I was quite intrigued by the Widmer Brothers Brewing Alchemy Project’s 2012 version of a Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout, so I decided to try it out tonight.  My first impression is that this is a big, dry, bitter imperial stout, so doubt about it.  The head is heavy and creamy, and nose is rich with roasted malt and chocolate.   When it hit my tongue, I was surprised by how dry it is.  There’s a hint of tartness more than sweetness from the berries, and more as it warms, but the first big flavors are of earth and coffee.  There’s a nice round finish with just a little bit of tart and bitter balanced, and a bit of alcohol throughout.  The body is medium to heavy, and it’s a pretty big beer at 9.3% ABV.   It was a nice twist on what’s really a good solid imperial stout without overwhelming it, or turning it into a fruit beer.   I really like it a lot.