Russian River Blind Pig IPA

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Santa Rosa, California USA

Bottle courtesy of Summer Santa 09. Good mix of citrus and floral notes for aroma. Copper body big white head and good lacing left on glass. Dry resin grapefruit and some sweet citrus orange flavor. Cool and crisp on the palate mighty fine refreshment. Thanks BuckeyeBoy.

Light copper coloured body with a thinnish off-white head. Potent hop aroma of floral and grapefruity hops and a very potent alcohol scent. Medium-bodied; Amazing bright hoppy flavour all with a good malt backbone and a very subtle fruity flavour. Aftertaste shows nothing but hop bitterness - NICE! Overall, a great IPA, definitely worth trying if you can find it! I sampled this pint on draught at Toronado in San Francisco, California in March 2008.

<b>Bottled July 22, 2008; Sampled August 7, 2008</b>
Pours into my New Belgium Globe glass with a nice pungent scent and a two-finger thick, pale tan colored head that has some stickiness to it. The beer is a hazy amber hue that shows a more copper hue when held up to the light. Sticky grapefruit notes mix with sweet lychee notes, which are offset in the finish by a sticky herbal note that takes on overtones of hemp oil, peppery sage and just plain, green, hop-stink. Vivaciously hoppy, this has the fruit character that I like in a good IPA as well as the balancing, dank hoppiness that is needed for balance. Quite a nice example of a beer that captures the essence of concentrated hop nectar. No real malt aromatics are noticeable, if you really dig for them there is just a wisp of toasty, pale malt, but only just.

Sharply bitter up front, then the mouth coats the palate and helps to carry the hop flavor, but the bitterness kicks back in towards the finish and lingers on in the mouth with an herbal edge to it. After my first sip I feel like I was just chewing on some fresh hops. Citrus & hop-fruit flavors of grapefruit, bergamot oil, lychee and bright tangelo make a significant showing, but are ultimately engulfed by the palate coating, herbal bitterness that is what is left lingering on in the palate after each sip has passed down my throat. Impressively quaffable, this has some heft to it with enough body to just carry the hops, but remains light enough to be drinkable like a good IPA should.

This is definitely a beer for the hopheads out there. It definitely doesn’t pull any punches and is aggressively hoppy. If in the mood for an aggressive hop experience this definitely fits the bill. It doesn’t get overly harsh and it is just so dang quaffable. This is much more aromatic and hop flavorful than the draught sample I had previously.

<b>Sampled at Lucky Baldwin’s IPA festival, June 2007</b>
Pours with a very fluffy, initially three-finger thick, pale, tan colored head that sits atop an orangish, lightly hazy, copper colored brew. The aroma is sharply citrus-like in character, but a backdrop of green, hop aromatics reminiscent of menthol, pine and an herbal note reminiscent of green basil and hemp.

The beer tastes quite dry and this really accentuates the biting hop notes. The beer is quite smooth, or without much carbonation as the pour from the tap seems to have knocked out most of the carbonation. Flavors of orange peel and tart grapefruit are joined by herbaceous, green, dank, hop flavors; the last of these really linger on in the finish along with a not-overwhelming, but persistent bitterness and a green astringency. As the beer warms a bit I begin to pick up some menthol-like notes as well.

While this is quite hoppy (both the citrus side and the herbal side of the hop), it still manages to be quite smooth and drinkable. The appearance of this beer is perfect (albeit this is somewhat arbitrary) as I really can’t ask for more; it has a nice light haze that let you know copious amounts of hops were used here).

500 ml bottle. Pours a beautiful hazy orange body with a one inch frothy beige head that left tons of patchy intricate lacing. Great citrusy bright hops with a nice subtle malt and a little fruitiness. The flavor is really well balanced between the hoppiness and the bitterness. It’s like biting into a grapefruit. Softly malted with just a little bit of an earthy yeasty finish. Beautiful IPA. Mouthfeel is soft and creamy with perfect soft carbonation. Lingering bitterness. This is just beautiful. Among the very best in the style.

500mL bottle, courtesy of cloudskipper. Thanks, Chris! Pours a bright, clear golden-orange color; fluffy white head with solid retention and fine-bubbled lacing. Just tons of dense, bitter, generous hoppiness in the aroma: citrus, pine, and herbal; hoppy as all hell, without astringency; a really nice nose. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of soft, chewy hop bitterness throughout: dense herbal, grassy, and citrus hop notes, and without any of the typically necessary malt underpinnings to keep things drinkable; this is just a gorgeous, unabashed, refined display of hoppy goodness; very drinkable, minimal astringency, and just a very generous hop profile throughout; an archetype of bitterness-driven IPAs. Lengthy finish: mineral, herbal, and grassy hops; lasting bitterness; a touch of toasty malts come through at the far shore.

Bottle from IrishBoy. Thanks! Just found this rating hidden in my ratings book. Pours a deep, thick, lively apricot orange with a nice white head. Aroma is sweet citrus tempered by a definite sour grapefruit and semi-sweet pine resin. Hints of orange juice in there as well. Flavor is a cornucopia of grapefruits, oranges, peaches, pine, and a touch of strawberry. Thick, lingering mouthfeel that simply sticks the flavors onto the tastebuds. I will never turn one of these down. Ever.

Bottle (50 cl), thanks larsniclas. Hazy golden, thin white head. Pineapple & grapefruit hops with some pineneedlse. Medium bodied and smooth. Very dry and bitter, slightly unbalanced. Very refreshing.

On tap at Russian River Brewpub: Nice orange color with a small head. Intense fresh hoos nose. Lemony edge, medium intense, medium lasting hoppy taste. Nice one. Thanks Natalie!