Consecration - Russian River Brewing Company

uustal

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep, dark maroon/purple. Very rich color. Strong aroma of cabernet grapes, cherries and blackberries. Flavor begins with puckering cherry and blackberry notes. Very nice. Followed by big tobacco notes, some of the best I've had in a beer. Bits of oak as well. Big bold and sweet cabernet wine notes on the finish. Great sweetness to balance out the beginning tart berry and cherry flavors. A big, bold sour. Very worthy of the Cab barrels it was aged in as it picks up a lot of this bold wine's flavor profile. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 00:57:35 | More by uustal

funkyaudio

Illinois

5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours out dark brown black with thin brown foam which quickly falls. Smells is sweet and funky with some wood. Taste is fizzy with nice tartness. Great sour cherry notes with some funk present. Dry finish with great sticky sweetness. One of their best beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 05:04:47 | More by funkyaudio

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: ruby colored with minimal head when poured cold, just a broken up ring of bubbles on the edge of the glass. Very dark.

S: sourness, sweetness, cherry

T: it's so deliciously sour with some cherry, some vinous, and a finish with the tartness and a bit of sweet malt flavor.

M: undercarbonated for my liking when it's cold, and that really doesn't change much as it warms. Feels smooth yet has bite to it with the acid.

O: fantastic, even worth the $18 or more it sells for here in Philadelphia. Wish it had a bit more carbonation, but it's one delicious beer. This was a batch 5.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:23:37 | More by Holland

KajII

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a clear deep dark mahogany brown with a small (less than 1 finger) white fizzy head that dissipated in 1-2 seconds and basically had no lacing to speak of.

The aroma was very complex and enticing with a dark grain malt and funky Brett yeast and possessed notes of dark fruit (red grape and black currant), a bit of oak cask and a boldly tart red wine presence.

The taste was sweetly tart and a tad acidic and had strong currant and grape notes throughout, with the finish having a bold and somewhat dry sour wine alcohol taste. The flavor lingered on the taste buds for a bit more than an average duration following the swallow, with a really wonderful sour fruity taste lasting quite a bit longer.

Mouthfeel was right below medium in body with a really smooth dry texture and an almost champagne like carbonation.

Overall I can not express how much I enjoyed this particular brew, it was sweet and fruity yet bold and sour with a fantastic lingering lip smackin’ taste. By far the best Russian River brew I have had to date. I highly recommend if given the chance, that you most definitely give this one a try...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 15:13:17 | More by KajII

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 005x2F. Thanks to Arbitrator for the bottle and to angrybabboon for sharing it.

Appearance: Pours a relatively clear garnet with some deeper brown hues. Head is off-white and drops to a small bubbly collar in short order. Minimal carbonation. Deep reds.

Smell: Big hit of wine. Cabernet jumps and drops a big grape/wine punch. That distinct Russian River level of lactic sour. Some nice leather and dark cherry as well. Mild citric backing. Some vinegar as well. Oak and a big floral hit. Almost chocolatey at times. Some underlying malty sweetness.

Taste: Massive oak. Sherry, Cabernet, and some cider vinegar. Acetic with a nice level of citric and lactic sour. Mild funkiness builds as the beer warms. Some nice grass and some caramel sweetness mild chocolate is masked by a bigger punch of leather and dark fruit. Tart cherry. Oak. Woody with a mild dampness. Tart.

Mouthfeel: Minimal carbonation laced through a nice, smooth body. Lingering tart dryness.

Overall: Great. A nice blend of sour and sweet and wine.

I've tried this several times. The old bottles are insane. So complex and interesting. The newer bottles are great as well, but they push a lot more acetic and tart. Not a bad thing, just a thing.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 03:14:35 | More by Goblinmunkey7

jeonseh

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into Mikkeller tulip. Batch 7 and 375ml bottle

A - Dark, reddish brown with a tiny white head that only sits in the edge. The red is definitely the color you would find in a big red wine. Minimal carbonation and rather clean looking

S - Oak, lemon, wheat grass, and currants. Has a tart, almost sweettarts quality to it.

T - Very tart up front with almost a cherry warhead like quality. As the beer moves, it has lemon and oak that come through. The sour, tartness comes through strong in the finish as well as a slight alcoholic bite

MF - Highly carbonated with a medium body. The carbonation goes well with the tartness and helps the flavors linger on the tongue

O - Very tart sour from Russian River with only a slight funkiness to it. This only really brings the tart was but it is almpmost too tart for me to pick up anything else in it.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 01:11:54 | More by jeonseh

Etan

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12.7oz bottle (batch 008). generously sent to me by Colby. Thanks!

A: Pours a rich, purplish mahogany with a small light tan head.

S: Red wine vinegar, oak, dark berry sweetness, lots of Cabernet tannins.

T: Mildly sweet, earthy currants and vinegar meld well with red wine and oak notes. Bretty funk and more wood, subtle vanilla. Strong tartness fades into the dark, juicy barrel and currant flavors. Bit of wine-like booziness in the finish.

M: Light-bodied yet chewy - lots of red wine tannins stick to the mouth. Crisp carbonation.

O: Delicious. Awesome barrel character. I can't believe this beer is 10%.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 02:30:28 | More by Etan

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Chimay Chalice

Appearance: minimal head, cloudy, chestnut brown in color, some sediment, low carbonation

Smell: cherry, sour mix, and vinegar

Taste: cherry, red wine grapes, sour mix, and vinegar

Mouthfeel: sour, light bodied, medium carbonation but very prickly..

Overall: A very good American Wild Ale worthy of a special occasion. I love the wine-like qualities in this one--although I do prefer Supplication. This one is a complex sipper that I would pick up in a heartbeat if I could find it.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 15:01:06 | More by tigg924

BeerThursdays

Delaware

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really like this one.

Reddish brown color with small off white head. Lots of sour in the nose. Red wine vinegar, cherries and oak. Taste is a nice sour cherry with dark fruit. Full bodied and decent carbonation. Overall one of the best sours out there. Dont waste time trying to age it. Perfect fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:43:38 | More by BeerThursdays

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.63/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

my most wonderful girlfriend hooked this up for me. it almost looks like a glass of rootbeer, brownish in color, lively carbonation, and a faint red glow. the head is excited but quickly receding. the smell is a dead giveaway that this is another russian river sour gem. notes of vinegar, decaying wood, dried plums, caramel corn, and cane sugar unite in an aromatic orgy. the taste is incredible, the currants are obvious up front, but the finish is what makes this beer. its so sour it hurts my jaw. sour more than brett too, its sort of like sucking on a lemon for as long as you can, puckery, funky, and delicious. its too complex to finger all the flavors here, but many many more of these need to be consumed to fully appreciate it fully. the mouthfeel is as perfect as it can be, medium body made light by the effervescent carbonation and tart bone dry finish that somehow makes my mouth water for another sip. how the hell is this 10% abv? it is not at all detectable in the flavor or the feel, and im just waiting on my buzz... overall this may surpass suplication as my favorite russian river brew. they do some incredible stuff out there, and this is the cream of the crop. if i play my cards right my girlfriend might get me another...

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 21:19:25 | More by StonedTrippin

lovindahops

New York

4.75/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Decided to keep going with our Russian river night. Poured from bottle slowly

A- consecration pours lovely reddish brown with flushing to the edges of the glass. A slight haze is evident in the the body the brew.

S- An AWESOME combination of cherries, earthy scent, tobacco, brett, and oak. Not to mention some other musty fruit and the Cabernet components mingling together. So complex yet so smooth and exponentially spiking with flavor. What a combination of themes going on!

T- a sour taste of cherries are meshed with the tobacco earthiness. Just a splendid wine flavor that blends with the oakiness from the barrel aging. The vast properties of the brew lead to an amazing taste experience. Really smooth and drinkable

M- a bit syrupy but the smoothness of the flavor pulls it through

O- Incredible wild ale that takes so many different properties and delivers with a fantastic brew. Not many beers like this in the world. Will be trying to find a way to get more

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:23:11 | More by lovindahops

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We pop the cage and cork off a bottle of Batch 005X1E, and pour a red, tawny brown. It holds a one and a half finger head of tight white bubbles. This recedes at a medium pace, leaving a tannish ring around the edges of the glass. Carbonation appears active, and bubbles cling around the glass’ walls. No sediment is noted, but a haze permeates the beer. The nose is bright with all the notes expected. Brett sings high over pale and caramel malts, with lactic sourness and bite from booze and yeast. There is a chemically, chlorine airiness on the far back, as well. The currents are sweet and bitter, but are closer to blueberries and raspberries than anything else. The tartness of the Brett sits nice against this raw fruitiness. With warmth come a light toast, and the faintest fruity ester quality. Our first impression is in regard to the intense, puckering sourness of the beer!! As we sip, souring Brett and tart currant berries hit first. This is extremely puckering, but packed with flavor. These sit amongst pale malts, steely caramel, and buttered toast. The middle peaks with sourness, musk, and tannin-like, astringent cabernet sauvignon grapes. The latter adds a drying, but savory juiciness. There is a dirty, earthy quality to it here, too, with mineral, malts, and fat ol’ Brett. The wine continues to the finish, with more sour currants, apple vinegar, light booze, and more Brett. The aftertaste breathes of more of that vinegar, Bretty sourness, and red wine, much like it has throughout the tasting. The body is thicker, and the carbonation is light. Each sip is juicy, wet, and coating. There is nice slurp and smack to each sip, but the eventual winey dryness takes away from what little creaminess there is. The abv is high but appropriate, and the beer sips slowly, as you want to keep it going.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the flavoring. It was extraordinarily complex, but blended so well that what we were given was a cohesive, definitive end-product. The sourness is gloriously huge, and as in the nose, each taste of it becomes more inviting than the last. Additionally, the 10% abv is almost virtually unnoticeable, allowing space for the yeast and the intrinsic flavorings to work their magic.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 21:58:46 | More by TheBrewo

EnemyWithin

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Russian River Consecration 375 mL bottle, batch 007
Poured into Duvel tulip on July 21, 2012.

Appearance 4
Pours a dark to medium brown with slight plum red tinge. Very thin covering of head that nearly completely dissipates.

Aroma 4
Tart sour nose predominance, with slight dark fruit/grape note. Also tart candy notes.

Taste 4.5
Initially a strong tart sourness, which really coats the palate well. Very complex taste. I get notes of sweet malt, tart candy, & lemon. Sourness comes in a quite sharp burst, then drops off, though there is a moderate to strong amount of sourness that lingers on palate throughout. Midway through I can pick up the malt, and late on the palate there is hint of the red wine notes from the barrel. Together, the flavors are great; there is a lot going on, but it is refined and polished. I felt hat the barrel aging adds a balance to the sourness – there is almost a tannin dryness at the end. At the very end, almost in the aftertaste, can pick up the current flavor.

Mouthfeel 5
Moderate thickness, low carbonation, great almost puckering sourness that coats entire mouth. Nice slight viscosity to the beer. Super enjoyable!

Overall 4.5
Lives up to the hype. Incredible sour with great power, but also great balance. 10% alcohol is extremely well hidden and allows the beer to be more full bodied. Very, very easy to drink. A world class offering – reminds me of Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien. Only wish I could have this as a regular offering – the west coast beer drinkers are lucky. Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 18:02:58 | More by EnemyWithin

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into tulip glass. Batch 8.

A: Slow pour to keep yeast sediment (not much was evident) in the bottle. A fizzy head forms, but quickly disappears and leaves no lacing. Beer is a pleasant cordovan color.

S: Cabernet and sour Brett. Just a hint of the currants.

T: Strong sour ale, but the Cabernet and Brett work really well together. Not picking up currants as I expected. High carbonation leads to dry finish. Amazingly, no alcohol heat despite 10.0% ABV

M: A bit champagne-like, thin and dry.

O: Nobody does sour ales like Russian River. Expected more fruit a la their Supplication sour cherry ale, but this is very good.

Aging another bottle for a year; we'll see what it's like then.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 04:08:05 | More by IvoryFoxhole

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – Pours a dark clear ruby red with a head that quickly disappears, and no lacing.

Smell – Cabernet, oak, and a hint of sourness.

Taste – Sour, oakey cabernet. Perhaps a little too much sour to properly complement the cabernet.

Mouthfeel – Tart, lightly carbonated. I’m surprised this is 10% abv; I guessed it was closer to 7%.

Drinkability – An all around good sour, but I had it with Cuvee des Jacobins, which I felt was much better.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 06:10:59 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

cvm4

Mississippi

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch #007

A - Deep cherry color with a tinge of brown. The bubbly one finger head fades quickly.

S - Plum, oak and sour cherry. Smalls pretty much in step with a wine.

T - Sour red cherries, dark fruits, plums and a little bit of malt. There is an oak characteristic that is throughout.

M - Medium bodied, effervescent carbonation.

O - A pleasing sour! I'd expect no less from Russian River.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:33:17 | More by cvm4

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a reddish caramel with a fair bit of tan foamy head initially which rapidly dissipates.

S: Oak dominates, but there are also notes of red currant, caramel, and a touch of alcohol heat.

T: Strong burst of sweetness quicly overtaken by a lactic tartness. This fades into an astringency with notes of oak and vanilla.

M: Thin, but also a bit syrupy. Very sharp on the palate.

O: It has a depth of flavor that is much more interesting than many in this style. These different flavors play off of each other well enough that it doesn't overpower you with any one of them.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 03:56:01 | More by RedSpecial1

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up at the brewery. 375ml bottle poured into a Tulip.
Batch 008.

A- Pours a clear, deep reddish brown mahogany color with very fizzy light tan head that very quickly went away leaving no lacing, ring, or cap on this beer.

S- Smells vinous, funky, and tart all at once. Lots of wooden oak characteristics. Very unique.

T- Wonderful sourness mixed with a dry red wine. Nice woody, oaky, earthiness flavors that are sticky.

M- Medium body with a lively amount of carbonation that dances on the tongue.

O- I love these wine barrel aged beers from Russian River. They really do take brewing to the next level of creativity.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 03:58:53 | More by rfbenavi80

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 006. Poured from a slightly chilled bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Very dark ruby-amber pour with low carbonation for a bottle conditioned beer. The head is thin and dissipates quickly. The nose is sharp with tart dark fruit notes like cherries and currants. There is also a grapey, wine-like tone to it.

The beer has a medium body, firm mouthfeel, and a strong sour character. Cherry and currant flavors provide a fleeting sweetness and are quickly overtaken by intense sour oaky flavors. The beer finishes dry and acidic, just like a wine, and leaves you salivating for another sip.

Like all of their sours, this gem from RR is worth seeking out. As good as it is, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as Supplication, which for my palate has a nearly perfect balance between sweet and sour. This beer is probably more for fans of intensely sour beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:35:16 | More by deadonhisfeet

gonzowestwood

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

375 ml bottle, batch number 007

A- Dark cherry, deep amber with a small head that leaves quickly

S- Plum, raisin, oak, sour cherry and a touch of booze. Smells like an corked wine in a good way

T- The taste is jaw dropping. Dark fruits, Cherries, Plums, Currants, pipe tobacco, an nice oaky pinot noir with a touch of sour

M- Medium to full with lively carbonation

O- More of a wine then a beer. Must say i like this more then 'Supplication' the taste and smell will blow your hair back.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 15:30:39 | More by gonzowestwood

vandemonian

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had consecration out of a crappy plastic cup in the physics department at Melbourne University. It was a delicious. Like always, a super smooth wild ale from Russian River. Sour and bitter to just the right degree with notes of funk and lemon.

A: Cloudy brown colour with a crappy head. 3.5

S: Bitter funk and lemon. 4

T: Sour lemon flavour with some bitterness. Bitter and delicious. 4.5

M: Foamy 4

O: 4.5

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:09:27 | More by vandemonian

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375 ml bottle, batch number 008, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a dark red mahogany color, produces a thin tan head that recedes to a thin collar, leaves no lacing.

S- Fruity and tart, currants and cherry, also woody with oak and some vinous aromas, the aroma is really nice.

T- Incredible flavors on this beer. Considerable tartness, which is lactic and minimally funky, very nice oak barrel and red wine flavors, fruitiness from currants, beneath all of this is a really nice caramel malt center. I'm not getting any booze at all on this, which is pretty awesome for 10% ABV.

M- Medium-bodied, well-carbonated, smooth and a bit sticky, dry finish, great job on this.

O- An incredible beer, hugely complex, blends tartness, barrel character and malt perfectly, this is really excellent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 05:28:49 | More by WillCarrera

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

2.55/5  rDev -43%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brought this batch 005 bottle back from Colorado Summer of 2010. Allowed it to rest for a year. At last, poured into a New Belgium Globe.

Color is good - a garnet red hue that reminds me of a dark cola. Was denied any type of foam at all even though the cork popped off like a bottle of Dom. I'd prefer to see some bubbles here, but not even as much as a glass hugger. No lace of course. Really blows the appearance for me.

Some serious aromas here - it's best attribute. Red wine, dark fruits, sweet pipe tobacco, and woody. The sourness is evident, but not what I'd call inviting. The alcohol is not at all hidden. All this makes for an interesting aromatic ride.

Now for the deal breaker. RR's description of this beer does not deliver the message of "sour bomb", which it is. The sour takes over all the other components found in the aroma and shoves them out the door which is really too bad. Worst tasting brew I've had in ages.

The feel of this beer is pretty chewy, but also lacks the carbonation to balance it out.

This over-hyped concoction was a major let down for me. After wrestling this thing for several swallows of varied volume...it ended in drain pour. A good brew should not make me pucker and salivate profusely. Consecration lacks the all-important balance I search for in a good brew. Now I can say, "Been there. Done that."

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:40:44 | More by DelMontiac

beergod1

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 750 ml. Pours a transparent dark amber with a thin, light tan head. Complex aroma of sweet dark cherries and oak. Starts with nice biting carbonation and tart complex oak and cherries with some other dark fruit notes and good acidity toward a slightly warming finish. Shared with 3 other people, Damn I'm a nice guy.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 15:17:39 | More by beergod1

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark ruby with ample bubbles into my Russian River glass. A little bit of light brown head at first, fading after a few seconds.

Tart smell with lots of sour cherry and a little bit of the red wine barrel present. A little musty brett blanket as well.

Taste follows although it's not quite as sour as I would expect from the nose. Lots of deep red wine characteristics. Heavy oak, dark fruits and a little leather along with a musty brett presence.

Medium mouthfeel and carb.

Great sour although I still prefer Supplication. If you are a red wine fan as well as a wild fan, this will up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 21:39:00 | More by jmarsh123