Russian River Blind Pig IPA

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

Bottle.

Well, now I’ve ticked off both Blind Pigs. (Leavenworth being the other). This one was maybe 10 weeks old when I received it in trade, but it was still really, really good. I’d be eager to try even fresher. I think the aroma would really come into its own at that stage. Still, lovely citrus hops without a heavy malt base, just nice and toasty instead of overdosed on the caramel malt. Sort of a mellowed out Pliny the Elder, superbly drinkable. Hope this one becomes available locally!

Thanks kiefdog for the share. Very nice IPA- it’s a nice medium between Pliny and a light IPA like Little Sumpin Sumpin. Pours clear gold with frothy white head. Nose is caramel, malt, honey, sugar, with pine, floral, and citrus hop blend: killer bouquet. Flavor tastes like malt, honey, peaches, apricot, grass, pine, and citrus. Finish lingers with grass, and pine/ floral hops. Very good IPA.

Bottle from South Bay Drugs and Liquor. Liquid was a pure gold in color and showed equilibrium of sediment while a sticky layer of foam was the head. The aroma is a big and bold serving of hops that smelled fresh and green which was welcomed by my nose. The flavor was heavily hopped that came to me as no surprise but also allowed some room for malt and metallic aftertaste.

Pours a slightly hazy bright golden amber with a big fluffy white head that hangs around for quite a while leaving big clumps of lacing. The smell is huge on floral and citrus hops - grapefruit and pine just jump out of the bottle when it’s opened. The taste is hops galore with grapefruit stinging the tongue with bitterness up front and pine resins lingering on the palate at the finish. There is a hint of the bready hop background, but the hops steal the show here. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy and sticky with hop oils. This is one of the best IPAs I have tasted and especially enjoyable for hopheads like me.

Bottle. Nice enough West coast IPA that is not as hopped-up as some. Still, plenty of grapefruit bitterness to scrape the tongue long into the finish. Sweet backbone to balance the 70 ibus, though the sweetness blunts the hops so that they aren’t as crisp as some West coast style IPAs. Hazy dark yellow pour with appealing and lasting white head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of grapefruit, orange, resin, pine. The malt aroma is light to medium with notes of toasted grain, caramel and a hint of rye. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately bitter. The sweetness carries through to the finish (orange juice), but the bitterness intensifies a bit (unsweetened grapefruit juice). Medium body with a velvety texture. Lively carbonation. Thanks Aubrey.

500 ml bottle from the brewpub and drank promptly. This was the beer not on tap that I had to drink outside of my sampler later. Poured a beautiful hazed golden amber with a wonderful offwhish head that sticks around and laces well. Aromas are bitter, wonderful with citrus and piney resinous notes. Yum. Taste is similar. This beer really does deliver everything fresh it has advertised, this coming from a midwesterner who has quite a few stellar IPAs around him. Medium bodied and full of character, sweetness is balanced, however the hops definitely steal the show, lots of grapefruit and pine, no dissappointment. Can’t wait till the case of RR brews I shipped home arrives. Cheers, RateBeer!

Bottle from my brother - Vac. Poured amber with a frothy white head that left some lasting and good lace down the glass. Great grapefruit aroma with a backing of pine and light malts. Lots of citrus hop flavors with a light malt for balance. Medium body that was just slightly tart up front but with a very enjoyable bitter ending. Awesome.

Lots of pine on the nose, a typical body and color for IPA, perhaps a touch more orange. Taste was solidly backed with a nice hop mix.