mjs (12070) reviewed Mind Circus from Russian River Brewing Company 2 weeks ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8
(Bottle, 0.5l, thanks VastActiv, at VastActiv, 20260320) The beer poured golden and hazy. Its head was medium sized and white. Aroma had citrus fruits, mango and zesty fruits. Palate was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavours were citrus fruits, mango, herbalness, zesty notes and bitterness. Aftertaste had citrus fruits and bitterness. Tasty.
gave a cheers!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draft. Golden beer with a whitish head. Tropical fruit aroma. Earth and floral flavor with tropical fruit. Medium bodied. Good bitterness. Earth and floral notes linger with light tropical fruit and light citrus.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Poured from 375mL bottle (bottled 05 06 2016 - about 10 years old). Hazed gold with minimal white head. Quite dry, chardonnay underlay, light wood, sour wild yeasts with a hint of astringency. Decent.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
375mL bottled 3/25/15, drunk 10/16/16, thanks to JoeT for the trade.
Beige head is medium-sized and fairly dense, with strong retention for a sour. Light ruby-golden body shows high clarity with the sediment left behind.
Cherries, oak, vanilla, light balsamic notes and lots of toffee lingering makes for a very light rendition of a flemish sour. But more of the golden variety; like Petrus Aged Pale, perhaps. Funky barnyard deftly integrated and there’s plentiful berry, cherry, apple and strawberry esters keeping it bright and lively and taking the focus from the strong acidity. Malts seem well-attenuated but still present and the oak contributes a bit of vanilla and tannin, without any strong toastiness. No alcohol or flaw.
Even, soft, malty body with ample caramel-vanilla and lots of strong brett acids that give way to lactic and light acetic notes, as well. Fine carbonation keeps it light and the acid is lightly puckering on the finish. Very fruity and yet still balanced if leaning towards fairly acidic/sour. Yogurt, light barnyard lots of cherry-like acetic character and soft wood tannin linger on pleasantly. It’s been soooo long since I’ve had Batch 1/Ph1 but this seems to be very competent and enjoyable still.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5
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.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
510mL bottled Sep 18, 2020, drunk Mar 15, 2026.
Extremely minimal pop upon uncorking.
Smells incredible, though. If this is low carbonation, then this beer must be intense, because you still get a ton of aroma without the aid of the C02. Super easygoing, aromatic grape character with a fruity, playful, not-too-intense, and most importantly, not over-expressed/over-attenuated Brett. Still a bit of malt (white bread, cookies) and a slight bit of easygoing oak in the background. No big acidity.
Mmmmm...low carbonation indeed. Minimal, leaving, yes, a bit of a more watery body. Very much disagree with the previous rater that this is too tannic, or that the lack of carbonation hurts this. This is fruity, funky and ebullient with a good dose of acidity, but far from overbearing. Definitely blurs the line between wine and beer, which I'm sure Vinnie intended here, and with the other small batch grape beers. Really, really wonderful stuff viewed as a wine/beer hybrid, not so much a fruited saison. Been really jonesin' for some good wine lately and this really hits the spot. So much flavor and soft, silky tannin on the palate, but never builds up to too much acidity. Soft funk undercurrent is a lovely touch, too.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Very dark brown to black with a beige head. Some sweet chocolate up front, burnt malt, dark fruits, earthy, dry cocoa, a bit of spicy pepper. Full bodied. Finish is long with roasted malts, cocoa, and dark fruit with peppery heat. It’s a lovely beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle (2/2/26) from Valley Beverage, Sherman Oaks. Cloudy yellow, thin head with fair retention, nice lacing. Aroma is strong citrus, pineapple, white grape, mango. Taste is strong pineapple, white grape, light citrus, bread. Smooth, frothy, thick texture, soft carbonation, light body, dry finish with lingering bitterness. Well made and tasty.
mcberko (47797) reviewed 110 from Russian River Brewing Company 4 weeks ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
500mL bottle, pours a clear golden with a medium white head. Aroma reveals plenty of piney hops, a touch of grass, and crisp crackery malt. Flavour has bright, bitter, grassy hops, maybe a touch of oily pine, and a crisp biscuity malt base. Bright, grassy hoppy bitterness lingering. Well-structured, well-made, but shy of excellence.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On tap at Elizabeth Station, pours a deep dark mahogany brown with a small beige head. Aroma is full of leathery funky, some roast, and a touch of balsamic. Flavour is dominated by aggressive brett, leather, moderate funk, and a touch of earthy roast. For a style I usually don’t love, this is done very well.