Grigori Rasputin was a Siberian peasant turned mystic and healer. His life is full of mystery and intrigue and his death even more so. What a great namesake for this style of beer. I honestly can not think of a better name for a Russian Imperial Stout and this label is one of my all time favorites.
Pours india ink black with the viscosity of a thin motor oil. Its a beautiful site to see that big coffee colored head form on the top of this beer. It looks so inviting, so perfect. As the head slowly fades it leaves very thick lacing on the side of the glass.
Smells of strong dark malty goodness, citrusy bitter west coast hops and fresh brewed black as night coffee. Who would have ever thought those three distinct smells could come together and be so amazing. Along with those more intense smells comes a faint smell of alcohol. I love the smell of this beer.
Taste is chocolate milk, bitter citrusy hops, coffee and sweet cream. There is a nice smooth, silky mouthfeel with this beer with nice carbonation and an almost immediate warming sensation from the alcohol, which also provides a dryness in the finish.
This is the real deal when it comes to Russian Imperial Stouts being made in America. Look on the list of top tens from anyone who loves this style and this one will be near the top. Lately I've been drinking a lot of this on tap at Novare Res, they've had it on nitro and its even creamier and pretty much heaven in a glass.
BEER FACTS
Style: Imperial Stout
Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company
Location: Fort Bragg, California, USA
Container: 12 oz. bottle
Malts: ?
Hops: ?
ABV: 9%
IBUs: 75
3 comments:
Had one for the first time earlier this week. Good stuff. Can't wait to compare to KtG next week though!!!
I am jealous. Let me know how it is. I can't get the day off to make the trip down. I know some others that are but I doubt they'll share...
If you can get down that weekend or any time after Tuesday, there should be plenty of bombers available due to the increases bottle allocation. If not, I'll be more than happy to share one of my four I grab on the first day (2 extra for IPC members!!). Also, not sure if it's available up near you, but Brooklyn's Local 1 has been showing up in stores everywhere down here. Haven't had a chance to try it yet, but probably worth a tasting/review.
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