Russian River Supplication

Thanks to cloudskipper for this beaute! Pours a gorgeous translucent orange/copper elixir with a puffy yellow tinted off-white head with medium retention. The nose is delicately funky and cheesey with sour cherries and barnyard. The flavour is immediately WAY more acetic than the nose suggests, with ultra-sharp acetic acid, lemon zest, puckering tart red cherry, oak, lactic acid and a whisper of vinous malty notes. It is plenty tart, as I can feel the burn in my chest, and I’m not one to get heartburn. I love the lacto that is ever-present in this brew. The aftertaste is oaky, more citric than tart, and bone dry with medium duration. I think the prickly, drying mouthfeel exaggerates the tartness of the beer, but the bretty funk is there in full.

(Bottle) Pours hazy amber with a sand colored head that holds some red hints. The aroma is lovely lemon citric dryish with bretty tones of horse blanket and barnyard. Cherries and hints of other tart red berries. The subtle oak and tiny vinous notes make the already complex nose more balanced. The dry toasted malt is almost cracker like. The flavour is heavily dry, tart and acidic with tones of lemon acid. Brett and malt brings notes of horse blanket, barnyard, toast, crackers and maybe some dry caramel. Some cherries in the flavour as well. Light vinous fruity. The mouthfeel is a bit round and medium carbonated. Lingering citric and woody tones. Medium bodied.

Bottled (from Cracked Kettle). Amber colour, small white head. Aroma is sour fruits, quite winelike with also some wooden and brett notes. Flavour is dry wood, lots of yeast, and some fruityness. Very wellbalanced and nicely drinkable. Surprisingly complex even though it’s not that rich on "lots of stuff" in the flavour.

Bottled batch 003. Deep amber red color, small beige head. Sour bretta aroma with red wineish notes, quite similar to some Panil beers. Fruity, average tartness, grapefruit, lemon ... very balanced and puckering-fruity "lambic". Red wine barrel ageing is evident.

Had this on draft at the brewpub in Santa Rosa. Nice sour but not as sour as some of the others.very good on draft with oak notes coming through from the barrel aging.Nice notes of some cherry coming through as well. Tart funk but not as tart as I would like it to be.Over all just a great beer and I recommend trying it if you get a chance. Just an overall unique drinking experience.

Small offwhite head, retention is fair as is the lacing. Lightly hazy orange color starting to turn brown. Lightly fruity nose, pears, vinous and wood with faint oxydation. Body is medium, soft carbonation, lightly acidic and puckering. Smooth wood and fruit flavors, tartness is subdued, cherry notes, spicey, lightly vinegery, musty and funky. Tart, funky fruity finish. Surprise, surprise, nice. Props to FlacoAlto for the bottle he bonused me in a trade we did in Jan. of 07. Thanks Bro!!

Courtesy of SHIG, thanks. Pours hazy brown copper with thin off white head. The aroma has sweet notes of malts, sugar and berry fruitiness followed by tart berries and crushed aspirin. The taste explodes with sourness up front that seems to be tart berry fruitiness moving into dry tart crushed aspirin sucking the life out of my palate. Midway notes of sugar, sweet berry fruitiness and just a flash of malts create an all too brief and faint oasis away from the searing tartness. It ends tart and dry. I didn’t even get the faintest sense this had anything to do with barrel or wood aging.

Tap @ O’Briens TION night. Poured hazy, bright gold with a frothy white head. Musty, dank yeast funk combined with oaken wine barrel earthiness. Effervescent mouthfeel gives it a light feel. Mouth-puckering tartness right away. Lemony citric bite along with the bretty funk. A vinuous tanginess follows as does the oak and cherry flavors. Definitely a success in terms of aging in that it tones down the sometimes harsh vinegar and cheese flavors. They are present, but in far less degree so the quality of the beer itself comes through. The pricetag on a bottle of this can be prohibitive, which makes having this on tap a rare treat.