Russian River Consecration

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

750 ml corked and caged bottled, generously acquired for me by bvc. Marked 001x3 on bottle. Pour is ruby brownish, mostly clear with a very noisy fizzy off white head that fades really fast. Aroma of raisins, grapes and oak barrel. Very much a red wine - Zinfandel nose, excepting the funk weirdness to follow. Some sharp alcohol in the back. Some funk, dry sourness, hint of citrus. A bunch going on in the nose. Taste is black cherry tart sour with funk behind that. Fruit is really nice. Next comes the red wine and wood, nice interesting combo. Brett is there to wake things up a bit but it’s a minor taste component. This reminds me of a jacked up Rodenbach Grand Cru. Palate is medium, with active carbonation. Nice lingering tart sour. Nice one, thanks Brandon.

750ml bottle from a recent trade.....pours a very dark amber reddish brown with a half-finger sustaining light beige head.... aroma of a slightly metallic note with sour funk, oak, and red fruit. fruit aspects come into play more prominently as the beer warms.... flavors are a nice meshing of refreshing tartness, red fruit, and cherry. a well-timed general sweetness develops towards the finish while still maintaining a lively mouthfeel throughout. easy drinking even at 10%. russian river continues to never disappoint.....editted: alcohol slowly creeps up as i work my way through the glass.

Aroma is pennies, fruity, funky, lactic, and hints of barn. Taste is malty, some cola, sourness, caramel, and fruit. Finish is slightly sour, malty, sweet, and more fruit. Solid, but needs a looooong time.

750ml bottle experienced with Ceebs25. I have heard about the many wonders this beer offers and it certainly did not let us down. It may be one of the most difficult beers I have ever had to describe/rate. It pours a murky, but non particle filled, ruby brown body. The head is finger-width, khaki brown, and extremely soapy. It leaves a lot of soapy lacing on the glass and a hurricane-like spinning head on the surface. The aroma is complex and inviting. Lots of things going on here. A noticeable sour aroma, but not the typical vinegar aroma of lesser quality sours. Lots of dates, grapes, currants and dark sugary fruits with a light lemon. Mostly a noticeable caramel, burnt sugar date aroma as it warms. Then again, there is a good amount of woody wine sangria barrels. Lots of cherries and fig as well. I really can’t explain the limitless aromas/flavors in this beer. The flavor is very similar. A more noticeable oak, aged wine flavor than the aroma. Slightly tart, but extremely smooth and oily. A bit of funky, cheese-like tart. Its like biting into an overripe plum. Its slightly sour, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and fresh. Palate is surprisingly easy drinking for a sour. Overall, I could go on forever about this, but I had to limit myself. This is an extraordinary beer and opens my mind to the limitless possibilities of what sours can offer.

750 mL bottle (Thank you Pawola for sharing!). I was very excited about this one going in, and was expecting great things from the start even though i hadn’t too much experience with this style. Long story short, it did not disappoint. A very pleasant, smooth, oily aroma. The oak aging definitely comes through right away. Not as acetic vinegar in the smell, more of a mellow candy sour. Dates and fig, along with a sweeter red wine, and light berry. A great smelling beer. Pour is also quite nice, with a bubbly soapy beige cream head, retention is nice with a pretty carbonation swirl in the middle, rather murky in its body, but not overly heavy, dark sangria in color. A wonderful feeling beer. Silky and oily, with the right amount not overly tart sour bite to bring the flavor out fully. Many of the same notes in the aroma in the flavor... oak, dates and fig (which i guess would be currants), Cabernet, and some lighter berries along with a bit of cranberry. Cherries are also a big player, along with a little bit of funk. This description can’t fully describe all the things going on here as there’s a piece I’m missing that ties the sweet and sour together, maybe plum but not quite. Ultimately, this is by far the best of the style I’ve had to this point, very complex, and really just a great tasting experience. Definitely lives up to its world class rating.

Thanks to Cloudskipper who sent me a bottle in a trade. Brownish red in color with a large lasting off white head. Aroma of sour cherries, bretty funk, some slight malt sweetness, oak, some light vinegar. Taste: alot of sour cherries, currants, oak, moderate malty sweetness, a good amount of bretty funk, some balsamic and acedic acid, sourness gets moderate to slightly heavy in the finish. Another winner from Russian River...big suprise!

Draft at Capone’s and bottle fromn Craft Ale. Pours hazy coppery brown with nose is oaky chery, earthy malt, spicy yeast, and root cellary cobwebby figgy esters. Tastes tart, full bodied and complex, with the sour cherry, Bretty funk, oaky and red wine grapey flavors hitting the palate at first, then the tartness rounds out late to give a more cognacy and caramelly flavor. Wonderfully complex, this one is outstanding.

Bottle thanks to Bman1113vr. Marked 001x2. Brown pour. Aroma of sour cherries, malts and bitterness. Flavor was very sour and tart. Syrupy mouthfeel.