Old Rasputin XV Anniversary Barrel Aged Stout | North Coast Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
North Coast Brewing Co.
California, United States
northcoastbrewing.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.90%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Philousa on 12-05-2012
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 975 | Reviews: 106
4.27/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.74/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours pure black with a slight skiff of tan head, still well carbonated.
The aroma is loaded with dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dark fruit and a touch of vanilla and leather.
The taste is incredibly smooth. Rich, deep dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, a hint of leather. Dark fruit near the finish with a walnut-like drying close.
Mouthfeel is creamy, smooth and even a bit bubbly.
Outstanding!
392 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours pure black with a slight skiff of tan head, still well carbonated.
The aroma is loaded with dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dark fruit and a touch of vanilla and leather.
The taste is incredibly smooth. Rich, deep dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, a hint of leather. Dark fruit near the finish with a walnut-like drying close.
Mouthfeel is creamy, smooth and even a bit bubbly.
Outstanding!
392 characters
3.94/5 rDev -9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from the bottle (I didn't note the size) into a Russian River tulip glass.
A: Very dark brown - nearly black. Opaque, with a fairly thin tan head and low level of visible carbonation.
S: Bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Notes of chocolate, roasted malts, and old rich leather. Nice.
T: Bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla hits up front. Oak dryness, with some drying bitterness from the roasted malts. Some dry tobacco as well. There's a sweetness from the bourbon, but it's completely outlasted by all the bitter and dry flavors in the hang.
M: Body seems a bit on the thin side for a RIS, but I wouldn’t call it watery. Average carbonation for style and the alcohol flavors fit nicely into the rest of the beer.
O: I felt like this was good, but I'm a little let down given the reputation and the cost of the bottle.
859 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from the bottle (I didn't note the size) into a Russian River tulip glass.
A: Very dark brown - nearly black. Opaque, with a fairly thin tan head and low level of visible carbonation.
S: Bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Notes of chocolate, roasted malts, and old rich leather. Nice.
T: Bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla hits up front. Oak dryness, with some drying bitterness from the roasted malts. Some dry tobacco as well. There's a sweetness from the bourbon, but it's completely outlasted by all the bitter and dry flavors in the hang.
M: Body seems a bit on the thin side for a RIS, but I wouldn’t call it watery. Average carbonation for style and the alcohol flavors fit nicely into the rest of the beer.
O: I felt like this was good, but I'm a little let down given the reputation and the cost of the bottle.
859 characters
4.69/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.75/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.25/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.08/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.08/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Draft version
Black/brown appearance.
Tan head; decent lace.
Sweet booze heat, oak & caramel nose.
Medium thick, creamy mouthfeel.
Sweet booze heat, milk chocolate & oak flavors up front; the milk chocolate creaminess emerged as this warmed. Too boozy but slightly above average.
288 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Draft version
Black/brown appearance.
Tan head; decent lace.
Sweet booze heat, oak & caramel nose.
Medium thick, creamy mouthfeel.
Sweet booze heat, milk chocolate & oak flavors up front; the milk chocolate creaminess emerged as this warmed. Too boozy but slightly above average.
288 characters
4.5/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Points a rich dark chocolate color. Aroma is mellow booze with deep roasted malts. Flavor is mellow bourbon with a rich chocolaty finish. Has a rich smooth finish. Overall a really delicious beer.
196 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Points a rich dark chocolate color. Aroma is mellow booze with deep roasted malts. Flavor is mellow bourbon with a rich chocolaty finish. Has a rich smooth finish. Overall a really delicious beer.
196 characters
4.35/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.68/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled in 2011. 5 years worth of age.
38 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled in 2011. 5 years worth of age.
38 characters
4.71/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours like black syrup, head very interesting with circular yeast floaters. Smell: very reminiscent of the rye oak barrels. Taste: nose is the ORS you are used to, but the finish has a bit of a spicy bite that gives the original beer a complexity it never had. I love the original ORS but it always felt a little short. The barrel aged steps it up and gives you the rye bite at the end to mix things up. At $24! a bottle its steep but I'm glad I got to try it. Love North Coast and hope they keep experimenting in this way. Experimentation transformed the smooth ORS to a complex and world class beer.
601 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours like black syrup, head very interesting with circular yeast floaters. Smell: very reminiscent of the rye oak barrels. Taste: nose is the ORS you are used to, but the finish has a bit of a spicy bite that gives the original beer a complexity it never had. I love the original ORS but it always felt a little short. The barrel aged steps it up and gives you the rye bite at the end to mix things up. At $24! a bottle its steep but I'm glad I got to try it. Love North Coast and hope they keep experimenting in this way. Experimentation transformed the smooth ORS to a complex and world class beer.
601 characters
4.28/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.96/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
4.48/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.19/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Catch up rating from Saturday's RS bottle share. Sample rated was XV. Smooth, silky, oily, just enough burn on top of this already exemplary stout. Nice sipper.
160 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Catch up rating from Saturday's RS bottle share. Sample rated was XV. Smooth, silky, oily, just enough burn on top of this already exemplary stout. Nice sipper.
160 characters
3.43/5 rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.79/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.47/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Serving Type: Bottle
Consumed: 3.20.16
A: 4.5 Pours pitch black with a one-inch tan head. Not much in the way of retention or lacing, but there are a few large bubbles clinging to the side of the glass.
S: 4.25 Fairly mild nose with bourbon, vanilla, cocoa powder, and light oxidation bringing a little cardboard on the finish. There’s also a slight cheesiness there too; the cheese and cardboard are a little weird, but not off-putting at all.
T: 4.5 Flavors are much stronger than the nose. Lots of brownies, cocoa powder, molasses, vanilla, and relatively mild bourbon. Roast kicks in next with a pleasant bitterness and tobacco flavor. Licorice, more vanilla, and molasses linger on the slightly bitter finish.
M: 4.75 The feel is really terrific. Creamy, rich, and good carbonation without feeling heavy.
O: 4.5 This is definitely a great BA stout that stays true to the base beer. Maybe not up to the level of others in the style, but worth checking out at least once.
981 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Serving Type: Bottle
Consumed: 3.20.16
A: 4.5 Pours pitch black with a one-inch tan head. Not much in the way of retention or lacing, but there are a few large bubbles clinging to the side of the glass.
S: 4.25 Fairly mild nose with bourbon, vanilla, cocoa powder, and light oxidation bringing a little cardboard on the finish. There’s also a slight cheesiness there too; the cheese and cardboard are a little weird, but not off-putting at all.
T: 4.5 Flavors are much stronger than the nose. Lots of brownies, cocoa powder, molasses, vanilla, and relatively mild bourbon. Roast kicks in next with a pleasant bitterness and tobacco flavor. Licorice, more vanilla, and molasses linger on the slightly bitter finish.
M: 4.75 The feel is really terrific. Creamy, rich, and good carbonation without feeling heavy.
O: 4.5 This is definitely a great BA stout that stays true to the base beer. Maybe not up to the level of others in the style, but worth checking out at least once.
981 characters
Old Rasputin XV Anniversary Barrel Aged Stout from North Coast Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
4.33 out of
5 with
975 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.