First Snow

Today it snowed for the first time. I didn't get to see it, but I heard it happened, so that's good enough to me. To commemorate this event I decided to crack open a Russian imperial stout I've had in the fridge. Well I have a lot of beer in the fridge that needs drinking, but this was in the front, and I wanted an imperial today.

I reached in my fridge and pulled out Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout by North Coast Brewing Co.

On a cold wet miserable day, this is just what the doctor ordered. It poured black. Blacker than black. More black. Ebony. Holding it up to the light delivered no refracted copper or mahogany tones that are found in some stouts and porters. The head was this rich dark tan color that was thick and foamy that laced nicely as I emptied the glass.

The smell hit me in the face as soon as I cracked the cap on the bottle. Strong roasted smells. Coffee, caramel, barley, chocolates. A rich smell that I could put my nose in all day.

The taste hits you in the face. That first pull is akin to someone setting off a roman candle in your mouth. Big flavor. Strong roasted barley tastes with a slight sweetness that tastes like caramel. Maybe a little fruity. It finishes with a super strong bitter coffee flavor that just pulls it together. I barely drink coffee anymore, and tend to miss it, and this type of beer is right up my alley. That coffee taste stays with you. It also gives you a very nice warm alcohol burn on the way down. Not too overpowering. It has a pretty light to medium mouthfeel that means I could probably drink a few of these and call it a pretty good night.

This beer kicks ass. I would suggest it to anyone that can handle imperials. Not that long ago, I couldn't handle this type of brew, now I search it out and love it. This style of beer is as close as we get to the ambrosia of the gods. This particular brew lives up to that standard. Go get yourself one today.