Consecration Ale by Russian River Brewing Company
Tonight I am trying a brew that I have never had before from a brewery I have been looking to get beer from. So when I saw their bottle in a local bottle shop, I jumped on the chance to get the brew. This brewing company is a very notable brewing company and people line up for beers when they hear that they will be in the area. I am so eager, I just want to drink this brew right now. But first, let's learn a little about Russian River Brewing Company. Russian River Brewing Company is located in Santa Rosa, California. Originally owned by Korbel Champagne Cellars, and in 2003 Korbel decided to get out of the beer industry. Brewery was offered rights of the brand to the brewmaster, Vinnie Cilurzo and his wife Natalie. First, Vinnie started out doing everything: brewing, distributing, and sales. While brewing at Korbel, Vinnie started experimenting with brewing funky beers in wine barrels, one at a time. He also created the Russian River flagship beer, Pliny the Elder. On April 3, 2004, Russian River opened up as a brewpub in downtown Santa Rosa. In 2008, they opened up a production brewery, which allowed them to triple their production. Russian River Brewing Company is a big part of their community, hosting charitable events like their month long Breast Cancer awareness. The brewpub has become a beer tourism destination and even supports local bands by hosting free live shows every weekend.
Consecration Ale, Logo by Russian River Brewing Company
Time to look into the brew for tonight's post. I am trying Russian River Brewing Company's Consecration Ale. Consecration Ale is a Sour Dark Ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels. This brew is aged in those barrels between four to eight months. The Cabernet Sauvignon barrels are from local wineries. Consecration Ale has an alcohol by volume or an ABV of 10%. The bottle I had was bottled on January 8, 2016, a day after my birthday how interesting is that. If you think about the timeline how long this bottle aged in bottle for around eight months.
Appearance of Consecration Ale
The aroma is bold and going to be hard pulling out the notes. I notice the cabernet aroma notes right away. There is no mistaking that this was aged in Cabernet barrels. The next aroma I picked up on was the fruit note. I believe it's berry note, which would make sense because of the black currants added during the aging. I think the next aroma note is clove or I am noticing a Belgian note. The Cabernet aromas that are noticeable are the oak and wood notes in the aroma. I notice a faint vanilla note as one of the oak aromas. The aroma has a booze aroma to it, you notice the high abv in the beer through the aroma. The foam or head dissipated quickly, but when noticeable it had tan tint to it. The appearance to Consecration is a deep reddish brown hue. The brew almost looks like a Cabernet Sauvignon, but there is noticeable carbonation in the brew around the edge of the glass unlike a wine. There is minimal lacing around the edge of the glass.
First thing I notice was the sourness of the beer. That is the first taste note I noticed when I took my first sip. The next thing that I noticed was the full body of Consecration. I got hit right away with the alcohol by volume. This brew is required to be sipped on not guzzled down. It's like a fine wine. I notice the Cabernet notes after the sour notes. I begin picking up on the oak and the vanilla notes. After that I noticed the currants or a fruity note. Almost like a mixture between the currants and cherries. The sip takes you from a sour note to a strong malt note. At first you are noticing a tart lactobacillus note, then sweet spice and malt notes. There is a noticeable dryness to the beer. The beer is smooth, but a full bodied brew. In a way, the brew is complex and unique just what they were looking for. Russian River looks for quality not quantity and that is noticeable with Consecration.
Bottle and Glass of Consecration Ale
Consecration Ale is something you need to give your full attention too. It is a unique and complex brew that if you are a beer enthusiast or a beer fan, you will enjoy. The sourness is something I enjoyed tremendously in this brew. I have grown to like sours and it was well done with Consecration. Russian River Brewing Company is a brewing company that is worth the wait and one you should always be on the lookout for. Consecration Ale gave you the Dark Ale notes that you were looking for, with an added aging and sour notes. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon aging and the note came through in the tasting. I have become a fan of aging beer in different barrels and it is interesting to see how much the notes come through. If you do not sip Consecration Ale, I promise you, you are not appreciating the beer and its uniqueness.
Check out Russian River Brewing Company on their website and their social media:
No comments:
Post a Comment