Shadow Of A Doubt
Russian River Brewing Company

 

Bottle facts: 510ml bottle, bottled on: 10.01.25, 9.9% ABV; picked up in Vail, CO.

Poured into a chalice: color is solid black, head is light tan with fine bubbles and larger froth, head presents at least one finger thick quickly then dissipates to solid top, frothy lacing on glass sides.

Smell is mild roast, some cocoa, very light vanilla like note, chocolate, dark roast coffee, some hop character with earth and grass.

Taste is more roast, cocoa, coffee, light toffee, grass and earth hoppiness, no booziness.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness, light dryness.

Overall a very good imperial porter - moderate roast/cocoa/sweetness and clean hops and bitterness.

 

Canned 1 Oct '25. Pour is a very rich, but not opaque, dark brown. Light head, quickly fades to skim coat. Aroma is mostly roasted grain. First sip delivers a rich flavor experience: roasted malt, expresso coffee, dark molasses. Picking up some background tastes: dark fruit, figs, licorice. A bit of hotness from the 9.9% ABV comes out as well. Carbonation is up to the task the whole time. Nicely done.

 

510ml brown bottle. Label has a date stamp of 'BOTTLED ON: 100224'.
Dark brown colored body, with a red garnet back lit edge. One finger of light tan colored head, which is dense with small bubbles. The initial head very slowly recedes to a thick cap and high reaching ring. Leaves behind partial walls of lacing.
Aroma is faint with dark, toasty malts, with a hint of smoke, molasses, and black licorice.
Taste is more expressive than the nose. Has a good balance of sweet, roast, and smoke. Flavors of dark roast malts, caramel, molasses, smoked malts, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and citrus. Hints of black licorice and dark fruit. Aftertaste is extended with sweet and smoked malt, chocolate, and vanilla.
More than medium mouthfeel. Extremely soft texture. Higher ABV% brings a slight burn with each sip but bitterness level is quite low. Excellent carbonation.
Mouthfeel is extraordinary, and the flavors are layered and balanced.

510ml Bottle
BOTTLED ON: 10/01/25
9.9% ABV

Poured into a chalice a very nice dark brown/black color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice thick/creamy one-finger plus tan head, which leaves a huge oil slick, and some very nice sticky lacing. The nose is very nice, malty, hoppy, with some very nice chocolate/toffee, vanilla, some roastyness, slight spice note, licorice. The taste is very nice, malty, hoppy, chocolate/toffee, slight spice, roasty, vanilla, licorice. Full body, ABV is hidden very very well. Overall, a very nice brew, a very nice sipper, very tasty!

 

 

 

Funny how this brew's name fits the movie. The movie is a dark moral mystery about likely but unconnected murderers. The ale also is dark and mysterious as to what is inside. This Hitchcock mystery has layers of intrigue and the ale also has layered flavours. Yet the movie is set in Santa Rosa, the town that RRBC has its first gastropub. The movie and the ale seemingly belong together.

Shadow Of A Doubt (the ale) Looks intriguing, a mocha head on a dark mysterious body. Smells are roasted malt and chocolate with a touch of chocolate. Tastes are well balanced and distinct. Medium-mouthed, somewhat soft.

I wish I could describe better how the movie and ale fit together. Maybe I should see the movie again and drink the ale again. An innovative side-by-side.

 

On tap. One finger uneven head on a black body. Nose is roasty chocolate malts, backed by caramel, faint cola and dark fruits. Flavor is intense roasted malt, burnt chocolate, a touch of caramel sweetness, and a touch of plum and fig on the finish. Feel is shockingly light for the amount of flavor— not thin, just incredibly smooth. Finish leans dry. It’s warm too, but more in the belly than the mouth. What a great, bitter malt bomb. Fantastic.

 

Pours dark brown, black, with thin, bubbly tan head. Smells like chocolate, dark malts, maybe a little coffee. The flavor is solid, chocolate, smoked malts, citrus hops, coffee, and dark fruit. The hops give it good bitterness and the smoked malts give it nuance. A little on the dry side but a pretty robust body that makes it seem like a stout never mind the 10%. A solid Impy Porter / stout from RR, go figure, cheers!

 

Look: Pitch black with a low-medium brown head.
Smell: A good burst of chocolate is followed up with a nice smokiness.
Taste: Outstanding. A bit of chocolate, a lot of tobacco with an outstanding smoke-filled aftertaste. A boozy bite at the end.
Feel: High in the mouth and full bodied.
Overall: A truly world-class brew. Absolutely delicious and nearly unparalleled in flavor.