Consecration - Russian River Brewing Company

Bobheed

Texas

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

A: Pours a deep brownish red color with a tiny tiny head that disappears immediately. Huge alcohol legs too. I know it's 10% but it looks much higher

S: Divine. Really get sour oak upfront and a bit of dark fruitiness. Lots of earthy funkiness to it. Also get the smell of rotten cherries sort of at the end, sounds weird, but it's actually quite pleasant

T: Think of every red fruit you've ever had( cranberries, cherries, etc) now add vinegar and dip it in oak chips. That's pretty much how this tastes. Possibly the most balanced flavor from any RR sour ale. I really picked up the funk in the taste more than the smell also.

M: For a beer that looks nearly flat it has quite a carbonation bite and that couples really well with the tartness. Very dry finish

Overall this is a splendid ale from RR. It's probably my favorite wild ale that I've had from them (this or Beatification, totally different though) I usually try to keep these in stock because of how available they are, just finally got around to reviewing it. Great fresh or aged too, the bottle I had was one of the newer batches though, 007

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:50:30 | More by Bobheed

DocJitsu

California

3.53/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque caramel color with no head. Tart apple and Belgian yeast aromas. Ok, so I'm not a wild fan at all. I mean, as much as I want to get it, I just don't. Have you ever picked up a sack of apples that have fallen off the tree? The sack was left outside all night. You went out the next late afternoon and picked them up. The movement stirred the honey bees inside. You stuck your head in the sack. This beer tastes like that apple sack smells. I do enjoy how after the beer disappears from the palate and I lick my lips, there's a sweet taste that, subsequently, appears on the tongue. I'm still developing my palate for the wilds. Bear with me.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 04:12:01 | More by DocJitsu

derkfromwi

Wisconsin

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

Batch 007 Poured into wine glass

A: Thin white head that disappears quickly, reddish orange-brown color, decent to good carbonation,

S: Cab sauv, black currants, lemon zest, vinegar, funkiness

T: Spices, tart and sour, tabacco, black currants, Cab, earthy and funky

M: Full-bodied, good prickly carbonation, smooth, good aftertaste

O: Very good stuff, a very drinkable sipper sour

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 04:05:52 | More by derkfromwi

Giovacchini

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 7 poured into a snifter.

A- Clear dark brown/ maroon with a very small head that disapates.

S- prunes, vinegar, citrus, alcohol, and vanilla.

T- vinegar, Chardonnay comes through, bitter citrus, some dark fruits, and yeast.

M- bitterness lingers, alcohol not very present on my palate, and nice carbonation.

O- the first time I had this beer I did not know what I was drinking. Several months later i now understand what a sour beer is I appreciate them much more. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. I've had Sanctification, Beatification, and Temptation this week and this beer is just as awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 02:23:59 | More by Giovacchini

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375mL bottle into a Goose Island chalice

A: Pours a ruddy brown color. There is some light tan foam as I pour but it disappears quickly.

S: The smell is lightly fruity and sweet. There is a little bit of tangy vinegar as well. Some citrus/apple.

T: Very tart. The currants are luscious and tangy. A slight vinegar flavor complements this nicely. There is a mild vinous and sour grape character that increases as the beer warms. A good amount of barnyard funk, wet hay, but its much more tart than funky. There is also a lactic sourness that permeates the flavor and leaves my mouth watering. I can taste a lot of different tangy fruit flavors like apple, citrus and grapefruit. Cannot taste the alcohol at all.

M: Small amount of carbonation is effervescent and playful. Light bodied and mouthwatering.

O: A very good sour beer. There are a lot of dimensions to this beer; it covers sour, tart, funky, vinegar and tangy. The fruit flavor is also vibrant.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 03:15:13 | More by WankelEngine

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Thanks to jtd1969 for hooking me up with a bottle of this.

Poured into a Southern Tier tulip. Pours a dark ruby, amber color with a thin layer of fizzy, white head that quickly fizzles away. The nose has notes of grapes, alcohol, and currants. The smell is quite spicy and fruity with a significant amount of the alcohol coming through. The flavor is very tart and sour. It makes my cheeks pucker immediately. The currants come through as do some fruits like red grapes and maybe raspberries. There is a juice or wine characteristic to it. The alcohol really isn't too noticeable. It adds some warmth as the beer warms. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, a bit viscous, smooth, and has a bubbly carbonation.

This is my first Wild Ale. I'm impressed. It's complex, drinkable, smooth, refreshing, but a sipper. If RR was available around NC I would have this more often for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 23:14:29 | More by tdm168

Arbitrator

California

3.63/5  rDev -18.8%
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)

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 06:00:00 | More by Arbitrator

Nachojon

Illinois

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

A- Beautiful beer. The deep brown, like a Koa wood color aged in the cab barrels gives this one an amazing color gradient. Light this head offsets this color. Stunning in a white wine glass.

S- Funky prune or fig juice is the standout aroma here. Pomegranate and some oak.

T- I love the flavor profile here. Starting off with some of that rich fruit figs, cranberries, prune before leading into that tart raspberry and even some strawberry. Then it's the pomegranate smoothness and some real oak dry finish. Immaculate.

M- So nice. Puckering, with the juice there in the middle and the dry finish.

O- Russian River is out of hand. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 04:10:34 | More by Nachojon

bashiba

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice clear amber with a thick tan head that disappeared as quickly as it came.

The smell is dominated by the sour tartness of the bacteria with just a hint of vinous wine and blackberry.

The flavor is nicely sour with dark blackberry and grape flavors coming through along with a heavy oaky and cedar barrel flavor. Has a bit of leathery and tobacco flavor coming through as well.

The mouthfeel is dry and a bit puckering.

Nicely done American Sour, the Cab barrel and Blackberry add a little something extra that is nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 22:19:07 | More by bashiba

output01x

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375 mL. corked and caged bottle (Batch 007) into a tulip glass.

A strong pour yields a 1 1/2-finger tan-colored head that quickly fizzes away to just a thin foam ring in seconds. The body is a translucent dark ruby brown with decent amount of carbonation bubbles. Some light lacing can be seen clinging temporarily to the sides of the glass between sips but does not seem to stick around long.

Sweet, dark fruit aromas comprise the majority of the nose with notes of dark, wild berries (blackberries, mulberries, etc.) Oak, black cherries, and barnyard funk add a good bit of complexity and sourness.

Like the nose, each sip starts sweet and dark with flavors of berries. Swirling the liquid in the mouth allows a surprisingly strong sourness to impact the sides of the tongue. Swallowing the beer releases more sourness, oak and wild berry flavor, and straight-up funk. Flavors of unsweetened blueberries, currants, and pomegranate come out at this stage. As these flavors fade, a true cabernet sauvignon wine flavor sets in leading to a pleasing dryness. Surprisingly, outside of the cab flavor, no alcohol is detected.

The medium body is refreshing and easy to swallow but just a tad sticky. The carbonation is worse than a bowl of Rice Krispies with milk being added. As the beer warms, the carbonation seems to die down, really letting all the flavors come to fruition.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 23:27:12 | More by output01x

DarthKostrizer

California

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

On tap at Churchill's during Churchill's Renaissance

Batch 2

Look: Pours a darker shade of brown with some red highlights 1/8 inch head and not much retention with some spotty lace

Smell: Dark fruits some tartness and oak

Taste: I was expecting this to be much more tart and sour but I think the age has done wonders for this beer. It is has some delicious sour berries with the black currant especially coming through some nice tart and sour sting with a bit of funk

Mouthfeel: Medium to thin body with medium carbonation and slightly tart

Overall: This is a damn fine example of a american wild ale I really enjoyed this and was glad I tried it

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2012 02:43:11 | More by DarthKostrizer

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

***Batch 004X3***

Big thanks to jzeilinger for this one.

Poured from a 375ml. bottle.

Appearance: Pours a lop sided 2-3 finger head (burnt sugar color) that quickly fizzes away with almost no lacing. A murky copper-light brown body with some red hints.

Smell: Sour berries, bit of sweetness and tartness not powerful. Some blackberries and wood.

Taste: Currants & blackberry seeds, really powerful with some tartness. Cabernet brings out the cork and red wine and melds seamlessly with the rest. Fine, tangy and complex.

Mouthfeel: Fairly dry and it fills every corner of the mouth. Tart but retains a level of comfort.

Overall: Really, really dug this. I could literally picture the currants i was tasting in the beer. ABV has zero impediment and this awesome blend is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 12:35:32 | More by papat444

OneBeertoRTA

California

4.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Out of all the non limited release RR sours this is the bees knees.

The pour is dark much more so than Temptation, the abv is whopping and well hidden.

This was the beer that turned my wife on to sours and her favorite to this day. When this is available at my local stores I get it ever time.

Highly recommended to any entry or veteran sour lover.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 16:25:35 | More by OneBeertoRTA

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

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

375 mL bottle (Batch 007) into my Ommegang tulip.

A - decanting carefully yields a incredibly fizzy and quickly dissipating finger of head, leaving virtually no lacing anywhere. clearly effervescent, with a deep brown/red body that is fairly translucent. absolutely effing gorgeous.

S - my oh my. it's definitely wild. some slight red wine characteristics, don't really get the currants, and then a whole host of wild notes. barnyardy funk, some acid bite. now that i see it, a little sweetness that may be from the currants. awesome.

T - really tasty. definitely get the currants and the wine character. the cabernet notes are absolutely amazing matched up with the acidic wild body. very dry mouthfeel. more understated in the funky flavors than the nose would imply, which is probably a good thing. some acid tang throughout the whole thing. really delicious.

M - really stunned by how great the mouthfeel of this beer is. seemed like it would be incredibly more effervescent, and it's not, which is actually great. somehow manages to have a slightly big body, even with the dryness and acidity. only gripe is that i probably couldn't drink several because of how acid it is- but no matter!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:26:14 | More by tehzachatak

TenHornsProud

Colorado

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

Pours a dark ruby with a fine white head. Slightly cloudy.

Big bretty armoa with clove and cherry notes. Some dark fruit, wood, funk, and horse blanket. Big, fantastic nose.

Cherry taste up front that goes into a cab/merlot red wine character that is bretty and ends on a bitter/sour kick. Slight wood-aged complexity sneaks in.

Medium to light body and high carbonation work quite well.

This is a fantastic beer that has a big red wine character.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 03:30:53 | More by TenHornsProud

WMEugene

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Batch 007

A - Pours a dark red/ruby color with a nice head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring and some lacing.

S - Tart and sour. Definitely pick up on the funkiness of the yeast. Dark fruits. Currants are the most noticeable fruit here. A very nice and strong smell.

T - Great sour notes...I definitely pick up apple and currant notes. Some cherry as well. A little bit of funkyness from the brett too. Very nice and complex. The Cabernet Sauvignon barrels add a nice touch and refined wine characteristic. This is the ideal sour beer - marvelous.

M - Medium bodied, it starts really sour and tart but a note of sweetness is present on the finish. For 10%, this drinks really nicely.

O - Consecration is one of the best sours I have ever had. It's extremely well done and inviting. I would love to have this again!

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:46:38 | More by WMEugene

deebo

Minnesota

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

On tap at RR.

A-Fairly clear dark amber with a white head clinging to glass.

S-Subdued funky Brett, Tart cherries, currants, and chocolate aroma.

T-Dark fruits, hints of tobacco with and ending with sourness and funky earthy yeast. Can tell this was aged in a cab barrel.

M-Fairly smooth, alcohol extremely well hidden for a 10% beer.

O-A very complex beer combining flavors found in guezue, cabernet, and a dark ale. The most complex sour I've tasted from US. Easy to drink with something new to discover in every sip.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 00:10:08 | More by deebo

drewone

California

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

On tap at Fathers Office, served in a short flute glass.

Deep red, small head.

Very subtle fruit with a touch of sourness, not a strong bouquet.

Complex layering of fruit, tarts and sours. Small amount of acidity.

Mouth puckering and carbonation play well off of each other. A weird mix of a sipper and a quaff-er.

This is a beer that every time I have I enjoy more, it just keeps getting better. I think I like it more than supplication now.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 04:46:39 | More by drewone

zac16125

Florida

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

Served on tap at Falling Rock in Denver, into a tulip glass

From notes taken on 1/6/2012
I was really excited to find this on tap

A: Dark amber red with 1 fingers width of snow white colored head which quickly dissipates down to and outter rim and leaves no lacing.

S: Strong red wine and sour grapes, sour apple and brett aromas with a hint of sour pear. Also a unique whisky like aroma.

T: Complex flavor profile, there is certainly a lot going on. Sour apple and sour grapes, plus some other grape flavors of the non sour variety. The brett is certainly noticed, and there is a touch of a whiskey like oak flavor. Towards the end of the drink the cab sauv flavors start to come out, although still not as strong as I anticipated. There is a great lingering aftertaste after every sip. The prominent flavors are certainly sour fruits and wine, although neither to the degree that I expected. Very good.

M/D:Bubbly, champagne-like mouthfeel, and each sip finishes dry like a good red wine. Heavy carbonation, medium bodied, good drinkability. I never would have guessed it is in double digit ABVs/ Perfect mouthfeel.

O: Overall, an excellent beer. Very unique, and a must try for fans of sours, wild ales, and unique beers in general.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 02:47:26 | More by zac16125

neobob187

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle, Batch 006.

A: Absolutely no head when poured from the bottle. You can see a very small amount of bubbles collected at the bottom of the glass, but other then that, no carbonation really looking at it. The color is a deep mahogany red.

S: I don't get as much of the currants as some have described. I'm getting more of a balsamic sour funk with deep fruit notes. As it warms you also definitely get the wine barrels it was aged in. Very dry funk to the nose.

T: For 10% this beer is definitely very drinkable. However the taste doesn't quite wow me. I had a Supplication earlier in the year and despite this beer's amazing description, I found Supplication to be more complex in the flavor. But that's just me. The taste is a really nice tart sour up front, but it finishes with a fruity sweet character. Figs, cherries, and some musty wine notes are all present.

M: Very lightly carbonated and tart on the back of the palate.

O: Overall I enjoyed this beer, but it didn't wow me the way I thought it would. Still, for an American Wild Red Sour Ale I found it to be quite pleasant. I will have to branch out and try the other wild ales Russian River makes because both Supplication and Consecration were very unique and interesting beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 04:37:36 | More by neobob187

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Small bottle shared with a few BA's.

This brew pours very still. Zero head, a few bubbles, no lace.

The nose is a deep current scent that is sweet prominent. There is also an amount of toffee-like notes that add to the sweetness.

The taste surprises me because there is a nice tartness that went unnoticed when smelling this brew. The sweetness offered by the currents is soon matched with an abundant amount of semi-sweet tartness. I am enjoying the balance here for sure.

The mouthfeel is pretty awkward for the style because the way this beer sits in the glass. It is so calm without any sings of carbonation but once the sip is taken, boom!, a lip smacking tartness is soon experienced .

Overall, this is a very unusual, wine-like brew that takes on some unfamiliarity in the visual department but makes up for it when tasted. I was uneasy but now satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 09:07:46 | More by ChugginOil

Stunner97

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance- light brown in color with little to no head or foam, only very small amount of bubbles to be seen slowly streaming

Smell- little bit of funk and tartness on the nose, currants, can really almost smell the tartness

Taste- you get a little bit of the wine and oak, also a little bit of the currant, but the predominant flavor is just strong sharp sourness, you really don't taste the alcohol at all but the funk and sour is strong,

Mouthfeel- very light and crisp, sour and tart feel, just very light and crisp

Overall/drinkability- while this beer was better then many of the other sours I have tried it still just is not my thing, i just simply don't get it, i can appreciate the complexity and strong flavors of this beer but to me these are just super hard to drink, i mean when i say this beer is sour its super super sour like lemonhead sour, certainly a unique experience but for me just not enjoyable really beyond the novelty

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 21:49:03 | More by Stunner97

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

3.78/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle 10,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
Batch 007

Thanks to futura123 for hooking me up with this one.

I had Temptation last night and while it was a very tasty sour with a lovely white wine character, it lacked both the power and depth of a true lambic. I hope that the uniqueness of Consecration (strength and ingredients) will give it a boost in these departments.

Appearance: Deep mahogany brown body that shows stunning red and orange highlights when back lit. A rough pour yields a small off white head that sadly fizzes away pretty quickly leaving no lacing.

Smell: The nose is initially quite restrained; however it begins to emerge after a short while and actually smells pretty damn good! Red wine, dark fruits (plums, cherries, figs and currants) and balsamic vinegar dominate the nose, with lighter notes of oak, a metallic quality (reminiscent of a Flemish red), barnyard and old cheese (old rather than nicely ripe) also present.

Taste: Unfortunately the flavour does not quite deliver the deliciousness that the nose promised – it almost seems as though part of the flavour is obscured by the moderate tartness.
Dark fruits (plums, figs, cherries and currants) dominate the flavour, with the red wine character slightly less prominent than in the nose. Balsamic, light spices, oak, an earthy character and a hint of barnyard are also noted. The tartness is moderate and makes Consecration sublimely drinkable for a 10% ale.

Mouthfeel: Unexpectedly at this Abv. Consecration is a medium (or just under) bodied ale with a high level of ultra smooth carbonation (Russian River seem to nail the carbonation in their sours!). The tartness is moderate and the finish is lightly dry.

Overall: Sadly consecration suffers from the same woes as Temptation - it just doesn't seem to have the depth of flavour that Belgian sours do. On the plus side, this is certainly the most drinkable 10% beer I have had! I will consider getting another bottle of consecration in the future - maybe a year or two of age will bump up the flavours.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 16:24:42 | More by Thehuntmaster

natemort13

California

3.65/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch 007

Pours a dark ruby bordering on maroon. What little head there was dissipates right away. Not super inviting but I'm not at all familiar with sours.

Smell is very pleasing if you like wine. Smells much smoother than a mediocre bottle of cab (I'm talking cheap mediocre...not sommelier mediocre). I get a lot of oak and spicy notes. Dark fruit and funkiness.

Sourness is present right away and lingers well into the finish. In between there's bright and tart cherry. As it warms there are very nice oak notes that come out. Some tobacco.

Mouthfeel...The RR website tells me its full bodied but I would call it medium. The sourness may be throwing off my perception but that's how it seems to me.

Overall...Not my cup of tea. The beer might've been too young, and I don't know anything about aging sours or the style in general. It's not too harsh or intense. Just not pleasant to me. Gonna stick to PtE for now, but I'm glad I tried it. Any insight to sours is welcome through beermail.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:04:19 | More by natemort13

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev -42.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Disclaimer: still not a fan of sours, but will try to keep this in mind while reviewing. Batch 005x1e
A: deep clear amber w/dark ruby highlights. Similar to the color of an old madeira. Little to no head dissipates immediately and cannot be roused back by swirling. No lacing. Served in tulip glass.
S: dark stone fruit and red wine dominate. Some funkiness and earthiness but those characteristics are not overpowering.
T: very little residual sweetness present. Mostly dry and sour. Nose carries over into the taste. Very mich like drinking a lightly carbonated tannic red wine, although the sourness is more vinegary than tannic. Some oak/vanilla noted which is a nice layer of complexity here.
M: this must be the lightest bodied 10% beer I've ever had by a mile, due to the high attenuation. Sourness lingers. more CO2 would've helped, as there is very little.
O/D: for the style, I am sure this is a great achievement. But I can't see having very much of this and would need to be in the mood for it. This probably would be a great pairing for some food/dishes, and as a component of such as well, although the cost would be prohibitive in the latter case.
I'm certain some lovers of this beer and/or sours will report this review (much like my review of thomas hardy's old ale). To these people i can only say i tried to be open-minded and enjoy having my own opinion, and that i prefer beer to wine.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 03:25:50 | More by MrMcGibblets