Monthly Archives: May 2021

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

The Ale Apothecary Sauvie

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 8.10%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: A wild fermentation ale aged in wine barrels with hops grown on Sauvie Island

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Made of Mecca Grade Estate barley & rye malts and Crystal hops grown by Sauvie Island Hops on the farming island near Portland. We are honored to purchase and use all the Crystal hops that Jordan and Maya grow each year. 100% naturally carbonated with honey, and 100% Oregon. Unfiltered, open-fermented & barrel-aged.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 29th October 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention, and eventually settled to a thin fluffy cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, peach, apricot, sweet grape, tangy, citrus, orange, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, gummy candy like fruitiness, peach, apricot, grape, citrus, lemon, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Really enjoyable and easy to drink, with great aromas and gummy candy like fruitiness in the flavour.

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

The Ale Apothecary Field Spirits

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 9.33%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: A wild fermentation ale brewed with rye and honey, aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Mecca Grade Estate Malt shares our vision of small family business and this beer is our celebration of what they do. Made of 4 different grains from their farm in Madras, we age this beer in fresh pinot noir barrels from Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley. 100% naturally carbonated with honey, and 100% Oregon. Unfiltered, open-fermented & barrel-aged.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 28th June 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy dark amber copper colour, with a thin khaki head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness, grape, dark fruit, plum, cherry, honey, oak, vanilla, and a splash of lime zest.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, grape, lightly vinous, caramel malt, lemon juice, honey, oak, with light rye spiciness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, but carbonation was a little light for my liking.

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

The Ale Apothecary El Cuatro

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 10.58%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 1206 bottles

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Wild fermentation ale brewed with honey, aged in wine & brandy barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, brewed in November 2017, bottled on 1st November 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy deep amber orange colour, with a thin khaki head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Grape, oak, vanilla, brandy, lightly vinous, light funky, with a touch of citrus zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, oak, dried apricot, stone fruit, hay, honey, with light brandy and orange citrus notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable complex aroma and flavours. A good sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Bellwoods Brewery, Canada, Wild Ale

Bellwoods Grandma’s Boy Niagara Shiro Plums

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Brewery: Bellwoods Brewery
Country: Canada
ABV: 5.8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2018 vintage, wild ale blend w/ Niagara Shiro Plums. Barrel aged for 12-18 months

Brewer Description: (from website) The fourth iteration of our beloved Grandma’s Boy, this ‘wild ale’ was barrel aged in oak with various strains of wild yeasts and bacteria, and conditioned on a hefty bed of Niagara Shiro plums prior to bottle conditioning.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2018 vintage, poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, stone fruit, plum, apricot, peach, light citrus, lemon zest, oak, honey, and a touch funky.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, apricot, lemon juice, oak, light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and flavour, but the sour and tartness was on the verge of being too much, that it wasn’t entirely comfortable on the palate.