Russian River Consecration

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

Rating #1400. Bottle brought home from RR by hallinghansen. Thank you so much for sharing this Jacob! Hazy reddish brown with a steady medium off white head. Very complex aroma of berries, cherry, strawberry, light acid and light balsamicco. Flavour is cherry, blackcurrant, acid, funk, oak and a snatch of sweet caramel. Lovely creamy texture. The 10% ABV is very well hidden. Good job on this sour flemish like beer.

A Mes rate. Bottle at home.
Murky brown with a thin light beige head. Aroma is a stunner. Straight ten. Incredible fruit, tart cider apples, some dirt and pig farm funk, burly booze, awesome Russian River wooden notes, coca cola, freshly rain watered tarmac, poppy seeds and thick preserve fruit madness. Think that just about does it. The flavour is certainly not in the same league and in all honesty I was a little underwhelmed at first but it is gettin better by the sip. Amazing lemony sourness that is unique to Russian River. An intense lick of hardcore tart sweetness that is kicked to death instantly by the big bruising barrel notes. Sadly it’s a little to brief to really hit the spot. Excellent dryness and such a superb blend of sweet and sour. There is just something holding it back that I can’t quite put my finger on. It has to be said that the wine notes are just perfect. It’s really asking to be given a 9 but still there is something not letting me change the score. Maybe it just needs a little age. Whatever, it must be very good, I’ve just written a full page of notes.

Final beer of the Relentless Thirst tasting, and a great way to end the evening. Medium brown, slight head. Aroma is a blast of funk, with some notes of cherry, wood, and barnyard playing together. Flavor matches, but has great depth and complexity that I’m just not adequate to describe. Fantastic stuff, they hit all the right notes on this one.

A reddish copper ale with a thin off white head. A beautiful Brett and sour cherry aromas, sour and intense, weird grassy notes, very resinous and woody. In mouth, a superb candy suger, sour apples, cork, and lactic yogurt. Rich and smooth. On tap at brewpub, August 17 2009.

Bottle looks really good, the beer in the glass also. Deep brown, small head, very zippy. Smoky-sourish aroma. Starts fine sourish, not too much, smoky-woody, fine fruity notes of raisins. The alcohol is well hidden. Very well balanced. A great beer! Big thanks to wavers1 for that bottle!

the sour did hit the palate, and I am feeling it 10 hours later. The Brett and other enzymes are interesting and adding to the palate message. Yet overall the taste is not that outstanding. Carbonation was above average, and this beverage did work with supper. An experience. Really good looking orangey off-white bubbly head, though a piece of black sediment rolled into the initial pour. Vinegar aroma which I am two minds about, one being the anticipation of a hard rocking palate cleanser, giving it the benefit of the doubt.

Bottle from zythum, what a generous trader! Batch 1. Pours a dark ruby reddish-brown color with a thick initial head that dies down to patches. The aroma is overall fruity with yeast, berries, sour cherries, and red wine. This is sour, tart and rather dry. More sour than any other RR sour I’ve had so far. Aged in Cabernet barrels this clearly has a lot of red wine-like character. Plenty of fruity flavors, sour cherries, tart cranberry and currants. Crisp and tangy with a little bite to it. I start picking up whiffs of vinegar as it breaths as well as some vinegary flavors. Consecration is a very good beer, no doubt about that, but I prefer Temptation or Beatification at this stage. I’d love to try the new batch of this beer and compare because it’s close to being as good as those other two. Any criticism is really unfair, I’m giving it a 4.2, just Russian River has set such a high standard in my book, especially Vinnie’s sours. Everything he brews seems top notch.

batch #1. Tart currants, strawberries, darkl raspberries, with funky tart aromas. Pours dark reddish with no head. Rich currant flavors, with big oak flavor, wood, vanilla, tart dark raspberries, nice sour flavor, not over the top but very enjoyable! A great sour!