Sonoma County beers

 I started off the weekend with a stop at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa.
They make fantastic beer and while I was waiting for them to fill my growler with Pliny the Elder I had a 1/2 pint of Salvation. You read that right. The beer's name is Salvation. (The beer is good but Salvation is a little far.) Vinnie Cilurzo has great names for many of the beers: Consecration, Damnation, etc. Salvation is a dark golden strong in the tradition of Belgian Ales. It is a great beer.
My next stop was Bear Republic Brewery in Healdsburg. Another great brewery with several good beers. But tonight I was looking for something different. I was fortunate to find Ryevalry on tap.
It is a Double IPA made with 30% rye and fermented with Westmalle Abbey Ale Yeast. It is an unusual beer but wonderful. The fruity esters of the Belgian yeast mix with the aroma of the hops. The spice of the rye blends with the bittering hops to make a really unusual beer. I like it a lot.
I was able to sample a few of the other beers. Racer X is a great double IPA. It is smooth and crisp. It has nice balance for the amount of hops. I miss the hop flavor in Pliny. I think it must be the Simcoe.
Big Bear stout is a really nice stout. At 8% it lives up to its name. It has a nice dark malt flavor with surprisingly crisp finish.

Tonight we finish off my Belgian Ale brew and maybe have some of the Hop Rod Rye.