Damnation Batch 23 (Oak Aged) - Russian River Brewing Company

Brent

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wonderfully smooth, with any rough edges sanded down and given a light polish. Bright and lively, with sharp carbonation and a moderately fruity character that avoids straying into an excessively yeasty realm. ETOH is well integrated into the flavor, lending a bit of black pepper bite toward the end. A top-notch example of the style that can go toe-to-toe with anythign from Belgium.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 21:22:12 | More by Brent

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub.

A: Pours a brownish/golden color with some amber hues. Provides a small white foam head that quickly dissipated to a film and then went away completely. There is some spotty lacing.

S: There is some citrus, mostly pineapple and lemon zest, cloves, alcohol, wood and some lightly buttered bread.

T: Starts off with a good amount of malt, mostly buttered bread, caramel and toffee. In the middle there is some citrus flavored hops that balance out the sweetness. On the backend the wood and oak really come through along with some alcohol.

M: A full bodied beer that is quite heavy on the tongue and mouth. Leaves a thick oak feel on the palate.

O: A really nice Tripel. The oak is not overdone and adds nice balance. I enjoyed this more on tap than in the bottle. Certainly would enjoy more of this if I could get my hands on it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 01:25:06 | More by IronCitySteve

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub. Not having had this beer in some time, I was really looking forward to trying this beer on tap.

The beer pours a solid gold color with good head retention and decent lacing. The nose is attractive as well, showcasing honey, clove and vanilla. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this moderately sweet beer, though I confess I was expecting a bit more flavor from the barrel aging. Frankly, this doesn't taste all that different from the regular damnation... I get a bit more vanilla, but that's really about it. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and the 11% alcohol is amazingly well disguised and integrated into the flavor profile.

Shrug. A very well crafted beer, no doubt, but I guess my expectations were a bit unreasonably raised, given my experience with the bottle version a few years back.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2011 15:25:29 | More by johnmichaelsen

scottfrie

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the brewery. Third brewing, meaning batch 69.

A: Served a cloudy golden apple juice color with a thin what film that quickly faded into a lasting collar.
S: Sweet golden fruits, white wine, peppery spices, and golden raisins.
T: Similar to regular Damnation but with more alcohol and fruit and a bit of a barrel quality reminiscent to white wine. There is a honey sweetness in the finish as well as a splash of apple juice. The beer is also very spicy overall, with notes of pepper, yeast, and coriander.
M: Thickish body, dry viscous mouthfeel and creamy carbonation. This was wonderful to drink, and I could not detect the double digit alcohol at all.
O: Really fruity and flavorful with a great mouthfeel. Can’t wait to see how it is out of the bottle.

5/18/11: Batch 23, thanks Mike.
This has held amazingly. Ultra smooth and integrated. No alcohol flavor. The fruit has really blossomed. Drink 'em if you got 'em!

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 15:37:07 | More by scottfrie

litheum94

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap. Batch 23/69.

Pours an opaque golden leaning towards amber body. Some off-white head, but not much at all. Leaves some bubbles on the side of the glass.

Aromas of oak, Belgian yeast and citric sourness. A vague fruit sweetness as well.

Very woody with tons of oak flavors right away. Raspberry like sweetness. Sourness is very subtle, presenting itself more like a lemon zest. Lots of earthiness as well, with that classic taste of Belgian yeast. Slow alcohol burn on the finish.

Not as bold as their other sours, but a great take on an already pretty good beer. Very tasty. I'm interested to see how it ages.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2011 02:00:13 | More by litheum94

animortician

California

4.88/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Been eyeing this on the coming soon list for ever. One of the few RR beers I haven't been able to try yet.

A: Rich Golden color. One finger head that dissipated quickly. Great clarity and appearance overall.

S:Spicy and peppery. Hint of Coriander. If I didn't know what this beer was my first guess from the smell would be a Tripel.

T:AMAZING, How is 10.5% hidden so well in this.? Amazingly drinkable. Very well balanced Tripel, not to sweet not to boosey. Malty and almost tart at the same time.

M: Smooth and Buttery.

O: Well Done Vinne! This beer lived up to my expectations even though I've been waiting for a few years to try it. Carbonation, Malt, Alcohol, and flavor all balanced very well!

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 04:47:55 | More by animortician

benclimbs

California

4.72/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours blonde, off-opaque with no head or lacing - not surprising at this ABV

Smell is wonderful, malty, bready with big persimon character along with more fruity, yeasty, earthy and woody goodness - mmm mmm.

taste is simply amazing, it has a spice/fruit mixture that is almost like apple cidre, with plenty of vanilla, oak character and a clean, not quite bitter but not sweet finish - totally unique, and totally amazing.

Feel is good, normal for this kind of a beer, not overly slick at all.

Drinkability is gorgeous - I really think this is perhaps the most drinkable 11% beer i've had thus far, the style comes through, and it maintains all the spice and dryness a triple should have.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 04:21:44 | More by benclimbs

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On Tap Toronado SF, had two 6oz $4 pours.

What a find and a gem. To start, I like Duvel better than Damnation hands down, no question...period. Enter batch 23 2009 drank today, 2/25/2011

No comparison. Batch 23 over Duvel anyday. Belgian yeast on steriods, bananas, cloves and oak. Smells creamy even. Taste and mouthfeel blew me away.

Creamy mouthfeel, unmatched. The Oak blended perfectly with the Belgian yeast, an almost perfect beer.

Don't hesitate if you see this on tap. It's a MUST HAVE. Home Run. Never experienced an American brewer nail a Belgian style like this before. Well Done.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 22:59:47 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

nataku00

California

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 46 (oak chips) poured into a tulip. Cloudy yellow with a finger of frothy pure white head. Head dropped to half a finger, leaving a bit lacing on the glass. Some carbonation visible at the edge of the glass, but the beer is really cloudy.

Nose is very oaky, nectarines, coriander, and biscuit malts. The oak takes the spot light though.

Taste is dominated by the oak again. Beyond the oak, there is some fruitiness on the tip of the tongue, stone fruit like peaches and nectarines, but also the biscuit malts through the finish with a bit of pepper.

Medium bodied, silky, with medium levels of carbonation. Fairly easy to drink, but the oak is too overbearing for me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2011 04:55:36 | More by nataku00

robbyc1

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap in San Diego, what a find!

Hazy off yellow with an intriguing look. Tight white head that lasted a bit.

Deep malty nose, never had a triple before that was oak aged, it really smells like a good bit of wood and maltiness. Well balanced and knowing I'm gonna like the taste.

Better than expected taste, the oak washes throughout, giving it sophistication, and the subtle nose gives way to Belgian malt and esters beautifully. A deep and safisfying taste for a triple. Quite dry at the end, more from the oak than hops. A bit of funkiness as well.

Full and medium heavy in the mouth, this felt like a heavier brew than it should but quite nice. Hides the alcohol quite well.

Very drinkable, though I split a glass with my brother, should have had my own. Top notch, well worth it if you can find it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2010 23:32:16 | More by robbyc1

flexabull

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at City Beer in San Francisco. Pleasantly surprised to see this on tap, and in bottles on the shelves.

Pours a lightly clouded blonde color, with nice white head.

Aromas are of oak, some mixed spices, cream, and sugar.

Taste is of sharp hard candies and sugar. There are also some spice, cloves, oak, and light creams. Finish is crisp, with a hint of bright citrus hops on the finish. Well put together and tasty triple. (At least they said this was more like a triple...)

Mouthfeel is great. Very full, crisp, and thick.

Drinkability is quite good. I was shocked at how easily this went down. What a well put together and complex triple this one is. I think this is a beer that would benefit from some time too. It could smooth out even more, and be super. With that said, it's still an excellent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2009 06:46:27 | More by flexabull

lhaqq

California

4.72/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a light gold body with a sticky, lacy white head.
S: Pretty complex and good effervescence. Grainy, woody maltiness initially; sort of woody-chipish--like a cross between a hamster cage and walking into a brewery. Also some peanut butter and bubble gum.
T: The wood-chip oak begins the flavor, followed by a good dose of malts. Then some earthiness and vanilla. The bubble gum comes through too, though not too sweet.
M: Creamier than expected, but also good level of carbonation.
D: Mmm, I think it was pretty drinkable. Had just finished a tour of some Sonoma County wineries and could only do one. But I couldn't taste the alcohol and could definitely have more under other conditions.

Definitely my favorite of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2009 21:50:09 | More by lhaqq

bifrostguard

California

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Straw yellow in color with quite a bit of effervescence and a minimal off white that leaves a bit of lacing.

S - Got some clove, oak and grain in the first whiff followed by some hops and yeast.

T - Flavor has a strong oak character that works well with the grain and spice flavors. Some citrus fruit is noticed, but only mildly.

M - Medium bodied and surprisingly drying.

D - I enjoyed this beer mainly because of the extra dimension the oak chips brought to the overall flavor. Not really my style, but still delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2009 16:13:30 | More by bifrostguard

largadeer

California

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank both batches of this side-by-side at 'Tion Night at the Toronado. Both are great, but the new batch struck me as being a little better, so I'll review that one.

A: 13 oz pour into a tulip glass. Golden and clear with only the slightest haze. A thin white cap is all that formed for a head, more a result of a gentle pour than a lack of carbonation.

S: Peppery yeast, soft oak, rich pale malts. Slight graininess and a touch of tropical fruit.

T&M: Malty sweetness hits the palate first, grainy and fruity. The oak is very well dialed in, not overbearing on the palate but present enough to add some pleasant notes of vanilla, earth and soft tannins. Medium-light in body, crisply carbonated; spot-on. Really dries out in the finish, becoming more peppery and crisp. I really enjoyed this one, it's got a very authentic Belgian tripel character that most American breweries fail to achieve.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2009 20:32:27 | More by largadeer

antilogic

California

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at O'brien's TION night in a 5oz taster. I regret not getting more!

Really tastes like I expected. Color is on the darker side of straw/gold, with a small white head. Taste is light oak, Belgian yeast, fruits, earth. Vinne should brew this more often than once in 23 batches..

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2009 06:29:43 | More by antilogic

paytoplay

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tap at O'Briens 15th annv. If I could get this damnation all the time I would. Oak gives that added texture, a little vanilla and superb body and length. Really a stand out beer for me. Vinnie noted it was batch 46, I guess it seeks oak every 23 batches. Would love to see this with 1 or 2 years of age. This was from Keg and outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2009 00:38:44 | More by paytoplay

SacoDeToro

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Toronado 20th Anniversary.

The beer poured a deep golden with a dense merengue-like white head.

The aroma of the beer was of sweet malt, fruity yeast esters, some faint spice, but with a huge oaken vanilla note.

The flavor of the beer was of sweet biscuity malt with a big vanilla note from the oak. The hops were there with a mild floral character in the flavor. Plenty of light fruit flavors, such as white grapes to go around.

The mouthfeel was medium and the body was full. This beer was a touch heavy, but the spritzy carbonation and high alcohol helped break things up a little.

Overall this was a wonderful beer a huge vanilla oak bomb that I loved. The flavors are incredibly rich, which, sadly, hampers its drinkability slightly. But it's not as if I'll be pounding pints of any 11% beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2008 19:36:16 | More by SacoDeToro

WeisGuy

New York

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A little something special for my 200th review. Had on-tap at the brewpub yesterday in Santa Rosa. The board said 10.5% abv, 56 IBUs, and described the beer as an oak-aged triple.

a - pours a golden amber color, slightly hazy, one-finger head with decent retention for the abv, and nice lacing

s - some lemon/citrus noticeable in the aroma, oak more evident as the beer warmed, apple and pear also detectable, alcohol hints with a little spice particularly clove

t - nice maltiness up front, big fruity flavors develop, pear and red apple most evident, nice oak accents, especially as the beer warms, some spice/clove along with a nice alcohol burn on the finish

m - medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, sweet but somewhat dry finish

d - somewhat limited due to the 10.5% abv, but a great beer to sip on , alcohol is there but not overwhelming in the taste, very complex flavor keeps you drinking

Quite a bit different from the regular Damnation. I like this a bit more than the regular because the flavor and aroma are more complex and rewarding. Great one-off beer by RRBC. Better get your hands on this while it lasts.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2007 18:54:23 | More by WeisGuy

oline73

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

The beer pours a clear amber color with just a layer of off white head. I'm getting lots of Belgian yeast spice in the nose along with a sweetness. The taste is a bit more interesting. I'm still getting the Belgian spice along with a malt sweetness, but there is also an oaky note and a fruity note. I would say this is a well balanced beer. The head sticks around all the way through the pour.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 03:12:05 | More by oline73

Etan

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Batch 69 (3rd batch 23) shared by Jason. 375ml into a snifter. Thanks!

A: Pours a slightly murky gold with a large white head.

S: Citrus, stone fruit esters, light mint, a bit of acidity, cakey grain. Sweet and fruity, with a bit of a tart edge to it.

T: Dryish pale malt, clementine, light peppery phenols, pale candi sugar.

M: Light-bodied, frothy.

O: This is like a slightly stronger, slightly drier and more tart variation on regular Damnation. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 07:17:03 | More by Etan

Offa

California

4.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is simply outstanding and one of the best Russian River beers in my book, which is saying a lot. Apparently, it is based on the regular Damnation but in the end this is a very different beer and much stronger in alcohol as well as character.

Deep gold, it has a very big off-white head steadily shrinking to foamy ring, a little lace.

Aroma is strong fruity grain, canned pears, hints of clove, herbs, white wine, and dry fields damp with fog. It is excellent.

Taste is outstanding full bodied as the aroma, with all of those elements, zesty but slightly oily, lightly spicy, faintly sweet, tingly and engaging.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 00:12:21 | More by Offa

teromous

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 375mL Belgian style corked and caged bottle, stamped with a Batch 69 on the side. Aged in a dark cool place as recommended on the bottle, and drinking it now 06 DEC 2012.

A: Lots and lots of carbonation, with an extremely transparent gold color, oodles of carbonation bubbles and a large fluffy white meringue head.

S: Popping the cork lets out a lot of scent. I get a lemon scent, some spicy scents...maybe coriander but very faint. I do pick up the alcohol when cupping over the glass. There is a bit of a barn-like saison smell to it as well.

T: I get a lot of grain flavor and some malty sweetness. There is some alcohol flavor in there. I get some flowery taste to it, and a distinct Belgian flavor if there was any other way to describe it. A light earthy quality in the aftertaste, which could be the hops but I'm guessing it's the oak. Some pear flavors in the beer.

M: Despite the ABV which would make me think this thing was dry as a rock, it is actually a bit sweet. The mouthfeel is light, and feels like a wash of foamy bubbles in the mouth.

O: Overall I thought the beer looked and smelled really good, but it was not quite as dry as I enjoy Tripels. The spicing seemed to be done very nicely, but I don't know how much oak aging this beer has actually made an influence on it. I could not know this...it could have a profound impact, but there really isn't much "oak" to it. I didn't get any alcohol burn although the flavors did come through a bit...most likely the aging has taken care of it. It's a good Tripel to try, but I wouldn't go out of the way to get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 23:56:29 | More by teromous

birchstick

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to KevSal for this one!

A - pours an orange color with a 1/8" soft white head that retains well and leaves a really nice lacing down the side of the glass

S - sweet fruits - apples and pears are first to the nose; sitting above the fruity aromas is a fog of musty brett funk

T - citric flavors are upfront on the tongue. These move on to some of the fruity tripel flavors - the pears, apples. Next, a little bit of bubblegum yeast is in the mix...these flavors take the beer on the rest of its journey down my palate, with a bit of oak thrown in at the end, but it is pretty subtle.

M - creamy, watery, and full

D - this is a good take on the regular version. I didn't realize this was a triple and not a blonde ale, but given the change up in styles I still really enjoyed this one. Another winner from RR!

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:10:01 | More by birchstick

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle poured slooowly into tulip glass. Batch 69. No brewing data. Had chilled for about a month.

A: Very, very slow pour as the head explodes quickly. Slow dissipation; leaves little trace once gone. Color is amber, large number of small carbonation bubbles.

S: Sweet malt, a fair mount of funk, lots of cloves and spice. Very good.

T: Very complex. Malts, yeast, something odd like bubblegum (!!!), cloves and spice. Not picking up fruit like some others did. And, yeah, alcohol. It's there, but not overpowering.

M: Here's where the alcohol comes in. You definitely feel the burn. Fair amount of carbonation, pretty medium-bodied. Balanced as well as can be expected, but only so much you can do with 11% ABV.

O: As good as I had hoped. Wish I had access to more to try aging for different intervals. Try it if you can.

People who have regular access to Russian River are fortunate. That is all.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:40:03 | More by IvoryFoxhole

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.18/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Adam from Missouri brought this to March Madness. Drank another one this summer as well. Looks real nice, a tiny bit of haze throughout the golden liquid, pristine white head, about .75" to it, good lacing and retention. Aroma was heavy on the alcohol, sheesh, this is powerful. Alcohol overpowers every other olfactory attempt at semblance.

Taste, again, I'm getting a ton of alcohol. For being the same abv as Pliny the Younger, this one shows it infinitely more. You can pick up on the oak at least, unlike the aroma which was all alcohol. I'd be tempted to even say this was fusel alcohol had I not known that its 11% and probably just that massiveness that makes it so.

I can't pick up on much taste, the alcohol just destroyed me. Really a burn in the throat as I drink it. The oak is bright enough to make me wonder if it is a virgin barrel. I just can't endorse this one, its primary and final impression it left on me was "damn, that tastes like I'm drinking gin/vodka."

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 16:53:28 | More by Beerandraiderfan