Beatification
Russian River Brewing Company

Got a bottle of this in July of 2017 when my best friend Jon and I visited the brewery when I went to visit him in northern California where he lives. This particular bottle was bottled on 2/15/17. Been holding onto this until tonight. Decided tonight is the night to finally drink this one. Poured out the bottle I just uncorked into my tulip glass, this beer pours a fairly cloudy/hazy light golden color with a good amount of little bubbles rising to the beer's surface. Has a nice white head that's about an inch thick when first poured that settles eventually to a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass. Not much lacing here though. Aromas of some bready malts along with sour, musty, barnyard funk and oak notes along with a hint of citrus fruit. The taste follows suit, with some bready malts along with sour, musty, barnyard funk and oak notes along with a hint of citrus fruit and some green apple tartness. A very nice flavor profile overall indeed. Has a fairly crisp and slightly prickly, yet also smooth, medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Has a clean finish with a nice sour and slightly dry aftertaste. Very easy to drink in teh way well crafted beer ought to be.

Eric

 

PRETTY good for a SOUR

 

 

 

 

375ml cork and cage bottle poured into a teku
Bottled 1/25/22

A- pours a slightly hazy golden color with a one finger foamy white head that reduces immediately. There was very little hiss when opening the cork

S- plenty of yeasty funk on the nose with barnyard Brett, some lacto yogurt notes. Undertones of lemon peel, hay, pear, green apple, oak, white wine

T- slightly tart and funky up front with some earthy Brett barnyard notes. Mid-palate gives some lacto notes, as well as green apple, ripe pear and grass. The barrel emerges at the finish, with oak and vinous white wine. Lingers of green fruits and lemon with just a hint of tartness and funkiness from the yeast

M- medium body with low carbonation, slightly mouthfeel turns slightly creamy into the finish

O- outstanding balance, full flavored and super drinkable

Part of my flight of four at RR's Santa Rosa gastropub, I'm impressed by this rare Wild that I Like.
There could be many reasons for my accolades, but two stand out.
First, this Wild is a controlled Wild. Not many Wilds do that because not many micros have worked at controlling Wilds.
Second, Beatification's flavors met and melded with the food; which in this case was RR's pizza. But I suspect this Wild would have done well with many foods because it was mild, yet alive without an infused yeast. This is what Lambics do. And this is what RR has achieved in Beatification and their many other Wilds that I have not tried.... but probably now should.

 

On tap at RR. Nose is Brett, grass, funk. Lovely. I was thinking it would burn the enamel off my teeth, but was so pleased with the mild sour and funky barnyard vibes. Mild and drinkable (compared to some spontaneous fermentation ales). Seriously loving this.

 

 

 

L - Peach with a thin offwhite head that dissipates quickly, leaving behind no real lacing
S - Citrus, farmhouse brett funk, yeast, earth, oak
T - citrus and farmhouse brett funk, yeast, a good amount of oak on the back end. Slight white white notes on the backend. Earthy, slightly hay-like.
F - medium bodied with high carbonation - crisp
O - A solid farmhouse/wild ale - I tend to prefer wild ales aged on more than oak, but this is still one of the better I've had

Bottled 2012

A: Poured into a Russian River -tion glass to a light amber colored beer which is topped by a very small white head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of honey like sweetness, some oak, white wine, and some tartness on the back end with a hint of funk
T: Taste is quite sour up front before the honey sweetness, oak, and funk come in. There's a pleasant mineral note as well. On the finish there's more minerals and white wine, lingering sourness, oak, and slight chalky yeast with a touch more funk.
M: This beer has a body which is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is light and soft, but it's to be expected given the age and corkage. The acidity ensures that this beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this is a phenomenal beer that has held up incredibly well to the test of time. I'm quite shocked at the level of acidity that this one still brings to bear as most sours I've had around this age have been lacking in acidity. Truly incredible.

Clear golden pour with a sustained white one-finger head. 100% Spontaneous fermentation--a true wild ale. The beer looks clean and simple, but upon first sip you know there's a lot more to this ale than meets the eye. The wave of flavors you experience at every sip is like beautiful choreography. Tart white grapes is the first and most dominant followed by citrus, an earthy funk and lastly a sustained citrus rind finish. Brilliant brewing!

 

Bottled on 04/03/20

Murky golden pour. White ring around the rim of the glass.
Earthy funky aroma. Grassy, citrus, wild, floral.
Taste is amazing, but less than the nose. Wild, tart, citrus, funky, earthy, grassy, floral.
Dry body. Full, tartness lingers.
Wow!