Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews of North Coast Brewing Co. beers

Le Merle featured in Bon Appetit

Posted on June 14, 2012

“What begins as floral and effervescent, like a chilly white wine, finishes with a fruity fullness.”

Read the whole article from Bon Appetit here. | See our print PDF press release here.

Posted in Le Merle, News, Reviews | Tagged Le Merle Saison, North Coast Brewing Co. | Leave a comment

Beijing Checks In…

Posted on June 8, 2012

From The Beijing Reviewer:

The Red Seal Ale is going to the top of my list. This beer fit my tastes perfectly. It pours deep amber with quite a bit of head that hangs around for a while. A mixture of floral, citrus and spicy tastes come out in this medium bodied beer. This beer is hoppy but a much different hoppy than I’m used to. Overall, Red Seal Ale is a solid beer and easily one of my new favorites. On Day 5, I tried Blue Star Wheat Beer also from the North Coast Brewing Co. and was highly impressed. These guys know what they’re doing and I’ll be sure to continue trying anything they put out.

Verdict: Recommended

Read the whole review here.

Posted in Red Seal Ale, Reviews | Tagged Beijing, China, North Coast Brewing Co., Red Seal | Leave a comment

Review of PranQster in Pensacola News Journal

Posted on May 17, 2012

Tim Dohms reviews PranQster in the Pensacola News Journal:

“North Coast’s PranQster is an amazing Belgian Abbey ale, golden-orange in color, with a billowing head of creamy white foam that recedes nicely to a thin, tight cap and plenty of lacing in the glass. …this is, hands down, one of the planet’s best ales.”

Read the whole article here.

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Barrel-Aged Rasputin Review

Posted on April 30, 2012

From There Will Be Bourbon:

“We’re familiar with the high quality deliciousness of North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, but we didn’t know they decided to put Rasputin in a bourbon barrel until we stumbled across it last weekend. When you lock Rasputin away like that, it only comes out stronger and better.”

Read the whole review here.

Posted in Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, Old Rasputin, Reviews | Tagged Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, Beer aged in Bourbon Barrels, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

It’s All About the Beer: Acme California Pale Ale

Posted on February 17, 2012

“This is one of the better pale ales I’ve ever tried. Of course I’ve yet to have a beer from North Coast Brewing Co. that is anything but top-notch. They obviously take care to produce fine products and it shows.”—J.T. Wampler

Read the whole review in the Fayetteville Flyer

Posted in Acme Ale, Reviews | Tagged Acme Pale Ale, North Coast Brewing Co. | Leave a comment

Old Rasputin: One of the Top Ten Stouts from the West Coast

Posted on February 7, 2012

Laurie Delk of 100 beers. 30 days. just chose Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout as one of her top ten favorite stouts from the West Coast:

“Rich, homemade molasses cookies, baking spices, clove, nutmeg, cardamon, and even pepper prickled my nose. On the palate, tobacco and dark, dark chocolate with its trademark bitterness, a wonderful complement to the sugar and spice. And this one is everything nice.”

Read the whole article in Happy Hour Magazine.

Posted in Old Rasputin, Reviews | Tagged North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Four “Best of 2011” Lists for North Coast Brewing

Posted on January 17, 2012

#1 Craft Beer for 2011: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
—Beer Appétit

Best of 2011: Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin (Platinum Medal, “Superlative”)
—BTI: World Beer Championships

Brewer of the Year, 2011: North Coast Brewing
—Beer Journal, December 31, 2011

Top 11 Beers for 2011: Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XIV
“…World class, the best of the best.…
This is beer at its highest level of sophistication….”
Modern Brewery Age Weekly E-Newsletter • Volume 63, No. 1 • January 5, 2012

Click here for a printable PDF.

Posted in Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, News, Old Rasputin, Press Release, Reviews | Tagged Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

One of Life’s Great Pleasures: Old Stock Ale 2009 Cellar Reserve

Posted on December 23, 2011

As Reviewed in Ale Evangelism:

“Old Stock Ale by North Coast Brewing is one of life’s great pleasures. I know, I know, BEER is one of life’s great pleasures, but among those pleasures, Old Stock Ale ought to be placed on a high pedestal and enjoyed slowly and thoroughly. But the Cellar Reserve variety? Well, it truly ought to be on a pedestal on top of a pedestal. Why does it deserve this precarious perch? Read on, my ale-loving reader…read on…”

Posted in Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve, Reviews | Tagged Ale Evangelism, Beer aged in Bourbon Barrels, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve 2009 | Leave a comment

Twisted Snifter Reviews Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XIV

Posted on December 23, 2011

“From the kettles and brite tanks of North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, California comes one of our favorite Russian Imperial Stouts, Old Rasputin. A staple in snifters across the country, this big, bold and robust stout really defines the RIS style for us. It’s widely available, fairly affordable, intensely complex and ages wonderfully. A serious winner in our books. This, you probably know.

“What you might not know however, is that North Coast produces a rare and limited barrel aged version of this fine elixir. Released annually, this special offering was first produced in 2006 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Old Rasputin. After a short hiatus (there was never a XIII vintage), fans are excited to hear that the beer has returned. Initially a very limited release, North Coast has expanded production of Barrel Aged Old Rasputin and it’s now popping up on shelves in various markets around the country.”

Read the Complete Blog Review at Twisted Snifter

Posted in Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, Reviews | Tagged Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Twisted Snifter | Leave a comment

North Coast Grand Cru

Posted on November 29, 2011

“[Like] Vincent Price reading you a bedtime story.”

From Richard Bolster at Private Tap: “This ale is truly the champagne of bottle beers (Miller take note).” “[An] exquisite creation.”

Brewer Cameron: “North Coast does it again! …This beer floored me. …Everything about this beer is strong in a sophisticated way.”

Read the full reviews here:
Private Tap | Brewer Cameron

Posted in California, Grand Cru, Regional Calendar, Reviews | Tagged Grand Cru, North Coast Brewing, Review | Leave a comment

Swedish paper praises Brother Thelonious

Posted on October 20, 2011

Brother Thelonius (# 1588, 24.95 Swedish kronas, 355 ml) is made by North Coast Brewing Company, located just north of San Francisco. This ale plays on the brewery’s finer taste bud harmonies, and pays tribute to the jazz musician Thelonius Monk. It displays a reddish-brown teak-color and a heavy foam crown. The well-balanced aroma hints at rye bread and flowery chamomile. The flavor is sweeter than the scent and doesn’t deliver the same knock-out punch that Mark Ruedrich often prefers. Article here.