North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

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

Big, deep, dark and delicious. For $20 a bottle worth buying twice. Once to try and one to age for ten years.

500ml bottle, XII Anniversary. Strong, chocolatey aroma, plenty of bourbon, vanilla, espresso, alcohol, licorice, roast, ash and faint cherry. Opaque ebony color, head is light tan and very fine. Flavor follows the aroma closely, with plenty of dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, very faint bourbon, more licorice, dark roast and a certain ashiness that fades as it warms. Mouthfeel is thick, smooth and warming, body is hugely full. Thanks, Tim!

(tap at Redlight Redlight in Orlando FL)

opq-bk, rim head, wavy-lace, med-full-body, med-co2.

aroma: dark sweet bright-fruit dark-fruit chclt-chrrd-malt.

flavor: dark-§astringent-malt co2 T1, astringent leafy-hops black-malt §woody-oak T2, asrtringent-dark-malt §leafy-hops T3.

Bourbon barrel aging adds an extra layer to the complexity and maybe even takes some edge of the astringency, but it is not cloyingly sweet-vanilla like some of the other oaked beers out there; its oak done right IMO.

XII 500 ml bottle. I could not pull the cork out by hand and had to pry it open with scissors. Pours black with 2 finger chocolate colored head. Smells of chocolate malt and wood barrel. First taste is of caramel malt and light bourbon flavor. An warm alcohol after taste (11.2%). Well carbonated and has a slick feel on the tongue. This is really good. I’m glad I saved it for my New Years 2010 beer.

Draft special at Monk’s Kettle that included tastings of the standard Old Rasputin, 11th Aniversary, and 12th Anniversary. Damn I forgot how great Old Rasputin is! In any event, this confirmed that I’m not in love with bourbon, as I preferred my classic, chocolatey Old Rasputin. Nonetheless both anniversary brews were excellent. The 11th anniversary had a lovely ring of caramelized head and beyond the obvious notes of bourbon, had a sweet toasted coconut quality to it. The 12th anniversary had a similar tan ring of head that was slightly lighter. The sweet qualities were more classic bourbon-vanilla bean and a touch of butterscotch.

"Old Rasputin is a great beer, so the XII should be even better right?" and a twenty buck’s a bottle you hope so. I poured it into a snifter and immediately got a whiff of bourbon the two finger coco colored head stayed a while then it turned to a thick lace. The body of the brew was a typical black stout color. The nose made the brew great bourbon notes and good roast aroma. Now the flavor really was a little disappointment. I almost liked the regular Old Coast better. I have a bottle and will age it so I will revisit the review later and might up that. I think the mouthfeel and carbonation was spot on for a RIS. A drinkable brew but one glass was good enough for a sitting. It did make for a nice nightcap But I don’t think it is worth the 20$ price tag seeing their regular RIS is just as good. Serving type: bottle

In the bottle at Phil & Bernie’s Holiday Stout Tasting. Pours very black. Thick vanilla and bourbon aroma. Creamy mouth feel with a big coconut flavor. Remarkably, it has a very quick finish for such a huge beer. A mild alcohol burn lets you know what you just drank. Finishes with a strong molasses mouth burn.

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Split with Vin. Pours a deep mahogany brown with a thin, wispy amber head. Aroma of scotch, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, banana, roasted malts, and oak. Full, tart mouthfeel with a smooth, deceptively mild body. Finishes with a slow, mellow warming. Outstanding Imperial stout in every aspect. Awesome brew.