Russian River Temptation

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

Bottle acquired via Taverner...THANKS MARK!!! Hazy 24-karat pour with a massive white head that you could easily rest a quarter on. Citrus, sour apple, brett funk and lemon zest on the nose. Quite tart but surprisingly quite quenching. This is, without doubt, one of the best sours I’ve sampled. The pucker is short and sweet...earthy barnyard funk and lemon grass, partnered with grapefruit and a hint of oak. Really liked it.

First off I have to admit a slight bias to oak aged beer. The aroma is a mix of a flemish sour and an abby ale. Pours out a nice golden color with a little to no head. The taste is fruity and complex with some notes of cherries, oak and vanilla, tastes like I described the aroma, a flemish meets a blonde and sits in oak for a while

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a medium sized mostly lasting white head leaving sporadic lacing. The aroma is Brett influenced and very vinous in nature. There is a sweetness as well as hints of oak. The flavor is again very vinous and tart. There is oak throughout and enough pale malt to keep things balanced. Hints of fruits (apple) and the alcohol keep things interesting. I am amazed at the complexity of this beer. It is not necessarly my style, but I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Bottle via Vinnie from RR comping me due to my mistake (yep Vinnie frakkin’ rules!). Batch 001.Been saving this for 6 months. Pours a crystal clear gold with a large white head that leaves more than enough lace on my Pilsner glass. Nose is unique-sort of a cross between a champaigne and a fine red wine. Taste is quite unique. Like most RR beers, it starts with an explosion of fruit. THis one starts with my favorite apples;pink ladies, then some peach & strawberries, and then the pink lady finishes again. Dry clean finish. Medium body. I do not care for this style, but honestly this is great stuff. I liken it to a punk rocker that recognizes the best C & W band he has ever heard.....and knows it is good..and that all is well! I hate the style but love this beer, what more can u seay?! Get it & try it if u know whats good 4 u?!

re-rate- Pretty much the same notes, but a wonderful brew with a pleasant finish; especially with almost 2 years of age. I must have been drunk when I originally rated this. Pours a slightly hazy golden hue with a delicate small white head. Aromas of citrus. lemons ad yeast. Mouth feel is medium bodied with flavors of citrus, a slight spiciness and a little oak flavor.. Overall, I was not completely impressed.

pours a semi-hazy yellow-orange with a large white fluffy head, and very good lacing. smell is of sour malt, fruit, citrus, a little floral, and some yeast. taste is tart, apricot, citrus fruits, orange, a little woodiness, some granny smith apple, and some sour malt.

Batch 1, fresh and aged 18 months and batch 2, also fresh. Body is slightly hazy, vibrant light golden with soft tangerine hues. Thick lacing results from a sticky, tall head of fizzy but compacted bubbles that recedes rather quickly. The aroma is very tart, earthy and speaks volumes about its inspirational precedents. Funk, barnyard, oak, citrus fruits, grapes, noble hops, buttery and acidic white wine, brettanomyces and a yeast profile so vibrant it seems like the entire lab is in the glass. Alcohol is totally hidden. The flavor is much the same, with approachable but distinct characteristics, focused but reserved. Sourness is mild, tartness is mild to moderate. Lightly sweet and mildly acidic, the taste is soft and utterly brilliant. Flavors run the gamut from tart and fruity at first to oaky and vinous nearing the finale, all the while showcasing a dynamic brett component that makes each sip lively and refreshing. Lemony acidity and flavor is an exciting addition. This is an exacting, coalescent moment of funk that doesn’t overwhelm. Delicious. The finish is soft, luxurious and as long as I feel like enjoying it. I’d ultimately have to take a sip of something else to pass beyond the everlasting finish. The mouthfeel is adequately and softly carbonated, with intermittent fizzy bursts. Body is light-medium and semi-sweet. Another superb offering from Russian River.

Many more thanks to kramer17801 for this beer. It poured a nice golden glassy color with a small and sustaining white foam top. Aroma comes off first with a wine tinted oak and some sourness is there as well. The palate comes off as crisp first off, very subtle at it, but very enjoyable. The bitterness expected in the palate did not come through as expected from the aroma. Likewise, there was only a slight sour funk left in the flavor. There is a slight flavor of lemon and spice in the beer, but its very subtle. This is not as an extreme of a flavor as Supplication, but is so well balanced and sublte, yet complex, it is hard not to like it. I’m no wine fanatic, but I suspect this would be a great bridge between the two crafts.