North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

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

Wow! A 500 ml bottle from Eric’s awesome cellar. Thanks man. 10th anniversary edition. Pours a pure black color with a huge thick light brown head. The aroma is pure and awesome whiskey, decadent. The flavor is dominated by the whiskey barrel, but also some brown sugar, sweet malts, some roasted aspects also. Very nice. Maybe one of the best BA beers I’ve had. Excellent. Still quite warm. Re-rate: had the 12th anniversary fresh; very similar, loads of whiskey barrel in the nose and a more balanced flavor. Awesome, plus I love the bottle.

500 ml, XI (08), Pours black with brown head. Sweet aroma of vanilla and bourbon. Bourbon does dominate taste but pairs well with the roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit flavors. Hint of oak flavor. Warming and full bodied. Liked it, but think I prefer the original.

2008 bomber pours dark and heavy. Bourbon dominates aroma and is strong in flavor. Body is a bit lean, but carbonation right on. Besides bourbon, there’s barley malt with a vanilla tang, and some alcohol and oak notes.

Short and sweet: better than the regular raspy but probably not worth more than one try. EDIT- Previous review was for 11, the 12 bumped it up a bit overall. Very nice, refined, and still much preferred, for me anyway, to the regular version.

Very nice beer. I need to rerate this at some point, because I remember liking it more than my notes indicate. Pours an awesome, creamy black with a nice head. Aroma is very complex, lots of chocolate and wood, with bourbon and clove in the background. Flavor is awesome; creamy chocolate with vanilla, wood, cherries, bourbon, and some lighter fruits. Lots of roasted grain as well. Not as hot as regular Rasputin, and much more complex. Great creamy mouthfeel. A real winner, and this is the XI, so I’m pretty excited to try the X.

Light brown. Slightly muddy. The aroma is nice, woody, somewhat alcoholic with those nice Rasputin dark fruits. Very complex, balanced. Smooth body. Rounded alcohol and vanilla, layered wonderfully over top of chocolate and fudge. It’s funny - I have had a lot of these types of beers and they’re great. But there’s nothing unique, so I find one like that this is just very well executed and it’s something special to me. Thanks Dawn!

Thank you BeerVirgin for sharing this!! Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY! Blacker than a forest at night. The aromas are dangerously delicious, oozing vanilla. Excellent palate and perfect carbonation. Vanilla is present in the flavors but just a hint, integrated well into a symphony of flavors. A supreme, fine, delectable brew.

Generously shared by the Atlanta crew, bottle with the XI label. Another star at Pre-Sex. The aroma is sweet and inviting, more like a tawny port than traditional bourbon barrel to me. Maybe that’s because of the blend of barrel with this silky chocolate impy, one of the best out there. Lip-smackingly good, long smooth finish and a deep blend of roasted flavors with woody complexity.