Russian River Compunction

Sampled with my cousin krkearn. Thanks keith. What a treat this is. The beer poured a clear golden color with a thin but bubbly white head that stuck around for a bit. There was nice fruity (based on the pluots that are aged in this) aroma and some funky earthy tones as well. the taste is fruity up front, apricot maybe and tart throughout. This is another fine example of a wild ale from RR and I can’t see anything wrong with this one. There is a lingering fruit taste that runs around the mouth and sticks on the tongue and some peppery notes that are mixed in as well. I think the plummy taste at the end is a nice finish to this fine beer. I really wish this made it to bottles but this sampling will do me for now.

Tasted way back in the summer at Stone sour ale class by Tomme Arthur. Golden orange like color. Smells of lemon and fruit. Super smooth. Tart sour funkiness. Tastes of the apricot and the plums for sure. Great brew of course.

Draft @ Monk’s. After a Supplication and a Pliny this one had its work cut out for it and it delivered with a nice fruity/sour mix. Golden-amber? (it was dark) coloring with a decent size head. Aroma is heavy on the pluots with other summer fruits and citrusy sourness on display. Flavor is solid pluot with a nice dose of sourness. This one just makes me think of a warm day. Nice feel and a solid finish. Another awesome sour from Vinny!

On tap at Monk’s Cafe. Let me preface this by stating that I’ve eaten a pluot, and I didn’t care for it. I didn’t get a ton of pluot influence in this beer. It poured a really clear light amber, which makes me think perhaps this would be better from closer to the bottom of the keg. Compared with the Supplication, this was was lighter in body, more sour, a little less bretty, and kind of chewier. It might be asking too much of the beer for it to carry a stronger pluot influence, but from what I remember that was a dull, boring fruit. Nevertheless, a nicely made, refreshing brew, kind of interesting, but I’d like to see more residual sweetness from the fruit.

On tap at the Monk’s Cafe. Clear copper with a white head. Nose is sour lemon, apricot and some spice; basil? Medium light with mild carb. Taste like the nose, primarily apricot, but hints of apple, pear and white grape juice. Missing some of the fruitiness that makes other RR’s great but still very good.

[Draft @ Monks] Poured a clear amber color with a medium sized white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of rotted plum, raisins, citrus, apples, brett and the other RR funky cultures. Taste seemed to be devoid of any oak, with some citrus, dark fruits, green apple, light nutmeg, and a really sour, dry, wild yeast finish. This is really missing the oak or a sweeter fruit involved.

On tap at Russian Rivers Brewpub. I couldn’t even finish the 3 oz. taster. This thing is way too acidic and salty. The sourness is just over the top. I did enjoy a few small sips, but it would have taken me about 6 hours to finish a whole pint. Still, I guess they succeeded in what they were shooting for, it was a very intense pluot flavor. Maybe they could tone it down just a little???

On tap at Stone Brewing class on Sour Ales, taught by Tomme Arthur. A yellow-ish sweet sour ale with strong brett flavor but interesting lemony flavor. Very tasty and complex. Something I could drink a lot of. (Very similar to Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus, but not as complex, fruity, or sour.)