Russian River Blind Pig
Of Course Russian River does not distribute in New Jersey, bummer! So in order to get the Russian River Blind Pig IPA, I was fortunate to have a fellow beer connoisseur in California who couldn’t get Allagash Beer. So I sent him some Allagash Beer and he sent me some Russian River and New Belgium Beers. This review is a result of beer lovers working together to help one another enjoy, taste, and appreciate beer from other regions of the country.
Appearance:
The Blind Pig pours a hazy golden orange color with a pretty dense creamy head. There is a bit of carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass, but the hazy nature of the beer obscures most of the bubbles. There is quite a bit of lacing going on as the head subsides from the original poor.
Aroma:
I was expecting a fairly strong aroma, after having Pliny the Elder a couple months back . I found quite the opposite, a very mild pine aroma with a hint of cotton candy in the background. I’ve been drinking a lot of hop monsters of late; this is a nice kick back to more of a “traditional” American IPA.
Russian River Blind Pig
Taste:
The taste follows suit with the aroma. It not over done, but done enough so that you can tell what your drinking. Right off the bat, this beer has a significant malt backbone, giving the beer a good thick mouthfeel without getting very sweet. The maltiness gives way to an ever-present building of bitterness. There is a good balance of sweetness and citrus on the back end that keeps the growing bitterness in check. It ends with a nice dryness making me want another sip.
Overall Impression:
I’m enjoying the simply complex nature of this beer. Without going overboard on the hops, but still having an abundance, you are able to enjoy many different flavors. I would have enjoyed a bit more on the aroma, but it works with the flavors. Two things I really enjoyed about this beer. 1, the bitterness was strong but held in check so you don’t start to get a burnt flavor that I’ve been experiencing with a lot of heavily hopped beers. 2, the dry finish along with the bitterness that didn’t compound its self after each sip made this a very enjoyable IPA.
Glassware: Tulip
Calories: With an Original Gravity of 1.060 and a ABV of 6% means this beer finished with a Final Gravity of around 1.014 giving you about 205 Calories per 12oz serving
Simply Beer Rating: 91, If you find it give it a try!
The Russian River Beers are all about fresh beer. I am pouring a Blind Pig right now and there is a vibrant hop aroma. Maybe yours had aged too long otherwise I agree with your review. I like the dryness without the strong astringency that this beer carries, really letting the hops work.
I also enjoy it poured in a .5L bullet glass. The Spaten rastal glass is my favorite version of this type.
@JT – Unfortunately getting a hold of Russian River beers is not an easy task for me since they don’t distribute to NJ, So trying another Blind Pig would be a bit difficult. I believe the beer I had was 5-6 months old, so it probably did loose some aroma but I wouldn’t think it would be that significant.
I still have a Pliny the Elder to drink which was bottled in May, hopefully I’ll get to it soon….