North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

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

One of the great, yet affordable, Imperial Stouts. Pours a dark black, with a nice brown head. Aroma of deep malts, coffee, and some hop. Flavor follows suit, with a bit of alcohol. No complaints with this one.

I was looking forward to this highly rated Russian Imperial. Unfortunetly I was disappointed. This probably has more to do with an aversion to Cascade Hops (the grapefruity flavor), then a poor beer. I find the cascade hop flavor overpowers the aroma, yeast, and malt flavor. I know many people really enjoy this flavor and I find it in a lot of Russion Imperials. So for me it never had a chance.

Pours oil black with a surprising amount of brown bubbly head and nice lacing. Smells like my grandmother’s kitchen. A bitter burnt maltiness that is well integrated with hops and is reminiscent of rye bread smell, but I don’t think I would have come up with that if it wasn’t for the bourbon aged edition that really smells and tastes like rye bread. The alcohol and malts are not overwhelming. Not a sweet brew, but a good one. Will get again. Favorable aftertaste.

12oz bottle. Black and opaque. Head was not thick and dissipated quickly. I absolutely didn’t taste the alcohol despite it being 9%. I got more of a coffee taste than a chocolate taste out of it, but it was quite good overall. I wouldn’t put this in my favorite stout list, but it is much better than anything one can normally get in my part of Alabama.

From a 12 oz bottle, poured into a small lager glass. Not the ideal glass for this baby, but what the hey! Pours as black as the ace of spades. Appears lightly carbonated, not a big head on this pour. My best stout to date. Not an actual coffee or chocolate stout, but very full bodied. Well roasted malt evokes both coffee and chocolate flavors. The alcohol is evident, but not intrusive. Mmm, mmm, good!

Bouteille de 12 oz. Arômes de chocolat noir et de café. Belle robe noire, légèrement translucide, belle mousse moka qui tient bien. Moyennement ronde en bouche, des notes puissantes de chocolat noir et de cacao sont accompagnées d’une touche de café. Finale assez sèche de cacao et belle amertume de houblon. L’alcool demeure bien dissimulé. Une bonne Imperial Stout.

Pours from the bottle black black black with a tan head that gives way a spiderweb lacing. Chocolate, coffee, dried fruits, subtle alcohol and tobacco. The carbonation bites your tongue and leaves a milk chocolate film in your mouth. Tastes like espresso, chocolate milk, and boooooooze. Subtle warming alcohol finish. Mmmm mmm good.

Black pour with a nice full tan head. Good looking lacing. Some chocolate covered dark fruit on the aroma, nothing extraordinary. Flavor is sweet up front with roasted malt and alcohol, accompanied by mild carbonation. This leads to dark chocolate bittnerness and a slightly warm finish. Medium-full body with low carbonation and a little alcohol warmth. Good beer. Nothing remarkable.