dark days

Suddenly, it's spring!  Fluctuating temperatures, rain rushing in and out, you'd think it was the Midwest.  But no, it's not that unusual here either.  The walking weather has gone a bit down hill these last few days, the streets being wetter than is optimal.  For me that means stout weather!  OK, stout weather is always, but there's less dissent when it's chilly and drizzly.  Not that I care about dissent anyway, but...well, onward!  North Coast has an intriguing stout all bottled up, one that triggers a little nostalgia for me.  I'd be surprised if anyone else remembered the Rasputin Fan Club, but he remembers.  There he was, just waiting in the shelf.  How can you resist that face?

Hello there!

Almost feel like I should apologize for putting a Russian stout on the beer towel...

It pours out perfectly, with a rich, dark color and a good head of foam on top.  The smell is subtle, not giving much away.  But, oh what a taste!  It's a rush of bittersweet, fruity, chocolatey, slightly woody and smokey.  It takes a while to sort it all out, but it has a pleasant complexity in spite of the number of different touches to it.  There's something enchanting about it, like it's hiding something for the end.  A mysterious beer, making promises and...well, it's delicious to the end.  Can't say I got any great insights on the nature of existence at the bottom of the glass, though.

Supplier: Palma Brew
Price: €5.80