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Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout

Weasel Boy Brewing Co. | www.weaselboybrewing.com

Weasel Boy Brewing Co.

126 Muskingum Ave.

Zanesville, Ohio 43701

(740) 455–3767

First brewed: 2007

Style: Russian imperial stout

Alcohol content: 8 percent

IBUs: 68

Awards: Gold medal in 2012 and bronze medal in 2010 at the Great American Beer Festival

Available: November through March on draft

IF YOU LIKE THIS BEER, here are five other Ohio craft beers to try:

• Barley’s Alexander’s Russian Imperial Stout

• Jackie O’s Dark Apparition

• Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout

• MadTree Axis Mundi

• Rhinegeist Ink

ANASTASIA RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT made its professional debut in 2007, but it had been around long before then. Owner and brewer Jay Wince, a fan of imperial stouts, made it as a homebrew in 2001, the first beer recipe that he ever designed on his own. (Two years later, the beer won an annual homebrew competition at Barley’s Brewing.)

Influenced by Bell’s Expedition, Wince set out to create a British-style imperial stout that was heavier on the malt flavor and lower in alcohol content.

“I wanted a fairly full-bodied, rich beer for sipping, no matter what temperature,” he says. “Most people really like those in the cold weather. It’s something to throw in a snifter and really enjoy.”

He certainly succeeded in producing an enjoyable brew. The beer is a two-time winner at the Great American Beer Festival, taking home a gold and a bronze. Wince, who launched the Weasel Boy production brewery and tasting room in 2007 with his wife, Lori, says it’s especially satisfying to win twice.

Anastasia, which is available only on draft, also comes in a version aged in bourbon barrels. In 2014, Weasel Boy had fun by tossing it in a Cabernet barrel.

Anyone familiar with Weasel Boy knows that its beers feature some sort of weasel-related name. That’s thanks to the Winces’ love of the animals. Anastasia, obviously, is the anomaly.

The name dates back to the beer’s homebrew days, when Jay was searching for a Russian-related name. There were plenty of Alexanders, a reference to various Russian tsars. He opted for Anastasia, the daughter of the last tsar, Nicholas II, who was executed along with his family in 1918. The homebrew picked up numerous medals at national competitions, so Wince saw no reason to change the name when Weasel Boy opened.

As for his original homebrewed batch of Anastasia, Wince still has two bottles aging. He’s hoping to crack them open when celebrating future Great American Beer Festival wins.