North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Bottle, aged ~ 9 months. Dark, dark brownish black pour with beautiful dark tan head. Starts out a solid inch with great texture and then diminishes with almost perfect lacing. Really lovely. Nose full of vanilla, chocolate, coffee beans, roasted barley, and some hop presence. Similar palate with added nuttiness-- almond skins and walnuts. Hits a bit bitter at the end with some hoppiness and a coffee ground taste at the finish. Great beer, though.

Pours a very dark brown/black with a dark tan head and light lacing. Aroma of roasted chocolate, coffee, malts and hops. Great mix of flavors makes this a complex brew, and it has a nice warming finish.

Aroma was good, initial was coffee then hints of chocolate, and then a very roasty malt smell. Appearance was great for an Imperial Stout, thick black with dark tan head that stayed whole way. Flavor was decent, coffee and roasted malt with hints of chocolate and citrus. The feel was disappointing, a little thin and an acidic finish, but had good carbonation. Overall, decent but I wish it was smoother.

12oz brown bottle from The Lighthouse in Manchester. Pours an opaque dark black body with over an inch of light brown head that slowly dissipates. Smells roasty, with strong baker’s chocolate, caramel, and a tinge of citrussy hops. Tastes very roasty with dark chocolate, hints of caramel and toffee, and just enough grassy/citrussy hop flavor and bitterness to balance the malt. Hints of alcohol in both the mouthfeel and flavor. Rich creamy mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. A solid flavorful RIS for sure. I’d love to see how it ages.

very tasty and strong. almost too strong at first. but full of chocolate and nutty aftertaste. i look forward to buying a lot of this beer and getting drunk with it.

motor oil black pour with a beautiful brown head- looks phenomenal. the nose is luxurious- dark and bitter chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, and a woody quality. Flavor is absolutely from another planet- not as assaulting as some impys, but so incredibly delicious and smooth that it actually surpasses such bellicose beers. the start of the sip is smooth, and you wonder how it’s going to hit you; it follows with a robust but oh so gentle encapsulation of the tongue, providing enriching flavors. chocolate and coffee dominate, but the whole experience must be tasted to be fully understood. palate is wondrous- just enough sweetness sticks to leave you pining for the next gulp. extraordinary, so worth it’s top notch rating.

Truly a tremendous beer. Rich, foamy dark tan head over a nice black color liquid. Great roasted malt flavor with a slight dark chocolate taste. Strong beer, warm going down. Not too bitter. The overall effect is just right. A good imperial stout, I’ve rated it high.

(Sample from November 17, 2006 Beer Club Meeting; 12oz bottle at home with weeAnaP) Insane thick head that resembles a hefty pancake… popping bubbles and all. Love the color of Rasputin’s head! Great lacing that holds the entire height of the glass. Black color with deep mohogany at the edge of the glass. Strong, intense woody roasted malt… musky. Manly. Taste is bitter, strong, somewhat creamy. Aftertaste is of spicy hops and malt, just at the back of the nose. One of my favorites.