Russian River Blind Pig IPA

This sampling has been a long time in the running. You know that ennui you get when you’re poring through the RB forums and people are talking about a beer like it’s an old friend? Swapping stories and notes, and then doing it again the next day, and the next? And you feel like the kid in the corner of the playground, exiled but not with malice? Yeah, I hate that feeling. So it was about time I gave this Russian River brew a try. A thick wide head springs up from a calm pour, like political demagoguery - reliably overreactive. Bubbles spring out from the center of the pour’s drop point, casting a net over the moderately clear, hypnotically rich looking orange beer. The Blind Pig takes the initiative with a hoppy punch, followed by the tantalizing aromas of roast chicken skin/fat, fermenting pizza dough, a cluster of grains and barley. The flavor capitalizes on this opening act with another round of mild but complex flavors beginning with apple and later indulging in cascades of hunger-satisfying grains. When I like an IPA, it’s generally because it’s graciously included some sweets to offset the bitters, but the Blind Pig is certainly not a sweet beer. It’s an appetizing beer, and appetizing IPAs are very few and far between. So this is something of a gem to me, and definitely tops my list of IPAs snatched away from the temping jaws os “hop-bombery” and steadfastly back into the realm of palate enriching drinkable nirvana.

Tasted 10/05/2009. 500ml bottle from beerstore.co.nz. Nice drop but I don’t think anything is going to compare that favourably to following a mint condition AleSmith IPA. Richer base malt, slightly more minerally, tending English almost, but with all the hop characters of a new world ale. Bluddy guid.

My first ever Russian River beer..here goes. Slightly murky orange/brown beer..great off white frothy creamy heid. Nice fresh aromas of piney/spruce like hops..some lemon and honey in the back. Good juicy hops, freshly squeezed or so it feels. Fresh grassy, grapefruit, brown sugar, toasted. Really nice and fresh..you should have this for breakfast! Great palate too..very well done. Overall a great IPA

Smells like hops, pine, citrus, and heaven. Looks medium/dark golden. Head is fluffy and falls fast leaving behind substantial lacing. Tastes like a DIPA. Tons of bitter hops, pine, sour citrus, the bitterness sticks to your lips. I’ve actually never had an IPA with this aggressive of flavors. Perfect levels of carbonation. I’m so in love with beer I’d let that blind pig on the label sodomize me with his white cane. I know he’d never call me again, and it wouldn’t matter. I would have gotten what I wanted, his light juicy goodness. Mmmm

Centennial hops... has to be. This one is awfully close to Bell’s 2 Hearted or Ballast Point Big Eye IPA. Pours slightly hazy golden hue with contrasting white head. Nose is quite aromatic with pineapple and grapefruity, and grassy. Palate is pleasantly sharp with hops up front, centennial is my guess, and leads into waves of tangy grapefruit and a light honeyed malt in the distant background. Very citrusy, grassy, and drinkable.

Pours a hazy golden color with a two finger thick pure white head that remains. Smells of terrific hops, citrus fruits, sweet lemons, and pine. Some earthy grass also prevalent. Tastes of rich citrus, deep earth tones, and wonderful bitter hops. Finishes delicately bitter and wonderful!

deluxe golden colour, nice head, great lace. classic NoCal hop aroma, citrus, pine. rich flavour and plenty of malt to balance all the hop. classic ipa that was clearly hand-crafted by someone who cares! leaves me wanted more from vinny and RR....

Pours a golden color with a medium white head. The aroma is straight out citrus with some earthy hop scents. The taste is much the same--fairly one dimensional overall, but the flavor is really nice for a single ipa.