Russian River Temptation

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

Light coloured blonde body with a frothy white head and literally trillions of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass - really neat looking. Aroma of really strong spices - sage, thyme, cumin and marjoram are all noticeable, along with a little malt and some light toffee. Light to Medium-bodied; Strong tartness up front, masked with a malty flavour along with that meaty characteristic attached to a sweetness which finishes the beer - probably the most complex beer i’ve ever had. When you take that first sip - be cogniscent of all the aforementioned, and you’ll be in for a a real treat. Aftertaste is mellow - some of that tartness and acidity is left...with some sweetness and good oaky flavour. Overall, a damn good beer - definitely worth trying...just be ready for it! I sampled this split (37.5 cL) bottle purchased from Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on 29-October-2005.

This was another great brew I had the chance to try because of Ross. Thanks man. Pours out a dirty yellow with a small white head but goes away fairly quickly. A small swirl of the glass brought the bubbles back to life if I desired. Aroma was funky and a bit harsh. Harsh in a musty kind of way. The taste although filled with brett was also quite oaky and full of wooden flavors. Light lemony flavor and basement mustiness. I will say that I think Ross told me this was Batch 002 and that would put it about 2 years old when we opened it. Although this beer was tart it wasn’t nearly as sour as I thought it would be going in. Perhaps the age mellowed it? Either way great beer, thanks Ross.

Bottled sample shared with oakbluff. Sunny yellow in colour with some spritzy carbonation. Aromas of lemon curd, a bit of funk and a bit of old oak. Very tart in the mouth with more of the lemon, wood, and funk thing going on (the funk being more pronounced), along with the faint suggestion of Chardonnay grapes. Heavier in the mouth than any traditional Belgian lambic that I’ve had, but no less refreshing. An excellent beer.

A beautiful hazy orange color, light yeast, Oak, sweet & sour green apple, a tangy acidity and bubble gum. An interesting northern France farmhouse ale tartness to it. A malty sweetness but the “tang” tips the scale to the dry side. I’m not a big sour beer fan but this was crisp & enjoyable!

375 ml bottle

I have been sitting on this for a while now waiting for the right occasion to crack it open. The Christmas holidays seemed as good as any. If the bretty aspects got to me at least I would have plenty of time to recover. It turns out that this did not have the same punch as other sour beers. Instead the sourness was more subtle and calm. I wish I had another bottle as two glasses was not quite enough.

Aroma / Appearance - The rose colored body was moderately carbonated with a thin head that lasts for a second. The nose was dirty gym socks, lemon pine sol and that general funkiness that comes from bretty beers. Almonds and honey glazing complete the sherrylike nose.

Flavor / Palate - Sherry and almonds infuse the mouth with a sweet almost sugary taste. White wine mixed with apple, pear and almonds comes next. The finish is dry and yeasty. It was so easy to drink that before too long my glass and bottle were both empty. This must be one of the tamer Russian River releases or two years has calmed it down.

Pours a dark murky blonde with a white head that retains nicely. The tartness comes out in the nose along with light fruit and oak. Tartness is hits you, a beautiful sour, I can actually make out a little chardonnay. Magnificant mouthfeel with a perfect tickle of carbonation. Extremely drinkable and a delightful treat.

Slightly funky with a delicous appley twist. Pours a cloudy golden color with medium sized white head.Nose definitly funk, little pear with apple, notes of oak and wine. Mouthfell was extremely mellow just about as smooth as a beer can get. Flavor of apple dominated at first with the oak and some sugary sweetness coming in a bit later. Barely tart at all, I can go etiher way on the tartness and wouldnt have minded more (some) of it here, but it still came across as a great beer without sour.

Batch 2, Sampled December 2007
It was definitely a slight mistake to serve this at near cellar temperatures (60ºF / 15.5ºC), as the beer foamed up and started gushing as soon as I popped the cork. I only lost a couple ounces though. The beer forms a frothy, scant fat-one-finger thick, pale, off white colored head that is actually quite persistent. The beer is a hazy, slightly chunky, orange tinted, dark straw color. The oak character seems much subdued from the first batch (which is a good thing as this was my main complaint with that beer). This is nice and funky, notes of urea, aromatic goat, farmhouse-stinky-cheese, a definite cattiness, mushroom spore and a host of sharp phenolics that at times approaches fresh curing plastic. Underneath the funk is a nice fruit character reminiscent of tart, un-ripened white grapes (sauvignon blanc & gewürztraminer come to mind), as well as touch of green apple and tart pear aromas. The aroma on this is really quite nice, it is definitely ringing my funky bone right now.

Tart, but not aggressively so (at least for this Gueuze addict), it is somehow soft and creamy feeling, despite the still present carbonation. This creaminess has definitely been picked up in the barrel as oak notes add some tongue coating softness to this brew and even some heft to the body; suggestive from the butter-like oak flavors this makes the beer actually feel buttery in texture. Soft oak contributions of vanillin, a definite sharp spiciness and perhaps a hint of buttery-oak notes are all found here, though the spicy notes are definitely the largest oak character here. The wine analogy continues as the process used is definitely a contributor; definitely reminiscent of an oaky chardonnay as this beer has flavors of green fruit, star-fruit, flint, a certain light metallic quality and that definite oak presence. The funky wee-beasts and the oak contribute spice notes of white pepper, piquant ginger, The flavor is not quite as funky as the aroma might have suggested, but I think this is ultimately a good thing as it allows the complexity of the fruit, oak and spiciness to come through. The sourness, while present and definitive, is so well integrated that it is not overly noticed on its own.

The oak character is much more in check with this the second batch. This is a far superior beer in my opinion (and it hasn’t taken anywhere near 5 years as I last predicted) as the oak, while present, now plays a supporting role. If successive batches keep getting better, then I am going to need to re-baseline my scoring. Just a fantastic brew. The texture is phenomenal & the flavor is just so well integrated and nuanced. The aroma, while absolutely engaging and complex, may actually be a bit too funky. Let me explain that though, because I absolutely love funk and the funk found in the aroma, while dominant, is so well integrated together, but it is a bit too dominant to let the nuanced oak, grape and malt notes through (despite being so inviting and characterful). I may even need to crack a batch 1 just to see what is happening to that .I still maintain that these 375ml bottles just aren’t quite enough, as I always want more of this brew after draining my glass. Though if it was a 750’s worth, my proliferous text might be pushing the extremes of my already superfluous ramblings.

Batch 1, Sampled July 2005
7/4/7/4/16 total 3.8
Pours a lightly hazy orange-copper color, it is pretty well carbonated and has a frothy pale, almost white head. The aroma is quite oaky with lots of buttery notes, an astringent woodiness, notes of grapes (perhaps sauvignon or chardonnay), notes of pears, and some subtle spice notes. Quite an interesting nose on this one.

The beer is quite light on the palate, and very dry. The dryness actually suppresses the oakiness a bit, but it is definitely still here. The finish is quite long with a subtle tannic woodiness to it. There is a light acidity (for a Lambic at least) here as well, more similar to the lactic character of a Lambic than the acetic character of a Flemish sour beer. I am really quite relieved that I don’t get any diacetyl in this beer (I am quite sensitive to it), there is a bit of buttery character (mostly in the aroma), but this is definitely oak derived. There is a certain spritzy character to this beer that is a combination of the carbonation and the acidity.

This beer is really quite interesting, Vinnie still has a ways to go, but this has more to do with the barrels than Vinnie at this point. I think that Vinnie has the touch, in perhaps 5 years (if the wee bugs are compliant and amenable) the new releases of this should be stellar.

Purchased: Russian River Brewing