Intinction (Petite Sirah)
Russian River Brewing Company

375ml bottle. Cage over cork. Information on label is 'BOTTLED ON: 030124'.
Looks clear for clarity, with a dark purple colored body. Brief head to match but this disappears and leaves a very thin incomplete ring. No lacing.
Aroma of funk (sweet tobacco, leather, and horse blanket), oak, and grapes.
Taste has a real depth of flavors, both sweet, tart, and fruity. Flavors of grape, black cherry, and oak. Funk is leather and tobacco. Aftertaste mellows but brings along all flavors.
Medium mouthfeel. Very dry finish. Higher ABV% is well hidden but felt as warmth in the body. Supportive carbonation (the cork came out with a pop).
The lingering tannins and fruit after each sip are an enticement to go back for another sip. Very much influenced by the grapes. I just imagine a rich brownie or chocolate chip cookie will pair well with this almost wine-like beer.

 

absolutely elite beer, and for all the attention on their hoppy beer, i still think this is the best side of russian river, and this edition of this is truly special, as much wine as it is beer, natty wine funk, heavy grape influence, skinny and tannic, woody and mature, not super sour, really complex, feeling blessed to have been able to drink on this one, a real gem. glorious blood red color on this, looks like rich red wine, short pink head on it, less viscous than i think i thought it would be, not sparkling clear but well refined looking anyway, impressive color saturation for sure. the nose is great but the flavor is even more compelling, i love how fermentation forward this is, incredibly bretty, earthy, wild, funky, and just tangy, the fermenting agents drive this as much as all the grapes do, and i get elements of skins and seeds and stems, a very whole cluster profile although i have no idea how they actually make it. layers of black cherry, mouthwatering cranberry and black currant, almost lambic level funk and medicinal weirdness setting it off, some body but not a lot of grain character and i dont miss it, nice minerality, some warming alcohol enriching it quite a bit but its not too much, amazing at temperature, lovely wine barrel personality too, lots of oak, soft, light vanilla, wooden spice, just epic. enough carbonation, slow pace though, funky as can be, truly wild, awesome fruit, loved every drop of this and hope to find it again in the future. every bit as good as the merlot edition, maybe even slight edge to this one, really special!