Bottle courtesy Taverner - thanks! Pours medium gold with a very thin white head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is a 10 out of 10 on the funky scale...this one definitely had that ’barnyard’ quality amped up. However, I found it overly funky...so much that it overwhelmed any other qualities this one might have had going for it...interesting nevertheless. Flavor is damn sour...some woody notes and a bit of lemon in there, but I really had to work to pick these out. Becomes more pleasant as it warms close to room temp. This one was definitely a slow sipper and causes some puckering after each drink. Very interesting beer, but I’ve had other sours with more dimension, and the sheer intensity of this was a bit too much for my palate. If you want some serious sour, head here!

Bottle: Aroma is sour, tart, funky, and citrusy. Poured gold in color with a small white head. Cloudy. Sparkling. Many large particles. Extremely tart flavor. Tastes of sour fruits, citrus, citric acid, and oak. Light to medium body. Mineral texture is a bit dry. Tart citrus finish.

bottle. thanks bwkrieger. hazy golden pour with thin head. very sour. bring the rolaids. lightly carbonated.

375ml $15 Russian River Batch 002 Courtesy of errantnight, thanks Derek! Beatification pours a murky, pale straw yellow with a minimal head. The clean white head grew to a finger but fell rather quickly to a ring around the glass. Random carbonation bubbles rise here and there to the minimal head. I would have liked to see a better head on this beer. It’s almost nonexistent after it settles and swirls won’t even bring it forward. The smell makes my mouth water immediately. A big hit of brett sourness right off the bat. Damp hay and earth are the first things I pick up, a bit of vinegar shows up half way through and becomes the dominant figure before being joined by a slight damp oakiness. Although the swirls don’t produce any head they do release enough carbonation to bring forward a peppery peachiness that only stays for a short time. Good depth with a great tart note. Beatification will make you pucker. The puckering tartness hits immediately but calms down mid-palate. As this beer warms the flavors really start coming together nicely. The sourness shows signs of vinegar throughout but there’s a good deal of pepper and stone fruits. Not as much earthiness as the nose suggested but it is present. At first this was simply a decent beer, after more warming it becomes very tasty and much more flavor sneaks through the sourness. The mouthfeel is a bit of a let down; I expected more carbonation and that light airy feel. The lack of carbonation leaves the mouthfeel a little heavier then expected. The body is medium and leaves a slight stick on the finish. Causes a nice pucker and makes my mouth water but I would like a bit more dryness. Just me being picky again I suppose. Very easy drinking. The tartness leaves your mouth watering for another drink as soon as you swallow the last. It feels like I’ve been drinking this slowly but I look at my glass and it’s about gone. A solid beer from Russian River. Not one of my favorites but all the flavor is there. Seems to me like a better carbonated brew would take care of most problems. I can’t wait to see what a couple years will do to these bottles 6/2/08

Quite heavy on the funkiness. Super sour. Aroma and flavor like lemons went rotten in the barn, but in a good way.