North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

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

darn near perfection for a stout. this was perhaps the most pleasant drink i’ve had in awhile. dark and thick body, with chocolate, coffee and black licorice flavor evident.

Pours dark brown with large, lasting, foamy, caramel colored head. Aroma is fruity (plums and red grapes), chocolately & slightly nutty. Wow, very complex taste. Chocolate, roasted, thick, very warming from the alcohol but not overwelming. Great bitter ending. Makes me wish I had a case of this up at the cabin, in the evening after a hunt, sitting by the fire relaxing.

My neighbor GAVE me a case of this. Am I lucky or what? One of the best of its type, perfect for when I want to ponder my beer. Complex, deep, delicious stuff.

Pours a thick tan head on a black body. Nice and sweet fruity and malty aroma with tones of coffee, oranges and dry fruit. Delicious flavor, sweet and full and very smooth. Notes of coffee, bitter chocolate, hops, roasted malt and plenty of fruit. An extremely tasty stout and really my kind of beer!

12 oz bottle via trade with RegallacMC (thanks Paul!). Pours out black with a red tint, and a small tan head that leaves almost no lace on the side of the glass. Aroma of Roasted chocolate and licorice. Wonderful flavors of licorice, plums, roasted coffee and roasted chocolate. Full bodied and chewy mouthfeel. Dry finish with a chalky bittersweet roasted cocoa aftertaste followed a little alcohol and then by some west coast hoppiness. Very nice!

Bottle. Very good cherry wood molasses like scent. Brown black color, clear yet opaqe. Sweet up front with a bitter long lasting finish. Full creamy soft palate. Very enjoyable and full of depth. Upon re-rating decided to bump this up a notch or two. It has pretty much everything I like in a stout.

What a fantastic Imperial Stout! It has become one of my favorites. I can’t add to much to what has already been said.

Served in a Westmalle chalice for no other reason that I need to break in the glass.

Rich roasted malt & coffee nose with everything an Imperial Stout requires. Pours a clear but nearly opaque ultra-dark brown color with a 1 finger creamy tan head that has moderate staying power. Lacing and head retention could be a touch better. The mouthfeel is creamy and robust. The flavor, a clear ’10’, is the high point of this beer. It leads with a crisp bitter bite on the front end, then a touch of sweetness, followed by a rich roastiness that persists through a delicious and wonderfully long finish. The only hint of the alcohol is a just touch of hotness combined with roasted malt acidity in my throat.

Since I’m getting more depressed by the minute that I didn’t buy more when I had the chance, I’ll bump the overall rating up a notch.

Rerating after a rich stew dinner (same day) - Espresso notes are more clear in flavor and aroma. Flavor and bitterness just ’pop’ from the beer and the staying power of the finish is just astonishing. Bumping overall up 2 to to 19 as I am loving the second half of this beer even more tha tthe first half!!