Russian River Supplication

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

07.16.05 Tap sample at BCTC. Dark honey amber, light haze. Bretty and very sweet nose. Buttery with some cherry. Holy cow complex aroma. Supple body, light eff, vinous and very woody/dry to finish. Astringency cleans up sweetness. Excellent stuff.

Corked and caged bottle from JCB - thanks! 375 mL from Batch 002. Superb, robust sour cherry aroma, leathery with some nice funky brett (still young, though). Tart and brings liquid to the eyes. Letting it sit for a while brings out the wood. Cloudy brown-red particulate body, pretty classic with a short, noisy beige head. Powerfully sour taste, tart and acidic, assertive without being industrial. Dark sour cherry and a buttload of brett. Woodiness isn’t readily identified as oak and is more of a minor player here. The blend, however, is rather fine - complex and unified, sprinkled here and there with spice and pittless skins. More drinkable than just about any sour not named Rodenbach, way too flavorful even for 7% and not dominated by its potent acidity. Full body is effervescent and puckering, a little harsh on the throat but not off-putting. Dry, slightly balsamic aftertaste. Teeth brushed by cherry stones and walnut hides, dry tannic leather and refreshing boldness. One of the best sours in the world, let alone the Left Coast.

Side note: Is anyone else annoyed that the label defines supplication, a noun, as if it were a verb?

GABF 2005. Bright golden body with a persistent frothy head. Diverse and tantalizing fruit nose including young sour cherries, quality apple cider vinegar, and bright white wine. Nice strong horsey flavor with an interesting tobacco note and a surprising level of bitterness but ample acid balance. Very nice.

cloudy amber color. Sour and spicy nose. Thick bodied and sour. Can’t read the rest of my note (long night of tasting at JK’s Gathering) 9/4/7/3/16

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A cloudy brown body with foamy off-white head. Sweet sour cherries on the aroma with some brett funk. An over the top sour flavor greets my tongue then smoothly runs into a cherry midbody and then a tart finish.

Heavy wine almost approaching a bourbon-like smell. Cloudy yellow/gold. Fluffed up head. Sour fore transitions into a smooth wet fruity middle that finishes with a dry wine tartness. Extremely well pulled together. One of those beers I think I’d have to drink a lot to really pen down.

Hazy sediment-laden orange-red body, thin dissipating off-white head. Tannic, sour, musty aroma with cherry, oak, and brie cheese rind, lambic-like and tart with subdued sweetness. Sour, tart, tannic body but not puckeringly sour, wood, brie cheese rind, and cherries. Well-balanced. Reminds me of La Folie but with subdued tartness and less biting acidity. Rich, complex, with subtle carbonation leading to a soft mouthfeel. Excellent pairing of sour and sweet flavors. Thanks DarkElf for the bottle!

Bottle. Batch 2. Pours a hazy copper-orange body with a small white head. The vinous aroma consists of oak, cherries, grapes, and green leaves. Fruity flavour, creamy coating, reasonably aciditic with a lot of lovely brett. Finishes with some tart fruitiness. Had this a few times between March 21 and March 25 and I enjoyed it everytime.

Tap at Ommegang. Deep orange in color with a little head. Malty and sour aroma. Fruity. Cherries. Flavor is malty, spicey and fruity. Smooth . Very drinkable.