Hop Cast

It’s a new month and its time for Hop Cast to pick their November beer of the month. With the recent release of Surly Brewing’s Darkness and The Bruery Black Tuesday, it seemed fitting that November’s beer of the month should be a Russian Imperial Stout. Since both those beers are tricky to get if you didn’t go to the release parties, Hop Cast decided to choose a beer of the month people should be able to find pretty easily. So for the November beer of the month, the Hop Cast has chosen North Coast’s Old Rasputin. Brad and Ken recently reviewed the Old Rasputin XII on episode 54 with Shawn Horton. Don’t be fooled, just because this guy is in a smaller bottle doesn’t mean it isn’t packing a huge punch. Coming in with an ABV of 9.0% this isn’t a beer you should be drinking all night no matter how delicious it is. The Old Rasputin pours out black as night with a two finger tan head; within a few moments the head slowly starts to reside and leaves some nice lacing with it. The aroma of chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and bourbon drift out of the glass. What you smell is what you taste with Old Rasputin. Dark roasted malts, chocolate, with alcohol that will smack you in the face and warm you up. Even though that alcohol is pretty strong, it’s very well balanced and finishes with a coffee bitterness.

You can find North Coast’s Old Rasputin pretty much year round but its perfect for a cold fall or winter day when you’re looking for a beer to warm you up.

In episode 62 of the Hop Cast, Brad Chmielewski road trips it up to Brooklyn Center, Minnesota for Surly Darkness Day 09. Friday night Brad packed up the car and drove over night from Chicago with friends of the show Mitchell and Don Radlund, as well as Maeve Price and Andy Farley. The five of them arrived at the Surly Brewery around 5:00 am and staked out a spot in the line. While waiting in line for seven hours to purchase six bottles of the 2009 Darkness, Brad was able to chat with fellow beer podcasters Shawn Horton and Mike VanDelinder from Beer Genome Project. The three of them were also able to snag a quick interview with Omar Ansari, the owner of Surly Brewing. I’m sure you’ve all been wondering how the beer tastes. Well, the episode ends with Brad and Ken sharing a bottle of this fine Russian Imperial Stout and loving every delicious sip.

Download the Podcast (196.3 MB).

Brad Chmielewski and Don Radlund managed to get their beer loving hands on a few bottles of the newly released Darkness 2008 from Surly Brewering. In this Hop Cast special Ken Hunnemeder, Brad Chmielewski and guest Don Radlund serve up the Darkness Days ‘08 recap and a review of Surly’s Darkness 2008.

Download the Podcast (159.1 MB)