The Bruery - Sour in the Rye

"We brewed this ale with around 40% rye as a base malt and let our sour yeast and bacteria eat away at it in oak barrels for over a year creating a sour ale with a complex character of rye spice, oak and a subtle funk."

                                                              - The Bruery

Brewery: The Bruery

Beer: Sour in the Rye

Style: Sour, American Wild Ale

ABV: 10.75%

The Bruery is a small craft brewery located in Orange County and are known for their unfiltered and bottle conditioned beers. Bottle conditioning is a process where the beer is carbonated naturally in the bottle through a secondary fermentation. The name is a fusion between 'Brewery' and their family name Rue and I can say that everything I have had from the Rue's has been great. 

I love sours but there are a couple things to know about entering the sour beer world. First, most sours are expensive. Sours are aged in old wine or oak barrels for months, or they are bottle conditioned. Either way they need to be stored and we end up paying for the lengthy process. Second, sours are generally recommended to be enjoyed slowly and with a sharp cheese. I guess because some sours are so close to wine in taste, so when I drink a sour I usually have it at the end of my drinking session. 

Poured slowly, Sour in the Rye has a deep amber body. Hazy and without a head. You can smell the sourness up front, along with a slight maltyness. The flavor is amazing, everything I want in a sour. A minor malt flavor initially hits which is quickly followed by a smooth sour ending screaming of elegance. I gave my wife a taste and she tried to steal it from me. It's THAT good. With a 20$+ price tag per bottle, it should be. For sour fans, this beer is a must try. 

Aroma: 6

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 9/10

Overall: 22/30

Daily Morning Awesomeness. KCCO!

Russian River - Consecration

"Dark Ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from local wineries. It is aged for 4 to 8 months with black currants, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus added to each barrel. Rich flavors of chocolate truffle, spice, tobacco, currants, and a bit of Cabernet. Very full-bodied, sip slowly!"

                                          - Russian River Brewing Company

Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company

Beer: Consecration

Style: Sour 

ABV: 10.0 %

Most people see Russian River and automatically think of their famous double IPA Pliny the Elder, and with good reason; the beer is amazing. But if can look past Pliny, you can see an ever growing list of other beers that are just as great. For instance, their sour beer line is one of the best I have ever seen. Sanctification, Temptation and today's reviewed beer Consecration are all truly tasteful.

Next to IPA's, sours/lambics are probably my next favorite style of beer. The carbonated sourness that laces my palate after every drink is soothing, similar to that of the bitter after taste that IPA's used to give me when I started drinking them. Although a bit more expensive than most beers - you're paying for the aging/storing time - these beers can be delightful. I almost always try and end a drinking session with a sour.

Russian River encourage you to pour Consecration slowly and I did just that. Doing that made the beer have no head but the sparkling carbonation  with the full red bodied background gave it a very appealing look. The aroma is mixed with currants and sourness. The initial light sour bitterness is finished off with a fizzy, moderate sour bitterness with hints of chocolate and red wine. It was a great way to slowly end the night. 

Aroma: 6

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 9/10

Overall: 23/30

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