Russian River Damnation

From Russian River – In the great beer producing country of Belgium, some brewers have made it a tradition to give their beers an unusual name. Sometimes the name is curious, now and then it is diabolical and other times it is just plain silly. Damnation is our brewmaster’s interpretation of a Belgian style Strong Golden Ale. It has extraordinary aromas of banana and pear with mouth filling flavors of sweet malt and earthy hops. The lingering finish is dry and slightly bitter but very, very smooth.

Russian River Brewing Co. – Russian River Damnation Batch 77 – 12 oz. bottle poured into a goblet. 7.75% abv.

Appearance: Pours a honey mustard with a white foamy head that retained quite well.

Aroma:  Spicy yeast, fresh herbal hops, crushed evergreen needles, banana.

Taste: Spicy belgian yeast, fresh euro hop spice, bitterness, slight pear apple banana fruitness to balance the sharpness of the yeast and hops.

Mouthfeel:  Full bodied high carbonation. Prickly.

Overall: A classic. I think I prefer it fresh to aged. I’ve had this numerous times, and never remember it being this lively.