Beatification
Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California, United States 🇺🇸
Lambic Style - Unblended Rotating|
Score
8.12
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Although we enjoyed aging Batch #1 in used La Folie barrels from New Belgium Brewery, one of which was the renowned PH1 barrel, Batch #2 is something completely different. After a trip to Belgium in 2006, Vinnie successfully tried his hand at spontaneous fermentation using traditional, and not so traditional, Lambic methods. Out of respect for our Belgian brewing friends, we call this style “Sonambic”, a portmanteau between Sonoma and Lambic.
We stole this term from our friend Brian Hunt at Moonlight, our local farmhouse brewery. In 2007, we executed a second spontaneous fermentation, making yet another batch of Sonambic. This year, we blended those two batches to create our second bottling of Beatification which we are very excited about! Batch #2 has a big grapefruit aroma and grapefruit rind flavor with funky Brettanomyces and a tart finish.
Quintessence #12 / 18-04-22
Maakun (15235) reviewed Beatification from Russian River Brewing Company 2 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Only slightly hazy light golden. Gooseberries, dry attic funk(?), wheat, matches, yuzu, mineral. Medium sour. Quite dry, has a bit of a grapefruit sour/bitter finish. Again very American, but tasty.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
18/IV/22 - 37.5cl bottle @ Cantillon Quintessence (Brussels), BB: n/a, batch: 012522 (2022-370)
Pretty cloudy light blond to yellow beer, practically no head. Aroma: nice, complex acidic impression, fruity notes, a bit oxidized, a little funky, wood notes. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: nice acidity, bitter touch, wood notes, fruity, citrus, juicy, grapefruit notes, pretty dry. Aftertaste: good acidity, lemony, fruity, a little bitter, lovely stuff, orange peel, a bit oxidized, wood notes, nice bitter finish. Good one!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5
8 July 2020. Random Wednesday Tasting; cheers to Anke & Tim! Many, many thanks to Nathalie for providing the bottle! Bottle date: 6/5/2018. Pours clear golden with a lasting, very thin, frothy, white head. Complex aroma of horseblanket, yellow & green apple, vinegar, wet oak, white grapes, kiwi, gooseberry, fresh yoghurt, vague salami, lemon, funky hay. Taste is a sour & fruity core of apple, kiwi & gooseberry with a lemony edge, touch of vinegar, lactic yoghurty body mixing with a bready maltiness, toned down by a woody bitterness which becomes more pronounced in the finish, rather dry & tannic, faint old earthy & grassy hops but funky still, with white grape & 'end of stonefruit' lingering. Medium body, oily texture, average carbonation. Very complex, bit past its prime but still hugely drinkable, can definitely compete with the better Belgian Sours out there.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
8/VII/20 - 37.5cl bottle @ Nathan & Anke’s place, BB: n/a, bottled: VI/5/18 (2020-608) Thanks to Nathan for sharing the bottle!
Clear pale blond beer, no head. Aroma: nice and funky, bit fruity, salami with garlic, wood notes, some tannins, some yoghurt, no diacetyl but lacto-acid, dry, little herbal and floral. MF: lively carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty bitter, lemony, tannins, wood notes, more of a sharp bitterness, fruity touch. Aftertaste: acidic, little bitter, lemony, zesty, fruity, very enjoyable, some peaches, apricots, refreshing, some plums, apricot pits.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
9/IV/20 - 37.5cl bottle from a trade, shared @ home, BB: n/a, bottled: IX/11/13 (2020-315) Thanks to whomever got me this bottle, been saving it for years.
Slightly cloudy peach orange beer, practically no head. Aroma: bit oxidized, fruity, nice and complex, lots of ripe purple plums, wood notes, cellar, musk, mold. MF: soft carbon, medium body. Taste: very acidic start, bright tartness, lots of citric acid, dry, bit dusty, more lemon juice notes. Aftertaste: dry, bit musty, stale, soft oxidation, bitter touch, tannins, wood notes, spicy touch, dry and astringent finish, nice but a little too old alas. Don’t keep this beer too long!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Bottle thanks to Keith from Anchorage crew! Poured an amber rust with bubbles. Aroma is huge oaky fruit. Taste is sour fruit oaky woodsy grapes linger on my tongue. This is a gorgeous beer, can't believe it took me so long to try this!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Bottle thanks to Zakoon @ CBC Volunteers Party. Big want of mine, finally having this! Pours hazy yellow with a fizzy white head. Aromas of citrus, gooseberry, white wine, tart green grapes, vanilla, oak. Taste is citrussy, green apples, green grapes, damn tart vinous notes, gooseberries, lemon zest, oak, vinegar. Holy shit this is good!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
LCRBM2: Caramel and citrus in the strong aroma. Very strong lemon and grapefruit flavor. An upcoming sourness hides the obvious hop character. Lemon and sour cream in the aftertaste. What a taste bomb!