North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

12oz bottle from Fresh Market, Raleigh. Funny, but in all the mad rush for the next new thing, I think folks tend to sleep on Old Raspy, one of the best and most reliable of American RIS. I know I overlook it, but that’s a shame since it’s got all the virtues one wants from the style: thick dark pour with a hefty cafe au lait head, full roasted aroma, and a deep, complex flavor that gives off bits of bakers chocolate, milk, and strong espresso as the brew warms. Excellent all the way.

12 oz bottle. Deep black beer with a healthy one finger, two tone, lasting head with excellent lacing. Aroma is roasty malts with hops, alcohol and a surprising fourth component that I don’t have a word for (something of a mix of concentrated, raw juice and clove oil...). Full bodied. Complex: first with a very low sweetness and then the stout flavors of roast, bitter chocolate. The flavours of medium dark chocolate layer with the alcohol content quite well so the 9% doesn’t overpower the experience. This is a visually attractive brew. In flavour it lacks the deep range of fruits that other imperials bring out. Still it’s a nice, balanced IS that I look forward to sharing for many winter occasions.

Draught pours black with tall tan lacing head. Aroma consists of roasted malt and coffee. Taste is coffee, bitter chocolate, and malts. Good milky palate that is semi-sweet. Had a bottle the night before that was pure alcohol probably a storage/shipping issue.

This is a good beer to compare all others. The appearance is a black hole from which no light can escape. The aroma is like sticking your head in a coffee roaster that is in the middle of a chocolate factory. The flavor is smokey, leathery, nicely bitter, cocoa, coffee, allspice, with hint of sweetness. I love the not too sweet aftertaste, and the dry finish. The ABV is well hidden. gooooood stuff

Black in color with a small light brown with minimal lacing. The aroma is of coffee and caramel with a strong alcohol backbone. The flavor is of coffee grounds with a sweet start and a bitter finish. Very mellow. The texture is creamy. A bit timid for an imperial stout, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Pours black with ruby edges when held to the light. 1-inch mocha head that lasts a bit. Coffee, chocolate, burnt/roasted malts and earthy hops on the nose. Taste is a lot of the same with lots of coffee and chocolate and bitter roast/hopped finish. A little on the high side of carbonation and medium bodied. A good, year round RIS.

decent but was outclassed in my opinion by what it was matched up against (victoy storm king and nogne imperialstout) Pours black with a light tan head which persisted longest of the 3. Perhaps the hoppiest of the 3. Aroma was decent but paled to nogne. Flavour was good, chocolatey, roasty coffee. Initial trial reminded me of john by imperial stout. Overal a good beer that I will let age a little since it seemed to be lacking something. Perhaps not as balanced as others? I’m not quite sure.

Four 12oz bottles for $9 from Bauer Wines in Boston. Pours black, with a good head. Very good lacing. Rich nose of malts and hops. First taste is strong and warm, but the main taste is hurt by what feels like too much alcohol, so it goes down hot - and I typically have no problem with big beers. Tangy flavour. Nice lingering hop and malt aftertaste. Overall, I’m not actually enjoying this one too much. I will let its brothers age.