Damnation - Russian River Brewing Company

Pahn

New York

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Batch 71 (recent). Thanks to BA KevSal for including this generous extra in a recent trade!

Appearance: Careful pour yields a 2 inch fizzy white head that dissipates steadily, leaving a small splotch of lacing. Pours a murky yellow and leaves a few splotches and spots of lacing.

Smell: Belgian yeast, pear, apple, some bread underneath. Flowery and sugary sweet.

No unexpected aromas, but the story here is how potent and pleasant the aromas are. Very nice.

Taste: Follows the nose, with lots of pear-like esters, flowery hops, and assertive Belgian yeast up front, with an apple juicy finish and a banana aftertaste.

Also like the nose, this is very fresh and potent, if not complex or unique. Not as bready as suggested by smelling it, though some breadiness (and spice) emerge with time. Absolutely no solvent-like flavor. More bitterness than the average BSPA, which is fine with me as I have a rather bitter palate--could be a problem for other fans of the style though.

This is one of those rare beers with bold flavors that yet feels "subtle" in how finely balanced it is. It gets slightly more complex with warmth, but in the complexity development department, it's stasis by comparison to juggernauts like Duvel or the better Belgian quads or big American stouts.

Mouthfeel: Somewhere between light and medium bodied. A step or two above moderate carbonation. Pretty dry, but not overboard. Somewhat creamy feel.

This 5.0 is less perfection than it is "so many standout, flavor-benefiting elements that it stands out among beers in the style" (and it's close to perfection, anyway).

Overall: This beer would be a great introduction to BSPAs for hop heads who find Belgian ales too sweet. It's no Duvel, but it's substantially better than many other "authentic" BSPAs (e.g. Delirium Tremens, Lucifer, most widely available tripels).

To make a possibly stupid analogy, this isn't the artist whose work steals the show and towers above everyone, but rather the kind of thing you'd expect from any artist in a well-established, healthy, active culture of artists. It's a genre work that makes me think about what it would be like if all the people creating generic work were brilliantly talented. Hopefully this makes at least a little sense.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 04:53:54 | More by Pahn

mxchap

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-21-2013 04:02:11 | More by mxchap

zonker17

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9%

05-21-2013 03:42:29 | More by zonker17

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%

05-21-2013 02:31:03 | More by wisrarebeer

ackeeper

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-21-2013 01:48:49 | More by ackeeper

Number3red

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-20-2013 17:36:38 | More by Number3red

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9%

05-19-2013 21:16:40 | More by Dcunicelli

GuzzLah

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-19-2013 17:01:26 | More by GuzzLah

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-19-2013 14:13:53 | More by drgonzo2k2

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-19-2013 01:13:41 | More by Photekut

alanv

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-18-2013 21:35:57 | More by alanv

beernads

Florida

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-18-2013 06:43:02 | More by beernads

Cubatobaco

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-18-2013 02:53:53 | More by Cubatobaco

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a goblet. Acquired as an extra in a trade from

A- Pours a golden hazy body with a 1" white head that reduces slowly to a layer of foam.

S- Kinda grassy with banana, citrus lemon-lime, and freshly cut pineapple notes. Aroma is not overpowering.

T- starts off with fruity notes including banana, tropical fruit, and lemon notes. The finish is grassy and slightly bitter with a pine aftertaste.

M- medium body, medium-heavy carbonation. Pretty drinkable.

Another great from Russian river- these bottle conditioned beers never cease to impress. Super complex and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:55:09 | More by gcamparone

brydeen

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Batch date 03-11-13

A: Pours a golden hazy color. A massive 2 inch frothy white almost explodes out of the glass, and hangs around for several minutes. Very effervescent carbonation continues in the glass.

S: A nice yeasty aroma. Sweet bready notes. Reminiscent of dried bananas. A faint spicy aroma emerges as well.

T: Sweet and spicy at the same time. A grassy, peppery flavor. Has a dry, nutty flavor, with very little sweetness. Nothing really standing out alone, but integrated together very well.

M: Really pleasant texture. Rich, creamy, and thicker bodied than it looks. Carbonation is about perfect. It's very active, yet smooth and silky.

O: Yet another very solid offering from Russian River. Very smooth and creamy, with a pleasant but subtlety flavored brew. Extremely easy to drink for 7.7%. Certainly worth giving a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:22:24 | More by brydeen

Cboat

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-16-2013 17:35:36 | More by Cboat

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-15-2013 17:42:09 | More by twenty5

earlholman

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-14-2013 13:32:51 | More by earlholman

2dogbrew

Virginia

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-13-2013 21:47:52 | More by 2dogbrew

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-13-2013 06:14:12 | More by Bonko_the_sane

kevanb

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle, dated 12/5/12, poured into a Russian River Stemmed -tion glass.

The beer pours a nice hazy golden honey color, hues of straw and orange with a nice 2 finger white head, fizzy and soapy in texture. The aroma is fairly straightforward, light funk, belgian yeast, wildflower, light citrus with a bit of banana and clove with some pale grain. Lots of yeast on the tongue, crisp and zesty with some mild lemon citrus, wildflower, pale straw and grain, just a touch of funk with a bit of light fruit and clove. Alcohol just warms the tongue at the finish but is otherwise undetectable. The body is very lively, coats the mouth well, while the finish is overly prickly and lacks a creamy touch.

Verdict: A very solid Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Russian River and one of the benchmarks for American brewers who are trying to replicate this style. The balance is on point and while the complexity isn't stunning, this beer hits the mark, a classic American take on a traditional Belgian style.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:43:06 | More by kevanb

SCZ

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-13-2013 01:51:43 | More by SCZ

outoffocus

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9%

05-13-2013 00:14:40 | More by outoffocus

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-12-2013 17:10:58 | More by mikeburd1128

bonSreeB

Alabama

4/5  rDev -3.1%

05-12-2013 03:48:39 | More by bonSreeB