Blind Pig IPA - Russian River Brewing Company

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.64/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a brilliant crisp clean and clear straw to orange color with a creamy off white finger of head. Probably a perfect looking pale ale of any style.

Nose is malty backbone with upfront spicy and citrus hops and a hint of pine. The caramel undertone is a great supporting foundation for what is effectively a medley of various citrus notes. Pretty amazing and it makes your mouth water.

Flavor is just a touch more malty than the aroma would have you believe but overall the taste is quite similar to the aroma. Earthy and spicey hop notes also present them selves in the taste that seemed to be hidden in the aroma but the citrus flavor is still the overwhelming flavor. Overall there is a slight but not overpowering bitterness which allows you to truly enjoy the great hop flavor.

Mouthfeel is creamy and just a touch heavier than I would prefer given the crisp clean flavoring and appearance. All in all not too bad just perhaps a touch too thick for a hot summer evening.

Overall this is an exceptional example of what an IPA can be and also presents a wider range of flavoring than the standard American IPA which focuses more heavily on that piney flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 18:59:53 | More by ElderPuma

jakecattleco

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-21-2013 17:54:21 | More by jakecattleco

PlinyBeMiney

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-21-2013 07:36:40 | More by PlinyBeMiney

CosmoHopHead

Kansas

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-21-2013 04:36:29 | More by CosmoHopHead

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%

05-21-2013 02:44:20 | More by tommyguz

ackeeper

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8.3%

05-21-2013 01:44:32 | More by ackeeper

kdown

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-20-2013 23:18:32 | More by kdown

deniserat

California

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%

05-20-2013 22:27:15 | More by deniserat

benz08

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%

05-20-2013 07:53:50 | More by benz08

duobob

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-20-2013 05:14:06 | More by duobob

YieldToNothing

New York

4.21/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

16 ounce bottle into a pint glass. brought it back form the brewery after my trip to north cali.
i flew with it, so i'm thinking that's why there was so much head. not overly carbonated, very mellow taste, nothing really overwhelms.
what can i say that hasn't been said? certainly not a game changer in my book, but a very good ipa.
a couple of people i talked to in frisco said they prefer this to pliny...yea, i don't really see that.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 02:10:21 | More by YieldToNothing

IP-EH

California

4/5  rDev -8.3%

05-19-2013 22:02:38 | More by IP-EH

Kreko7

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-19-2013 16:18:30 | More by Kreko7

alanv

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-18-2013 21:29:39 | More by alanv

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4/5  rDev -8.3%

05-18-2013 18:27:44 | More by eyeenjoybeer

Mscarpen

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%

05-18-2013 11:21:47 | More by Mscarpen

Netdogca

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-18-2013 03:18:20 | More by Netdogca

Somebody_Else

California

4.63/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Same as everybody else: bottled 5/02/2013

Poured into a cold large glass Just big enough to hold the entire 17.25 oz after a little sip.

Seductive honey color with a thumb-width cream-colored head which dissolved into a thin line with light delicate lacing.

I got a good hops whiff when I opened the bottle but after the pour the smell was pretty weak. Later, as the beer warmed a little, I got good honey and malt smells, but somewhat light on the citrus or pine.

Great flavor! Loads of hops but surprisingly light on the bitterness. It's there, just not the massive IBUs of some. Now... I LIKE high IBUs and might normally downgrade an IPA for being too light, but this beer pulls it all together. This is the taste I want.

Mouthfeel? I call it after-taste. After the swallow you get the resiny hops clinging to the tongue and supplying plenty of recycled flavor. I sort of pump my tongue to cycle this past my nose. I dare say this is my favorite part of any big-hops beer. Now I sort of like Palate Wrecker better for this -- not for quality, but for shear quantity and durability of the aftertaste. For aftertaste quality, this Blind Pig is as good as it gets, in my opinion.

Overall: YES. What else can I say?

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:19:31 | More by Somebody_Else

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.89/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

17.25 oz. bottle purchased at Ales Unlimited (gotta ask for it!) in San Francisco, CA, bottled on 5/2/13, poured into a hotel style glass and drank over ~30 minutes.

A: 4.75 - straw yellow coloration, hop haze (couldn't read through), white half-finger head subdues into subtle glass lacing, moderate alcohol legs for a 6+% beer

S: 5 - BOOM! lots and lots of grapefruit, pine, resiny dank aromas just pouring out of the bottle on opening the glass; as it warms, you definitely pick up more of the bready/biscuity qualities of the malt; really nicely-balanced aroma here!

T: 5 - based on the aroma, I was anticipating a slap of bitterness, which I don't usually enjoy, but I didn't get this at all! There is a slight bitterness on the anterior tongue but in the middle of the mouth, hop flavors predominate...pine, resin, tangerine and lots and lots of grapefruit again on the back of the tongue/aftertaste; little malt presence for me and super-dry

M: 4.5 - moderate bodied; high (and impressive) carbonation just pouring off the bottom of the glass in tight little bubbles and pushing the hop aroma right into your face; the only flaw here, I think, was the alcohol was a little too present in the taste for my liking and the relatively low content

O: 4.75 - definitely an exemplar of a West Coast IPA; lots of dank, citrus flavor and aroma, superdry; I'd put this up there with Ballast Point Sculpin, Green Flash IPA, Stone IPA and others as the best examples in class; cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:21:37 | More by MNishCT77

jdhowe

California

4.15/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 05/02/13.

Bottle reads 6.25% abv.

A: Pours a pleasant clear golden color with 2 fingers of off-white bubbly head. Quickly dissipates to 1/2 finger of head and then to a film. Lacing is strong in places and nonexistent in others... inconsistent but nice.

S: Smells strongly of hops, primarily citrus character with a little malt sweetness

T: After the nice smell, I was hoping the hop flavors would step up and "wow" me when I finally took a sip, but I was a little disappointed. The flavor is nice, but not terribly strong, with citrus and pine dominating, but malt being present. It finishes with a bitterness and a flavor that is a little earthy or even grassy. Certainly not bad (and definitely well above average) but I am a little let down. After going through most of a pint and allowing it to warm a bit, the hop flavors have stepped up as expected and have actually made this quite good for an IPA. Enjoyable and highly drinkable.

M: Very pleasant. Not overwhelming, nicely carbonated, and very drinkable/refreshing. With how fast I'm tearing through this bottle, I'm surprised at just how drinkable this beer is.

O: Very glad I finally tried this. It won't become a staple beer for me, but I'm definitely not sad to have some of these on-hand. A very solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:42:59 | More by jdhowe

abeerdude

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-17-2013 22:13:20 | More by abeerdude

Chadhowie

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-17-2013 21:12:23 | More by Chadhowie

hsaye

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-17-2013 18:49:43 | More by hsaye

rmank

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-17-2013 13:19:36 | More by rmank

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-17-2013 10:24:44 | More by schnarr84