North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Bottle. Pours a deep brownish-black with a tan head that lingers. Big toasted malt aroma, with hints of chocolate and coffee. Taste hits with huge toasted malt, then picks up a bit of chocolate and molasses sweetness. Lingering toastiness. Very nice imperial stout.

bottle. pours black like a shark’s eye, with a thick, fluffy light brown head that dissipates slowly, leaving a bunch of lacing behind. i haven’t had this beer in a while, and i’m psyched to see if it’s as good as i remember it. huge aroma of cocoa, roasted malt, molasses, and some hops, but what stands out to me (not because it dominates, but because it’s strange) is a sort of cola caramel note. cherry cola, even. interesting. ooh nice, the roasted malt comes out a lot more in the taste. bits of coffee, cocoa, and spicy hops back it up. moderately bitter finish, quite warming and wholly inappropriate for the 80 degree day i chose to drink it on, but oh well. thinner than i expected, really creamy rather than silky and oily. still quite full of body, and a lot of lively carbonation. yep, just as tasty as i remembered it. fruitier than most impies (though nothing close to, say, de dolle export), but big bitter on the end to take care of you proper. dashed good stuff. i can’t wait for winter to truly enjoy it. no, that’s not true at all. but at least i have SOMEthing to look forward to about the winter.

Awesome mother of a stout. At least something good came out of the Cold War.

Bottle. Black. Thick, brown head.Coffee, cream and chocolate in the nose. Spice and more coffee in the flavour, with an alcohol:y hop sting in the bitter finish.

The best brew North Coast makes. This dark stout is best on a cold winter day. Served slightly warm sitting around an open fire is an ideal setting to enjoy this beer. Or in my case ice cold cause it is hotter than hell in FL right now.

12oz. bottle, tulip glass. Two finger deep tan head that lingers, protein rich lacing sticks to the glass, beer is very dark, no light comes through. Smells of malt, roasted barley, coffee grounds and dark chocolate. First sip is tongue coating, very rich and aggressively bitter. Malt sweetness quickly gives way to the burnt roast flavors. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy. Alcohol is evident in the nostrils. About as much roast as I like, some other RIS ales are overdone, but this one goes to the edge without falling off.

Bottle. Aroma is fruity with lots of chocolat and a hint of alcohol. Nice silky mouthfeel. Flavor is chocolat and roasted coffeebeans with a nice burning finish.

bottle. Nose is of alcohol, mocha, dark chocolat, and tabacco. Pour is beautiful black with tan head. Great lacing and head stays. Medium bodied stout, very easy drinking... relatively speaking. A little more alchol bite than i would expect for 9% stout.