Russian River Temptation

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

Wow. Holy cow. This is delicious like rhubarb pie-delicious. Even if I had not known of the wine barrel stuff, I tasted it right away. Then... nice and sour. I can tell this is beer by my malt tongue, but all said and done, this is like a fine champagne. I would <!-- b -->LOVE<!-- /b --> unfettered access to this to see just how insane this would make me... or how charming I’d be. Great stuff. Get it while it’s hot.

Bottle courtesy Odeed. Pour was golden with haziness, lots of head from the bottle even after pouring a few ml’s for a rinse, just oozing from the bottle top, quick rinse and pour. The lacing was stellar, head retention great. The aroma was very nice, tart lemons and cherries (or some other fruity character, not a pure sour lemon drop), bret, yeast, some spicing. The flavor was excellent, tart/sour lemons, other tart fruits, approaching a flemish sour of the quality of Panil and La Folie, yet with much more of a malt support than either, sweetish fruits, bread, and yeast underneath, yet far from sweet, of course oak and other wood notes making a firm appearance, touches of mint too. The funk is gentle, somewhat leathery, and this thing just blows away Jolly Pumpkin’s sour/bret action. If this is what RR is all about, gimme more!!!! An outstanding beer, one of my fav’s perhaps of all my ratings? Thanks again, Jacob! Re-rate from a Monks Cafe Batch 003 bottle in 11/08, a wonderful retasting, white grapes, chardonnay, and oak all more prominent than my previous experience, quite complex, a nice concoction.

this is a nice refreching beer with a Hazy Golden Colour and a dense head. in the nose you can pick up the Bruxellensis they used. the mouthfeel in nice and light with a Dry finish, the Flavour comes off as a Tangy Sweet with a fair mixture of the Brett, Lacto, and Piet

Multitudes of gratitude to Robo at Knightly Spirits for hooking me up with a bottle of this awesome brew. Floridians can’t even get this stuff since RR doesn’t ship anymore. Pours murky gold with huge fluffy head and sticky lacing. Aroma is succulent with some citrus, sour yeast, earth, and distinct oak. Tastes absorb into tart dark fruits, funky hay sourness from the Brett, subtle wheat, wood, and walnut with a lemony finish. High carbonation and medium/full body. Fantastic brew. Gonna hold onto the Supplication for a special occasion.

Wow. I usually am not much on sours but this takes the cake. Easily on of my best in a long time! Poured in a wine glass. Had to share the bottle with the missus. Cloudy yellow pour with a fizzy head. Funky aroma. Tastes like a funky sour white wine with some citrus. I want more!

As a sour fanatic, Temptation is a favorite of mine and something I enjoy each time I open a bottle. Batch 003. Gushing a bit as I opened it, a good sign to me. Poured with a healthy head that evaporated fairly quickly. Scent is sour, though not quite as sour as the other RR BA Sour offerings. Taste is complex, balanced, with a nice kick of Brett to see if you’re paying attention. Some woody tones in it but a great smooth mouth feel. If you have the opportunity to get some, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Pours a pale apricot/straw shade with a billowy off-white head of tiny white bubbles, indicating yet another RR wild ale with impeccable carbonation. Several columns of bubbles stream upwards. The head leaves huge chunks of lacing on the glass. Nose is full of a nice brett funkiness. In the background there are notes of fruity sweetness, champagne tartness, lemon, and a hint of the sour cherry found in Supplication. Taste is very tart, almost sour. Unripe apple, lemon, lime, and white wine all make an appearance. Mouth puckering and exquisite. Just as I thought, the carbonation is beautiful. Russian River is easily king of the Belgian style mouthfeel. Smooth, drying, tart finish. If you can handle sour, this beer is very drinkable. I’m glad I have another in the fridge.

I loved this beer. Poured a beige 1 inch head, with little orange spore thingys in the head. Sweet tarts up front with funk in the back. this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had.