Russian River Beer Esteam

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: California Common
Santa Rosa, California USA

Draft. Clear, bright copper color with a white head. Fruity, malt aroma with a hop "zing". Pleasant malt flavor with more fruit notes. Not overly hopped but the hops are still noticeable in the flavor. Somewhat dry, clean finish.

Caramel and hops nose with a soft clean mouthfeel devoid of crystal malt characters I despise so much. Dry clean and floral finish.

On tap @ the brewpub--this batch is listed @ 5.5% ABV. Hazy orange brown with a one finger light beige head, fading to a creamy thick ring and slightly thinner film. Light fruity yeast with some caramel and toasted malts/grain. Light citrus hops are present as well. Flavor follows suit (fruity yeast, some caramel and toasty malts) with a light citrus tanginess. Dry toasty finish with bitterness at a 3. Smooth light to medium body with light carbonation. Pretty tasty beer--would have no problem drinking a lot of this is one sitting.

Generous 10 ounce sample on tap at the brewpub at RBSG. Spicy, herbal, peppery hop aroma with some light mustiness. Pretty grainy with some cereal, too. Moderately hazy amber body present with a pretty frothy off-yellowish head and nice lacing. Chewy, roasty, biscuity malt start. Lightly metallic, chewy, and a bit of herbal hop to finish. Drinkable, tasty, and good for a "steam" beer.

On tap at the brewpub on 6/30/09. Pours nice copper orange, with great fruit and caramel aromas, touch of vanilla. Very well balanced sweet and bitterness. Nice complex flavors meld nicely. I’m surprised by others’ ratings as I thought this was incredibly drinkable and unique. Maybe others thought a bit too sweet?

RBSG09 on tap at the brewpub. Pours dark orange with a thick, cascading, light-beige head. Aroma is nice fresh bread dough with some fruity hops and a metallic note. Flavor is milky and doughy, with light caramel sweetness and some citrus. Nice bitterness and a dry finish.

Sampled during RBSG 7/11/2009 on tap at the brewery. This California Common pours a medium orange gold color from the tap. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is fruity and sweet. A medium bodied California Common. The malts are fruity and sweet. The hops are earthy and floral. Big full mouthfeel with a softer carbonation. Nice balance. Good carbonation. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Draught at the brewpub during RBSG09. Toasty amber color, lightly hazy, with a white head. Subtle herbal hops and toasty malt aroma. The flavor is a great example of balance, with toasty and caramel malt flavors mixing with herbal hops. More hop flavor than anchor steam, but along the same lines. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. A very solid, easier drinking offering from Russian River. Like pretty much every beer they make, you can tell that a lot of thought was put into its construction.