Blind Pig IPA - Russian River Brewing Company

magictacosinus

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

I've had this many times, but it's so yummy that I always end up finishing it before writing a proper review. Not this time! Poured out of a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. Label shows that it was bottled on "10/30/12," and it was consumed on November 4th, 2012. This review is based on my notes.

Pours a golden-amber color that is about as pristine and crystal-clear looking as Pliny. Contains playful amount of bubbles that rise towards the top of the glass, complete with an initial 3 finger head. As the head settles, there's loads of cobwebby lacing that remain on the walls of the glass. Absolutely beautiful, and I don't see how it could be improved as a result.

Many people agree that Blind Pig is kind of like Pliny without the extra kick, and with the aroma, I can see why. Overall, there's an initial burst of tangy floral notes, as well as an enormous piny backdrop. Unlike Pliny, there isn't as much grapefruit fruity flavors, but it's undeniable that this has a citrus smell and oily hop aroma as all get-out, and especially smells like an enormous orange grove of sorts. The presence of alcohol is minor here, but there are still honey sweet aromas melded with slight yeastiness. If you ask me, smells pretty damn fantastic overall.

The flavor is about the same experience as the aroma, except with several key differences. For one, the tip of the tongue experiences strong pine needle flavors mixed with a hopped oiliness. At the back of the tongue, the yeastiness eventually reveals itself in an astringent manner, except that it eventually settles and the hops continue to glide everywhere. When this beer is consumed fresh, this effect is pretty magical, and tastes delicious and vibrant. Earthy notes abound, and the citrus flavor is everlasting. This is pretty much just as syrupy as Pliny, and has just as much carbonation, but somehow isn't as balanced when it comes to melding the malts with pines and hops. Definitely more floral as well. Still, very fine and smooth stuff overall.

Probably one of the best IPAs I'll ever have, this is really easy to down in several minutes for hopheads, especially considering how smooth and balanced the drinking experience is. I'm really spoiled with Pliny at this rate and always try to find it over Blind Pig... But that's unfair, and I should pack myself more with this when I have the chance. Don't think of it as a "Pliny-lite," but rather another fantastic and original offering from Russian River. So drink up!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 19:25:26 | More by magictacosinus

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

chossboss

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-17-2013 04:40:33 | More by chossboss

Cboat

California

4.75/5  rDev +8.9%

05-16-2013 17:35:18 | More by Cboat

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.46/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to leschkie for this one...

A: Pours a nice translucent yellow/orange gold with one full finger of pure white head. The foam takes a bit to settle and there is only a bit of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is pine and orange citrus. It smells wonderfully hoppy without overdoing it. I get a little bit of malty sweetness but only in the background.

T: It starts off wet and flavorful. Light sweetness with drying pine hops up front. Sweeter in the middle ad the orange citrus notes begin to shine. The back end is a touch vegetal. Hoppy and a touch dry. Nice.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's light and refreshing to start. The beer hits the palate bright but soft. The flavors swirl in the middle and there is a hoppy bite to dry it out in the finish.

O: Very nice. This is something that I would love to drink as often as possible. Too bad Russian River is a few thousand miles away.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 13:08:57 | More by trxxpaxxs

deekyn

California

3.5/5  rDev -19.7%

05-16-2013 04:04:38 | More by deekyn

gfap61

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-15-2013 20:01:59 | More by gfap61

HarmonMW

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-15-2013 19:33:59 | More by HarmonMW

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-15-2013 17:42:22 | More by twenty5

Zimm

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-15-2013 16:57:47 | More by Zimm

campfirebrew

New York

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-15-2013 12:05:39 | More by campfirebrew

Zbeetleman

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%

05-15-2013 03:31:16 | More by Zbeetleman

pk18

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%

05-14-2013 03:03:19 | More by pk18