Russian River Beatification (Batch 001)

Formerly brewed at Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

Batch PH1. Served in an Ommegang glass. A: Brilliantly clear, highly carbonated amber body. There was an initially thick white head but it fell quickly leaving nothing on the sides of the glass but only a rim of head on the edge. S: The La Folie influence on the aroma is overwhelming. I can immediately recognize it. The aroma is nice and tart with some citrus notes. VERY inviting. T: Damn, I love wild ales and this one is outstanding. Very pronounced tartness but it still manages to be smooth. Great pucker effect. The flavor has an earthy note typical of Brett. There are also some sour cherries lurking in the background. This is really a top notch beer. Brew this again Russian River!! M: The carbonation is great on this and gives it a great mouthfeel. It takes what would otherwise be a pretty light bodied beer up a notch or two and gives it enough body to last. D: Outstanding. Perfect. Top notch. Insert any other compliments you can think of. Especially when you consider that it is only 5.5% ABV, the drinkability on this is out of the park. This is by far my favorite RR beer and certainly one of the best beers I have had. Edit: When you drink this beer, pour the yeast into the last sip. It is excellent.

Thanx to Boboski for sharing PH1.Poured golden and cloudy with a thin head.The nose is full of sour apples and citrus.Flavor was sour with hints of citrus and wood.This finished off with some funkiness.

Steve was kind enough to open both bottles, the PH1 and the 001. The PH had a bit more of a cheesy flavor to it, while the 001 felt more carbonated. Both were amazing beers, dry and acidic, with a sharp sour finish and good funk to it. I enjoyed the PH1 slightly better, but both were amazing beers.

Gold color with a slightly cloudy appearance. Sour barnyard aroma that cause my mouth to immediately salivate. Funky sour taste with a dry finish. Spectacular.

Courtesy Boboski. Pours a golden wheat with a bit a cloudy look. Big sour apple aroma. Sour apple taste, but not in a mouth puckering way, very smooth. Finishes clean and dry. Wonderful.

Courtesy boboski. Batch PH1. Pours a mostly clear, glowing, golden-orange body. A small, foamy, off-white head settles slowly and leaves behind sudsy lacing that mostly rejoins the body. The aroma is a lesson in sour, fruity complexity. Green apples, kumquats, tangerines, and fermented white grapes provide the fruit foreground. Meanwhile, copious amounts of new oak and vanilla lend depth and complexity, and its all wrapped up in a blanket of sour funk. The flavor is essentially the same, with perhaps a more intense oakiness and a touch of lemon chiffon smoothness. Medium bodied, smooth, and perfectly carbonated. This is an awesomely complex beer full of unique intricacies. Killer stuff!

Opaque pale orange with good lacing. Smells sour and woody with spices. Taste is surprisingly mellow sourness. Tannins. Hint of oranges in after-taste, then finishes clean.

GABF ’07. Pours hazy yellow with an average, frothy, off-white head, lasting with good lacing. Aroma is average malt (hay, straw, meal), average hops (flowers, citrus), average yeast (earth) with notes of green grapes. Medium bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Average duration, light sweetness, heavy acidity and bitterness.