Russian River Hop Growers IPA (Crosby Hops)

Beer Name: Hop Growers
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Co. (Santa Rosa, CA; Windsor, CA)
ABV: 6.5%

How sold: 17.25 oz bottles (510 mL), on draft
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $6.99 for 17.25 oz bottle

Date Bottled: August 27, 2024

Date Bought: September 20, 2024
Date Drank: October 12, 2024

When brewed? Possibly a limited-time beer.

Commercial Description: "Crosby Hops long standing six-hundred-acre family hop farm is based in Oregon's heralded Willamette Valley. Nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Oregon Coast, with its temperate climate, the Willamette Valley is an ideal hop growing environment, known for producing some of the finest aroma hops on earth. Brewed with Comet, Chinook, Amarillo, and Strata hops."

Where distributed: Russian River distributes to limited locations. They now distribute more types of beer, including Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig, to Portland, which they started probably sometime after I left the area in 2019.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured clear golden into pint glass. White head, virtually no head or lacing. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Balanced citrus, hops, and malt. Leans toward the lemony-citrus side. Simply made well. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Follows the nose. Balanced citrus and hoppy from start to finish. Lovely citrus on the aftertaste. Clean and delicious. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, some carbonation. Some dry tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding IPA. I tried this on draft at Belmont Station and loved it so much that I grabbed a bottle to take home. Russian River Brewing continues to release amazing IPAs. A must-add to the list if you're an IPA fan. 4.75/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.588/5