North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

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

Fresh XI anniversary edition. Courtesy Morgan from Great Orlando Beer Festival. Pours extremely dark chocolate brown, almost black. A minimal, tan colored head dissipates quickly, leaving just a thin, swirly film at the surface. Scant spotting marks the glass. The aroma is big on bourbon and very woody, the dark chocolate and caramel undertones seemingly overpowered by saturated oak. Vanilla plays a big role, working nicely with the massive bourbon contingent. Chocolate asserts itself a bit more in the flavor, caramel also coming forward, but the bourbon still takes center stage. Old, boozy, vanilla laden oak permeates the entire brew. Sweetness conquers roastiness, two roles that I would like to see reversed. Nearly full on the palate, the substantial body is surprisingly over carbonated, and the alcoholic heat is a bit intense. Still a really good beer, some mellowing time in the cellar is justified.

Fresh XI score: 8/4/7/3/16 = 3.8

Aged X anniversary edition, courtesy BeerVirgin. Now THIS is what I’m talking about. The aforementioned review stays true for the most part, but the woody bourbon is so much better integrated after a year plus in the bottle. Some chocolaty roast breaks free from the alcoholic stronghold to balance out some of the sweetness. The vanilla is softer, becoming a valued part of the beer rather than a distant outlier. Even the mouthfeel seems calmer, more mature. In short, this beer begs for time in the bottle. Great stuff.

Aged X score: 8/4/8/4/17 = 4.1

Thanks to Morgan from Great Orlando Beer Fest for the taste. Aroma is an incredible mix of bourbon whiskey, vanilla and caramel. Flavor is very strong on the bourbon, with a lot of vanilla and woody flavors mixed in. Very good. Thanks to BeerVirgin, I was able to try the X Anniversary edition with some more time on it. The strong flavors certainly mellow with a year. Very good beer.

Bottle courtesy of Iowaherkeye – thanks Joey! Pours a midnight black with a 2 finger dense tan head that lasts and leaves great lacing. Nose is roast, dark chocolate and light coffee. Taste is ash, cocoa, vanilla, roasted malt, light smoke and coffee with a bitter hop finish. Bourbon is present and gets much more pronounced as it warms. Full and creamy mouth feel. Very good beer.

This fool was picked up at the brewery and the label states 11.2%ABV, 500 mL. Black with a 1 1/2 finger tan head, great retention. No problems finding the bourbon here, but not overpowering like BCS, either. Also, all the great aromas of the bourbon are present without being boozy and alcoholic. Lots of vanilla, buttered caramel and lighter oak atop the strong milk chocolate and roasted malts. Flavor does turn a bit hot, but this is 11.2%. There is a bit more roast, but still plenty of all the aforementioned notes keep things balanced. A bitter coffee finish dominates the finish and breaks through the bourbon, as well as some warming alcohol down the throat. Bitterness peaked at a 2-3. Light to moderate carbonation, full smooth body. Damn fine beer.

Bottle marked as XI, so I hope this is the correct beer... Anyhoot...Shared by swolf3 at SL. Thanks wolf! Cork and caged. Black in color, nice toffee colored head that lingered. On the nose a hint of bourbon, vanilla, coffee, roasted malts. Wow...taste is super smooth. Nice blend of boubon ageing but not over doing it. Taste is intially some vanilla with the bourbon, then the roasted malts, coffee, and sweet chocolate. Perfect texture, creamy smooth, low carbonation. No trace of the 11.6% alcohol. I am glad I tried this next to the regular version of the Old Raspy. Now I wish I had my own bottle!

(10/29/08) Bottle at Valley Brew brewery in Stockton (thanks a lot Mike!). Black-colored with a light brown head. Aroma of dark chocolate, coffee beans, some wood and bourbon notes and a bit of alcohol. Sweet malty flavor with a big roasted character, cocoa, some coffee notes, some dark fruits and some alcoholic and woody notes. Finishes quite dry. Great thick full body. A great Stout.

X Bottle. Pours a black as night body with a tan head. Lots of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate and some fruity esters. The hops are gone from this awesome stout. I really loved this when i first had it. Fantastic. 4.5 XI Bottle. Pours a black body with 3 finger fluffy dark coffee head. Sweet malty, dark chocolate light chocolate with bourbon accents. Oak a bit thin still and some grain. 4.1 XII thanks Vic for the share. Pours a black abyss with a coffee creamy white head. Bourbon, woody vanilla notes, chewy malty light brunt character. Moderate etoh warming. Nice brew. 4.3

Dark brown pour with a thin head. The aroma has notes of sweet dark malt, chocolate, and bourbon. Dry and roasty, chocolate cake, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Dry roast in the finish. Very nice.