Grigori Rasputin was a complex dude. How he was regarded depended upon who you asked. To some he was seen as a healer and a prophet, using his powers to alleviate the hemophilia Tsar Nicolas II’s son Alexi. Others saw him as a hedonistic religious charlatan who used his power of persuasion to weasel his way into the good graces of the monarchy. It all depended on your personal experience with the man or the rumors you had heard.
Turns out the Old Rasputin family of beers from North Coast Brewing Company are equally perplexing. Some are mesmerizing while others come off as pretenders. As I found out, it all depends on which beer you choose. In this case, it was the 12th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout, and I was a shocked by my experience with this enigmatic brew.
In a word: Terrible. Like pour-it-out bad. This beer came on like turpentine and finished like a glass of Merlot. In the middle there were notes of oak and malt, but it was hard to enjoy while squinching up my face, bracing against the aggressive flavor. I wondered if anyone tasted it before it left the brewery, or if they knew it was junk but had to send it out because they had invested so much into brewing it. Really, it’s that bad.The reason this was so shocking is because these guys know how to make great beer. The run-run-of-the-mill Old Rasputin Imperial Stout is a wonderful beer and an excellent example of what an imperial should be. It’s rich and complex with a dramatic and warm finish. I was expecting this anniversary brew to be an interesting variation on this successful recipe, but alas, it falls far short.
So the Old Rasputin 12th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout gets the EPIC FAIL stamp, the lowest possible rating from BW&B. It ended badly for the real Rasputin as well. As legend goes, he finally succumbed after being stabbed, beaten, and then drowned. I suppose receiving the EPIC FAIL stamp is pretty tame by comparison.
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Epic fail? Damn, that’s harsh. I haven’t had this beer so I’ll give you credit for calling it as you see it. Sometimes a good beer concept just doesn’t turn out well. Poor Rasputin!
Yeah, kinda harsh but also accurate. I was blown away that such a good brewery made such an awful beer, especially since it was their anniversary brew. But it was bad and almost ruined an evening with friends. Good thing I had a Stone Arrogant Bastard to save the day. I’ve learned; always have a backup.
Interesting. I think it is far to expensive and not quite what I expected…but I still would give it a 3.5-4.0 out of 5. Maybe your bottle was bad. Who knows, maybe people have that different of tastes.
Far “too” expensive, I meant.