Russian River Salvation

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

Bottle (750ml - corked and caged). Shared with biegaman and blankboy, via trade with Oakbluff. Batch 003. Hazy copper-amber, tons of black floaties, average creamy off-white head. Sweet caramel malt aroma, spice, a bit of funk - pleasant, a bit boozy as it warms, and it gets a great slightly bitter yeast character. VERY nice taste - solid brown sugar malt, alcohol, spice and yeast, a little lactic tartness - very sophisticated, almost like a mild harvest ale with Belgian yeastiness, peppery and balanced. Decent body, not much carbonation, alcohol character builds a bit but stays under control - sophisticated and tasty as hell.

A huge head greeted me upon pouring this beer. Aroma is a quite nice sweet malt. Color is amber. Batch number is 001. Oh yes, what a nice beer. Plenty of dark fruit and some barley wine flavors. Very distinctive and well done. Alcohol ABV is definitely high and comes through in the taste and in the warmth.

Tasted 7/17/07 at a STL beer gathering. Pours cloudy chestnut brown with a light tan head. The aroma has lots of caramel, dates, raisins and cobwebs. Medium / full body that gets bigger on the finish and has a nice amount of sharp carbonation. The taste starts with lots of rich dark fruit, mainly dates and figs, and a nice effervescent taste. The finish gets drier with a good amount of fruit and lingering funky earthy yeast taste. A fine BSA.

dark brown color with a largeish off white head that collapsed into a thin film. Fruity aroma of some nice banana yeast. The flavor is very nice and has a lot of fruity character, grapes maybe. Full foamy mouthfeel. This is really dry good and my review doesn’t do it justice.

In the bottle. Thanks for the beer, Bill B. Pours a dark ruby red brown with an off-white thin head. I swear to you that I smell fresh acorns from the tree in this aroma. Has a limestone flavor. A truly thick and rich beer with lots of raisins/figs/prunes. Super sweet. Great lacing left behind in the glass.

Bottle courtesy IrishBoy, batch 004. Pour was dark brown, ruby hues, huge off-white generous head, solid retention and lacing. The aroma was bananas, spices (coriander), yeast. The flavor was bananas, too much spicing, lightly bittered yeast, strong dark candied sugar, a touch of nuts. An amped up Belgian dubbel is this Belgian Strong Ale, not so sure I’m diggin’ it. Mouthfeel is full and rather sticky, carbonated. Thanks, Richard, for this great chance!

Pour is a clear red-brown with a small white head. Aroma is clove and caramel with some dark fruits and alcohol. Flavor is nice! Lots of Belgain yeast show up with some dark chocolate and cherry. Also a nice helping of all your fav dark fruits. A good one from start to finish and even the alcohol hides well.

Actually thought this beer was better when it was poured cold and right out of the fridge. Damn this is a pretty beer. Pours a perfectly clear, but translucent, brown that is slight tinged red. Slight head that dossolves to a scattered, swirled film. Nose is essentially absent with just a sloght whaft f spices rises from the glass. Flavor is not in comparison with the aroma. Heavy malt base followed up by a Belgian sugar sweetness. Then a coating spiciness matched with a slight buring from the alcohol heat. Little bits of fruits too such as cheerry, prunes and pineapple. Medium body that fills out a bit as it warms. But I like this beer a bit colder and lighter. Excellent drinking for an afternoon where you are looking for something more than a session beer.