Russian River Temptation

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

Bottle from Batch 3... Pours a beautiful cloudy golden color with a hugh fluffy white head, it looks like a cloud. The aroma coming from the beer is amazing - sour apples, lemons, wild cherries, horse blanket brett, oak and small hits of chardonnay...wow this is great. The flavor is equally amazing...sour apple, lemon sourness, wet oak, chardonnay flavors...its sour but not too sour at all a nice crisp dry finish. The mouthfeel is wonderful...nice carbonation, nice sour profile.

The Temptation pours a very hazy orange/yellow color with a nice thick and sparkling head. The first few sips of this beer definitely reminds you that it has been aged in Chardonnay barrels for an extended period of time and then you get the sour that is trademark RR.

Sampled on tap at the brewpub, from the bottle, and directly from the barrel. Thank you very much Vinnie and Natalie for this opportunity. Brilliant, clear, bright yellow gold with a fine, medium-thick white head. Lovely, fresh, tart aroma with yellow fruit and strawberry over a soft spiciness and wood-aged oxidation. The brett character shoes itself nicely in the flavor with focused, well-balanced sourness and darker "animal" characteristics against the light, yet sturdy, golden malt profile. Some alcohol comes through faintly in the long, multi-dimensional finish. This is finely-crafted, delicate, somewhat understated sour ale that slowly reveals itselfs quite rewardingly. Excellent.

375ml bottle courtesy of largadeer, thanks a bunch for the opportunity. Beautiful, golden blonde color, cloudy. The smell is excellent and suggests sour and wine. The taste is pretty darn good and less sour than expected but still a pucker. This seems a little more subtle and complex compared to Supplication and Beatification but then maybe they aren’t meant to be compared? There is not much funk to be found but all in all this is excellent. I’ve been skeptical about paying high prices for beer but these barrel-aged RR beers are worth it in my mind. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 06-20-2008 02:04:48

Bottle. Pours bright cloudy gols with a white head. The aroma is fruity, almost wheaty?, with a light tartness. The flavor has a nice light tart fruity base, citrus and light vinous notes, just a touch of oak, and nicely restrained brett. Very drinkable. A definite winner in my book.

On tap at Russian River. Cloudy golden color with a white head. Aroma is funky with light fruits, citrus, and white wine. Fizzy mouthfeel, almost wine-like flavor with some citrus and yeast. Awesome Brett sourness. Crazy beer, but well done.

Re-rate 6/09: Bottle sample. Thanks Yafit! Slightly hazy golden with a white head. Aroma of fruits, a bit of maltiness and brett. Sour flavor with some citrus, light sweaty notes and faint sweaty notes. Medium-bodied. 8/4/8/4/16=4

Bottle. Batch 003. Cloudy golden color with a white head, one of the largest I’ve ever seen. Lovely aroma of barnyard, citrus and light leathery hints. Wonderful refreshing sour flavor with some white wine character, lots of fresh fruitiness, a bit of citric juice and brett... Mmmm... Brett... Medium-bodied with lively carbonation. Just great. 8/4/8/4/17=4.1

Rating #400. I’ve been waiting to pop this bottle, batch 003 from Beerlando, for some time now. The description seems right up my alley, and will likely be my favorite of all RR Sours. 12.7 oz bottle poured into my Russian River Barrel Aged Beer glass from my trip to the brewpub. Pours a remarkable murky gold with hints of fiery orange haze and an eggshell white big bubbly head that begins to dissipate. Aromas are sheer heaven, noticable as soon as the bottle is popped: touches of barnyard funk and sourness mixed with white wine and grapes, tangerine and peaches, light sweet tarty fruitness with grapefruit and citrus, dry oak, and a touch of floral and tropical fruit thrown in. Complex, yet discernible. Initial is brings a light pucker to the lips, a nice sourness mixed with a dry oakiness, fruity body and funkiness from the brett. Delicate, but full of flavor. Funk and brett shine through on the backend moreso, with sour and fruit melange in the initial and body. Finishes clean, with a lingering sourness and dryness. This is simply heaven. White winey characteristics of the barrel help compliment the brew, leaving it extremely well balanced and sessionable. My favorite type of wild ale. Cheers and a big thanks to Beerlando!