Russian River Benediction

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

Draught at the brewpub. Clear dark amber. Aroma of cocoa and cocktail cherries. Fairly dry and rather sofy with firm mouthfeel and above medium body. Light almond character. Rich flavours of orange and chocolate opens up when it warms, and the relative dryness makes them stand out. Salty finish.

Draught, at the brewery
Burgundy colour. Sweet and bubblegummy and raisiny. A bit effervescent in the finish, which breaks up the rich sweetness. Fairly complex for the style, low on the yeastiness but with a fairly estery aroma. Not cloudy enough for me visually.

Tap @ Toronado San Diego, alongside a late afternoon brat. Pours a rich reddish brown with a tan head. Nose is sweet and quite rich. Tase is sweet, rich, and slightly hoppy with a bitter bite, pretty tasty.

On tap at O’Brien’s. Listed as an Abbey Dubbel. Pours with a slightly hazed dark brown body and a small, fading brown head. Aroma of raisins, brown sugar and hoppy bitterness. Taste is belgian yeast, and by far the most bitter (hops) abbey ale I have ever had. Finishes strongly bitter. Apple, raisins and dough accompany the bitterness. Water like mouthfeel, light carbonation.

Draft. Rich amber beer with a nice off-white head. Big clove and yeast aroma. Sweet malt with spicey yeast flavor. Smooth creamy mouthfeel. Some apple/pear flavors and a bit of oakiness. Lacks a bit of depth and complexity, but very drinkable.

On tap at the pub. light brown with a tan head. Caramel flavor with a touch of sweetness.

Tap at the brewpub: Rich clear golden with a dense off white head that laces. Nice fruity Belgian aroma- light apricot, fig, rounded amber malt base. Creamy body with a balanced flavor of apricot, restrained plum (mild), and a later herbal finish. Solid and not overly sweet like many American interpretations of dark Belgian ales.

Draft @ Russian River. Pours a slightly hazy, deep-brown color; off-white head with decent retention and fine-bubbled lacing. A straightforward aroma of brown sugar and dark fruits, mostly; reasonably dry; a touch reserved. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lively, pleasant levels of carbonation, moderate acidity, and the coarseness of the brown sugar note combine to give this a beautifully dense, striking presence in the mouth; quite lively; dark fruits, lots o’ toastiness, and pleasant banan and clove notes; a very solid dubbel, for sure; some pleasant floral notes in there as well. Lengthy finish: lots of brown sugar, dark fruits, toastiness; nicely balanced overall.