We recently got Consecration from Russian River at the Whole Foods on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena. It was another one of those beers you hear about and is hyped to extreme levels. I always give beers like this a try to see if their worth the level of fame attached to them. I suppose I don’t have to mention that I was somewhat skeptical, or at least cautious, about the beer.

When I looked at the $21.99 bottle of beer on the shelf, I noticed that four strains of bacteria were used in it. In fact, it’s the same mix as WLP 655 that I’ve used in a couple recent brews; Lactobactillus, Pediococcus, Saccharomyces, and Bretts were all a part of the beer. The first two are especially known for the production of lactic acid. What did that mean? Sour ale for sure. So far, so good. I’m a fan of a good sour ale. The third is simply an ale yeast, whose name will remain anonymous because the brewers and yeast company chose to do so. The Bretts are known for their funk, which can often take quite a bit of time to develop, a great reason for me to pick up a second bottle. Top it all off with currants. On to the beer.

The Pour: When I poured Consecration, I noted its reddish-brown body that seemed to resemble a nicely steeped tea. A fairly small amount of head retention kept the semi-active body very noticeable, as there was no creamy top at which to look. From the pour, I would have guessed that was a Flemish Brown/Red styled sour.

The Nose: Being 10% ABV, Consecration had a sturdy but not overbearing alcohol hotness on the nose. The oak tones gave the vague perception of a distilled spirit, while sour cherry (here are the currants) tones along with a touch of smokiness bled out some almost kriek lambic qualities. The nose was also reminiscent of a Flemish Brown such as the classic Rodenbach. Although not dripping with sweetness, the beer was firmly fruity, redolent of pineapple as the beer warmed.

The Taste: As all signs pointed, this selection drank like a strong Flemish Brown sour. Surprisingly, the alcohol was not overly hot, but there was a bourbon quality lent from the oak and alcohol. A medium mouth-feel helped to balance out the dry finish. And although true for the nose, there was little remaining sweetness to the brew on the taste. However, the sour red cherry and pineapple fruits could have been interpretated as such.  Those sour currants mixed with that lactic acid produced proved to be a wonderful pucker.  

Overall, I think this a terrific beer. It is everything that a good sour ought to be. It puckers, it tingles, it excites. In fact, a guy I work with shared the price of the bottle with me, and we drank it together. He’d never had a sour before and he was blown away. He simply kept exclaiming that he didn’t know beer could be like this. It was rewarding to hear him say that I helped open his eyes to a whole new world of beer. Among the everyday brews that flood the market, this may be an epiphany.  It’s my favorite Russian River beer thus far (yes, more than Pliny).

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★½ 

Among other Sours: ★★★★¼ 

Rating: ★★★★¼