Russian River Erudition

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Saison
Santa Rosa, California USA

On tap at Bistro 2005 Belgian Fest. Light gold color. Medium sized white foamy head, long lasting lacing. Aroma is barnyard, touches of leather and must and something else I can’t quite place. A medium bodied saison. Malts are fruity and sweet. Lots of banana esters. Touches of bretts, some hoppiness. Lots of fruity esters and a touch of leather and must. Lively carbonated. Light and refreshing. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean, crisp and dry. Aftertaste is sweet.

On tap@ the Bistro poured a hazy yellow with a small white head. Aromas of horseblanket, leather, and grapefruit rind. Big brett flavor with grapefruit rind and a hint of orange with a dry finish.

Draft. 6% alcohol and aged in chardonnay barrels for a year. Golden, slightly hazy beer with a nice white head. Spicey aroma with some fruitiness to it. Oaky flavor with lots (too much) apple/pear. Some spice and a bit of sweet malt. Finishes dry. Possibly some wheat.

On tap at the pub. Gold with a white head. Spicy aroma with sweet friuty taste.

(Draft: O’Brien’s in San Diego, CA) So, I don’t think this is my style of beer -- I really don’t like this, not even a little. It smells kind of bad, like rotting garbage, and thankfully, the nose isn’t especially aromatic, so I can’t smell this from a distance. The flavor is somewhat sweet, but moderately tart. Lightly hoppy initially, but picking up a bit more in the finish. But again, there is that rotting vegetables in the flavor that I just can’t get past. Light bodied. Cloudy yellow color. White creamy head consists of very small bubbles, but fades to a small halo, leaving no lace. I can’t even finish this beer.

Pours with a cloudy orange-gold body topped by a thin head with little lacing. The aroma is slightly sour and full of barnyard notes, not what I expect from a saison. It smells like BO. The flavor is similar but not quite as pronounced. Light, crisp and a touch dry.

bretty, leathery aroma with mimosa characteristics...hazed yellow color with a thin halo. Full brett onslaught; leathery, dry, and champagne like with fresh squeezed OJ and pineapple notes. From my memory of "Sanctification", I would say that this beer is either extremely close or the exact same beer. The characteristics are extremely similar as it seems that brettanomyces is the main yeast here...This is what i would want a saison to taste like, but it doesn’t taste like a saison is supposed to taste like.

Interestingly, had this again after it’s been sitting in the keg for a few weeks and it has taken a extremely orvalish character...a little weaker bodied and less floral than orval but very very similar..interesting.

Taste is cinnamon and apple. Aroma is similar. Slightly horse blanket sour smell. Body is very smooth and pleasant.