UPDATED: FEB 24, 2024 Bottle. Oily black pour. Aroma of rich bourbon, caramel, oak, vanilla, earthy coconut, chocolate, coffee, thick malt, subtle smoke and molasses. Taste has smooth bourbon, vanilla, caramel, oak, earthy coconut, chocolate, coffee, mocha, subtle licorice, molasses, lots of malt and some hop bitters in the finish. Smooth mouthfeel. Great beer, a classic indeed.

UPDATED: DEC 17, 2023 De Beerrepublic.eu. en copa Teku. Con pistachos. Jugando a Hogwarts Legacy. Justo el perfil de.paso por barrica de bourbon que me encanta, con las notas a madera muy bien ajustadas para resultar deliciosas

UPDATED: DEC 14, 2023 Bottle from Beer Republic webshop Breda Netherlands (I think?), had this Thursday 14th December 2023, we had a Thai Fish Curry this evening, listening to Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant on New Music Fix on 6Music. Pours very dark brown edging towards black, there is a ruby glint to this, large light beige head. Bourbon is uppermost on the nose along with some dark treacle, thickness in the mouth, a little bit in yer face, however make no mistakes, it's a superb beer.

UPDATED: NOV 24, 2023 Described as XXV. Black with creamy head. Aroma has wood, vanilla, Bourbon. Bittersweet taste. More like coffee in the beginning but it sweetens up with the Bourbon coming through stronger and stronger. Would benefit from being slightly thicker and having zero carbonation instead of the fine bubbles it has. Still excellent though.

UPDATED: AUG 31, 2023 Pours black with a massive head especially for the abv that leaves ample lacing; boozy oak on the nose; chewy palate with a lingering tobacco and dark chocolate finish.

UPDATED: JUL 25, 2023 12 oz. bottle, XXV variant. Label states it is 11.2% alcohol (not ounces). Muddy, black pour with a thick brown crown of foam. Little to no carbonation. The drink appears perfectly motionless as the foam dissipates. Massive aromatics of double chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and dark roast coffee. Further notes of caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses alert the senses that a big dessert beer draws nearer to your lips. The bourbon flavors are immediately noticeable upon first sip. Flavors continue with the decadent dessert motif in mind. It has a massive sweetness but at the back of the palate is an ashy char keeping things in proper bittersweet balance. Roasted barley is amped up and acts as a dam against the crush of chocolate, caramel and coffee that tries to burst through and drown you in sweet seduction. As sipping leads to gulping, it brings with it waves of alcohol heat, which lingers in a long, dry finish. This one is very boozy and delivers a quick buzz. Over 11% a/bv is well concealed, all things considered. It’s even bigger and sweeter than base Old Rasputin, with the BBA addition imparting flavors of oak and raisin. What you’re savoring is indeed a rare treat, highly coveted and maybe untameable. This is one of the most chocolatey beers I can recall tasting. It’s also chock full of coffee bean aroma and taste. As the beer warmed up a bit, dark fruit characteristics of raisin, fig and prune began to emerge and mellow. As you might have guessed, the beer is full bodied with a syrupy texture. From its initial delectable aromas, to its midnight appearance, decadent flavor and thick mouthfeel, XXV checks all the boxes. As far as Russian imperial stouts go, base Old Rasputin is one of the better ones. Amping it up even further with bourbon barrel aging and added alcohol content serve to push a great beer to extremes, in the best way possible. Old Rasputin XXV is highly recommended to stout lovers as an excellent dessert beer.

UPDATED: JUN 26, 2023 XXV Version (2023) Pours an almost black with moderate brown head that morphs to a cream colored rivulet. Enticing bottle nose of dark fruit, cherry, a bit of candy. In the snifter nose moderates to bread, malts while simultaneously retaining the dark fruit theme. Boozy. Medium body, sharp twang. It is definitely the RIS BBA heavy weight zone with molasses, tobacco, candy, esters, umami. There is a dusky floral element which I can't identify. There is also an acrid ash and char that lingers on the palate. A bit harsh, needs refinement. Could use some aging in the bottle. Complex flavor profile. Was a bit disappointed.

UPDATED: MAR 19, 2023 Bottle unto taster. Dark pour not much head. Vanilla etc. Oak. Ok. Could use more body

UPDATED: FEB 13, 2023 Bottle at home. As XXI. Three years old. Pours a dark brown to black colour with a very small beige head. Aroma of coffee, soy sauce, dark chocolate, bourbon and cola. Flavour of coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, leather, oak, roasted malt and ash in the end. Has a slick mouth feel, full-bodied and a soft bitterness. Roasted and a straight-forward bourbon barrel aged IS. Solid!

UPDATED: NOV 10, 2022 From a Vintage XX corked, caged 750 ml. bottle. The appearance is a gorgeous looking dark brown to jet black color underneath a foamy and fading tan head. Becomes a tan ring. Aroma of dark chocolate malts, sweet malts, roast, black cherry, char, wood, and alcohol. Smooth, almost creamy but full bodied texture. The taste is sweet with a better offering of dark roasted malts, caramel, and a lower alcohol bite than on the nose. Warming. Cleansing in a way. I am surprised I had noted rated this until now. I paid $22 for it and while it is excellent, it is not something I will buy regularly.