 FlacoAlto (2142), Tucson, Arizona, USA
May 2, 2008
Batch 002; Sampled May 2008
A light carbonation coupled with a soft pour produces only a half covering of frothy, wispy white froth. The beer is a hazy, yellow-gold color and the aroma is quite divine. Nicely tart with notes of grapefruit, lightly spicy oak, musty toe-cheese, light urea, light cedar, celery seed, light nail-polish-remover, a woody mushroom note and a slight, savory, cooked vegetable note that is actually quite nice. While the nose does have a dominant tartness to it up front, the backdrop is what makes this so interesting; a solid base of funk has been layered in to this beer in a very subtle manner.
Very sour tasting, even more than the aroma would have suggested. The carbonation is somewhat soft (especially if one is expecting Gueuze levels of CO2), but it does provide a nice tickle of texture to this beer. Puckeringly sour with a mix of lemon and sour-grapefruit flavors, yet still eminently drinkable for this lover of sour beers. This beer is almost devoid of malt sweetness and thus is fairly light bodied. There is some texture to this beer though, it has a light velvet-like touch that seems to stem from some tannic presence that is especially noticeable in the finish as it clings to the roof of my mouth. Really this has a perfect texture to it, quite light and quaffable yet with some structure an palate presence such that it is nothing like watery. This is actually fairly clean tasting, the funk notes of the nose seem to not have really translated to the flavor, other than a sort of oral-nasal interaction during each sip. The finish does have some interesting things going on, in addition to some light tannic oak, there is a soft, almost savory thing going on, that I can’t quite pin down flavor wise. Also there is a nice, supporting Brettanomyces funkiness here that provides some musty, moldy horse-blanket notes.
A 375ml bottle of this is not nearly enough, this is so drinkable that I find my self drinking from my glass quite frequently, enjoying the tart funkiness that is this beer. I really should have put two bottles of this brew in the fridge, this just disappeared too quickly and leaves me wanting at least another glass. It is not the most complex of beers (in fact the batch 001’s where both more complex), but it is so drinkable, so well balanced, and such a pleasure to drink. I can’t wait to see how this & further batches evolve.
FeloniousCaper (465), Illinois, USA
Oct 1, 2008 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
RCL (1068), Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
Sep 27, 2008 Quite heavy on the funkiness. Super sour. Aroma and flavor like lemons went rotten in the barn, but in a good way.
piscator34 (937), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Sep 24, 2008 Bottled sample via (and shared with) oakbluff. Pale gold in colour with medium and somewhat spritzy carbonation. Huge funky aromas abound, with notes of outhouse, horseblanket, lemony citrus, and a bit of wood. Very sour in the mouth, with more lemon, "rockets" candies, and wood. A great refreshing tart quality to this one. Huge thanks to oakbluff for sharing this rarity.
bdigi66 (456), Ft Wayne, Indiana, USA
Sep 20, 2008 <b>Bottle: Batch 002</b> Yellowish-brown color with no head...seemed a bit flat on the pour. Notes of tart lemon, bread, cheese, hay and some light oak. Very crisp citrus tones come through as this warms. Tart, lactic sour taste hits almost immediately with the lemon and grapefruit zest notes...the oak comes through as well with some grassy and dirt notes. Very dry and seemed a bit one-dimensional, not overly complex.
AllAboutStout (523), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Sep 15, 2008 Pours a murky golden amber in color. Decent head on the pour. Smell is very tart and funky. I had this right after drinking the Supplication and this is vastly more sour than the it. Perfect amount of carbonation. Very good citrusy, sour fruit flavors. Perfect amount of carbonation to go with the sourness. I very much prefer this to the Supplication. Highly recommend.
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