Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews of North Coast Brewing Co. beers

Old Rasputin Review

Posted on May 31, 2011

Review of Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout by Brew Chief

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Old Stock Ale 2011

Posted on May 31, 2011

Review of Old Stock Ale 2011 by Brew Chief

CraftBeer.com:
“Chocolate rich Stouts go so well with high-percentage dark chocolate. The levels of bitterness and sugars, and in some cases, like [North Coast Brewings' Old Rasputin], the fruity notes are a good match…. Once they are in your mouth, there is little delineation between the beer and chocolate flavors. They pair together to create a beautiful balance of bitter and caramel. It really is magical.”

Philadelphia Weekly
To illustrate suggestions for pairing beer with food, author Brian Freedman offers North Coast Brewing Co.’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout with a chocolate tarte. Says Freedman, “A successful marriage of beer and food is often just as much about alchemy and the magic of the unexpected as it is about a thought-out plan of attack.”

Posted in Food Pairing, Old Rasputin, Reviews | Tagged beer and food pairing, Chocolate, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Le Merle Review

Posted on April 2, 2011

Le Merle: a blackbird that has you singing, a review on Billy’s Beer Blog

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

Old Stock Cellar Reserve: YouTube Review

Posted on March 18, 2011

Review of the 2009 Old Stock Cellar Reserve by Chris Steltz of BeerGeekNation:

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

Wall Street Journal Picks Old No. 38 Stout as Their Top Alternative to Guinness

Posted on March 15, 2011

“The dark stuff from Ireland is a fine beer—smooth, satisfying and surprisingly low-carb. But when it comes to pure flavor, Guinness cedes its foamy crown to American-brewed Irish-style stouts…As demonstrated in our picks here, the results are uncommonly good…

North Coast is probably more famous for their intense Russian stout, Old Rasputin, but save that one for dessert. For day-long drinking, go with Old No. 38, a smooth, rounded beer with a bit more chocolate and fruit sweetness than a typical Irish dry stout. Soft edges and a mellow, woody finish make it wonderfully complex. 5.5% ABV”

Posted in Old No. 38 Stout, Reviews | Tagged North Coast Brewing Co., North Coast Old No. 38 Stout, Wall Street Journal | Leave a comment

One for the Cellar: Anchorage Press reviews Old Stock Reserve

Posted on March 7, 2011

“I was totally unprepared for the onslaught of rich complexity, intense flavor and stellar balance coming out of my brandy snifter of this incredible stuff. Why am I telling you this now? After a number of delays, a scant fourteen cases of this heady stuff has been bestowed upon Anchorage, and if you want to go on a beery scavenger hunt, you might be lucky enough to score one or two bottles for yourself. I’ve already got my share so I’ll watch the fray from the sidelines. The word’s on the street and this is some truly sought after stuff both for immediate consumption and vintage collecting.

If you’re lucky enough to score some you’ll find that the beer decants a slightly opaque brown in the glass. Minimal head forms and quickly races to the edge of the glass to leave just a tan ring around the sides. I’d suggest using brandy snifters or even wine glasses to showcase this beer. The shape of the glass helps concentrate and feature the aroma of the beer. And this is a beer that should definitely be shared in small doses with your closest of friends….The aroma is about as perfect as it gets for this big style of beer.” Read the whole review by James ‘Dr. Fermento’ Roberts on AnchoragePress.com

Posted in Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve, Reviews | Tagged Anchorage Press Review, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve 2009 | Leave a comment

Fuggly Brew reviews Old Stock Cellar Reserve

Posted on January 29, 2011

From FugglyBrew.com:

“The North Coast Brewing Company Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged edition is a winner! It pours as a full-bodied tawny ale, with a lightly rocky, but more creamy of a tan head. Your initial notes are of cider, but not a spiced cider more of that ripe apple scent you get standing under an apple tree in late October. Your first sip engulfs your pallet in a warm toffee apple with very slight hints of the ale’s fresh form (that Toffee/Vanilla/Coffee vibe) but this early in the aging process you can already see how the ale has matured. The toasty marshmallow has rounded off into the toffee and the initial booziness has turned into that of ripe harvest fruits. It ends with a pleasant if noticeable warmth reminiscent of a bourbon spiked coffee on a foggy Mendocino morning.

“This is a masterpiece of brewing perfection. I have always been a huge fan of Old Stock Ale (personally having been collecting the regular releases of it since 2003). While it tastes beautiful right now I will suggest hanging on to it for another 5 years. I intend to hold on to mine 2 years till I open another one (perhaps with the 2011 special edition?) Open another again in 5 years and then 10. Patience is a virtue and definitely not for the weak so if you plan to age this baby remember out of sight, out of mind. This is a gem, an investment, a beer for when your children graduate.

“This beer is truly the milk bath Cleopatra bathed in regularly—pure, decadent, luxury.

“What would I pair this with? A cold winter evening with rain tapping on the roof and a good book (perhaps a cigar? but nothing too heavy). This is definitely a beer that can be considered a philosophy beer. Sit. Sip. Contemplate.” Read the whole review on FugglyBrew.com

Posted in Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve, Reviews | Tagged Mendocino coast, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve 2009 | Leave a comment

Brother Thelonious Review by BeerSweden

Posted on January 20, 2011

“Trading 4s is a jazz term used to describe when two soloists play alternating four-bar phrases, as though they were having a lively conversation with chords.

“In North Coast Brewing’s tribute beer to Jazz legend Thelonious Monk the brewery trades 4s not with musical instruments but with yeast and malt. The result is a playful duet in the chord of B (B standing of course for Belgium).” Read the whole review on the BeerSweden website.

Posted in Brother Thelonious, Jazz, Reviews, Sweden | Tagged Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, North Coast Brewing Co., Sweden | Leave a comment

North Coast Brewing Announces Release of Barrel-Aged Old Stock Cellar Reserve

Posted on January 15, 2011

North Coast Brewing Co. has just released a special batch of its award-winning Old Stock Ale. The vintage 2009 brew has been aged for 18 months in oak Bourbon barrels and has been called by Brewmaster, Mark Ruedrich, “One of the most exciting beers we’ve produced since we began our barrel aging program back in 1998.” Old Stock Cellar Reserve is bottled in a distinctively decorated 500 ml bottle with a cork and wire finish and has gone to a limited number of distributors in select markets.

See the complete press release.

Stellar Reviews

Anchorage Press Review: “I was totally unprepared for the onslaught of rich complexity, intense flavor and stellar balance coming out of my brandy snifter of this incredible stuff.”

BeerGeekNation Review (including video!): “The aging process gives this world-class beer an added layer of complexity.”

Posted in Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, California, Press Release, Reviews | Tagged Aged Beers, Anchorage Press Review, Beer Geek Nation, Brewmaster, Mark Ruedrich, North Coast Brewing Co., Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve 2009 | Leave a comment

Old Rasputin Scores 100

Posted on January 14, 2011

North Coast Brewing’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout was named by RateBeer as one of America’s Best Beers for 2011 and given a Gold Award. The brew received an overall score of 100 and a style rating of 97 and was called a “perfect balance” with “coffee, chocolate and dark fruit” flavors.

“One of the all-time classics.”

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

The Best Barleywine? SF Weekly’s Blog, SFoodie, Picks a Winner: North Coast Brewing Co. Old Stock Ale

Posted on January 12, 2011

SFWeekly‘s Blind Tasting for Best Barleywine:
North Coast Brewing Company Old Stock Ale (Fort Bragg, Calif.): 9 points. Honey- and rose-colored and with minimal head, this was the panel’s uncontested favorite. Nothing about the beer screamed “barleywine,” but the marked aromas of applejack, cherry, oak, bourbon, and bread, along with hot flavors of boozy fruit, caramel, and very faint smoke, earned it the warmest reception.

Posted in News, Old Stock Ale, Reviews | Tagged North Coast Brewing Co., Old Stock Ale | Leave a comment

Posted on November 25, 2010

The Thanksgiving Beer List: Le Merle & Brother Thelonious – a review from CraftBeer.com

Posted in Brother Thelonious, Le Merle, Reviews | Tagged Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, Le Merle Saison, North Coast Brewing Co. | Leave a comment

Tasting the Brother Thelonious

Posted on October 21, 2010

From Definition Ale:

“Beer and Jazz are seldom mentioned in the same circles, however craft beer and jazz are increasingly finding the same home. The North Coast Brewing Co. has celebrated this fact with their Belgian Dark Strong Ale called Brother Thelonious. Anyone passionate about jazz music should instantly pair the name to Thelonious Monk, a marvel jazz pianist who is known as one of the giants of American music. The name pairs so well with this beer because it is a style traditionally brewed by monks. So there you have it, the Brother Thelonious is a Belgian Abbey Style beer brewed in a style made famous by monks, and to honor Thelonious Monk.

“What we have here then is one of America’s most masterful breweries brining to us a historic beer style mastered by Belgian Monks, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Brother Thelonious goes to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which allows the world’s most promising young musicians the opportunity to learn under the tutelage of America’s jazz masters. I’m impressed. Not to mention that the beer is 9.4% abv, and claims a classic mahogany red color – I’d say that so far Brother Thelonious has hit all the right notes.

“The mouthfeel is soft and easy with a light silky character and moderate carbonation. It will finish clean and lightly crisp at first when it is colder, but eventually becomes a warming and more soothing drink as the ambient room temperature gets to it. I would enjoy this beer with just about anyone, and with a wide variety of foods. Creamy and old cheeses will work very well here, so will roasted meats, anything from the grill, or chocolate or fruit based desserts.”

Read the whole review here.

Posted in Brother Thelonious, Food Pairing, Reviews | Tagged Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, North Coast Brewing Co., Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz | Comments Off

North Coast Brewing Co.’s Red Seal Ale & Acme IPA Honored

Posted on October 15, 2010

Red Seal Ale and Acme IPA from North Coast Brewing Co. were named winners of their style categories at the recent Hong Kong International Beer Awards. In a competition dominated by European breweries, North Coast’s double honors stood out. The event was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre with a goal of educating, inspiring and raising awareness of the “wonderful world of beer.” “We’ve been exporting our beers to China for a couple of years now,” said Doug Moody, North Coast Senior Vice President. “It’s an increasingly important part of our business and it’s been a pleasure to introduce our beers to a whole new country of enthusiasts.”

Posted in Acme Ale, News, Red Seal Ale, Reviews | Tagged Acme IPA, Awards, Hong Kong, North Coast Brewing Co., Red Seal Ale | Leave a comment