North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

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

Bottle. Pours a dark black, not oil thick but black, slight dark tan head. Flavors are intense, lots of roasted malt and burnt flavor. Finish is very strong, lots of bitter flavor and it is warming. Very well balanced, yet complex. Definitely a very good imperial stout.

Bottle. Pours black, nearly opaque. Nose of coffee and dark chocolate, with hints of licorice and spice. Mouth: not as smooth at it should be for the variety with carbonation that overwhelms some of the initial flavor. Taste: after the carbonation, complex mix of coffee and dark chocolate, sour fruit, with a licorice/anise finish. Too much carbonation for the style, but an excellent Russian Stout overall.

Finally getting around to rating this one. One of my favorites for the price. I’ve included this in my overall rating. Pours dark brown with a disappearing brown head. Nice lacing. The aroma is coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, little molasses. The flavor is the same with some anise and ash in the finish. Really nice dark roasted finish. Chocolate and campfire. Yummy. My only complaint is that its not as smooth as some other similar style beers. A little over carbonated, and it kills some of the flavors. Still a great beer.

Bottle. Pours black with a dense brown head roughly three fingers thick. It slowly retreated to leave an attractive lace around the glass. A wickedly complex aroma of dark bitter chocolate, roast, raisins, plum, licorice and perfume. The flavour is equally delicious and really takes on different character throughout the beer. The alcohol is noticeable but tidy. Velvety smooth mouthfeel. Rich chocolate finish. Great balance. A throwback to the classic Russian Imperial Stout style. A beautifully crafted beer. The perfect beer to crack on Christmas day and matched superbly with rich plum pudding. Massive thanks to Jonno for the more than generous hook-up!

12 oz bottle. Smells of freshly chopped wood, a little spicy, and a nice roasted malt presence. Pours coal black with a long-lasting creamy head, awesome lacework. Tastes of roasted black coffee, alcohol. Nice creamy texture, full-bodied, perfect carbonation. This is one of the greatest stouts in the world right here. It’s been in my top 10 for 10 years.

A trend setter. Aroma of chocolate and raisins. No Hops. Appearance, beautiful ruby sparkles and brown foam. Good foam stability given the strength. Taste again bitter chocolate and hints of raisin with notes even of figs. Long bitter aftertaste but not harsh. Not a sweet stout - the better for it! Not hoppy. Palate was full bodied yet light on the tongue. Soft carbonation. A beautiful beer.

(br-btl, bk/gl-lbl bearded-man, 9%)

opq-bk, thin-br-hd.
dark-fruit burnt-currant aroma.
fruity T1 kahlua roasty-malt T2 dark-fruits astringent §tar T3.
great beer for a cold evening.