Russian River Compunction

Formerly brewed at Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

This is my new favorite RR Sour. The others are complex and subtle with slight influences that you have to search for and wait as they develop. This one kicks you in the teeth like an explosion of flavor. No subtlety about it! First on the tip of your tongue, than the roof of your mouth, and finally the back of your tongue and throat. Like chewing a sweet tart, the flavors mix wonderfully of sour grapefruit and a Granny Smith like apple to sweet apricots and plums that carry to the finish. A warning, DO NOT try the Beatification immediately after this one. Like going from a hot tub to a cold shower. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

On tap at stone, the menu said it was barrrel aged. Pours a golden hue with a nice white head. Aromas of funk, a hint of mint, lemon peel and wine. Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied with flavors of lemons, a light oakiness, sour goodess with a lightly lingering finish. Very nice.

Draft at the brewpub. 5/7/07. Clear golden amber color, with a thin white head. Funky, sour wild ale aroma, with some sweetness from the fruit. The sourness of the beer is nicely accentuated by a sweet apricot flavor up front. I noticed plum in the finish, along with a bit of pepper. I’ve never tasted a plucot before (actually never heard of the fruit before this beer was brewed), but it matches really nice with the sour character of this beer.

sampled at DLD. pours hazy orange with white head. aroma is sour funky pluots! flavor is nicely tart, acidic, and sour pluots! wow this is extremely drinkable and refreshingly tart sour. awesome stuff i hope they bottle this soon (and actually release it).

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear golden color. Head was white, reduced quickly to a thin film, and left only a little bit of lace. Attractive aroma of sour fruits with white wine and oak. Very acidic with flavors of sour cherry, plum, and oak. I loved the acidity and white wine character of this beer. An acquired taste, to be sure, but very good.

Draft @ Monk’s. After a Supplication and a Pliny this one had its work cut out for it and it delivered with a nice fruity/sour mix. Golden-amber? (it was dark) coloring with a decent size head. Aroma is heavy on the pluots with other summer fruits and citrusy sourness on display. Flavor is solid pluot with a nice dose of sourness. This one just makes me think of a warm day. Nice feel and a solid finish. Another awesome sour from Vinny!

growler on behalf of amorphiss (thanks peter!)..... poured a cloudy light orange brown with a significant soapy white head.... welcoming nose of tart and sour fruitiness but the fruits were difficult to pinpoint. perhaps some citrus and some very subtle apricot comes to mind..... flavors continued on a similar path which was fine by me. tart, sour fruit, apricot or peaches which remained completely refreshing and easily drinkable. mouthfeel was fairly spritzy and alive.... a pricey growler to say the least but well worth it. i hope to have this again one day.

On draught as guest beer during Dark Lord Days ’08. Pours a hazy golden yellow sour brew with a thick white head that has excellent retention and lacing. Aroma of barnyard funk, sour citrus or oranges, lemon and a touch of lime, with yeast galore. Taste is medium bodied, spritzy with flavors of sour fruit, lemon and grapefruit. Finish remained sour that lingered after the finish. I was unaware that Russian River has some outstanding sour ales.