Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast Brewing Co.

filabrazilia

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a "midnight without a moon" black with a gorgeous brown head that settles into excellent lacing. A very nice looking beer.

I am struck by how much chocolate exists in the nose. This is like opening a box of fine imported chocolates and allowing the smells to embrace you as you anticipate the first taste. Toffe and carmel are present as well.

The taste, unfortunately does not match the aroma and is nowhere near as complex or as smooth as I anticipated. It is a tad bitter--I suppose from the roasted malts. There were some pronounced alcohol flavors as well. While not bad, I'm a little disappointed with it.

This is a medium bodied beer that is mildly carbonated and pleasant on the palate.

This is not nearly as drinkable as I'd like it to be. I think I will let the remaining beers age for a while before I try it again. The taste just didn't quite match the smell or the appearance. Hopefully time will give it some more character.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2004 17:09:05 | More by filabrazilia

JamesBerry

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -35%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

This one has a black cola-like coloring with a brownish/orange head. Immediately after opening the bottle, a strong chocolate smell emerges. The taste is intensely bitter, like baker's chocolate, but with noticeable amounts of alcoholic tone. Old Rasputin has a tannic mouthfeel, like sucking a teabag or coffee grounds. Not as creamy or as say, a porter or (non-Imperial) stout, but admittedly, the taste mellows out significantly after the first half. Not exactly what I'd call a session beer. This is more of an experience than just any beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2004 00:20:23 | More by JamesBerry

DESTRO

Nevada

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours jet black, black as black can get with a nice toffe colored head. aromas of toasted malt, coffee, alcohol, raisins...everything an imperial should smell like. intense but inviting. first sip? oh man...roasted flavors run wild. this thing is complex! nice big alcohol slap, dark fruits, coffee coffee coffee, toffee and caramel, finishes with a nice puckering twang. damn, this is packed with flavor and character. very warming, you can feel this this beast in the chest. silky smooth in the mouth, yet you get the carbonation sting in the back of the throat. goes down like a friggin champ. for an imperial that weighs in at a whopping 8.9% this drinks like a dream. all i can do is throw the horns in the air and give it an "at the gates" tribute and hope the beer gods are satisfied. fackin glorious beer.

paid $5.99 for a 4 pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2004 07:15:26 | More by DESTRO

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance--The color of dark chocolate; not even opaque. Beige head that quickly goes down.

Smell--Rich chocolate malt aroma; some burnt coffee

Taste--Predominately coffee, some caramel. Excellent hop ending that perfectly balances the powerful malt.

Mouthfeel--Warm oily texture; nice hop bitterness lingering after the swallow.

Drinkability--Very true to the style. While I personally wouldn't repeatedly drink Imperial Stouts all night, this would be a top pick for this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2004 22:23:34 | More by smcolw

Foxman

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It pours a deep, dank, rich brown, almost, but not quite, black. There are opulent deep ruby highlights at the edges and udner the head. Speaking of head, it's quick and light brown, mottled in texture, and it soon fades to cirrus wisps of frothy vellum. There's spotty, rapidly dwindling lacing.

The aroma powers foward with dense, raw espresso currents, dark, bitter, and almost burnt. There is a deep roasted grain sweetness right behind. A dark chocolate essence pokes its head through intermittently. There are dusky earth tones at the finish, along with a poignant hops bitterness.

The tidal wave of dense flavor begins with an intense roasted and burnt maltiness backed by a black coffee bitterness. The malt delivers a fleeting but memorable earthen sweetness quickly upstaged by a second surge of bitterness, this time from the hops. There's a very distant, almost obscured, port character accompanied by the mouth-and-throat-warming glow of alcohol. Chocolate slips through late, giving way to an almost tongue-numbing dry hops bitterness that lingers just long enough to make its mark. Quite simply, the overall flavor is not especially complex, but it packs some serious testosterone.

It's thick bodied, oily and syrupy, not only coating, but providing a tangibly chewy texture on the palate. Roasted grain and hops bitterness charge the tongue and back of mouth with an almost electric tingle.

This is something the Russians obviously must not do half-assed, if this domestic offering is any gauge. This is thick, dark, full-bore flavor, never dancing, but rather plowing straight foward. The muli-layered bitterness is capably offset by a lesser but poignant underlying sweetness. The dense balance makes a grand impression, and despite the hefty ABV, more than one is virtually a certainty. I may not be a czar, but this down-to-earth elixir is welcome in my dacha anytime!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 17:47:56 | More by Foxman

Hagbard

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Rasputin is famed for the difficulty his executioners faced when trying to kill him. He escaped death when being fed poisoned bread and reportedly, a point-blank gunshot wound; finally succumbing when drowned in the icy waters of Russia. Luckily for me, my bottle of Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout wasn't so hard to kill. (sorry for the horrible setup)

This beer poured black with a thin tan head that disappeared disappointingly quickly. Perhaps the glass wasn't pristine, who knows. When held up, light penetrated on each side and the top and bottom of the pint glass to form beautiful pockets of amber amidst the darkness. I'd have easily given appearance a 5.0 except for the thin, disappearing head.

It smells of roasted, burnt malt and chocolate espresso. It has a very powerful aroma...one of the strongest I've seen (or smelled). As the beer hits your toungue, you're assaulted by a malt presence. A very interesting burnt character moves in and settles in next to the malt. The chocolate espresso moves in towards the end. As you swallow, the alcohol makes itself known as it warms your belly. You are left with a nice malty aftertaste that has a touch of metallic in it. I could do without the metallic taste, but it's a minor quibble and by no means dominates. Though the alcohol does make itself known, as it should in an Imperial, it is still well hidden among the sweet malt and espresso. The mouthfeel seems a bit on the light side for the style, but the carbonation level was perfect.

I thoroughly enjoyed this offerering and I'm glad I bought 2. It lacks a little of the complexity of the Storm King, but it's a damn fine beer that can help warm you on frigid winter nights. It is easy to imagine yourself drinking a few of these in the royal Russian court listening to Rasputin spin tales.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2004 16:05:01 | More by Hagbard

frank4sail

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to boilermaker88 for the sample.

Rich roasty slightly metalic and sweet cocoa in the smell. Dark black opeque look medium sticky tan head. Quite a lively mouth and tongue.. also the brew is much lighter on the mouth than it looks. Initial black malt taste gives way to a a dry cocoa powder and expresso finish. A slight touch of metalic tin and sweetness is left on the tip of the tongue as well. Quite a roasty treat, it is a great night cap beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2004 03:00:51 | More by frank4sail

Ieatlambfries

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A friend gave me a bottle of this as part of a Christmas gift, and boy am I glad. I had high hopes for this Imperial Stout based on what I've read about it and the fact that Imperial Stout is my favorite style of beer. I was not disappointed.

The appearance was great, dark brownish black. Very small tan head that dissipated quickly leaving a nice bit of lacing. It smelled of burnt coffee, toffee, chocolate and burnt molasses with a slight bit of alcohol in the background. The taste matched the notes of the smell. Very burnt coffee and chocolate/molasas. I also detected a weird soy sauce taste?!? Hard to explain but something reminded me of it, perhaps the molasses. There was also a bit of alcohol in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel was excellent, smooth, creamy, hearty. I'd like to drink this after a long day outside in the cold. The drinkability was excellent. I could drink a few of these. The only thing slowing me down is the high abv, but if you're at home and staying in, I guess it's no problem.

All in all this was an excellent example of an Imperial Stout. I would defiantly try it again, hopefully on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2004 14:42:12 | More by Ieatlambfries

babyhobbes

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this on-tap this evening and it was just great!! It came with a nice thick light-brown head that died down slowly leaving a small creamy head for the entire glass. It smelled of coffee, chocolate and a little alcohol. It tastes smooth and is inline with it's smell. There was some bitterness that really stuck to the tongue and throat. It felt creamy and smooth in the mouth with a small bite of alcohol in the throat. I could drink a few of these at my local pub. I doubt if this will be on tap again very soon in my future. I will have to try the bottled version to find out if it as good.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2003 02:11:04 | More by babyhobbes

Dmann

California

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

This has to be the most easy to drink Imperial Stout I've ever had. It poured an almost opaque black with a awesome brown head that was so big I had to wait a few minutes for it to die down. The smell was of dark chocolate and hops. The taste was just about the same as the smell, with a perfect mix of coffee flavors in there. The thing I loved about this brew is that it was powerful but not overpowering. I could sit back and enjoy the whole 4 pack in one sitting, even though they are 8.9% a piece! Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2003 09:43:02 | More by Dmann

Ahhdball

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice deep smooth black with about an inch worth of head that dissipated slowly while drinking it. Sweet aroma with chocolate and candy like notes, possibly molasses.(?) Taste was very nice the choolate was accompanied by coffee and a roasted fruit I can't quite nail down. Barley carbonated, it's finish was smooth as glass, very good. Not the best but it's up there!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2003 03:13:31 | More by Ahhdball

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aged a year, served at just above cellar temp.

Poured a wonderful dark opaque brown with a tan head that had patchy lace all over the sides of my brand new 3 phils chalice. Smell was very sweet with huge molassas and brown sugar and some figish ester notes. Smelled similar to the brooklyn black chocolate. The taste was very dry and chalky with a slight metallic twang and bitter chocolate notes. There was little hops present, which surprised me coming from a west coast creation. Aftertaste left a sweet, dry red wine effect and a distinct roasted grain taste. Very minimal carbonation with small bubbles here and there. I would like to try a vertical to see how well this holds up. Not a bad Imperial, but I have had much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2003 23:02:26 | More by GreatPondBrewer

yankeeheel

Maine

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is what I'm talking about. Pours a pitch black with a nice espresso head that sticks around. Lots of lacing. The smell of chocolate, starts wafting as soon as I crack the bottle. In the glass I get a lot of deep dark toasted malt.

The taste is incredible. Big waves of coffee, burnt malt, dark malt, licorice, and fig crash down on my tounge. The alcohol is well hidden and the finish is slightly dry. Just an incredible big, thick, chewy stout. Wish I could afford to drink it all the time.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2003 15:19:48 | More by yankeeheel

AbePhroman

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Paid $6.49 for a 4-pack of this stuff at a local store. Poured extremely dark and thick. Resembles other Imperial Stouts bu this one has a very disticnt smell and taste. Smelled very nutty, almost reminiscent of some porters I've had. Malts hit the nose right away. Nice sweet taste, the alcohol is present. However the nice coffee taste covers it up nicely. At 8.9%abv it does have a kick, but a four pack of these is great. Sipped them all ice and slow. If you like stouts give this one a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2003 21:54:36 | More by AbePhroman

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This was an excellent brew. I am totally in debt to the Vintage Cellar for letting me sample it. It was a very nice super dark brew with a beautiful head. It mad me want to cry. Well, not really, but if I was an unstable person I guess I would have. The smell was like most imperials, but with more substanance. It was really heavy on the malts, which is something I totally dig. This is the perfect cold weather brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2003 18:11:14 | More by JISurfer

Naerhu

Japan

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beautiful blood/red/black
Although not bitter, so much as burnt. Like delicious slightly burnt whole wheat pizza crust. Aroma of licorice and contrastingly rich earth. Defininately maltier than hoppier, but the hops do make themselves known on the finish. Not oily, but slick. Not thick, but voluptous.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2003 01:50:50 | More by Naerhu

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Clear black beer with ruby highlights. Poured with a large head that fell back slowly. Aroma is chocolate, coffee, and hops. Flavor is huge and complex with chocolate, coffee, and hops. Bitterness is well done and lasts into bitter coffee chocolate finish. The body is spot on and drinkability is very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2003 02:12:37 | More by GCBrewingCo

Gavage

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured an almost black color with a tan colored thin head that quickly dissappeared leaving a spotty residue. The aroma is full of roasted malts, coffee, and alcohol. The taste followed the smell with a roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate flavor. Bitterness and high alcohol was also noticable. Medium-heavy bodied beer.

The mouthfeel was somewhat dry, smooth, and creamy. The coffee, slight bitterness, and chocolate last on the tongue long into the aftertaste. Alcohol is very noticable in this compared to other imperial stouts, knocking down the drinkability one notch.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2003 13:07:07 | More by Gavage

gueuzeonhigh

Maine

3.98/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've got four Russian Imperials in front of me... ahhh!

A.Le Coq 2001
Old Rasputin
Rogue XS
Weyerbacher Old Heathen

Old Rasputin---
Pours with a slight head.
A reddish African Mahogany brown color in my tasting glass.
A meager nose- the dry alcohol is the most notable element followed by the bitter tones of hops surrounded by slight sprinkles of malt.

This beer had wonderful heavy long lasting flavor, but light bodied. The "carbonization" helps produce a tart feel on my palate with a bitter stance of hops then bounded by definite malt notes. If I were blindfolded I'd declare this beer a Russian Imperial Stout.

Long finish that dissipates with its dry alcohol character as the ending cadence. The living finish cleansed my palate and left my taste buds yearning for the next sip.


In my opinion, this is beer third to the A.Lee Coq 2001.
Doesn't have the flavor complexity of the A.Lee Coq 2001 nor the body / and overall mouthfeel.


Regardless a wonderful Imperial stout indeed!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2003 04:29:39 | More by gueuzeonhigh

oberon

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have to say this is the best imperial stout I have had so far,pours a deep borwn but not quite black with a light almond colored head,aroma is burnt with some rasin notes.The taste is a bombshell very buttery and rum-like with some light earthy tones,love the butteriness of this beer along with the rum flavor.A real complex brew that is pretty easy to drink for the alcohol content,what a real nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2003 02:42:18 | More by oberon

bigjohn

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The thing that struck me most about this beer was the strong presence of the alcohol, both in the taste and in the after effects. This is certainly a complex beer with a strong coffee and chocolate bitterness. The appearance is nearly black, a slight tinge of dark red is visible when held up to the light. The smell is potent and prepares the drinker for the flavor to come. This is definitely a well crafted beer that is full of flavor. However, I marked it down in some areas mainly because of personal tastes. I found it somewhat difficult to drink because of the strong almost burning presence of the alcohol. I have had other high alcohol beers before and not been put off by the alcohol, I am not sure why I was by this one. Overall it is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2003 05:57:53 | More by bigjohn

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black (brown at the edges), with a small mocha head, Head rapily settles to a small cap, laces quite stickily.
Smell of alcohol, strong coffee, and almost a little smoke.
Tastes like expresso - strong coffee with the attending bitterness, roasted molasses and a touch of black cherry. Chocolate and a more roasted taste develops as it warms.
Carbonated on the pour, but flat and full in the mouth.

This is a nice change of pace beer, a good imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 17:18:33 | More by mschofield

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Solid black in color with a 1/2 inch creamy tan head. Served from a 12oz stubby bottle from my cellar (50ish Degrees?)

The smell is chocolate and coffee as well as some of the alcohol coming through. The alcohol kind of hits you right away with this one. It leaves in the middle and then comes back for that warming feeling in the end. The beginning is coffee and chocolate. The middle is where the bitterness comes in. Nice! The ending is more coffee and alcohol than anything to me.

I recently purchased this four pack so I am assuming it is pretty fresh. Doesn't appear to be bottle conditioned but I think that I will cellar the other 3 for awhile. Just to see how they do.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2003 23:29:12 | More by CharlesRiver

Admiraldinty

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black, although not opaque black, but dark, dark ruby when held to light with a huge tan foam that sticks to the glass. Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate and coffee, very sweet. Very rich and full taste. At first there is a bit of hop bitterness, then the malty sweetness, chocolate and coffee. Ends dry with an alcohol finish. Velvety mouthfeel. Wow, this one is for the ages. A great imperial stout and not at all overpowering. This beer can sneak up on you though.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2003 03:53:19 | More by Admiraldinty

merlin48

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow! This stout is a handful. Pours very dark and opaque, with an imposing head that warns of what is to follow. Plenty of lacing.

Aroma is of dark chocolate, molasses, coffee, toffee, and alchohol.

Mouthfull is complicated, smooth and fulfilling. Nice balance of roasted malts, hops, and an essence of prunes that jumps into the mix somehow. Slightly bitter hoppy aftertaste.

I'm new to imperial stouts, but this one is very drinkable. Perfect companion to an open fireplace. Rasputin will leave you with a nice warm feeling, as you might expect from the abv.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2003 19:21:17 | More by merlin48