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Consecration
Russian River Brewing Company

ConsecrationConsecration
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
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 dmgeng:
Photo of dmgeng
Reviewed by dmgeng from Indiana

3.7/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
One of the top rated sours in the country and I finally got one from my buddy Randy!

A - Rich burgundy color when poured but is a red-tinged brown color in the glass. Slightly cloudy from the yeast with a nice white head but subsides to nothing after a minute or two.

S - The smell is fruity and very complex. It is vinous with the currants and typical cab grape fruit notes. There is some alcohol, some fruit esters, and some soft Belgian character present. There is some sour and some oakiness but the dark fruit character is true.

T - The first sip just explodes with red wine vinegar! The sour makes you pucker from the front to the back of the palate. After the initial sour punch the complexities come out. There is a fruit character more like Cabernet and not as much like the currants. There is the sweetness of the malt, oak, and some Belgian character but it is very subtle in comparison to the strong sour character.

M - Medium to light mouth-feel with light carbonation. Like a sour soda that has fizz initially but dies down and for 10% ABV it is much more like a wine than a Belgian strong ale.

Overall, a very interesting beer. I was not expecting the full on sour, red wine vinegar, shock to my palate when I first cracked this open. It is a unique experience with a distinct sour and then sweet/complex nature. It is also very thin for what the base beer is and very much like a sour wine. I would not recommend this unless you like sours and have a heart for a bolder sour experience. I could see someone liking it but at an "rAvg: 4.5" I was expecting more flavor and less sour.

Glass- Tulip
Apr 04, 2015
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