Sierra Nevada / Russian River Beer Camp Yvan the Great
2014 Beer Camp Across America Release.
As longtime friends, Russian River brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo and our own Brian Grossman are no strangers to brewing experiments. While looking for inspiration for this collaboration, Vinnie and Brian decided to honor the creations of legendary Belgian brewer Yvan De Baets with their own hop-forward American-Belgian mash-up.
From complex Belgian-inspired styles to American wild ales and hoppy Double IPA’s, Russian River always pushes boundaries while respecting technique and quality. Co-owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo are longtime friends of Sierra Nevada and they always have a six-pack of Pale Ale in their fridge at home.
As longtime friends, Russian River brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo and our own Brian Grossman are no strangers to brewing experiments. While looking for inspiration for this collaboration, Vinnie and Brian decided to honor the creations of legendary Belgian brewer Yvan De Baets with their own hop-forward American-Belgian mash-up.
From complex Belgian-inspired styles to American wild ales and hoppy Double IPA’s, Russian River always pushes boundaries while respecting technique and quality. Co-owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo are longtime friends of Sierra Nevada and they always have a six-pack of Pale Ale in their fridge at home.
3.5
425 reviews
Chico, United States
Community reviews
Another winner from the beer camp case. The american citrusy hops with the not-so-subtle belgian notes really work. Pours a hazy gold with a nice white head. Nose is all belgian- unmistakeable. Really yeasty with prominent biscuit/ hay/ bread. Drinks really crisp with nice bitter notes from the hops. Earthy and almost funky at the end. Super balance. So drinkable. Loved it.
Tap @ Falling Rock, Denver.
Medium amber, white head.
Malty aroma, caramel, apricot, hops.
Dry, medium body and bitterness, balanced CO2.
Malty, spicy taste, caramel, hops, yeast.
Slightly harsh? (2014-04-08)
[Tap] Golden in color with a small white head. Average levels of carbonation. Aromas of dusty grains, bitter citrus rinds and fruity yeasty esters. Flavors of dough, lemongrass, herbal hops, candied apricots, white bread and wet hay. Finishes dry and hoppy. It worked, but it took a little bit for me to warm up to this beer. Tasting notes from 7/2014.
A well crafted beer, a farmhouse with hops that lend it a bitterness. Personally, I would have liked more of the latter and maybe should have had fresh on tap.
Golden yellow pour with a while head. Yeasty aroma, malty, a little fruity in the nose. Taste is Belgian yeast, nice malt flavor, hops come out from behind the yeast. Lasting aftertaste. Very good.
Bottle. Yellow pale golden light haze, well carbd. Soft sweet yellow fruity. Some honey malts, sweets, belgy yeasts. Malty, belgy blond definitely. Med bodied, bit dry feeling. Malty, bitters. Suprisingly much citrus in the flavour really. The nose was more sweet dried apricot fruity. Tasty, very textbook belgy blondy.
Shared on Facebook Chat with Strykzone. Pours a clear gold with a small white head with no retention ., Nose is apricot, and lots of floral hops. Medium body. Flavor is lots of fruits with the apricot dominating and the flowers added a lot of unusual tastes. The finish is a bit earthy. Goes a bit earthy and yeasty towards the dry finish. Very different tasting.
Amarelo palha, boa e persistente espuma. Aromas cítricos de lima, laranja, coentro e noz moscada. Corpo médio-baixo. Final doce, refrescante. Uma boa witbier, mas nada de excepcional.
January 11, 2014. Bottle at home.
Light hazy pale golden with a small white head. Aroma is sweet fruity esters, candy, floral honey, spices. Taste is sweet with light dry spicy notes. Finish is soft light bitter with light dry spicy notes on top of a sweet honey and malt base. Medium bodied, average small bubble carbonation.
On tap at Pizza Paradiso in Alexandria, VA.
Crystal clear, yellow-gold with a thin off-white head and and fair lacing.
Aroma of spices, citrus, peel, coriander, yeast and grass.
Taste of spices, citrus, peel, coriander, yeast and grass.
Medium/full body and high carbonization.
355ml bottle from Saveur-Biere
PKGD 06/02/14 - Pours yellow with a small head. Aroma of yeast, doughy notes, ripe fruits and spices. Taste is sweetish, yeasty and doughy with notes of ripe fruits, spices, citrus, grass and herbal notes. Finish is crisp, bitter and ripe fruity with some doughy yeastiness and citrusy notes. Okay, but feels a bit stuffy and doughy.
35,5 cl bottle @ tiong, bottled(?) 02.06.2014
Aroma has soapy citrus, yeast and mellow fruity tones. Flavour has strong grapefruit notes, citrus, some herbs, bush leaves and soapy apricot. Too strong citrus here.
Lightly foggy gold, a tight white head. Aroma is pretty yeasty, fruit esters, light alcohol. Taste is lightly sweet, yeast, mild spice.
Gold with lots of clarity. Smells farmhouse funk, wet hay. First taste is the wet grain funk and a Dry finish.
Tasted from bottle. Pours a cloudy pale yellow with white head. Aroma of belgian yeast, spices, some citrus notes. Taste similar to the nose with lots of belgian funk. Some lemon and banana. Medium bodied with mild bitterness and moderate sweetness. Very good belgian gold.
Draft. Amber beer with a cream head. Light yeast aroma. Yeast and malt flavor with light spice and light citrus. Medium bodied. Yeast and spice linger with malt.
12 oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden with lasting velvet wisp of head and wet lacing. Aroma is mild Belgian yeast with a hint of Brett and fruity sweetness. Flavor is classic Belgian golden ale with complex RR character. Medium bodied, slightly viscous/syrupy, moderate carbonation, mildly tart finish.
Straw yellow body with a mild haze and a half inch of white head. Aromas of lemon, Belgian yeast, grain, Saaz hops? Initial flavor of lemon tartness quickly followed by sweet candies (lemonheads). Also notable is floral character with a healthy dose of Belgian yeast. Mild tartness in the finish with a nice helping of hops. Tasty.
Draft. Yellow, white head. Aroma of lemon, hay, honey. A little peppery and spicy, buttery. Heavy on the lemon but a little thin. Hops are mild.
Spicy and yeasty aroma with some nice Belgian esters. Hazy pale yellow color with a fleeting white head. Peppery and spicy flavor with a nice citrus hop bitterness in the finish. Biscuit malt and dry finish. Light and effervescent on the palate. Overall, this is a good and balanced interpretation of a true Belgian Blonde.
On draft at Sharp Edge Brasserie. Poured hazy yellow with thin skin of head. Yeast, spice, lemon. Crisp and refreshing. Bit thin.
Bottle. Pours a hazy golden color with white head. Straw, Belgian yeast, bread, sweet, malty aromas. Yeasty, spicy, dough, estery flavors. Pretty tasty!
Draught at brewery. Hoppy saison. Nice yellow color. Slightly dry. Very tasty overall.
Earlier Rating: 8/6/2014 Total Score: 3.7
12 ounce bottle from the Beer Camp box. Yeasty with some big lemon flavors throughout. Totally refreshing.
Keg at APEX, PDX, 09/11/14.
Clear pale golden.
Nose is spice, citric peel, Belgian yeast esters.
Taste comprises Belgian yeast notes, lemon rind, straw, candy floss, vanilla essence.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close.
Decent Belgo.
Golden pour. Heavy carbonation. A little funk, orange rind, coriander. I thought this was the most enjoyable beer in the Beer Camp series
Bottle thanks to sonnycheeba. Pours a slightly hazy amber with a layer of off white head. Aroma and taste of yeast and some spice with a slightly citrus hint.
Pours light yellow. Clear but with some suspended solids (not yeast). Belgian funkiness in the nose with citrusy hop and pear aroma. Light spritzy mouthfeel that dances on the tongue. Initially fruity taste quickly turns assertively bitter. Bitterness lingers as cracker flavor emerges and ends with a slightly grainy finish. A nice compromise between a French ale and a blond with an interesting hop assertivness. Pleasant and balance.
On tap at Sideways in Fayetteville. Pours a hazy golden yellow with a fluffy white head. Aroma is yeasty and spicy. Flavor follows and has some grassy and some citrus. Finishes dry. Overall, nice beer.
Bottle... Pours hazy and yellow with a small, wispy, white head. The bouquet furnishes a big, spicy, yeast-driven clove phenol accompanied by a hint of white pepper. Full-bodied with tingly carbonation. The flavor is hop-forward with spicy bitterness flanked tightly by farmhouse yeast-induced clove. There’s a hint of biscuity sweetness here as well. Finishes super spicy and slightly dry. Rock solid, but one of my least favorite styles of beer. I continue to hope that one day, that Belgo-German, clove-like phenol becomes less off-putting to me.
Yellow pour. Some coriander Belgian yeast aroma. Some sweetNess Belgian yeast little fruit herbal and grassy. Light body moderate carbonation.