Russian River Temptation

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

Rerate. Bottle, Batch 001 Eric’s 200 rating, thanks for sharing! Hazy deep golden. Pinappley brett character atop an oaky vanilla sweet tart. Tropical fruit note that smells fantastic. Medium-light body. Light styrian note as well as a great lightly pineapply hint just before a long finish. Not aggressively sour, nor is it overly dry, and that makes this acessible and very drinkable. Pure brilliance, Vinnie! 9/4/9/5/19 4.6 Wow, my tongue was assaulted by all that was going on this one. The flavor starts out as a reasonably typical strong blonde belgian, but then it shifts drastically towards a saison-y bite that completely absorbed the residual sweetness left by the first yeast. Amazingly complex, too much going on here for me to describe. My only advice is to get yourself to the Toronado in San Francisco before this ones gone. 3/2002 8/4/8/5/16

pours a murky dark yellow color. smells spicy. tastes smooth and fruity. like no other beer i’ve had. you can tell it was aged in oak and very much resembles a wine. points for originality but not a personal favorite.

375 mL bottle, snifter, batch #1. A medium and fluffy eggshell-colored head rests a top a glowing golden amber beer with the slightest haze and effervescent carbonation. A boquet of beautiful bacterial aromas. Funky barnyard and horse blanket aromas are strong but never sharp. Oak and tart white grapes shine through. Fresh hay and the slightest hint of toffee malt. Lemon zest and orange sherbet further along. Honey sweetness of a Gala apple and the subtle spiciness of black pepper. Earthy and rustic yeast profile. Challah bread and a handful of crushed flowers. My nose is continually lured back to the glass. Surprisingly complex sweetness at first sip. A veritable orchard of light fruits. Healthy carbonation keeps the somewhat thick body from being sticky up front. A gentle roll around the tongue reveals brisk black pepper and soft honey. The finish shows off the Chardonnay lineage with rich and zesty citrus as well as a soothing buttery smoothness. The lingering, tingling dryness is a testament to the miracles of Brettanomyces. The firm body, velvet texture and spritzy carbonation play well together throughout this breathtaking experience. This is one of those beers I can never just sit back and drink. Every moment is a new experience, every smell unique, every taste a treasure. The yeasty last pour smoothes the sharpness a bit and adds to the already pleasant tartness. Something akin to a spectacular marriage of Orval and De Dolle Arabier, my senses tell me. Danken jullie wel, Kj en Mike.

375ml - Batch 002 - #700 - Aroma of oak, brett, white grape and bready yeast. Pours cloudy gold with a medium creamy head and good lacing. Flavor matches aroma with some grassiness and lemon peel. Palate is sour and sticky. Another very tasty RR brew I could drink all the time if available.

I found this one confusing. The bret yeast gives it a wonderful sourness. The nose is Belgian sour plus tart fruit. The appearance is hazy gold, almost opaque, with a white head ... what I callthe lemon merengue pie look. Taste confused me. Starts with a Belgian sour, adds notes of chardonnay and oak, finishes sour.

I’m a selfish man. I secretly wanted my wife to hate this beer, and she did. Its sour-Belgian intensity drove her away. And it drove me in. Another amazing beer that I cannot find enough fancy words for. Sour and flavorful. Fantastic. Sorry, honey. I drank it all.

375 ml bottle

I have been sitting on this for a while now waiting for the right occasion to crack it open. The Christmas holidays seemed as good as any. If the bretty aspects got to me at least I would have plenty of time to recover. It turns out that this did not have the same punch as other sour beers. Instead the sourness was more subtle and calm. I wish I had another bottle as two glasses was not quite enough.

Aroma / Appearance - The rose colored body was moderately carbonated with a thin head that lasts for a second. The nose was dirty gym socks, lemon pine sol and that general funkiness that comes from bretty beers. Almonds and honey glazing complete the sherrylike nose.

Flavor / Palate - Sherry and almonds infuse the mouth with a sweet almost sugary taste. White wine mixed with apple, pear and almonds comes next. The finish is dry and yeasty. It was so easy to drink that before too long my glass and bottle were both empty. This must be one of the tamer Russian River releases or two years has calmed it down.

bottle. thanks bwkrieger. hazy golden/orange pour with thin white head. nice aroma fruit and oak. tart, brett, funk and wood. nicely done.