Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast Brewing Co.

godless1one

California

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

appearance - black as night, brown uneven head

smell - molasses, chocolate, anise, coffee, and roasted malt

taste - sweet first, mixed with the anise and coffee, a drink is followed by a light bitter aftertaste which is colored by anise and chocolate primarily

mouthfeel - thick, smooth, and creamy, decent carbonation, pleasantly heavy

drinkability - I could drink these every day, but they are particularly enjoyable in the cold because of the pleasant warmth that spreads through your body as you drink (thar be alcohol!)

To date this is my favorite brew. I've yet to find a single beer/ale which compares in terms of flavor and overall awesomeness. Although this winter I will be trying the Abyss, so Rasputin's top seat my be in danger.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 08:45:10 | More by godless1one

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My first sampling of this coincided with my chance discovery of Monk's Cafe in Philly. At the time (2003-2004), I was living in Center City, piss poor, and longing for good beer. One fine day, riding my bike around in explorer mode, I found myself coming up upon the unmistakable awning and neon sign for said cafe - got little money, but let's do it. I'm desperate! - This may have been the very first time in my life I had been presented with a beer menu, the content of which I wasn't familiar with 90-95% of. Looking to cheaper and more interesting sounding beers, I ordered one Rasputin to go (at about $7 or $9, if I remember right). So off I go on my bike back up 16th st to my studio apt, giddy with delight or delightfully giddy. Get home - and I can't recall actually pouring it - and I find myself eying up one intimidating pint of darkness. The rest is...you know.

Old Rasputin will make a man out of you (Rip Van Winkle, for one). Always pours with an explosive, swelling head, big and busty, and the perfect shade of ash and gravel. Scummy, sparkling lacing. The liquid is impenetrably black - a charred void. Black death. The aroma hits you instantaneously, even from a foot or more away. More of a Baltic Porter scent than a bitter, dry stout. What I get is dark chocolate cake dipped in dark chocolate, mellow espresso, grain just lightly singed, and wafting among these scents, a faint grassy/piney hop presence. Oh, and a clean, vodka-like alcohol aroma, more and more as it warms. Flavor-wise, I'm not sure what you can improve upon, considering the style and imagery conjured up by the namesake of the beer. Cold and black. A sultry bitterness - by way of hops, dark chocolate, and dark malt. Velvety smooth feel and vague molasses character, with surprisingly potent fruitiness and almost citrus hop flavors as it warms. While this doesn't need to warm up much to express its fabulous complexities, the alcohol makes itself quite apparent in the aftertaste and feel past a certain degree. Once in awhile, this can be somewhat off-putting. For the most part, you really want this though. Carbonation, at its levels, is ideal and maintains excitement on the tongue - never any cloying sweetness or heavy feeling. That, and the warm prick of ethyl, round out an expertly crafted brew. So difficult to put this into perspective...when you've had 2 or 3.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 05:31:47 | More by Bouleboubier

Vancoubeer

Washington

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Man this beer is what a Russian Imperial stout should be. Taste outstanding. looks dark as night. Feels the way it should and it smells similar to dark coffee / dark chocolate. The flavor is full on roasted goodness. Why pass this one up? Just get it.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 05:51:52 | More by Vancoubeer

hitter114

Colorado

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from bottle into Tulip
A: Very dark, not quite black but 95% of the way there
S: Smells amazing of simple roasted malts and great hop profile for the nose. Got a chocolate smoke smell going
T: Just as good as it smells. Burns just a little, but the perfect amount. Hops and malts balance it out brilliantly
M: Sharp and bitty as expected. Could be slightly smoother but for 9%, what do you expect?

Overall: One of my favorite Russian Imperial I have had. Great mix of hops, malt, roasty, chocolate/barbecue smoke taste. Buy this beer if you like beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 03:16:34 | More by hitter114

Eeroomnhoj

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My friend gave me a few bottles of beer for Christmas and I started with the darkest first. Great tasting beer, one I would have again and again, just not on the same day. Maybe some people are different but one is enough for me. It poured jet black and had a fairly thick head. It tasted real heavy on the first sip so I knew I was in for a treat. The beer did leave a taste in my mouth but so does a good cigar. Definitely a winter sitting by the fire beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:18:46 | More by Eeroomnhoj

artdob

California

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

This is the stuff. My desert island brewski. The one that sent me into a panic nearly 14 years ago when I first stumbled on this brew from a then unknown micro brewery when I was living outside of Columbus Ohio. I was immediately taken in by this beer and quickly, shuddered to think, oh my, what if this brewery doesn't make it? And that thought sent me exploring the world of home brewing to see if I could personally brew something that came close to this, in the event, heaven forbid, that Old Rasputin would cease to be.

The good news is that I was able to come close enough so I feel prepared if that horrible day ever comes. But even better news, I haven't had to resort to that workaround. Old Rasputin lives!

Pours an exotic black with a tan head that tops the beer nicely before evolving into a layer of a tan sudsy blanket that drapes this brew. Oh yes, and I always drink this one at cellar temperature, never chilled, in a snifter as well.

Nose is spectacular, inviting with notes of chocolate cake, licorice, and roasty espresso.

On the palate, this is like a slice of liquid black forest torte, nicely balanced with roasty and sweet tones.

Mouthfeel is nice with very light carbonation. Wouldn't want any more for this style. A nice warmer this one.

Overall, nothing else but a top score for my personal all time favorite beer. If there were a beer hall of fame, this would be my inductee. Rasputin lives.

Sto lat North Coast (get yer Polish dictionary handy here).

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 04:58:43 | More by artdob

mweso2000

Georgia

4.97/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Old Rasputin is one of my favorite beers. It pours a dark black with a one finger tan head that settles into a ring of lace. Aromas of chocolate, coffee malt a slight hint of licorice, and a little bit of fruitiness. This beer is a full frontal assault on the taste buds and successfully accomplishes the mission. The taste is full of roasted malt, a bit of mocha sweetness with a slight amount of hop bitterness at the end. Full bodied flavor with medium carbonation. Watch out the 9% abv will sneak up and hit you in the ass! This beer is not for everyone. It has very strong and bold flavors. If you are a stout fan, I have yet to find a better example of a beer in this class and this is a MUST try.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 00:26:58 | More by mweso2000

mikeborglum

Missouri

4.97/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Very dark, black as night; a nice brown rocky head with good retention. Highly roasted malt aromas and alcoholic to the nose. Smooth, potent and espresso like with a high burnt malt and hop bitterness that finishes on the sweet side to say the least. Very complex, and true to its style. I love this beer and always enjoy it at the end of hard day's night!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 02:23:43 | More by mikeborglum

spitInTheOcean

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

jet black. opaque. with a big dark brown head.

smells incredible. huge aroma all over the board with a little of everything. bitter roasted malts, caramel, coffee, dark chocolate, hops and esters such as raisin. but mostly a very complex malt aroma.

very malty flavor. roasted malt bitterness. coffee, toffee. flavor of dark roasted malts lingers a long time. up front very sweet but finishes very bitter from the malts. very warming.

this is a big beer with a crisp finish, but the crisp finish seems to do nothing to cleanse the palate. velvety, and rich.

overall i dont have a lot to add. this beer is what i will be dreaming of tonight. i think that old rasputin should outshine rasputin himself in the history books.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 05:18:34 | More by spitInTheOcean

TrapFan11

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just finished my second 12 oz bottle of this and DAMN is that good. Most of my experience with beer has been with Belgian strong Ales, in particular all of the Trappist beers along with similar Belgian brands and American beers in the Belgian style. My two favorite beers are Rochefort 10 and St Bernardus 12. In recent years I've been trying different Stouts and Porters and, although I don't have tremendous experience with them yet, I'm quickly discovering the world of flavors out there that go beyond the various dark fruits and assorted sugars that accompany your typical Dubbles, Triples and Quadruples.

A fellow shopper at the market recommended Old Rasputin Imperial Stout to me and I've been blown away by how something so roasted and bitter can at the same time be sweet and smooth. From the get go this beer is thick, viscous, and oily, not that that's to it's detriment. In fact the wonderful chewiness just hooks you into discovering the many wonderful facets of the beer. Immediately you taste the full intensity of the coffee, toffee, roasted malts and baker's chocolate it has. There's a burnt quality to the malt that, along with providing a pleasant bitterness, also includes the required sweetness that is reminiscent of a burnt s'mores marshmallow rather than anything unpleasant. Then there's the coffee flavor. I tend to drink really dark, black coffee and this beer has loads of that toasty, smokey and bitter flavor that I cherish. Finally there's the great Christmas toffee and dark chocolate flavors that blend seamlessly with the sweetness and bitterness of the other flavors and tie everything together nicely.

Also quite remarkable it this beer's head, which is truly like a silky pillow. I can easily say that the foam tasted and felt in my mouth like a liquid marshmallow. I've never had a beer whose head was that silky, smooth, and sweet. I couldn't believe it was beer foam.

In the short amount of time I've been exploring Imperial Stouts I can easily say that this the best I've come across so far. I'm happy to give it my highest recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 21:24:38 | More by TrapFan11

WalterHeisenberg

New Mexico

4.98/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottle aggressive pour into pint glass
A: dark black oil like with coffe colored head good lacing/ retention looks fantastic!
S: coffe dark chocolate slight alcohol burnt caramel vanilla smells great
T: roasty toasty malty up front chocolate coffe cream then finishes hoppy bitter.Wow !
M: creamy yet not quite as thick as I expected silky smooth
O: yeah wow. I'm converted. this is no doubt the best beer I've ever had. And the reviews say this is above average. What's top shelf taste like?? I'm in for life with the RIS.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 04:20:20 | More by WalterHeisenberg

gwfrankpsu

California

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a wonderful beer, the mouth is flooded with so much flavor that you almost trip off line. This is great on a winters night by a soft fire, some fine chocolate and the one you love. One special brew, a true masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2001 10:07:15 | More by gwfrankpsu

Jordan

California

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pitch black, thick dark tan head. Extremely rich roasted malt and alchohal aromatics. Thick roasted malts, burnt chocolate, coffee flavors penetrate deeply on the palate. Creamy and rich mouthfeel. Complex and complete. Probably should give a 2 or 3 for drinkability because it's so strong, but like Stone's Arrogant Bastard, I refuse. This beer is one of a kind.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2002 05:24:56 | More by Jordan

RushLimbmalt

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a very dark, almost reddish black and has a thin tan head that left quickly and leaves sporadic lace on my glass. It reeks of burnt malt, raisins and coffee. It smell like one terrific stout on steroids AKA a Imperial Stout. The flavor is very robust and is a good mix of dark malts and heavy hopping. Although a bit low on the alcohol for the style, this beer still packs a punch. That does not detract from this beers drinkability, because it is too good to pass up.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 08:03:00 | More by RushLimbmalt

Tupperwolf

Washington

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours from a 12oz bottle into my nonic glass with a HUGE HEAD. Be super careful on the pour because this thing just wants to rise right out of the glass. Piercing black-hole darkness reveals just a tinge of ruby when held up to the light; It actually looks somewhat clear, just incredibly black. So much whipped-cream dark tan head. Thin but super persistent lacing rings mark each and every swallow. OMG. A five if there ever was one.

Huge! huge bursting sweet chocolatey coffee malts, so much sexy, sexy stout flavor. If I try hard I might be able to pick out some hops... But it might be my imagination. This beer completely scorches my sense of smell. I have to give it a good minute of rest before going in for another whiff, which immediately burns up my scent receptors with coffee, and chocolate, and more coffee, and more chocolate. A little bit of metallic twinge.

Okay, you're kidding me, right? I think North Coast has bottled a mocha chocolate milkshake and called it beer. The taste is so intense, so strong and bittersweet with coffee and chocolate, toffee, roasted nuts. It tempts me to guzzle, and I give in for a few swallows. Wow, wow, wow. Awesome slow and savory or quick and greedy.

Mouthfeel... Like I said... milkshake. Thick, lustrous, creamy, silky. Not chewy, but full, full, swirling, frothy, creamy. Swallowing almost completely clears the palate, which is welcome - there's a lingering, almost (if I may be crude) phlegmlike sensation of sweet, delicious flavors that hangs out on the very back of the tongue and coats the throat. Soooo good. Where the heck is the alcohol? I guess it must be in my belly!

Buy, beg, panhandle, or steal for this beer. Buy out the whole shelves. I want to give it fives across the board. Do I dare? Do I dare? I dare! Utterly one of the best beers I have ever, ever had in my life. A life-changing experience!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2006 07:31:36 | More by Tupperwolf

budgood1

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

pours out an opaque dark brown colour...beautiful. ruby tinted tan head appears and sticks frothfully. lots of lace. aroma of fuitcake and cherries...monster cookies, rum, port wine, etc. taste is oh so tasty and amazing with its layered toffee and caramel goodness and with its fig flavoured rum soaked fruit cake nuances. enough dark roasted features to satisfy. then comes the amazingly well balanced hoppiness...seems so integrated but defined. this has a lot of norhtwest hop character...but so definitely more baltic porter than imperial stout. this ranks right up there with the all time faves of style and celebrity. i can see why i was blown away when first reviewing this beer years ago...it still boggles the mind. full bodied, silky mouthfeel, and an alcohol warmth in the finish. damn tasty. drinkability rocks. i love it.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2007 04:22:28 | More by budgood1

horshack7

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Presentation a short twelve ounce bottle with a menacing scetching of Rasputin very neat. Pours dark like Darth Mauls heart from Star Wars. Pours a tan very chunky three fingers of head nice head rentention.

Aromas: Large amounts of very dark roasted coffee or espresso. The malts in this pint of darkness are roasted something dark wow. The chocolate notes are incredible.

Taste: The coffee chocolate and espresso flavors stand out absolutely perfectly. The dark roasted malts roam all around the palate nice and slowly. The mouthfeel is beyond creamy it's like silk remarkably smooth and smooth is an understatement.

Notes: My fellow Beer Advocates this Russian Imperial stout is the Czar of Russian Imperial stouts. Tasting this masterpeice was like an adreniline rush. Na zdorovje

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2007 01:33:08 | More by horshack7

Trueant1

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a dark brown/black. Has a frothy 3 finger dark tan head that goes down quickly leaving rings and chunks on the glass. I Swirled this one around at least 20 times to see the amazing lacing paterns.

Smells of milk chocolate, dark fruits, alcohol, and cherries with a lot of dark roasted/smokey malts. This smells heavenly.

Tates better than the perfect 5 score I gave it. BItter, chocolate, coffie, sweet...all that I expect from a ris. The difference of this one compared to other ris is is is SO easy to conusme. Smooth.

The mouthfeel is silky smooth. Light carbonation. Bitter sweet aftertaste that has alcohol reveled along side.

Not the most complex RIS, howerver, one of the best I have ever had. This is now In my top 5 list.

A masterpiece!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2007 01:07:05 | More by Trueant1

r00tarded

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is my closer any time I'm out and its on tap.

You can have a line up of beers and if you end your evening with this beer, you've done well for yourself. This beer is the equivalent of a fresh from the oven molten chocolate cake, home made vanilla ice cream and an espresso all at once.

Dark, rich, mellow, smooth, flavorful, not overpowering but yet full of flavor... when it's placed in front of you take your time appreciating it in its glory.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2007 20:56:13 | More by r00tarded

joezak5

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

OK, I've sponged off this masterpiece of a website long enough. I need to review my all-time favorite that I've found thanks to BA.

A - Poured into a Duvel Tulip that was freshly rinsed and dried. Black as night with a densely packed tan head billowing over the lip of the glass. An exquisite sight.

S - Roasty, roasty, roasty... Syrupy chocolate roastiness. I wish I had an air freshener with this scent.

T - Dark malty with bitter chocolate coming through. Hops sneak in on the swallow. Take a deep breath in the mouth, exhale through the nose puts yourself right back in the barley roaster. Perfection.

M - Very heavy and full bodied. Puckering on this gives a sweet hoppy flavor that was hiding.

D - This is my "if you had one beer to drink for the rest of your life" beer. And for the 4 pack price at Wegmans in Princeton, NJ of $6.99 (it's now $7.99; glad I stocked up) it's a bargain.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2008 23:53:33 | More by joezak5

Rootdog316

Virginia

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a jet inky black with a nice tan head that sticks to the side of the glass, your esophagus, and coats the intestines. Milk chocolate, espresso, and alcohol; put all of that in a pot and slow roast it and you're getting close to the nose on this one. Espresso oils are first and most prominent throughout. Chocolate sweetness makes an appearance and a balanced alcohol and hop bitter finish take you home. There is a lot to this beer and you can focus on something different every sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 23:17:25 | More by Rootdog316

mjrtoo

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the absolute best when it comes to a Russian Imperial Stout being brewed in the US today.

It pours deep black with a good dark brown head....I give up, it's too hard to describe this complex stout, I'll leave that to others. Just buy it, drink it, and enjoy it!

Be careful, its alcohol content is high for a very smooth taste, not a bit of booze on this palate.

Thanks North Coast!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 01:57:45 | More by mjrtoo

gonzo46and2

Florida

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yummy! Pours Very Dark with a dark brown head. Dry roast and coffee aroma. Nice sweetness with a little bitter hops kick. Complex initial taste has a strong dark fruit presence with bitter chocolate, coffee, and licorice. Head laces from top to bottom and the overall retension hints at a decent amount of hopping. I love the balance of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2008 22:39:00 | More by gonzo46and2

jbsmth

California

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This Northern California brewed Russian Imperial Stout is one of my favorite beers. Old Rasputin is absolutely deliciously overwhelming with roasted malt and alcohol. It should really be poured into a glass first so the beautiful brown head can be enjoyed. Despite being 9% alcohol, this beer is surprisingly easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 09:57:15 | More by jbsmth

corby112

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a dark black color with a thick, frothy coffee/tan head. Aroma dominated by roasted chocolate maltiness and coffee. Very smooth and creamy quaffable beer that masks the high ABV very well. Dark roasted chocolate maltiness throughout with coffee, oatmeal, toffee and burnt toast notes. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 07:55:11 | More by corby112