Russian River Temptation

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

Bottled, Batch 001. Beer #2 of the 2/9 evening D-METAL with jarspag at the Carlsbad pad. Compared this one right after Red Poppy amongst the lineup of epic brews that afternoon. Hazy blond pour with clear edges and an initial micro-head and bountiful carbonation. Some white lacing hanging around for a while. The aroma is vinous with white grape influences and the chardonnay oak very noticeable. Brett yeast funk is a tad less prominent here than in Supplication, Sanctification and Red Poppy, with notes of lemon peel, apricot and pear. The flavor is light fruits and a straightforward oak presence with soured banana and Longan fruits. The brett finish is well-rounded and the bitterness compliments the fruit notes nicely, with some carbonation sting. Dry wine notes hang on the palate for a good while. Bottle of Batch 003 at O’Briens, small rating bump.

Pizza Port tasting. 01. Dregs are better than nothing. Pours cloudy yellow with small head. Tart, sour, apple, yet refreshing. Need to get some more of this. Re-Rate Bottle from RR online order. Pours clear yellow with a nice white head. Sour lemon, cherry aroma and flavors with a bit dry and thin finish. Tasty.

Batch 002. This one has been sitting in the fridge for months, and I couldn’t wait any longer to crack it open. The cork popped with a good amount of force, giving way to a slow gush that I was thankfully prepared for. The pour yields a cloudy, glowing, light yellow-orange body. A small, foamy white head settles to a thin blanket, leaving broad archways of lacing bands stretched out upon the glass. The aroma is beautiful, showing a complex blend of everything from sour Brett funk to Chardonnay grapes, vanilla, oak, lemons, and light caramel. The scent is quite ascorbic, with citrus and sharp grape mingling perfectly with the sour Brett. As sour as the nose is, it doesn’t quite prepare you for the lambic-like intensity of the flavor. Brett hits immediately, lashing the tongue and the roof of the mouth with its signature bitter funk. The Chardonnay kissed oak is easily identified, accompanied by the requisite vanilla component and sharp, sour, lemon and orange citric extracts. The mouthfeel is substantial and almost perfect for the style, with a drying effect that seems to concentrate the sour fruit components on the tongue. This is a masterfully crafted brew. Ultimately refreshing, substantially sour, and completely delicious.

(375 ml bottle (batch 002) via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=3 target=blank>IrishBoy, thanks Richard!, cellared for 1 yr. after trade) Soft and tart...Pours cloudy light goldish amber with one finger of white head that recedes to a thin lasting layer. Aroma of light citrus, Bretty yeastiness and sour. Mouthfeel quite soft and very smooth, lightly effervescent. Bits of scattered lacing. Flavor is lightly sour and tart, sourness is not overdone. Pleasant citrusy quality. A little yeasty as well. Light lingering tart citrus aftertaste. Nice.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a medium sized mostly lasting white head leaving sporadic lacing. The aroma is Brett influenced and very vinous in nature. There is a sweetness as well as hints of oak. The flavor is again very vinous and tart. There is oak throughout and enough pale malt to keep things balanced. Hints of fruits (apple) and the alcohol keep things interesting. I am amazed at the complexity of this beer. It is not necessarly my style, but I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Thanks to my bro Petrucci914 for sharing this one with me. Pours a cloudy yellow star color with thin white head. Aroma is huge and funky with large amounts of brett, horse blanket and tart fruit. Taste is sour fruit, brett, and horse blanket. The thing that really amazed me in this brew, is how well hidden the alcohol is hidden AND how the intense sourness is so easily subdued in the finish. This is a remarkable beer!

Thanks to AnnapolisBeer for this one! She’s a gusher as soon as you pop the cork. Pours a creamy yellow color with a thin white head and some spotty lacing. This seems like a Tripel Sour Beer. Aroma is spicy like a Tripel but also acidic and sweet. Taste is sour up front but finishes smooth. An easy drinking sour but I was hoping for some mouth-puckering finish on this.

Pours a pale apricot/straw shade with a billowy off-white head of tiny white bubbles, indicating yet another RR wild ale with impeccable carbonation. Several columns of bubbles stream upwards. The head leaves huge chunks of lacing on the glass. Nose is full of a nice brett funkiness. In the background there are notes of fruity sweetness, champagne tartness, lemon, and a hint of the sour cherry found in Supplication. Taste is very tart, almost sour. Unripe apple, lemon, lime, and white wine all make an appearance. Mouth puckering and exquisite. Just as I thought, the carbonation is beautiful. Russian River is easily king of the Belgian style mouthfeel. Smooth, drying, tart finish. If you can handle sour, this beer is very drinkable. I’m glad I have another in the fridge.