Russian River Damnation Batch 23/46 (Oak Aged)

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Abbey Tripel
Santa Rosa, California USA

<b>7/28/2007</b>: Damnation 23 pours a hazy golden orange color. It has a lasting, foamy white head. The aroma is somewhat yeasty and the flavor is lightly sweet and malty. There are notes of light vanilla and wood (like oak chips). The alcohol is extremely well hidden. This is a great beer that needs to be tried again in another environment so that it can be fully enjoyed and respected.

<i>Sample from 750 mL bottle (11.00% Alc. by Vol.) shared at the "Columbus Tasting: Ate, now with gramatical errors" event. Thanks! Rating #110 for this beer...</i>

25.4 oz bottle. Clearish pale orange with a thin white haze. Nose is yeasty honey and sage. Surprisingly full body with prickly carb. Taste, like the nose, is honey and herbal with vanilla and alcohol. Though not overly sweet this still feels a bit cloying. Dry finish, kind of chalky with citrus peel.

Bottle. in a trade. Orange yellow body 2 finger head. Oak, woodiness, light sweet malt character. A dry finish. Sour apples, some noticable etoh. Spices, pepper, edit big etoh in the finish. I loved it. After having this a second time i have to drop it from a 4.1 the spoiled fruit flavors i kept getting made this less enjoyable.

Bottle shared with Blankboy, Jerc, Garthicus, GregClow, and Hogotwn Harry, courtesy of Harry. Oaky aroma, vanilla, alcohol. Hazy yellow, foamy white head. Good taste, very oaky, strong. A little too much oak. Good though.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, blankboy, tupalev, jerc & garthicus - courtesy of HogTownHarry. Slightly hazy dark gold with a tiny white head. Aroma of caramel, orange, herbal hops, and a good dose of oak. Medium bodied. Flavour is very oaky with a pleasant sweetness, some caramel malt and dark sugar, nicely hopped finish, and a very balanced flavour for an 11%er. It’s nice to have a wood-aged beer that uses new chips rather than bourbon or wine barrels - while those obviously work nicely for some beers, they can often be very overpowering, but this beer strikes a great balance. Well done!

Started in on this when eating a Porterhouse steak simmered with various spices and worchestershire sauce. It tasted odd to me then but as I made short work of the steak and move to cheese slices with rosemary crackers, it was like drinking a different beer. Initially, I thought it rough and a bit like a young Cabernet, brash & tannic, I wasn’t impressed. A combination of the beer warming, and my palate switching gears as I moved from the steak into cheese both melded this into a sweet, rich tripel. It is still a bit bold (American oak, I wonder how it would have been if aged in French Oak?) I enjoyed the herbal hops at the finish. Damn I miss having access to decent beer!

Shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, Tupalev,Jerc & Blankboy -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Appearance: Beautiful orange body, slightly cloudy with a small off white head. Aroma - like a yeasty chardonnay. Flavour: Complex - slight alcohol, peppery, oaky, hickory, sweet! so much going on but wonderfully balanced!

Bottle (750ml) shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, tupalev, jerc & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a hazy yellow-gold with a small diminishing fizzy white head. Aroma: Lots of oak (but not too much, it’s just right), fruit, funky yeast and herbal hops. Sweet flavour of oak, caramel malt, fruit, funky yeast, alcohol, candi sugar and hops. Dry bitter finish. Alcohol’s fairly well hidden for an 11% beer. Medium bodied. Barrel-aging done right -- a fantastic beer!