Russian River Temptation

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

05 vintage. 375mL bottle, courtesy of MrDick. Hazy golden orange color with a thin film of white head. Vinous tones with a heavy brett presence in the aroma. Mildy horsey flavors with some fruit esters (apricot, apple) and a large tannic component. Residual oaky astringency in the finish with mouthcoating brett and a pleasing sourness. Mouthfeel is rather light, very dry and wine-like.

I could not stop myself from muttering over and over again...oh wow this beer is good. Yes, that’s what I told myself at the Vine in OB, SD. Not the first time I had it either, but I got the Happy Hour deal on it and I surely was happy. One word: pears. My lasting impression was almost entirely pears, maybe a little peach if I want to allow for some room there. But not obnoxious or overly fruity. I agree with the producers own description - the semblence in nose and even taste is all white wine, and specifically, chardonnay. And you know what? It’s freakin awesome. I’m not a big wine guy, but the complexity and depth of flavor stages in this beer is really something one must try to truly appreciate. I’ve had other beers aged in chard casks (Petrus), but this is different. This is special. This is the stuff of legend, as I almost expect Pan himself to traipse around and pour the nectar of revelry down mine own throat! Was that too over the top? Anyway, my god this is good!

A hazy orange beer with a lazing white head. The aroma is sweet yeasty combined with notes of wheat and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with an acidity from the wheat, combined with notes of yeast and alcohol. It has a rather nice balance.