Russian River Depuration

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

Sample from Wetherel....thanks John! Mellow, soft but tight carbonation that rolls over the tongue. A nice balance between oak and bugs. I liked this a bit more than Temptation...awesome.

12.7oz bottle from kp. Huge thanks Keith. Great sour aroma. Cloudy yellow amber color. Mild sourness. Lots of carbonation. One of the best sours I’ve had. Possibly mellowed from age.

Bottle shared at GABF 2008. Pours hazy light yellow with a small, fizzy, white head, mostly lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is average malt (hay, straw), average hops (flowers, grass), average yeast (horse blanket, barnyard) with notes of grapes. Light bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a sour finish. Average duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity and sourness.

Bottle shared by Crosling, thanks dude. Poured a clear golden color with a moderate white head that slowly receded to a thick layer. Aroma of soft white grapes, peach, some funky brett, and a hint of barnyard. Moderate citrus with some light white grape character lead into a dry, funky dose of brett with some barnyard, finishing dry with touches of oak and straw on the finish. Smooth, nice carbonation. Pretty good.

Batch 1, purchased from Russian River online. Another absolutely incredible beer from RR. If anyone ever wanted to appreciate instantly how much variety there was among sour beers, they could do much worse than simply sample three or four Cilurzo masterpieces in sequence. Whereas Temptation is a gorgeous white-wine derived funky brew and Supplication a hybrid of known styles, Depuration is something different still. Deep dark orange with some crisp, champagne-like carbonation. Nice lasting head. Sour apple smell with some cherry pits and cider, sour peach, and wet oak. Much more consistently dry than some of the other barrel beers, giving it that crisp, almost papery feel in the mouth that I enjoy. Lengthy finish, not mouth-puckering but delightfully deep.

12.7 oz bottle, batch 001. Poured hazy brownish yellow in color with a foamy white head. Aroma of funk, grapes, brett, and mild citrus. Taste is of brett funkiness, with oak, grapes, and some medium tartness. The finish is dry and quite nice.

12.7 oz bottle, batch 001. Sparkling golden brown with a fluffy ring of white and suspended specks. Nose is mild sour cherry and white grape with hints of honeysuckle and oak. At first reminds me of champagne lightly tart with crisp carb. Taste moves from vinous to pear and green apple. Dries with smooth citrus peel. Another wonderful brew from the River just lacking that special something.

Bottle shared with Miketd. Thanks Mike for sharing this gem! Batch 1 bottle pours golden with a white head. Head a wonderful funky smell. The sourness wafts from the glass. Has a light mouthfeel with a lot of carbonation. Taste is sour puckering and tart. The yeast strains and barrel aging married a really nice flavor. Thanks again.