Russian River Hoptime Harvest Ale

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

(on tap @ toronado)poured a yellow body with an average white head.aroma and taste was of earthy style hops.very simple but not a bad ipa at all.

Glistening light gold. Jagged-edged base of foam yields sticky lace as it dwindles. Wet cotton, perfumey hops, lemon oil, honeysuckle, tangerine skin, lightly toasted biscuits, and nasal burning hop fumes. Clean whiff of alcohol. Soft, broadly scattered carbonation. Ample hop sharpness is quickly softened by a husky malt and toasted biscuit flare. Quite airy, as well, which, along with the huskiness, disperses the bitterness about. Bright, perfumey hop character, but there’s a rigid aspirin note which clashes with the juiciness. Fluffy malts steadily pillar the bitterness, which progressively heightens and punishes the palate along the way. Body is dense with teeth-tingling oily richness, and as you roll your tongue around, pockets of hop oils randomly burst. Just magical. Finishes with a dusty-textured crackery malt bed as the hops remain rife with a zing which overshadows the more-delectable fresh squeezed juiciness, ever so gently lulling you into a state of sedate bliss. Muted hop belches of pine resin and tangerine. Twelve ounces of this left my tongue numb as if I’d just licked a salt block. Very fun!

Draft, Amber beer with a creamy off-white head. Nice citrus aroma with some pine. Pine resin and citrus flavors that coat your mouth. Grapefruit with a bit of sweetness. Very hoppy and the bitterness lingers with the fruitiness. Very nice.

I f you love hops this is for you. Lovely resinous floral nose of citrus and pine. Nice backbone of malts that really accentuate the beautiful hop presence.

Pineapple and apricots on the nose and grapefruit and hops on the mouth, this beer was nice. Gold in color it has so-so head and good lacing. Minoe effervesence and slightly dry.

Tasted at the 2004 Bistro Hop Fest. Light orange gold color. Medium white foamy head. Aroma is floral, a touch citrusy and orange. A medium bodied IPA, Malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are floral, and citrusy. Medium bitterness. Fresh and clean. Crisp, light and refreshing. Nice dry finish. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is dry, clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Clear, pale gold appearance with an aroma that accentuates the hop but gives a nod in the direction of yeast and tart apple. Hard to detect the malts lurking around anywhere, but the variety of hops ensured enough complexity to keep things interesting. Flavors ranged from citrusy to minty. Long sweet, spicy finish.

Pale yellow, clear, white head. Light bodied, sticky full palate. Aroma: lemon, citrus, fresh grapefruit, pine. There’s an initial hop attack, then a medium sweetness hits your palate with some citrus, caramel, grapefruit, and grass. Solid malt background that highlights the hops flavors without getting in the way. Very nice. 7/3/8/4/16, or 3.8 Draught at RFD’s 11/7/05: Alright, I rated this blind without being able to remember if I’d tried this previously. Wow, the descriptions match almost exactly with the change of more fresh pine in the flavor. This rating I gave it 8/4/8/4/17, or 4.1. This was the star of the Wet-hop tasting a RFD’s, going up against the likes of Steelhead, Oggi’s, Alpine, Sierra Nevada, and all three Pizza Ports. I’m updating the rating to reflect the most recent numbers as I trust my improved palate.