Batch 1 PH1 bottle fresh, July ’06, and also at PP 12 hour Belgian Fest, 3/24/07
Markedly more bacterial/acidic, with strong, but very dry brett notes and a good amount of lactobacillus as well. The nose is very complex and also displays some dry, grainy barrel tannins with just a nip of light pale malt in the background. Lemons, limes, cherries, nectarines and a very small amount of acetic acid are incredibly sniffable. Some softer yeast notes can be glimpsed, but it’s mainly the sour/tart fruitiness from the wild yeast. Despite its strength, it’s never forceful or overpowering in any sense.
Dry, oily leather notes and a good dose of wood tannin open the flavor, with oily pedio and lacto notes further drying things and keeping it quite sour. But thanks to a very creamy carbonation, enough malt softness finds its way in support to prevent the palate/balance from going too dry. Fruitiness lightens things, as well, on the finish, and you can almost taste the cherries in the La Folie. Light yogurt/lacto notes linger on, with some light pale malt notes and fairly neutral barrel tannins adding some chewiness. Acetic acid levels are very low in this one, further emphasizing the quality that went in to aging this. Though the 23 months may serve to contribute a bit too much tannic blandness/nuttiness. Where is the citric quality coming from, that’s what I want to know.

From Nov 2007

This is the Batch 001-PH1 version, also held for more than a year.

It pours from 375ml caged and corked bottle a very effervescent clear light gold with a large head of foam that quickly shrinks to about a 1 finger head but doesn't shrink much more than that.

The smell is sour dominated but I also get notes of citrus, yeast, and some malt. Dang. I could smell this one for almost forever but on to the tasting...

The taste, like the nose, is dominated by this wonderful sourness that completely has my palate at attention and craving for more. More sips in and it starts to get more complex. Huge funk to be found here along with a healthy malt presence in the background and some very tasty pepper, coriander, and more spices than I can identify and the fruity flavours of orange, apricot, and peach make my mouth pucker a bit but damn they are tasty. Also, the second pour gives me some sediment to give it a cloudy and more orange appearance(why would I leave the fine sediment in the bottle as the label suggests????) and the foam "talks" to me not unlike a bowl of Rice Krispies.;^)

It has a medium mouthfeel to it and the carbonation is also medium inspite of what I saw in the initial pour. It finishes sour and leaves a nice long tasty aftertaste. Man, am I wild about RR American Wild Ales and to me, this one goes just a bit over the top compared to the non PH1 sample. I'm *really* digging this beer and boy, I get this all in a 5.5%abv brew...The drinkability just shoots through the roof!!

Bottom line: This may be my favourite offering from RR to date and I've had a fair sampling...all were, imho, outstanding. I still say RR may be the best brewery in America. Beatification is another brew that does them proud! Highly highly recommended!

PH1 Bottle shared by Joel at Nook tasting. Pours cloudy gold with white head. Nose and taste of horseblanket, funk, oak, lemon, white wine and sour funk. Medium body. Held up incredibly well.

Bottle courtesy of Numenor on 03/14/2009. Batch 001-PH1. Somewhat hazy orange body with a small frothy off-white head. Huge sour aroma with vanilla, fruit, and some funk. Huge sour flavor, some faint vanilla with more light fruit, hints of oak and a touch of funk. Light body with moderately high carbonation.

375 mL bottle courtesy of Numenor. Thanks! Rating #1500. Batch 001-PH1. Pours a lemon orange color with a medium head. Poor head retention and lacing. Fantastically tart aroma with funk, citrus, earthy, herbal. Taste is almost bitterly tart with notes of green apple, citrus (pithy grapefruit), tannins. Slight earthy and herbal notes. Soft carbonation. Medium bodied.

Odeeds Beer Tasting 9/27/06 Brought by Irishboy; 001-PH1 Nose was sour with citrus and barnyard; cork popped when opened; yellow gpold with small white head;; flavor was tongue puckering tartness with a cinnamon note, no sweetness; tasted more like a guezue.

Batch 001 - PH1 (thanks, Vinnie!). Colour of old gold, tilting towards orange, cloudy; small, vanishing off-white head, fed by lively carbonation. Very lemony nose, lactic acid, some Brett, but restrained, other bugs as well. Extremely complex nose, displaying signs of the best way of careful, monitored aging, ideal for this type of beer. Very sourish oud bruin taste, but nudged towards the lemon/lactic, even citric, rather than towards acetic acids. Some exotic fruit like (not quite ripe) yellow kiwifruit ("Zespri") or unripe peach, as well as roses. Faraway hints at leather. As TAR remarked, there’s iron(oxyde) there too. Sharpish acidburn, wonderfully refreshing, vying with Berliner Weisse. In fact, IMO this has at least as much from Berliner Weisse as from Oud Bruin. But it is way more complex than any BW, goes much deeper. If it weren’t for the Supplication, this would be my favourite RR.