Russian River Deviation (Bottleworks IX)

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

A fruit and slight tart drinker. Citrus, lemon, and grapefruit notes fill with the slight oak, wild base, and overall barnyard quality. The light amber holds up on a minimal head.

My Deviation Bottleworks IX came to me on a dark and stormy evening seeking solace and salvation in my glass. Who was I to deny her silently sincere pleas? I had no choice but to acquiesce to her pleading charms. Anything less would have been a travesty.
An oak aged brew from Russian River Brewing, Deviation Bottleworks IX is an amazingly complex brew. She poured a rich dark orange with a decent head into my glass. Immediately an array of fresh sourdough and yeast rushes out to greet my senses. A sour nose of epic proportions, I smell crisp fresh summer apples, funky yeast, and freshly baked sourdough. An anticipatory quaff later reveals a palate replete with sour notes all over my tastebuds. Very reminiscent of a Flemish sour and yet at the same time it isn’t. Oak from the barrels stabilizes the palate with a nice underbelly of soothing oaky notes, balancing the lip-puckering aspects of my Deviation Bottleworks IX. A pleasant warming sensation as the brew touches my lips lingers. Not too heavy a body, Bottleworks IX drinks very easily because of its sour oaky presence. From start to finish, a very enjoyable balance of crisp apples, bright nectarines, sour citrus and funky yeasts.
Anyone who enjoys a solid sour beer is going to love Russian River’s Deviation Bottleworks IX. An acquired taste for sure, sour beers can be like a sick love. Once you are hooked, there truly is no going back. You are ruined, and will begin to vigorously and actively seek out more sour beers. Truly a phenomenal creation.

Another bottle ala 5000 a a rich reward for supplying some meager brews for Hard Liver. Thanks Andre for the efforts, they are much appreciated. Lightly hazed bronze to copper color. Moderate beige head. Nice effervescent look. Sweet sour aromas. Tart apples, mild cherry tobacco, leather, dark cherries, peaches vanilla and light oak. The more I sniff, the more I like. Sweet cherry and light caramel start. The bitterness of the cherry pit comes in the middle along with tart apples. LIght oak come is the finish. Linger has a light bite and touch of apricot sweetness. Not quite the sourness of Cantillion, but this one is reaching close. There are times I’m sucking on grapes a weeks or two prior to the time they are ready of picking, then there are others where a dark cherry is coated in rich caramel. Just another brew I wish was readily available.

(750ml bottle) Pours a lightly hazy amber body with a small off-white head. Aroma of grapefruit, leather, horse blanket, apple, and oak. Flavor of brett, citrus, caramel malt, and sour cherry with a bone dry finish. I would love to get my hands on a few more bottles of this fantastic creation.

Thanks a bunch to whoever shared this. The beer pours to a hazy/murky straw amber body with a thin white head. The aroma is sour and La Folie like. Tart, oaky, acidic balsamic vinegar. Not as complex as La Folie, but really good. There are subtleties and other sourness things going on that are absolutely awesome. The flavor is tart, sour, acidic, but not overly done. It’s like a watery light La Folie (sampled side-by-side). Clean, tart, acidic. The palate is nice and tart. Super complex but balanced. The tartness isn’t overly sour.

Courtesy Oakes and Beershine. Murky dark orange-grey color, thin sparse white foamy head. Soft acetic nose, oak, lemons, the acidity relatively soft, and gains a more barnyard note as it warms. A lot of citrus and oak on the taste, the acidity not aggressive, but has a nice mild dusty component to it. Nice long dry finish.

I love sours and this was outstanding with a dark greenish pour and a nice tart yet bitter taste,it also had a nice and yet dry finish overall a good beer.CHEERS!

Bottle shared by pepsican. Thanks! Poured a hazy medium orange color with a white head. Attractive aroma of sour cherry, fruity candy, barnyard funk, and red wine vinegar. Medium bodied with moderate acidity and carbonation. Distinct oaky flavor accompanied by red wine vinegar and sour fruits. Delicious.