Old Rasputin by North Coast

Old Rasputin. Russian Imperial Stout. North Coast Brewing Co. Fort Bragg, California.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (51) - San Diego, USA - MAR 11, 2011

12 ounce bottle poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque, deep dark brown with burnt orange hues. Large 2-3 finger head is dark tan/khaki with lengthy retention. Head eventually begins to settle unevenly, leaving plethora of great lacing. After most of the head settles, nice amount of residual foam remains and continues to float on surface for a lengthy period of time.

AROMA: Coffee, mild roasty aroma, bitter chocolate, hearty dark bread, subtle chocolate mousse and even more subtle fig aroma. Extremely faint hint of hops seems discernible, which appears earthy behind all the other aromas. After a strong swirl, a faint earthy branch-like aroma is discernible. Extremely faint black licorice. As it warms up, it brings out light hint of vinous aroma.

TASTE: Huge coffee taste. Plenty of roasted malts. Lots of bitter chocolate. Subtle figs. Extremely faint vanilla bean. Back of palate is less viscous than front/mid and it exhibits the alcohol warmth. As it warms up, back of palate seems to show a bit of a subtle hop character - almost citrus and pine-like; though slightly difficult to discern due to the large amount of roasted and chocolate bitterness. Back of palate also has some light grape and dark berries hidden behind the layers of bitterness. Finish is big roasty bitterness with some bitter chocolate characteristics, as well as an element of subtle earthiness.

MOUTH FEEL: Smooth and velvety. Lengthy retention of some foam on surface helps give a similar perception as drinking an espresso. Slightly viscous – though pleasant and somewhat thinner than expected. More carbonation than expected for such a strong and complex RIS – perhaps more than average for the style. Some noticeable, yet pleasant alcohol warmth on the finish.

OVERALL: Finish is quite bitter – mostly in the roasty sense. Less viscous than expected. Complex. Pleasant. Solid.