Blind Pig
Russian River Brewing Company

Bottle dated 2/21:
Pours with a clear, leaning towards copper body. Huge volume of white head on an aggressive pour I softened once I saw what was happening. Lacing is in splotches.

Nose has a hint of grain with a citrus rind and grass nose. Some sniffs have a little bit of a classic ESB nose. Warmth and more scrutiny has me noticing a little sweet grapefruit with rind.

Taste starts with a husky malt, giving a little (non-sugary) sticky feel similar to what I get with oat. A little orange zest and earthy dried pine needles come together by mid-taste. Feel is nicely soft, though it could probably use a little more carbonation (hope my pour didn't extract it all). The grassy notes from the nose I never see in the flavor (maybe it comes across as those dried pine needles). The ending is citrusy and earthy, in nice balance. A fairly clean ending, just an ever so light dry evergreen bitterness.

Let this one warm more after finding that Pliny at the same age kept improving with warmth. The more floral than fruit citrus notes became more evident but didn't evolve. A nice IPA that had some similarities to Pliny, but is a little simpler and a more earthy.

Pours a very crisply clear pale honey color with a huge foamy white head. Strong lacing and the head lands as a firm cap with rocky little islands.

Smells citrusy with a little faint tropical note. Grassy and some pine resin/woodiness. Doughy malt sweetness.

The taste follows - I'd say classic American IPA. I really like the slight dough-like bready sweetness this beer has - its perfectly counter-balanced against the hop flavors and the bitterness. Grapefruit, maybe some orange, and I think a hint of pineapple? Nice bit of piney resin.

Feel is medium bodied. Fairly dry with a cleansing bitterness on the finish.

Overall enjoying the beer - especially the balance.

 

 

 

Gold body with glimmers of Irn Bru orange, minimal unfiltered haze, forms a bubbly white head with good retention.
Moderate, clean hop aromas of pine, citrus (grapefruit, orange), with a soft caramel malt backbone.
Taste hits hard with aggressive, pithy bitter hops, whispers of orange zest; somewhat offset by a slick feel and sweet caramel malt, but the intense bitterness lingers, almost a burn on the palate; medium body and medium-light carbonation.

It does grow on you over time, but this is one for the old school hop heads, and for my taste lacks the refinement of more modern styles.

 

From a 510 ml bottle dated 11-24-25. Sampled Feb. 28, 2026.

Heady straw-golden pour with excellent clarity.

A fine aroma of cereal grains, bread, citrus, grass, and wood but the hop sensation is the most prominent.

Soft medium to full mouthfeel.

Simple sweet and grainy start with bountiful citrus hops evolving into a moderately bitter finish. Traditional. Balanced. They say this is a prohibition-era IPA. Better than modern hazy IPAs that's for sure.

 

 

 

Golden and clear. Moderate head which retains the film of bubbles on the surface. Plentiful spots left on the glass.

Floral hop with a tinge of grapefruit rind smell. Malt is present but subtle.

Hoppy with mild malty background. Neutral and predictable body and carbonation. It’s spicy with black pepper being the strongest flavor.

 

 

 

A very bright and exceedingly well balanced hop progression are available in Blind Pig. A well trained hop head can detect the hops used here. Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Amarillo. I found the nose to be slightly underwhelming, however Cascade and Centennial were present. Sips provide ample flavors and attributes of all four hops, especially old school Cascade notes. Dry and bitter with pine, earthy, herbal, mineral, and faint citrus notes. Classic WCIPA properties all the way. Punches above its 6.25% ABV weight in feel and flavor. What else can be said? This is quintessential and for a reason at that

 

Blind Pig from Russian River brewing. Single 17.25 fl oz bottle purchased Bine & Vine, San Diego, CA, ordered 07/09/25 received 24/09/25 - $ 14.41 (including shipping)/$ 0.835/fl oz. Reviewed 10/10/25, review 3608. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Label stamped “BOTTLED ON 072325”. Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 42.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 51.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour). White, high density, good retention, leaving a 0.3 cm crown and complete rocky cap. Islands, archipelagoes, and a wide band of near-microscopic to small bubbles remain as the head retracts.
Lacing – Excellent! Multiple bands of near-microscopic bubbles, connected by a few irregular columns. See also above.
Aroma – 4.5 – Very piney with some weak malt, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4.5 – Starts with mildly bitter pine resin over an underlying but obvious malt background, no alcohol (6.25 % ABV, according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Ends dry. Slight gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium: Watery: Lively carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Uncredited art work. Excellent IPA!