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Consecration
Russian River Brewing Company

ConsecrationConsecration
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From:
Russian River Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #15
ABV:
10%
Score:
99
Ranked #198
Avg:
4.49 | pDev: 8.91%
Reviews:
1,230
Ratings:
5,627
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 25, 2023
Added:
Oct 31, 2008
Wants:
  1,663
Gots:
  1,951
Dark ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with Brett, Lacto, Pedio, and currants
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Arbitrator:
Photo of Arbitrator
Reviewed by Arbitrator from California

3.65/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Chilled bottle into a glass.

I've had every single batch of this beer, multiple times. I am reviewing the latest batch (#5) here, but I will include a summary of all at the end.

A: Pours a clear maroon body with generous light beige head. It fills the glass and leaves some sticky rings of lace down the sides.

S: A good balance of cabernet barrels and currants. The bugs have done their work: funk is represented in a combination of leather and hay; the sourness is primarily lactic, though there is an afterthough of acetic acid. My main request here would be to bump up the brettanomyces presence. The sourness could (and probably will) develop with time, but the funk hasn't hit my desired level.

T: Cabernet grapes, a darker currant presence, and tannins. There's a mild undercurrent of earth and leather. It's also quite sour, with a dominant lactic presence and a touch of vinegar in the finish. This isn't as aggressively sour as batch 4; it has found a better balance. I can't say it's perfect, but to my palate, it is upper-tier.

M: A bit boozy, but that's accentuated by the vinegary finish (and it becomes especially prominent toward the end of the bottle). Unlike the last batch, this one doesn't produce a constant, undrinkable burn.

O: Batch 5 is an improvement over batch 4. I still think this beer is oscillating, and it peaked with batch 3, but this is a strong showing. I wish the bottles didn't have that slight price increase when they shrank sizes, but oh well. I've had a couple of bottles of this iteration, but I'll probably wait to see if the next one (or, judging by the pattern, batch 7) improves upon it.

Batch #1: by far the most vinegary. This was great in my early days; Consecration was my first sour and it was an immediate love affair. My tastes have changed since then; I don't think I'd like an acetic interpretation anymore. (4.9)

Batch #2: less sour than batch 1. The emphasis was on wine barrel, with a tannic and earthy flavor dominating. I was less enthused about this batch. (4.6)

Batch #3: this tastes like it was made for my palate. Lactic sourness with just a touch of acetic burn in the finish. Good balance of wine barrel to the fruit. Just lovely. (5.0)

Batch #4: really lactic, with initially a mild acetic burn, but it gets pronounced and overpowering by the end of a 375mL. Difficult to finish for one person. Wine-barrel heavy, with tannic, leathery, and earthy flavors coming out. Reminds me of a more sour batch #2. (3.6)

Batch #5: this is on the return path to greatness, though not quite there. Mild lactic sourness, a presence of acetic burn in the finish. Good, but not overpowering, incorporation of wine barrels. Currants are distinct. (3.9)

Batch #6: I lost my notes from when I had this.

Batch #7: This tastes like he's starting to dial in the recipe; it is similar to batch 5, but with less acetic burn. It has a dominant lactic sourness (though it is not palate-destroying or stomach-churning) with a huge buildup of tannic currant and grape skin in the finish. The barrel is really prominent here; the cabernet sauvignon is unmistakable, making the beer taste like a slightly soured wine. Good, not great. (3.63)
Mar 15, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by Nyoder

Nov 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.09 by vidisad from California

Nov 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.43 by DrStiffington from New Jersey

Nov 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Affinity from Missouri

Oct 30, 2023
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.13/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12.7oz corked and caged bottled 1/30/23 and opened 10/17/23.
Small pop upon opening, thin off white head with short retention. Deep copper/amber color…glowing with limited clarity.
Initial aroma is sour fruit and mild barrel - overall very vinous nose. Sour cherry, oak,
Bright entry, high acid and a palate cleansing mouthfeel. Slight zing and tannin along with fine carbonation that scrubs the palate with each sip.
Oct 19, 2023
Photo of eluvah
Reviewed by eluvah from New York

4.41/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
An extremely complex beer. Had the pleasure of drinking this at Iron Abby in Horsham PA. A fruity plum on the nose. I can taster the plum as well as some notes you will find in a Cabernet such as tobacco with a sour and dry finish.
Sep 28, 2023
 
 
Rated: 4.49 by alexsergio from New York

Sep 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.7 by Peter1977 from Massachusetts

Aug 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by 11-52_4hops from Virginia

Aug 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.59 by mmoore9363 from Arizona

Aug 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jul 15, 2023
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Served from a tap in a clear pint glass, it's modest biege head didn't last long. The brew is a deep brown-amber, almost mahogany, bright and surprisingly clear for all the color. The only aroma is that almost woody sourness common to good barrel aged ales. The barrel tannins dominate even the Brettanomyces and currants to taste. no minor feat. Yet, the taste is complex enough that they can be specifically detected. There are too many sours that are really some degree of tart. This is also a little tart, but it's unmistakably sour. The woody tannins linger a little too long in the aftertaste. Other than that, there's no complaint here. The high ABV isn't noticed, the taste is full and complex, delivered within a body that's rich for the style.
Jun 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by jimmybram from North Carolina

May 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by akopczyk from Ohio

May 23, 2023
Photo of NCSapiens
Rated by NCSapiens from Indiana

4/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Good sour and barrel flavors.
May 06, 2023
Photo of hreb
Reviewed by hreb from Washington

3.01/5  rDev -33%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
375mL cork-topped bottle, bottled on 090622 and served in a stemless CBC glass. Brilliant ruby color with great clarity and little head. Inhaling through my nose I get hit with a powerful whallop of sourness. Oh boy. Yes, the flavor is sour too. It's more balanced than I would have given it credit for based on the aroma and the first sip. But it's fizzy and tart without much flavor, to my palate. I don't get fruit, I don't get wine barrel. I don't get chocolate or tobacco or any of the other flavors printed on the label. But I also don't get ethanol, and at 10% ABV, that's really saying something.

I feel compelled to finish this beer but please, take it away from me.
Apr 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.99 by folkstar from Rhode Island

Apr 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Dillpickle315 from Colorado

Mar 21, 2023
Consecration from Russian River Brewing Company
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 5627 ratings