A Russian Beast

Review #15
Old Rasputin XIV Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout  ABV: 11.5%
North Coast Brewing Co.  Ft. Bragg, CA  500ml brown bomber poured into Imperial pint glass

**First note: Although this looks and feels like a 750 ml, it is only 500 ml. I felt slightly ripped off.**

A - An amazing deep brown-black with little to no light transmission. Not any carbonation to speak of, and a creamed coffee, small head. Some moderate lacing, about what you'd expect really.

S - First whiff gives off aged oak and cocoa nibs. There is an underlying sweet vanilla, with a bourbon backbone. The bourbon is not overwhelming, but it is in the air. Wet bark and campfires came to mind; a fall campground perhaps. A rich sweetness sticks with you after the initial sniff.

T - Strong, with a dry finish. Definite alcohol warmth here. Every aroma comes through on flavor with the bourbon being a touch stronger on the palate. Toffee and roasted malts, with a distinct char feeling. Very well balanced, the sweetness plays well off of the dry, bitter chocolate and alcohol burn.

M - A bit thin for this style if I'm being fair. Not really enough flavor lingers after the swallow. My least favorite part. It does have a small amount of chewiness up front, it just fades far too quickly

O - This is borderline outstanding. A wonderful added depth to an already tremendous beer. Not flawless, but very good. A real treat on a cool evening to give you some inner warmth and fond memories of campfires and s'mores.

Cheers,
Chris

Its My Party & I'll Rye if I Want To

I am lazy. I am sorry. Meant to write this weekend, but between a dead hamster, a new cat, Leasea mandolin-ing her thumb, and a Kels ER visit, I sorta ran outta time. My bad. Forgive me?
So, a quick preface, I have not been a big fan of this style of beer before, so I went in a bit wary. I love this brewery and had heard nothing but great things though, so I gave her a run. Boy was I glad I did. Dangit, I just gave away the ending!

Review #14
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA  ABV: 6.6%
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA  12 oz. brown bottle poured into Sam Adams 'Perfect Pint'

A - This poured a deep, rich amber color with some amazing clarity. The head is a good 2 inches that retains well throughout. The lacing is quality, pure and simple. It looked like a 'measuring' wall behind a door in an old house, marking each sip for posterity

S - The pepper and grapefruit flavors smack you in the face with a strong yeast aroma fast on its heels. You can almost taste the rye bread in this, I wanted a Reuben instantly; I settled for drinking some Thousand Island. No, I actually didn't.

T - There is a powerful bitterness at play here which I could see putting some off, but its right up my alley. The slightly roasted malts and the caramel add plenty of balance for me. The rye really stands tall, and now I'm dang near kicking myself for bad planning and having no sandwich pairing. Plenty of citrus at work as well, adding that much more depth to the overall character. The alcohol doesn't come into play while chilled, but pushes to the forefront as it nears room temp.

M - Lively carbonation, keeps this feeling fresh throughout and the sugary residue clings to the lips and tongue, retaining the bitterness

O - Well, I gave it away up top, huh? I really like this. To be more clear though, IPAs are my favorite style hands down, I've just not truly appreciated a rye beer this much in the past. Well done, SN for making a lovely, balanced beer that changed my attitude. That said, if I could find bad note...I want more than 12 oz. Sorry, just can't do it. This was a cracker!

Cheers,
Chris