Russian River Brewing Co.: Temptation

Temptation
Russian River Brewing Co.
725 4th Street
Santa Rosa, CA


Description from Website: Aged in French oak wine barrels for twelve months with distinct characteristics of fruit and subtle oak" sounds more like a description of wine than beer. However, Temptation is indeed beer. Temptation is a Blonde Ale aged in French oak chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces. Flavors of wine and oak absorb into the brew throughout its aging. Temptation is re-fermented in the bottle to create its carbonation--a process commonly used to make fine champagne and sparkling wine. Spent yeast forms a thin layer of sediment to remain in the bottle.   7.25%ABV / 1.062 O.G / 27 BUs

I was able to secure this beer at the Uber Tavern, in Seattle last week. They had it on tap, so there was no doubt on what I was ordering!  Any chance of finding a Russian River brew on tap, that is what I’m getting! 

The bar is a pretty damn cozy place, with probably 10 seats at the L-shaped bar, about five seats around a gas-fired circular “table”, and a few couches towards the back .  This is the type of bar that I like, it’s intimate, comfortable and not overly loud.  Oh yeah, the beer on tap was unbelievable:

Aroma: (11/12) 
Definite sourness and tartness on the nose!
Appearance: (3/3) 
A nice golden hue to this one, on the tap pour. Came with a one-fingered head. Super small bubbles that creates a very dense "topping".
Flavor: (19/20) 
Sourness & tartness right away, that intensifies through the middle tongue. The finish is quite mellow and balance between the tartness and sour characteristics. Chardonnay becomes evident in the aftertaste and lingers faintly.
Mouthfeel: (5/5) 
Very light body. Sourness and tartness give your mouth/tongue a nice mellow ride.
Overall Impression: (10/10) 
This is my first time trying the Temptation and was extremely impressed. A beautiful American sour that would now stand at the top of the list, in that category.
TOTAL: 48/50