Russian River Beatification

Brewed By: Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California

Purchased: 12.68oz (375ml) bottle generously gifted to me in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Bottled on 09/11/2013 - b6)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Sour Ale, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Since I'm not big on the beer trade scene, tonight's beer is truly a special treat...a California banger that was generously given to me for no reason other than people who drink beer are really nice. At least white people who drink beer. White people who aren't white trash. Anyway, Russian River everyone:

Like the Russian River really needs an introduction. The Russian River is where the salmon jumps five feet high out of blue streams. The Russian River is where brown bears go to sunbathe and mate. It's where the great Pliny the Elder lives. The brewery is also owned by the pint glass-hating couple, Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. When the Korbel Champagne Cellars (founded in 1997) in Guerneville, California got out of the beer business in 2003, they gave the rights to the brand to Vinnie and Natalie. During the early years, Vinnie used his relationship with the nearby winery to experiment with brewing beer in wine barrels. And in April 3, 2004, Vinnie and Natalie reopened the Russian River Brewing Company as a brewpub in downtown Santa Rosa. In 2008 they opened a production brewery. The rest is beer history...but you can envy how you probably won't drink this beer, or you know, start trading. 

Tonight's beer, the Beatification, is 100% spontaneously fermented. The beer starts out in a cool-ship tank collecting wild yeast, and is then transferred to oak wine barrels. 

Russian River Beatification

This beer is too cool to even waste time with pretentious head retention or any of that crap. The white head on this one fizzles and cracks off in a matter of seconds, like it's some sort of Pale Lager or cider thing. The body here is murky yellow, cloudy like piss or Gatorade diluted with water. There is active carbonation in here...but this just radiates maximum funk. It's like some sort of wine-beer thing, because that's pretty much exactly what it is.

The aroma is oaky as hell, with big barrel character storming out straight away. I'm getting big Brett funk on the aroma as well, with hints of sweaty funk and leather. There are dry champagne notes in here, with vinous white wine hints and gooseberry, white grape, pineapple, peaches, and suggestive tropical-peach-Brett fruitiness. There are some kisses of lemon/lactic sourness on the aroma, but the main character seems to be giant barrel, Brett funk, and those fruity tones. 

This skips the petty insults and goes straight for your throat with a ridiculous attack of huge wood, sour candies, and lemony funk up front. We are talking about punishing levels of sourness. The mids dial up more ridiculous lactic acid and barrel character, only with growing sweetness and some lightly buttery oak; the back end drops tons of crushed pineapple, peaches, gooseberry, champagne dryness, and white wine character. This is an enamel stripper, doing damage from front to finish, but the finish is clean and dry like champagne...but this has so much more depth than any champagne. 

Reviewing this beer is completely unnecessary, other than for my own personal validation that Russian River does in fact make divine beers. This beer is sort of like heaven....imagine a dry champagne or white wine with lots of gooseberry and lemon notes...now imagine what that would taste like if it had gripping sourness. That's basically this beer. You don't get any alcohol here. The mouthfeel is light-bodied but aggressively dry and tart. Palate depth is fabulous (fantastic, whatever), and this has serious complexity. A lot of beers in this category overdo the Flanders Red levels of sourness, or end up with malts leaking out. This beer is all barrel, wine, and intense Brett/lactic funk. Again, the front end assaults your face with huge barrel, sour lemons, and aggressive kick with some oak; the mids drop more oak, huge lactic acid that claws into your stomach, and sweet tropical fruits on the horizon; the back end is a pineapple/peach festival, with wine notes and gooseberry and champagne goodness. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew here. There's not much else to say...if you can get this beer, pick it up. If you can't access it locally, maybe trade for it? This is one of the best sours I have had in general, and definitely one of the best wine-aged beers I have had. This reminds me of Jolly Pumpkin in some ways, but with a lot more balls. Sour balls. If Jolly Pumpkin can inject that warhead level of sourness...hot damn. Food pairings here are pretty much super strong cheeses, fatty burgers, poutine, and strong American bar foods. Maybe goat cheese crostinis? 

Random Thought: It rained a lot tonight, and consequently Lake Shore Drive was flooded. It was surreal having to pass up several exits just to get off the northbound side. I saw two cars completely under water.