Russian River Temptation

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

Bottle @ Monk’s Cafe, Philadelphia. All I can say to this is WOW....Pours a hazy golden color (at least it looked that way in the low light) with noticeable lacing and a small white head. Aroma is lemon, earth/grass notes, and a definite brett characteristic toward the end. Taste is the same, with an incredible citrus/earth characteristic, a very tart finish (though not distracting), and a wonderful dryness throughout. I think I got a little sweetness and an ever-so-slight bitterness in there - it’s so sublimely balanced and complex. I love it, I absolutely love it, and I need to get more from these guys STAT.

bottle thanks to tom again for allowing me in on such a fine brew!- pours cloudy golden, white head, immense nose. hay, honey, some manouer, earth, great complexity on the nose it is difficult to get into words. taste is like a pear tart, vanilla with a hint of butteryness, i also taste some pineapples and suspected it was from chardonnay casks but wasn’t quite sure. not as big as the supplication on the palate but is one of the most complex beers i’ve tasted, mouthfeel is not as nice as the supplication, some bell pepper in the finish.

Batch 002. Cloudy yellow with a large head. Aroma of oak, white wine and sour yeast. Flavor is vinous, with oak and some sour towards the back end. Somewhat sticky texture. Medium/light body. The flavors all work and balance with each other wonderfully.

Pours out bright gold with lots of bubbles. Smells sweet and funky. Taste is tart with light sweetness and funk. Lots of carbination many subtle flavors. Citrus, wood, sour apples, and Brett. Crisp, dry smooth brew. Very good.

5/16/08. It pours a peachy amber color with a fluffy, white head and it leaves amazing lacing on the glass as I drink it. This smells absolutely incredible. It has a very nice subtle sourness and an extremely inviting sweetness behind it. I could smell this all day long. The taste is predominantly of sour fruits but it is not so overpowering as to cover up the nice oakiness and light malt sweetness. This is best described as subtle but amazing. At first I had the taste as a 9 but it just got even better as it warmed and had to change it to a 10. The mouthfeel is great for a sour,very dry and wine like. It is extremely drinkable and the alcohol is just non existent in the taste. I wish I had bought many more of these babies. Highly recommended.

Thanks to whoever sent Rustychiles this, and double thanks to him. I’ve been trying for a long time to get some Russian River and I was not disappointed. Pours a luminescent yellow with huge frothy head. Aroma is of intense, delicious lambic stank featuring acetic acid aromas, lemon, grapes, and warheads. The taste was like a cantillon gueuze on steroids with some extra hints of taste in the background (I’m guessing the wine barrels and special RR blend). Very sour. Very Delicious. Can’t wait to go to Cali myself.

Rating #500. Bottle acquired via trade with WeeHeavySD. Pours a hazy apricot color with a frothy white head that leaves plenty of sugary lacing. Looks gorgeous. Smells of chardonnay and underripe fruit. Agressive with the flavors of tangerines and yellow cherries in the taste. Finishes like a dry champagne. Worth celebrating in its own right.

003 batch from 375. Aroma is captavating. Chardonnay influences come thru making this femenin, something tough to do with beer’s I’ve had lately. Oak is noticable but not with vanilla or smoke, but the texture is valvet for a sour. Sour gives lift and cleans the palate for a seemless and long finish. Could see how this can miss out on the WOW factor as it’s subtle and deserves to be aged a couple years. No real sweetness to note. Some yeast has settled but not much. Really amazing assuming you get it for the $12 per bottle or so retail price. World class brew. Chardonnay flavors meld well with beer. Great weight and texture. Silky, very easy to drink. Fun to drink. O’Briens 15th annv keg. Outstanding length to this beer. Distinct flavors and beautiful. The most femenin beer I’ve had. Also improves with age though the keg was a recent batch I believe. My #1 best RR beer aged in oak. Exceptional!