Russian River Brewing Company 'Shadow of a Doubt' Imperial Porter Beer, California

Dark chocolate and raisins lead into tobacco and warming spice, giving this full-flavored porter a deep, savory character to match its 9.9% ABV strength. Russian River Brewing Company 'Shadow of a Doubt' Imperial Porter Beer is a limited-release brew named in homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 thriller Shadow of a Doubt, filmed largely on location in Santa Rosa. Rich and contemplative without losing the balance associated with Russian River's brewing, it connects Brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo's precise approach to strong beer with a playful tribute to the brewery's hometown and its place in film history.

Product Details:

• Owners: Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo
• Brewmaster: Vinnie Cilurzo
• Release: Limited Release
• ABV: 9.9%

Sensory Description:

Rich chocolate forms the foundation of the aromatic profile, joined by dark raisin, tobacco, and a measured thread of spice. The palate carries the depth expected of an Imperial Porter, with dark malt character and dried-fruit richness giving the beer a broad, substantial presence. Tobacco and spice introduce a more savory dimension as it develops, keeping the chocolate and raisin character from becoming one-dimensional and carrying the beer toward a lingering, warming finish.

Brewer's Background:

Russian River Brewing Company began in 1997 as a brewing project of Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, where Vinnie Cilurzo was hired as brewmaster and initially served as the brewery's sole employee. During those early years, Cilurzo developed a reputation for intensely hopped and Belgian-inspired beers, including Pliny the Elder, first brewed at the Korbel facility in 1999. When Korbel left the beer business in 2003, it transferred the Russian River Brewing Company name, beer names, and recipes to Vinnie and his wife, Natalie Cilurzo, who opened their independently operated Santa Rosa brewpub in 2004 and later bought out their original partners and investors. The Cilurzos expanded Russian River with an 85,000-square-foot brewery and brewpub in Windsor in 2018 while retaining the original Santa Rosa location, allowing the company to increase production while continuing its extensive program of hoppy, Belgian-inspired, strong, and sour beers. Shadow of a Doubt connects that brewing history directly to Santa Rosa, taking its name from Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 thriller filmed largely in the city and translating the reference into a dark, powerful Imperial Porter.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at approximately 10 to 13 degrees Celsius in a snifter, tulip, or stemmed porter glass, allowing the beer to warm gradually and reveal its chocolate, dried-fruit, tobacco, and spice character. Pair with braised or smoked beef, barbecue, roasted mushrooms, aged cheddar, blue cheese, or desserts built around dark chocolate and toasted nuts. Its raisin and spice notes also complement bread pudding, fruitcake, and other desserts featuring dried fruit without requiring additional sweetness from the beer itself.