Russian River Salvation

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

Bottle of batch 8 (I think 2 and 3 made appearances, but I only tried the 8 after a few others mentioned that 3 had oxidized) at the “Drink for Charity” event at Rattle & Hum. Pours a nice hazy dark brown with a thin tanned beige head. Nice bit of funkiness and some sweet prune notes. More prune and plum flavors. Finishes light and crisp with a little bit of sweet malt.

750ml caged and corked bottle (Batch 007) served in a tulip. This beer poured a dark mahogany brown hue with a one-finger thick head of lasting tan foam. A nice coat of lace was left around the glass. The aroma included caramelized sugar, woody vanilla, and dark fruits. Also some spicy/clovey yeast. The flavor had strong caramel, candi sugar, raisins, and vanilla. There was some mild chocolate and clove in the finish. The mouthfeel was full-bodied and had light to moderate carbonation. An interesting take on a dark Belgian Stong. Definately not a bad beer, but not my favorite from Russian River.

I some how got to sample this awesome beer at DLD 09. Dark brown pour with tan head. Aroma is estery, with a lot of bananas. Kind of funky, kind of fruity flavor, with some wood. Great beer, enjoyed it a lot.

Aroma is sweet and fruity with a little barnyard and awkward malts. Taste is a little funk and rotten malt and wood. Some dark fruit and lively carbonation.

On draft at Teresa’s. Poured deep brown with very thin tannish head. Complex, sweet flavor of dark fruits (plums, figs, raisins) and black licorice. Very dubbel-esque. Another treat from Russian River.

Draft at The Bishops Collar in Philly. Pours amber brown with a beige head. Malty sweet aroma with raisin and other fruits, spices, and toasty hints. The flavor is malty with dark fruits, golden raisins, toast, spices, and hints of lighter fruits like peach and banana. Very good.

tap at falling rock. coffee color with thin dense creamy head. coffe, dark fruit, liquorice, musky intense aroma. rich creamy mouth. complicate palate. big malty monster wit raison, yeast, banana. hint of coffee. rich, rich, rich.

Bottle. Aroma of Fig Newton (yes, both the fig and sweet, doughy malt), an intriguing spice profile of clove, maybe some ginger-ish, maybe just a touch of mint, sweet fruits. Flavor starts off with that spicy kick, but the doughy malt really comes into play nicely and some chocolate and toffee notes then start to play out as well. Really a pleasure to drink, a nearly full-bodied BSA that is still remarkably smooth with an earthy sort of finish. I can only imagine how much I’d love this beer is BSA was actually one of my preferred styles at the moment...more of this beer might even make that happen.