Russian River Happy Hops

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

On tap at the brewpub. Pours pure gold with off white head and spotty lacing. The mild aroma hits with citrus and spice hops with a modest background of sweet malts. The taste is fresh crisp delicious hops right up front with spice hops and some grapefruit. The hops move toward grassy-leafy by midway. The bitterness increases as the finish approaches but allows for a moment or two of sweet malt to rise up and be heard. It ends dry with a bit of sour mouth pucker sensation.

On tap at the Falling Rock for the Russian River kickoff in Colorado, this was described as a hoppy blonde ale. It smelled like serious west coast hops. The flavor was also very hoppy but it didn’t make me think pale ale or IPA, very strange style-wise. There was also a soapiness to the flavor but it wasn’t a detractor as well as an earthy stink. Many folks around me described this as an IPA but I disagree. It almost seemed like a heavily hopped redemption but at the same time it didn’t seem like a belgian-style. Weird but good as is the case with RR. Serving type: on-tap Reviewed on: 08-21-2008 01:36:18

On tap at Russian River. Happy hops will make you happy. Yellow color with a small white head. Almost the whole aroma and taste is fresh hops. Not much of a malt backbone, but I didn’t really miss it. Palate is really crisp.

Draft at O’Brien’s Russian River night. Pours deep gold with an orange hue. A small white head was present with some lacing left on the glass. Nose was hoppier than expected with a some light citrus and grassy notes. Finish was fairly light and crisp.

Tap @ O’brien’s RR night 15th Anniverssary. Pours orange with a bright white ring. Nose is nice and rich, with a big resin punch. Taste is resiny, and hoppy and nice.

On tap at the Russian River brewpub in Santa Rosa. Gold colored pour with a white head, the beer had some grassy hoppy notes

Tap at RR. Pours a translucent golden with a medium creamy white head that left great lacing. Aroma of floral and citrus American hops, bread, tea, cereal grains and a touch of wheat. Flavor of fesh American hops, mostly citrus and floral notes, bready, pleasant hop bitterness and flavor.

Pours golden with a white head. Clean mild hops smell and some lighter malt. Taste is sweet honey smacks cereal and light floral hops with a lightly sweet lingering finish and a smattering of mild hops that stick with you as well. Med body and soft carbonation.