665. Russian River Brewing – Damnation Golden Ale

665. Russian River Brewing - Damnation Golden AleIt’s a snowy and rainy Saturday afternoon, good for staying home and enjoying a few beers. As I approached the beer of the beast, #666, I was considering what I should have for that dark brew. This is definitely one I considered, but I thought it might be more appropriate to have it right now, signaling my impending damnation before I have #666. I picked up this beer during my trip to Seattle last year, and fortunately it survived the trip home in my luggage. It was bottled on 05/22/12.

Location: Popped the cork and poured into a snifter glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 7.75% ABV, 1.066 OG, ~230 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s perfectly golden in color and very clear with a ton of carbonation in it. The carbonation made for a bright white, fluffy head that had incredible retention and lacing. The aroma is light (perhaps because of the thick head) and a bit wet hay and musty barnyard-like.

Taste & Feel: The body is medium in the mouth feel is fairly smooth, and a bit creamy from the head. The flavor up front is light and citrusy with lemon and a bit of a pepper spiciness in the background. There’s a slightly sharp citrus fruitiness, almost cantaloupe like in the middle that carries through to the finish. It finishes dry with a wet straw-like funkiness and some Belgian spiciness in the background. The wet straw flavor lasted for a brief time in the aftertaste.

665. Russian River Brewing - Damnation Golden Ale

Food Pairing: This beer has lemony, fruity, and some spicy flavors, making it a good pairing for a light fish dish. Similarly, I think it would also go nicely with some fish tacos.

Overall Impression: This beer was light, but had  a lot of complexity in terms of flavors. There was a lot going on from citrus and fruits to spices and funkiness. Perhaps it was because it was over a year old, giving the funkiness some time to develop a bit. While it was interesting and had a lot going on, the flavors weren’t ones that I found particularly enjoyable. Overall, it was very drinkable with the light complex flavors, and I’m glad I got an opportunity to try it. However, for the price, I think I’d rather have something with more malt or hop character instead of all the Belgian found in this brew.

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Your rating:

Author: kkozlen

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