Blind Pig IPA - Russian River Brewing Company

MiScusi

California

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From a bottle of the first batch.

A- When in good lighting it pours a clear golden orange, though sometimes can look reddish orange.

S- citric, orange marmalade, a bit floral.

T- Bitter, citrus rind, grapefruity, quite floral actually. Way more floral than I remember it.

M- medium to light-medium body. Carbonation in these bottles is fine.

I must say when I first had Blind Pig a couple years ago I became an instant fan and it was my favorite RR brew. Recently I have found the regular house RR IPA to be more satisfying, though I still enjoy Blind Pig very much.
___
1/29/09
Bumping the last rating up from 4.3-->5.0 This is just an amazing IPA as I have always known but I love the mango fruit aspect to it so much... makes it so unique.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 01:40:32 | More by MiScusi

ironlung

California

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Tried this on tap @ hollingsheads in Orange back in early August. I'd never herd of it but the tap handle looked cool and it said ipa. I speak that language! I loved the stuff. Kenny always has something worth checking out. So get down there if your in the area! This Review is from a bottle i got at Coit Liquor on Union St. in the city.

A: Hazy Amber. Pours with a nice head into mom's 1984 Oktoberfest Big Bear lake mug. Guess I was 3 when we attended that 1 lol.

S: Musty onion is that amarillo?

T: Hopped to perfection in my book(wich is hard) but still so totally drinkable. HARD to accomplish, top notch Vinny!!

M: Crisp, snappy. Perfect carbonation. Nothing about this beer is overbaring.

D: Very high. A great all-night beer if you have the $!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2008 01:55:16 | More by ironlung

roan22

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served in a nonic pint. Rarely available in these parts (Philly)...so every drop is to be savored, its that good.

The appearance is a hazy orangey amber with great foam and lace. The aroma, the depths of which draw you in so deeply, is like a pine forest, and an herb garden (rosemary, what an awesome pungent spiciness), with orange and grapefruit essences and perhaps ginger.

The taste is so smooth, SO drinkable, every sip commands you to have another one. Its clearly the pinnacle of west coast IPAs...hoppy, juicy, delicious lip-smacking bitterness. Nothing about this beer slams you in any negative way, its perfectly brewed. And it just won a silver medal at the GABF 08.

I, among so many other Philadelphians, anxiously await Russian River shipment time every year. To Vinny, thank you for continuing to send your perfect IPAs to my city! Cheers

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2008 02:22:09 | More by roan22

hoplover82

Texas

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I truly and with full honesty think this beer deserves a perfect score. This India Pale Ale has everything a true hophead would ever want in a beer. My favorite by far, and I've had a lot of IPAs.

It pours a hazy almost clear deep golden color. Has a creamy firm off white medium head that leaves great strong lacing.

The aroma is so pungent and complex with citrus, floral, and a little pine. Every kind of fresh citrus fruits you can imagine. It wofts through the whole bottle, and never fades. You don't even have to swirl the glass to get more hop aroma. It's strong throughout.

The flavor is the same as above. All the hops shine like they are one hop veriety, but they are many. The malt is barely detectable, but it's there of coarse. Just a little hint of sweetness. It has a very smooth and soft bitterness. I was told by a faithful soarse that RR only uses tones of late hop additions no "bittering hops", they must truly use a lot to get 70 IBUs with nothing but late additions.

Very drinkable at 6% abv. You can't detect any booziness. I could have 20 of these... just kidding. I wish I could. :)

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 20:32:39 | More by hoplover82

mcstellar

Colorado

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance: light orange with nice white head. citrus aroma.

smell: floral and cirtus with a hint of malt

taste: pine and grassy hop flavors dominate followed by a nice malt background

mouthfeel: medium body and moderate carbonation

drinkability: the perfect hoppy session beer

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 10:24:17 | More by mcstellar

aglose45

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to alexd3891 for a bottle of this one. He is very generous and is truly a great BA.

A: Straw-colored, a little bit hazy, and had a nice, thick, off-white head. Left nice lacing on the glass as I moved through the beer.

S: Pineapple and sweet grapefruit up front, with some other tropical fruits mixed in. My next comment could be because this is a Russian River brew, but this may smell a bit like PtY..? As the beer warms I am getting some piney hops as well.

T: The beer tastes just as the nose suggests, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, other tropical fruits and a bit of pine, this is phenominal! As the beer goes down, it leaves the mouth with a nice bitter finish. Also, there is a very minimal malty-backbone, which is excellent to me.

M: Light bodied, with some resinous and oiliness left in the mouth post swallow. Amazing carbonation for the style.

D: This beer has an amazing flavor, great mouth-feel, and a great smell. This beer has move into my top 3 favorite beers. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2009 19:42:26 | More by aglose45

djbreezy

Washington

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on-tap at Henry's in Portland, OR. Unfortunately, it was poured into a pint glass ;)

appearance - poured a nice amber with good lacing, decent foamy head that settled quickly

smell - fresh and aromatic citrus and pine hops

taste - resinous and citric pine hops with an excellent malt balance

mouthfeel - medium body with good texture, excellent level of carbonation

drinkability - prominent hop taste that is flavorful and enjoyable

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 05:59:36 | More by djbreezy

shrek806

New York

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Surly Darkness snifter. Thanks to Stupac2 for the 500ml bottle.

This lovely specimen poured a light and crisp orange/yellow with a tight 1/2 inch foam head and some serious sticky resin-like lacing.

The smell is tropical fruit all the way-Mango-grapefruit-a hint of peach maybe.

The tatse is so smooth. Much more balanced than i imagined based on the smell. The tropical fruit taste hits you up front. But, after a bit the fruit subsides, and the floral and pine take over, only to finish with just the right amount of bitterness.

The mouthfeel is a tad thin, but nothing earthshattering. It still finishes with a good amount of body and flavor.

The overall drinkability is top-notch.

5/5

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:45:15 | More by shrek806

jimilayne

New York

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Blind Pig is like the child of a Pliny & Heady and the Pliny & Heady got a divorce and the Pliny gained custody.

Perhaps the best nose ever. It gives off delightful citrus hoppy aroma and then follows up with a taste that does not disappoint. Perfectly light bodied and drinkable.

One of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:36:04 | More by jimilayne

Tastybrew

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Copper in color, medium carbonation, the head only sticks around for a minute or two but the lacing sticks around long after the glass is empty.

S: The nose is like putting your bag into a fresh bag of Cascade hops. Just the smell alone makes you want to take a swig of this easy to drink and perfectly resinous, fresh cut and mouthwatering brew.

T: The taste of this beer sets the bar for all of the other IPA's in my opinion. The taste is as close to perfect for an IPA that I have found. It is quite a bit less robust with the hop punch than other beers like Heady Topper and Day Tripper by Indeed Brewing which are both delicious but the hops and pine character is much more present..

M: Mouthfeel is painless. This beer is very easy to drink for anyone who loves IPA's.

O: This beer has been executed perfectly. Just enough hops to make it smell fresh with a hint of floral along with a slight back note of bitterness. I love this beer it is everything an IPA should be.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 17:40:10 | More by Tastybrew

chrisgalvin

California

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The very first DIPA and it's my most favorite of the DIPAs, except for PtY when it's on tap. I like this better than PtE because it feels big, bitter and well balanced. Hate to be a pretentious arse, but there's a bar down the street from my house and they have it ontap all the time, and like PtE, I have to have one of these a week.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:34:27 | More by chrisgalvin

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Light golden yellow body with a thin lacing that covers about half of the top.
S- Big pine and citrus hops. Tons of fruits in there along with all the pine. Peach, grapefruit, orange, and a few others I can't pin point.
T- Huge upfront hops. Grapefruit, peach, light orange, and pine all flood the mouth. There is a nice balance between pine and the fruits but pine is winning. Nice decent size malt body. Finishes with a dry aftertaste along with fruits and a strong pine flavor.
M- Medium to full body with medium to low carbonation.
D- This is the best IPA I have ever had. It may be even close to the best beer I have ever had. I would like to have it side by side with some other favorites and see if this one would come through (I believe it would come out VERY close to #1 if not #1. I would give this beer a 4.999 if I could but of course you can't.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2007 07:49:31 | More by BlindPig

goschool

California

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: The pour is hazy lightish gold topped by two fingers of frothy white head.

Smell: The nose has fresh hoppy pine, grapefruit, and grass up front and ever so slightly sweet peach, mango, and orange.

Taste: The flavor profile has everything that's in the nose and they're all that they could be and more. The grass and pine are juicy, as are the citrus and tropical fruit, which also bring a hint of sweetness without tasting sugarfied. It's super hoppy, but it's crisp and refreshing and it doesn't smack you in the face with bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It's light to medium bodied and wet without feeling watery with lively carbonation.

Drinkability: No question, this would be my desert island beer. It's loaded with flavor, yet easy drinking, crisp, and refreshing. As close to a perfect beer as I can imagine.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2008 06:59:09 | More by goschool

Tybarnett

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When brewing at home you always have an idea about how you want a batch to turn out. I now know that until I get close to reaching the level of this beer. I know I will never be happy!

This is one of the finest IPA's on earth. The aroma alone it reason enough to buy it. It is truely a exceptional IPA. With notes of zesty citurs and vanilla. It is perfectly balanced. It pours giving you a wonderful aroma. Drinking is heaven.

A+

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2009 01:23:23 | More by Tybarnett

SenorBeaver

California

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Delicious. Low alcohol for an IPA at 6.1% but full of flavor.

Refreshing hoppy taste; definatley representative of a CA IPA.

Love the sediment and the feel of the Ale.

Stands on its own, seperate from the other great beers of Russian River.

Purchased at Whole Foods in Thousands Oaks about 3 weeks in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 05:14:23 | More by SenorBeaver

SFGuy187

California

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is up there in my Top 3 single IPAs at the moment, and I actually prefer Blind Pig over Pliny the Elder. Poured from a 500 mL bottle, freshness date prominently displayed. This was bottled less than 2 weeks ago.

A: Muted yellow-orange with a nice fluffy white head. A little cloudy. Plenty of lacing.

S: Very floral bouquet of hops. I don't get any of the sweetness from less balanced IPAs ... just a nice and potent blast of fresh hops.

T: A little bitter, but very well balanced against the malt bill. No single note overpowers the other (i.e. citrus vs. pine), and a very subtle hint of honey.

M - Very smooth, balanced, creamy and light (for an IPA).

O - I don't know if it is just me getting older, but I enjoy the fact that Blind Pig is so balanced with a lower abv% than a lot of IPAs out there. Very drinkable and one of the best IPAs on the planet. A perfect example of the west coast style.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 19:29:49 | More by SFGuy187

beerfan99

Virginia

4.96/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

500 ml bottle

A: Amber/orange color with a faint white head. Carbonated well to leave a lasting head. White lacing on the glass tracked my progress.

S: Incredible hop aroma.

T: Hop flavors match the aroma. Perfect balance between hops and malt.

M: Very pleasing to the palate. Hop bitterness leaves a dry feeling, which only makes me want more.

O: An excellent single IPA from Russian River Brewing Company. My only complaint is that Vinny does not distribute his IPAs in bottles to the East Coast.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 05:35:22 | More by beerfan99

SirSketch

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to gford217 for the LIF and trade!

Varies in color from light yellow to light orange. Small head with beautiful lacing and a head that clings like hell. Huge grapefruit and lemon aroma. Complex malt characteristics and spice scents.

The hop taste is the most fresh I've ever tasted. The bitterness is perfect and so well balanced with the malt character. Grapefruit and lemon are apparent here as well, and some more tropical fruit flavors. It is medium to full bodied and very sticky in the mouth and throat. The taste stays long after you swallow. Awesome flavor, but not too overwhelming to drink easily.

This is the closest I have come to rating a beer as perfect, and I believe I was right in doing so. This beer is amazing and is sure to please any hop-head, such as myself!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 00:44:26 | More by SirSketch

fbinla

California

4.95/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Amazing clarity, amber color with lots of carbonation with a nice white head. With a crisp hop smell and a little sweet maltiness. First sip strong bitterness, second sip hops mellow a little more on the tongue, clean fresh, then a nice maltiness that blends wonderful with the bitterness.

This is an awesome IPA, easy to drink clean, refreshing on a hop day.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 05:36:36 | More by fbinla

Dijeriduster

California

4.95/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer that started it all....for San Diego County. Originally brewed by Temecula Brewing this beer inspired Stone, Ballast, Alpine and all the others to start brewing. Thank you Vinnie!

A - Slightly hazy, golden to amber colour. Nice creamy head and lacing from both the tap and bottle.

S - More subtle hop tones smelling of ample dry hopping. Reminds me of a casked IPA even though its straight from the tap.

T - Wonderful citrus flavours with a well rounded malty base. Hops aren't quite as bitter as in Pliny, but well established.

M - Slightly thin vs. more "modern" IPA's from San Diego. Still retains an almost creamy, full feel with a little swishing.

D - Spectacular brew! Easy to drink IPA with plenty of hops for hopheads and a more moderate alcohol content then IIPAs. While hop flavours are more pronounced with warmth, mouthfeel does suffer a little. My only complaint on this, perhaps the archetypal CLASSIC West Coast IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2009 20:01:23 | More by Dijeriduster

hrmhrm

California

4.95/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Looks as nice as any amberish beer.

Smell makes me want to drink it, now.

Taste is great, right up there with the same brewery's Plinys.

Mouthfeel is nice and hoppy, the way I like it.

I don't know what drinkability is. Any beverage is "drinkable" technically. Any help here?

Russian River beers are hard to find, even in California. Why is that? Are they inept at distribution or something? These beers should be enjoyed the world over.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 21:49:55 | More by hrmhrm

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.93/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: I recently had the distinct pleasure to sample copious Pints of this over several days on draft at Russian River Brewing Company. In short this was so good that I decided to grab a Brewery filled Growler (expertly filled to the brim by Matt on Monday) to bring home. After spending the night in the fridge it was time to crack this puppy and ravage it. The Review is for the Growler.

Listed as:
6.0%ABV / 1.0?? O.G / 65 BUs
Blind Pig IPA: (More information coming soon)

Appearance: Lush self-assertive brass-golden-orange with a perfectly lucid body. A handful of streamers punctuate the torso. Faded cartridge paper head looks matted but retains a nice creamy look; the cloth cap survives a thinning but never gets below ¼”. Ridged ring-type lacing braces the interior of the glass. Middling conditioning is nicely dissolved and of medium strength, lively but short-lived on the swirl. The appearance is of a brew that has nothing to hide and everything to give.

Nose: Each gentle swirl invokes a short-lived burst of carbonation which in turn seems to release a massive hop-laden burst of aromas and a “fresh from the hop field” spiky greenness. Piney hops are inter-mingled with a nice cushion of cut grass and a mild fruity aspect with a feint backdrop of Christmassy coniferous bursts. Hmmmm, damn good.

Taste: After the nose you think you know how good this one will be; and it doesn’t let you down, it is equal to the inviting nose, but maybe not as good. However, the high bitter hops in the nose are balanced on the palate with well placed malts and a juicy fruitiness that are both well distributed by the soft conditioning. Raw, biting, fresh, crushed hop-cone finish mingles with a rasping sharp lemony-grapefruit pull on the cheeks. Has a nice puckering bitterness that is balanced, to some degree, by the malts though. I can’t help but think of this as anything but a definitive version of the West Coast IPA. I am sure the professional and home Brewers amongst us could add a critique or expand on a technical 'room-for-improvement' comment here or there, and peg this as a 4.5, but for me, as a "sat at the bar punter", this is just perfect. I couldn't add anymore to this, and if could, it would just be a bonus.

Mouthfeel: Man’s best friend and much more a Guide Dog than a Blind Pig. Devoted, dependable, solid, always there for you, subservient and at your beckon call, it keeps an eye out for you too. It never looses anything, start to finish. Far from overpowering, unlike the heavy-hitting IPA’s out there this 6.4% version looses nothing in Mouthfeel or Drinkability to its strength. Dare I say that the RR Blind Pig IPA has that (very) dangerous “Pliny the Younger” Mouthfeel; you’ll know what I mean by that if you have had the latter.

Drinkability: So drinkable, just ever-so dangerously quaffable. Even with all of the great RRBC beers available, some 10 or so regular (sic) and Belgian styles during my visit, I found myself constantly returning to the Blind Pig IPA as my “comfort Pint”. The thing is, at 6.4% ABV it does have a tendency to creep up on you in the evening when you started drinking just after midday, it knocked me out on New Years Eve for sure. Equally adept as a stand alone brew, I had a half of the Growler before I demolished a home-made curry, yet even after that feisty spicy monster, the remaining half Growler of the Blind Pig IPA cuts through my spiced tingling curry tongue and it *still* delivers, this is a Curry beer for sure, always the sign of a great IPA I find.

Overall: Another Tasty Adult Beverage; indeed. Do NOT leave RRBC without sampling at least a Gallon of this at the Bar then getting yourself a Growler, or two, before you depart, you’ll need it for when you start to get the withdrawal symptoms…..I did!!!

*Highly Recommended*.

Serving type: growler

01-04-2006 06:55:50 | More by TheLongBeachBum

franksnbeans

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear burned orange with lively carbonation and big creamy head that dies into sheets of lacing. Holy moley the smell! Smells like a bag of the world finest reefer! Or big juicy piney hops! Taste is nothing but the finest hops, so juicy, so piney, so delicious! A little malty balance to make this a masterpiece. Medium in the mouth with good carbonation and an awesome bitter hop finish. Sessionable? I wish I had this on demand to session. Honestly the best IPA I've had to date.

Serving type: growler

09-22-2007 18:41:27 | More by franksnbeans

jordoo

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

500ml bottle poored into a pint glass. Thanks for sending this one Rick!

A golden honey colored body with an orange tinted hue. It displays a lage off white head that us sticky, cream and well brillaint. Excellent lace deposits all around the glass on this. As if it didn't look good enough the nose comes through evenn better, WOW! Super fresh and oozing with pine, pineapple, grapefruit and orange/lemon zest. The taste is again exceptional with the same exploading juicey hop flavors as in the nose plus some dry/spiceness on a very well done sweet malted canvase. This beer is between med/thick but with a great hop oil feel that keeps it going down smooth. Overall even though Blind Pig is extreme and bursting with flavor it is in no way overwellming. Just as well done as an IPA can be IMO.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2008 18:07:13 | More by jordoo

gibby

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

First off I need to give props to Matt at capones for always having such and exeptional take out and on draft list..especially during the draft events. He does it up top notch.

Blind pig is an excellent ipa, very drinkable. Golden amber appearance with minimal head, excellent lacing. Smells of citrus and even honey with malt mixed in here and there. Mouthfeel is very good and they go down very easily. I stopped myself after 2 but I could have easily had 2 more without any problem, too bad I drove there. Russian river hit it right on the button with this brew. Its super tasty and I love it. Cannot wait until its sold in PA on a regular basis.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2008 20:30:14 | More by gibby