Russian River Consecration

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

鼮ml bottle thanks to sprinkle, had both batch and batch 2) Pours a ruddy amber, no head, nose of black olives, salty, slightly sour. Taste is better than the smell with notes of oak, sour black cherries, and finishes nicely sour. Overall this beer is perfectly tart, but perhaps a bit overhyped. Batch 2 was more well rounded and superior to batch 1 in my opinion.

On tap at the Brouwers Cafe. Dark brown pour...had to to a second look to see it was more a dark translucent mahogany. No real head when the glass got to me. Sour dark fruits on the nose....big funk....bit sour flavor, but not overpowering which was a treat. Smoot mouthfeel.....while I’m not a huge fan of the sour stuff this one was quite enjoyable...they hit their target with this one. Yum.

This far with me, Russian River has batted 1000, will the streak continue? Pours a very dark red. Head was minimal but I poured it particularly slowly, so that’s likely my issue. Smell is sour cherries and grapes with some nice funk. Taste is sour cherry and Brett funk. Awesome! Not insanely complex, just damn good. Mouth is thin to medium with high carbonation. Insanely drinkable, still waiting to try a bad beer from Russian River.

750ml bottle. Nice pop of the cork. Pours a burgundy with a fizzy off-white head. Lots of carbonation on the pour. The aroma is of oak, fruit, wood, tart cherries, and tobacco. Taste is of fruit, oak, wood, and malt. Lots of tary cherry and tobacco flavors. Has some subtle wine characteristics to it as well. Mouthfeel is heavily carbonated, yet very dry. Lingering funky oakiness. The alcohol is well masked by the other flavors. Not as sour as I had expected, but good enough.

Dark amber colour with large bubbles at first that could have easily fooled me for being a Belgian import. Nose has a pleasant sour cherry component, with light vinegar, and fig newton snacks. Just as I’m starting to enjoy it the brett funk kicks in and the fair reviewer side of me reminds me that barnyard is supposed to be good here. The sourness dominates on the palate, with cherry taking some background to the fig newtons and vinegar. Finish is long and vinegary, and really smacks you in the face with the flavors. Even if you like the style it is still hardly something that anyone should describe as having high drinkability.

Draft at Devil’s Den. Dark ruby-purple pour, large cream-colored head. Slightly vinous nose has very strong currant depth, loads of spice, malt, chocolate, and hints of alcohol. More currant in the flavor, sweet fruit pie-like desert here in addition to more chocolate. Almost no brett at this point. Very malty and heavy, but strong carbonation to give lift to the body. The alcohol isn’t noticeable, but this is not a light, refreshing sour. I’d prefer less currant and more brett, certainly something sour to cut the heavy sweetness and ultra-rich fruit.

Bottle, thanks Scrizzz. Shared with Barry for opening his sole bottle of ’01 Vigneronne, and drank immediately afterwards. Nose is big and very wine-like, rubber, curranty Cabernet, sour Brett, fruity perfume, surprisingly malty, but I expect that will fade with time, and the sourness will build. Broad rich velvety palate, dry backbone but with plenty of fruit. Finish is constantly evolving and changing. A great beer/wine hybrid, and one of the best new world sours I have had to date. Not as assertively funky as some, but very well made and fantastically interesting.

Got a bottle of this recently at Belmont Station in Portland, OR Colour... very dark brown with plenty of head. Nose... barnyard, citrus, raisin, cherry. Palate... WOW! Pucker me timbers!! Burst of carbonation, acetic, woody, citrusy, funky, and a resoundingly long, tart finish!