Truth be told, this is the first of Russian River’s sour beers that I’ve tried. I have had their hoppy beers though, including a fresh bottle of Pliny The Elder (however I am more of a Blind Pig fan). So when given the opportunity, being the sour fan that I am, I happily picked up a bottle of Temptation.

I love this beer. Which is interesting, because it is aged in Chardonnay barrels, and I absolutely hate white wine. The aroma definitely carries some of that Chardonnay, and some of the tartness resembles some of the flavors found in wine. Thankfully however, most of the characteristics of this beer are taken over by the souring bacteria.

The aroma is filled with a clean lemony sourness, likely from lactic acid contributed by lactobacillus. A lot of these characteristics carry over to the flavor as well, along with a lemony citrus flavor creating a little bit of bitterness in the finish. This isn’t an intensely sour beer, but sour enough that I wouldn’t call it “tart.” Oddly enough though, Russian River’s website rates the sourness of this beer as “high,” so perhaps I’m becoming immune to it?

Fantastic beer. I really want to get a hold of some of their other sours as well!