Russian River Blind Pig IPA

Bottle via trade with Stefanje. Pours a slightly hazed dark yellow/gold. Sticky white head. Nose is a bit sweet and fruity, I get stone fruits, mango, a light resin note and some minor dank. Taste is a fruity burst of apricot and then pine that drops into a nice crunchy bitterness and finishes dry and smooth, begging for more sips. Definitely tasty, a little fizzy in the mouthfeel department. Overall pretty nice.

Draft @ the brewpub. Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Has a hoppy bitter piney citrus aroma. Sweetish malty hoppy pine needles and citrus flavor. Has a long hoppy bitter piney finish with a long bitter aftertaste. Nice!

500 ml 09/05/08 bottle in pint glass. Golden with lasting dense white head and lace. Pungent fresh orange citrus and a little pine aroma. Mild sweet honey biscuit with flowery hop flavor and piney resin bitterness. Medium body and carbo. Incredible balance, great flavor. This might be the perfect session beer.

On tap for Union Jack’s Russian River Night. Poured a pale slightly hazy amber with a ring of white foam atop. Aroma was unadulterated pure fresh hops - not overly coniferous or citric rather like an actually freshly harvested hop; familiar and ineffable. Flavor was spruce and grapefruit juice however not overly bitter and cloying. It had the ideal ale body and refreshing terminus. An excellent IPA, it did however leave me thirsting for a Pliny the Elder.

Bottle: Poured a clear golden color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citrus and floral hops are clearly dominating with some notes of bitter hops are also clearly identifiable. Taste is also dominated by a complex and well built hop profile which provide a very good and complex mix between some citrus and bitter notes. Malt profile is kept very low in the mix but can still be felt. Full body with great carbonation. Quite a handful though and not your typical session IPA.

Thanks to BeerHawk for sharing this one at decaturstevo’s 2008 Zapit Tasing Tasting. Clear body of dark yellow with a fleeting white head. Piney hops well balanced by the malt. Nicely balanced that finishes with a nice smooth bitterness.

500ml bottled on 11/19/08 from south bay drugs. poured into a pint glass. pours a bright, clear light yellow/orange, almost peach color like an authentic IPA, with a short, bubble white head. aroma is simply wonderful. huge, fresh hops, pine, floral notes of rose and tulip, and citrus with a touch of spiciness. flavor is equally delicious. big, juicy hops uf front with flavors of orange, lemon, apricot, and a touch of honey with solid bitterness. flavor is full bodied yet seems a bit delicate with a balanced roasted and sweet malt finish that lasts long after the swallow. palate is very smooth with light carbonation and perfectly easy to drink. great example of an IPA, just wish we could get it here on the east coast.

on tap at memphis taprooms- pours yellow with lots of visual carbonation. nose is full on hoppy goodness, but in the form of grapefruits and pineapples, a real tropical juice thing going on. taste is full bodied and glorious with all of the flavours mentioned above, really well balanced a gold standard for ipas.