 Mes_and_Sim (4477), Highgate, Greater London, England
May 19, 2008
A Mes rate: Bottle opened to celebrate Manchester United winning the Premiership, City getting battered 8-1 and Bolton sticking the knife in with an injury time equalizer. What a day!
Apologies in advance to anyone who has to scroll past the ensuing gushing drivel but this was insanely good. This is going to be a long one.
Looks: Stunning amber colour with a thin beige rim and superb condition.
Sniff and sniff and sniff and sniff: Oh my GOD what a smell. An incredible combination of bretty sourness, lovely lovely hoppage, utterly amazing cherry and strawberry fruity notes, barnyardy and barrelly (such gorgeous Russian River wooden notes), red wine vinegar, candi sugar and slightly balsamic. Damn I could go on for days. Such complexity but all in 100% perfect balance. An utterly outstanding smell.
Well spank my arse and call me Gertrude if this isn’t one of the best tasting beers of all time: F**KING HELL this is special. All that is glorious about the aroma is present in equal abundance but the cherry comes right to the front. The bretty notes are huge. The sandalwood / sourness mix is beyond description. There are sherbert sweets being catapulted at you at high velocity giving it a show stopping blend of dry and juicy. My whole palate is covered initially with audacious sourness which is washed away with wave upon wave of cherry, wood and citrus. This is one of those beers that sends you on a journey with each sip and you just don’t want it to end. i really don’t think I have had a better balanced beer. There is such an astonishing amount happening but it’s all in perfect harmony. The finish is nothing short of sublime. The immediate tart sourness almost stings and as it departs it leaves gobsmacking cherry, strawberry and just a hint of vanilla in its wake. It lingers for a considerable time and I’m very thankful of that. I just don’t want it to be over.
Dancing all over my palate: This is up there with the very best. Dry, juicy and such width to the flavour with a glorious sting at the sides. Two minutes after writing I can lick around at my gums and still more magnificently tart cherries appear. Absobloodylutely fanfunkingtastic.
Final gushings: One of the best beers I have ever or will ever have. Each sip leaves me shaking my head in amazement. As high as it’s average score is, I still think it is under-rated. You know those moments where you are in a stonkingly good mood and the beer you choose just hits the spot in a magnificent way? It was like that but better. The ridiculousness of all this is, while drinking it we had a look at the RR website. Apparently at the very moment I was supping this goddess of a beer it was possible to get a pint of it during happy hour for $2.75. That’s beyond crazy. I’d be doing cartwheels! Mike you SERIOUSLY rock, once again, I can’t thank you enough. A very worthy celebration beer for Man U winning the title. WOO HOOOO!!!
michael-pollack (1488), King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 10, 2008 Bottle: Very tart aroma with notes of fruits, Brett, cherries, oak, and acid. Poured amber/orange in color with a small, off-white head. Very sparkling. Hazy. Flavor is very tart. Tastes of tart fruit, cherries, Brett, and a little oak. Medium body. Chalky texture. Lively carbonation. Tart, dry finish.
MrChopin (206), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 4, 2008 Pours orangish-amber color, supple yellowish-white head with ample lacing. Loads of peach/cherry in the nose, some citrus, really slight must, some lactic notes, faintly sweet, vinous notes with warmth. What!? 10/10. Flavor is a step down but is still great: more orange citrus to couple with the peach, lactic notes and wine lingering on the tongue, slight wood hiding out again. Palate is top notch, so smooth and simultaneously so vibrant. It’s really enjoyable to see another bretty beer where the extra pieces all snap together in the end.
ChristianScheffel (2250), Odense, Denmark
Sep 27, 2008 Amber with a lasting and lively white head. Subdued, but complex aroma with cherry, vanilla and fresh wood. Initially quite acidic, then a complex, elegant tartness with cherry and wood notes, and finishing with an even sweetish fruitiness.
This was my first sour RR, and I’m very much looking forward to try some more!
RCL (1075), Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
Sep 27, 2008 Batch #3. Very distinct vanilla component comes through from the barrel aging over the funk and tartness and unifies the flavor beautifully.
Beerman6686 (780), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Sep 26, 2008 Poured a dark orange color with an off white head. Aroma was sourness, sour cherries, a bit vineous. Flavor was amazing, very sour with a nice hint of cherries and oak, almost like a sour cherry wine.
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