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Old Rasputin XII
North Coast Brewing Co.
- From:
- North Coast Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 11.2%
- Score:
- 96
- Avg:
- 4.31 | pDev: 9.98%
- Reviews:
- 371
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 14, 2021
- Added:
- Jun 28, 2009
- Wants:
- 122
- Gots:
- 141
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DarkerTheBetter:
Reviewed by DarkerTheBetter from Minnesota
3.78/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.78/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer pours a dark, mirrored obsidian with a frothy film of creamy tan that stuck around for a while. Just a sliver of brown came through the dimple at the bottom of my tulip.
Smells of sticky, smooth, toasty barley, sweet, fruity port and a touch of caramel with a sharp edge of oak which accentuates some smokey notes.
Tastes of toasted marshmallow and cocoa with an underlying current of dark fruits and port. There are some roasted, toasty notes that give rise to a sharp oak. This oak sadly DOMINATES the beer. The finish is a green, sappy oak that seems slightly burnt, which tears up the sides of my tongue. Needs age!
Feels slick and dense, yet distant due to a soft fuzzy carbonation that lifts things off my tongue.
A tasty brew, and a great accomplishment, but I would sit on this one for a year or two.
Sep 27, 2009Smells of sticky, smooth, toasty barley, sweet, fruity port and a touch of caramel with a sharp edge of oak which accentuates some smokey notes.
Tastes of toasted marshmallow and cocoa with an underlying current of dark fruits and port. There are some roasted, toasty notes that give rise to a sharp oak. This oak sadly DOMINATES the beer. The finish is a green, sappy oak that seems slightly burnt, which tears up the sides of my tongue. Needs age!
Feels slick and dense, yet distant due to a soft fuzzy carbonation that lifts things off my tongue.
A tasty brew, and a great accomplishment, but I would sit on this one for a year or two.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by htomsirveaux from Texas
4.39/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.39/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
11 year (or has it been 12?) long trip for this bottle. Was a nice drive up to Ft Bragg but the paperwork was stupid.
Poured in the 0.33 L Maredsous goblet.
Very small brown head lingers only briefly. Minimal carbonation. Very dark brown in color, nearly opaque. Bourbon is still strong in the aroma. Vanilla, roasty, bittersweet chocolate, ethanol. Lots of vanilla and bourbon to start. Almost like a bourbon and coke. The oakiness other reviews mention seems to have faded nearly completely. Medium body. Alcohol is noticeable but not too warming until the end. Finish is roasty bitter with some lingering heat from the alcohol.
Really shoulda opened this at least a couple years ago but it has held up well.
Dec 31, 2020Poured in the 0.33 L Maredsous goblet.
Very small brown head lingers only briefly. Minimal carbonation. Very dark brown in color, nearly opaque. Bourbon is still strong in the aroma. Vanilla, roasty, bittersweet chocolate, ethanol. Lots of vanilla and bourbon to start. Almost like a bourbon and coke. The oakiness other reviews mention seems to have faded nearly completely. Medium body. Alcohol is noticeable but not too warming until the end. Finish is roasty bitter with some lingering heat from the alcohol.
Really shoulda opened this at least a couple years ago but it has held up well.
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.21/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Been sitting on this for quite a while.
Pours a tan small fizzy head with med-low retention, little lacing, decent legs, jet black color
Nose has the old BCBS aroma, plenty of dark aged roasty malts, dark chocolate cocoa, baking spices, little coffee, fudge, some vanilla and toasted oak notes, a touch of whiskey, touch of nougat can candy like, plenty of aged malt, just a hint of oxidation but a nice kind
Taste starts very rich with layers of chocolate and cocoa, dark chocolate, cookie dough and wafer notes, smooth vanilla, light buttery oak barrel and a bit of whiskey but not much, baking spices, more candy nougat like fluffy notes, a touch of alcohol but pretty smooth, some aged roasted malt, a little coffee, but no char, just a touch of bitterness, mild drier finish, bit more bitterness, some smooth alcohol, hint of oxidation, bit more whiskey lingering
Mouth is fuller bod, smooth, med-lighter carb, just a hint of alcohol warmth but smooth
Overall pretty nice, aged well although the barrel characters have faded with the alcohol, wish that came through more, but the base beer is nice, good aged character
Mar 22, 2020Pours a tan small fizzy head with med-low retention, little lacing, decent legs, jet black color
Nose has the old BCBS aroma, plenty of dark aged roasty malts, dark chocolate cocoa, baking spices, little coffee, fudge, some vanilla and toasted oak notes, a touch of whiskey, touch of nougat can candy like, plenty of aged malt, just a hint of oxidation but a nice kind
Taste starts very rich with layers of chocolate and cocoa, dark chocolate, cookie dough and wafer notes, smooth vanilla, light buttery oak barrel and a bit of whiskey but not much, baking spices, more candy nougat like fluffy notes, a touch of alcohol but pretty smooth, some aged roasted malt, a little coffee, but no char, just a touch of bitterness, mild drier finish, bit more bitterness, some smooth alcohol, hint of oxidation, bit more whiskey lingering
Mouth is fuller bod, smooth, med-lighter carb, just a hint of alcohol warmth but smooth
Overall pretty nice, aged well although the barrel characters have faded with the alcohol, wish that came through more, but the base beer is nice, good aged character
Reviewed by HopasaurusRex from New Hampshire
4.05/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Milk chocolate, roast, and bourbon vanilla cream on a cold winter's night. The wind whistles outside, but this warms my spirits.
A bit low in carbonation. Thin bodied for 11.2%. Perhaps the fusels have faded with time.
A worthy sipper, but not quite worth the price of admission..
Jan 05, 2018A bit low in carbonation. Thin bodied for 11.2%. Perhaps the fusels have faded with time.
A worthy sipper, but not quite worth the price of admission..
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.49/5 rDev -19%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.49/5 rDev -19%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Black pour left a 1/5" tan ring of head that didn't start with much to retain in the first place. The aroma isn't for the feint of heart, it drops substantial amounts of bourbon heat, then chocolate and wet oak. Better like it hot.
The weirdest thing for me about these beers is that they take a great world class base beer, and then make it actually worse by making it way more expensive and hot in these barrels.
They get better with age, but this was just too much heat when it was fresh. The grade is an average of the scores when fresh (hot, below average) and aged 3-5 years (better, but still not worth the price).
Feb 15, 2016The weirdest thing for me about these beers is that they take a great world class base beer, and then make it actually worse by making it way more expensive and hot in these barrels.
They get better with age, but this was just too much heat when it was fresh. The grade is an average of the scores when fresh (hot, below average) and aged 3-5 years (better, but still not worth the price).
Reviewed by dar482 from New York
4.63/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
4.63/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
The aroma offers huge vanilla, some coffee, and roasted malt.
The flavor follows with bitter cacao nib, wonderful oxidation of a touch of soy, lots of vanilla in the middle and roasted malt. A touch of bourbon booze on the back. The beer is smooth, yet medium mouthfeel.
Apr 13, 2015The flavor follows with bitter cacao nib, wonderful oxidation of a touch of soy, lots of vanilla in the middle and roasted malt. A touch of bourbon booze on the back. The beer is smooth, yet medium mouthfeel.
Old Rasputin XII from North Coast Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
546 ratings
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