1001 Beers

Beer No: 103
Page No: 930
Category: Specialty

Yum, yum, yum.  This is the reason I'm heading up to Russian River in August.  Their beers are legendary here in California, and most likely across the United States.  Amongst those that know a good sour, they know Russian River.  You really have no idea how excited I am to be able to visit Russian River in early August.  I'll be there for a nice lunch at their restaurant, hope to take a quick tour of the brewery, and then hit the road to have dinner and a tour up at Sierra Nevada a bit further north.  I had planned to continue my trip by heading up to Portland, but with finances still being tight, I just can't justify the cost of added hotel nights, more gas, more beer bought (well, that's justifiable), and other expenses.  But checking Kayak, round trip flights up there are just $221, so I'll probably go at some point, find a nice downtown hotel, and not even worry about having a car.

As for this amazing Russian River brew, I rated it almost exactly the same as the awesome Consecration.  I think it really says something about this beer when it's the #2 sour ale on all of RateBeer.com.  Lost Abbey's Yellow Bus is #1 and I almost got some of it last Saturday, but instead went to the home brew competition results luncheon at the Orange County Fair to accept our award for our first place Sweet Stout ("our" being Arkh Brewing).  Hopefully I'll have the chance to try Yellow Bus soon as I can't live without knowing what the #1 sour beer tastes like.  Oh, by the way, Supplication is #3 on the site.  Lost Abbey / Pizza Port holds spots 4 through 7 and Russian River holds spot #8 with Temptation (one of the 1001 and coming in mid-August).  Pretty insane that the top 8 sour beers come from just two producers.  If only I could figure out a way to master this type of brew.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Russian River Supplication by Russian River Brewing

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 9/10
Palate: 5/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Batch 005X3 from Hi Time Wine Cellars. An amazing way to follow up last week’s Stone Sour Fest and an absolutely wonderful beer that I’ve had many times, but never rated. Pours with a reddish brown hue, fine carbonation, and slight tan head which dissipates quickly. Nose is mostly cherries, pinot, brett, lactic acid, and sour vinegar. Taste is perfectly balanced sourness with lots of cherries, plums, oak, wine, vinegar and citrus. Finishes perfectly with lingering fruits and oak. I just love this stuff.

Beer No: 67
Page No: 870
Category: Specialty

This beer most certainly belongs in the "specialty" category.  It's just an epically special beer.  Sour flavors abound in this ale brewed with currants as each sip reveals more complexities and flavors.  The beer runs the gamut from oaky to citric to sweet to sour.  It truly is a wonderful beer to taste and I'm hoping to visit Russian River this summer to try their fantastic brews on tap at the source.

An almost perfect way to enter into the Summer and continue my Memorial Day festivities going strong.  Easily a top 5 beer in my books.  With the Supplication review coming soon...we might have another top 5.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Russian River Consecration from Russian River Brewing

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 9/10
Palate: 5/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Had from 750ml bottle. Pours dark red/brown with tan head that dissipates very quickly and some slight blubbles on the edges. Aroma is very tart, sour, citric, hints of cherries, yeast, and alcohol. Taste is amazingly tart, refreshing, citric, and complex. Flavors range from oak to cherries to currants to lemons. Really a treat to have and a wonderfully complicated beer that might require some time to get used to if you’re not a fan of the sours. This sour goes above and beyond the slightly acidic and citric tastes of other "weaker" sours and really punches your tastebuds with flavor. More sour than I remember it on tap, but still an amazingly good beer.

Beer No: 41/1001
Page No: 183
Category: Amber

A couple of weeks ago, Paste posted this article on the 30 Best Beer Bars in America, and based on the two that I visited up in San Francisco over my visits there, the list is pretty spot on.  I also have a friend who has been to the Oakland bar and can vouch for it's awesomeness as well.  So if you're looking for a good beer bar in your part of the country, check this list.  It's pretty legit.  Plus, it's got the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA on it, so you know it's on task.  I recently completed a 6,000 mile road trip across the U.S. with the Brick Store being my ultimate Eastern destination.  It was a great experience (despite having to wait an hour to drink beer due to antiquated Georgia laws).  Back in 2009, they also posted the 25 best Breweries of the Decade - all of which I'm sure are in the book of 1001 Beers.

It's tough not to compare this Avery Maharaja to the Imperial IPA I had just yesterday, the Beer Valley Reefer Madness.  But even without yesterday's beer as a comparison point, it's quite obvious that this is the cream of the crop of Imperial IPAs (or Double IPAs). As I am writing this post, I am unfortunately out of Maharaja.  All I want right now is another.  So I'm definitely heading down to BevMo in Costa Mesa tomorrow to pick up 10 more that I have on order (6 for me, 4 for a friend).  I have one Sierra Nevada Pale in the fridge that will have to do, but I just want another Maharaja right now.  It is absolutely delightful.  It's just so well balanced - heavy in hops as an IIPA should be, but also nice malts - resulting in a beautiful amber brownish-red color and the perfect amount of carbonation and lacing.

To put it simply, this is in the top 3 in terms of beer I've ever tasted (and rated).  It's technically in the #4 spot on my list, but right up there in the top 3, I have a mead rating, which I don't really classify as a beer.  Better than Stone's Ruination, better than AleSmith's IPA, this Imperial IPA is just heaven in a bottle.  And, to be clear, I'm refering to Batch 11, brewed March, 2010.  If you can find this in your local store, buy them out.  You won't be disappointed.  I can't find it in my three local stores, but luckily I can drive about 20 minutes to get some more.  Hopefully the ones I buy tomorrow will last me for a while.  I'm sure 6 will supplement my daily beer intake just fine over the next few months.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale from Avery Brewing Company

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 10/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 18/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Had from bottle from BevMo. Batch 11, brewed March, 2010. Pours reddish brown with little head, awesome lacing, and tan film that sticks around to the end. It’s tough not to compare this to the Leafer Madness IIPA I had yesterday, so be prepared...the Avery is a bit darker as more malts seem to be used and it is perfectly carbonated. The flavors all blend together perfectly. Taste of floral, citrus, pine, grapefruit, great malt undertones, and amazing hop finish - smooth, not dry or astringent. The best IIPA or IPA I’ve sampled - definitely best in category.