russian river brewing company isn't one of the biggest in the country, but it's one of the best. they make great belgian inspired beers, hoppy beers and wild/sour/experimental beers. i had the chance to visit the brewpub last year just as the off-site production brewery was getting off the ground. the pub itself was cool: good food, entertaining band, great atmosphere and very fresh beers. at the time they had like 4 ipa on draft. a bit odd. they were all really good but would have liked some more diversity. same with the belgians. anyway... onto the review of one of their experimental/sour beers.
temptation is a belgian blonde / golden ale that spends 18 months in white wine barrels with brettanomyces (a wild yeast) and some lactic acid bacteria after primary fermentation. i actually bought this while at the pub a year ago. a nice pop as i uncorked it, and it poured a hazy gold that cleared up rather fast as the summer air is quite warm in here. a nice white rocky head forms and shrinks quite slowly.
aroma: big sourness, fruit (peaches, some lemon) and brett.
taste: taste is quite similar (big sourness) though more flavors from the wine barrel become apparent and grow as it warms: big fruity brettness, chardonnay, oak (giving it a nice mouthfeel to counter some of the sourness), slight vanilla and it finishes a little bubblegumy. low bitterness.
overall, a really tasty beer... easy drinking, complex, pleasantly sour. good balance of flavor. would love to try it fresh.
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