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Russian River Temptation

Russian River Temptation

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 Percentile 
99
overall
A Sour Ale brewed by
Russian River Brewing

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
4224.07/5.04.06/5.0Special7.25%90.6 Snifter P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Is it beer, or is it wine? "Aged in French oak wine barrels for twelve months with distinct characteristics of fruit and subtle oak" sounds more like a description of wine than beer. But, of course, Temptation is indeed beer. Actually, Temptation is a Blonde Ale Fermented with a special strain of yeast, then aged in French oak chardonnay barrels. Flavors of wine and oak absorb into the brew throughout twelve months of aging. During this aging process, a secondary fermentation occurs using a yeast strain disliked by most brewers and winemakers called Brettanomyces. The "Bret" gives Temptation intriguing characteristics and a pleasant sourness. Temptation is re-fermented in the bottle to create its carbonation--a process commonly used to make fine champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment to remain in the bottle.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
kegbear (77), Orange, California, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/518/20

Jul 16, 2008  
The cork really flew out of this baby. Took me ten minutes to find it. Large foamy white head. Aroma smells of tart ness and is very clean. Tastes of lemon zest, oak and funk. Dry finish. Not as tart or funky as Beautification. Complex and delicious.

 Viking_Hammer (292), Lynnfield, Massachusetts, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/104/518/20
Sep 3, 2008  
Pours a cloudy golden yellow with a medium off white head. Aroma of oak and yeast. A very nice sour citrus bitterness and with a good amount of funk. I good amount of oak in the finish that is all the way sour. Wonderful beer.


 radiomgb (1757), Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/515/20
Sep 1, 2008  
Murky golden yellow in colour with a thin white coloured head, light lacing. The aroma is a bit oaky, light notes of alcohol, fruity with a bt of sourness. The flavour is again a bit oaky, some citrus, yeast, white grape skins, acidic with some light alcohol. Sweet and dry mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation. Finishes lingering and lightly sour.

Quite smooth and the sourness is very well balanced. I can see this aging quite well. I feel that I need more of this and I have both batch 1 and 3 so more samples are in order.

375ml bottle shared by rudolf, thanks Rudy.
Opened on March 28, 2008.
Batch #2.


 BlackForestCO (521), Fort Collins and Black Forest, Colorado, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/516/20
Aug 31, 2008  
Batch 3 bottle shared by mentor, thanks dude! Poured a cloudy, pale golden-straw color with a moderate off-white head that clung to the glass nicely. Aroma of soft yeastiness with some light citrus including apricot and mango, and a soft wine-like oak funk. Sweet, lightly tart entry leads into a moderate yeastiness with some barnyard funk and undertones of soft citrus fruit, finishing lightly sour with some yeast and oak in the finish. Smooth, soft carbonation.


 durhambeer (411), Durham, North Carolina, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/105/515/20
Aug 30, 2008  
This was going to be my 400th rating, but I got thirsty and impatient so it was 399 instead. Lovely bright cloudy golden pour with pillowy white head. Nose gave more more oak than funk... and overall, that was the relative disappointment for me. Sour, but overall more woody than anything else. Oak was huge, with notes of citrus and chardonnay; quite lovely, but damn if it was really worth the rarity and cost. Amazing mouthfeel.


 Taverner (440), San Ramon, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/58/104/516/20
Aug 26, 2008  
Aroma is funky barnyard - pretty strong actually. I like it! Flavor is the pins and needles for a very carbonated sour, and, well, sourness. I can taste notes of unsweetened white grapefruit, and then a dry bitter flavor. There’s some notes of chardonnay in there too - I just can’t put my finger on them. Aftertaste is an almost salty lipfeel.




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