Well, now, don’t I wish I had another one of these right now?
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, from the ever-impressive North Coast Brewing Company, is the kind of beer you just fall in love with. I’m not going to knock Guinness here, as I grew up on that stout and still appreciate it. Heck, you could hand me a pint right now and we’d become fast friends. But if your idea of stout is limited to that longtime, readily available beauty, there are a lot of U.S. craft brewers out there who would love to show what a stout can truly be. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout is an altogether different beast from your Guinness.
It pours a deep dark black, appropriate enough for a brew named after a mad monk. The luxurious, brownish-tan head persists as you work your way through the glass, and clings to the sides for as long as you will let it. Roasty, toasty aromas hover over that thick, foamy head, intoxicating in and of themselves, making all sorts of promises about the taste that awaits you.
And that’s when this stout gets you — with the first sip. You’ll want to just hold it there for a few moments, and let the complex series of rich flavors swirl around for a while. No hurry. No hurry. Relax … and enjoy. There is a bit of sweetness, a dash of dryness, a burst of toast and smoke. Coffee, caramel in the background, crusty homemade bread. Even when served refrigerator cold, this stout is just full of tasty surprises; when you serve it a lower, more proper temperature it becomes stellar. You take a sip, and wonder if it can really taste that good. You take another sip, and confirm that, yes, stout can taste that good.
OK, I’m gushing. I’m giddy, even. But this is a brew that I tried once, and then didn’t see around in my neck of the woods again. Now it’s at one of my regular beer stops, so forgive my boyish enthusiasm. It’s almost like getting World Series tickets.
This is an English style, by the way, despite the Russian Imperial Stout designation. This particular style of beer is named after the country it was exported to the most, much in the same manner as India pale ale — thoroughly British, even if it sounds like it’s from somewhere else. Russian Imperial Stouts tend to have a higher alcohol content than other stouts; Old Rasputin is 9 percent alcohol by volume, enough to induce a meditative state (although not, perhaps, a mind-clearing one …)
Enjoy.
– Steve
P.S. The Russian I studied in college went the way of iron oxide long ago, but I believe the Russian text on the label says something like “A true friend is not made quickly,” or something like that.
Beer talk