Consecration - Russian River Brewing Company

gpioski

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This was my very first "sour ale":

Menu says American wild ale with currants and aged in oak barrels.

A- dark red-brown. no head. decent carbonation.

S- cherries. sourness. clear hints of pinot nior wine. oak aromas.

T- Really dry. Almost tastes like a glass of wine. Can definitely taste the wine notes from the barrel. cherries/grapes/currants. Very tart and sour. No traditional beer flavors present.

M- nice texture. definitely bites back with dryness. nice carbonation. tart, but refreshing. also has a bit of alcohol bite.

D- Tasty and refreshing, but ABV makes it a bit difficult to have more than one...

Awesome, but definitely an acquired taste. My wife liked it, but one of the other wives hated it. Hop heads might not like it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2010 00:23:33 | More by gpioski

Knownfactor

Colorado

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

Pours a dark amber, very little head. Aroma: Oak, Cherries, sour, sweetness. Taste: very sour currants/cherries/plums. very complex and oakey. Finish is very sour and leaves my mouth watering for more. Best sour I've had and for a 10% brew i could drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 02:26:29 | More by Knownfactor

messyhair42

Colorado

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

This is my first review on BA. This beer is so outstanding I feel I must review it.

Appearance: Poured into an oversize red wine glass, pours red-brown with a thin head that disappears quickly. Using a headlamp to give it some backlight reveals a steady stream of bubbles rising to the top

Smell: Leather funk, and like spontaneously fermenting raspberries.

Taste: Like it smells, tart on the back of the tongue, caramel sweetness. I've had barrel aged beer and brett soured beer before, but never together, and this is nothing like I've tasted in either case. Its complexity changes as it warms to room temperature; the currant flavors come out more and the sourness is much more pronounced. it develops a creamy softness that balances out the flavors. the 10% alcohol is completely masked by the other flavors and textures. has a very long finish that tastes like a full bodied cabernet. the finish is complimented by a well aged asiago and a single sip of Islay single matl scotch

Mouthfeel: the carbonation tickles the tongue almost as much as the sourness.

as a whole this beer is amazing, will probably drink again as a special occasion.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 05:43:22 | More by messyhair42

Dobby

California

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: a dark ruby read with high carbonation and about a 2 finger head

S: Mostly brett with a hint of cherries and oak

T: Lots of brett up front but who says thats a bad thing. Some oak and cherries come though, mild tartness, enjoyable.

M: Well carbonated, creates a nice puckering sensation. Hint of dryness

D: I love RR sours and initially this was my favorite. Seems like a fair amount of batch variation with consecration but nonetheless a great beer by RR

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 21:40:18 | More by Dobby

ahpark

California

4.47/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle, batch 001X4, into a tulip. Poured almost like cola, a nice dark fizzy reddish brown. Head is almost nonexistent, as it really just fizzed out relatively quickly. Carbonation is insane; even with no head I can actually hear it fizzing away in the tulip glass.

Smells how it looks, of dark cherries, raisins, and other sour dark reddish colored fruits. An afterscent of champagne or sparkling wine is unsurprisingly evident.

Taste is very very tart. I knew this was a sour, but did not know it would be quite this pronounced. The dark black cherry taste definitely shines through, with an aftertaste of dates or figs. Reminiscent of a dry sparkling cabernet.

Mouthfeel is pretty awesome; the bottle-conditioned carbonation definitely lends the beer a light body with a nice astringency at the end.

Drinkability is definitely there. It's so similar to sparkling wine or champagne, it's a sipper for sure. The tartness really is a curveball, and I'm not quite sure how much of this I could drink without my tastebuds shriveling up and dying on me, but it's definitely refreshing. At 10%ABV though, I can't see myself drinking too much of this without having a wicked headache later in the night or the next morning.

Overall, definitely an amazing brew that everyone should try. Not something I can see myself drinking regularly, but more like a celebration brew to break out on special occasions. I'm definitely interested in cellaring this and trying it a couple years down the line.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 03:39:10 | More by ahpark

sherm1016

Wisconsin

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

Batch 04x2, 375ml Bottle purchased at LaBodega Wine and Spirits in Riverside CA. Pours a clear, beautiful reddish-brown color with little to no head. Aroma is fruity and sour. Medium on the palate with average carbonation. Flavor is a clean sour with hints of fruit and oak. Extremely smooth. I said it about Supplication, and I'll say it about Consecration: I would drink this every day if money and availability would allow.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 01:56:10 | More by sherm1016

jmadrigal2

California

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

Had this out of the bottle.

The appearance was brown/red color with little head.

Smelled of cherry, hint of alcohol and a hint of tamarind

Taste is similar to the smell. Sweet fruity taste at the start but quickly turns tart. The tartness does not linger long and ends mildly sweet.

I like this beer a lot and always pick up a bottle to enjoy whenever I can.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 22:18:36 | More by jmadrigal2

duncan9idaho

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Color is dark amber with small lacing. Head was think on pour. Nose has barnyard, coffee, fruit, and a hint of perfume. Taste was strong sour with hay and fruit flavor finishing with a hint of tannin and bread. Not the most drinkable beer but a 10 ounce pour will do the trick. Excellent!

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2009 23:53:49 | More by duncan9idaho

socaltay

California

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

Aroma is very sour with notes of fruit. The appearance is a brandy color with red hints coming through. The taste is sour, but in the best way possible. It is a perfect example of a wine-barrel aged beer. My favorite sour ale at the moment by far. Hopefully my local store will have some more soon. Russian River Brewing really has their act together with a great variety of top notch beers coming out, I have yet to be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2011 04:41:00 | More by socaltay

SidVicious619

California

4.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this one into a Tulip Glass that looked like Dark Raspbeery rust with an off white head lacing and some sticky foam. Big fruit nose you wouldn't believe from the currant. notes of tart cherries, esters and red wine. I'm a Gueuze fan so the Sourness hit the spot. Flavors of Sour Cherries, oak, funk and some dry hops is in the background. Feels like a lightly carbonated red wine which made every sip one to remember. Hats off to Russian River!

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2009 05:43:22 | More by SidVicious619

Jessee

California

4.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wonderful beer that comes out in a dark purple haze color. The head fades away fast, but leaves a light ring around the edge of the glass. Not a strong nose, but certainly got a little sour fruit (cherries and grapes). The bright taste with the sour finish was wonderful. It was not overpowering, but just perfect in finish. And the flavor kept on for a long time after, causing me to buy another 2. One for aging.

Served in a snifter.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 13:37:15 | More by Jessee

localhost

California

4.63/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I lack the proper adjectives to describe the taste of this beer. I have had it both in a bottle and on top now, most recently on tap. It is extremely sour, yet has an amazing flavor.

Pours dark red with very little head, looks very inviting. Smells very sweet and sour. The taste is a complete explosion of fruity sourness and sweetness. I'm not sure what exactly i'm tasting, all i know is that it is strong and i like it. My mouth was a little dry afterward but not much more than other beers. Even though this beer is incredibly sour, i found myself ordering more than one in a row, so i would say the drinkability is pretty good. Definitely a sipping beer, but still amazing overall.

Long story short: buy it and drink it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2010 04:16:28 | More by localhost

paulxqx

California

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

A loud pop when the cork popped.
Poured into a medium sized tulip glass.
Small head that disappeared quickly

The color was like a golden red, it looked heavenly.

The smell is remarkable! One of the most complex smells of any beer I have tried. It smelled like a fine cabernet sauvignon wine. Slightly sour, currants.

The flavor explodes the second it hits your lips! Such a remarkable complicated flavor,.. but in a good way. Tastes like a rich wed wine, sour, fruity, slight hints of vanilla.

Someone else reviewing this beer said that it has champagne like carbonation, I think that is pretty accurate. A little wetter though.

Extremely drinkable! I would not mind drinking on this year around. Every sip is fulfilling and rewarding. Complete perfection.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this you will not be dissapointed

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 01:34:58 | More by paulxqx

Randalld

Michigan

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

A-Rusty copper brown. Little pieces of sediment swirling around the glass. Tiny head that disspates quicky. Complex and interesting to look at honestly.

S-Vinegar, oak, sour apples, tart cherries.

T-Immediately sour, tangy, and out right funky. In a good way of course. Vinegar and sour apples show up again in the taste Along with some tart cherries and currants.

M-Medium mouthfeel with expected carbonation for the style, i think. carbonation is tingly and has a little sting to it. the finish is bitter and dry. I found it to be very refreshing.

D-I've only had a handfull of wild ales but this one i enjoyed the most. I could drink this all summer long if i had the access. I wish RR would put these in sixers and ship them over to the third coast.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 08:18:59 | More by Randalld

BeerTwins

Arizona

4.72/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

We really enjoyed this ale. The label does not mention that is a sour. But it turned out to be an excellent example of the style. Poured a rich burgundy color with a faint aroma of currants. The sourness is very refreshing. Currents and rich cabernet wine flavor is evident from the start. The flavor grows more complex as the beer warms adding hints of tobacco and figs.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 01:51:15 | More by BeerTwins

Bottlebomber

California

4.78/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Imbibed from a Cabernet glass

A: a dark garnet red, no head whatsoever. No lacing on the glass. The bugs have decimated any head-forming proteins on this one. No flaws that I can think of considering the style.

S: Wow. Vanilla, oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, tobacco, cedar cigar box... Fruit. Prunes, plums, cherries. I could smell until it got warm trying to name all the smells coming off of this. Easily the most aromatic beer I have ever tried. More like wine than beer.

T: A sour for sour lovers. This is one of them tooth enamel grating beers. It takes a few sips to re-calibrate for this beer. My first reaction was not that it was delicious. It took me a full 3rd if the beer to get in the mood. And then, once my mouth became accustomed to the low PH, I started getting pulling out what this beer is famous for. Again the smell was so intoxicating that is is hard to tell where smells stop and flavors begin, but this beer has it all. Pie cherries dominant, balsamic vinegar, burnt sugar, stone fruit, dried cherries, currants( obviously), ever so faint of a biscuity malt character is the only indication that this is beer. It's almost overwhelming really. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum from Pliny. My only criticism - and this is a matter of personal preference - is that the beer could have been a couple of points sweeter. The bugs are going to do their worst and best to this so this is largely out of the brewers hands, and I know RR would never back sweeten, but I think just a touch more sweetness would have brought more out of the beer, and helped to moderate the sourness. No trace of ABV whatsoever, amazing considering 10%

M: Thin, dry, Puckery, but with a little silky smoothness.

O: This is not beer, it's wine. After I finished this I had to switch to wine for the night, there is no way to transition to an IPA or any kind of malt driven beverage after you have one of these. A masterpiece. Thank you.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:11:15 | More by Bottlebomber

kornkid8600

California

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

The taste is of oakiness, dark fruits, currants, a lot of the wine flavors really come in. Smells amazing, its a lot like wine, but its well carbonated, infact when the cork came off it started overflowing immediately.

Poured into a stemless wide sniffer. The bubbles kept flowing up from the bottom of the glass once it was poured. Dark brown, little head that disappears quickly, little lacing. It has a tart and sour taste, its pretty sour, but its actually pleasant.

If you're a beer noob I'd probably wait a bit as there's a lot of complexity, keep trying other stuff, heavier stuff. Because I had my friend's sisters try it and they gave that puckering look from the sourness.

I can't really fault the beer, but $23 is a LOT of money for beer. If it was 10-12 bucks I'd pick it up all the time, but this is something you should try once.
I'm still going to go try the other Russian River sours as I come across them.

Batch 04x04

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 00:02:56 | More by kornkid8600

Lessurluck

California

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

Had this at Toronado's 3rd anniversary. Love that place!
As a celebration for there anniversary they popped open a bottle of batch #2. What luck right?

So overall I really liked it. I wish I had other batches to compare to. This one is very sour some probably wont like how sour this is but I definitely would recommend if you love sours.

Smell was very similar to other consecrations very sour, tart, vinegar, I smelt a little creamy banana.

Color was red with little bit of brownish hues. good carbonation similar to other consecrations.

taste was sour, tart, creamy with a little bit of vanilla and tangy grape/cherry sourness with tingle on the back of the throat.

I had a Malhuer 12 before they gave us this and I had to finish it after the consecration, it gave the Malhuer a big hop characteristic which was kinda interesting. So i don't recommend tasting other beers after this one.

Thank you Toronados!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 18:48:04 | More by Lessurluck

rummy666

Utah

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

A - Dark, clear, with a burgundy hue. A good head, not too big, that quickly dissolves into the beer.

S - Smells like no beer that you've ever tasted. More of a wine nose than a beer smell. Similar to a pinot noir. They say that there are currants in it, and you can for sure smell them.

T - Tastes like pinot noir, with a nice hint of carbonation. Beautiful taste of the currants, gives it a tart cherry flavor. 10%, but not boozy tasting at all.

M - Smooth and carbonated. Really has the more of the feel of champagne then beer.

O - Delicious. It's hard to really explain it since it doesn't taste much like a beer and more like champagne. Seriously, you have to try this one. Incredible.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 03:33:00 | More by rummy666

abenf

4.46/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured out of a bottle into a wine glass. This one was bottled in September 2012.

A: Thin layer of bubbles instantly disperses. Murky dark orange color. It's pretty.

S: The first thing is wine, some acidity, a little lemon and a little cherry, the wine thing is pleasantly sweet. The sweetness and the lemon together make me think of lemonheads.

T: Not as sweet as the nose. It's bittersweet and it tastes really good. Starts off enjoyably sour, my mouth got used to it pretty quick and it turned into nice tartness with little kick of acidity at the end. I can tell there're a lot of flavors going on but I'm not discerning enough to say what they are. Overall it tasted kind of floral. One weird thing I tasted in the beginning is Worcestershire.

M: Not as smooth as I'd like. I noticed the carbonation. Not thin but I'd prefer it a little thicker than it is. I can tell that it's 10% in the back of my throat.

Overall I enjoy it. I'm fairly new to sours but this reassures me that it's a style that I reeeaally like. I really enjoy the wine character and it makes me want it to feel more velvety. This was my first Russian River and all of the hype I've read and heard seems merited to me!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:45:41 | More by abenf

hopenator

Washington

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

I am overwhelmed with appreciation for this tasty beverage. Pours dark amber/ruby (my lighting is not very good) with almost nonexistent white head. Feels very smooth in my mouth, and mouth-puckeringly sour. With grape, floral, and oak tones, it almost tastes like a fine red wine--maybe a Syrah?--and I mean that in a good way.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2009 01:24:15 | More by hopenator

fcaf

Washington

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Had two pours from the local Belgian pub and two bottles from the supermarket. Both showed a beautiful reddish-brown color with a small head. The taste was sour without being gaudy about it, with a balancing sweetness that covered the high ABV almost entirely.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2010 23:13:05 | More by fcaf

Cobrakaikid

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got to try this thanks to rencelas. Poured into Schlafly large tasting glass. Pours dark brown with a reddish tint. Smell like plum and cherries. Taste is very sour but very enjoyable. I could share a 750ml of this but not drink one by myself. Overall a great first sour for me from RR.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 05:17:08 | More by Cobrakaikid

Gameover170

Indiana

4.93/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

My second sour, this is fantastic!

Smell of cherries, raspberries, currants and spice.

Taste is delicious, fruity, sour but yet can taste the cab in the back of throat.

Mouthful is medium, lightly carbonated.

Overall, really digging sours, and this is at the top of the list of must haves

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:19:50 | More by Gameover170

dapper

Washington

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

Got this one from MSM deli on 6th Ave. At $22 a bottle I had to catch a sample. Pours a deep brown, has an apple cider effect with a fizzy head that evaps quickly. Its aged so it has that barrel smell with hints of fruits and leather. Big carbonation and champagne like feel
in the mouth. Tastes like champagne to me with apple and citrus notes. I enjoy drinking this as it is mellow and bubbly. Overall a decent beer that is worth the price to drink every once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 00:01:53 | More by dapper