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

North Coast's Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout is an incredibly strong, dark beer that started off as an interesting Stout and finished like an Imperial India Pale Ale. First impressions of this beer were positive, it smells great. The aroma has multiple components that all blend together nicely. The first thing that came to mind when I took a whiff of this beer was caramel and chocolate. There is a bit of roastiness on the nose as well. This wasn't a big surprise considering the jet black appearance of the Old Rasputin. All signs were pointing to this being a dark, sweet and creamy stout, then I took a drink...

My first sip of the Old Rasputin went as I had expected. It started off with roasted malt and sweetness that was a little like dark chocolate. The beer finishes with an expected bitterness that is suspiciously hoppy. The more I drank this the more I tasted the hops. Early on I didn't care for the the amount of hops in this beer because it really dominated the flavor profile so all you could taste was a heavy Imperial IPA. As I drank more and more I was able to pick up on those sweet, chocolaty and caramel flavors that were hiding behind the bitter hops.

I can appreciate what's going on inside the Old Rasputin's bottle but it really isn't my favorite stout. The aroma is perfect and it just smells like a stout I would really love. The flavor was a bit of a surprise but by the time I got through half a snifter of this stout I was able to get past the strong hops and pick up on the more subtle flavors in this beer.

North Coast Brewing's Old Rasputin is a big name among Stout beers and for good reason. It has a fairly unique flavor combination and there's plenty to like. It does feel like this beer is geared more toward IPA drinkers who are looking for a Stout they can get behind. That being said, this is a good Stout... there are others I like better but I wouldn't mind having another Old Rasputin in the future.