Russian River Temptation

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

Bottle, Batch 001 at the Grey Lodge Pub. Looks like an aged white Bordeaux white, with dark yellow color. Fruit and acid that kicks in in the beginning. Grape, green apple, and oak... A lot of acid and sourness. THe body is on a ligher side creating a miss match with the oak and high acid. I wonder if the oak used was a new oak or a used oak (which is preferable for a beer like this). Tasted like a while wine that went through a second fermentation in the bottle. Nice complexity on the nose, and pretty exciting.

( 750ml bottle batch 4x2 thanks to BA piclee) Pours clear yellow with great head and nice lacing. Nose of funk, yeast, wet wood, and cherries. Taste is very sour cherries, sweet tart candy, Belgian yeast, and muscat grapes.

On tap at russian river, complex palate cider dominates. Raisin, apple, and alcohol notes. Not my cup of tea, might have to get used to the style.

Pours straw colored, opaque. Aroma of grass and brett funk. High carbonation pairs nicely with medium to mild sourness. Tastes sour with grass and citrus. Drinks clean and delicious.

Pours a slightly cloudy yeasty orange with a fluffy white head. The lacing and resilience is significant, and makes for a beautiful presentation in a tulip glass. Bret, chardonnay, sour vinegar, dough, and pixie sticks predominate the nose. Some skunky rotten eggs in the background, but it is dominated by the delightful sour front. The sour bitey vinegar flavor explodes on the tongue and instantly causes my entire mouth to water. When I was rating this beer, I required a few seconds to catch my thoughts after not having a quality sour in many many months. The bitey acidic palate makes a perfect match for the amazing flavor and aroma.

Bottle courtesy of thirdeye11. Batch 4. Pours golden yellow with a white head. The aroma is very tart, with some vinegar and citrus. The flavor is tart, with lemons and a floral quality. A little bit of funk but not too much. Very drinkable sour. I had heard a lot about this beer and it didn’t disappoint.

Batch 3, 2009 vintage. Slightly hazy yellow color with orange hues. A pretty big ivory-colored head leaves some lacings. A nicely sharp smell full of character. Funky horse blanket and aged cheese. Lots of tart fruits (apples, pears, lemon) and general notes of berries. Notes of fermenting apples as well. Light hints of oak barrel and a nice touch of alcohol in the background. A very impressive smell. The taste is semi-sweet at first, but then turns rather tart. The tartness isn’t really mouth-wrecking, but feels genuine and robust. A wonderful combination of pleasant fruit aromas (green apples, gooseberries, lemon) and funky notes of barnyard and mud. A hint of wood. Nice bretty flavors. In the finish, there’s a mild grassy bitterness, sweet and phenolic alcohol, a gentle leafy hop note and a dry tartness. With the last poor (I let all the yeast go into the glass) the beer changes character a bit. The tartness is muted and notes of vanilla and nuts develop. Light body with a refreshing cider-like carbonation. A very good wild ale. This one could probably go head to head with some of the milder Belgian gueuzes. Very refreshing and enjoyable. Impressive. Serving type: bottle (Copy of old Beer Advocate review)

750 mL bottle courtesy of scrizzz. Thanks! Pours a hazy lemon yellow color with a medium creamy head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma is tart and dry with citrus , white grape, peppery notes, caramel, funkiness. Taste is a nice easygoing mildly funky tartness with lots of dry citrus notes, green apple, red apple, and a tad bit of vinegar. Medium bodied. Very nice easygoing sour ale.