Russian River Blind Pig IPA

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

Very similiar to the RR IPA, but seemed a little more tame in most areas. About the same drink.

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.

Draught. Musky pine and citrus aroma, strong fresh hops. Clear yellow with a nice thick head. Delicious hop profile with subdued bitterness. Easy-drinking and balanced with a very clean finish and no lingering bitterness.

500ml bottle. Pours a hazy, golden-yellow body with a thin, white, fizzy head that leaves a good amount of runny, soapy lacing. Aroma is very bright and fresh. Lots of zesty lemons and sweet caramels. Some light toffee and pine in the background as well as some tropical fruits. Flavor is nice and abundant, yet somewhat subdued. Doesn’t jump out like some other CA brews. The flavor grows in the finish and increases more as it warms. The most intensely bitter taste comes about a minute after sipping. A very light bodied and dry IPA. Big, fresh, zesty, and bright citrus (mostly lemony) after an initial and brief caramel maltiness. Lots of pine and grass in the aftertaste. Very resiny. Some pineapple and tropical fruit flavors increase in the finish, which maintain a big zesty, tartness for a long duration. There is a malt presence, but its very light and in the background. The palate is very light and crisp. Overall, lots of tangy, puckering flavor for such a light bodied IPA. Very tasty.

I’m not going to lie, I don’t know what makes an IPA or IIPA in the database. But from my few years consuming a few of each of those styles this to me is an IIPA all the way. Maybe the ingredients dont tell that story, but there was very little if anything that made me think IPA. Strong potent hops flowing from the glass and slightly burning down the throat as I consumed it. Reminisent of any IIPA i’ve had. Huge piney citrus flavors all over. Fantastic for sure, wish I could keep a keg of it in the fridge at all times, becaus at 6% I could seriously keep on drinking it.

Orange with good, creamy off-white head / Nose of weed, earth, cut pine, and citrus / Medium body, sharp biting hops, with good balance and finish / Flavors of weed, cut pine, grapefruit, peaches, caramel, and resin / Outstanding.

On draft at Toronado in San Francisco & bottled release. The one thing I can definitely recall about this brew is PINE. Intense floral aroma off the the head of sap, resin, pine needles and a slice of fresh cut grapefruit. Not too heavy on the palate, but rather crisp and refreshing from the good level of carbonation. Great dose of bitterness; this is an extremely green-tasting beer, with a sweet malty backbone. Excellent balance, definitely a good example of a superb West Coast IPA / session beer.

Bottle courtesy of the notorious ajm. Pours a dark golden shade with a frim white head. Smells of mild hops that build in character on the palate. Heavy with salt -- almost like bacon grease. Tasty and distinct.