Russian River Salvation

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

750 ml bottle. Pours a hazy dark brown color with a small beige head. This one may have leaked during the trip from Reno to Cincinnati. The aroma is fruity, banana, caramel malt, spices with moderate sweetness. The flavor is noticeably malty favoring caramel with hints of chocolate. Dark fruits are prominent as well. The spices work nicely with this. No sign of the alcohol. I can’t help thinking that this was somewhat effected by the trip because it seems flat to me. Medium body and soft on the palate.

Russian River Salvation Dark Ale Batch 009 Pours nearly opaque dark brown with a slight amber hue. Aroma starts with slight smell of cheap beer and canned tuna. Gets somewhat better. Aroma then morphs to yeast, brandy and dark fruits, but nothing too strong. Flavor is dark Belgian and yeasty booze. There is a malty flavor in there as well. This is the second time I have been underwhelmed with a Russian River brew. Why is this not as good to me as everyone else? Bummer, I was hoping for more.

Draught. Murky brown amber with thicker white head. Aroma is coriander, sweet floral bouquet and lighter sweet peachy fruit. Flavor is sweet and floral also light caramel. Finish is dry and bitter, tingles the tongue.

On Tap at City Beer. Rich dark brown color with thick, creamy head. Subtle toasted malt fragrance. Flavor begins with rich toasted malts and caramel followed by raisins, spice and potent cloves. It finishes dry, smoky and incredibly smooth. Very complex and flavorful with great balance and it’s not overly sweet or spiced like some other Belgian Strong Ales on the market.

A good-looking dark ale. The foam sits on the brown ale pleasantly. The smell and the taste are both sweet and somewhat spicy, but the spice favors the tongue while the sweet favors the nose. The beer has nice carbonation but gets a bit sticky. I would like to try an aged bottle, but this new one lacks a bit in complexity and finish. Edit: I tried this beer on tap at RR (10/19/08) and liked it even more, so I’ve raised the scores somewhat. This is an absolutely delicious beer with some of the best coloring that I’ve ever seen. It’s brown with golden highlights at the edges. The flavor is complex, and it succeeds marvelously.

I’m gonna slash and gash, cut another hole in your ass. I spill blood on the walls, then play tennis with your balls. If the phone rings, don’t answer the call. Gonna slit your throat, fuck you like a goat, peel your foreskin off and make a winter coat. Peace!

Corked bottle from NickD717, thanks! Dark brown color. malt, plums, dried figs and licorice in the aroma. Malty flavor, fruity with some roast, blackberries, tannines, chocolate and dried fruit. Some earthy hops. A good balance in this abbey-like beer.

Very rich, with dark and chewy malts. Notes of dark toast, brown sugar, molasses and toffee. Throat-warming alcohol. Great texture.