Russian River Deviation (Bottleworks IX)

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

Bottle thanks to trevor211!
So many save great beer for the best moments, whether to celebrate an event or highlight a milestone. I had a real shitty day, so I’m cracking a cellar gem. It was almost a year ago that I had a small glass thanks to the Cleveland crew. I would have given it a 5.0 then. I remember the somewhat rowdy room (Lebron had just hit "the shot") quieting and collecting around the bottle, and the ensuing debate over Cantillon tradition vs. Russian River innovation. I guess this whole waste of a first paragraph is to say that each beer has a story... no need to wait to celebrate another.

This time around, I’m the selfish glutton. Whole bottle. Sorry Pgh crew. Pours fiery grapefruit, white head that doesn’t die, bubbly carbonation. I have just sniffed a 4.9 Temptation, best batch of that I’ve ever had, but this nose beats that one. It’s the fruit that makes this special, the fruit I still remember back in Cleveland. The brett and oak just roll off into this fruit combo that stuns: cherry, tangerine, mango... I don’t remember the flavor being this good, but again, perfect balance of yeast and fruit with the wood age showing. What really surprises me, though, is the finish, which first reveals this blast of tangerine right after the brett is swallowed, but then begins oscillating with lemon long... so very long this finish is.

In the end, there is nothing about this beer that sticks out. That’s because everything works here, start to finish. Perfect integration and control. I would have given this 5.0 when hammered in Cleveland. I give it a 5.0 now, enjoying it takes me from sober to buzzed, my day from shitty to special.

Corked bottle, courtesy of a generous trader
Hazy orange color. Sour aroma, with mild fruitness, citrusy, and light cellar touch. Good mouthfeel, hidden malt flavor, silky sourness, citrusy touch, with a late astringency. Excellent.

courtesy of fiulijn - clear orange-amber colour with a poor head retention; fruity (oranges, raisins) and sourish viengar-like aroma; medium-bodied, moderate carbonation; very sourish and with a long quite dry fruity finish

Big Thanks to Fogdog for this rare treat. A: Pours an amberish brown with a tall cream colored head. Very nice retention and lace. S: Nice and fruity. Lots of grape, peach, and apple. There is a large citrus component as well. Big blast of funk and tart. T: Tart and funky for sure. Nice wood component with grapes and lemon standing out. There is a big blast of acid with mild cheesy notes. M; Medium in body, nice carbonation, tasty brew. D: Very good, a beer I would love to try again in the future.

Pours a very dark hazy golden orange that’s almost light caramel brown with some ripe banana hues when held to a light source and a one finger frothy off white head that slowly fades into a thin lasting ring. Musty earthy aroma with a good bit of barnyard funk along with some wooden tannis and dry brett efervescence. I’m picking up some wood notes but something other than oak. It smells more like cedar. Slight lactic creaminess and subtle light fruit. Apple cider and pear. Soft carbonation up front with a nice bit of funkiness that is not acidic at all or overpowering. Incredibly smooth and dangerously drinkable. Very complex and funky yet I find myself pounding down my sample. Lots of dry bretty efervescence toward the finish. Again there is a nice earthy wood presence that isn’t quite oaky and is more cedar like. Subtle hints of vanilla and light crisp fruit notes especially a lot of apple, almost cidery even. Amazing sweet lingering slightly vinegary finish. As soon as I put the glassdowm I’m immediately salivating for another sip. Amazing beer that everyone should seek out.

25.4 oz bottle. Misty golden brown with white froth. Nose is crabapple, kiwi, oak, spice, honey and light funk. Glancing at the bottle i see the foam rising almost to the neck. Time for another pour. Medium body, verging on syrupy, with a muted tingle. Taste is lemon peel, green apple and pineapple. Dry, puckery finish with hints of custard. Classic.

What better way to celebrate Christmas than with this bottle, provided by a very generous BA. Pours crystal-clear amber (subsequent pours are cloudier and cloudier) with a steady stream of bubbles feeding a small creamy white head, allowing it to remain a small cap for the duration with spotty lacing. The aroma is a perfect blend of sweet, sour and funky. There is an underlying sweet/tart green apple aroma with some apricot as well. There is a solid but very understated brett presence that doesn’t dominate the aroma at all. On top of all this is the oak character - stunning nose on this one. The initial tartness of the taste completely puckered my lips - big lemony tartness with a hint of vinegar sourness as well. The fruits are still in the taste, with pears and green apples, but the scale is tipping more on the sour side than the sweet side in the taste. The finish is very dry, with the oaky tannins and brett taking a final bow. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and almost effervescent with lots of carbonation - a very wine-like feel overall. Well, I’ve been waiting a long time to try this one and it is definitely one of the best wilds I’ve had this year. I don’t think I’d put it up there with my favorites (J&J Blauw, for example). Still, a damn fine beverage.

Draught @ Brouwer’s Café for rating #2500:   Huge rocky white head, good retention, nice lacing, hazy amber, very fiery.   Looks fantastic!   Big bouguet on the nose.   Farmish, very wild, tart Peach and Apricot skin.   Certainly musty and basement like.   Sour on the tongue, dry but its not overly acidic.   Very pale fruitiness, much like unripened Peache or Apricot skin.   I like this one because it is not overly done.   Very palatable without being harsh.   Could stand to be a bit more bubbley on the tongue as it does flatten out a bit as it warms.   Does start out prickly though.   Moderate to full body and mouthfeel otherwise.   Sour to start out, becomes more tart like near the finish.   Moderate dryness.   Noticed that it seems more aggressive on draught than in the bottle.   Good stuff!