North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Fort Bragg, California USA

Thanks Jason. "X" Anniversary. The beer pours to a dark brown/black body with a thin light khaki head. The aroma is vanilla, bourbon, vinous, chocolate, and cocoa powder. The flavor is rich vanilla and chocolate with a nice balanced bourbon and alcohol. The palate is medium bodied with a dry charcoal finish. This was a damned fine beer.

Poured on nitro-tap into a small chalice. Poured black with a sticky clumpy tan marshmallow head. Smells very strongly of dark chocolate, bourbon, cherries, and roasted malt. Taste is just disappointing. I am not a big nitro tap hater and never got the hate, but it all makes sense now. The nitro just raped what i think could be a great beer. The smell was amazing, nut then the creamy nitro mouthfeel just muted everything other than the bourbon and some chocolate and vanilla notes. I didnt get much else. The nitro seemed to dull it. I enjoy the mouthfeel on some lighter nitro beers, but this one was too rich IMO to be served as such. Not dry enough to work. I was a little disappointed I spent $11 on a small chalice of something I didnt want to drink because it tasted like a bourbon mixed with ovaltine. excited to try a bottle and re-review this one. -------&# from a bottle pour, nose is similar, lots of chocolate and bourbon, taste is much better, bourbon up front, nice dark chocolate back end. Silky mouthfeel, in no way needs to be poured form a cask.

On tap @ Map Room. Impenetrable pitch black w/ some ruby shades in its depth, like Sauron’s eye; thick tan head leaves a sparkling, galaxy lacing; Aroma: Bourbon, along w/ the regular Old Rasputin aroma; flavor: stronger chocolate w/ a shit-ton of vanilla bean...a lot of vanilla bean. Wow! Alcoholic burn is more subtle than most Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stouts. Builds up as it warms up. Everything you could hope for.

XI Bottle Pours out a black topped with a nice tan head. Aroma was GREAT vanilla, chocolate, and a little coffee. Tast very tasty more of the vanilla, some bourbon, and lots of Almond Joy notes. Very nice body. O man I can’t wait to have another one in a couple years. BIG thanks to SAM.

Bottled as "X" Anniversary. Poured deep garnety-brown with a short cap of dark tan head. The aroma picked up rich, sweeter whiskey and vanilla notes over semi-sweet chocolate and lesser coffee notes.. deeper earthy and touches of molasses behind.. absolutely wonderful! The flavor carried moderately-roasted darker chocolates throughout with black peppery alcohol, vanilla, and smoky whiskey around.. long aftertaste of smoky whiskey, lightly-roasted chocolate, and vanilla. Heavier-bodied with light, scratchy bitterness on the palate.. sweet-ish overall with great smokiness and warmth. This was an absolutely amazing beer!

XI Anniversary Bottle shared by Hophead84. Pours black with a big chocolate head. Nose was big on bourbon, vanilla, oak and booze. Flavor was also big on bourbon, oak and vanilla. I think this brew would definitely develop over time, it was a little "hot" at 1 year old.

Tap at OTH, thanks Tony for getting this amazing gem on tap. Pours deep black, with 2 finger thick mocha like head. Aroma has plenty of bourbon, wood, and damn load of booze. Taste, chocolate, lots of bourbon, barrel, wood/oak, thick palate, and just an extreme boozy mouthfeel from beginning to end. Thick chocolate, some light note of coffee. Alcohol remains very forward from aroma to actual sipping.

X shared by psprings... pours a surprisingly pale blackish reddish/brown color with a small creamy tannish head. the nose shows chocolate, toasted wood, caramel, spice, very hot bourbon and the bugs from the barrel. sweet malty flavor, lots of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, molasses, char and wood cannot hide from the power of the bourbon and stingingly dry alcoholic finish. rich creamy mouth feel is cut by the booze to create a lightness in the medium body. 7/3/7/4/16/3.7