Compunction - Russian River Brewing Company

nataku00

California

4.43/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap poured into a goblet. Beer is a light yellow, straw collored and mostly clear with a thin off white soapy head off tap. No carbonation visible through the glass.

Nose is wet hay, sour lemon, astringency from what I believe are the pluot (or plucots) skins. Nice pungent aroma for not too much head.

Taking a sip, the sour lemon and astringency is upfront, mellowing a bit into stone fruit sweetness on the finish. Medium length finish from the sweetness and a bit of tartness and fruit peel. Funky earthiness develops as the beer warms closer to room temperature as well,

Light bodied with a decent amount of carbonation but I would have preferred a bit more bubbly on the tongue. Very easy to drink, and I think this would be great to sit outside with this on a warm day like today.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2011 00:45:15 | More by nataku00

notchucknorris

California

4.08/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at O'Briens

A: Slightly hazy light brown and orange in color. Some small patches of white foam on the surface, but not much of a head.

S: Definitely smells like a sour. I picked up some cherry, lemon, brett and apricot along with a little bit of honey.

T: Sharp sour bite right away and then a nice apricot sweetness, with a little malt and carbonation that numbs the sourness a bit. A little lemon on the finish. This beer is definitely a sour, but not overwhelmingly so. Well balanced and definitely lighter than most of the other "tion" beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2011 01:06:42 | More by notchucknorris

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub today...

The beer pours a fairly light gold color with great head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is just wild and shows considerable brett influence, with sour funk, vinegar and barnyard aromas, but with considerable underlying plum and cherry as well. The flavor profile generally replicates the nose in this complex, wild ale, and I have to say the interplay of flavors in this beer is just amazing. Along with the noted aroma profile, there's also something of a fresca/sprite flavor, with a hint of hoppy bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to light, and despite all the flavor and impressively long finish, you can tell the alcohol is fairly low in this one. Also, I'm just loving the sweet tart on tart finish in this well crafted beer. Anyway, drinkability is otherwise pretty good, with the alcohol barely more than an afterthought. The sour funk is a bit much for someone like me, but even a confirmed sour hater like myself can tell this is one very fine, well made, easy to appreciate beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2011 04:39:56 | More by johnmichaelsen

mithrascruor

California

3.95/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at O'Brien's, San Diego.

Pours a hazy light straw/gold color with a light white head. Mild sour aroma with a hint of vanilla and wheat. Light bodied with medium carbonation and easy to drink (low ABV too). Tastes of cherry, wheat, and some light yeast. Good, but not particularly compelling to me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 23:06:59 | More by mithrascruor

HopHead84

California

3.68/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1/29/2011

On tap at O'Brien's ConsumpTION night. Pours pellucid straw golden with a foamy white cap. 

S: Aroma is not unlike Temptation, but with subtle pluot notes. I've never had a pluot, but it smells as I'd expect, which is a mixture of apricot and plum, but more apricot than plum. A little lemon is in there along with oak. Barnyard notes are subtle, and there's a firm lactic presence.

T: Flavor displays a moderate lactic sourness which accompanies notes of apricot, plum, and lemon. Fruit isn't very strong. There's a noticeable buttery oak character. Sourness is pretty clean. No real acidity.

M: Upper light in body. Moderate carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: I recall liking the first batch a lot more, but that was a long time ago so it's hard to be sure. Pretty good, not great. Kinda simple and could use more acidity.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 03:45:32 | More by HopHead84

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 rate.

On tap at Monk's Cafe. Let me preface this by stating that I've eaten a pluot, and I didn't care for it. I didn't get a ton of pluot influence in this beer. It poured a really clear light amber, which makes me think perhaps this would be better from closer to the bottom of the keg. Compared with the Supplication, this was was lighter in body, more sour, a little less bretty, and kind of chewier. Of course tight, refined, non-acidic, all huge positives which always make Russian River a winner in this style. It might be asking too much of the beer for it to carry a stronger pluot influence, but from what I remember that was a dull, boring fruit. Nevertheless, a nicely made, refreshing brew, kind of interesting, but I'd like to see more residual sweetness from the fruit.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2011 01:54:19 | More by JAXSON

juhl31

California

4.6/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

-foggy, yet clear gold color. pours with a fluffy white head

-the sour lemon jumps out first, then the pluot rolls in. some banana and a bit of malt which is nice

-good tartness up front, then the fruits roll in - pluots, lemon in the back, the farmhouse taste finishes the in the aftertaste. some actual bitterness to it which is nice as well

-very dry with some tannin mouth as well

-wow this stuff is good. amazingly drinkable. i also like that it still has a lot of actual "beerness" to it. you still get maltiness and bitterness to it behind the wild ale forefront. have been back on a couple more occasions and couldnt pass this one up

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 05:21:14 | More by juhl31

DeanMoriarty

California

4.55/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on draft last week at Russian River Brewing Co. listed on their board as "Blonde Ale with Pluots (Apricot/Plum hybrid) aged in Chardonnay barrels . 5.80% ABV / 1.048 O.G / 25 BUs" for $4 -poured into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a slightly hazy blonde/apricot hue with a decent head that dissipates quickly leaving a ton of lacing in its tracks.

S: Smells like the forest - piney woody and earthy (from the chard barrels no doubt), some funk and fermented fruit.

T: Wow - this one's unique! Fresh cut lumber - sweet resinous earthy pine up front big time (from the barrels, not from the hop), some sour funk that mixes very well with the woody aspects, there's some peppery citrus in the mix as well, and right when you think the pluots were a waste of time, they come through strong at the end and linger in the aftertaste. Tastes like Nor-Cal for sure!

M: Light/medium-bodied, crisp, well carbonated lending the the dryness, extremely refreshing leaving a lingering lactic bitterness that is nice.

D: Extremely easy to drink. If you don't like the flavor of wood in your ale, you won't be diggin this one and may get sick of the dry oaky presence like my buddy did with his. I absolutely love it though and could session these no problem.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2010 18:48:35 | More by DeanMoriarty

SolomonGrundy

California

3.85/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

No link because I'm at the brewery dudes...pours a hazy amber, middling carbonation, and the bubbles are tiny! Champagne like...tiny wisp of head adorns this, like melted marshmallows that are just starting to cool...nice so far...only 6% ABV, I'm surprised...nose is dominated by sour peach...and tart cherry...very typical for their sours, but peachier....not much else in there but it's crisp and robust...flavor is mostly brett sourness and a lot of that peach from the nose....apparently they used pluots in this brew, and I'm getting that now that I think about it...the carbonation is super crazy on the tongue...like a Black Metal blast beating...it's all over the place. Did I mention I'm going to see Steve Smyth, Lance Skitzo abd all the rest as Sweet Leaf tonight?? Well I am...in any event..this beer is a subtler version of their various sours...I like...

What I like most: the subdued brett profile and beautiful color.

What I like least: the price at $6.75/glass and lower ABV

Verdict: fans of sours must try it...nuanced and excellent...

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 23:13:39 | More by SolomonGrundy

Ynot2

California

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery on 12/5/2010.

The color was a pale amber with a decent off white head.

The aromas are pretty full of citrus along with strong ripe apricot. There is a fairly strong hay funky smell going on that really rounds the aromas.

The taste is amazing. This is a sour, not mouth puckering, lemonny mouth drying sour, but more of a green grape, lemonade sour with slight hay aftertaste. The fruits really come through toward the end evening out the initial sour.

Moderate carbonation in the mouth.

More drinkable than Consecration. A nice smooth easy going sour. Will have more of this really good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2010 05:31:38 | More by Ynot2

Arbitrator

California

3.7/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewpub. From notes.

A: Pours an apricot body with some haziness to it. It's lighter than the Temptation I was double-fisting. The head is off-white, with good retention and some register marks down the glass.

S: Plum and apricot, yup yup yup. I've never had a pluot but I think I've figured out where the name comes from. It's oaky in the nose, with a contribution of (surprisingly) grapefruit. Lactic sourness, mineral notes, and a small barnyard note.

T: If you're looking for a fruit bomb, look elsewhere. It's fruity, but nicely integrated with other flavors to let everything have a say in the final product. Plums, apricots, grapefruit. It's quite bretty, moreso than the Temptation I ordered at the end of the glass. I pick up leather, hay, barnyard. The also brett seems to contribute a strong mineral note to the beer; I had this same complaint about Sanctification and I'm raising it again here. This is a good beer, but I just don't like the mineral finish. There is also a light, buttery oak presence in the finish. If this was wine-barrel aged, I'm not picking it up.

M: Carbonation is light-medium, but with the dry body it still seems pretty spritzy. As I mentioned above, the aftertaste is a bit of a turnoff. It wasn't harsh enough that I didn't want to drink it, but I was conscious of it during every sip.

D: It's good, and I'd certainly have it again, but I'm lukewarm about it in general. I enjoyed Temptation, Consecration, and Supplication more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2010 05:24:10 | More by Arbitrator

DJButters

California

4.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour significantly darker than its Sanctification counterpart. I had a pour of Sanctification prior to this pour of Compunction.

S: The nose starts off with lots of tannins from the oak and pluots. Significant amounts of sour fruit smell gets the salvation glands kicked in to high gear for what is coming.

T: Smooth for a sour beer - perhaps a bit too smooth. Lots of dry oak notes along with pluot/sour fruit notes. A mild acidity and less bitterness than San.

M: The body is medium with a moderate to high carbonation and a very crisp finish. Think green apple bite.

D: I will be back for more as I was very impressed. Watching the Chargers/Raiders game at the brewery left a sour taste in my mouth... but I think this beer was sourer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 00:19:53 | More by DJButters

jrallen34

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Alex for sharing this...A peachy color, decent carbonation considering the circumstances...The aroma is a very acidic grapefruit juice with typical Russian River oaky undertones. Pretty balanced...The taste represents more of the oak than I would like, loses a lot of the citrus and acidity. The citrus isn't really defineable to me, grapefruit like, but I guess that's the unfamiliarity with a plout..The feel reminds of a dry white wine.

Another decent RR sour but nothing significantly different than other beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 00:04:35 | More by jrallen34

MasterSki

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Toronado. 2010 vintage served in a flute.

A - Pours with a quarter-finger of foam that quickly settles to a thin ring of bubbles. The body is a hazed golden orange color.

S - Grape skins, sour plum, white wine, acetic acid, oak. As it warms more sweetness emerges in the form of brett clausenii and graham cracker malt.

T - If you haven't had pluots this will evoke sour grapes and plums complete with skin. In the periphery there is some buttery oak. The finish is heavy in vinous sourness and tannins from both fruits and oak.

M - Some light carbonation tingle, medium body, and a very dry finish. I suspect the added zest on-tap would liven this up a bit, but it was still quite acceptable.

D - Unsurprisingly this is a very good beer, but I'm not certain it's better than Russian River's regular sour lineup. Still, I could crush a few glasses of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2010 05:50:55 | More by MasterSki

womencantsail

California

4.28/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Russian River

A: The pour is a hazy golden orange color with a finger's worth of white head and some spotty lacing.

S: The nose starts off with lots of tannins from the oak and pluots. A nice lactic acidity provides some lemony tartness, along with pluots in terms of the fruit. Wet oak and grass give the requisite funkiness.

T: Very, very earthy and tannic. Lots of dry oak notes along with pluot skins. A slight fruity character from the pluots as well a fairly mild lactic acidity. There's a bit of a chalky dryness and astringency, too.

M: The body is medium with a moderate to high carbonation and a very dry finish.

D: After how much this beer was talked up, I tried to be realistic going into it and I think I was. This was indeed a very good beer, but so are pretty much all of Russian River's beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2010 06:43:07 | More by womencantsail

largadeer

California

4.18/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub. Compunction has a bright peach flesh colored body. A slim head tops the beer, but doesn't last long. The body has a slight reddish-purple tint.

The nose is dry and dusty, white wine-like with a pluot character that grows stronger as the beer warms. Brett is prominent, lending a musty funk and juicy pineapple.

Sharply sour and acidic on the palate, the pluots come through nicely, quite plum-like to me. Lactic acidity and tannins are pretty strong. It's quite vinous too, especially in the finish, and there's a big leathery, fruity brett character.

I've been wanting to try this beer for a long time, and it didn't disappoint.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2010 04:30:36 | More by largadeer

nrbw23

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was the first sour I ever had and it took some getting used to but I did enjoy this one. I had no idea what I was getting into on this one. Had this on Dark Lord Day and waited on the review until I had a few more of the style under my belt.

A- Pours a golden orangeish color. Reminded me of grapefruit juice in appearance.

S- Super sour and tart. Some fruits in there as well.

T- Quite a bit of fruity flavours and very sour. Probably the most sour thing I've ever drank or ate.

M- Lighter to medium in body and higher on carbonation.

D- Very interesting. I drank the whole glass and still getting used to the style but its growing on me for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2009 22:38:32 | More by nrbw23

mcallister

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes taken at DLD '08. Didn't know much about this beer when I bought it but must say it was the best beer I had on the four day beer excursion leading up to DLD.

Pours a clean golden color with a brillian white head holding hefty retention.

Aromas are fantastic and fruity with very sour almost vinegar like appeal. Apricot, hints of peach, pear and muscat grapes.

This beer just totally dominates the palate. Fresh sour tart flavors could almost be used as paint thinner (in a good way). Nice carbonation and a great 360 from all the stouts, barley wines and DIPA's I've had this weekend. A vinegar flavor in the middle full of ripe juicy fruits taste like it smells. A fabulous beer that I'm very happy I bought.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2008 12:16:54 | More by mcallister

Floydster

California

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Two tasters at the Second Stone Sour Fest to start off the day, wish I had more of this one now, worth every word of hype for me, best sour from Russian River or really anybody else for that matter with the exception of their Toronado and Bottleworks collaborations probably,

A-Golden yellow with a very slight orange look, 3/4 inch thin and very bubly head, incredible retention, some lacing
S-Vinegar, malt, funkiness, apricots, various citrus aromas, salt, pears, plums, brettanomyces, grapes, complex and fantastic, smell was best part of this brew
T-Very tart, full of berries, super dry finish, never too sour like I had heard but perfect instead in that sense, great balance of fruits, gets even better as it warms, deep sweet flavors
M-Carbonation is very aggressive, very acidic and tart mouthfeel, thin to medium body, taste lasted a long time and you never wanted it to go away
D-Would have gotten a perfect all around if it was not for the fact that the acidity could really take its toll after a while, low ABV though, refreshing, not a sipper but should be attacked that way for your stomach's sake

Been wanting to try this since trying my first RR brew a couple years ago, thought this would be two taster tickets at the fest for sure and luckily it was not, cannot believe this stuff is usually fifty dollars for a growler, it is still worth it for that in my opinion, too bad this is not bottled or available year round, exceeded my expectations, cannot wait to drink again and might a trip up to Santa Rosa that year for that reason alone, truly something special, cannot recommend this one enough

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2008 05:54:03 | More by Floydster

rudylaw

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Another winner I tried on-tap at DLD.

I knew nothing about this beer before it was handed to me in line. It smells like vinegar. Really tart and fruity like the previous review stated. I also detected some melon as well.

Upon first sip, my lips puckered like alum. Holy cow is this sour. Easily the most sour beer I've had in a long, long while. But delicious! I had to pull back because I kept sipping and I needed to savor it.

I love tart everything and this was a tart beer. It was perfect after all of the heavy beers I had been drinking to stay warm before the sun came out. Kudos RR!

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2008 15:11:59 | More by rudylaw

bgramer

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank this on tap at DLD.

A golden-orange/apricot color with minimal head. This beer is very sour and TART... Delicious imho, it's tartness takes some getting used to. Very fruity and light and the carbonation is aggressive.

This is one of these beers that when you realize how sour it is, you slow down and sip it, and along the way, you notice different flavors revealing itself as you keep sipping. This isn't just a "sour" beer... it's complexity reveals itself over time.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2008 16:12:28 | More by bgramer

pwoods

Ohio

2.53/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

On tap at DLD. 8oz. sample

A: Cloudy apricot. Short white head, frothy. Not much retention but a bit of lacing.

S: Very sour. Vinegar. Oh, man, what am I getting myself into? Sweet but with overpowering sourness.

T/M: Loads of sour cherries in the front. Sourness is massive. Very tart cherries, cranberries, raspberries. Vinegar is nearly overpowering. Body is light and feels very watery. Mild bitterness in the back. Gherkins pickles keeps popping into mind. It actually makes my mouth pucker a bit and then water to try and dilute it.

D: I haven't had too many soured beers but this is by leaps and bounds the most sour. I made it about half way through the sample and had to call it quits. The vinegar and sourness just intensified far too much. I appreciate what RR and all these breweries are doing with sours but I just don't think I'll even develop a taste for them. There have been styles that I've 'not liked so much' in the past but none that I have not at least come around to and none that I continually can't finish.

Note: Please don't flame me :)

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2008 01:17:47 | More by pwoods

younger35

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tried this on tap at Dark Lord Day compliments of emerge077. I love Russian River and these wild sour ales are pretty much kick ass. Drank from a nice classy plastic cup (the way Vinnie intended).

Appearance- Pours a hazy golden yellow with a small bright white head that sticks around for quite a while. Leaves a decent cap and collar and some good lacing although it's hard to tell in on these stupid plastic cups.
Smell- Like you'd expect plenty of vinegary goodness stings the nostrils. Tart and fruity just the sharpness of the nose makes my mouth water. Light melon fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe are the first thing that come to mind (it's hiding under all that twang but it's there!). Lightly funky and coarse (not as much as some) but not the focus like some other Russian River brews.
Taste- Wow, the smell prepared me for what was about to come but damn! Super sour and tart with a vinegar splash that puckers the lips. I thought it would be a bit fruitier but the amount of Brett in this badboy covers most of it up. It gets better as my mouth adjusts to the tart and the picks up a bit more. Something reminiscent of pomegranate and apricot are noticeable but all in all the acid dominates.
Mouthfeel- Medium to light body with sharp aggressive carbonation.
Drinkability- At first the beer is a little tart and is definitely a sipper. Once you adjust and the nuances begin to appear though it's a fantastic brew. Probably the most sour/tart brew that I've ever tasted and I loved it. Really tasty and a great beer that I'm glad I got to enjoy while waiting for my Dark Lord.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 03:40:28 | More by younger35

3.88/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Still getting used to sours, so read this review with that in mind.

On tap at Russian River.

Cloudy, pale yellow liquid served in a tulip glass. Topped with a medium sized, white head. Decent lacing.

Scent was tart, touch of vinegar, lots of citrus. Small bit of sweet, fruit-like in character.

Taste was TART! Pretty much entire experience for me. To my taste, this was like Supplication, but dialed up quite a bit in the tartness department. Again, chewable vitamin C comes to mind. Sour cherries, perhaps? I had no luck finding the pluots....Finish seemed to bring in a little bit of grass.

Mouthfeel was relatively light. Carbonation seemed medium to high, could be just the acidity of the beer. Pretty dry.

Overall, still getting into this style, but I can see why people develop a love affair with it. Very good beer!

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2008 18:21:41 | More by

TheEremite

California

4.18/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Golden yellow, slightly cloudy/opaque with a small white ring of small bubbles around the glass.

S: Lactic acid! Tart, acidic nose with some apple and esthery fruitiness. There's also some apparent acetone aroma on here. It's not strong or distracting, but it's there.

T: HooWaah. TART! now, that's a lambic. It's the cleanest, most straight forward lambic I've had that was made in the states. Powerful acidic bite, but then finishes with some slight citrus and apple fruit flavors. No perceivable pluot/plumquot character here. The tartness is outstanding, but for a fruit lambic, I would have liked to taste some fruit.

M: Lively, dry, as a lambic should be.

D: I guess it's drinkable. But, after one or two it may eat through your stomach lining... Still, it's very refreshing on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2008 20:59:15 | More by TheEremite