North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

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

The best Imp. Stout ever made? Maybe, maybe not, but its the best I’ve had. Richly chocolate taste. Almost stickyness that coats your glass. Wonderful head.

Millenium release 22 oz. bottle, with bottleneck dipped in wax (very cool). Average sized, toffee-colored head sits atop opaque, almost black body. The aroma is quite vinous and acidic (balsamic vinegar?), with heavy notes of charred fruit (raisins, black currants), sharp hops, and an alcoholic tinge. This is one huge, complex beer. Lots and lots of roasted malt, which is complemented be even more hop bitterness. At 9% ABV, I honestly don’t sense much alcohol on the palate. As an imperial, I’d expect the malt to be much more prominent, but I actually enjoyed the hop kick. Delicious.

Fanastic appearance. Pours with a big, khaki head and a very dark ruby color. Quite dry, and a very roasted malt taste. Alcohol presence is noteworthy but definitely does not detract from taste.

Smokey, coffee, licorice maybe, molasses aroma. Thick, black, viscous much like my soul and underpants. Taste was coffee and molasses, some smoke, slighthint of sweetness. Some toffee in there. Finishes with smoke and coffee.

This is one great Imperial Sweet roasted malt aroma, thick dark creamy head,black in color, nice taste of plums, chocolate and coffee, not over sweetness. just very tasty, I like this awesome brew, well done.

Upgrade March ’05. Superb, just superb. Definitely greater smoky character on this than the other samples of great Impys I’ve had as of late. Certainly complexity going on, when the smokiness is countered by tartness in the finish. Unimpeachable appearance, and aroma is indicative of what’s in the flavor. Even the mouthfeel seems to balance thickness with lightness. An expertly crafted beverage for expert entusiasts.

I’m now somewhat more familiar with the kinds of Imperial Stouts out there, ranging so far from a Sam Smith’s to a Bell’s Expedition. This is more similar to a Bell’s Expedition (but I love Sam Smith’s more at this point). That was my thought at first, anyway. This doesn’t quite have the all-around robustness of a Bell’s Expedition, though. But by the same token, the Bell’s Expedition is more overpowering and hence is more limited in its drinkability than this. This is pretty excellent stuff even if not quite the eccentric masterpiece that Bell’s Expedition is. Aroma is pretty mild by comparison. Like Bell’s, the alcohol comes in rather overpowering and noticeable in the bite in the throat upon swallowing it. I don’t get the kind of complexity as in Bell’s (is it apparent yet that I’m judging the quality by the standard of Bell’s?), though the mouthfeel provides a similar kind of silkiness before that throat bite kicks in (this is how they both differ from Sam Smith’s). I have ’Imperial Stout’ entered as my favorite style, but they differ enough that now I dunno for sure. If not Imperials, then (well-done) Doppelbocks are my faves, so maybe that gives some idea where I’m coming from.

This my be my favourite of the "great stouts" that I have yet had the pleasure to try. Specifically due to the lack of coffee, my nemesis. Hardly any coffee notes whatsoever. And yet, ther is still lots of flavour. Pours like syrup, one of the thickest palates I can recall. The abv is well disguised. Wonderfully roasted and molasses. Thank goodness they come in four-packs.

One of the best Imperial Stouts that I have ever had! Nice dark Rich color, with a bitter taste and smootheness that was great! I will drink this again, thanks to Dogbrick for this one!