Russian River Salvation

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

Tasted 7/17/07. 750ml bottle. Hazy with a dark ruby hue. Ring of off-white head. Musty woody aromas. Notes of cocoa and sweet chocolate. Full bodied with huge effervescence. This is a big beer. Big flavors with tart red fruit notes. Nuances of dark fruits as well. Sticky and cloying finish. Mild caramel malts. Hits all parts of the palate. Big and bright!

An amber apperance to the beer. The aroma is chocolate, cherries, and some alcohol. The flavor is a combination of sour and malty. I taste some cherries, nutmeg, chocolate, and caramel. A very complex attempt at a belgian. Good stuff!

Plenty of chocolate that marries well with complex fruitiness that suggests tangerines, bergamot, plums and grapes. Some tannins are also notable. Dark brown body with ruby highlights opped by a tan head that recedes to ring with patchy lacing. Sharp fruity flavours are strong on the citrus. Plenty of burnt brown sugar, spices and dark malts with an underlying note of sulfur. Very dry and well attenuated medium body has prickly carbonation that is perhaps a bit over the top. Sampled with Oakes in January 2007.

Sampled at Russian River in mid-June 2007. Burnt reddish bronze with a white head. Spicy, Belgian clove-y yeast nose with a touch of mint. Sweet, bold and flavorful with notes of heavy carmelized sugars, raisins, cola, a bit of roastiness, spices and a somewhat of clove-like zing. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation - smooth texture. Very nice.

750ml bottle. Batch 2. From Ernest
Poured in to my Duvel glass. Pours a garnet color with some ruby highlights when its held to light. Hazy. Khaki head that lasted the entire beer. The aroma come off raisin, with banana, caramel, and spicy phenolics. The flavor is very malty with some vinious cherry, and sugary character. Alcohol is a player. Medium body. Really a nice beer.

Nice dark ruby body with a fading beige head. Aromatic nose of caramelization, sweet plums, and alcohol. Rich malty flavor with considerable depth of character. Full, velvety texture. Ridiculously easy to drink for such a big beer. Reminds me of my beloved AdR.

Bottle. Deep ruby, brown, garnet with moderate head. Big tingly yet smooth palate. Yeast dimension in flavor, and then it evolves into a finish, passing some sour, fruity, raisin notes along the way. The alcohol comes through a bit as well. Nice.

Tap at Russian River. Dark brown color with a slight reddishness. Small off white, rapidly fading head. Aroma was of sugar, malts, a bit of spiciness, and a Belgian yeastiness. Flavors were very sweet and rich--dark malts, brown sugar, molasses, anise, clove, cinnamon, dried fruits (dates, plums, raisins), some hints of chocolate and smoke, a tiny bit of hops, and a hint of alcohol. Very smooth and sugary mouthfeel with a fair amount of carbonation and a dry-but-sticky finish. Really enjoyable, I picked up a bomber to hang onto for awhile, I’m excited to see how this beer is after it ages for a bit. Great stuff.