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?  
 moejuck (1165), Ohio, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jul 8, 2006    Updated: Dec 1, 2006
A very interesting beer, unlike any other I have had to date. The pour was a nice murky golden color with a good off white head. The aroma was sour with hints of earthiness. Taste was very smooth and balanced. You definitely get a sour taste, but not over the top sour like a gueze. It was very smooth and easy to drink. Definitely pushing the envelope between wine and beer.


 MiP (8793), Sønderborg, Denmark
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/517/20
Jul 7, 2006  
Nice sour aroma. Cloudy golden colour, small white head. The flavour is nice and smooth, not very sour. Good, pleasant earthiness. Creamy and good beer.


 ThomasE (5179), Copenhagen, Denmark
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Jul 6, 2006  
Cloudy deep golden colour with a small white head. Sweet, light tart fresh apple fruity aroma with a yeasty note. Malty and fruity flavor with a light acidic finish. Thanx to sk8viking for sharing this one.


 luckygirl (1221), Boulder, Colorado, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/519/20
Jul 1, 2006  
If we ever have kids, we’re totally naming one Vinnie; this is brilliant work! Bottled Batch 1. Beer is a hazy, medium coppery gold color with a small, off-white, fizzy, lasting head. Oh my... this smells AMAZING! Subtle and sublime—a ballerina on pointe. The aroma is malty with just a trace of toasted almond and grain; Hoppy with a moderate amount of herb and lemon; Chock full of yeasty funky moderate horseblanket, band-aid and attic; Heavenly heavy, tart vinousity (think FSA), moderate notes of white grape juice, light notes of oak, alcohol, pear and traces of vanilla and green apple peel. The flavor is moderately sweet, moderately-to-heavily acidic, lightly bitter with a long, tart/dry, lightly bittersweet, moderately acidic finish. A nice touch of warmth, too. The body is medium, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively. Bravo!


 Ty5592 (1015), Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA
2.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
3/105/54/102/510/20
Jul 1, 2006  
Pretty golden color. This is where the good part ends. Smell really bad like sour grapes and foul yeast. Taste faintly sweet with strong sour yeastyness and grass flavors through out. Finishes very dry. This is the one beer that I could not finish.


 hophead75 (1945), Boonton, New Jersey, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/105/518/20
Jun 21, 2006  
bottle at Monks Cafe, Philly. I am glad I finally got to try this. Hazy straw/light golden with good carbonation and a long lasting medium then small head. Aroma is light colored fruit, apples, pears, and is quite tart- smells like a brett bomb, in a good way. Taste is much like the aroma, tart fruit- pears, apple with a slighly sour and bitter fruit finish.


 DewBrewer (265), Austin, Texas, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/517/20
Jun 20, 2006  
375 mL bottle. Clear golden color with nice, lasting head. The aroma is extremely barnyardy with bret and sourness. The flavor is pretty funky with a pithy bitterness and sourness from the barrels and bacteria. It’s a bit like the aftertaste of a bite of grapefruit. Nice medium body to go with all the funk. Great beer.


 sloth (1657), Ceciltucky, Co., Maryland, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 17, 2006  
Small white head, good retention, thin lace is lasting in a thin sheet around my tasting glass. Hazy, gold hued brew light orange glow. Nose if fruity, woody with notes of apple and lime, spicey baby. Light bodied with a prickly carbonation, quenching. Wood notes up front, lightly acidic and groovily Bretty. Notes of caramel hidden in the background, pleasently barnyardy and fruity. Alot going on here. Finish is dry, tart. Neat brew. Props to awaisanen for the trade! You rock man! I,d also like to thanks SDbruboy for the bottle he recently sent me. I plan on aging this one a little. Thanks Cliff!



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