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Russian River Temptation

Russian River Temptation - Sour Ale

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 Percentile 
100
overall
Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
5634.09/5.04.08/5.0Special7.25%96Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
Is it beer, or is it wine? "Aged in French oak wine barrels for twelve months with distinct characteristics of fruit and subtle oak" sounds more like a description of wine than beer. But, of course, Temptation is indeed beer. Actually, Temptation is a Blonde Ale Fermented with a special strain of yeast, then aged in French oak chardonnay barrels. Flavors of wine and oak absorb into the brew throughout twelve months of aging. During this aging process, a secondary fermentation occurs using a yeast strain disliked by most brewers and winemakers called Brettanomyces. The "Bret" gives Temptation intriguing characteristics and a pleasant sourness. Temptation is re-fermented in the bottle to create its carbonation--a process commonly used to make fine champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment to remain in the bottle.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 RIXbeer (102), USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/510/105/518/20
Nov 28, 2008  
Another beer via trade with deepsouth (BA). Awesome man! Batch 003! First things first, Smell that Brett! Pale gold yellow cloud with a 2" head. Leaves a nice coat on the sides but that fades too. This beer reeks of Brett and Oak! The sirens are going off for the sour smell. This beer is sour as a MF’er! Tart, smooth and sour like a good belgian! Seriously this beer can hang with all the #1s out there! Little fruit, saison like spice but always sour and tart from start to finish. So Smooth! The tartness sticks around a while and refuses to leave the back of your throat. Mmmmm thank you! So Tart and so so yummy! It’s smooth with a bubbly complexity. The carbonation is very light. Tangy and zesty with a nice strong zap of oak near the end of each mouthful. This beer is so so drinkable. Did a belgian brewery brew this? This can’t be from America. O wait it is. Finally a brewery worth the same praise as say, De Dolle...Yummm Ok I no longer want to review this beer...I need to focus on drinking and enjoying it! Wow this is a delicious brew!


 jake65 (1657), Williston, North Dakota, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/59/104/516/20
Nov 27, 2008  
Bottle: Dusty blonde/golden color with a large, frothy white head. Thick sheets of lacing. Smells fruity with sweet and tart notes. Ciderlike with just a hint of barrel aging. Flavor is very tart with a little sweetness. Dry and a little more of the oak. Ciderlike finish with a lingering mouth puckerin bitterness. Very nice. Thanks Shyam.


 fidel (884), Livermore, California, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/515/20
Nov 21, 2008  
Hazy yellow amber, tart, wood, lemon, apple, bready, funky, malty, dry finish.


 ketchepillar (475), Viña del Mar, Chile
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/516/20
Oct 28, 2008  
375mL bottle. Beautiful looking beer; creamy white head like a baby’s ass. Aroma is incredibly strong-mainly just very sour smelling, lemony, with detectable oak, some earthy funk. The flavor is where it gets really interesting. It’s two-toned, in that there is the main tart, sour, fruitiness that I expected. And then, upon the middle of my tongue, there falls a tantalizing, yet dull/flat/smooth maltiness, similar to a BSA in a way. Then in the finish this malt character is very drying, bitter, oaky, apple, and actually pungent and dirt-like, and I mean that in the best possible way. Meanwhile the sour lemon teases the sides and front of the tongue.


 crowderm (275), Recklinghausen, Germany
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/516/20
Oct 28, 2008  
Rating #200. Spectacular amber pour with an undying silky white head. Great lacing as the beer goes down. Very nice aroma of oak, white wine, leather, lemon and pear. The flavor is strikingly bitter at first (green apple, wood, white wine, grapefruit), but the bitterness quickly fades leaving a mild, slightly funky/bready sweetness on the tongue. Mouthfeel is clean and dry, with some very nice almost champagne like carbonation. Incredibly crisp and refreshing. This a fantastic beer, and one of the first sours I have truly enjoyed.


 hillfiiiiire (283), Madison, Wisconsin, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/516/20
Oct 28, 2008  
Trade with BOLTZ7555. Thanks for this one. Batch 3. Looks great with a hazy orange body and smooth head. Woody aroma with with some sweet apple funkiness. Wonderfully done. Flavor is nice and subtle with just enough sour to make you salivate and keep on drinking with a nice dry fruit taste. Very nice bubbly carbonation and wonderful dry finish. Very, very nice beer.


 Scauca (408), Lovere, Italy
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/517/20
Oct 27, 2008  
Bright pale amber with no head. Nice fruity, peaches perhaps mingle with a beautiful oak aged refreshing funkiness. Fantastic sourness, perfect drinkability. Superb.


 matt7215 (942), Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/58/104/517/20
Oct 24, 2008  
375 ml bottle. batch 3. from kmwever. a huge thanks to you ken, i owe you. pour hazy golden with a big fluffy white head that stays the whole way down the glass. by the time i reach the bottom my snifter is covered in lace and the head is with you to the last sip. i never thought a golden beer could look so pretty. the aromas make me salivate every time i indulge. wonderful woody, sour ale, white wine, apple, green fruit, citrus, aromas. flavours are sour up front with apple and wood. remeniscent of white wine but increibly soft and palatable. citrusy and grapey. no trace of the abv and full in the mouth in a playful way. wonderfully crafted and a joy to drink. i almost cant bring myslef to finish it because then it will be gone. thanks again ken this was a true gem.



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