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Russian River Temptation

Russian River Temptation - Sour Ale

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

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
5644.09/5.04.08/5.0Special7.25%96Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler
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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?  
 DuffManSW (283), Riverside, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Aug 8, 2009  
Bottle from Total Wine in Rancho Cucamonga.. Pours a light golden with a fluffy white head and lots of carbonation bubbles...The only thing I can pick up in the aroma is the brett. Makes the mouth water!! Flavor was lemons and brett..Lots of carbonations.. Good stuff!!


 marchcow (664), Coralville, Iowa, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/516/20
Aug 6, 2009  
Bottle at a tasting, from iowaherkeye. Sweet pickled aromas with a golden whitish head. Sweetish lambic like flavors. Creamy with goo carbonation. Well balanced and enjoyable. Thanks Joey.


 paiste2002 (148), Saugus, California, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/519/20
Aug 5, 2009  
004x4 bottle. Pours a hazy golden color with a huge white long lasting head. Nice lace left behind. Aroma is sour and funky with a hint of chardonnay. Flavor is very nice! Sour, lemony, funky and very easy to drink. Finish is tart, oaky chardonnay and bitter sweet. Very enjoyable.


mkunz (18), Portland, Oregon, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/510/104/520/20
Aug 4, 2009  
Large head that lingered. Great lacing. Golden color. Aroma was sour, brett funk, and a bit of sweetness. Dry. Taste was sour lemon, the taste of hops but not too much bitterness, a bit of a wine character. Not too sure what to say just dangerously drinkable. An amazing beer.


 MeisterBrew (138), Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
4.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/510/104/520/20
Aug 3, 2009  
004x4 Bottle. Pours a cloudy bright golden color with a large frothy head. Citrus, brett, and hint of chardonnay comprise the aroma. Flavor is VERY nice... This is a spectacular sour. The brett character is not too overpowering... it’s just right. The flavor finishes nicely with a faint white wine flavor.


 darkguardian (506), Florida, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/105/514/20
Aug 3, 2009  
375ml bottle thanks to Pantanap for hooking me up with this! Pours a hazy orange with a fizzy white head. Cork exploded out of my bottle and made a dent in the ceiling. Slight gusher. Nose is sour lemon. Big brett character in the nose, slight horseblanket. A little pineapple. Awesome nose. Soapy flavor with a little brett character. Lemon zest again, Mildly sour up front but finishes dry and soft with not much sourness on the backend. Light hops are actually detectable. The slight soapy flavor is the only downside to this really tasty beer. The other suprising thing is that I can actually taste a bit of alcohol. Not as good as Supplication or Consecraton yet structurally about as completely different as a beer of the same style can be. This is a good entry level sour as its not really very sour at all.


 beersearcher (203), Glendale, California, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/58/103/515/20
Aug 2, 2009  
Very nice dark straw color. No aroma jumps out at me. Nice sour ale / pale sort of mix. Easy to drink. Favorite of the staff at the Verdugo.


 mspindler (301), Alta Loma, California, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/518/20
Aug 2, 2009  
750ml bottle enjoyed solo. Pours a clear and bright straw yellow with a short foamy white head. Aroma is green fruits, damp musty oak and brett. Flavor starts out bold and sour but finishes with loads of oaky white wine, underripe fruits, lemony citrus, peppery spiciness, and a long funky bitterness that stays with you for a while. The sharp tart flavor and aggressive carbonation makes for a light bodied thirst quencher.



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