Review: Old Rasputin XII

I saved this beer for something special and when I found out I was getting promoted I went home and popped the cork on this!

This beer is their Old Rasputin that's been barrel aged in Bourbon Barrels. I've had the Old Raspy (the regular one) and I wasn't particularly impressed. I felt it tasted like charcoal. When I popped the cork on this it had a subtle pop due to the low carbonation of this beer. (Imagine popping the cork on champagne, and how much it's carbonated. This wasn't like that) Immediately as I poured this beautiful ebony beer into my snifter I could smell the bourbon. Behind that was a very dark cocoa, like if it was strait off the tree. This bourbon in the taste cannot be overlooked. You can taste the fruityness of the bourbon that's only there because of the aging in the barrels. A little woodiness is apparent too, but you're more likely to experience the chocolate as the other dominant characteristic. The aging smoothes it out, and the taste of bourbon is deceptive. It seems as if the alcohol character is big, but it's not. The alcohol is masked quite nicely, but at 11.2% that may not be a great thing. The body is medium. I'd expect this from an IPA or DIPA, but my stouts I enjoy a thicker and fully body. The taste of this beer completely overcomes any of it's weaknesses. It's a definite pleasure to drink! I'm glad I waited to drink this for my promotion!