A trip in mid-April took me to California wine country and the brand new incarnation of the Russian River Brewing Company. Run by the talented Vinnie Cilurzo and his lovely wife Natalie, the former Korbel Estates-owned Russian River has found new life as a brewpub in the Sonoma County town of Santa Rosa. There, in the heart of downtown, Vinnie has resumed production of such highly regarded Belgium-inspired ales as the dryly fruity Damnation, the clovey Salvation and the softly tannic and almost quenching Perdition, as well as his innocent-looking but seriously hoppy double IPA, Pliny the Elder.

     What caught my attention, however, was the Russian River IPA. Seldom have I come across an India pale ale with such remarkable balance, in which notes of soft-flesh fruit (peach, apricot, a little red plum) smooth out and complement a leafy and citrusy hoppiness and gentle spiciness. This is a beer for everyone who claims that IPAs need to assault the palate with bitterness, and the perfect tonic for the end of a long day spent sampling wines.

• Steak and 11 March 2008
• Altbier in the Altstadt March 2008
• Full Sail Slipknot Imperial IPA February 2008
• Taste of the Year January 2008
• Koningshoeven Witte Trappist December 2007
• A Manhattan of Unanticipated Excellence November 2007
• Nils Oscar Lundgrens Lager October 2007
• Australis Romanov Baltic Stout September 2007
• Ramos Gin Fizz August 2007
• Gin and Tonic July 2007
• Frankenstein Stout June 2007
• Wets Kriek May 2007
• Mai Tai April 2007
• Greenore March 2007
• Collaboration not Litigation Ale February 2007
• Taste of the Year January 2007
• Mystery Beer December 2006
• A New Brown Bottle November 2006
• Great Divide Samurai October 2006
• Taste of the ... Decade? September 2006
• A Sip of Rum August 2006
• Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout July 2006
• Cask-Conditioned Ale June 2006
• Lammin Sahti May 2006
• Fried Potatoes April 2006
• AleSmith Grand Cru March 2006
• Añejo Highball February 2006
• Taste of the Year Janaury 2006
• It's a Tie! December 2005
• Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout, November 2005
• Four Roses Single Barrel, October 2005
• Andechser Dunkel Naturtrub Juliläumsbier, September 2005
• Red Biddy 10, August 2005
• Rochefort 10, July 2005
• A Northeast Black & Tan, June 2005
• Headstrong Pale Ale, May 2005
• Russian River Pliny the Younger, April 2005
• Schooner's Grille & Brewery Barley Wine, March 2005
• Corpse Reviver #2, February 2005
• Taste of the Year, January 2005
• Macallan's Fine Oak Whiskies, December 2004
• A Damn Fine Cup of Coffee, November 2004
• Fuller's 1845, October 2004
• Benevolence, September 2004
• Mystery Blend, August 2004
• 90 Minute IPA, July 2004
• Wandering Poet sake, June 2004
• Russian River Brewing, May 2004
• Courage Imperial Russian Stout 1993, April 2004
• Schaffbrau Feuerfest, March 2004
• Beer Cocktails, February 2004
• Taste of the Year - Beer Cuisine, January 2004
• St. Bernardus Abt, December 2003
• Asyla, November 2003
• Sleeman Clear, October 2003
• The 'Surprise Box', September 2003
• Achel Extra, August 2003
• L'Aphrodisiaque, July 2003
• New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp, June 2003
• Cashews and Doppelbock, May 2003
• 'Spontaneous Sebbie', April 2003
• Alaskan Big Nugget Barley Wine, March 2003
• DeuS, February 2003
• Taste of the Year-Belgium, Janaury 2003
• Frituur No. 1, December 2002
• Dining at La Villette, November 2002
• Zlaty Bazant, October 2002
• Flossmoor Station's Framboise de Flossmoor, September 2002
• Ice cream, beer and raspberries, August 2002
• A 'beer shake', June 2002
• Cave Spring Cellars Icewine, May 2002
• Haggis in a Can, April 2002
• Coniston Bluebird Bitter, March 2002
• Alaskan Seafood, February 2002
• Vintage Rye Whiskey, January 2002
• Duysters Loterbol, December 2001
• Van Damme Genever, November 2001
• A Special Samuel Adams Triple Bock, October 2001
• Summer Lightning, September 2001
• Taste of the Month, August 2001
• Taste of the Month, July 2001
• Taste of the Month, June 2001
• La Meule from Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes, May 2001
• Scottish & Newcastle Courage, April 2001
• Craftsman Triple White Sage, March 2001
• Galler Champagne Chocolate, February 2001
• Taste of the Year 2000, January 2001
• Rauchenfelser Steinbier, December 2000
• Crannóg Partition Bitter, November 2000
• Trois Pistoles, October 2000
• La Pulpeuse, September 2000
• Broughton Border Gold, August 2000
• Schneider Weisse, July 2000
• New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, June 2000
• Stille Nacht, May 2000
• Conners Best Bitter, April 2000
• Belgian Beer from Cooperstown, New York, Mar 2000
• The Macallan 1949, Feb 2000
• Budweiser Budvar (Taste of the Year - 1999), Jan 2000
• Westmalle Tripel, Dec 1999
• Southhampton Saison, Nov 1999
• A Tie Between Two French Beers, Oct 1999
• Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock, Sept 1999
• Hair of the Dog, Aug 1999
• Belgian Dubbels, July 1999

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