Russian River Temptation

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

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!

Clear bright gold with a thin, white head. Nose very aggressively sour, some fruit and cheddar. Flavor is sweet, lots of cookie-ish malt, creamy and mildly sour. Vaguely cheesy, quite sweet, nice malts. Very good stuff, the oakiness blends in beautifully with the beer rather than overpowering it. Great stuff.

Lightly hazed golden color with an off white, soft beaten egg white head. Fairly thick looking brew with the initial pour having slow meandering bigger bubbles. Lightly vinous aroma, surrounded by cobwebs, lemon zest, wet oak and dry cement. Not as thick as it looks, but substantial and yet light on the tongue. The warmer this get the chardonnay really comes out, but does not take over, justs adds the brett and drives things home. Complex, yet simple. Smooth, yet a mild edge. The balance to me is near perfect. Malt, oak, chardonnay, brett. Why did I only order one bottle? For me this is like an oak aged Duvel, very nice.

375 ml bottle. Gold color with a nice, frothy head. You can really smell the chardonay in the aroma as well as barnyard and lemon. The taste is nicely tart, acidic and dry. The flavors are complex, bouncing between themselves like lottery balls. Totally refreshing.

375ml bottle batch 001. Cloudy pour, slight white head, that trinkles around the glass as I periodically swirl it, clinging and slowly falling, showing its nice legs. Vast aroma of a woody Chard...vanilla, sweetness, maybe some lemon and pear...a bit of hay...aroma is distinct w/o being overwhelming...drinks lightly with a nice balancing acidity...dry and lingering complexity from the oak and brett...I think this is very classy...something that can appeal to lovers of Orval(to a degree), oak, chard, and everything in between. I’m not so sure I’m absolutely floored by this beer, as it almost seems like it was just begging to be made...as l lingered over it, smelling it for about 5 minutes before tasting it(I let my cat smell it too, and he lingered with it longer than usual)...I just kept thinking...yeah, yeah, this is it...and I tasted it....and yeah, yeah, nice job...I’m not normally a chard drinker, and especially not the heavily oaked ones...maybe this is changing me, or the oak/wine/brett is perfectly balanced...I’m certainly glad I chose this as my midnight b-day beer. Glancing down, I’d suggest reading TAR’s notes...they are pretty accurate to my taste. Awesome summer beer and beyond...the damnation was pretty good, but nothing special...this one is artistic and electric...I’ve never put a beer at 4.5 or higher based on one bottle...but this one I’ve really found special.