The Beer Road Less Traveled



Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
9% ABV
North Coast Brewing
Fort Bragg, CA

 My "go to" beer is an IPA.  There, I said it.  Winter, spring, summer and fall, I am always drawn to them and often have to fight the urge to never stray from the hop path.  But I assume that my reader (yes, just one) doesn't want 52 reviews of 52 different IPAs.  And, well, there just might not be 52 IPAs that I can find over the next year that I haven't tried! 

So this week's FNP is certainly NOT a beer I normally reach for at the end of the dog days of summer.  However it IS a beer I have reached for, looked at, and put back only to stay in the safe zone and try another IPA.  It is a highly respected beer and is often on the many lists of "beers to try before you die".  So, I decided to give it the respect it supposedly deserved, and I have to say, this one definitely gets the "wicked good beer"* stamp of approval! 

Old Rasputin pours a DARK brown/black with a creamy, tan, 2-finger head.  As nice as it looks in that glass, it SMELLS even better!  Strong chocolate and coffee aromas make it seem like it might be a good choice for breakfast.  Uhhh, not that I would drink beer for breakfast of course...It has a creamy mouthfeel, but not too heavy, and those delicious chocolate and coffee aromas carry over into the beer's flavor as well.  It is one of the most balanced stouts I have ever tasted, and doesn't have that burnt flavor that often turns me off to stouts in general.  The bitterness is there (75 IBUs worth), but it balances the sweetness of the chocolate flavors rather than overpowers.

It's not an IPA, but I can honestly say that I don't regret the choice, and look forward to savoring one of these in front of a fire on a cold, winter night (hopefully we get at least ONE down here).  Old Rasputin is definitely on my list of "beers I am glad I tried before I died"!

Cheers!
Becky

*I am from New England.  I have snow in my veins.  I say "wicked".  Go ahead, make fun of me.  But if I tell you that a beer is "wicked good", you better believe it!


The official "wicked good beer" stamp of approval.