Russian River Salvation

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

Bottle 750 ml
Appearance :Ruby-brown , black sparkle with tanned creamy head.3+.
Nose :Fresh , aromatic zesty hops , grainy wheat , hint of rye. Gentle fruity overtone 8-
Flavour/Palate : Chewy, woody character with light oak like touch . Softer grainy below went together with cherry fruity finish. Wheat sublimity. Soft warming yet growing with time alcohol note. Pleasant strong ale.

Dark brown in colour, lingering medium sized tan coloured head, good lacing. The aroma is of dark fruits, candied sugar, yeast, must, rich, very light alcohol. The flavour is malty, some chocolate, lots of earth, good sweetness, again some very light alcohol, lots of sweet dark fruits. Sweet mouthfeel, medium body, medium/high carbonation. Finishes long and sweet. Very good, quite creamy. Lots of chocolate in this one.

750ml bottle shared by <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?U target=blank>mds, thanks Mike.
Opened on October 19, 2007.
Batch 004.

Pours a dark ruby brown with a nice espresso like frothy head. Smell is wonderful dark fruits and some belgian yeast. Taste is more, plump, juicy dark fruits. The label dictates banana, but I’m getting some juicy plums, grapes, and possibly even blackberries. This is a real gem. Creamy with the perfect amount of carbonation. This is a winner.

The pour is dark brown, oak shaded, and very murky; foam is nicely lasting. Aroma is full, layered, and long. Initial sensation is of orange marmalade and cocoa, with alcohol and aluminum hollowing it out. Warms into raisins, cinnamon, and caramelized, salted nuts. Finishing impact of sugar and licorice. Flavor lends itself mostly toward fruit and general darkness, raisins, apple and pear being most prevalent. Thick chocolate mousse in the middle that has a rough metallic glint . Distantly spicy, hot, but smooth. It projects a certain aged quality in sherry and alcoholic wetness, bolstered with plenty of doughy, dense yeast character. Full and lightly prickly in the mouth. Dirty baker’s chocolate and a cooling wave of creme de menthe in a drying finish. Lovely.

Bottle. Nice weak coffee colored pour witha dense head. Subdued aroma - caramel, toffee, malt, burnt popcorn, coffee. Strong caramel and toffee malt in the flavor, slightly smoky finish, great body. Nice beer.

Thanks to Odeed for this bottle! Pour is dark brown with a big beige head that fades rather quickly. Aroma is fruity and sweet with a bit of spice. Flavor is also sweet and spicy...fizzy as well. Gets more roasty/caramel flavoring going the longer it sits.

Thanks to MikeTD. Murky dark brown pour, medium white head. Aroma is nutty and perfumy. Flavor is big caramel sweetness, very sweet, candy sugar, brown sugar, nutty and toffee. Floral aftertaste. Lot’s of floral and caramel the whole time with a hint of chocolate. A touch of banana and coffee as it warms.

Batch 002. Notes from 1/2007. Pours a clear dark ruby brown with a tan head. Massive lacing. Nose is slightly sweet with a touch of yeast influence. Also heavy amounts of caramel as well. Flavor is tart and tangy. There is a pungent sweet flavor mixed with a slight citric/fruity one. Caramel tones very present. On the end you get an almost bitter edge which seems odd to me off this style. Feel is decent. Not a ton of carbonation and bubble over your tongue, but it is thick with character from ingredients. It is drinkable, yes. In a blind taste test, I doubt anyone would be able to tell that this one came from the U.S. (and not Belgium). However, I feel as if it lacks a level of maturity and oomph that would ever send me back to drinking it again. In the back of my mind, I do wonder if it needed some more age on it.