North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

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

At Stevofest 08, courtesy of Illinismitty. Black, with a thin brown head. Big aroma - raisin, vanilla, bourbon, dark chocolate. Flavor is similiar, but the bourbon and vanilla ar much more prevalent in the flavor than the aroma. Roasty chocolate becomes more of a flavor in the finish. Good now, and I would love to age some, as well.

Bottle courtesy of Grumpybrewer, which I brought to Stevofest 08. Pours black with a tan head. Very nice aroma of vanilla, oak, and dark chocolate. Initial flavor of dark roast, char, and bitter chocolate that transitions to a very pronounced bourbon middle with flavors of vanilla and oak. Bourbon carries through to the warming finish in which some alcohol is detected. Ross would hate this stuff. This needs to age so that everything can meld, unless you love bourbon- which really dominates this beer. Hopefully grumpybrewer can get me another one.

Bottle at stevo’s. Pours dark ruby with tall beige head. The aroma is raisin, molasses, bourbon, and sweet chocolate. The flavor is strong vanilla and chocolate with some alcohol. The bourbon element is pretty obvious, but it’s balanced well with all the candy-bar flavors, in particular the very chocolatey finish. Tasty stuff.

Roasted malty chocolate aroma. The flavor was very roasted with chocolate and maple syrup notes. Chocolatey wood finish.

Bottle: Cola in color, thing spritzy light beige head, spotty lacing.   Heavy Bourbon nose, minor oak and vanilla.   Boubon, vanilla, almond roca, oak, coffee, cocoa, toffee, and caramel on the tongue.   This is damn tasty!   Does seem a little thin as compared to their normal Old Rasputin.   Decet body, spritzy mouthfel.   Very warming.   Finishes with lots of Bourbon.   Very flavorful and tasty, even if a bit thin for an Imperial Stout.   Thanks for sharing dunkeylips!

Bottle. Sampled at YEHA. Dark black body with thin head. Aroma is chocolate, sweet malt. Flavor is bitter chocolate, vanilla, oak. Very bitter. Nice mouthfeel.

This Imperial Stout pours a medium to dark black color from a 500ml bottle. Small to medium sized beige foamy head. Aroma is chocolate, coffee, a touch of vanilla and some bourbon. A medium bodied Imperial Stout. The malts are chocolate and coffee, with a touch of vanilla and bourbon. The hops are earthy and floral. Nice balance, with a touch of an alcohol bite. The bourbon flavors tend to overwhelm the chocolate and coffee a little. Nice and mellow, will probably improve with some more aging. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet, with some bourbon.

Brisk ,whiskey malt aroma, an occasional whisper of oak and hop, but that is always beaten down by the bourbon.Obviously good barrels were used here.Bourbon also dominates the taste, a blanket of bourbon covering the chocolate malts with vanilla and carmel tinges. bourbon is perhaps a little to dominating here, which I actually prefer,but a little more balance would make top tenish. Thanks Kingpin