North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

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

Black with blonde head. Roasty, salt and bitter and high acid. In sip: Cinammon, rye bread, bittersweet chocolate, fruit,licorice. Could be less hoppy. Medium texture.

Bottle (12oz). At this relatively early stage of my RateBeer career, I have not rated very many imperial stouts - maybe 10 - but this is hands-down the best I’ve had to date. Very dark, very strong, pours almost like motor oil. VERY bitter, but it works (and I’m no hop-head). Only 17/20 because I know there are better out there. I have one left and am saving it for a special occasion.

Dark, dark ruby, low on gas. Nice hue. Rich, intensive aroma. Chocolaty, coffeeyesh brew. Highly sophisticated palate. Less brutal and much more refined than most other stouts. Very smooth, velvety, creamy. Very nice!

2009-06-18. Pitch black body with a nice fluffy brown head. Rich aroma, cocoa and dark roast, dark malt, touch of alcohol. (8+) Flavour is fairly bitter, both hops and roast. Dark malty base with decent amounts of hops that linger long into the finish. Smooth average plus to medium bodied palate. Very nice. 8+/4/8/4/16-17 Bottle of unknown origin

June 2004. Black dark body, with a very nice beige head that eventually fades. Aroma is bitter chocolate. Flavour is roasty, with pleasantly warming alcohol that announces itself politely. Not the thickest mouthfeel but quite nice nonetheless. Very very good but did not meet my expectations. 7/5/8/4/16 Mondial 4T (Me).

Black color, medium head. Roasted malts, lightly hopped. Roasted malt flavor very pronounced, slightly dry taste as well. Big and Bold Stout. Finish is crisp and malty. Aftertaste is dry and there is a very slight metallic tinge. Very pleasant finish. NICE stout.

This brew poured a large head of finely sized brown colored mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a opaque dark brown colored body with no visible carbonation and a fair lace. The aroma is nice with a big brown malt scent and a mild hop content. The mouth feel is initially biting with a lingering hop bite. The flavor is malty with a hop note and a strong molasses flavor.

Bottle. Huge brown frothy head that mostly lasted. Excellent lacing. Black coloured body. Lovely mix of berries, coffee, chocolate, liquorish, wood, hint of smoke, and some vanilla. Full bodied with a heavy malty sweet flavour and balancing burned candies bitterness. Almost wine like in its mouth feel. Sweet finish with slight burned bitterness again. Wow, impressive beer. Especially the long lasting liquorish finish.

12oz’er that poured solid midnight black with a maroon tinge and a gigantic head that just wouldn’t budge. The rosy aroma is of dark cherries and chocolate. The bitter chocolate manages to predominate the first swallow, but looming in the background is a tangle of alcohol, espresso and even some dry hop grassiness. This is a complex and interesting stout, worthy of its high ratings. (#2764, 3/31/2007)