Docta-Ron
Russian River Brewing Company

510 ml Bottle
BOTTLED ON: 040126

Poured into a Trillium glass a very nice clean/clear dark golden yellow color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice thick/creamy two-finger off-white head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a very nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), very nice pineyness. The taste is very nice hoppy, malty, with a very nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), very nice pineyness. Medium body, ABV hidden very nicely, with a pretty nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, this is a very tasty beer.

 

Bottle pour - clear pale golden straw color, foamy white head, frosty lacing. Nose is citrusy and tropical. Taste follows with grassy notes and a mild bitterness lingering on the finish.

 

 

500ml bottle. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left sudsy rings of lace on the glass. It smelled of orange, grapefruit, mango and guava. Sweet tropical fruit taste with toasted caramel and a piney bitterness.

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week glass. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a fine, two finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of pale malt, fruit and lightly dank hops, mixed tropical fruit, light dankness and orange. Flavor is pale malt with light biscuit, fruit hops, orange, lemon, grapefruit, vague mixed tropical fruit. Low to moderate bitterness until the finish, which is lightly astringent grapefruit rind. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Well, the NZ style IPAs are not my go-to style, but I'm always interested in what the masters of fresh hop flavors can do. It does seem to have the citrus and tropical fruit profile I'd expect from Southern Hemisphere hops but it seems a little muddled. Pleasant enough fruit flavors and tastes good, but bit low on bitterness for my palate. The light astringency in the finish adds some bitter character to the finish, but it is a bit stark. Liked it well enough and it fits the profile, but reinforces my taste preferences for this style.

On tap at Fullerton Brew Co.
Pretty enough with a fluffy white head. Decent retention with minuscule lacing.
Aroma is lemon rind, a hint of herbal grass, some weak pineapple, and some slight white wine grape notes with hints of berry.
Flavor starts with the citrus zest of more grapefruit and less lemon note. But the tropical notes chime in and almost immediately surrender to the white wine grape must and gooseberry/juniper note. Malt is mild cracker, no sweet.
Mouthfeel is slightly chalky, decent carbonation level, and finishes with a slightly herbal dry bitterness.

I must be drinking a different beer than the reviews that I've read. Mine smells like a burnt match and gasoline and tastes like onion and garlic. Like a stale nelson IPA. Dissappointed to say the least

Expertly crafted IPA that nails all attributes with a tiny blip on nose. But who cares about the nose anyway?!? It's nice when scents are strong, but it is just a tiny bit of the experience....i digress. Onto this beer

A healthy frothy pour reveals a lasting foam with great lacing. Flavors are heavy on tropical notes with papaya, kiwi, some mango, with spritzes of chardonnay. Resin, bitterness, and a drying nature are prevalent as a true WCIPA should have. These features are PERFECT in this beer. One of the more bitter NZ hopped WCIPAs I've ever had. Carbonation is light yet lively, body is just right. Naysayers on this beer are missing the core elements IMO. It is a perfectly brewed NZ style IPA

510 mL bottle into a nonic pint

Somewhat cloudy, pale ale appearance, sudsy as hell, with lacing everywhere.

I always think nectaron has all that melon-y essence of nelson, with tangerine and earth, and that’s the case here. Beautiful, strong bouquet.

Flavors follow, although more traditional IPA here. Plenty of snappy pine and lemon pepper. Clean, crisp medium finish.

 

 

Bottle poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass

A: Pours golden straw yellow with a frothy off white head that settles to a firm layer and laces very nicely.

S: Strong hit of Southern Hem diesel, faintly dank grassy herbal notes, a mix of exotic, tropical, and stone fruit, zesty citrus, citrus,

T: Southern Hem diesel, resinous pine, citrus, grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon lime, exotic, tropical and stone fruit, nectarine, pineapple, white grape, mango, passion fruit, gooseberry, and grape candy, a bit grassy, slightly crackery biscuity malt, and a little light caramel sweetness.

M: On the lighter side of medium body, moderate carbonation, fairly soft on the palate.

O: Looks like this one is a kinda love it or hate it beer, and I happen to love it. Shows off pretty much all of the key elements that New Zealand hops bring to the table. Included in that is a pretty strong hit of what I refer to as Southern Hem diesel, that may turn off some people, but not me. Nectaron is definitely a big piece, but I'm guessing there's some Nelson and maybe something like Riwaka in there too. Definitely stands out from the more well known hoppy Russian River beers and is absolutely worth trying if you get a chance.

Pours a pale straw color similar to mass market rice augmented American lager. 1/4" head of white mixed size bubbles. Pleasant hoppy nose with a bit of funk that hints at the taste profile. What I love about RR's main product line is that they do a great job of malt an hop balance. This beer not so much. While the bitterness of the hop profile does fit the sweet malt forward body, but the dank, edible pot aftertaste, and a mildly funky finish isn't great. It's not a bad beer, but as it's sitting in cooler next to some Pliny, well this is a distant second.

17.25oz bottled 4-3-25, opened 5-21-25.
2 finger white head with great retention. Clear, bright golden body. Full lacing.
Zesty citrus, some tropical hop aromas and pine.
Melon, some bitter citrus zest, lime, bright grapefruit, piney bitterness.
Light body and bright entry with lively carbonation. Flavorful, hoppy, and lengthy finish that ends up dry.
Outstanding.

510mL bottle purchased at Community Pint, in Spokane, WA. Per the label, this was bottled on April 3,2025, at 9:45 a.m.

Poured into the glass, this was a clear, pale gold color, with a big, creamy looking, rocky bone-white head.

Aroma is duly hoppy: citrusy, floral and dank.

Taste is similar to what was hinted at by the aroma: juicy citrus fruit forward, but there's a slightly chalky bitterness in background that's a little off-putting.

Medium bodied, with a resiny, oily mouth feel.

Almost great, but that crushed pill thing keeps it from getting there.

500mL bottle (packaged 4/3/2025) into a tulip. Pours a clear pale golden color with a 1-finger head.

Aroma is pleasantly hoppy, equal parts floral and citrus. Lemon, mandarin orange, peach.

Taste leads off with a surprisingly assertive bready/biscuity character, followed by a more subdued hop presence. That crushed-aspirin taste you get with some pale ales. More lemon. The overall impression left is a strong acidity. Is it interesting? Yes. Do I love it? Probably not.

Mouthfeel is crisp and light with a clean finish.

Overall, while I’m glad to have tried this NZIPA, it might have to be a one-and-done for me.