Russian River Blind Pig IPA

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Santa Rosa, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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From growler shipped to me (6 days old when opened): Golden in color with a touch of amber. This still poured a great 3/4" head that dissipated slowly. The nose was filled with grapefruit, Rouquefort cheese and a touch of anise. In the mouth it had medium density, a smooth texture and was wonderfully balanced. The hops are very well balanced by some malt that leads to a beer with a bitterness/dryness but also a touch of sweetness. The malt is more noticable than the "Pliny the Elder" and keeps this beer a touch sweeter. Overall, this is a really well made beer with terrific balance that is easy to drink.

On tap at Russian River - Golden-amber color with a light head. Aroma is dominated by sweet citrus hoppiness. Flavor is a nice citrus hop, sweet mix of goodness. Some light and sweet malts here, but mostly just solid IPA. The way all IPAs should be - perfect malt/hop balance for a regular IPA. Vinny is a genious with this stuff!

Tap: Clear gold with a sticky lacing. Almost a molding hop compost pile arom, but not bad. Interesting, distinctive. Great blunt bitter baseball bat to the tongue with a slightly tinny aftertaste. Yummy, quite enjoyable.

Served on draft at the Toronado. Light amber body with a thin white head. The aroma is all wicked strong grapefruit. The flavor is much the same; big grapefruit flavor with backing malt and good bitterness. Medium body that seems more alcoholic than it is. All around a classic big west coast IPA.

UPDATED: MAR 21, 2009 GABF 2006-Huge C hop aroma, almost chewy. Piney, citrusy, bitter flavor. Yum.

500ml bottle, dated 09/30/08. Aroma of honey, pine, citrus (tangerine), and resin. Smells great. Golden orange color with a slight haze and a wispy head. Steady carbonation. Lots of aggressive, resiny, piney hops right off the bat give way to more of the same along with honey and citrus. Hops sting into the finish. A west coast IPA, to be certain, but I long for some of the gentle hops flavor of its lightly big brother PtE.

Pours a clear burned orange with lively carbonation and big creamy head that dies into sheets of lacing. Holy moley the smell! Smells like a bag of the world finest reefer! Or big juicy piney hops! Taste is nothing but the finest hops, so juicy, so piney, so delicious! A little malty balance to make this a masterpiece. Medium in the mouth with good carbonation and an awesome bitter hop finish. Sessionable? I wish I had this on demand to session. Honestly the best IPA I’ve had to date

Consumed on tap at Toranado. It poured clear deep gold with bright white head and decent lacing. The aroma is medium in strength consisting of grapefruit citrus hops. It is pretty fruity in its citrusiness. The flavor is solid grapefruit hops beginning with both bitterness and mild sweet grapefruit hop flavors. It then becomes more and more bitter into the finish.

Tap. Light caramel note for the malt, heavy note of orange/grapefruit and pine for the hops, and a light smell of dough and musty for the yeast with apple and wood in the background. Head is small, creamy, white, has excellent lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is a clear amber. Flavor starts lightly sweet and moderately bitter, then the very long finish is moderately acidic and heavily bitter. Palate is medium, oily/creamy and has a carbonation between soft and lively. It finishes astringent and very dry and crisp. This a fantastic IPA.

UPDATED: OCT 4, 2008 Date: 10/13/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, GABF

Appearance: clear dark gold, frothy dirty white head,
Aroma: sweet citrus aroma,
Flavor: big sweet malt flavor, lots of balancing citrus hops, light bitter finish provide perfect balance,
-------- /> Date: 09/16/2008
Mode: bottle
Words: south bay

Appearance: hazy gold, wispy off white head,
Aroma: sweet crystal malt aroma with tons of citrus hops,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, lots of hop flavor and bitterness, long bitter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Draft. Bad ass stuff. It smells like a cathedral of hops - noble, genteel even, but very, very serious. A weighty IPA, it hides all of its astringency with a blast of hops upon hops uopn hops. Grassy, lush, citrusy, with a dark malt backing - like a canvas for great art. This beer is really an achievement.