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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 
5624.09/5.04.08/5.0Special7.25%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?  
 valpoaj (362), Valparaiso, Indiana, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/517/20
Oct 13, 2008  
Bottle courtesy Taverner - thanks. Cracked this one open earlier than I planned on, in hopes that it will help break my disappointment from the Beatification. Pours an apricot color with a pretty solid white head that settles into a blotchy film. Aroma is absolutely beautiful...very lactic, but also loaded with woody accents, and very strong notes of white grapes...maybe some citrus notes as well. Flavor is also nicely done and melds well with the aroma. Lots of white grape/wine flavors, heavy on the sourness, some old apple flavors and a lot of lemony citrus going on here...all cloaked with a nice soft wood flavor. Again, a sipping beer, but this one isn’t a chore like the last RR sour I tried. Palate is well crafted...extremely dry, but there’s enough residual sweetness at the beginning of each sip to keep you clamoring for more. This was one fine beer...nice job RR


 masonjer (555), Holt, Michigan, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Oct 13, 2008  
Zeeland 08’ tasting. Poured golden with a nice white head. Aroma is sour grapes. Taste is nice funk, dry champagne type feel, some fruity white wine characteristics. Doesn’t really wow me at the end, but I would drink more of this stuff anytime (you don’t believe me? just try me!)


 tjthresh (1746), Greenfield, Indiana, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/515/20
Oct 13, 2008  
Batch 002. Bottle shared by MI2CA. Pours clear straw yellow with some nice white head. The nose comes off as tangy sour cream with a bit of fruit. The flavor is sort of yogurt-ish. I get some white wine character as well. Light body with sprite carbonation and a bone dry finish. Pretty good. stuff. Thanks for sharing Ted.


 csbosox (1076), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/518/20
Oct 12, 2008  
375ml bottle, batch 003. Apples, lemons, oak & old leather in the aroma. The initial taste is so dry that it is shocking. Tannins, oak, carbonation, and a very low residual sugars create a very dry tasting beer. The flavor is light and fruity with white grapes, pears, tart lemons, and finish of barnyard flavors. The brett seems understated and there is a lot more than brett going on for wild bugs in this one, the sourness is too much for just brett. This is a wonderful beer, very tasty. The 375ml bottle leaves me wanting more. Huge thanks go to Footbalm and O’Deed for this beer.


 waolsen (1218), Littleton, Colorado, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/103/518/20
Oct 9, 2008  
bottle. thanks bwkrieger. hazy golden/orange pour with thin white head. nice aroma fruit and oak. tart, brett, funk and wood. nicely done.


 michael-pollack (2598), King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/59/104/515/20
Oct 9, 2008  
Bottle: Aroma of tart fruits, Brett, oak, and alcohol. Poured gold/yellow/urine in color with a medium-sized, creamy, dense white head that lasted throughout. Hazy. Very sparkling. Very tart flavor. Tastes of Brett, tart fruits, oak, white grapes, chardonnay, and some minerals. Light to medium body. Dryish, mineral texture. Average to lively carbonation. Tarty, Gueze-like finish.


 KimJohansen (6645), Copenhagen V, Denmark
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Oct 8, 2008  
Hazy yellow with medium white head. Sor aroma with notes of wood, brett, leather grapefruit. Flavour is sour with brett, lemon, barnyard and woody notes. Finished sour.


 thickfreakness (130), AUSTIN, Texas, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/103/510/104/519/20
Oct 5, 2008  
5/16/08. It pours a peachy amber color with a fluffy, white head and it leaves amazing lacing on the glass as I drink it. This smells absolutely incredible. It has a very nice subtle sourness and an extremely inviting sweetness behind it. I could smell this all day long. The taste is predominantly of sour fruits but it is not so overpowering as to cover up the nice oakiness and light malt sweetness. This is best described as subtle but amazing. At first I had the taste as a 9 but it just got even better as it warmed and had to change it to a 10. The mouthfeel is great for a sour,very dry and wine like. It is extremely drinkable and the alcohol is just non existent in the taste. I wish I had bought many more of these babies. Highly recommended.



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