Beer Review: North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Nine percent

Appearance: This brew poured a dark black with flashy ruby red as well as brown hues. It also boasted a beighe head with a cake batter-esque texture. The head ended up leaving  a thick coating of lacing appeared to take a second to separate when I tilted and rotated the glass. Thick and sticky looking, overall.

Smell: Layers upon layers. Roasted barley, dark chocolate and robust coffee grounds of both medium and dark variety. Just about everything was in there that you can expect to be in a stout these days.

Taste: The chocolate was the first thing on the flavor bill. I sensed some of the sweet and lighter chocolate notes on the front then the darker tones slightly after that. The coffee and barley then made a sudden taste takeover. That was followed by a bitter and above-average boozy finish. The finishing flavors were strong, but the other layers in this brew really helped to keep those particular things balanced.

Overall Rating: 

One of the better stouts I've ever had. I can't recall many  brews that were that defining with each layer of aroma and taste. I was able to clearly discern this beer's intricacies. Oh, and it really helps that it's named for an important figure in world history. That's helped in attracting me to quite a few brews out there on the market.

The Hunt for Old Rasputin

When I wrote my post about a few Russian Imperial Stouts and paired them with some John Williams tunes (on a coincidental note his 82nd birthday was this weekend) that get played regularly on NBC Olympic broadcasts I recollected the last time I saw North Coast's Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. It was in the beer-selling cafe of the Pleasant Hills Giant Eagle. If you walk in the cafe door, the Rasputin four packs sit directly on the shelf in front of you.

I cant remember having another stout that featured pretty much all of the traditional stout layers of flavor. Roasted barley, both varieties of chocolate as well as coffee grounds. I have one bottle remaining after sharing somewhat and I might cling to it for as long as I can. The ABV clocked in at about nine percent, but it didn't interfere with much flavor. Still, it was enough to inhibit my spelling ability on Twitter.

That was so good that I sucked it down prior to even getting photographic evidence if its existence. #beertograpby pic.twitter.com/pEO5Y1bHUp
— Bill Kostkas (@billkostkas) February 9, 2014

It was truly one of the best stouts I've come across. Also, the fact that the beer is named for an important figure in history. I'd argue that there are few beers named for people throughout time that have more debated demises than Rasputin did. It'd be a good debate.

Of course, I drank it while watching Olympic coverage over the weekend. I did miss most of the opening ceremonies, though. So, I missed the hilarious rendition of the Russian police choir singing Get Lucky. Oddly enough, it had a Hunt for Red October feel to it.