RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Russian River Temptation

Russian River Temptation - Sour Ale

* picture credits
copyright may apply

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

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 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?  
 punkrkr27 (606), Berkley, Michigan, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/516/20
Jan 24, 2007  
Bottle courtesy of ross. 375mL, batch 2. Hazy yellow pour with a dense foamy white head. Smells of white grapes, lemon, orange zest, grassiness, and a touch of candi sugar, oak, brett, and some Belgian yeast. Brett sourness is very dominant in the flavor with more white grapes and oak and a hint of candi sugar on the finish. Medium body with a very dry finish.


 ratman197 (3137), Arvada, Colorado, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/516/20
Jan 21, 2007  
375 ml bottle Batch #1 poured a clear golden yellow with a large creamy lasting white head. Aromas of sour citrus, straw, some vinous notes and a hint of oak. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of straw, lemon, a hint of white grapes and oak with a lingering dry bitter finish.


 MrBendo (1039), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/510/105/519/20
Jan 18, 2007  
Batch 002. Cloudy yellow with a large head. Aroma of oak, white wine and sour yeast. Flavor is vinous, with oak and some sour towards the back end. Somewhat sticky texture. Medium/light body. The flavors all work and balance with each other wonderfully.


 tupalev (2605), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/104/516/20
Jan 15, 2007  
Bottle shared with the crew in late November. Cloudy yellow, foamy white head. Sour, funky, yeast aroma - strong and good. Taste is simply amazing - yeast, soft malt, funky organic characteristic, bread - wow, good stuff, complex. Soft mouthfeel. Wonderful stuff here, as advertised.


 kkearn (994), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/518/20
Jan 7, 2007  
375ml bottle, Batch 002. Hazy golden with lacy white head. Aroma of sour apple, oak, and brett. Sweet at first with some oaky notes; sourness is somewhat restrained compared to other brett beers. complex yet very drinkable. One of my new favorites.


 alexanderj (2212), Chino Hills, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/514/20
Jan 5, 2007  
Poured an orange-peach, little to no head. Aroma similar to a lambic; earthy qualities to it. Somewhat sweet, fruity, sour with hints of some oak, alcohol and yeast. Not overly sour compared to others, but still too sour for me. Don’t look for that in a beer. Nonetheless, this was still pretty good. Would have liked more of an oak taste, but flavor was still very complex. Alchohol was very mellow. Dry finish. Recommended for those who like sour beers.


 Zeswaft (1000), Seattle, Washington, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
Jan 5, 2007  
never again. $14 for a 14 oz bottle of this. I hate bret and sour beers. This accomplishes both. sour and vinous. reminds a lot of stille nacht reserve 2005. though that threw in a lot of alcohol too.


 JMFG (1514), Florida, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/517/20
Jan 4, 2007  
Courtesy boboski. Deep orange in color, slightly hazy, sparse thin white head. Aroma is fantastic - reminiscent of a lambic, but has a sweet, less aggressive edge to it. Palate is medium to thin which makes this very drinkable. The sourness is present in the taste, but is not overpowering. The sourness combines with oak flavors and finishes dry. A unique, drinkable beer.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Sour Ales

Lost Abbey Yellow Bus (4.23)

Russian River Consecration (4.16)

Lost Abbey Veritas 004 (4.15)

Russian River Supplication (4.11)

Lost Abbey Cable Car (4.08)

Russian River Temptation (4.08)

Captain Lawrence Cuvee de Castleton (4.07)

Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze (4.04)

Captain Lawrence Rosso e Marrone (4.03)

Russian River Beatification (Batch 002 +) (4.02)

New Belgium La Folie (4.02)

Ommegang Rouge Grand Cru (4.01)

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale (3.96)

Panil Barriquée (Sour) (3.95)

Jolly Pumpkin Perseguidor (Batch 4) (3.92)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC