Beatification - Russian River Brewing Company

DmanGTR

New York

4.97/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to an awesome BA who poured me the last few oz of his bottle. Review from notes on 4/24/10

A - Poured a nicely hazy lemon yellow/tangerine with a frothy white head. Not much retention, as expected with most wild ales. Sparkles in the sun. Wow. 4.5

S - This is simply fantastic. So much going on here, yet I feel I'll be doing this beer injustice by attempting to describe it. But here goes. A crisp tart aroma similar to extremely tart lemons, a touch of that "barnyard" funkiness like a bit of earthy mushrooms, a very small bit of grass and a bit of oak. This is simply excellent. 5.0

T - Extraordinary tartness explodes with citrusy and a faint kiwi-like flavor. Followed closely with that distinct "barnyard" earthiness and a long, sour finish. I wish my vocabulary for wild and sour beers was better. 5.0

M - Light, crisp, well carbonated. So incredibly smooth. There is no "bite", nor is it lacking carbonation in any way. So well balanced. 5.0

D - What do you think?! This is phenomenal. Truly an enlightening experience in my beer ventures. 5.0

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 15:05:05 | More by DmanGTR

lnashsig

Texas

4.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a pretty special one for #BOTG 62. Pretty hard to find, thanks to Kevin Harvest for his generosity here. RR corked and caged bottle, popped bottle, and poured slowly into my JK Farmhouse glass. Pours a really cloudy golden color, some white, tight bubbles in the head. It looks like a sour! It actually resembles a Gueuze in a lot of ways. Smell- sour green apples, citrus, earthy funk! I get some eastern asia tropical fruits (like a star fruit)- very tart aroma. Also, some vinegar aroma. So many things in common with a good gueuze. Taste- oh my god, puckering sour. Its the sour you get from biting right into a green apple (unripened) and gnawing on the skin. There is a sugary tartness on my teeth. Also, I get some sour patch kids sourness too. Definite vinegar present on the end, it works well with the sourness, not a detractor at all. This is an A+ sour. One of the best I've ever had for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 01:30:45 | More by lnashsig

francisweizen

Australia

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer quite a few times now in various different stages of it's development. At first from a wooden cask via a wine thief at the brewery. Than a test batch flowing at some god-forsaken beer festival. And finally in it's bottled form, in both the PH1, and 'regular' 001 editions. This beer pours a slightly hazy light golden colour with a large, tight, and compact head of foam that slowly loosend up, expands, and releases the aromas of this magnificent 'neo lambic' creation. This beer has the classic sharp, acidic, traditional lambic aromas that I adore. Balsamic vinegar, cheese, fresh white winter truffles, morbier dipped in lemon juice, etc. A very vinous and lactic sourness is also detectable, moreso in the darker tinged PH1 batch, than the straight 001, I should add. The taste is pungent and acidic with a wonderful fruity wine-like middle that smooths out the 'in-your-face-nature' of this brew and leaves you with a lovely aftertaste on the front and back of your tongue. The mouthfeel is creamy, super smooth, and reminiscent of the Cantillon St. Lamvinus. The drinkability is perfect and this super sour funky american neo lambic is definately one of the most coercive and notion challening brews to ever have passed this BAS' lips. Bravo to Vinnie and Co. For making something truly magical on all levels.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 00:07:32 | More by francisweizen

AndySR15

California

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Poured a hazy straw color with a thin bubbly head into a Duvel glass.

S - Intense, you can smell it the minute you open the bottle. Very funky up fromt with nice earthy/wood nites in the back and a bit a citrus as well.

T - Very funky and tart. Strated out with citrus and ends with the sour funk.

M - Very tart at first and leaves you mouth puckering and very dry. Deffinately makes you want to go back for more.

D - Excellent, if you know what you are about to get yourself into. An extremely intense beer but an awesome wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 09:21:45 | More by AndySR15

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch #2

Poured into a generic Tulip

A-Deep gold. Brilliantly clear. Low eggshell head.

S-Straw, horseblanket. A ton of barnyard funkyness. Old oak. Like the best lambic. This beer reminds me of the barrel room at cantilion.

T-FUNK!!! Super sour. Mouthpuckeringly so. Some old wood but not too much. Some bile... in a good way. More barnyard. Nothing in the way of hops.

M-Pretty dry. Enough carbonation to keep it lively but much less then your average american beer. No alcohol noticable.

D- I could do this all night. Super sour though so if you're not into that then you might have a problem. ISO:

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 01:21:14 | More by organicbrewer

PhineasGage

Iowa

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thank you jeff-Alewatcher for splitting a batch 003 750 with Chad quest and myself.

This beer pours out a beautiful hazy blonde with hints of amber. The head is almost nonexistent with a thin ring around the edges. The smell puts off a big oaky character, with hints of funky fruit...hinting toward apricot. The main thing I get out of this is a big dry oaky tingle. The citrus acidity on the backside to this beer is incredible, the back of my tongue and cheeks are pulled so tight. This is what I'll expect from a "sour" from now on. The finish on this beer lasts forever, I can't believe how incredible this beer is. A life goal has been fulfilled...thank you again jeff and Chad for sharing this moment with me!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 06:19:52 | More by PhineasGage

stealth

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 5 from a tulip. Holy amazeballs this is an awesome beer.

Beautiful gold brew. Tart, funky, earthy aroma. Sour, sour, sour. Citrus, funk. Dry finish that leaves me salivating for more.

I wish this was easier to acquire, but well worth trading for. Certainly at the top of my list of favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 08:49:51 | More by stealth

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Krombacher Pils glass.

Appearance- Cloudy yellow/orange with a beautiful bone white head that lasted a good while.

Smell- Lemon sour patch kid. Light oaky notes. Lot of lemon! Some cider vinegar present.

Taste- Incredibly sour. Mouth puckering sourness. Huge lemon. Some mild grapefruit. Nice bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Very carbonated. Champagne-like feeling in my mouth. Very tart.

Overall- Incredible! I liked Supplication more, but never the less, this is awesome.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:50:12 | More by Seanniek91

Lakemonster

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My friend in San Francisco broke one of these out as my introduction to sours. I was blown away. This is a sour that is truly sour without any overtones of fruitiness. It finishes leaving you wanting more and more and more. Impossible to drink quickly because after the first sip you know you have come across something special. This is my current favorite beer, if you have a chance to taste any of the Russian River sours try this one first, it will blow your mind.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:46:50 | More by Lakemonster