Category Archives: Wild Ale – Dark

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

The Ale Apothecary Be Still

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Brewery: The Ale Apothecary
Country: USA
ABV: 8.53%
Style: Wild Ale – Dark
Other Notes: 1600 bottles

Brewer Description: (from hanging neck tag) .wild & open fermented in the woods of OR. .Mecca Grade Estate Malt + roasted barley. .infused with cocoa nibs & cascara. .aged in OR pinot + rye whiskey barrels. .presented barrel-quiet without carbonation. .1600 bottles.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12

Intro: A 500ml corked bottle, batch from 7th September 2017, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear dark orange brown colour, with a thin head most likely from the pour, and sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Very aromatic as soon as the cork was removed. Tart, fruity, red currants, fig, cherry, fruit vinegar, with finishing notes of chocolate and cocoa.
Taste: Light tartness, fruity, dark fruit, red berries, plum, fig, red currant, cherry, light notes of chocolate and cocoa, and a splash of spicy rye whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied, with no carbonation “this beer is still”.
Overall: Great aroma that just wanted to burst out. Some nice complexity and flavours that work together. This is clearly an Ale Apothecary type beer in my book.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale - Dark

Crooked Stave Blackberry Dark Origins

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 9.666%
Style: Wild Ale – Dark
Other Notes: Cellar Reserve 2014

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark Sour Ale aged in whiskey barrels with blackberries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml dark purple waxed bottle, bottled in February 2014, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour, with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Caramel, oak, and whiskey sweetness, with a support of blackberries and blackcurrant.
Taste: Sour, tart, blackberry, dark berries, blackcurrant, oak, chocolate, caramel, whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: A good enjoyable sipper with nice aroma and flavours supported well by the blackberries.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale - Dark

Crooked Stave Nightmare on Brett Port

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 9.666%
Style: Wild Ale – Dark
Other Notes: Cellar Reserve 2014

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark Sour Ale aged in port barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml purple waxed bottle, bottled in July 2014, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Pretty much black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, mixed berries, oak, raisin, port, and a splash of caramel.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, mixed berries, blackcurrant, oak, port, raisin, with light notes of chocolate and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and flavours with the port barrel contributing nicely and it was just enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale - Dark

Crooked Stave Nightmare on Brett Blueberry

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 9.666%
Style: Wild Ale – Dark

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark Sour Ale aged in Leopold Bros whiskey barrels with blueberries.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in January 2016, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, dark berries, a touch vinous, wood, and light notes of chocolate and whiskey.
Taste: Sour, tart, dark berries, light roast, chocolate, caramel, oak, vinegar, along with a splash of whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Possibly because of the age, while there wasn’t any obvious blueberry notes, there was a mix of dark berries that worked pretty well. Lost in my cellar, it would have been great to have tried this much earlier.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale - Dark

Crooked Stave Nightmare on Brett Raspberry

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 9.666%
Style: Wild Ale – Dark

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark Sour Ale aged in Leopold Bros whiskey barrels with raspberries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.15
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in December 2015, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention and settled to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, raspberry, raspberry seeds, jammy, wood, with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart, raspberry, oak, vinegar, with light caramel and whiskey notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and flavours, and while the vinegar was perhaps on the edge, there was just enough sweetness to balance it out.