North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

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

Shared this with a couple of friends. Poured black with tan head. Aroma of bourbon and vanilla. Mellow bourbon flavor with some vanilla hints. Medium body. Great smell and flavor.

Snifter served at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL. for their anniversary tapping. Poured a black/brown, with a small, foamy, light tan head that left some thin, intermittent lacing inside the glass. Initially served a little cold, but as it warmed, exposed the bourbon, roasted, dark chocolate, coffee and a touch of charred wood notes to the nose. I like the fact that the bourbon didn’t overwhelm these as they proceeded into the flavor, along with a little sweetness and a touch of caramel as it warmed more. The alcohol was potently warming, the body was medium to full, and a strong hop bitterness, although present all along, finished the deal. The supply sold out within the first hour,...enough said!

Draught at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL 04/02/2009. Opaque dark brown with a thin light brown wispy head. Little lacing. A little chocolatey, slightly lactose boozy with a roasty coffee like finish. Barrel character is present slightly woody, not much boozy presence just a slight hot sensation on the tongue. Fairly thin.

XI. Poured in a 6-8 ounce glass at Hopleaf in Chicago. Pours a pure, dark black with just a thin trace of brownish head. Aroma of roasted malts, smoke, vanilla, and a trace of sweet alcohol. Thick palate, practically no carbonation, complex taste. Has all of the complex flavors of Old Rasputin, smoke, toast, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, etc, but you can taste the bourbon throughout, which adds a soft sweetness. Great stuff.

Sampled at hellbilly’s hellraiser 3 gathering. Bottle courtesy of psprings. Deep black color pour with a nice creamy head that lasts. Nice roasty aroma with bourbon, wood, vanilla, licorice and dark fruit. Flavor follows along the same lines. Thick and creamy on the palate. Fantastic brew. Thanks Paul!

XI - Thanks Sam! - Pours a flat almost black with a large tan head...aroma is a straight-forward assult of of bourbon, cocoa and vanilla, sweet malt...flavour is the same, very little carbonation makes this one smooth and creamy, tastes of chocolate and oak linger...this was the winner of the night at the March tasting!....

Courtesy of After4ever, thanks Tom! I have had this in my cellar around 2 years now. It is black with a red hue and a creamy head. The aroma has notes of wood, bourbon, roasted malt, vanilla and licorice. The flavour has a light sweetness and notes of roasted malt, wood, bourbon, dark fruits, vanilla, licorice, caramel, and in the slightly bitter finish I find chocolate and spicy alcohol, that in no way becomes boozy. It’s a very harmonic and nice beer – yummiii...

XI release (the X release was also incredible, but didn’t have enough to rate from). Beautiful beer. A: Perfect pour - viscous black gold with a creamy tan head that never fully dies. Very nice. S: Roasty chocolate propped up by some very pleasant bourbon notes. T: Great balance between the rich, dark chocolate, light roasted malts, sweet bourbon and dark fruits. Beautiful. Nothing is overpowering, nothing is out of place. I love it. M: Velvet. Deliciously creamy. D: Almost 12%? Drinks much, much easier than the ABV would have you expect. Highly recommended. One fine beer.