Obvious even during the pour, lots of rich smoke, caramelized dark fruit, a certain freshness is present, maybe a very subtle mint hiding.
Taste: The smoke stands as a backdrop to mint, now more obvious, which evolves darker and darker into caramelized fruit, black cherry, darker still toward cocoa bitterness.
Mouthfeel: At 9% abv, the caramelized fruit into a dark, bitter char flavor progression is really impressive for a relatively light presence on the palate. This is very drinkable, I'd say dangerously so. The slight freshness seems to clear away any lingering syrupy presence.
Overall: I can understand why this is so highly regarded as an archetype of the Russian Imperial Stout varietal. So much flavor and complexity is pulled off without being overbearing or inaccessible.
5/5
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