Russian River Consecration and Local Finds

Today I stopped by the DABC to look for a few new/seasonal brews. As previously mentioned, I've been looking forward to Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin, and I finally found it along with a few other delectables.

I'm super excited that Ninkasi from Eugene, OR is finally offered in Utah liquor stores! I've had both of these before, and look forward to giving them a closer look this time around. I threw a Trappist Rochfort 8 in there too, because why not?

I really wanted to give the smashed pumpkin a go when I got home, but the DABC clearly doesn't know the first thing about properly keeping beer, and keeps everything out on the warm floor. That means everything I buy needs some refrigerated love before touching these lips. It's ok though, because I have some older bottles that require my attention.

Russian River Consecration Barrel Aged Sour Ale

BG Poured from a 12.86 fl oz (375ml) cork & cage bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10% ABV, Bottled On 05/23/14, Aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels for 4-8 months with currants added

A Brown in color with reddish/copper hues and a light tan head. Not a lot of lacing is left behind as I sip.

A Oh my! This is really complex… tart cherries, black currant, booze, brett, barnyard funk, fruit leather, red wine

T I’m immediately slapped with sharp sourness, especially on the backsides of my tongue and cheeks. There’s a little bit of lactic acid, red wine, even some meaty flavors on the finish. Funk and fresh leaf tobacco are present as well.

M Almost no carbonation at all, which I think is very wanted. My cheeks are left aching after I swallow. It’s so puckering I have a hard time searching for flavor while my mouth struggles with not turning inside out.

A Meaty flavors maybe from autolysis, harsh tartness is long lasting

C Between the lack of carbonation and meaty flavors, I’m thinking maybe there’s something off with this particular bottle. If you look at my picture, you'll note the lack of head. A cork and cage type of bottle usually reads to me as "pour with extreme care" because of the supposed extra carbonation in the bottle. But this one had almost none. Overall, it lacks balance, and is incredibly harsh. There’s some cool flavor combinations here, but they just don’t work well in this bottle. I’d love to try it again and see if this bottle may have been off.

FP Cherry bread pudding, sweet and sour chicken and rice, NY steak and garlic mashed

potatoes

Consecration wasn't a a pumpkin ale, or even a seasonal, but it was extremely spooky. 

As I swirled the beer in my glass, this spooky face appeared not only once, but several times. This is a picture of the first. The second time it happened, I tried to take another picture, but instead fumbled my phone like an idiot, spilling half of the contents onto my slippers and the carpet. Between the potential off flavors, lack of carbonation, spooky face, and spillage, I'd say this particular brew was more of a trick than a treat.