Monthly Archives: September 2018

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, The Ale Apothecary, USA, Wild Ale

The Ale Apothecary La Tache – Fresh Hop

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 7.09%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Fresh Hop version. Mixed fermentation ale aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from tag on bottle) the beer formerly known as La Tache. (* wild & open fermented in the woods of OR. * Mecca Grade Estate Malt + wheat + Goshie Farms hops. * barrel-aged over a year & dry-hopped in oak. * OR honey + sour wort + our yeast = 100% natural carbonation from bottle fermentation.)

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, batch bottled on 20th November 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, citrusy, lemon zest, orange rind, grass, funk, with hints of peach in the background.
Taste: Sour, tart, sour, yup I said it twice. Lemon juice and lemon with a hint of oak.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Refreshingly sour, and I could imagine it being way too sour for some, but I like it. This fresh hop version seems to have lost some of the tropical peach, apricot and grape flavours I was getting in the original La Tache. The result is pure citrusy lemon which I found to be very refreshing, especially on hot days.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, The Ale Apothecary, USA, Wild Ale

The Ale Apothecary OJ Dan

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 7.62%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Mixed fermentation ale aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from tag and label on bottle) OJ Dan (this experiment got a little juicy). OJ Dan the OG becomes the OJ. (* named in honor of our brewer Jareds’ Pa, 592 bottles produced. * Sauvie Island Hops + Mecca Grade malt + fresh orange juice. * aged in 2nd use Bulleit rye barrels and finished in an oak puncheon. * OR honey + sour wort + our yeast = 100% natural carbonation from bottle fermentation.)

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml bottle, batch bottled on 21st September 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: First pour was a very lightly hazy golden colour (but subsequent pours were a much more cloudy golden orange colour), with a big four finger white head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, orange juice, citrus zest, tropical stone fruit like mango and peach with a touch of oak and funk.
Taste: Orange juice and citrus zest with a touch of rye whiskey, oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was really nice, but taste while not bad, was a bit one dimensional, with orange juice and a splash of rye whiskey. The strong acidity and high carbonation does not make it easy to discern other flavours. I still think it’s worth a try though. I have to say though, that the more and more I drink it, the more it’s growing on me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, USA, Victory Brewing Company, Wild Ale

Victory Sour Monkey

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Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9.5%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This electrifying transformation of our famed Golden Monkey may just blow your mind. Tastefully twisted to offer nuances of sweet fruit and a sharp tang of tartness, this exhilarating combination of flavors makes this brew a Monkey all its own. Respect the Monkey and taste Victory!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. corked and caged bottle, bottled on 1st July 2015… wow, pulled from the cellar just over 3 years old. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy light copper colour with a less than half finger white head that disappeared almost immediately while leaving behind some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, grape, prunes, plum, apple and lemon with maybe some light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, grape, prunes, lemon and apple cider.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Not bad, but there didn’t seem to be much complexity to it. Not getting much funk or wood. It was just straight sour and fruit. I was very surprised that it was 9.5% ABV though, as it did not feel anywhere near that at all.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, Lambic - Fruit, New Zealand

8 Wired Once Upon A Time In Blenheim

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Barrel aged for 3 years. Ale brewed with wild Sauvignon Blanc grape juice. 100% spontaneously fermented lambic style. 2014 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is the last barrel aged beer we brewed in Blenheim, before uprooting and setting up a new brewery in the North. A 100% spontaneous fermented and barrel aged lambic inspired beer, co-fermented with the equally spontaneous fermented Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc juice from our fine friends at Cirro Wines.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2014 vintage, with a best before date of 24th November 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear golden colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly and left behind no lacing.
Aroma: Funky, barnyard, oak, vanilla, white grape and a touch of lemon juice.
Taste: Tart and sour, white grape, vinous, lemon, green apple, oak, funk and light vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Maybe the oak and vanilla flavours were a little strong and overpowering, but I think it was saved a bit by the Sauvignon Blanc flavours which came through nicely.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, New Zealand, Wild Ale

8 Wired Snake Charmer

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 7.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel aged Sour Ale with blackcurrants. 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A sour ale brewed the traditional way. Aged in Pinot Noir barrels for two years with Blackcurrants and a bunch of microbes, creating a complex melange of funk, fruit and tartness.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of 19th February 2026. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear reddish orange colour with an almost three finger slightly off white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, blackcurrant, Ribena, oak, vanilla and funk.
Taste: Pretty much exactly what you get in the aroma, sour and tart, blackcurrant, Ribena, mixed berries, oak, vanilla and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with spritzy moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Great fruit flavours with strong barrel character. Just really good to drink.