North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Bottle from trade: Pours black, light will not penetrate through the glass, Rich mocha colored cap that lasts and laces. Aroma is ambrosia: dark cocoa, coffee, plumbs, burnt toffee and a deep grassy tone over some sweetness. The flavor has all the tastes expected in an imperial stout but in spades, and this makes for a very complex amalgam of flavor mid palate and this changes as it warms with every warming sip giving a new set of tastes impressions... here are just some of the notable tastes: dark chocolate, mocha, cherry pipe tobacco, burnt toffee, licorice, anise, figs, prunes, toasted bundt cake, smoked cherry wood...wonderful complexity. Big full bodied with a viscous mouth fee hugely complex. The best American Imperial.Russian stout.

Aroma is not as bountiful as the flavor, but definite dark roast and alcohol. Appearance is a dark black color, with a fluffy brown head. The taste is a dark roasted malt, brimming with some alcohol. The taste is a rich full burst. Akin to drinking a campfire, minus the burning wood, some tobacco. A bit a astringent, but with a perfect burnt toast feel.

Brown head and black body. Aroma coffee and dark chocolate. The flavor is coffee, chocolate, roasted malt and licorice. The finale is bitter. A fantastic imp. stout.

Bottle poured into a snifter. Pours black as night with only a hint of light penetrating the edges leaving a mahogany hue. The huge tan head sits atop the blackness for a long, long while leaving big sheets of lacing. The aroma is of massive dark roasted malts, bakers chocolate and licorice. There is also a pretty sizable hop kick in the nose up front as well, mainly citrus. The taste also starts with an interesting citrus hop kick but it quickly gives way to the bittersweet chocolate and dark roasted malts. There is a hint of coffee as well as dark fruits. The mouthfeel is sticky and lingers for ages, just coating the mouth with the massive malt and hop battle on the palate. This is a great example of an RIS and old standby. Highly recommended.

Bottle. Bold malt aromas of dark/burnt bread and strong coffee with hints of orange and perfume and a nice leathery yeast smell. Oak and alcohol was also noticeable. Color is black with a brown fizzy head that disappeared after a few minutes. Taste is sweet and bitter from the start and to the long finish. It has an interesting texture that starts off creamy but leaves a dry finish on the palate. Carbonation is fizzier than I expected. This is one beer to be savored.

Unlike the other reviewers, I was disappointed by this brew. I don’t think it’s a ’’bad beer’’ by any measure, but I feel that given it’s great head, decent aroma, and preceding reputation that I would be quite satisfied by it. And I wasn’t. It simply lacks complexity for me. It packs a punch, and pours beautifully, but I found it unbalanced to a maltier taste, and is missing a deep, subtle fruitiness that I was expecting. I enjoy Imperial Stouts, and hold them to a ’’higher standard’’. This particular one did not meet that standard for me.

Sweet aroma with this DARK beer. Very light head. Strong bitterness from hops and heavily roasted malts, almost burnt. The alcohol warms you up and the roasted malt flavor and hops stick around for a while. Very strong flavor. Nice beer that will give you a good buzz.

12oz bottle. Pours darkest brown with a huge tan head. Aroma is dark fruit and alcohol with some coffee and chocolate. Flavor is alcohol and dark fruit up front with a nice coffee and chocolate finish. Solid impy stout.