Russian River Brewing Company Beatification

Beatification

 

Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California, United States 🇺🇸

  Lambic Style - Unblended Rotating
Score
8.16
ABV: 6.0% IBU: - Ticks: 156
This beer is very unique and inspired by breweries in the Lambic region of Belgium and, especially, our friends at Cantillon. It is 100% spontaneously fermented, meaning yeast is not added. Once the beer is brewed, it is transferred to a cool-ship or “horny” tank located in our barrel room at the pub. There it sits overnight and collects whatever funky wild yeast and bacteria may be living in the room. The next day it is transferred to oak wine barrels where it ferments wildly and ages for a few months. The end result is a wild, spontaneously fermented, sour, and tasty hand-crafted beer!

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.
 

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6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Bottle.

A- Gold color, slightly hazy liquid, white head.

A- Oak, mild funk, grapefruit, citrus zest.

F- Tangy, citrus, oak, tannic.

T- Light body, average texture, average carbonation, tangy finish.

O- I was hoping for more complexity. Nice beer but not as great as the other RR beers I've had. A bit one-dimensional.

Tried from Bottle on 08 Jun 2025 at 00:42


10
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 10

375ml bottle, poured into a duvel tulip. Hazy orange pour, with a medium white head. The aroma is impressive. Grapefruit, lemon, grapefruit zest, apricot, orange, honey, wet hay. Swirling the beer brings up some yeast, and strong pungent citrus zest, and loads and loads of funk. The mouth feel is spot on, and the carb is perfect. The finish is quite sour, loads of apricot, and more zingy zest. Big lambic funk notes, horse blanket, and wet hay. This is by far the best sour ale outside of belgium ive ever had this was an absolute joy, and i have no choice, i have to give this a 5. A masterpiece.

Tried from Bottle on 28 Feb 2025 at 05:44


8.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

From tap at Russian River, Santa Rosa. Aroma is Bretty with lots of funk, citrus, oak, lemon, barnyard, touch of grapes, apple, and apricot. Flavour is puckering sour with a dry finish. Body is medium. Delicious, drinks very much like a Lambic, with a complex fruity funky aroma and a tasty sour flavour. Amazing.

Tried from Draft on 10 Feb 2025 at 04:45


8.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

375mL bottle. Pours clear gold with very small white head. Aroma is very funky, some dry oak, tannic bitterness, juicy grape, a bit of barnyard. Flavour has nice punchy funk, great white wine barrel character, dry finish. Great wild yeast character. Wonderful

Tried from Bottle on 03 Oct 2024 at 07:26


8.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle at share. Clear golden, fast dissipating head. Tart aroma, yeasty, funky. Taste is tart, sour, sweet, funky. Lingering pucker.

Tried from Bottle on 11 Aug 2024 at 01:50


8

Finally checking in non vintage of this ol reliable. So much oak and soft light funk.

Tried from Draft on 26 May 2024 at 16:34


8.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5

Bottle thanks to JMFP and the Payne Train. Pours orange gold with small white head that lasts. The aroma is citrus, wood, funky, vinous. Slick body, funky, wood, citrus, nice tartness, enjoyed this.

Tried from Bottle on 22 May 2024 at 00:08


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

I rated this a few times, wtf. Maybe on BA... Bottlecraft, LA, 2/24 Clear, medium gold, nicely frothy. Followed it up with another half pour just to be sure. Hop water, apricot, cider vinegar, cigarette ash, veg. Sharp, aged, varnish-like hops. Sour plum, weak cheese, old granny smith apples, saline, belly burn. It's good, but I've never really fallen in love with Beautification. It's just a little rough & indecisive.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2024 at 02:45


8.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Pours clear gold into a snifter. Bright white head with good retention recedes leaving trailing sheets. Tart grape must, peach fuzz and apricot aromas. Slick with tart aspirin, band aid and lemon zest front to back. Lasting grapefruit peel and pith finish.

Tried on 07 Jan 2024 at 22:49


8

Botella @Big Bear Wine & Liquor, Inc. 09/11/2023. Color amarillo corona de espuma blanca aromas y sabores acidos, madera, herbal, cuerpo medio. Rica.

Tried on 09 Nov 2023 at 19:20