Beer Review: Beatification (batch 5)

Reviewing Beatification from the Russian River Brewing Company. A big thanks to Matt for hooking me up with this one!
Score: 98

Batch 5. Bottled on 01/10/12, served in a Hill Farmstead stemmed snifter and enjoyed on 010/19/12.

Appearance: Pours a nice mimosa-orange color that is on the opaque side of transparent with a half finger of fizzy white head that settles to a pencil thin ring around the glass that ultimately settles completely. Okay lacing, but not a whole lot of retention. 4/5

Smell: Very tart lemon juice hits upfront. Then there is a nice medley of sweet cole slaw vinegar, white grapes, oranges, granny-smith apples, sour peaches, "lacto-ey yogurt and brett" and a hint of oak. There is a very faint band-aid funkiness, but it's quite subtle. 4.75/5

Taste: Whoa! Tons of pucker-inducing tart lemon juice upfront, with more funkiness on the back half than the nose nose led on -- but it's really well incorporated into a sweet citrusy mix of flavors so it never overwhelms and merely complements the flavors of the beer. Tart white grapes, tangerines and sweet vinegar on the midpalate, with granny-smith apples towards the finish. "Lacto-ey yogurt," lemon and a hint of banana round off the finish and linger well past the swallow. Very gueuze-esque in flavor. Different than, but just as good as, Consecration in my opinion. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation that really accents the zesty tartness of the beer on the center of the tongue. Dry finish, but juicy on the palate. Has a decent amount of pucker. 5/5

Overall: Another outstanding, world class sour from Russian River. This one lives up to its hype, but for its difficulty to acquire, I probably prefer an in-season Consecration.

Recommendation: Seek this one out -- it is truly world class.

Pairings: Monterrey jack cheese wedges and sociables.

Cost: $15 for a 375ml bottle.