Storm King and Old Rasputin

This one's going to be a joint review because, to be honest, there's very little about Storm King and Old Rasputin that differ. Both of these beers, nearly twins, are Imperial Stouts. Old Rasputin's edge is that it is a Russian style Imperial Stout that, if you found the right one, is cask aged. These twin terrors are extremely angry beers and are only recommended to a very specific caliber of person or if someone's been cheating on you and you know 151 is a bad idea.

Stats:
Appearance - Both of these beers are incredibly dark, though Rasputin doesn't have the blackish tint that Guinness does. Storm King is definitely the darker of the two.
Smell - Both have an impressive aroma. There's a high odor of coffee and malt with a hint of oak that makes you feel like you're taking a walk on a crisp autumn morning in a fleece.
Taste - That being said, this is where the beer loses points from an objective perspective. It's hard to describe what I mean when I say a beer is angry, but if you ever try one, you'll understand. The aftereffect is basically what ends this beer. I drink my coffee black and strong, but even that doesn't compare to the aftertaste. It's a lot like Turkish coffee if you left out the sweeteners. The oak and rich, bitter coffee taste will stay with you in the beginning, but the end of it, it's almost as though some kind of sludge is involved. Rasputin doesn't do this quite as much as Storm King, it has more of a bite at the end.
Feel - This is one of these beers greatest assets. While the drinkability is lacking due to the shock {read on, you'll see}, these beers both have one of the most amazingly smooth feels that you'll ever find. Both are carbonated {obviously}, but you'd never know it from drinking one.
Drinkability - In the end, there's a superb amount of drinkability to this beer assuming it's not your first and your tongue is loosened up a bit. It's coffee flavor, heavy aroma, and smooth start will have you coming back {just probably not for a second one in a row}.

Drew's Ratings:
5 - Both of these beers are by far terminators. They should always be the last beer or the only thing you're drinking. There's a reason Old Rasputin only comes in a pack of 4. This lies under the subcategory of 5 where you had better already be at least tipsy when you consider finding this in your hands. Both are so overpowering that any other flavor you've ever known will be gone and lost.

AND

E - This is an excellent example of something I mentioned a few posts ago where my opinion will diverge from the beer's primary rating. While I do have to be in the right mood for an Imperial Stout, both hold a special place in my heart. It's almost as though someone distilled the anger out of a liquor above 100 proof and put it into a richer Guinness-like beer. When I've decided to drink a beer like this, I know what I'm getting into and honestly, I like it. The overall rating won't reflect this because it's a beer that is only something a guy like me would drink. There's nothing special about these beers from an impersonal perspective other than their uniqueness, but I can't help but enjoy it when it isn't the first thing I've had.


Overall: C+ -> B-
-> This rating is from an impersonal perspective, personally, it's closer to an A, A-.

Bright the cheeks and warm the heart,
-NEO-BS




After thought:

I'm not sure about Storm King, but for those of you who are also cooks, I have used OR as a cooking beer before. Don't ever, EVER use it for a batter, but if you like cooking off most of the water, this can be used with something spicy like Siracha and maybe a hint of brown sugar or vanilla if you're cooking with beef or sausage and using potatoes, onions, and garlic.