Blind Pig & Happy Hops By Russian River Brewing Company

Super Hoppy, Not Pliny

J: My buddy E came over with some super hoppy gold today. A double header from Russian River, and if that brewery sounds familiar to you, they’re the geniuses that brought you the IPA powerhouse known as Pliny the Elder and its even more elusive younger brother, Pliny the Younger. Did you also know they actually make other really great beers? We got two of them for you today starting with Blind Pig.

The best way to describe Blind Pig is well, super hoppy which if you’re drinking an IPA in the first place, you want. Blind Pig goes down smooth and has a really great finish thats bitter but not too bitter, overall a great beer, and certainly a beer that more people should experience.

J: Up next is Happy Hops. This IPA is a little more hoppy than Blind Pig but it has a little smoother finish. We had this one cold which, unpopular opinion with my fellow reavers didn’t make it taste any better or worse. Once again another solid beer, the people at Russian River really know what they’re doing.

Better Cold!

C: Its been a while since we had an IPA to review, and the smell of this beer is pure hops. I swear i got chills from taking a whiff of this. When this beer was served to me it was cold but due to my negligence I had let it sit on the table a little to long and this California heat warmed it up real fast. So by the time I got down to finishing it, it was a bit rough. Now don’t get me wrong I enjoy a good IPA and this is a solid beer, but I committed the cardinal sin of letting it warm up, and I did this beer a disservice. Drink cold and enjoy. Don’t be like me.

C: Happy Hops! the second beer for todays double feature beer review. This beer was drank cold so I have no complaints on that front. This is actually really enjoyable and I have to say the name of this beer is misleading. Not as hoppy as you would think and goes down smooth. We here at Beer Reaver usually split a beer for the reviews and honestly if I could drink the whole bottle to myself I would. I would definitely recommend grabbing this if seen on the shelf of your local liquor store.

Hoppyness!

E: Being away from California for sometime had me missing some of my favorite beers, and this one is one of my all time favorites. A few reasons why I really enjoy Blind Pig is mainly due to the Super Hoppy flavors but smooth and without the harsh bitterness from other IPAs. This beer was on the border of cold and room temperature but the nice hops and rich flavors were still there. The aftertaste was nice and citrusy with very refreshing notes of lime. I would highly recommend having it if you want the taste of hops, but want a beer that is not too bitter.

E: Reviewing Happy hops. I would have to say, it is a very drinkable beer. Happy Hopps seemed very hoppy at the beginning and on the bitter side, but it seemed that as I let it rest the bitterness slowly faded away. It was nice and cold and very refreshing. It has a stronger aftertaste and the hops were a bit more pronounced but it was very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

3 out of 5 crushed cans

Served Worst at Room Temperature / Maybe it’s Maybelline

M: My first mistake was waiting 15 minutes before taking my first sip. Apparently this was already poured without allowing to chill first, or at least not long enough, and I was unaware. Had I known… smh. Nothing good, nothing bad, exactly what it’s supposed to be. Hoppy, bitterness galore. Surprisingly though, not too bad of an aftertaste. I try to steer clear of overly hoppy beers, but this was ok; I suppose even at room temperature.

M: Our next Russian River brew was certainly “Happier”. Happy Hops came right out of the freezer, a bit slushied, and I didn’t hate it. This one had some floral notes and left some lingering bitterness well after drinking it. Usually not my cup of tea, but maybe I had a rough day today, maybe my tolerance was way high today, maybe it’s a full moon… today’s choices were A-Ok.