Russian River Dead Leaf Green

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: English Pale Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

Drank it on tap at the brewery. Pours amber color. Taste of yeast, spices, and scotch.

This is a very good, very tasty, and beautiful English Pale Ale. It has a good, golden-amber colour with a beautifully thick, foamy white head leaving excellent, almost perfect, and rich lacing. The taste is toasty and floral, with a bitter element and it is very well balanced. The carbonation is noticeable but it’s not overcarbonated or fizzy. Ultmately, it is tasty and very drinkable.

On Tap at the BP Clear medium amber with a small offwhite head. very soft light malt aroma and a more woody bitterness I the flavor Fairly light palatte. Those crazy Limeys !

On tap at the brewpub. Came in a pint glass and was a clear orange color, with medium white head and light lacing. Good nose of light malts and floral hops. Mouthfeel was moderate and flavor was slightly bitter. Interesting and kind of different brew that was easy to drink.

On tap at Russian River. This pale ale poured with a thin off-white head with slightly discernible floral aroma. This brew is aptly named in that there is a strong flavor that resembles what I think dead leaves would taste like. Even though there is a low BU rating (32), this ale is quite bitter. This is an interesting brew, but not particularly satisfying.

On tap @ the brewery. This tasted like a pilsner with tea leaves in it. I kept looking around for the sugar. Not for me.

First of all, this is an English Pale Ale. This was also the only beer I wanted more of after having the sampler. The odds of that happening are improbable. The aroma here is very light, a touch of caramel/toasted malts, floral type hops if you really search. The flavor is completely unique. I can’t decide if it’s a new English hop, or a wet hop English beer. However, I can’t see that happening. The flavor is very similar to a pile of raked autumn leaves... except in a good way... just how horseblanket is used as a good flavor descriptor. This leafy floral taste was unlike anything I have ever had. The body is medium, the bitterness is low but detectable. Who would have thought I would have found an EPA to be the most interesting beer at RR?

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear orange color. Head was off white and left some decent lace behind on the glass. Aroma was of light grassy hops (maybe fuggle?), biscuity malt, and subdued fleshy fruit. Smooth on the tongue and medium bodied. Delicately sweet with biscuity malt and subdued flowery hop flavors accented by a touch of graham cracker in the finish. Pretty good.