Wassailing with "Imperial Russian Stout"

Rasputin was a bad ass dude...

From a Russian website dedicated to the man we learn: Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was born a peasant in the small village of Pokrovskoye, in Siberia. The myths surrounding Rasputin portray him as having supernatural powers throughout his childhood. Rasputin held considerable personal and political influence over the Russian Royal Family up to 1917 when Russia fell to the hands of the Communists who then ruled Russia for more than 70 years as the Soviet Union. Rasputin's influence over the royal family during the First World War eventually was used against him as in the end he was poisoned, shot four times, badly beaten and thrown into a river where he finally died of hypothermia.  There are many stories and myths about Rasputin.  On the other hand there are no myths about the "Imperial" type stout made at Fort Bragg, California in his name.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial is a bad ass Stout

From Wikipedia (which knows everything) Imperial stout, also known as "Russian imperial stout" or
"Imperial Russian stout," is a strong dark beer or stout in the style that was brewed in the 18th
century by Thrale's brewery in London, England for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia.
In 1781 the brewery changed hands and the beer became known as Barclay Perkins Imperial Brown Stout. When the brewery was taken over by Courage the beer was renamed Courage Imperial Russian Stout. It has a high alcohol content, usually over 9% abv.  I have yet to visit to Ireland never mind Dublin but you can bet I have a date with the Guinness brewery, yes I do.  My good friend Ron of many years has lived on the Emerald Isle.... and he's a fan of the Stout... and beer... and ale... and Pubs... and one would expect from a Yankee who retired to Ireland.  I cannot in all honestly say the road the taste of Guinness (the king of stouts) goes down is one I would have followed.  Yes, there are many who swear by Guinness as much as there are many who swear after hours.

I am fairly certain Rasputin never Wassailed

Unbeknownst to American's... in general... this is the time of year in the UK where folks are out
Wassailing... in various degrees for some take the ceremony seriously whilst others use it as an
excuse to go Pubbing... For many years I thought the art of the Wassail was that of singing and
drinking, as an excuse you see, to celebrate ancient traditions... to include drinking ancient
Traditional Cask Aged Ales in the pub where we find them on offer...and it is... so is a Wassail a
tradition to Hustle a drink?  We all know in a pub once past 22:00 hrs everyone starts looking
pleasing (the opposite sex) to the eye, the men the women and the Landlord Lord forbid!  And we
know why... the Ale, the beer, the bitters, the stout... so although I am a stranger to Stout and for
no reason other than no one bothered to get me into the groove drinking the stuff, I thought as I
eyed the packaging... "Is it time?"  By the way, Wassailing means "to wish health to" one's apple
trees, in the hope that they will bear well. 

But this is a perfect brew to Wassail...

Today, at our local Supermarket just down the street lucky me... while the weather outside is
getting snowy in these parts, wouldn't this would be a great time to throw down $10 bucks and get
a four pack of "Old Rasputin."  A four pack, not a six pack as a six pack might be a bit spendy, so
Old Rasputin is packaged for the holidays "Trendy" style a cute little 4 pack.  Also it might just
be the stuff is so walloping strong that it is sold in a four pack because it's nearly 10%
alcohol and 6 bottles at 10 % would knock the average 3.2% American beer drinker between the
eyes... one might succumb to an alcoholic coma, which would be an example of undesirable behavior
during the Holidays?

Keep the faith baby... Wassail !

I believe the ancient tradition of Wassailing on the other hand is sacred to the Druid crowd and New Ager's... and who am I to argue with that, Hell I'm an American, you can trust me... OK, you Wassail all you want for it's out of my lane and with that said, this Rasputin Stout, whew, hold on to your bar stool!   One thing that has always been a concern of mine in recent years was if I was getting enough flavonoids. This all started in Hungary back in 1998 when my friends Gary and Carl and I would get together after a long day at the job, and down some Leffee Brune.. which is a Trappist style beer and very much in the taste category of this Rasputin stuff.  Carl being the wiser of we three would praise the consumption f the art of the flavanoid and was at the time quite concerned we were not getting enough.  I can assure you, the flavonoids are with the Old Rasputin. So let me wrap this posting up, there are no words that can describe taste for me other than good or bad, this beers good.  It is a strong flavoured beer, not at all disagreeable to my pallet, it is smokey... and it is expensive.  I recall some beer reviewer trying to explain hue and "notes."  I parted with a $10 note for four of these babies...tasty and pricey.

Happy Wassailing for now.

Old Rasputin: Click Here

Quaffability Brown... a home brewing Ale Tale... from "Christopher of the Forest of Arden"

This Guest Posting comes to us from the UK,  just a few miles from the Forest of Arden, home to my good friend Christopher who is a master home brewer.  We have been good friends more than 29 years... occasionally we get to see each other in person and in doing so we have for many years attempted to out do the other guy, that is to say who will get the other man tight first!  It's a childish prank sort of thing that really annoys the wives, of which I am proud...  I am certain you the reader would have no knowledge of doing such now would you?

Is that a pub I see?

Christopher, once he mastered the craft, would mix ingredients from basic, or as we Americans would say from, "Raw." He's a curious sort and after a few years sought out older recipes, hundreds of years old. Recipes that have survived the ages that did so because they tasted good.  This sort of Home Brewing is an iffy process and yet today in the Pacific Northwest... it's happening here as well.  For the last 20 years craft beer drinkers have engaged in the art of Home Brewing, and it is and art.  It's also a war against shitty tasting beer.   Save for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, which to me is of the highest regular guy culture beer on offer at the supermarket there is not much else on offer worth paying for a 6 pack and by the way this is all my opinion. Yes,we find the product line from the Full Sail Brewing company out of Hood River Oregon offering promise as we do the beers and ales of New Belgium from Colorado.

She would have made a fine Alewife

If you are one who has a taste for the Malt, and not "Malt Liquor," which is neither real malt nor a liquor, then like me you seek out the less "Hoppy" flavoured beers and ales...  it is policy... avoid the "Over Hoppy" tasting brews!  Since the Pacific North West is home to one of the largest "Hops" producing regions in the world... here we find mostly "Hoppy" beers and ales on sale...

We find no answers at the bottom of a glass... we raise many questions...

For the malt man, the" Malter..." the guy like myself seeking that malty taste, there is nothing on this good Earth to me better tasting than a pint of Traditional Cask Aged "English" Ale.  You find these ales only in certain pubs (Public House) in the UK.  These days massive corporate buy-outs are "Shutting Down" these great hoses of tradition all over the UK, and this has been going on for more than a decade... brewing companies that have for hundereds of years brewed only small production runs of wonderful tasting beer and ales using a slower more labour intensive method of brewing, that is to say the way they were doing at back in the 1700's... or earlier... for one reason and one reason only... the taste.  

No better place to be on a rainy afternoon

Old recipes of bad tasting Ale simply haven't survived.  These old methods are again used today as hobbyists put in use the time proven techniques that can be incorporated to brew great tasting ales and beers.  

Just ask Nigel when you are not certain what you want next...

To a Coporation CEO busting his balls to make that end of the year bonus, that is to say a "Bottom Line" or Bottom Feeder" kind of big businessman... the taste of his beer or ale in your pint glass is of no concern, for making profit for him is what it is all about.  A formula invented by the "Bottom Liners," of which we know the other word for everyone's bottom do we not?  For these guys the method for making money is to employ a minimum investment that reaps a maximum profit, as if making lots of money was more important that sustaining culture.  So they are the enemy of tradition, tell me I am wrong. We know their intent... massive profit for minimum investment and they ain't these days investing in "Master Malters." 

Locally Brewed and mighty tasty

Those of us who ignore the corporate bullshit... make effort to seek out Real Traditional Cask Aged Ales... It's a quest, a game every time I visit the UK.  I am no stranger to the pub.  I often think, "Let us hope they haven't shut down that favorite pup serving Cask Aged Ales."  It's a sport like Sunday football.  And these pubs on occasion can be found.  I order from the landlord not just a mighty tasty Ale but more so a pint of British history; I am drinking dad's ale, Grandads Ale, Wellingtons Ale! 

I am drinking the Ale my Uncle Ron drank during the war...

It is not unreasonable on a damp wet afternoon in an obscure part of England to find myself sitting in the dark corners of an ancient British pub with my nephew Ryan who drives me about... for me to ponder... "did Henry the Eight quaff this brew?"  What conquering Saxon drank an Ale similar to the ones I love before he and his ilk ruined everything... for it was he, the German... who brought to England his Hops?  

The Fleece, we find no finer pub

It's a damp wet morning here in the American West as winter is approaching I write this.  I received the below contribution to the "Ale Trail" from my good friend Christopher of the Forest of Arden last Spring, written in similar weather, and then as he went to photograph his creation, the sun came out.  Home brewers know, that is to say master home brewers know that if you can't find it, you have to make it, and in the UK they have kits, how civilized and ready made, just add water.... in other words those time proven techniques have been modernized; you now can find them prepackaged as such with "John Thompson's Strong XXX Bitter."

"Christopher of the Forest of Arden" writes:

"The British summer this year has been one of the wettest in memory with downpours a constant threat since April. When the sun does shine what better way to celebrate than with a pint of English ale. The contentment is that much more when you really savour the beer  knowing that you have brewed it yourself.

."John Thompsons Strong XXX Bitter" fermenting

In these recessionary times home brewing has an added attraction when you can make a pint from kits for less than 50p. Even the White House is brewing. It was recently revealed that President Barack Obama enjoys a honey ale where the honey ingredient comes from the First Lady's garden beehive. I've been brewing since the early 70s and as you can imagine tried many home brews. So I hope you believe me when I say that I have recently come across a home brew that is one of the best I've ever tasted . . and that is . . ."John Thompsons Strong XXX Bitter". It's a kit with a difference. It actually makes the beer that is available at the John Thompson Inn, Ingleby, Derbyshire. This public house rests in the timeless solitude of the Derbyshire landscape in the beautiful Trent Valley beside the banks of the river. 

It is time to bring back the taste of Beers and Ales long forgotten

It is one of only 66 pubs throughout the UK to have been listed as a Main Entry in all 25 annual editions of The Good Pub Guide. The beer originates from the longest established micro brewery in England which started in 1977 by brewing a beer to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. This home brew is very quaffable, around 4.5% strength, copper in colour with a unique rich flavour. It has been readily drunk by friends and received the highest compliment that: "it hasn't got that home brew taste!"


Cheers,   

Christopher of the Forrest of Arden



John Thompsons Home Brewing Kits in the UK:  Click Here

The Good Pub Guide:Click Here

Full Sail Brewing Company out of Hood River Oregon: Click Here

New Belgium Brewing Company: Click Here