Deviation - Bottleworks 9th Anniversary - Russian River Brewing Company

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I cannot thank jedwards enough for bringing this back from his Seattle cellar and sharing. Pours a burnt orange hue with a slight haze. Head is a quarter inch, frothy and bright white and eventually dissipates into a semi-consistent skim. Nose expresses citrus, a salty quality and cork. Taste consistent with nose with the addition of some medicinal notes - nicely tart and full of character. Mouthfeel is lively, tartly acidic and bright. Overall, I am so glad to have had the good fortune to revisit this beer again. The first time I had it, I chose not to rate it because I knew I couldn't do it justice. What I can say now is that this is one of the best, if not the best, American Wilds I've ever had and it has held up surprisingly well.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 23:51:36 | More by Jwale73

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. Thanks to waltonc for trading this to me.

Pours a really hazy bright orange, not the appearance I would expect from a blend of so many different beers.

Lots going on in the nose, sweet malt, some ketchup, some acidity, smells a bit confused but pretty nice.

Taste is more focused than the nose and a lot more sour. Very sour, very dry, pretty funky, hints of wine and dark fruit. Still a little muddled but damn tasty.

Mouthfeel is soft and well carbonated, very good for a five year old blended sour.

This is maybe slightly past it's prime--not oxidized or "over the hill" really, still damn tasty, but seems like it probably hasn't really benefited from the last few years in the bottle. I never had this fresh but I imagine it was a world class beer--at present it's still great but a little shy of being really top tier.

9.0/10

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 14:42:30 | More by AlexFields

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks go to BA mymrnngjckt for busting out this long time want of mine during a recent tasting. Poured into a snifter, the brew appears a hazed copper color with a creamy yellowish finger of froth. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass. A light swirl revives the cap which holds with impressive retaining power.

The aroma is surprisingly oaky upfront that blends into some funky notes of cheese. There is a rindy fruit character that changes to something more bright and tropical and more whiffs are taken. This is for the most part a pretty straight forward smelling wild ale that is very atomatic and enjoyable with no one character outshining the rest.

The taste is tart with plenty of barrel presence being noted with oaky flavoring that integrates well with the rest of the profile. Some rindy fruit flavored elements blend into earth and funk. Almost a cheesey or yogurt sort of lacto feel to this before going back to the rindy sour flavors somewhat reminescent of oranges.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. There is seemingly no alcohol inclusion. This is one very easy drinking brew. Perhaps its most noteworthy atribute is how all the character blends together so perfectly balanced. It was awesome to get a chance to try this. And even more awesome that a hyped up beer lived up to expectations. Thanks again Kevin.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 15:14:27 | More by stakem

kevanb

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served on tap at a Russian River take over at Toronado SF on February 12, 6oz pour into a stemmed tulip. Review is from notes.

I was very excited to try this beer, first time for me, and to have it on tap is a great treat. It pours a murky burgundy color, touches of reds, browns with a soft fizzy off white head that dissipates immediately, no lacing. The aroma is nice, sour fruit, light funk, mild citrus and light oak character. The nose is nice, balanced, not too sour, not too funky, not too oaky, but not that pungent or dazzling. The flavors are right in line, light citrus, juicy sour fruit with lighter acidity, touch of vinegar, oaky funky, a bit of brett character, a little bit of vanilla is in there as well. The flavors again fail to really pop or resinate in a meaningful way, clearly age is starting tone things down in this beer. The body is really nice, light, lively, zesty, coats the mouth well but finishes so smoothly and with almost a creamy texture, very easy to drink.

Verdict: A very good beer, but one that has probably seen better days, I would have really liked to have tried this fresher, but better late than never. A fine beer, but not a world beater.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2013 03:38:44 | More by kevanb

yamar68

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Ryan for opening this bottle up with me on a whim! This is a long time want that I would have never thought I'd have the chance to try.

Pours a cloudy burnt amber gold with a thin, noisy cap that retains far better than I would have guessed. Leaves a bit of sticky lace... lovely.

A massive wallop of acidity is noticeable before I even think to sniff at the glass. Warhead status sour punch cleans the nostrils, transitioning into a smooth sense of bright fruit and old oak. A bit of vanilla if you really hunt for it... something sweet on the tail end.

It's no more forgiving to the palate... big funky overripe fruits, white wine vinegar, some sour citric flesh, that oak really shines in this regard... finishes beautifully dry, keeps you thirsty. For how sour this one is, I could easily drink the entire bottle to my dome slice. Delicious indeed.

I am forever indebted to you, good sir. Wow!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:23:26 | More by yamar68

stx00lax

Washington

4.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle graciously opened by me and shared with Mego and Ross. Thanks me!

A- Clear light amber with thin white lacing. (bottle has been upright and undisturbed for over a year)

S- Oaky/bretty funk. A little bit of white grapey effervescence and lemon. Pretty mild but interesting

T- Similar to smell. great balance between lactic sourness and bretty funk which is impressive. Not as complex as a great geuze, but cant find any flaws with the taste. Its just really balanced and refreshing. The more i drank, the more i wanted. As good as american wilds get

M- Spritzy carb combined with a balance of sweet fruits and drying wood keep you wanting to drink more.

Overall- Awesome. I wasnt immediately blown away, but the more I drank , the more I was able to appreciate the amazing subtleties of this beer. Its ranked highly for a reason

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 06:10:07 | More by stx00lax

cosmicevan

New York

4.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes taken from 9/29 from the craziest bottle share that i have ever been a part of. Thanks so much to the NYC and Hoboken crew for letting me participate in this incredible day of drinking long time wants and insanity.

Thanks kindly to Dan for sharing.

a - pours a murky orange brown. thin fizzy head with slippery lacing. swirling rebuilds the fizziness.
s - nice balanced sour cherries. brett. pungent.
t - really nice. some cherries. nice sourness. brett. nothing outrageous, but really balanced. some notes of peach and lactic. oaky.
m - puckering but not overly so, fairly easy drinker.
o - overall nice sour, extremely nice and enjoyable. finish is a bit dry but delicious and enjoyable.

pretty sure i had this one time prior, but looks like i haven't gotten to that part of my notes backlog...stay tuned.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 20:57:24 | More by cosmicevan

Dennoman

Belgium

4.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Shared by forgetfu (Bill) and Matt at our crazy Antwerp tasting. They touted it as the best beer ever to come out of America, and me generally not leaning towards sours, it had some big shoes to fill.

A: Hot damn this is a beer you want to dive into. Muddled and cloudy as can be, with a beautiful yellow vibrancy. Head holds strong and true. You just can't help but notice this is an expertly brewed beer.

S: Big wild yeast carried by the most amazing honey aroma. Some peach and ripe peach, but the honey is the absolute star here. It's like those bars of honeycomb you had as a kid, without the inconvenience of having to pick wax from your teeth.

T: Lactic acid is the first thing to coat the palate, followed by ripe peaches and that beautifully sweet honey.

M: Medium carbonation makes for a beautiful lively beer that fizzles and pops in your mouth. A joy to have in there, shame you have to swallow it at some point really.

O: Hot diggity, even for a non-sour fan this is great. I have to see it didn't quite reach the level of some lambics I tasted that night, but it got mighty close. I wouldn't call it the best thing to ever come out of the States, but they have their own strengths as we Belgians just can't seem to whip up a decent stout!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 12:43:56 | More by Dennoman

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.63/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle split three ways between myself, Jake and Greg. Thanks Greg for sharing this!

A - Pours a murky light brown with a thin white head that sticks to the edges.

S - A very soothing funk, slight sweetness. A touch of booze and slight wood. Very nice!

T - Funk that is creamy smooth, some nice oak, sublte flavors that just roll around in your mouth.

D - Slight tartness with a nice smooth silky finish.

O - So smooth and just plain solid. I don't know if I have ever had anything that compares to this.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 04:15:48 | More by HuskyinPDX

NWer

Washington

4.88/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Like dirtylou, I too ticked this beauty off at the Seattle Beer Week Sour Fest at Brouwers Cafe in Fremont.
What a surprise! I had no idea what I was in for when I landed a glass of this gem.
Nice too that it was a full pour into a snifter and not the small 6 oz thing. Savored this all the way through lunch.
Sour, dry, smooth.
I'll leave the subtleties for others.
The thrill of a lifetime.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 22:46:12 | More by NWer

dirtylou

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Damnit - I'm a ticker :(

on-tap, sourfest 2012 (1st keg to kick)

appearance: served in a 12oz snifter, rich light amber-mahogany body, 1/2" residual tan cream

smell: smells like a whale...oak-forward, tart cherries, funky lemon rind, earthy and wild

taste: seattle beer week has long since exceeded all expectations - this was the first beer i ordered on a glorious thursday morning at brouwers. It was my favorite of the day, as well as the favorite of the relative-sour novice i beerfriended next to me. Really a terrific sour brown - oak, tart cherry, leather and wood, funky yeast, lemon rind. This has aged wonderfully - a great honor to bottleworks and russian river

mouthfeel: deeply acidic, funky

overall: a whale with a cause

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 22:11:10 | More by dirtylou

brentk56

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber color with an inch or so of foam that leaves quite a few strands and clumps behind

Smell: A blend of caramel, sour lemon, yoghurt, and barnyard funk

Taste: Tart lemony fruit, up front, with a developing lactic sourness that brings along some additional citrus; after the swallow, the acetic sourness, barnyard funk and vague caramel undertones arrive; the finish is puckering and acetic

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with crisp carbonation; mouth puckering

Overall: Loads of tartness with underlying complexity; a great beer that has developed nicely since it was bottled four years ago

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 22:03:06 | More by brentk56

DJButters

California

4.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at Russian River 'TION Night at Toronado 2012. Finally able to try after many years of searching. The refusal to part with my -bals has paid off. A 6oz pour, for $5.

A: Seems very light in color compared to other RR brews. Somewhere in between Temp & Sup. A dirty light brown, copper. Head disappears quickly after pour.

S: Oak, Cherry and funk. It better have some level of funk, this beer has been waiting in a keg for 5 years waiting for me.

T: It is amazing that this beer is 5 years old. It gives me hope for my 3L collection and the age will not harm it. I have to say that I feel Temp and Beat age very well in comparison. A keg of 08 Temp seemed to provide more funk, while the Deviation was highly acidic. Still a very solid taste where the oak and cherry shines through. As the beer warmed it obviously got better and the flavor profile changed and become more pronounced.

M: Acidic and very well carbonated.

O: Very good beer. Notice how I said very good. I don't think it could match up to the hype and rarity that has been placed upon its narrow shoulders. The keg was blown in 40min. With so many good AWA offered by RR don't stress if you cant get one. Just stick with the standards and you will do just fine. Beat however is a different animal entirely. Thanks to Natalie for popping a few 3L b3 btls.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 01:32:42 | More by DJButters

jethrodium

California

4.75/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Toronado. Pours a clear golden amber with a small white head that settles quite quickly and leaves little lacing on the glass. The aroma is musty oak, apricot, green apple, earthy funkiness, some light tangerine, and some grapefruit. Simply wonderful. The taste is quite tart with lots of musty oak, apricot, tangerine, grapefruit, an earthy funkiness, and green apple. The finish is dry with more oak, apricot, and green apple. Amazing. Medium body with a slick mouthfeel. Relatively low carbonation. This was a great beer. The flavors are really balanced with nothing dominating the other flavors. Certainly one of the best American sours.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2012 23:52:04 | More by jethrodium

drgarage

California

4.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at Russian River 'Tion Night at Toronado. What a treat!

A: Gorgeous, glowing brown. Pours with abundant head receding to light sparkling. Color keeps shifting brown to red to gold and back. Just stunning.

S: Intense sourness, bright cherries, oak.

T: WOW. Simply stunning sour brown with red fruit. Intense complexity, puckering sourness, a little funk, and a crisp finish. I cannot believe this beer is five years old. Tastes nearly as intense and fresh as Toronado 20 did when it was new.

M: Perfect body for the style. Light and carbonated and effervescent.

O: Absolutely phenomenal. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to try it. Thank you, Russian River and Toronado for breaking out an unbelievably rare keg! This just made beer week for me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2012 03:22:08 | More by drgarage

scottfrie

California

4.72/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jeff for the win.

A: Pours a hazy iced-tea colored burnt amber with a finger of bright white head that faded into a faint collar.
S: Tart notes of funky funk funk with a noticeable resemblance to the beatification this beer is brewed with.
T: The tartness is clean and not vinegary, acidic, or full of an acetone-like harshness. This beer is just clean and smooth earthy funky tartness with a hint of citrus, raspberries and 'fruit'.
M: Ultra dry but ultra drinkable and clean. The carbonation is bubbly and the body is medium.
O: An amazingly smooth and easy to drink sour. No one flavor aspect stands out. Lightly fruity and funky. Thanks again, Jeff.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 18:40:06 | More by scottfrie

Phelps

Arizona

4.53/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml shared by tlay10, poured into a tulip. This bottle’s four years old at this point. For the curious, it’s a blend of ph1 Beatification, orphan ale, Sonambic and Sanctification that’s bottle conditioned with additional brett.

Burnt orange. Just a bit of cloudiness shades the fingers behind the glass. A half-finger of foamy, sticky head somewhere around off-white leaves spots of lace.

Nice, rounded aroma. Leads with big burnt sugar, followed by a sweet caramel and honey blend with touches of red and green apple as well as pear. Fairly floral. Just a touch of hay, very light hints of vinegar. It just doesn’t get better than this.

In the flavor, subtle caramel quickly gives way to lemon juice and white vinegar. Honey, green apple and the floral hits are next. Just enough burnt sugar sweetness to back up the impressive tart character. Hay and funk come back after the swallow and linger long into the finish. Touch of toffee at the swallow.

The tartness is causing me a bit of heartburn. Soft, massaging carbonation with a very gentle bit of fizz. Watery medium-light body with major, aggressive tartness.

Deviation tastes a lot like ph1 with some malt backbone. It’s the kind of beer you set down after each sip and say, “That’s really, really, really good.”

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 06:46:01 | More by Phelps

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This one showed up as an incredibly welcome surprise at the CdC release, and thanks innumerable are due to the hugely generous gentlemen who was sharing it. Poured into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Clear orange-amber body, almost no head. Acceptable, but nothing special yet.

S: Pure, heady sourness. Grapes, lemons, Sour Patch Kids, and a bit of grassy funk. It's a fairly standard array of aromas, but they're all terrific.

T: Sour, fruity bliss. Sour skittles, lemon/lime citrus, grapefruit juice, white grape, and grassiness. Awesome.

M: Medium body, lightly carbonated. Nice.

O: I rarely mark this category higher than any of the others, but in this case I just have to make an exception. Even though this beer fell just short of being my favorite AWA ever (that honor goes to Isabelle Proximus, which I remember tasting quite similar, just juicier and fruitier), it was still a fantastic experience and one that I've been dreaming of for a long time.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:27:08 | More by woosterbill

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip. Glad to finally try this at our whale tasting.

Appearance: The pour is a murky apple cider color with faded straw yellow edges. A small frothy off-white collar fades to nothing and leaves no lace.

Smell: Great sour and Brett notes. A lemon zest and sour peach provide most of the tart notes. Some straw, light malt, and grass notes provide some complement to the fruit. Light Brett funk fills out the wild part of the aroma.

Taste: Without ever reaching too far, there is a pleasant lemon and peach sour flavor that pervades the flavor. There is a soft light malt sweetness up front, some wild funky notes in the middle, and a bit of lactic tartness right at the end.

Mouthfeel: This is quite sour and tart. There are no off flavors or any surge in the sourness; it is simple, pleasant, and sour throughout.

Overall: A great American wild that takes quite a few characteristics of a gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 23:08:36 | More by KickInTheChalice

waltersrj

Washington

4.88/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle graciously shared by ithinkimasofa (Greg) at a Seattle BA tasting Sept 18, 2011.

Pour: A golden glow to an orange/red body with a small off white head and moderate, yet constant carbonation. No lacing here.

Nose: This smells simply fantastic. I get hints of delicate peach, cherry and lemon zest. The lemony, citrus sourness combined with the earthy brett funk is fantastic on the nose. There is a good amount of lactic sourness here and some refined hints of acidity.

Taste: The slight cherry flavor comes in first for me, followed by the acidity of the lemon and a lingering slight peach undertone. The brett really came through on the end for me and was well integrated into this beer. This isn't near being overly sour and I can imagine that it is due to the aging. This is really a masterpiece of a brew.

Mouthfeel: Perfect for the style. I really enjoyed the moderate carbonation and mildly oily, easy drinking feel on the palate.

Overall: Greg, thank you SO much for sharing something I wasn't sure i'd ever get to taste. RR and BW teamed up and created something truly special here. This is a pinnacle beer for me, especially in it's category. Refreshing, delicious and just down right outstanding. Very happy to have had this.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 18:52:20 | More by waltersrj

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.88/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Finally cracked this bottle after all this time. I had this on tap way back at Brouwer's Cafe in Seattle with my wife, and never reviewed it. I find the beer in a younger incarnation more lively, but less sour and with less minerality and horseblanket. I like both, but I think the bottle aged version is more complex and interesting. Served in a wineglass, this beers pours a beautiful burnished orange golden with a glow to it. Very little head- just a thin ring around the edge, but still nicely carbonated. Nice sour notes in the nose with a touch of cream, especially up front. Some saltiness develops as well as a late minerality and slight horseblanket. The taste is where it really comes alive. Very tart with a zingy mineral note, some saltiness, a touch of creaminess, and just a hint of funk- no old cheese or "perfumed" hay, but a touch of clean sweat and some earthy notes make this quite pleasant. Very clean, but many layers, and very vibrant. A pleasure. It's electrifying in the mouth and seriously whets the appetite. This has held up wonderfully, as I expected.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 02:31:10 | More by Georgiabeer

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Orange-red clear body. Moderate sized off-white head, visible carbonation. No lacing.

S: Lemon and orange acidic notes. A bit of acetic and lactic sourness. Light musty oak.

T: Orange, tangerine, and lemon acidic notes. Delicate must and funk. Well integrated but not particularly memorable.

M: Lively, but well matched carbonation. Strong tartness towards the back end. Refreshingly clean finish.

O: Call me a heretic, I just didn't see what was "special" about this beer. It was tasty, but not particularly unique, memorable or interesting.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 05:13:53 | More by callmemickey

Lane1

California

4.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thank you Steve for this. I honestly didn't know that this had existed until he plopped it down on the counter and said "Lets not look at it, let's crack it open." I was extremely exited to try it to say the least. We split the bottle between 8 of us and poured into small sampling glasses.

Appearance was gold and hazy. Very crisp, thin, but aggressive head. Looks like a beautiful sour

Smell: Very sour funk smell. Actually took my by complete surprise. After a few more sniffs, I could find a citrus smell past the funk.

Taste: I don't like a lot of sours. This was unreal in its flavor and complexity. It really punched hard at first but the acidity tapered off fairly quickly into a very sweet and citrusy flavor.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and aggressive on the tastebuds

Overall this beer was phenomenal. I would have never thought that I would have drank this. I am very honored and excited to have this empty bottle now sitting on my shelf.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 20:35:19 | More by Lane1

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Vinnie...

But really, thanks bill. This is a true rarity.

Pours a nice murky orangish brown. A nice of white head on it as well. Smells tart and sour. Some funky bretty nose coming through.
Tastes fruitty and very acidic. Lots of funk on the tongue. The flavour profile is wonderful.
Highly carbonated. Maybe even a bit too carbonated. The acidity hurts is a bit but pretty darn wonderful.
Overall something i would love to have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 00:55:31 | More by Urbancaver

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this one during the 'We Want The Funk!' tasting that was graciously hosted by beermeX2! Big thanks goes out to sincereNC for sharing this one with the group! A MASSIVE tick for my Russian River -tion Quest as I never thought I would get a chance to taste this one! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, funk, sour, and tart. The flavor was of sweet malt, funk, sour, tart, and fruit undertones. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this brew is nothing short of excellent! This one really lived up to the hype for as both the aroma and flavor on this one were nothing short of phenomenal. Unfortunately I couldn't taste the rare, but I have decided not to dock any points for this fact. The nice fruit undertones I got in this one helped to blend the beer together and not make it a sour/tart bomb by refreshing the palate slightly between sips. A really well done brew that has held up wquite well over time. Worth the trade weight for sure!

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 14:26:35 | More by thagr81us