Blind Pig IPA - Russian River Brewing Company

SnowFlowMfg

California

3.95/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this really fresh and poured into a tulip; an early September batch.

A: Pours a slightly hazy straw-amber with a decent one finger head that remained to the finish. Nice and sticky on the sides with an oily looking legs. Hard to have a beer look bad in my opinion.

S: Smells like a lighter version of Pliny but a little bit harsher, maybe. Otherwise it has the nice piney smell initially followed by a light sweetness mixed with some tropical fruits. A little bit of booze smell on the end. Smells great but not as heavenly as the Pliny.

T: I feel like this tastes like a slightly less refined and lighter Pliny. I know I keep comparing this to Pliny but I had these side by side and the two were somewhat similar. This has the strong piney hop flavor initially hitting you with bitterness holding to the end. Very slight sweetness and a little harshness from the hops in the middle but finishes smooth and clean.

M: I did not like the mouthfeel too much. It honestly felt very much like water to me. Too light both in body and carbonation. Considering the oily appearance I was a little disappointed that it didn't feel more substantial.

O: Feels like a less refined Pliny with a mouthfeel like water. Easy drinking, but not as refreshing or extraordinary as I would expect.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 23:48:17 | More by SnowFlowMfg

MeowTom

4.1/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours an unfiltered hazy gold with a nice head that sticks around for a bit and then disappears. I'm torn to say if that might affect appearance, because of how it disappears all together. I will leave it at a 4, but just remember I might be somewhat closer to a 3.7 range.

S- Great smell hops, apples, citrus and pine.

T- A sticky piney hop taste. There is a smooth hopiness that blooms into a more bitter after taste. A fresh crisp hop flavor is very present. This is a great APA hoppy beer that has some very well thought out ideas. I think I remember reading somewhere that he brewed this to cover up some of the flaws in old brew equipment at Blind Pig and then when he went to RR he cleaned the recipe up a bit, and it shows.

M- Medium body and great carbonation. Compliments the beer very well.

O- A very very good American IPA that has a wonderful piney hop flavor that makes me feel like I am in a pine forest. Would highly recommend it as a classic APA style beer. Another fine beer from Russian River. I might get some slack, but in many ways I think this is better than Pliny the Elder. I know Pliny is a double, but if the hop choices made with Blind Pig are just awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 22:07:09 | More by MeowTom

Patrick2012

California

4.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in 16 oz Tulip Glass

A: Medium amber color, foamy white head that leaves a little bit of lacing but not much

S: Nice Citrusy smell with some pine in it. not a super strong smell.

T: Hoppy and a little malty with the citrus fruit taste still in there. Very bitter but a little bit of sweetness shows. Pine is also in the mix and sticks out nicely. overall a great taste

M: Bitterness at the back of my tongue, not a very intense aftertaste but it's good

O: Very good IPA that Russian River has made. A lot like Pliny but a tad lighter. I enjoyed drinking this very much.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 00:52:33 | More by Patrick2012

ikantspel

California

4.8/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

500 ml into a russian river chalice

Bottled 9 days ago on 8.10.12

Pours a clear bronze color with a bubbly foam head

Tangerine, grapefruit, and pine in the nose

Refreshing citruses, and pine dominate the flavor. Finishes with just the right ammount of bitterness for an ipa

Definatly a good startee beer if your trying to get someone into ipas. What a perfect example

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 02:03:46 | More by ikantspel

elNopalero

Texas

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

This pours an amber tan color with tremendous white foam. The aroma is full on orange and orange marmalade. So fresh and vibrant. Eminently pleasing flavor. Makes me think of orange and grape blossoms with some grapefruit citrusy notes. All through the miracle of hops! Nice body on this, piney and hoppy, with a rounded bitterness and a dry finish. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 08:31:47 | More by elNopalero

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into Founders snifter. Big thanks to DeanoMac for this one. Bottled 7/28/12, less then 3 weeks ago.

A- Pours a slightly hazy slightly brownish orange golden. About a quarter of a finger of white foamy bubbly head that has decent retention but eventually fades to almost no head. Slightly below average carbonation.

S- Citrus orange hops, a little bit of grapefruit, some mangoes, about average aroma strength.

T- Orange hops, light lemon, some grapefruit, a little bit tangy, finishes with a light hop taste that is fairly bitter and a tiny bit of booze. Light orange, lemon, grapefruit aftertaste. Nice citrus taste, but finishes a little bit too bitter for my taste.

M- Medium to slightly light bodied, easy to drink, average carbonation.

O- This was a decent IPA, but definitely not one of my favorites especially from Russian River. I enjoyed this beer however it didn't have the flavor that I was hoping it would have and finished a tiny bit too bitter for my liking. I recommend trying this beer out, but I wouldn't say it's a must have.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:27:31 | More by jaasen64

Momar42

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle dated 072812 into Duvel tulip

A - clear deep orange with nice fluffy head. Head dissipates fairly quickly leaving minimal lacing.

S - west coast hops dominate. Quite a hoppy nose as expected. Not as abundant nose as I was looking for but still solid for an IPA.

T - hops don't really announce themselves on the palate until the back end. There is a peppery quality to the finish. Smooth overall but honestly lacking abit of body. One dimensional hop profile but what it does it does well.

M - spot on for the style. Smooth and creamy with a nice bite at the end. It's a RR so this shouldn't be much of a surprise.

O - no, this isn't PtE but I didn't expect it to be. This is a quality IPA from a truly fantastic brewery. The aroma could be slightly more pronounced and the flavor profile a tad more robust. Otherwise extremely good. I wouldn't pay a premium for this but I would love to have it on draft anyday and would never turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 00:20:08 | More by Momar42

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from 10/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a medium orange amber with a moderate, fast dissipating head, leaving lacing. Hoppy aroma. Hops, citrus; hoppy finish. Somewhat muted, like a watered down Pliny the Elder. OK, but don't see the point. I'm not getting the same positive experience as other reviewers. Purchased from a rarely visited store, so maybe an old bottle. If I'm lucky enough to see this again, I'll revise the review.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 19:17:25 | More by LiquidAmber

Nay

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Over the top west coast ipa. Pale, American 2 row with dextrine malt simple flavor and body. Aroma strong clean citrus rind hops. Strong hop flavor, like distilled grapefruit essence. What it lacks in balance it makes up for in deliciousness and real
coast style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 03:02:08 | More by Nay

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well this was a real nice treat. I was out to dinner and saw this one the draft list. I made sure I ordered as many as I could handle in one sitting. The beer poured out as a nice golden color with a brilliant white head on top. The lacing is nice a sticky on this one. The smell of the beer is piney and full of citrusy hop aromas. It smells so refreshing. The taste of the beer is also very nice, hopped up like crazy with a clean malt backbone. The mouthfeel is very sharp and crisp with a strong carbonation to it. Overall this beer was very good, I'm glad I finally finished the trio from Russian River. All were excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 03:00:07 | More by Knapp85

cvm4

Mississippi

4.08/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled July 9th, 2012.

A - Pours a clear gold with a slight amber hue. Frothy off-white head.

S - Clean pineapple and grapefruit. A good amount of pine as well.

T - Strong pine hops with clean malts. Bitter hop, orange peel finish.

M - Such a crisp beer. finishes dry. Very drinkable.

O - Not as well balanced as Pliny but not far behind. Takes the pine/orange peel route.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 18:58:42 | More by cvm4

Brabander

Netherlands

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was drank by me a couple of months ago at a houseboat tasting in Amsterdam. Vanlingleipa, Frank, was our host during a fabulous tasting.

Frank spoke highly about this beer and this was one of the better beers we had that day...and boy we had some beers .

The blind pig is very drinkable and very hoppy with a darkyellow fluid.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 22:01:50 | More by Brabander

cfrances33

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Monk's Cafe in Philly (6/22/12). Served in a shaker.

Pour: Golden orange with minimal cloudiness. Finger of fluffy white head. Decent lacing.

Smell: Pine and citrus nose. Not much malt to be found, maybe a little towards the bottom and it warmed up.

Taste: Citrus at first, followed by pine in the middle, and a bready, light caramel malt at the end.

Mouthfeel: Hops are juicy, but overall pretty light and dry. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 18:23:13 | More by cfrances33

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into a Nonic Pint. Pick up at the brewery.
Bottle on 5-28-12, so it's about a month old.

A- Pours a clear dark golden color, maybe a little orangish, with 3 fingers of thick, creamy, white colored head that has some good staying power.

S- Strong IPA smell here. Lots of grapefruit and ripe pineapple.

T- Lot's of fresh pine taste up front from the hops, ends with a nice dry finish. The pine flavors are sticky.

M- Feels like the low side of full bodied, with a refreshing amount of carbonation.

O- A solid IPA. Huge amount of bright, piny, citrusy, character. Refreshing on these hot summer days.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 05:02:15 | More by rfbenavi80

magine

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tap at Teresa's - hazy orange minimal head lots of lace. Brew has big hop nose, citrus and grapefruit maybe. Brew has big hops, crisp start, pineapple, corriander, some slick oil in the finish. Real good crisp finish that has some tart bitterness. Very drinkable brew here, a standout . Great stuff; An exceptional IPA here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 00:38:46 | More by magine

parris

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

S - Earthy, grapefruity when it sits, some fruity notes right after pouring or swirling... Peaches possibly?

A - Golden with a white head, it actually looks like an American light lager

T - Pine, grapefruit, metal up front, then pine, then bitter.

M - Low medium body, somewhat bitter-puckery

O - Damn good all around, very standard IPA, but not incredibly exciting.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 20:43:23 | More by parris

Casedogg43

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ran through a pretty good gaunlet of Pales last night.
I appreciated them all. Zombie Dust, Blind Pig, Pliney, 90 min, hopslam...
This one was terrific.

S - wonderful citrus and grapefruit smell. Inviting to say the least.

T - Starts strong with the hops and citrus, and stays consistent. Not as balanced as Pliney, but very close. Wonderful taste.

M - Crisp and tasty.

O - Big Fan of this Pig. Russian River delivers on this one. Thanks to John Neal for returning from his San Fransico trip with some goodies to share!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 00:36:33 | More by Casedogg43

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into pint at falling rock in denver. Pours a clear golden amber with nice foam head and good lacing. Smells of nice candy hops. Taste is really smooth candy like hops with a super crisp malt finish. Really well balanced and full of nice flavor. Such a well crafted IPA. Well worth a visit from anyone!!

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2012 00:07:12 | More by DrinkSlurm

WesM63

Ohio

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz bottle into a RR Pint. Bottled on 5/28, almost 3 weeks old.

A: Pours a very clear golden amber with a 1finger white head. Some retention and lacing are present.

S: Smells of pine/resin and citrus and some tropical fruits.

T: Pine/resin up front some malts peak through in the middle with a bitter hop finish.

M: Light body, low carbonation.

O: Overall, a slight letdown. Smells delicious, but doesn't deliver on the taste. It's still a great brew, just doesn't quite live up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 21:32:45 | More by WesM63

Rollzroyce21

California

4.7/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled date May 28, 2012, poured into Firestone Walker pint glass.

Reviewing as I drink.

S - Piney resin with orange/tangerine peel. Not the best smelling IPA, but inviting.

T - It's so nectar-y that it's got this kind of light tang or tartness to it that rolls from the front of the tongue towards the back throughout the sip. It then lingers for a second. Pine-y hops come in during the 2nd half of the sip while that tangy-ness is going on.

M - Light-bodied and drinkable. Light crisp level of carbonation.

O - Very balanced, well-crafted, and interesting. Had this both from tap and bottle on multiple occasions and never have I been disappointed. One of my TOP 5 IPA/DIPAs. Very suitable in So. CA summer weather!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 22:49:19 | More by Rollzroyce21

Spider889

Ohio

2.05/5  rDev -53%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

On draft at the Mountain Sun brewpub in Boulder on 9/24/11. Assuming it was fresh since it was draft and the week of GABF...

A - Appears cloudy and unfiltered. Kinda ugly but some of the best IPA's are unfiltered (usually they smell better anyways) so I wasn't too worried. Has a short cap of white foam atop a thin looking beer of super pale wheat color.

S - Tangerine peel and wheat with some pithy citrus rind. Not bad, but nothing that impressive either tbh.

T - Oi, this was bland as hell. Same mild citrus that I found in the aroma plus a little pineapple to mingle with the tangerine. There's just no body or depth here to carry the positive aspects of the beer through to the finish though. No malt flavor at all.

M - Zoinks, Scooby... it's a mystery why this beer is so widely regarded. This was WAY over carbonated. Drinking it was painful... like a freshly opened bottle of Perrier mineral water except on steroids (pretend you somehow managed to dissolve several of those mini-CO2 cartridges in the beer before serving it).

O - This was unpleasant to drink. I wanted to dump it but we had to consume this outside the restaurant was so damn busy. I really wanted to like this, but hell... it was terrible. The main issue was the carbonation (which I will assume the local tap lines are to blame, not RR). But the flavor was dull and muted, with a lackluster aroma.

All I can think is that this was an old and severely mistreated keg of beer which was then hooked up to improperly functioning tap lines. I definitely want to try this again (preferably from a fresh bottle), but I don't hold super high hopes right now.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 10:02:26 | More by Spider889

vkv822

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

on-tap at Belmont Station.
from notes.

Clear golden, foamy bone-white head.

Big, juicy citric and lightly tropical fruits.

Citric upfront, with a bitter, pine finish.

Medium-thin body with active carbonation.

A well done IPA, interesting contrast between big citric fruity nose and more of a pine emphasis on the palate.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 05:28:33 | More by vkv822

OTB

California

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fresh Bottle poured into tulip. Nice copper salmon color with a very tight creamy inch thick cap that hangs on to the glass leaving wave length patterns as I sip down. Nose is pretty straight forward with nice citrus fruits and pine forest. Flavor is along the same lines with very nice lemon and mango notes, bitter hops and a nice blanket of bready malt to keep it all cohesive, very nice balance. Blind Pig is a quality IPA often overshadowed by it's siblings but worth seeking out for a nice citrusy bitter balanced brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 00:53:02 | More by OTB

mjtiernan

New York

4.2/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into a standard tulip. Bottled on 041312.

A: A smooth pour provides a nice white two-finger head. Body is a very clear slightly amber golden with rising bubbles. Nice lacing...average retention.

S: Sweet malt and fairly intense citrus, and slightly spicy pine resin. Very inviting.

T: Lots of pine and grapefruit. Nicely bitter. The hops dominate the malt. Finish is short and a bit watery. Flavor profile reminds me of SN Torpedo turned up to 11.

M: Mostly dry and moderately abrasive. Body is light-to-medium and carb is on the fizzy side.

O: Not as bright and complex as its big brother Pliny, but certainly a deliciously drinkable IPA that is a showcase for hops and the West Coast style.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:17:09 | More by mjtiernan

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

Bottled on 1/6/12.

A: Golden-yellow with a fluffy, white head. No lace and little retention.

S: Malt up front. Hops are there but great balance.

T: Again, very balanced. Delicious, fruity hops. Everything is subdued and comes together to create a great beer.

M: So smooth. Little to no carbonation. Way too easy to drink. Insane.

O: A damn good, balanced IPA. Worth the hype? Probably.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 00:45:26 | More by Gatch