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Russian River Temptation

Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
5684.09/5.04.08/5.0Special7.25%95.7Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler
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?  
 pantanap (1336), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Oct 27, 2007  
bottle.....appearance: hazy light orange with an at first gushing head that reduces to a spotty white film....aroma: chardonnay whine aroma along with white grapes and some tart citrus fruits....taste: first sip was hugely sour but that tended to diminish with each following one. sourness was lemony and lightly citrus, maybe some sour apple. it was very much enhanced by the oak. medium body and full of lively carbonation that made the mouth tingle. crisp, dry, and very refreshing i can see why the desciption adds some reference to sparkling wine and champagne....a fine beer from the folks at Russian River.


 tytoanderso (1385), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/518/20
Oct 24, 2007  
#500! Bottle via trade with irishboy. Batch 002. Aroma has plenty of lemon zest tartness. Some light wood. Mildly sour. Quite pleasant. Pours bright gold with a billowing bright white head. All elements show through on the palate quite well. Sour yeast, malt, wine, oak. Very well balanced. Lightly tart. Medium bodied. Quite crisp and refreshing. Finishes with a lasting mild tartness. Thanks Richard for trading this wonderful beer!


 Kevin (1918), Colorado, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/516/20
Oct 23, 2007  
bottle. murky gold body, a thin white head. stunning nose, wood, booze with a tart powder. intense taste. somewhat sour/tart pear, cherry notes that are great. pretty damn good. 4 8 7 4 16


 Theis (3651), Denmark
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/516/20
Oct 11, 2007  
Bottle (Sune). Unclear yellow - white head. Powerfull aroma with gooseberries, earth and horseblanket. Taste: Dirt, earthy, harsey, gooseberries, barnyard, apples, light citrus zest, high carbonated. Wood dry finish. Reminds me of a Geuze.


 sunevdj (1770), Copenhagen OE, Denmark
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/516/20
Sep 30, 2007    Updated: Aug 26, 2009
Batch 002. Thanks to axilla. Pours a hazy yellow with a big white head. Sweet and slightly sour. Quite heavy aromas of horse blanket and earth. But also sour apples and wood. Medium to full bodied. Lively carbonation. Bitter and sour finish.
Batch 001. Pours a clear golden with a white head. Mellow sweetness and sourness.Kinda like Duchesse du Bourgogne but less spicy. Hints of vinegar.


 robertjm (401), El Cerrito, California, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/519/20
Sep 27, 2007  
Pours a very frothy snow white soapy head. Stays for a bit, but does start to fall eventually leaving some lace on the glass. Pretty straw color, but since its non-filtered, and bottle conditioned, it has a bit of a cloudy nature to it. Aroma is interesting. Actually reminds me of a gewurtzraminer wine as it is going into the primary fermenter up in Napa Valley. Since its oak aged that seems natural to me. Nice level of carbonation. Sourness in flavor. Clean palate and aftertaste, reminiscent of drinking a cold white wine. Would definitely buy again, and regularly, if it weren’t so blasted expensive. Will have to make it up to the brewery to try it sometime as this bottle has been "aging" in my fridge for a year, or so, so the Bret has been tamed a bit.


 GeneralGao (3051), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/104/518/20
Sep 26, 2007  
375 ml bottle, caged and corked. Batch 002. Poured a slightly hazy golden color with an orange tint. There was several millimeters of white sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Head was one finger high and white. It dissipated over after a few minutes to a thin film. There was only a bit of tattered lace on the glass at the end. Rich and varied aroma of apple, funky Brett, and oak. There were also whiffs of clove and honey-touched cereal grain. Tart on the tongue throughout with lingering acidity. Very effervescent with flavors of sour cherry, unripe berries, and oak. An acquired taste, but one that’s certainly worth acquiring.


 kp (8400), Woodstock, Georgia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/516/20
Sep 1, 2007    Updated: Jul 18, 2009

Date: August 24, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: hazy yellow, whispy white head
Aroma: big tart horsey bret aroma
Body: light body
Flavor: huge tart flavor, lots of funk, light winey character with a hint of sweet, a bit of oak

Date: July 11, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: brewpub
Vintage: batch 2
Appearance: hazy yellow, creamy white head, sudsy lace
Aroma: light musty aroma, touch of lemon citrus
Flavor: flavor starts with a bit of sweetness before the tart comes in and takes over, light spicyness, touch of oak, tartness dries it out at the finish

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Score: **4

The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.



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