Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, CA
Brewery Description: ” A rich, intense brew with a robust palate, a fruity nose and a warming finish. Very complex.”
Brew Style: Imperial stout, 8.9% ABV
Recommended Glass: Snifter
The Ugly Truth: To steal some terms from Stephen Colbert, this brewery was on notice after I had Scrimshaw. They needed to send out some big guns to redeem themselves, and they pulled through with Old Rasputin. This is probably one of the 5 best Imperial Stouts I’ve ever had, and that is one of my favorite types of beer. Old Rasputin has a fantasticaly complex taste. So complex, in fact, that I think the casual beer drinker may be put off by it. It’s a beer that makes you want to savor it. The taste is somewhere between Guinness and Arrogant Bastard, which really doesn’t help I suppose because that’s like saying that Boston is somewhere between Alaska and South Africa. Not exactly accurate, but it’s the best I can do. It’s 8.9% ABV, so it has a bit of a bite at first, but ends with an incredibly smooth finish. However, I think most people who don’t go in for stouts (read that statement as people = weak willed little girls) may not like it much. Overall a good beer which I recommend trying.
Verdict: Старый stout Rapustin имперÑкий получает конÑервативные 8 из 10, но Ñтучает на двери 9.
As a new addition to the beer reviews, I’m going to start listing what the recommended glassware for each one is. I’ll try to post a link or make a post about the types of glasses with pictures so people have reference.