Russian River Salvation

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

Poured a dark brown with a huge brown head. Smelled of dark fruits and carmel. Tasted of sweet maltiness that hits the palate with a plethora of flavors. We left the bottle out for over and hour and tried a little bit more and the flavor and taste was still superb. Can’t wait to try more of these Russian River brews.

Bottled. Thanx omhper. Hazy, dark ruby colour with thick pale white head. Sweet, malty aroma with spicy, Belgian yeast and loads of aromas: dried fruits, chocolate, fudge, licorice, vanilla. Big flavour sensation here, with licorice, chocolate, dried fruits, caramelized sugars, higher alcohols and of course spicy Belgian yeast. Great, soft mouthfeel, and not as sweet as the aroma suggested.

July 2007 - Pour was deep dark reddish color, clear, with decent head and lacing. Sweet belgian malt flavor with fruits, even a hint of chocolate and lots of spicing. Perhaps a bit overspiced. Rich mouthfeel. A good "on paper" beer, but something about it just left me wanting.

Nice thick layers of dark cherry malt, raisins, oak, apples and some amaretto-like spiciness made this one a nice slow sipping beer. I would love to have the yeast behind this in my primary! Carbonation wasn’t too strong as this one had a drip to it. Sweet tones were there but balanced out just right. It didn’t seem overly complex but was refreshing nonetheless.

bottle, batch 006. pours a hazy reddish mahogany, with a thick lasting eggshell colored head that leaves nice sheets of lacing. big smell of spicy, bready malts, raisins, figs, black cherries, and oak. nutty spicy malt taste, with a lot of spice (coriander and a touch of anise, perhaps?), and the fruity esters showing a bit more subtly this time, again with the raisins and cherries, as well as some wood, and maybe a bit of clove and banana. great finish, with a lingering pleasant bitterness, a touch of sweetness, and a light, radiant warming, in addition to the tinglings that play on your tongue from the spices and the abundant carbonation. medium bodied, with a creamy but resinous mouthfeel. a very tasty dark belgian ale. it’s not rochefort or st. bernardus (but what is?), and the spice plays a bit too much of a role for my tastes, but still a very enjoyable brew.

Bottled (thanks omhper!). Deep amber colour with mediumsized creamy beige head. Aroma is caramel, fudge, nuts, tropical fruit some licorice and vanilla. Flavour is quite much the same with some spices and dried fruits added. Marvellous brew!

Bottled, thanks, omhper!. Purs out in a hazy ruby brown colour with a rich creamy beige foam. Fresh, yeasty and well-composed aromas of nuts, mild herbs, almonds, minerals, figs, and dates without being overly sweet, just entirely balanced. Yeasty and fruity flavour almonds, spices, dried fruit, burnt sugar and fresh minerals. Very good malt blend here. Full, long, and not nearly cloyingly sweet finish of pepper, grapes, over-riped fruit and mild spices. Great stuff and almost top not notch ale.. Yummy!

Bottled. Dark ruby, creamy head. Fascinating aroma of lemon, aniseed and licorice. Sweet and densely malty with medium body. Licorice and aniseed are on full display overshadowing grainy roasty flavours and plums. Soft and dangerously drinkable. Salty finish. A beer with lots of character.