Supplication
Russian River Brewing Company

Dark peach/amber colored red ale, topped with a surprisingly strong head (for the style) of light cream color. Retention is impressive. Lacing is nice. Hazy, nearly opaque brew with lighter edges.

Aroma of funk, cherries, oak, apples, tannins, and a wine-like sourness. Sour and tart funk are dominant, but there's a soft sweetness, as well.

Strongly sour up front, but tempered by fruit and malt. Sour cherries and cherry pits; Brett funk; red wine and vinegar; vanilla and oak. Very well balanced and complex, delicate brew. Especially fruity on the finish.

Very lively with no sting, a bit of foaming, and a medium amount of puckering. Silky smooth, with a wet finish that coats and sours your mouth.

Another excellent sour by Russian River, Supplication easily stands out as among the best the US has to offer in the style.

Pours a reddish brown, cherry and cidric notes on the nose. Those apple cider vinegar notes continues through the palate. This is super intense, an excellent sour.

Don't normally like Wine barrel-aged beer, but this one is really good. More of the sour beer & cherries taste and a little dry on the finish with a medium mouthfeel. Using a Brown Ale as a base helped, I think.

Drawn from a tap, it arrived in a clear pint glass. There was almost no off-white head and although that's the way we pour draft beers in Philadelphia, it's unlikely this would have much of one, anywhere. The light moghaney-amber color is cloudy. Its aroma is pleasantly sour, with cherries obviously in the mix. There's some of them in the taste; but, unfortunately, the tannins and even the brettanomyces become overpowering and nearly eliminate subtleties. Although this is far from the worst offender there, it's still guilty. It doesn't kill the enjoyment of the drinking, but it certainly keeps it from being amongst the best Wild Ale experiences. The mouthfeel is very good for the style and the tannins and brettanomyces contribute to a wonderful sourness. Get passed the tannins and this might be excellent.

12.68 FL. OZ. bottle
Served in a wine glass
Bottled on: 02082023

This beer pours a brilliant copper color. There is no head to speak of. It almost poured like a ginger ale in color and the fleeting head and tight bubbles clinging to the side of the glass.

Tart cherry aroma with some funk and a great sour aroma.

Tart cherry flavor with building sourness with each sip. Slightly funky

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

Tasty sour.

I'm shy of Wilds. (You wouldn't think so since I've reviewed over 80 on BA.) I've also spent most of this summer in Sonoma County. So in good conscience, I really could no longer avoid BA's most rated Wilds, Supplication and Consecration.

Supplication Looks like many a Wild; not much foam, but an interesting red-brown colour. Smells indicate the masters are at work: the Brett/funk is controlled here (hard to do.) Tastes are tart, but moderated either by the long-aging or some other process above my pay scale. Supplication probably too dry for my palate and many foods. But I will try this with a soft cheese, maybe a stinky one also. Medium-mouthed moving into full fast. Excellent Overall Hugs for RRBC for capturing Sonoma's terroir and bottling it.

Funny story. I'm sitting on the porch overlooking the vineyards with my grape-growing friend. We're talking about Sonoma's terroir. She's drinking a dry wine and I'm drinking Supplication. Suddenly a honey bee hovers over our glasses and she says the bee will go for the beer because it is sweeter. As dry as Supplication is to me, the bee is soon swimming in my beer. The conclusion is yours.

 

Amazing sour. Tart cherry, wood, and wild yeasts in the aroma. Moderately sour and tastes almost like a vine. Memorable experience and was worth a trip!

 

 

L - Reddish brown with a thin off white head that dissipates quickly, leaving behind no lacing
S - Brett funk, yeast, musk
T - brett funk, yeast, and earthy musk, slight tart cherries, slight caramel from the brown ale, finishes with oak and slight red wine notes
F - medium bodied with high carbonation - crisp
O - This is a really solid and interesting wild ale

 

 

 

2020 bottling date