Blind Pig IPA - Russian River Brewing Company

danieelol

Australia

4.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours nice yellow golden colour. Decent head and lacing.

S: Pineapple, juicy tropical fruits, bit of pine. Very juicy nose. Smells like a nice fruity jelly.

T: Really pleasant mix of tropical fruit. Subtle flavours, and very drinkable. Bitter but not that bitter. Bit of pine.

M: Feels good, pretty full.

O: Really high quality beer. I bet it would be a cracker when fresher.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 14:43:01 | More by danieelol

brewtus

Ohio

4.54/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- poured bottle into tulip. pours bright orange, clear, two finger white head
S-sweet piney hops, breads, pineapple, honey
T- starts slow, very sweet tropical fruits, pine, melon,again some honey, hint of bubblegum
M- thin, very easy to put back
O- not overly hoppy, tons of sweet tropical fruits, this beer is very refreshing and drinkable. Almost not Malt character, but not a hop bomb. I'm really glad I finally got to try this. This reminds me a lot of zombie only much fruitier.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:06:57 | More by brewtus

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

510ml bottle dated 5/2/2013 poured into a Bell's snifter and quaffed today 5/22/2013. I've also had this beer 3x in the past, but 2x I made the mistake of drinking a couple Plinys beforehand so I couldn't really do a fair review. So now this is the first time I can sit down and write a fair review of Vinnie's first big hit.

Aroma: When I popped the bottle, I got a faceful of citrus and some pine. In the glass, I have tons of sweet honey and biscuits accompanied by a subdued citrus scent, with no hints of pine or earth. The malt backbone of this beer really shows in the nose which is definitely a forceful one. (4)

Colour: A thing of beauty. Pours a clear golden copper, like a shiny penny but on the lighter side. Comes with a big 3cm head, definitely well-carbonated and fluffy. Dissipates over 5 minutes or so into a thin film with a thick collar on the sides. The lacing is sporadic and falls into the glass quickly. (4.5)

Flavour: Robust honey, biscuits and caramel throughout, accentuated by a nice but not overwhelming grapefruity flavour throughout, with a nice, clean and bitter pine finish. The malty sweetness really represents this beer here, and it does it well. It seems to be a Russian River theme- make their beers taste very hoppy but not overwhelmingly bitter or over the top & covering up the malt backbone. (4.5)

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied IPA with excellent carbonation. Resinous but not overly clingy in terms of sticking to the palate. Has a good bitter aftertaste but is not an overwhelming bitterbomb. The interesting thing about the aftertaste is that it lingers for a long time- if I move my tongue around a bit to spread the love some more, it's like the aftertaste is echo'ing in my mouth- extending the experience even more. It's really cool. I don't feel any booziness here even as this beer warms up.. such a smooth drinking beer that disappeared all too quickly. (4.5)

Overall: Pliny's big brother (being that this is Vinnie's original IPA) does not disappoint. It's a nice sweet but not cloyingly sweet IPA that is very hoppy yet is not overwhelmingly bitter- it all comes together very well to make for an interesting, easy drinking experience that is truly refreshing- it doesn't feel watered down at all. It just exchanges excess, unnecessary (IMO) bitterness for more hop flavour (not that much different than Pliny vs super bitter DIPAs) and apparently that's what I prefer on any given day. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 23:17:37 | More by Stevedore

BigbROB

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-22-2013 15:44:33 | More by BigbROB

logicerror

California

4/5  rDev -8.3%

05-22-2013 01:40:33 | More by logicerror

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