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Russian River Temptation

Russian River Temptation

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 Percentile 
99
overall
A Sour Ale brewed by
Russian River Brewing

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
4274.07/5.04.07/5.0Special7.25%91.1Snifter P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Is it beer, or is it wine? "Aged in French oak wine barrels for twelve months with distinct characteristics of fruit and subtle oak" sounds more like a description of wine than beer. But, of course, Temptation is indeed beer. Actually, Temptation is a Blonde Ale Fermented with a special strain of yeast, then aged in French oak chardonnay barrels. Flavors of wine and oak absorb into the brew throughout twelve months of aging. During this aging process, a secondary fermentation occurs using a yeast strain disliked by most brewers and winemakers called Brettanomyces. The "Bret" gives Temptation intriguing characteristics and a pleasant sourness. Temptation is re-fermented in the bottle to create its carbonation--a process commonly used to make fine champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment to remain in the bottle.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 skoisirius (480), Seattle, Washington, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20

May 22, 2008  
Now this is what I’m talking about. 2005 vintage tasted on 5/17/08, thanks to derkruk and crew!! After three years this brew has gone exactly where it should...sour Heaven. And thank God, or Vinnie in this case, that Heaven exists! Lots of rounded out sour brett, slight oak hints, and danky citrus flow through the tastebuds with each sip. The funk gets stronger as it warms, making each sip a world of flavor. YES!

 thickfreakness (101), Austin, Texas, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/103/510/104/519/20
Oct 5, 2008  
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.


 JohnnyJ (673), Reno, Nevada, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Oct 3, 2008  
This is a nice big sour ale. Complex and flavorful. On tap at Stone. Pours a deep hazy gold, with thick off-white head. Tastes like a strong gueuze. citrus lemon zest, sour apple, white grape, oak, funk, and some dry bitterness. Excellent sour, quite complex.


Avengedpoet (59), Mesa, Arizona, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/59/104/519/20
Sep 28, 2008  
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.


 oakbluff (222), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/103/518/20
Sep 27, 2008  
Batch 3 bottle- appearance is a murky golden with three finger head and excellent lacing. Nose- sweet white grapes, lemon rinds. Taste- champagne like carbonation, blast of white grape sharpness and green apple sourness. Has a wood/ mineral like dryness to the finish. Really dries out the mouth. Having had the previous two batchs, the brett is definitely more prounounced each time out. Great stuff


mpersinger (23), , California, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/510/104/518/20
Sep 27, 2008  
Good clarity, pleasing pee-yellow color from batch 3, bottle. Lemon/Mineral Orval-ish aroma. Sour dominates but does not overwhelm flavors of crab apple, cherry, unripe apple and oak. Extra punch from effervescence lasts. Not a clone, but first cousin of Orval: less cherry, more explosive finish. Aligned and sublime.




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