Russian River Fleurette

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Santa Rosa, California USA

Draft at the brewpub. Ummm... blond in appearance. Aroma is some honey and light spices, light malt. Just a very light beer overall, flavor is the same as the aroma, dry finish.

On-tap at the brewpub. Pours cloudy orange with a thin, bubbly white head, some lace. Smells plain malty with some slight spiciness. Tastes bready malty, slightly flowery, spicy and slightly hoppy. Overall there is a good hop presence, nice. Medium body, vibrant carbonation.

On tap at Toronado. This golden ale poured with a short white head and a pleasant toasty aroma. There is a thin malt flavor and some barely discernable spices. The body is quite watery making this a mediocre example of a saison.

Draft at Toronado. Orangish yellow colored. I was told it was a saison. Aroma is attractive with floral and spicy notes. Medium bodied, fairly dry. There’s definitely something fun in this one.

Nothing about this beer really did much for me. It did carry a very nice floral nose, some rose petals, with some sweet malts and a touch spicy. All very soft and subdued. Flavors had some light, soft maltiness about it, a strong presence of flowers with just a soft herbal quality to it. Everything about this beer was soft and perhaps that’s what the goal was. It left just a whisper of flavor behind.

Pours clear gold, with a three-inch head of dense white. Retention is average, leaving behind plenty of smeared lacework and a partial skim-coat on the surface. Aromatics are floral, perfumy, and lightly sweet and spicy. Rose petals with honey and white peppercorns. Fresh dew in a flower garden with earthy cedar underfoot. Light bodied, creamy and slightly crisp. A bit tacky and clingy. Very light malt and crisp wheat lead off the pallet, along with a light spicy note and some residual honey. A slight bitterness takes the edge of the light residuals. Finishes with rounded honey notes, a hint of lemon, and rosewater. A very delicate brew, and the pallet doesn’t really deliver what the nose promises. Refreshing and quenching. I hope to try the small amount that made it into barrels someday.

Pours an attractive bright orange with decent white head. Spicy and fruity nose. Similar flavor with a bit more fruit sweetness that lingers. Very delicate on the palate. Thanks to davecooks for this one.

On tap at the brewery. Light gold color with a watery white head that leaves some scattered lacing. Aroma is juicy and sweet. Obviously very floral, but with a spicy character as well. Flavor is light and refreshing, with a hibiscus type of flower petal character and a peppery dry finish. Very easy to drink.