March 18, 2010 Old Rasputin XII
First brewed in 1995, Old Rasputin was — and still is — a Russian Imperial stout of formidable complexity and power. North Coast Brewing began issuing barrel-aged editions in 2006; this, the third batch, is the first to be widely available outside the Mendocino area.
Thanks to its time spent aging in oak bourbon casks, this monk has been transformed from mad to mellow. Most of the roasted coffee flavors are gone, and its bracing, bitter edges have been smoothed out. This Rasputin is a sweetie pie, with vanilla, butterscotch and cream flavors against a plum pudding backdrop.
Don’t let all that sweetness fool you: This is a bruiser. Old Rasputin’s original 9 percent alcohol content is nothing next to OR XII’s 11.2.This stout comes in a 24-ounce bottle, corked and then dignified by an eye-catchingly austere label. The beer is a stunner in a glass, too, a whipped frappuccino-like head capping the black body.
The term “beer money” doesn’t apply here. We bought our bottle at Whole Foods for a whopping $21.99. Someday, someone may use OR XII as the springboard into an essay on the dark side of beer craftification, of some brewers pursuing the finest ingredients and highest standards but abandoning their affordable roots. For now, though, let’s note that we enjoyed the splurge but can’t justify a second bottle.
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