Corsair Rasputin Hopped Whisky starts out life as a traditional Russian Imperial stout that is crafted by one of their talented brewers. A talent I can attest to after doing a flight of everything they had on tap and then spending the afternoon chatting with some of their brewers and distillers when I did a tour of the Corsair Distillery last year. Where was I? I oh right the Corsair Rasputin review.
To make this wonderful whiskey they first make their Russian Imperial stout which uses a base of British-style / UK pale ale malt and chocolate or other toasted malt, and then they distill it in their 240 gallon pot still. During the second distillation they add hops via a vapor basket in the carter head which gives the whisky a hoppy punch to sit alongside the dark sweet maltiness. After all of that it’s aged in their small, 10-15 gallons, new charred oak casks for a few months and then the Corsair Rasputin is ready to be bottled, but as a whiskey instead of the beer it started out as.
Corsair Rasputin Info
Region: Tennessee, USA
Distiller: Corsair
Mashbill: Corsair’s Russian Imperial Stout + vapor hopped
Cask: New charred oak (10-15 gallon barrels)
Age: NAS (typically age for 5-10 months)
ABV: 43%
Batch: 1
Price: $50
Corsair Rasputin Review
EYE
Dark gold / amber
NOSE
Citrus peel, hops, chocolate, spice and toasted grain followed by some light notes of complex wood – cedar, oak and pine oil. As you might expect the hops make it a touch perfumy while the Russial Imperial stout lends to a strong “toastiness”, and a light bit of sweetness, to the overall aroma.
PALATE
Cinnamon, clove, chocolate, roasted grain / toasted wheat bread, hops, citrus peel and nutmeg layered with light notes of anise, wood and plenty of roasted, toasted and lightly sweet notes throughout.
FINISH
Long and spicy with notes of citrus, wax and toasty notes.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, round full body and oily slick feel.
OVERALL
The Corsair Rasputin is good. It’s nuanced yet bold, unique yet familiar and just an all around good weird whiskey. I’m 100% blown away that something this incredible could be produced in such a short amount of time, but when the distillery all but throws out the “rule book” for making whiskey there’s no choice but to throw out your expectations as well.
Corsair is absolutely one of the best craft distilleries in America right now and they demonstrate this over and over with experimental releases like this. They’ve earned a reputation for doing crazy experiments and limited runs and, unfortunately, the Corsair Rasputin is one of those experiments so you’re not likely to find a bottle hanging out on the shelf of your local liquor store. However, if you find one in a bar do yourself a favor and order a glass then do what comes natural to whiskey geeks like you and I and take time to savor it. It’s unique, it’s different and for my tastes quite enjoyable.
SCORE: 87-89/100 (B+, consumed at a tasting)
