Russian River Supplication
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Tasting Notes
Supplication pours with a tart, funky nose — aged Pinot Noir barrels leave behind wine-like vinous notes alongside Brett earthiness and a faint barn-yard quality. On the palate, sour cherry dominates, layered with dark fruit, a light acidity that bites without overwhelming, and subtle oak tannins from the barrel. The body is medium-light, dry, and complex without being aggressive. The finish lingers with cherry skin bitterness and a pleasant lactic sourness that invites another sip.
About the Brewery
Russian River Brewing Company is based in Santa Rosa, California, founded in 1997 by Vinnie Cilurzo, who is widely credited with popularizing the double IPA style. The brewery holds an outsized reputation in American craft beer for both its hop-forward beers — particularly Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger — and its barrel-aged sour program, of which Supplication is a flagship. Their sour releases draw serious collector attention and often sell out quickly at the brewery.
Food Pairings
The sour cherry tartness and barrel-derived tannins in this beer make it a natural match with charcuterie and aged hard cheeses like Manchego or aged Gouda, where salt and fat soften the acidity. Duck confit or braised lamb works well because the beer's fruit and funk cut through rich, fatty meat. A dark chocolate dessert — particularly one with cherry or raspberry components — plays directly into the beer's fruit character without clashing. Aged brie or a washed-rind cheese amplifies the funk in a complementary way rather than fighting it.
Style Guide
American Wild Ale is a broad and loosely defined category encompassing beers fermented or aged with wild yeast strains, most commonly Brettanomyces, and often mixed-culture bacteria like Lactobacillus or Pediococcus that produce lactic acid. The style draws heavily from Belgian Lambic and Flanders traditions but gives American brewers latitude to experiment with fruit additions, barrel types, and blending. ABVs typically range from 4% to 8%, and the defining characteristics are sourness, funky or earthy yeast character, and complexity that develops over time in the barrel. What separates it from a straight Berliner Weisse or Gose is that depth of fermentation character — wild ales tend to reward patience and cellaring in a way simpler sour styles do not.