Consecration | Russian River Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Russian River Brewing Company
California, United States
rrbeer.com
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Belgian-style dark ale aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with currants.
Added by Gueuzedude on 10-31-2008
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 1,130 | Ratings: 5,135
3.66/5 rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Shared a 750ml bottle at DLD with friends. Opened up a 375ml since I vaguely remember it before.
A- Pours brown in color, maybe hints of red almost ruby depending on the light. Very little head to speak of though.
S- Very strong notes of vinegar, tartness. Tough to get much else through it. Maybe hints of cherry, but very little.
T- Follows the nose pretty close. Lots of tart, brett, sourness up front and throughout. There is maybe some fruit, cherry taste sprinkled in. The tartness dominates the other flavors though.
M- Medium body, low carbonation. Very acidic and works over your throat.
O- Lots of sourness. The one I had a DLD didn't seem to be as sour, but has some age on it. Wouldn't be able to drink another bottle of this in the same night. Always fascinated with sours like this, try to pull out more flavors, this one was tough to do though.
★ 866 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Shared a 750ml bottle at DLD with friends. Opened up a 375ml since I vaguely remember it before.
A- Pours brown in color, maybe hints of red almost ruby depending on the light. Very little head to speak of though.
S- Very strong notes of vinegar, tartness. Tough to get much else through it. Maybe hints of cherry, but very little.
T- Follows the nose pretty close. Lots of tart, brett, sourness up front and throughout. There is maybe some fruit, cherry taste sprinkled in. The tartness dominates the other flavors though.
M- Medium body, low carbonation. Very acidic and works over your throat.
O- Lots of sourness. The one I had a DLD didn't seem to be as sour, but has some age on it. Wouldn't be able to drink another bottle of this in the same night. Always fascinated with sours like this, try to pull out more flavors, this one was tough to do though.
★ 866 characters
3.68/5 rDev -16.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375ml bottle, batch 004x4. Sent to me by boatshoes. I was totally stoked to see this one in there.
A- The color of this beer is basically the same color as the label. The carbonation fizzes up a head violently fast. It doesnt even get done gathering before its gone. No lacing, no head, not even any bubbles. Thats not always a bad thing when it comes to a sour though, I suppose.
S- This is a good smelling beer though. Very acidic. Lots of vinegar that stings the nostrils. A healthy dose of horsey funk. A nice woodiness is also apparent. Red wine, currants and glue come in subdominately.
T- Quite sour. The phrase "ass puckering" has been going around this site since Overlord coined it. Its beers like this that keep that phrase alive. Very acidic, one of the more acidic beers Ive tasted. Again, a considerable amount of funk. Lots of old, beat up oak barrel, and cellar door. Tartness that is akin to very under ripe berries. Wow this is strong on wood (to write in a very stream of conscience manner). Vinegar, unripe plum skin. Pretty aggressive.
M- Very biting. Very dry. It leaves a grape juice acidity in the mouth as it strips your palate bare.
D- Very aggressive. I think I feel it trying to upset my stomach. I like it nonetheless. This beer will let you know what it thinks of you, and it doesnt think to highly of your attitude.
This beer in one word: Rancorous.
★ 1,390 characters
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375ml bottle, batch 004x4. Sent to me by boatshoes. I was totally stoked to see this one in there.
A- The color of this beer is basically the same color as the label. The carbonation fizzes up a head violently fast. It doesnt even get done gathering before its gone. No lacing, no head, not even any bubbles. Thats not always a bad thing when it comes to a sour though, I suppose.
S- This is a good smelling beer though. Very acidic. Lots of vinegar that stings the nostrils. A healthy dose of horsey funk. A nice woodiness is also apparent. Red wine, currants and glue come in subdominately.
T- Quite sour. The phrase "ass puckering" has been going around this site since Overlord coined it. Its beers like this that keep that phrase alive. Very acidic, one of the more acidic beers Ive tasted. Again, a considerable amount of funk. Lots of old, beat up oak barrel, and cellar door. Tartness that is akin to very under ripe berries. Wow this is strong on wood (to write in a very stream of conscience manner). Vinegar, unripe plum skin. Pretty aggressive.
M- Very biting. Very dry. It leaves a grape juice acidity in the mouth as it strips your palate bare.
D- Very aggressive. I think I feel it trying to upset my stomach. I like it nonetheless. This beer will let you know what it thinks of you, and it doesnt think to highly of your attitude.
This beer in one word: Rancorous.
★ 1,390 characters
3.69/5 rDev -16.3%
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.
★ 1,000 characters
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.
★ 1,000 characters
3.7/5 rDev -16.1%
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
★ 1,616 characters
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
★ 1,616 characters
3.72/5 rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from bottle (batch005X2F) into snifter glass. Pours a deep reddish-orange-brown color with a small off-white head that dissipates, although there is some visible carbonation throughout. Aroma of sour lemon, tart cherries and other dark fruits (must be the currants), oak, vanilla, and some funk. Flavor of tart cherries and currants, sour lemon, tart apples, oak, vanilla, funk, and a hint of vinegar. The ABV is well masked here. Medium-bodied, with a sour mouthfeel and mellow carbonation. Complex, well-balanced, and interesting. I am not a big fan of sours, but am glad to have tried this one as well as the other RR sours!
★ 634 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from bottle (batch005X2F) into snifter glass. Pours a deep reddish-orange-brown color with a small off-white head that dissipates, although there is some visible carbonation throughout. Aroma of sour lemon, tart cherries and other dark fruits (must be the currants), oak, vanilla, and some funk. Flavor of tart cherries and currants, sour lemon, tart apples, oak, vanilla, funk, and a hint of vinegar. The ABV is well masked here. Medium-bodied, with a sour mouthfeel and mellow carbonation. Complex, well-balanced, and interesting. I am not a big fan of sours, but am glad to have tried this one as well as the other RR sours!
★ 634 characters
3.73/5 rDev -15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Batch 003x001
Pours an amber/brown but when held up to the light comes across as rose.
The smell is very complex with many wine like qualities. Smells sour, raisny, oak, and a slight chocolate background.
The taste is also pretty sour . Oak and age smooth the alcohol out very nicely and make it easy to sip.
This isnt a beer youd want to drink too fast, more so to just enjoy it through out a night and good dinner. I probably wouldnt buy this beer again though due to the high price but Im glad I got to try it once.
★ 523 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Batch 003x001
Pours an amber/brown but when held up to the light comes across as rose.
The smell is very complex with many wine like qualities. Smells sour, raisny, oak, and a slight chocolate background.
The taste is also pretty sour . Oak and age smooth the alcohol out very nicely and make it easy to sip.
This isnt a beer youd want to drink too fast, more so to just enjoy it through out a night and good dinner. I probably wouldnt buy this beer again though due to the high price but Im glad I got to try it once.
★ 523 characters
3.73/5 rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at O'Brien's,
A: Pours darker than a beet red, with a small cap of white foam.
S: Got some interesting cherry and wine notes, but wanted a bit more. Some chocolate in there too.
T: Heavy balsamic vinegar and wine character, almost had a rancid fruit characteristic, in a good way though. Fig and dark fruit notes. Not light on the funk. Sweetness comes out in the finish to the beer which I liked. Not the greatest flavour for me, but certainly interesting.
M: Upfront acidity, then the mouthfeel lightens up a bit, a little too thin at times.
D: An intriguing beer from Russian River. I don't think I liked it as much as everyone around me did, but I enjoyed trying it.
Edit - I've had this beer a few times since the original review, still not wowed, but I've found myself liking it more and more. Upping the taste score to a 4 (from 3.5).
★ 854 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at O'Brien's,
A: Pours darker than a beet red, with a small cap of white foam.
S: Got some interesting cherry and wine notes, but wanted a bit more. Some chocolate in there too.
T: Heavy balsamic vinegar and wine character, almost had a rancid fruit characteristic, in a good way though. Fig and dark fruit notes. Not light on the funk. Sweetness comes out in the finish to the beer which I liked. Not the greatest flavour for me, but certainly interesting.
M: Upfront acidity, then the mouthfeel lightens up a bit, a little too thin at times.
D: An intriguing beer from Russian River. I don't think I liked it as much as everyone around me did, but I enjoyed trying it.
Edit - I've had this beer a few times since the original review, still not wowed, but I've found myself liking it more and more. Upping the taste score to a 4 (from 3.5).
★ 854 characters
3.75/5 rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Ineedabeerhere for this beer. Poured from a Batch 1 750ml corked & caged bottle into a Liefmans lambic glass.
A: "Mahogandy" (red/brown/burgundy) color with a fizzy head that dies down to nothing.
S: Currants and oak - exactly how the beer was meant to smell.
T: Currants and oak - exactly how this beer was meant to taste. I thought this was a little too sweet, a little sour, and a little medicinal.
M: Dry, vinous, and lots of carbonation.
D: Between the acetic value and ABV, I thought this was a little tough to get through by myself.
Overall, the Americans just can't keep up with the European lambic brewers.
★ 631 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Ineedabeerhere for this beer. Poured from a Batch 1 750ml corked & caged bottle into a Liefmans lambic glass.
A: "Mahogandy" (red/brown/burgundy) color with a fizzy head that dies down to nothing.
S: Currants and oak - exactly how the beer was meant to smell.
T: Currants and oak - exactly how this beer was meant to taste. I thought this was a little too sweet, a little sour, and a little medicinal.
M: Dry, vinous, and lots of carbonation.
D: Between the acetic value and ABV, I thought this was a little tough to get through by myself.
Overall, the Americans just can't keep up with the European lambic brewers.
★ 631 characters
3.75/5 rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
375ml corked and caged bottle. Batch 005X2F...
A - Pours an amber/brown with a one finger tan head that dissipates almost immediately...
S - Smells of various fruits; cherries, green apples, and mixed berries. Don't detect any heat in the scent...
T - The cherries and mixed berries from the scent come through with a little oak. Ends on a tart note with some heat making an appereance. Abv is noticeable, but is not over the top. Very smooth and well ballanced...
M - Medium bodied with lots of carbonation...
O - Not my favorite style, but something I enjoy from time to time. Glad I finally tried this one. Solid example of the style, and something I will be definitely be picking up again...
Cheers...
★ 711 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
375ml corked and caged bottle. Batch 005X2F...
A - Pours an amber/brown with a one finger tan head that dissipates almost immediately...
S - Smells of various fruits; cherries, green apples, and mixed berries. Don't detect any heat in the scent...
T - The cherries and mixed berries from the scent come through with a little oak. Ends on a tart note with some heat making an appereance. Abv is noticeable, but is not over the top. Very smooth and well ballanced...
M - Medium bodied with lots of carbonation...
O - Not my favorite style, but something I enjoy from time to time. Glad I finally tried this one. Solid example of the style, and something I will be definitely be picking up again...
Cheers...
★ 711 characters
3.75/5 rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from strang. Batch 008. From notes.
A - Deep red colour, cloudy with one finger of light brown head that fizzled away fast. Quite effervescent. No lace, no retention.
S - Grapes, plums, Brett, some wood, lemon candy, mustiness.
T - Tart with grapes and not much else. Musty, tart, lemons, not much 'dark' to speak of, it's mostly just a Brett assault. Maybe a tiny bit of dark fruit was there. No alcohol.
M - Strong carbonation, medium to full body, puckering tart finish.
O/D - Enjoyed it. Too bad there couldn't be more malt complexity with the Brett dialed back. Carbonation was also a bit much and made tasting a bit difficult. Not bad for a wild ale though and was pleasant to drink, but didn't seem to break new ground for the style .
★ 753 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from strang. Batch 008. From notes.
A - Deep red colour, cloudy with one finger of light brown head that fizzled away fast. Quite effervescent. No lace, no retention.
S - Grapes, plums, Brett, some wood, lemon candy, mustiness.
T - Tart with grapes and not much else. Musty, tart, lemons, not much 'dark' to speak of, it's mostly just a Brett assault. Maybe a tiny bit of dark fruit was there. No alcohol.
M - Strong carbonation, medium to full body, puckering tart finish.
O/D - Enjoyed it. Too bad there couldn't be more malt complexity with the Brett dialed back. Carbonation was also a bit much and made tasting a bit difficult. Not bad for a wild ale though and was pleasant to drink, but didn't seem to break new ground for the style .
★ 753 characters
3.77/5 rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
37.5 cl bottel poured into my cantilion tulip glass
Pours a slightly hazy amber with an orange-white head.
The strong sour aroma holds notes of tart fruits and berries, as well as wood and light funk.
Flavor is immediately sweet but then becomes quite sour with bright fruitiness.
Light to medium in body with fine, fizzy carbonation. Finishes with a long sour note and heavy dryness
★ 388 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
37.5 cl bottel poured into my cantilion tulip glass
Pours a slightly hazy amber with an orange-white head.
The strong sour aroma holds notes of tart fruits and berries, as well as wood and light funk.
Flavor is immediately sweet but then becomes quite sour with bright fruitiness.
Light to medium in body with fine, fizzy carbonation. Finishes with a long sour note and heavy dryness
★ 388 characters
3.78/5 rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I live in Delaware and we can not find Russian River anywhere around. I found some the other day at Monks Cafe in downtown Philadelphia.
The appearance in very dark and ruby. Almost like a pinot noir. It poured a little thick with almost no carbonation. There was little head that dissipated rather quickly.
The smell was very light in my opinion. Lots of sweet fruit with a little sour as well.
Taste was very good. It was sweet and sour and had almost taken on the pinot taste from the barrels that is aged on. It has some nice hops at the back of the palate.
Mouthfeel was very nice as well. It almost appears like wine but it had a lot of carbonation behind it. I was really not expecting the carbonation.
Drinkability is good but not great. If you like wild-ale this would be great. I could not keep drinking again and again especially with a $30 price tag. But you get what you pay for.
It was a great beer and I will drink again.
★ 942 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I live in Delaware and we can not find Russian River anywhere around. I found some the other day at Monks Cafe in downtown Philadelphia.
The appearance in very dark and ruby. Almost like a pinot noir. It poured a little thick with almost no carbonation. There was little head that dissipated rather quickly.
The smell was very light in my opinion. Lots of sweet fruit with a little sour as well.
Taste was very good. It was sweet and sour and had almost taken on the pinot taste from the barrels that is aged on. It has some nice hops at the back of the palate.
Mouthfeel was very nice as well. It almost appears like wine but it had a lot of carbonation behind it. I was really not expecting the carbonation.
Drinkability is good but not great. If you like wild-ale this would be great. I could not keep drinking again and again especially with a $30 price tag. But you get what you pay for.
It was a great beer and I will drink again.
★ 942 characters
3.79/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375ml brown glass bottle with an intricate cork+steel wire cap served into a hefeweissbier glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations were high as this is me second favourite brewery in the world and me favourite in the Americas.
A: Pours a three finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and poor retention. Colour is a dark copper with the potential for overcarbonation, judging by the bubbles. It's appealing in a generic sense.
Sm: Aroma consists of souring hops - which aren't overpowering like some lambics, wine, grapes, mild wood notes, and some lactic notes. Aroma is of moderate to mild strength.
T: A very complex taste, consisting primarily of souring hops but with a wine "shell" around it. Some cedar comes through, particularly from the midpoint through the climax. If berries are present, they're buried. The finish smacks of grapes, which closes out the flavour nicely. No alcohol comes through.
Mf: Very smack your lips pleasant due to the grape finish - sort of a slight Welch's commercial effect. It's smooth and wet all around, but perchance a touch too thick. Overcarbonation is slight but existent.
Dr: It hides its ABV very well, and has some great complex flavours, but does suffer from some minor issues, namely overcarbonation. I could see this getting better with age, but it'd be very difficult to drink more than one. It's nice to kick back and enjoy after returning from work, but sippers only go so far. Excellent value in California.
★ 1,510 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375ml brown glass bottle with an intricate cork+steel wire cap served into a hefeweissbier glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations were high as this is me second favourite brewery in the world and me favourite in the Americas.
A: Pours a three finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and poor retention. Colour is a dark copper with the potential for overcarbonation, judging by the bubbles. It's appealing in a generic sense.
Sm: Aroma consists of souring hops - which aren't overpowering like some lambics, wine, grapes, mild wood notes, and some lactic notes. Aroma is of moderate to mild strength.
T: A very complex taste, consisting primarily of souring hops but with a wine "shell" around it. Some cedar comes through, particularly from the midpoint through the climax. If berries are present, they're buried. The finish smacks of grapes, which closes out the flavour nicely. No alcohol comes through.
Mf: Very smack your lips pleasant due to the grape finish - sort of a slight Welch's commercial effect. It's smooth and wet all around, but perchance a touch too thick. Overcarbonation is slight but existent.
Dr: It hides its ABV very well, and has some great complex flavours, but does suffer from some minor issues, namely overcarbonation. I could see this getting better with age, but it'd be very difficult to drink more than one. It's nice to kick back and enjoy after returning from work, but sippers only go so far. Excellent value in California.
★ 1,510 characters
3.79/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
First of two 375ml's purchased in Philly last week. The other one is staying in the cellar for a couple years. Batch 004x1, which according to Russian River's website, means this was brewed 3/25/09, and bottled 2/2/10.
Pours a see-through brown, an off-white head quickly fizzles away to a thin ring. Some sediment floating about. No lacing.
Big amount of sweaty funky aromas, cherry and red wine notes, green apple.
Lots of red wine and barrel tastes, sour red grapes. Very prominent oak/wood tastes, funk and barnyard. The fruit is stronger as it warms. Some alcohol here and there. I wasn't very impressed at first but it grew on me enough to give it a 4 for taste about halfway through.
Carbonation is on the high side, feels a bit thin and boozy. A long, dry, sour finish.
Pretty good but underwhelming, definitely not in the league of Supplication or Temptation in my opinion.
★ 888 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
First of two 375ml's purchased in Philly last week. The other one is staying in the cellar for a couple years. Batch 004x1, which according to Russian River's website, means this was brewed 3/25/09, and bottled 2/2/10.
Pours a see-through brown, an off-white head quickly fizzles away to a thin ring. Some sediment floating about. No lacing.
Big amount of sweaty funky aromas, cherry and red wine notes, green apple.
Lots of red wine and barrel tastes, sour red grapes. Very prominent oak/wood tastes, funk and barnyard. The fruit is stronger as it warms. Some alcohol here and there. I wasn't very impressed at first but it grew on me enough to give it a 4 for taste about halfway through.
Carbonation is on the high side, feels a bit thin and boozy. A long, dry, sour finish.
Pretty good but underwhelming, definitely not in the league of Supplication or Temptation in my opinion.
★ 888 characters
3.8/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
on tap at Saraveza.
EDIT: this was for batch 1; batch 2 and 3 are much better.
A dark reddish brown with no lacing. See-through, can not tell if there is a lot of carbonation from looking at glass.
S lots of tart cherries, wine funk and oak notes.
T Delicious. wine, citrus, and oak is present. very tart at first and then sour on finish. quite enjoyable.
M) Feels great can't complain on the feel of it. Consistent to what a sour should be. Sourness/puckering feeling is enjoyable.
D) I could drink a lot of this but due to how pricey it is I think I'll invest in bottling other sours. Glad I got a few bottles but glad I did not purchase an entire case. It will be very interesting to see how this one ages. A bit over hyped but quite delicious and an enjoyable experience.
★ 781 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
on tap at Saraveza.
EDIT: this was for batch 1; batch 2 and 3 are much better.
A dark reddish brown with no lacing. See-through, can not tell if there is a lot of carbonation from looking at glass.
S lots of tart cherries, wine funk and oak notes.
T Delicious. wine, citrus, and oak is present. very tart at first and then sour on finish. quite enjoyable.
M) Feels great can't complain on the feel of it. Consistent to what a sour should be. Sourness/puckering feeling is enjoyable.
D) I could drink a lot of this but due to how pricey it is I think I'll invest in bottling other sours. Glad I got a few bottles but glad I did not purchase an entire case. It will be very interesting to see how this one ages. A bit over hyped but quite delicious and an enjoyable experience.
★ 781 characters
3.8/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
this beer was chilled in a hotel bag of ice in a trash bin and poured into a 10 oz. plastic cup.
-dark amber color with a light brown head
-SOUR got some malts in there for sure and seems to be biscuity malts
-SOUR some cherry, some lemon. pretty warming on the way down. can feel it in the belly.
-SOUR champagnesque. bubbles on the tongue pretty good
-really gotta be in the mood to drink a sour. if i was in the mood for a beer i would never go for a sour. it is good for the style, but that i think will always be the case
★ 532 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
this beer was chilled in a hotel bag of ice in a trash bin and poured into a 10 oz. plastic cup.
-dark amber color with a light brown head
-SOUR got some malts in there for sure and seems to be biscuity malts
-SOUR some cherry, some lemon. pretty warming on the way down. can feel it in the belly.
-SOUR champagnesque. bubbles on the tongue pretty good
-really gotta be in the mood to drink a sour. if i was in the mood for a beer i would never go for a sour. it is good for the style, but that i think will always be the case
★ 532 characters
3.8/5 rDev -13.8%
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.
★ 2,090 characters
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.
★ 2,090 characters
3.8/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I'm not sure what style glass this was served in, it was kind of a cross between a flute and a tulip. Poured a reddish mahogany with about 1/2 inch of off-white head that had medium retention and light lacing.
Grapes and wine! That is what dominated the nose, and there were traces of malt, spice and yeast in the background. Oh yes, this is mouth-puckeringly sour brew. Tart, tangy and sour, they wine flavor wasn't as strong as the had led me to expect.
The body was good, although a bit thinner than I would have liked. Drinkability was very good for a sour and the beer stayed puckerific to the last drop.
Overall, a good beer, a must try if you see it.
★ 660 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I'm not sure what style glass this was served in, it was kind of a cross between a flute and a tulip. Poured a reddish mahogany with about 1/2 inch of off-white head that had medium retention and light lacing.
Grapes and wine! That is what dominated the nose, and there were traces of malt, spice and yeast in the background. Oh yes, this is mouth-puckeringly sour brew. Tart, tangy and sour, they wine flavor wasn't as strong as the had led me to expect.
The body was good, although a bit thinner than I would have liked. Drinkability was very good for a sour and the beer stayed puckerific to the last drop.
Overall, a good beer, a must try if you see it.
★ 660 characters
3.81/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On tap at the Local 44 in Philly yesterday.
The beer pours a darkish brown color with minimal head retention and fair lacing. The nose on this beer is its best feature, IMHO, with a complex aroma of black currents, wine, vanilla and sour funk. On the palate... sigh... this beer is just over the top sour for me. I get a hint of wine and black currents, along with some light vanilla, but the overwhelming flavor component to this beer is sour funk. There is an intense vinegar/sour wine flavor to this beer, with a huge rush of sour in the finish. My tolerance and appreciation for sour beers has improved over the past year, but I just think the brett in this beer is over the top, with the sour overwhelming and dominating everything else. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a long finish, and the alcohol is very well hidden. However, the excessive sour component really wore me out in the end, and IMHO it really hurts this beer's drinkability.
Glad I had a chance to try this one, but once was enough for me.
★ 1,013 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On tap at the Local 44 in Philly yesterday.
The beer pours a darkish brown color with minimal head retention and fair lacing. The nose on this beer is its best feature, IMHO, with a complex aroma of black currents, wine, vanilla and sour funk. On the palate... sigh... this beer is just over the top sour for me. I get a hint of wine and black currents, along with some light vanilla, but the overwhelming flavor component to this beer is sour funk. There is an intense vinegar/sour wine flavor to this beer, with a huge rush of sour in the finish. My tolerance and appreciation for sour beers has improved over the past year, but I just think the brett in this beer is over the top, with the sour overwhelming and dominating everything else. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a long finish, and the alcohol is very well hidden. However, the excessive sour component really wore me out in the end, and IMHO it really hurts this beer's drinkability.
Glad I had a chance to try this one, but once was enough for me.
★ 1,013 characters
3.82/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Again, thanks to mrstevens for breaking this one out yesterday. Poured into my CCB snifter.
A: A murky sienna color. The pour dropped a nickel of foamy white head that faded rather quickly and didn't leave much lace.
A: Sour dark fruits, and notes of wood. Red grapes, apples, red wine, and oak. I get a bunch of sour notes, that warn me of what's to come.
T: Yup, this one's sour. Probably the sourest of wilds I have yet to try. More wine and woody oak. Sour dark fruits, cherry, blackberries, apples, and barnyard funk. Finishes rather dry and tart.
M: Medium body, high levels of carbonation. This one has a bit of a bite to it.
D and overall impression: Drinkability is somewhat lower. This one is extremely sour. Overall, I had this one back to back with Supplication, and let me tell you, it dosen't hold a candle. It is a little too sour for my taste, and the oak and wine barrels, while good, didn't do it for me in this brew. I liked it, just didn't love it. Skal.
★ 979 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Again, thanks to mrstevens for breaking this one out yesterday. Poured into my CCB snifter.
A: A murky sienna color. The pour dropped a nickel of foamy white head that faded rather quickly and didn't leave much lace.
A: Sour dark fruits, and notes of wood. Red grapes, apples, red wine, and oak. I get a bunch of sour notes, that warn me of what's to come.
T: Yup, this one's sour. Probably the sourest of wilds I have yet to try. More wine and woody oak. Sour dark fruits, cherry, blackberries, apples, and barnyard funk. Finishes rather dry and tart.
M: Medium body, high levels of carbonation. This one has a bit of a bite to it.
D and overall impression: Drinkability is somewhat lower. This one is extremely sour. Overall, I had this one back to back with Supplication, and let me tell you, it dosen't hold a candle. It is a little too sour for my taste, and the oak and wine barrels, while good, didn't do it for me in this brew. I liked it, just didn't love it. Skal.
★ 979 characters
3.83/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Batch 004X1. Thank you slentz for the trade!
No head off the slow pour, what little there was, was a light tan brown that quickly faded and left the smallest of all collars. Body color is a gorgeous dark red and brown cherry, very wine like looking.
A nice simple tartyness that isn't overpoweringly sour. Cherry like fruit sensation. Not even any heat really coming off for this high abv. Standard funky barnyard to go with it, musty and dank, slightly dry. No sense of oak from this at all.
Classic tart and viscous sour, but sort of boring. Sour cherries also. Almost red wine vinegar but not quite. Sort of one dimensional. Fairly alright for mouthfeel light bodied, warming in the stomach, and coating snap feeling mid palate with some spice. Strangely I get a feeling for summer sausage when having this beer. I want paprika with this.
Overall alright but sort of pedestrian. Feels like a food beer than for casual drinking for me. It will do.
★ 998 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Batch 004X1. Thank you slentz for the trade!
No head off the slow pour, what little there was, was a light tan brown that quickly faded and left the smallest of all collars. Body color is a gorgeous dark red and brown cherry, very wine like looking.
A nice simple tartyness that isn't overpoweringly sour. Cherry like fruit sensation. Not even any heat really coming off for this high abv. Standard funky barnyard to go with it, musty and dank, slightly dry. No sense of oak from this at all.
Classic tart and viscous sour, but sort of boring. Sour cherries also. Almost red wine vinegar but not quite. Sort of one dimensional. Fairly alright for mouthfeel light bodied, warming in the stomach, and coating snap feeling mid palate with some spice. Strangely I get a feeling for summer sausage when having this beer. I want paprika with this.
Overall alright but sort of pedestrian. Feels like a food beer than for casual drinking for me. It will do.
★ 998 characters
3.83/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This is one of those beers that drinks more like a wine than a beer. Aged in wine barrels and carrying the flavors over into the finished product with a unique character added to the tartness of this beer. All the RR products are made to the highest of standards by one of craft beers true master brewers! I recommend trying all their brews if you can get your hands on them..
★ 376 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This is one of those beers that drinks more like a wine than a beer. Aged in wine barrels and carrying the flavors over into the finished product with a unique character added to the tartness of this beer. All the RR products are made to the highest of standards by one of craft beers true master brewers! I recommend trying all their brews if you can get your hands on them..
★ 376 characters
3.84/5 rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First time tasting a sour. Pours a purple wine color with a little head and plenty of carbonation. Not much lacing, but quite a bit of suds. The odor is champagne like, fruity, lie de vin, farmhouse, yeasty, metallic, wine like. The taste is very crisp, fruity, peach, grapefruit, currants, champagne like, wine, dried fruits and dry sour on the back end.
★ 359 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First time tasting a sour. Pours a purple wine color with a little head and plenty of carbonation. Not much lacing, but quite a bit of suds. The odor is champagne like, fruity, lie de vin, farmhouse, yeasty, metallic, wine like. The taste is very crisp, fruity, peach, grapefruit, currants, champagne like, wine, dried fruits and dry sour on the back end.
★ 359 characters
3.85/5 rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Russian River- Consecration
A- Deep plum reddish purple with a good foamy head.
S- Sweet red grapes, plums, sour mix and scoops of sugar.
T- Sour red grapes, black currant, plums, and a sour citrus.
M- Very sour and dry. Sweet sugary fruit finish.
Overall- good sour dry feel with a nice black currant flavor. 1 or 2 would be good at dessert.
★ 344 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Russian River- Consecration
A- Deep plum reddish purple with a good foamy head.
S- Sweet red grapes, plums, sour mix and scoops of sugar.
T- Sour red grapes, black currant, plums, and a sour citrus.
M- Very sour and dry. Sweet sugary fruit finish.
Overall- good sour dry feel with a nice black currant flavor. 1 or 2 would be good at dessert.
★ 344 characters
Consecration from Russian River Brewing Company
4.41
out of 5
based on 5,135 ratings.
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)
★ 3,199 characters