Russian River Defenestration

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

Draft. Pours clear golden color with a small white head. Aroma is significant flowery, citrusy hops. The power of the hops does not reach American IPA levels, but it is certainly potent. Underneath the hops is an estery-ness of Belgian yeast origin, though the hops win the overall balance. Taste is hoppy, fruity, with semi-strong bitterness. I’m really not huge into this style of beer, I prefer a clean yeast profile with my hoppy beers but this is pretty good nonetheless. As a great brewer of both Belgian styles and hoppy beers, Russian River seems to the premier brewery to tackle this style and they pull it off well. Still the style is just not to my preference.

Smells like Damnation but with a hint of metal. Two distinct layers of hop flavor. A fine beer but not as good as Cali-Bengue and a few others in this Belgian-IPA class. Also, not as good as Russian River IPA or Damnation, both of which this beer reminds you of.

On tap @ Toronado SF. This one by Russian River missed the mark. 14 karat brew, somewhat murky with a 1/4 inch white head. Can definitely smell its Belgian roots and the faint aroma of hops. This brew’s grassy, peppery, biscuit qualities far outshine its IPA-ness. Actually, not seeing that at all. Very tasty and drinkable, just not memorable.

Draft @ Russian River. Pours a bright, clear, medium-golden color; off-white head with good retention and fine-bubbled lacing. Very nice aroma of white grapes, honey, light Belgian sugar, and mineral and piney bitterness; gorgeous bitter Belgian hybrid with white grape character. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: chewy Belgian sugars, honeyed malt sweetness, and nicely bitter minerals; reasonable dense malt core, with the hop character adding drinkability quite a bit; very interesting beer. Lengthy finish of mineral and earthy hops, sweet Belgian character, and nicely toasty; solidly dry at the end.

Draft at The Rogue Public House in San Francisco. Poured a clear light orange color with a white head. Some lace was left behind on the glass at the end. Very fruity nose which included the likes of orange and subdued melon. There was also some light cereal grain and a distinct ginger accent. Medium bodied and semi sweet with mild to moderate hop bitterness. Not surprisingly, there was also a good amount of fruit flavor ala apricot and Pez candy. Spicy clove and ginger also emerged. Not bad.

On tap at Hamiltons 2nd Anniversary Party...hell yeah! Pours with a yellow body topped by a thick, white head with some lacing left on the glass. IT’s bitter and hoppy with a pepper note, some grassiness and a slight sweet malt note as well as some yesty clove notes. Light bodied and dry.

Like a more aggressive DeRanke XX Bitter? Sweetish belgian body light-medium the bitterness is a bit dusty and floral. It’s a tight cute beer.

Draft. Amber beer with an off-white head. Nice hoppy (grapefruit/spice) aroma. Hoppy grapefruit flavor with yeast, spice, and backing malt. Medium body. Decent bitterness for a Belgian.. Grapefruit and spice lingers with some yeast.