Hopfather - Russian River Brewing Company

jrallen34

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Alex for shipping this from RR and Sean for sharing...Pours with little carbonation as the growler didn't hold well sadly. The beer is a really nice light peach color...The aroma is pretty nice, light pineapple on the front with lots of resin on the back. Sticky thick pine hops...The taste is really nice dumping some of the hops, thankfully as isn't isn't a dipa or have that high of an abv. All the RR ipa's are very similar, almost like the same base is used everytime, just boil the hops different times.

Another great RR ipa.

Serving type: growler

08-30-2010 00:30:54 | More by jrallen34

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yet another growler shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

This beer appears a very clear light orange hue. There is a substantial white head that leaves a generous amount of lacing on the glass. The smell is very similar to Pliny the Elder. The beer has a great floral, citrus and hop flavor. Hopfather, like Pliny and Blind Pig, is amazingly smooth and drinkable. Russian River knows how to brew world class beers. This is no exception.

Serving type: growler

08-29-2010 19:37:25 | More by Huhzubendah

HopHead84

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

08/13/2010 - 08/15/2010

Vibrant golden with a frothy white head. Nose is hop forward with a crackery malt foundation. Hop character is redolent of grapefruit and pine resin. Reminds me a lot of blind pig. Flavor is moderately bitter pine and citrus with a shade of crackery malt. Very nice. Dry and crisp mouthfeel. I drank this more than anything else on my trip to SF.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 21:57:48 | More by HopHead84

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.78/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

9th on my tasting list at the Bistro 13th IPA festival.

Lots of clarity in this darker yellow ipa. Minimal head, lacing etc. . . big blast of typical grapefruit citrus and pine here, excellent dry hopping, right up there with any beer just about.

Taste, knocks your socks off, very little bitterness, but so much hop flavor. Simcoe, Amarillo for sure. Very light on the palate malt wise, but perfectly complimentary. Remarkably able to be resinous sticky, but never heavy with just enough sweetness to be appreciable, but not distracting. Great burping beer. Similar to Blind Pig, but with more complexity and less malt. Might be some peach or apricot in this one as well.

Winner of the People's Choice award, it was my choice as well.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 21:11:15 | More by Beerandraiderfan

jeffjeff1

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this at Russian River Brewery today for my birthday and got a growler to bring home and had some from the growler.

Appearance- golden color, thin head

Smell- hops, very nice

Taste- very nice hops flavor

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- This was excellent. I loved it. I had some from the sampler at the brewery and got a growler. Had to have more.

Serving type: growler

08-16-2010 04:15:34 | More by jeffjeff1

bulletrain76

California

4.3/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Draught at the Bistro IPA fest. Clear straw with a sticky head. Huge fruity aroma with grapefruit, mangos and peaches. Soft and rounded with lots of fruit in the flavor. Dry and light in the malt department, with a light body. The flavor is almost pure fruity hops, with no harshness or obtrusive bitterness. Not really like their other IPAs, and maybe only similar to sculpin in its profile. The spec sheet said 72 IBUs, but the bitterness is so smooth that you hardly even notice it. The amarillo hops add a really nice dimension to the aroma, with the mango and peach components coming through over the more citric notes you might expect from the cascade and centennial that are also used. Definitely another standout addition to the RR IPA lineup, and a unique one. Probably tied with Kern River for the best IPA of the festival.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 08:01:54 | More by bulletrain76

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1st beer off a new keg at the brewpub. Tastes somewhere between Russian River IPA and Pliny the Elder. Pours golden with a thin, silky head that fades rapidly but leaves almost a continous sheet of lacing on the glass as the beer disappears. Smells fresh, and very herbal with some nice citrus creeping in. Notes of dill, some tanginess akin to yogurt, and a touch of earth and pine. Thinner style with not much malt prominence. Reminds me a bit of Extreme Hoppiness from Alpine. The taste is also fresh, clean, herbal and citrusy, with some pine that shows up on the finish. The other notes from the aroma are echoed here, but the dill herbalness and tanginess especially continue to build as the beer opens up and warms. The mouthfeel is clean and pure, a with a lot of nuanced bitternesss throughout. Another delightful IPA from Russian River.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2009 02:44:10 | More by Georgiabeer

largadeer

California

4.6/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Edit 08/09/2010: The first batch was good, the 2010 batch is phenomenal. Scores updated accordingly.

Original review:

4/4/4.5/4/4.5

Draft at Toronado's 22nd anniversary. Burnished orange body with a small white head. Big tropical fruit aroma; tangerine, mango and pineapple. More sweetness coming from the malt than I would expect from a Russian River beer, this is surprisingly balanced. Sweet and hoppy on the palate, with big floral, grapefruit and tangerine hop flavors leading into a bittersweet finish. This is an odd one for Russian River, a more balanced take on an IPA with a light body but a noticeable malt presence. Not what I was expecting but still very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2009 17:52:10 | More by largadeer

gford217

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Robert for breaking this one out at a recent tasting.

The growler opens with an impressive pop and then pours a clear golden orange with a small soapy off-white head that leaves spotty lacing and sticks around as a collar.

The aroma is big and juicy - with tons of grapefruit, oranges, lemons on the citrus side but with a definite PtE-like floral presence. The malt sweetness is present in the background but it's really all about the sweet, juicy hops.

The taste starts out with some sweetness from the citrus with grapefruits and oranges up front. The caramel malts form a solid backbone to balance the hops and the floral pine bitterness finishes things off and leaves a slightly resinous taste on the palate.

The mouthfeel is sticky with hops and had impressive carbonation given it's a growler. It's probably on the lighter side of things as in terms of body but in a good way and makes for massive drinkability.

Well, there's no doubt that Vinnie can make one hell of an IPA and this is no exception. Well balanced with lots of citrus and floral hops and exceptionally drinkable.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2009 23:54:24 | More by gford217

MasterSki

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Russian River brewpub. Served in a pint glass. Big thanks to Adam (Nanoslug) for driving my wife and I up to check it out.

A - Poured with minimal head by the bartender. Slightly hazed golden orange color with bubbles rising upwards. Lots of splotchy lacing when consumed.

S - Super sweet citrusy tangerine with light doughy maltiness - very similar to fresh Wipeout IPA.

T - More grapefruit, and less sweet citrus, with a good amount of bitterness. The malt character is also a touch more present.

M - Tingly carbonation that gets a little irritating after a while. Medium body, with a dryer finish and not as much of the usual oily hop resins.

D - This really reminds me of Wipeout, but with a little more flavor and slightly more restrained, but still satisfying, hop bitterness. I like it more than the regular Russian River IPA, but not quite as much as fresh Blind Pig.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2009 04:38:08 | More by MasterSki

jnn4v

Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: served on tap at rr. Pale yellow/orange. Little head. Transparent (looks filtered)

S: oh man, this is killer good. Tropical fruits and floral scents abound. Very "juicy"

T: simultaneous bitter and sweet. Hops everywhere inboth bitterness and citrus and fruity flavors. Some resiny flavor in the aftertaste. Good malt backbone in mid mouth.

M: decent carbonation and texture. Medium-high density.

D: yes please. I'll take two more and a growler to go (I wish).

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2009 20:22:25 | More by jnn4v

bret27

California

4.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Citrusy+piney floral smell similar to other RR ipa's. Somewhere between PtE and RR's regular IPA. Overall solid, not quite as good as pliney but its kind of in a league of its own. Had at IPA festival at the bistro in hayward, ca, for its debut appearance.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 03:19:47 | More by bret27

MisterClean

California

4.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bistro IPA Festival

A - Poured copper-orange with a 2 fingered white head. Dissipated slow and left beautiful lacing.

S/T - Huge wafts of citrus with a tangy honey sweetness. The taste was backed up by a moderate hop bitterness.

M - Moderate-bodied and hop dominated.

D - Good overall. Another fine beer by Vinny.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 16:53:09 | More by MisterClean

mjl21

California

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub. Poured into a RR pint glass. Comes in at 7.0% and 60 IBUs.

A-Pours a clear, glowing orangish amber. There is a faint amount of white film along with a small bubbly ring. Lots of visible bubbles. Some nice streaks of lace are left.

S-Oozes of fresh hops. Almost a perfect combination of citrus and pine blended together. The citrus leans toward orange rind and grapefruit. Not much malt is apparent.

T- Lots of pine and citrus hops upfront. The two play well off of each other and neither one dominates the flavor. There is a nice level of bitterness. Not much malt is detected and the aftertaste is orange, grapefruit, and pine.

M-Lighter bodied with that smooth mouthfeel that RR beers typically possess. I found the carbonation to be a tad too much. It finishes dry and crisp.

D-Went down way too easily. The 7% is nowhere to be found. Very refreshing.

Another great IPA from RR. This one reminded me of a cross between their regular IPA and Blind Pig. I liked it so much I took home a growler. Hopefully they keep this one in the rotation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2009 21:21:06 | More by mjl21