Damnation - Russian River Brewing Company

srhoadsy

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served chilled into a tulip.

Pours a hazy blonde color with a half inch of airy white head that quickly receds and leaves a moderate surface layer. A little agitation and it foams right back up.

Soft, sweet aromas of pears and honey.

Well balanced flavor of pears, honey and some grassy notes from the hops.

Sweet and crisp mouthfeel. Moderate to high carbonation. Surprisingly light and drinkable for 7.75% beer.

Well balanced and easy to drink. A very nice example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 00:04:00 | More by srhoadsy

copslovebeer

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from C&C Bottle into Surly Darkness Snifter

A. Hazy apricot / straw cold with high carbonation streaming up the side of the bottle. Head dissapates quickly into a ring around the glass.

S.Light fruity notes, bready, welcoming yeast charachter, honey

T. Belgian Yeast, light tropical fruits, grassy hops, finishes very sweet

M. Highly Carbonated, but not overly so. Light mouthfeel coats the tongue leaving me wanting another sip!

O. A great example of a BSPA, not my favorite style but definately one I'd enjoy after a long day of work in the son.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:28:35 | More by copslovebeer

rawfish

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour from bottle to snifter is a glowing hazy apricot with a veil of stark white head. Two fingers that has good retention and condenses to a thin white cap with a solid ring of lacing.

Soft dry and bready malt, layered hay and powder. Touch of earthiness and funk. Pleasant spices amongst cake and dried fruit.

Lemon, apple, clove and cracked pepper, slight banana. Grassy light hops with lots of earthy yeast and Belgian spice character. Dries well, a bit chalky.

Medium bodies, hides alcohol very well and adequately carbonated.

Met expectations, a very well crafted Belgian, refreshing and balanced with crisp light spices and earthy yeast.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 05:22:45 | More by rawfish

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a tulip glass

A- Poured a hazy bright golden color with tons of visible streaming carbonation, nice big fluffy ice cream like bright white head that left tons of chunky dense lace.

S- Some prominent brett funk and peppery notes,very bready, some belgian yeast presence

T- Very pronounced brett character and peppery notes, some chalkiness, belgian yeast presence, some light fruitiness (almost tropical fruit flavor)

M- Very dry, high carbonation, effervescent and champagne like, some nice alcohol warming on the finish

O- Very nice belgian style ale with a wonderful champagne like mouthfeel, very balanced flavor profile with some nice brett character. This most reminded me of Green Flash's Rayon Vert, other than that I really haven't had another beer with this flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 05:48:52 | More by Hoptometrist

beer2day

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This bottle has spent way too long in the back of the beer fridge, but reviewing anyway.

Pale yellow pour with 1-finger of creamy white head. Decent retention and thick lace rings down the back side of the snifter.

Nose is a touch of brett, Belgian yeast, bananas, raisins, and very light fig. A light spice aroma mixes in. All combine to give a nice Belgian touch.

Flavor mimics the nose. A little lighter on the raisin/fig and a little stronger on the banana. Finish is very smooth with hints of sweet cloves.

Very smooth, silky, velvety feel. After several years in the bottle, the carbonation has calmed leaving a wickedly smooth feel.

Wish I had a fresher one to compare too, but that will wait for my next west coast trip. Aged, this does very well.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 03:46:37 | More by beer2day

MarioM

California

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml poured into Russian River Glass

A: Golden, light orange and cloudy with a nice white head. Good lacing, medium to moderate carbonation with small creamy looking bubbles but not too creamy.

S: Citrusie, orange peel, sweet and mainly citrus. Very refreshing smell to say te least.

T: Slightly sweet, bitterness is perfectly balanced with the citrusi sweetness and almost wheat beer like, so smooth and drinkable.

M: Bitterness lingers for a bit, slight booze but well masked by the sweetness. Smooth and refreshing, easy to drink and leaves a pleasant citrus bitterness behind that makes me want to keep drinking.

O: Great beer for this style, great for a hot day enjoying some sun. Refreshing brew that unlike other RR beers, is quite common, which is always a great thing. I would definitely recommend this beer to non-Belgian beer drinkers. Balance is great and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 07:59:06 | More by MarioM

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Russian River ales are always fun and special because they are bottled and presented well initially. The ale itself poured with a thin fizzy head that dissappated in mere moments. The color was of an apple cider like tint, cloudy and yellow but almost reddish in a way. The aroma is of apple and cloves but the taste follows on the apple. The taste is more complex than just apple as three distinct stages were present. It felt as the first taste disappeared quickly, a new taste emerged at the swallow and the aftertaste linger softly for some time. I simply could not describe each taste and it seemed I wanted more. My only complaint would be the feel was quite carbonated and bubbly, almost thin. Overall this was an experience and a good one at that.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 03:03:13 | More by KYGunner

Etan

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 77, into a tulip.

A: Pours a darkish orange with a huge spongy white head.

S: Soft grain, vanilla bean, some sweet floral esters.

T: Moderate BPA esters - floral, white cake, cloves, some peppery spiciness. Palpable candi sugar sweetness on the end.

M: Light-bodied with frothy carbonation.

O: This is pretty good - not up there with beers like La Chouffe, but good.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 05:35:28 | More by Etan

harrymel

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 07AUG12

Pours a hazy golden apricot with a solid quilt of fine light cream foam. Smells of belgian yeast, grain, bread, hints of tangerine, some clay and a bit of sweetness. Flavor has a clean belgian golden flavor with plenty grain, fruity grapy esters, some banana, a bit of funk and some peach. Body is heavier than I'd prefer with a decent sharp and yet soft carb with an overall creamy feel. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 05:17:36 | More by harrymel

BeerTwigs

New York

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375 ml bottle into a snifter. Batch 77

A- Hazy Golden with a 2 finger white head and tiny bubbles. The beer left very nice lacing on the way down.

S- Lemony with a belgian yeast aroma. Somewhat fruity and spicey

T- Again with the lemon, citrusy flavor. A touch of earthy hops and spice on the finish.

M- This beer is crisp and smooth with a dry finish. It has a little bit that fades as the beer warms. Medium bodied.

O- This is a solid beer, I would definitely recommend it. Its very drinkable and the the ABV is well hidden which could be dangerous on a summer day. Enjoy this beer if you can find it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 23:28:32 | More by BeerTwigs

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 78

Beer is a clear golden colour with a large white head. Good retention, decent lace.

Smell is quite reminiscent of Duvel. Banana, apple, other fruit, spice and yeast.

Taste is very nice. Yeast is upfront, along with light fruit flavours (apple, pear), grass and a bit of spice. Moderately sweet with a dry finish.

Medium bodied, strongly carbonated but not irritatingly so.

Overall, very good. Very similar to Duvel, which is a good thing in my books. Very tasty!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:27:40 | More by jrenihan

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, batch 076. Pours hazy pale golden color with a nice 2 finger fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to an nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big pear, grape, apple, lemon, herbal, grass, honey, pepper, wheat, and yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of pear, apple, lemon, pepper, herbal, grass, honey, wheat, bread, light earth, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, herbal, pepper, wheat, grass, bread, and yeast spices on the finish for a short bit. Excellent flavor balance of spiciness/fruitiness, with nice complexity; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a lightly slick and very crisp and prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Belgian strong pale ale. Very nice flavor complexity and balance; very smooth and crisp to sip on. Very enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:56:05 | More by superspak

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Cloudy golden body with some carbonation bubbles around the edges of the glass. Pours with a huge bone white head that slowly goes down and leaves good lacing.

S- Belgian yeast aroma up front along with notes of citrus, honey, grains, pear.

T- Fruity and sweet up front with citrus and pear, followed by a big taste of grain and yeast. The finish leaves a fruity aftertaste.

M- High carbonation and medium bodied. A little bite on the tongue, with a somewhat dry finish.

O- Solid Belgian ale. Has characteristics of a tripel and is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 01:01:19 | More by stephenjmoore

spoony

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 375 ml bottle into a snifter.

A-This is a fine looking liquid. It is golden in color and foggy, but not cloudy (i.e., it was a consistently opaque color, not mixed dark and light, if that makes any sense). There wasn't much head to begin with, and what head there was quickly dissipated into a thin ring. A little bit of lacing on the glass.

S-It has a bright Belgian yeast note with hints of lemon, some hay, and grass. A touch of alcohol spice as the beer warms up.

T-I was a little disappointed by this one. There are some biscuit/cracker flavors, some oak, and a nice spicy alcohol kick on the finish, but I thought it was a little too refined for me. The smell had me hoping for a little bit more floral and citrus, but I didn't get it.

M-It was crisp and quite dry. There was a little prick of fine carbonation with each sip, which was well-matched for the mild flavor. This brew falls on the lighter side.

O-It is a pretty beer with a pleasing smell, but I felt a little let down by the taste. It came off a little too tepid for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 03:46:56 | More by spoony

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

As per the instructions, I poured slowly to leave sediments in the bottle. The slow pour did not yield a thick head, but it did yield a really long-lasting one. Through the hazy yellow/orange body you could see tons of bubbles rushing up to support it. The appearance really was the best part of this beer. Not to say the rest was bad. In fact, it was rather great. Not too strong on the nose, but the beer was tasty, crisp, smooth, etc. I got some apple and pear in there which I enjoyed. The finish is dry but the beer leaves its mark in your mouth. Your mouth with beckon for another sip.

I mean, its not a true Belgian beer, obviously, but it hangs with the North American elites of Belgian styles such as Ommegang and Unibroue. From Russian River, I expect no less, though frankly it still surprises me how good all of their beers are.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 00:41:39 | More by TheRealBigC

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy light yellow in color. It poured with an eighth of a finger high white head that died down but never completely faded away, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There ar aromas of yeast in the nose along with some notes of orange citrus.
T: Like the smell, the yeast flavors really take center stage in the taste of this beer. There’s also a slight amount of sourness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It definitely coats your mouth.
O: This is a very interesting beer that has a complex taste. It’s a lot easier to drink compared to some of the other beers in the style, especially since there are no traces of alcohol in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 16:32:03 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy pale golden yellow in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has an eighth of a finger tall bright white head that reduces to a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at thee edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of light fruits - pear, peach, lemon, and orange - as well as dominant yeast aromas. Very nicely balanced with a nice amount of complexity. As the beer warms, there is a light presence of grape and sourness.

T: Upfront there is a fair amount of sweetness from the lighter fruits (pear, peach, orange, and grape), then the yeastiness becomes apparent (both earthy and spicy), and a touch of floral/lemon hop bitterness in the finish which does not linger.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Smooth, really coats the inside of your mouth, and light amounts of dryness.

O: This is a very good beer, great example of the style, and very enjoyable - though I honestly would expect nothing less from this brewer.

Thanks to my awesome wife for toting this one home from California on a business trip.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 02:05:39 | More by dbrauneis

mschind

California

3.3/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle dated 5-22-12

A- Great looking beer, poured into a snifter producing a fluffy white two finger head with excellent retentiion and nice lacing. A virtual storm of bubbles in the glass. Color is a slightly hazy medium gold.

S- Bananas and pepper with some distinctive Belgain yeast in the background.

T- Not quite enough sweetness to balance the dry finish. Maybe a bit too subtle for my palate but I was expecting something with more flavor and richness.

M- Carbonation is right for the style but it's still on the thin side.

O- A good effort but all things being equal, I'd rather have a Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 21:47:31 | More by mschind

pkalix

California

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

billowy white head with medium bubbles, dissipating with some fine lacing down the sides. definitely looks (and feels) like a heavier-bodied brew, but smells entirely like most of the unibroue offerings attempting to re-create a strong belgian ale. a bit more 'fruity' than i particularly like but for a 7.75% abv, this is an awesome achievement.
overall, it leaves a nice twang on the outsides of the tongue, is exactly what it tries to be, and is an excellent offering if strong, light belgian ales are what you crave. it just doesnt have that belgian signature and tastes so much like the unibroue ales... but very decent in its own right. and from california....

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 00:02:03 | More by pkalix

MrDanno96

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured with 4 fingers of fluffy white head. So much head, in fact, that I couldn't get the whole bottle into my Delirium Tremens tulip glass. Lots of sticky lacing. A nice golden color, but cloudy from the yeast.

S: Lots of fruit on the nose. Oranges, lemons, applies, pears. Slight Belgian spiciness. A little more subdued than I would like.

T/M: Lots of sweet maltiness with notes of lemon and spice in the finish. Slight bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with very subtle carbonation.

O: Just kind of "meh" for me, to be honest. I expect more from Russian River. Just a fair BSPA for me. Lots of better options from RR. Underwhelming nose and flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:18:37 | More by MrDanno96

RockyTopHeel

North Carolina

4.98/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a pale, bright, hazy golden color with a creamy white head. According to the wife, the aroma reminds her of champagne - I have to assume that means yeast and candy sugar, and I'll toss in a bit of spice. One sip and...wow. This is awesome, awesome stuff. The best beer I've had in a long time. A perfect balance of biscuity malts and a crisp bite of hops, with a lingering slick mouthfeel. Notes of citrus and spice, too.

This is just...awesome. Perfectly balanced and excellent. It's been a while since I added a beer to my top five, but this one did it.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 22:33:23 | More by RockyTopHeel

davey101

Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 077, 375ml into a tulip glass.

A - Murky dark amber body. Massive fluffy off whit head. Great lacing and retention.

S - Massive vegetal notes. Coriander, lemons, hay, grass, spices, Belgian yeast then...BAM...celery or something. Just has a very soup like aroma.

T - Lemons, hay, and coriander spice with a large Belgian yeast spiciness. I'm still getting a large vegetal quality to it. Alcohol is noticeable. Mouth feel is spritzy and dry with a medium slightly coating mouth feel.

O - I think its just the freshness of this beer. I was getting more vegetal and hard spice notes than anything. Hopefully I can try an aged one at some point.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 00:14:35 | More by davey101

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle, corked and caged. Thanks to stmgl01 for this one. Batch #77. Poured into Founders snifter.

A- Pours a hazy brownish golden with about a 2-3 finger white fluffy head that has great retention. Nice carbonation around the sides of the glass and lightly billowing groups carbonation coming up the middle of the glass. Leaves thick lacing coating the sides of the glass.

S- Lemony citrus hops mixed with honey and earthy grains/wheat, followed by light spices and some light malt.

T- Lemony citrusy hops mixed with some light sweet honey, light earthy grains and spices, with a very light malt background. Light citrusy malty aftertaste that lingers faintly for a little while.

M- Light, nice carbonation, slightly juicy, very drinkable, no abv burn.

O- I'd definitely have to say this is the best Belgian Pale Ale I think I've had. Everything in it was very well done from the appearance down to the mouthfeel. There were very nice well balanced flavors that provided for a very easy to drink and enjoyable beer. Not only that but beer felt very good on the palate and looked very good in the glass. I definitely enjoyed this beer, another great offering that I would highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 22:07:32 | More by jaasen64

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip at falling rock, denver.
Pours a crisp golden with a small bit of head. Great belgian meets german hefe aroma of banana and clove. Taste is superb belgian pale, slight hop and spice with a smooooth and refreshing finish. Such a great brew and shouldn't be passed up.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 21:47:46 | More by DrinkSlurm

elNopalero

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Clear golden colored brew with some foam and a wonderfully big aroma. Light, floral, and estery notes on the nose. Floral and estery flavor, with some sweetness as it warms. Deceptively strong, although it masks the alcohol well. Dry finish wins out. This is a classic.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 08:34:25 | More by elNopalero