Russian River Salvation

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

Bottle at Cbus V, shared by sliffy. Light brown pour with an off white head. Aromas of dusty malt, light fruit, yeast and a bit of brett. Candied fruit in the flavor along with some yeast and lemon zest. Lively carbonation...sweet/sour throughout with a dry finish. Pretty nice stuff.

Dark Brown Color with Red Hue..Creamy Big Head. Lightly Dry Malt/Bready Aroma. Creamy Dry Mouthfeel. Alot of Rye on This One...Dark Bread...Dry Yeasty Notes...Some Spices and Dried Fruits...Very Sweet and Bready Overall.. A Tad on the Dry Side, But That Simply Makes You Take Your Time with This Very Tasty Brew.

(750ml bottle, Batch 002) Pours a mahogany body with a small off-white head. Aroma of various vinous varieties, molasses, and fruit. Flavor of dark fruit, banana, funkiness, brown sugar, and layers of malt complexity. Excellent beer!

Another I thought I had rated long ago ... Tasted this time w/ Avery Salvation and Collaboration (a thought I had, but Walt made real). Affirmation of what I hd thought prior - found RR to be drier, spicier (to a degree or perhaps more peppery) and with more complexity. Not really a slight on Avery, but more personal preference. As for its performance in regard to the Collaboration - would say that it comes out on top, but the additional body and hint of more sweetness from Avery makes an very nice beer indeed.

Thanks to mac300 for bringing this to our Salvations & Collaboration side by side tasting... Batch # 003 Appears a deep mahogany with a bubbly, 2 finger, off-white head that slowly fades away. Sticky streaks of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of brown sugar, maple, roasted chestnuts, vanilla cream, raisins, and very mild shake of cocoa. Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a true Belgian yeast blast that is remeniscent of Westmalle with the vanilla esters...could be from the oak as well but I’d think the former was the culprit. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sugary, creamy, and smooth.

750ml, batch 3. pours reddish brown with nice off white head, some amazing lacing too. nose is pretty complex with plums, bananas, coconut, yeasty, baker’s chocolate, and bread. flavor is really smooth and rich. lots of dark fruits, some banana, chocolate, rum raison, and pretty yeasty. alcohol is very well hidden. mouthfeel is full but light. finish is really smooth, dry, and long lasting. perhaps a little more sweetness in the finish would help. i really enjoyed this, and believe its as well crafted as the belgians do it.3.8.

5/4/08, 750ml bottle, batch 3, aged 3 years. pours mahogony with fine creamy white head. aroma has red and dark fruits, with hints of port, banana, and spice. flavors of red fruits, raisin, port wine, yeasty, and semi-sweet doughy finish with hints of prune. full mouth feel and lively carbonation. comparing to the notes of one year ago and this seems more aged with port wine and fruit notes. wonderful stuff and reminisent of Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer aged although this isn’t as rum raisiny.4.1.

The aroma was estery with a strong fruity presence. Raisins and prunes were coupled with a peppery spice component and an earthiness which was accentuated by alcohol. The beer poured into the chalice crystal clear medium brown with an low, persistent off-white head which lasted to lace the glass. The flavor was bready with a graham cracker and biscuity character. Dark caramel lead the way with a lightly citrus presence (orange) and dark fruits, more raisins and prunes as the beer warmed. The alcohol in the flavor added complexity without being overdone. The body was heading toward medium full and was creamy and smooth on the palate. Alcohol was not especially hidden in the beer, it roused it’s head in the aroma and flavor and warmed the bones on a chilly night with it’s presence post consumption. A nice Belgian Dark Strong, especially fond of the peppery spice. 750 ml corked and bailed bottle, Batch 003.

After having Avery’s, the Avery/RR collaboration, and now the RR it would be an understatement to say I was a little excited. Pours dark red with a tall tan head. RR just does really well with giving more funky character to their beers. Nice earthy spice finish with a light tartness and sourness in the finish. Light banana and plum fruitiness with a long spicy aftertaste carried away by the high carbonation.