Russian River Brewing Company: Blind Pig IPA

ABV: 6.1%

IBU: 70

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 4.19/5

We’re going bucket list blind on the Windowsill today!

The story of today’s beer begins all the way back in 1994. Vinnie Cilurzo took his first swing at founding his own brewery in Temecula, California. There, he specialized in only a couple of year-round brews, one of which was an IPA. What was the name of that brewery? Blind Pig Brewing Company! Unfortunately, it failed, but Cilurzo took a job at, and eventually purchased, Russian River Brewing Company. For his new brewing endeavor, he brewed another IPA as an homage to his original recipe. The Blind Pig IPA was born.

Two things about this beer. First of all, the name “Blind Pig.” It’s not just an homage to Cilurzo’s old brewery. It’s also a Prohibition term. Back in the day, you could use the term to discreetly order beer from a speakeasy barkeep. Also, jars were known as pigs, and unmarked jars were “blind pigs.” The second thing to know about this beer is that it’s one of the standard bearers for the IPA style. If you like hops, you’ll love this one. The malts are barely there, and the hops are so strong, they’re almost sharp on the tongue. The new recipe is a little less bitter than the old one, (the original was 92 IBU, this one is 70) and Cilurzo has added a “small amount” of Amarillo and Simcoe to his old brew. If you get the chance to try this one, do it!

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