Sierra Nevada / Russian River Yvan the Great Belgian-style Blonde Ale (Beer Camp #10)

SN/Russian River Yvan the Great Belgian-style Blonde. 6.3% ABV. 50 IBU. #10 for me in the sample pack.

Hazy, bright golden appearance, chalk white head, slim and soon gone.

Beautiful citrus and floral aromatics. Lightly spicy. Very likable.

Taste: Snappy delivery on the palate, brisk hoppiness and tangible spice and citrus notes. Belgian yeast is at work in the flavor, too. Medium-bodied, spicy finish. Tastes every bit like a Belgian blonde should and then some. Wish I had more than 12 ounces of this one.

Time to read the label: "This hoppy Blonde Ale blends the dry, complex yeast character of Belgian farmhouse ales with the bright citrus-like profile of American hops." And, as usual, there's more on the back: "As longtime friends, Russian River brewmaster Vinne Cilurzo and our own Brian Grossman are no strangers to brewing experiments. For this collaboration, they honored their friend and renowned Belgian brewer Yvan De Baets. This Belgian-American mash-up harmoniously blends Yvan's penchant for yeast with Vinnie and Brian's affinity for hops."

Might be my favorite so far….haven't ranked them yet. We'll see. Two to go!

Russian River Blind Pig IPA

Had this one last night, at Joe and Liz's place. First had the Blind Pig from a growler, back in October of 2005. The notes are here:


Clear and golden hued,...lush, enormous white head, ...beautiful...a lace-leaver...

Aroma is flat-out piney hops, prickly, sparkly, tingly, tangy, yum...ferociously fresh flavor, pineapple and apricot, lemon, and pine cones...damned fresh...I love it! God, I love it!

Taste it, already...slides on board the palate assuredly and provides the same fresh, vibrant hoppy flavor that blessed the nose. Zips merrily along the tongue, blazing bitterness, but balanced beautifully with zesty flavor. Never, never quits...so easy to drink, and so ample in it's hoppy bounty...

Not too anything, this, and just right with all the appropriate ingredients, especially for the hopheads in the house....medium-bodied, with a lightly bitter, fruity finish...holy crud, I could spin every superlative off the top of my head and still feel like I've missed a few...every IPA I've tasted from Russian River has been amazing, and this continues that trend...if Vinnie is capable of making a bad one, I don't want to know...

Russian River Temptation

Another one shared by the gracious Joe and the benificent Liz, the american wild ale from Russian River called Temptation, aged in chardonnay barrels. Wonderful brew. I first took notes on it in December of 2005. Here they are:


"French oak chardonnay barrels", eh? I smell it once the cork comes out.

Lovely pale amber color, nearing orange, completely cloudy, witha thick, sturdy snowy cushion of foam above.

Potent aromatics, screaming sour from afar....on closer inspection, yup, that's tart, with citrus and spice squeaking in...deep, heady stuff....beautiful.

Sourness is the main game in the mouth, blasting the tongue, then fading gently. Bracingly tart. Then smooth, but never releasing the hold of the tart, accompanied by some fruit and a bit of spice. Nice.

Full-bodied and fresh. Zesty, snappy, tangy...quite an accomplishment, matching the quality of Belgian ales so well that if you didn't know, you'd swear this bottle crossed an ocean.

Fine and mellow, this tempting ale. Delightful. Delicious. D'lovely.

Russian River Damnation Belgian-style Golden Ale

My latest taste of Russian River's Damnation golden ale was last night, courtesy of Joe and Liz. My first taste problem came via a trade from California. Here are those notes from August, 2005:


Another strong golden Belgian-style ale, whose name is spun from the best known and original, Duvel. Beyond that, hopes are high, as I've not yet had a Russian River that failed to impress. Uncage, uncork, into the St. Bernardus goblet and away we go...

Hazed, bright yellow coloring, shortish white head, though it lingers long enough...good, good...

Lovely aroma. Yeast, light spices, lemon and other citrus fruits, orange, pear, ...very nice.

Taste/texture: a blast of sour at the front, then smooth and slides down with ease. Peppery spice slide in and ride sidecar all the way through. Fruit and hot spice maintain dominance in the flavor, body is a light/ medium, finish is soft, but leaves a fuzzy, and bold texture on the palate. Abv is light for the style, but peeks through and squeaks a bit, but is no bludgeon.

Very tasty, and I'm more impressed as I get further in, for it's a subtle, sophisticated ale, not a head-banger, no wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. But zesty, and rewarding, with a unique character.
Wicked.

Sierra Nevada / Russian River Brux Domesticated Wild Ale

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale, A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration. A dry and complex Belgian-style ale refermented in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis. Brewed and bottled by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA, in collaboration with with Russian River Brewing Company.

Caged and cork, 750 ml bottle. Clear, bright amber color, under a slim white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: this one will take some time, as it's not throwing out any ordinary flavors or associations. There's some fruit, but no sweetness, no hops, very dry, and none of the typical descriptors for a sour brew come out of this nose. There's some of that horse blanket rearing it's head, now, some of the cat pee shows up, some of the funk.

Taste: lean bodied, short finish, light on flavor. Mild malt character, negligible hop contribution, but the yeast is felt, and tasted. The cat pee returns to the flavor, hints of lemon, dry, yes, again, but , alas, there's very little of anything else going on.

I'll take a minute to read the label. "What began as a mutual admiration between Sierra Nevada's Grossman family and Russian River's Cilurzos has grown and progressed into genuine friendship. Brux began as an idea and has grown into something altogether different. …The liquid manifestation of change over time….Refermented in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Brux will change and develop over time. Copper-colored, dry and complex, with slightly tart notes of green grass, pear, spice and lemon---this ale will progress in the bottle for many years."

Well. damnit, why didn't I read this first? Why did I make the dunder-headed move of actually drinking this bottle fresh and expecting something good, when I should have sat on it for years, to see what happens when it develops? Will it gain flavor, where now it has virtually none?

I'm sorry, but beers should be judged based on how they taste when they're placed on the shelves. This one as it is should be filed under: "meh." No, wait, make that "Blah."

Unfortunately, there's about 18 ounces left in this thing, and I don't believe in "drain pours." It might be time for some blending. Luckily, I have a growler of Harriet's Saison Nourrice nearby, and I think I'll spike this with that, and maybe it'll go down better.

Russian River Framboise For A Cure

Framboise for a Cure, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA. Sour Barrel aged beer with raspberries. All hopped up for the Cure 2011. "!00% of the sale of this bottle will be donated directly to the Sutter Breast Care Center of Santa Rosa." 6.5% ABV.

I've had this before, courtesy of Jason Sowards, but it was had in company of others, and as I've said before, I don't take notes while enjoying with friends. Luckily, friends Jay and Annie brought a bottle for me after their last Southern California visit, and I'm just cracking it open today.

Bright red in the glass, clear, with a blooming pink head that dissipates rather quickly.

Sweet and sour fruit hits the nose first. Ah, raspberries. Tart, fresh, deep, and a little funky.

Taste: an attack of sour right from the start. Ooo, puckeration! Ah! Refreshing, tart, and light-bodied. Sour meets sweet again and again, slaps the tongue and slides on back. Leaves the palate easy-peasy-squeezy, drops off the memory of the senses until the next sip. But oh, that next sip! More of the fresh fruity flavor, more of that great charge of sour, more depth and wildness. Ah! More of that blast of funky fruity refreshment, each time it jumps over the lips.

Nice one, Russian River, keep fighting that fight, all in the name of boobies. Hooray for boobies!

Russian River Supplication

Another one from Wednesday night's tasting with D & B, this one a present from W & K. Referring to my notes from the first bottle, back in October, 2005:

Hazed, tawny, deep amber/orange, under a fizzy slab of off-whitish foam...

Oooo...sow-wer aroma, wild and funky, citrus and spice at play in the great outdoors...oooo...aaahhh!

A most unusual taste. Full bodied, and utterly weird. Bold fruit, forward and beautifully blended. Cherries are on top, but don't dominate, there's a greater complexity, made more confounding by the tartness that abounds.
Gets mellower as we sip, and wider, too...more open, spacious, ...with incessant bursts of cherry-licious flavor...me, oh, my...

This beer requires a larger bottle, and a momentous occasion, to share with special someones...drinks down deliciously...

A most stupendous creation.A

Russian River Pliny the Elder

A bottle courtesy of Jeremy, once again, what a heck of a guy. (Hmmm, is he bribing me or buttering me up for some ulterior motivation?)
I've only had a few of these in bottles before, and didn't take notes, because I knew I'd reviewed it years ago. Before going any further, let's look at the label. Russian River was warning people against aging hoppy beers long before Surly did so with Wet. Here's a taste of that:

"If you must sit, sit on eggs, not on Pliny! Do not save for a rainy day! Pliny is for savoring, not for saving! Consume Pliny Fresh or not at all! Does not improve with age! Hoppy beers are not meant to be aged!Keep Away from Heat! Respect your Elder: Keep cold, drink fresh, do not age! Pliny the Elder is a historical figure, don't make the beer inside this bottle one! Not barleywine, do not age! Age your cheese, not your Pliny! Respect hops, consume fresh!"

We're not done yet…

" "Pliny the Elder, born in 23 A.D., was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer and writer. Pliny and his contemporaries created the original botanical name for hops, "Lupus Salactarius", meaning "wolf among scrubs." Hop vines at that time grew wild among willows, likened to wolves roaming wild in the forest. Pliny the Elder died in 79 A.D. while saving people during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This beer is an homage to the man who discovered hops and died while being humanitarian. "

Wait, there's more!

"Unlike many Russian River Brewing Company beers, which are agreeable, the beer inside this bottle is meant to be consumed fresh. Keep Pliny the Elder refrigerated and consume fresh to experience the explosive hop character."

I don't know how old this bottle is, but there was explosive hop character aplenty, just like when I had my first glass on tap at O'Briens Pub in San Diego, the Hoppiest Place on Earth, way back in December, 2004. This was one of those legendary brews I'd heard that I had to have, and as soon as I saw it on the chalkboard, I got my glass and found a little spot, excused myself from my friends, and jotted down some words.

"This will be a bare bones review, based on brief jottings made in the noisy environs of O'Brien's pub, in the company of others, but tingling with the excitement of tasting this much anticipated ale, trying my best to capture the experience. When they bottle this nectar, I'll attempt again to encapsulate it's wonder.
Orange is the color, head is white, full, fresh.
Nose is lovely, floral, fruity, just absolutely aburst with pineapple, peach, grapefruit, tons of citrus...absolutely excellent!
Mouthfeel is slick and run over with hop oils. Taste is exhilirating, a blast of hops on the tongue, medium bodied, with a long, sticky, citric finish, and an utterly tangy texture. This seemed to fulfill whatever desires I'd need in a Double IPA, though the 8% abv didn't really make a dent in me...(or did it?)...this was one of the must-try's of my recent California visit, and I had several more samples on the next two days at the Strong Ale Fest just to be sure of it's worthiness. Yes. Yes, indeed. Very much so, and then some.
I'm in twitchin' anticipation for the day their bottling line runs, then this cult IPA can get even better recognition in the world at large!"

Those notes will stand, because it's just as amazing, even now that it's reputation has been dwarfed by it's bigger brother (son?), Pliny the Younger. That one is only on tap or growlers (which is how I've had it, haven't been back to California since...but now that I think of it, what a great idea!), and ranks in at 14% a.b.v., and has a deserved reputation among hop-addicted beer geeks.

Russian River Consecration

Russian River Brewing Company Consecration, Ale Aged in Oak Barrels with Currants Added, Refermented in this Bottle, Barrel Aged 6 months, with 4 types of funky wild yeast, brett, lacto, podio-, sacchyro--..etc. 10 % abv. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA. Age in a cool dark place! Batch 001X3.

I've been waiting on this one for a while. From the same BA trade that got me the Lost Abbey Witches Wit, as well as the Lost Abbey Cuvee De Tomme that I'm sitting on even longer. It's been sitting in the fridge for about six weeks, and I can't wait any longer. Away we go!

Dark plum-red coloration, with no head at all, starts slightly fizzy, then quits quickly.

Aroma: ah, that's the stuff, there's the brett, that funky wild wicked twisted sour and sassy wine-ish nose. Currants are doing plenty of work here, too, it's fresh with the fruit. Lovely, lovely stuff.

Tasting it: Whoa! Grabs the tongue and pins it down. Puckeration all the way, in this. Does not relent with the intense tartness. Fruit flavor gives some relief, squeezing in between the huge tart bite.

Another sip, another gulp, and in rushes cherries, blackberries, grapes, some sweet, and then sour. grips the tongue, spanks it a bit, slathers it up and down with funk and sour. Luxurious, relaxing, lush and wonderful.

Halfway in, it's getting deep, plummier, richer…moreover. I'm more impressed-er, for sure. Deeee-licious. Mmmm. Mmm. Mm. M.