Russian River Consecration

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

Batch 001/2. Corked bottle. Vinous, oaky aroma with raisin and dark chocolate. Sweet and sour flavor with lemony tartness. Raisin, toffee, oak. Vinous with notes of grapes. Lovely complex brew.

Dark brown color with frothy tan head that was very bubbly. Carbonation can be seen shooting quickly up the sides of the glass. The smell stung with a hint of sour, bready malt, and currants, and funky yeast. Taste is slightly sweet and moderate/heavy tart sourness that backs off gently as you breathe. Very crisp and carbonated mouthfeel, and it hits you in the back of the tongue with puckering sourness. Incredibly well-balanced with some sweet malt, tart fruit, great mouthfeel. Very drinkable.

750 ml bomber poured into a wine glass (had to improvise at in-law’s house). Cloudy brown color with frothy tan head. Carbonation can be seen shooting quickly up the sides of the glass. For aroma, sourness is the first thing that hits your nose. Some sweet bready malt, tart grapes and currants, and funky yeast. Taste is slightly sweet and moderate/heavy tart sourness. Very crisp and carbonated mouthfeel, and it hits you in the back of the tongue with puckering sourness. Incredibly well-balanced with some sweet malt, tart fruit, great mouthfeel. Just a masterpiece!

Trade thanks to LtDan. Aroma of citric acid with a faint whiff of wild yeast hiding beneath. Pours a medium amber with a small tan head. Flavor begins only slightly tart, with penetrating elements of alcohol and oak coming through. It becomes increasingly sour as the glass opens up, passing through a sweet spot where the tartness harmonizes well with wood, toasty caramel and vanilla from the oak barrel, and a lightly roasted chocolaty malt element. Eventually the sourness takes over, and the beer become liquefied sweet tart. Medium body, nice pucker on the palate.

Had a glass of this followed by a glass of Supplication. Both were great RR sours. This one was a bit sweeter and reminded me of cranberry juice. Overall a great beer.

Drinking out of a Stone tulip. Small white head that dissipates quickly great color to it almost like a super dark cherry color. Taste is nice and sour with a little funk, but really love the sourness to it not too sour just enough IMO. Very drinkable as I will finish the 750 myself without a problem no alcohol present. Carbonation is definetley there but not too extreme, nice and sour full of cherries and currants. Overall just a great wild ale very drinkable almost too drinkable.

Another one of those situations where you think to yourself, oh yes, this is actually happening. Then you click back into the physical present, take a sip, and enjoy the full and wide range of flavors that comes along with each tiny sip...savoring as each one goes down into the gullet. Enjoying this on tap at the brewhouse was and has been a treat!!

Bottle split three way’s among friends in tulip glasses. It had a slight head off white that just went away. The body of the brew was a red to brown. The aroma was by far the best sour I have smelled in a while there were currants, chocolate covered cherries and funk. This is one complex brew. it had a light carbonation but If I was to hand it to some of my European relatives the would immediately think this was some sort of carbonated red wine. It was fruity and slightly tart to the taste. This is a great wild one of the best I have had. Drinkability was what I expected. I took my time with the brew and enjoyed every drop and a hour after the glass was gone I wanted more. It’s a world class brew from a world class brewer