Russian River Temptation

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

375ml bottle in a trade with alanc - Thanks Alan! - Pours golden with a short white head that stays well and laces down the glass. Aroma is lemon, oak, pears, and yeast. Flavor is lemon, apple, yeast, oak, vanilla, many sour notes mixed with some oaky, vanilla sweetness. Palate is smooth and lighter in body. Very drinkable with a nice dry finish. Very nice brew that I’m very glad to have had the chance to try!!

Batch 2, Sampled December 2007
It was definitely a slight mistake to serve this at near cellar temperatures (60ºF / 15.5ºC), as the beer foamed up and started gushing as soon as I popped the cork. I only lost a couple ounces though. The beer forms a frothy, scant fat-one-finger thick, pale, off white colored head that is actually quite persistent. The beer is a hazy, slightly chunky, orange tinted, dark straw color. The oak character seems much subdued from the first batch (which is a good thing as this was my main complaint with that beer). This is nice and funky, notes of urea, aromatic goat, farmhouse-stinky-cheese, a definite cattiness, mushroom spore and a host of sharp phenolics that at times approaches fresh curing plastic. Underneath the funk is a nice fruit character reminiscent of tart, un-ripened white grapes (sauvignon blanc & gewürztraminer come to mind), as well as touch of green apple and tart pear aromas. The aroma on this is really quite nice, it is definitely ringing my funky bone right now.

Tart, but not aggressively so (at least for this Gueuze addict), it is somehow soft and creamy feeling, despite the still present carbonation. This creaminess has definitely been picked up in the barrel as oak notes add some tongue coating softness to this brew and even some heft to the body; suggestive from the butter-like oak flavors this makes the beer actually feel buttery in texture. Soft oak contributions of vanillin, a definite sharp spiciness and perhaps a hint of buttery-oak notes are all found here, though the spicy notes are definitely the largest oak character here. The wine analogy continues as the process used is definitely a contributor; definitely reminiscent of an oaky chardonnay as this beer has flavors of green fruit, star-fruit, flint, a certain light metallic quality and that definite oak presence. The funky wee-beasts and the oak contribute spice notes of white pepper, piquant ginger, The flavor is not quite as funky as the aroma might have suggested, but I think this is ultimately a good thing as it allows the complexity of the fruit, oak and spiciness to come through. The sourness, while present and definitive, is so well integrated that it is not overly noticed on its own.

The oak character is much more in check with this the second batch. This is a far superior beer in my opinion (and it hasn’t taken anywhere near 5 years as I last predicted) as the oak, while present, now plays a supporting role. If successive batches keep getting better, then I am going to need to re-baseline my scoring. Just a fantastic brew. The texture is phenomenal & the flavor is just so well integrated and nuanced. The aroma, while absolutely engaging and complex, may actually be a bit too funky. Let me explain that though, because I absolutely love funk and the funk found in the aroma, while dominant, is so well integrated together, but it is a bit too dominant to let the nuanced oak, grape and malt notes through (despite being so inviting and characterful). I may even need to crack a batch 1 just to see what is happening to that .I still maintain that these 375ml bottles just aren’t quite enough, as I always want more of this brew after draining my glass. Though if it was a 750’s worth, my proliferous text might be pushing the extremes of my already superfluous ramblings.

Batch 1, Sampled July 2005
7/4/7/4/16 total 3.8
Pours a lightly hazy orange-copper color, it is pretty well carbonated and has a frothy pale, almost white head. The aroma is quite oaky with lots of buttery notes, an astringent woodiness, notes of grapes (perhaps sauvignon or chardonnay), notes of pears, and some subtle spice notes. Quite an interesting nose on this one.

The beer is quite light on the palate, and very dry. The dryness actually suppresses the oakiness a bit, but it is definitely still here. The finish is quite long with a subtle tannic woodiness to it. There is a light acidity (for a Lambic at least) here as well, more similar to the lactic character of a Lambic than the acetic character of a Flemish sour beer. I am really quite relieved that I don’t get any diacetyl in this beer (I am quite sensitive to it), there is a bit of buttery character (mostly in the aroma), but this is definitely oak derived. There is a certain spritzy character to this beer that is a combination of the carbonation and the acidity.

This beer is really quite interesting, Vinnie still has a ways to go, but this has more to do with the barrels than Vinnie at this point. I think that Vinnie has the touch, in perhaps 5 years (if the wee bugs are compliant and amenable) the new releases of this should be stellar.

Purchased: Russian River Brewing

Rating #500. 375 ml bottle, Batch 1, served in a Duvel glass. After I poured this, the only thing I could say when I looked at it was "here lies a beautiful beer". Pours a bright, virtually clear, deep golden yellow body under a nice fluffy white head. The head settled to a thin and creamy mass after a few minutes and retained for the duration due to fairly active visible carbonation. I could have just looked at and smelled this for a half hour and been happy. First a slightly sugary sweet yet lightly sour aroma rises up to meet you, followed by some citrus fruitiness and oak with noticable chardonnay characteristics. Lastly that oh so beautiful bretty yeasty bouquet. I want to use that buzzword "funky" to describe it, yet it’s really much more refined than your average saison funkiness. Flavor is soft and delicate with just the most gentle acidic tartness up front with oak tannins, pepper, apricot, and just a hint of Grannie Smith apples. The amazingly subdued brett flavor is a testament to this brewers skill and knowledge to not let these little critters take over and muddle the flavor. This is just as clean of a flavor as you can get with these yeasties. The mouthfeel is just as perfect as can be with very fine carbonation that gives a lively feel without becoming foamy. Nicely drying on the finish. Overall, this is as close to a perfect beer for me as I have rated yet, and one of the best examples of a barrel aged beer available. A nice way to celebrate my 500th beer here, as this is one of the many treasues that I would have never known about were it not for this site.

375mL bottle, batch 001, courtesy of gears81. Thanks, Jake!! Hazy and cloudy grapefruit appearance; brilliant white head with nice retention and lacing at the edges. I’ve had this once before, when it first came out, and this definitely has significantly more brett character that I remember. Full, complex aroma: a strong helping of brett coupled with an oaky chardonnay underneath: buttery, toasty, with warm vanilla notes. Plenty of tartness upfront in the mouthfeel; mild acidity. Medium-to-full mouthfeel, showing citrus, somewhat reserved (surprisingly) chardonnay qualities - butter, toasty oak - and a chewy, belgian sugar backdrop. Nicely layered, though the aroma suggests a warmer mouthfeel than one actually receives. The oaky chardonnay quality returns at the finish: plenty of butter and vanilla in a lengthy departure. I’ve got a few bottles of Batch 002 that I haven’t yet picked up from a friend’s house, and I’m curious to see how the increased brett character changes things.

Cloudy Thick Yellow Color with White Fluffy Head. Lemon, Spice and Dry Yeasty Aroma. Citrusy Flavor...and Quite Tart...Puckering and Syrupy Mouthfeel...Heavy Bodied...Dry Spice Notes...Oak, and a Nice Light Alcohol Warming...Dry Parched Ending. Intriguing at the Very Least.

Bottle from droopy49 (Secret Santa). Thanks!!! Pours with a perfect balance of gold, haze, head, and lacing. Aroma is champagne, er, sparkling wine, oak, and chardonnay. Flavor is sour chardonnay with subtle oak and peach. Palate is like smooth champagne, er sparkling wine, on the tongue. Stellar and refreshing.

Bottle: Dirty straw in color, very cloudy and thick, large white pillowy head, fairly nice lacing.   Tart nose, notes of oak and pixi stix, somewhat candy sweet.   Soft sour tongue, softer than I expected.   Subtle sweetened oak, with a slight twang on the exit.   Lingering sourness, somewhat dry.   Much like a Gueuze but not as sharp or dry.   Body and mouthfeel are fairly moderate.   Good, but not as good as I expected.   I was thinking Girardin Black Label when I first got a whiff of this one, but its not as brash.   Those that like a lighter Gueuze will probably like this one more than I.   Good, but not as aggressive as I like.   Thanks Stephen for the bottle!

Pours with a slightly cloudy, light orange body topped by a medium thick, white head wtih a good amount of lacing. It’s sour and vinious wtih notes of sour apple and grapefruit with a slight oaky note. Light bodied, crisp and dry.