Russian River Consecration

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

Bottle. Dark brown/black pour, tons of carbonation. Aroma was very very good tart sour cherry aroma (would be happy smelling this all night!) Flavor was sour apple, cherries a little woody and finished with a sweet tart aftertaste. An very good beer? Absolutely. Although I don’t quite understand all the hype around it.

750 ml bottle popped in honor of having 4 more for cellaring. Sweeeeet! Shared with my girlfriend’s family who took me to Russian River Brewery when there for a wedding in October. Pours a very hazy murky brownish red pour, moderate tannish head that dissipates to a film and clings to the sides of the glass. Aromas are wonderful sourness and funk, mixed with some oaky dryness and vanilla. Fruit is powerful, pears, cherries, grapefruit, and currants dominate. Initial displays a wonderful body, darker malts with a touch of chocolate are humped into submission by a wonderful sourness and funkiness from the brett. Oak, cabernet, woody dryness rear their heads in moderate amounts. Potent, leaving a quality sourness and funk on the palate. Fruits are good, but sourness balances, crisp and enjoyable with currant, cherries, grapefruit, and red wine making up the fruit. Finish is sour, funk, and red wine. Not my favorite of the RR sours, but a formidible brew nonetheless and near my top. I thought this beer was a lot of hype... Before I actually cracked it

Bottle. Nice brew. Late sourness. Like it, but I wish rr would make a nonsour brew other than an ipa. Good, but like all their other brews, except with brown food coloring.

Courtesy hopscotch. I was really excited to try this one when Eric brought the bottle up to redlight. This one pours a deep red color with some brown tint and a foamy, cream colored head that shows good retention. The aroma shows hints of dark fruits, sour cherries, currants, wood, and some soft oaky vanilla. The flavor follows with more dark fruits, cherries, figs, and the currants to go with the lactic vanilla, and oak tannins. The bretty hasn’t completely dried things out so the sourness is more subtle than I thought. Medium bodied and slightly dry with just the right amount of carbonation which helps this drink real easy. The flavors are perfectly blended with not one thing overpowering anything else. Really nice beer right now, but I think some more time in the bottle would do a lot of good.

(bottle shared by tytoanderso) Pours a brownish-red with an off-white head. Aroma is strong of currants, beets, light tartness, and substantial oak along with a bit of alcohol. The flavor is superbly balanced with just a great blend between the sweet, sour, and oak flavors. There is a substantial currant presence, tannins, oak, light sweetness, with just the right amount of tartness and a hint of minerals coupled with some earthiness. Finishes fairly dry with plenty of oak. The mouthfeel is medium and the alcohol present in the aroma doesn’t appear in the flavor. Thanks Tyler!

Appearance: Pours a hazed, dark mahogany body with a thinnish, beige-colored head. Smell: Rich, expressive aroma smelling of macerated fruit, oak wood, red wine vinegar, lactic acid, tobacco, and even vanilla. Hubba-hubba! Taste: Malts mingled with gooey black cherry fruit preserves and some prominent, vinous red wine qualities all with a bundle of lactic sourness to coat the tongue. Small pinch of vanilla sugar and fine aromatic tobacco. Non-obtrusive tannic oak component. Long finish with some lingering tart, earthy hints and final pops of acidity. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high, lively carbonation. Drinkability: It’s hard not to gulp this one down like a madman. All in all, this is one excellent beer layered with rich complexities and one that I cheerfully recommend.

Bottle at the Otown Throwdown. Really cloudy brown color. Caramel chocolatey smells. Dark fruitiness. Sour vinegary flavors. Sour fruits and wine flavors. WOW really like this.

Bomber, shared with Alex. Pours deep purple and ruby, with a yellow-green, rocky head. Aroma is of sour grapefruit, acidic citrus, green apples and red vinegar. Flavor starts with some sweetish red grape with the skin on, then rounds with some vinegary notes, cranberry, and citric acid. A great beer that reveals balance, complexity, and firm tartness as it warms.