Russian River Supplication

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

Pours a brassy red with an open bubbled white head. The aroma is a sharp sour fruit. Cherry and other dark fruits with a brett based musty character. Great sourness and funky on the nose. The flavor is a mellowed tart fruit full of sour cherries and funky flavors. Sharp combination of vinegar, red wine, grapes, vinous, and saltiness. Even a funky fermented fruit with only a tiny hint of alcohol coming through. Mouth watteringly sour on the finish.

Bottle @ Hamiltons. Had this right after a Beatification and this wins. I like the sours, the cherries and the lingering aftertaste of juice. Pretty much a perfect representation of the style. I was expecting my senses to be reeled, and they were. Could stand to see a 3L bottle of this at the homestead.

11 0z Bottle via RR bonus (thanks Vinnie!). Pours a clear reddish amber with an average sized beige head. Nose is sour apples & cherries. Wow this is one sour beer, the sourest i have yet had from RR or anyone for that matter. It starts tart, with some sour apples, and ends tart with some sour cherries that have oak overtones. High carbonation. Medium body. This is one funkadelic beer!

Draft, at Monk’s cafe RR dinner 1/23/07. I’ve had this a few times before, so i was excited to get a chance to try it again last night. Wow! Ruby colored, barely any head (sample was poured into my glass from a pitcher). Beautiful funky sour aroma, with cherries fairly evident. I could smell this beer all day. Tart cherrry flavor. Delicious beer; I’d love to have a few cases in my cellar. Matched beautifully with an apple glazed duck breast.

375 ml bottle batch 01 poured a clear reddish copper with a small lasting creamy amber head. Aromas of sour cherry, vanilla, oak, leather and a hint of carmel. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of light soup cherry, vanilla, oak and hints of carmel and coconut with a lingering tart finish.

Roughly 12 oz bottle: Medium amberish brown w/a short lived off white head. Immediate light sour and "brett" nose. Lightly catty and barnyardy nose w/ a leathery and oaky wood aromas. Sour cherry is very light and also has a little "band aid" plasticy yeast character similar to Jolly Pumpkin. Malt character is a little bready & lightly grainy. Cherry aromas get a little stronger as it warms, and also develops some nutty malt, and do I detect a hint of chocolate? Flavor is well balanced, cherry and toasted malt flavors, not overly sour but more like mildly tart to help cut malty sweetness. Lightly dry finish w/ a bit of caramel and nutty malts. Cherry flavor is light compared to aroma, and has some dry woody flavors into the finish and lingering aftertaste, which is also a bit sugary flavored, but not sweet. Bready malts and an earthy and spicy yeast character. Lively carbonation w/ well hidden alcohol, smooth, medium body. A lot less sour than I’d imagined it would be. Very nice balance and flavor throughout; The nose is a bit plasticky, but I’ll get over it!

Light ruby-gold body with a light head. Sweet oaking in the aroma. Some earthy tones, apple and citrus with a nice ending.

Bottle on 11/30/2008 at the 3rd Annual Richmond Industry Gathering. Cloudy orange body with a medium frothy off-white head. Sour fruity aroma, with some funkiness. Big sour flavor, light fruit and more funk. Medium light body with high carbonation. 8/3/9/4/17 - 4.1 11/29/2006: Sampled at the Richmond Beer Industry Gathering 2006. Batch 001. Hazy amber body with a small white head. Pungent sour aroma. Sweet oaked flavor with some sour kick, and some gentle caramel notes. 9/4/9/4/18 - 4.4