Supplication - Russian River Brewing Company

magictacosinus

California

4.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Poured into a wine glass from a 375ml bottle. Label states it was bottled on "08/27/12."

What a beautiful color this is! Reminds me very vividly of the Cantillon kriek I got to luckily try when I lived in Europe. Because it's a brown ale rather than traditionally a wheat ale, there's a darkened overtone that surrounds the reddish-plumb color. Reflected in the light, delightful amber orange shades reveal themselves. Tiny bubbles of carbonation rise in droves at the sides of the glass, but this is as clear as these Lambic-style beers can get. Jewel-like in appearance, and even with yeast added in, any cloudiness it gains gives it the appearance of an aged, refined beer. Perfection.

The smell is quite tarty - not as much as actual Lambics I've had before, but often reminiscing them in full form. The Brettanomyces phenols are not as overpowering as I'd expect, yet at the same time the elements seem to come together in full form here. The woodiness from the Pinot Noir barrels come in droves, but the lemon rind and apple/pear/cherry tart achieved by the Brett strands and cherries are wholly fantastic. It may not be overpoweringly tarty overall, but there's barely anything here that resembles beer, which is always a fascinating experience.

The flavor is spot on to tart-like sours, and every sip brings me back to my favorite takes on the beer style. The initial taste is consists of citrus, slight wine-like fruity characteristics, as well as a smooth yet flavorful cherry finish. The sour tart finish is awesome, and the yeast seems to crawl all over the palate with each gulp. The alcohol becomes finally a bit present here, and adds sweetness, but it is the sour flavors that win here completely. The beer is characteristically dry, but the the finish is refreshing in part of the fruits and yeasty finish.

What a beautiful concoction that Russian River has once again delivered. Words cannot recommend this more. It's really complex, but all the flavors meld together that it is really balanced. It's not too yeasty yet nicely sour, not too malty yet quite thickened, not too fruity yet deliciously tarty overall. Will be trying more of these wild ales from RR in future for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:28:13 | More by magictacosinus

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