Category Archives: Wild Ale

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, USA, Wild Ale

Black Project Gnomon

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Brewery: Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales
Country: USA
ABV: Unsure as not on bottle (5% on BA and UT, 6.2% on RB)
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Spontaneous Raw Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Gnomon is a blend of two sister beers, the first is similar to one of our traditional Lambic-inspired recipes, but we replaced the unmalted wheat with malted purple barley from our friends at Troubadour Maltings who acquired a special type of ancient, husk-less barley that has a deep purple color. We also didn’t boil the wort, making it a Raw Ale. It was inoculated via coolship and then fermented and aged the beer in Chardonnay barrels. The second part is also a spontaneous Raw Ale made with 100% malted purple barley. The beer was then fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels. The beers were blended and given a light dry hop prior to being bottled. The end result exhibits a unique, hearty grain character, which is backed by restrained bitterness and a moderate citrusy acidity.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml corked and capped bottled, bottled on 12th February 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, fruity, underripe mango, peach, wood, with hints of nail polish.
Taste: Light sour, fruity, apricot, oak, funk, and grapes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The light fruitiness was more tropical than expected and was enjoyable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Brazil, Cervejaria Dádiva, Wild Ale

Dádiva Brewer’s Cut

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Brewery: Cervejaria Dádiva
Country: Brazil
ABV: 4.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Sour

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Portuguese) Acidez lática. Frutas amarelas. Complexidade de brettanomyces. Turbidez média-alta. Coloração laranja escuro, 10 meses de acidificação em barris de Dark Sour.

(translated to English) Lactic acidity. Yellow fruits. Complexity of brettanomyces. Medium-high turbidity. Dark orange colour, 10 months of acidification in barrels of Dark Sour.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of July 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with suspended sediment and a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, apricot, plum, oak, with a hint of vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, apricot, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An easy to drink, simple sour. Aroma was nice, but I would have preferred more carbonation as it felt flat to me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne, Wild Ale

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Schaarbeekse Kriek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2015 vintage. Alvinne limited edition, single cask, 350 bottles. 2012 French Oak from Chateau la Croizillé

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Ons eerbetoon aan de traditionele kriek. 5 maand gerijpt op een St-Emilion vat. 100% schaarbeekse krieken, zelf geplukt in een oude boomgaard in Neerbeek-Brakel.

(translated to English) Our tribute to the traditional cherry. Aged for 5 months in a St-Emilion barrel. 100% cherries from Belgium, self-picked from an old orchard in Neerbeek-Brakel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 500ml bottle, with a best before date of November 2025. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange red rusty colour with a half finger beige head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sweet, cherry, cherry pip, grape skin, acetone, with hints of raspberry yoghurt.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, cherry pie, strawberries, wood, with notes of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice cherry flavours that are well balanced. I can’t help but wonder what this tasted like fresh.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, USA, Westbrook Brewing Co., Wild Ale

Westbrook Fruit/Wood/Time: Blackberry & Boysenberry

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Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Oak aged sour ale with blackberry and boysenberry added

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer started as a blend of several foudre aged mixed fermentation sour beers. It was then racked into 2nd use cabernet barrels and allowed to referment with blackberries and boysenberries for six months.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 1 pint 0.7 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 6th March 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A ruby reddish purple colour with a two finger pink head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.
Aroma: Blackberry, blackcurrant, Ribena, grape jelly, oak, lightly vinous.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, blackberry, oak, vinous, with a hint of blackcurrant.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking dark berry sour.

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

Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa

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Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged raspberry sour

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Raspberry sour ale aged in French oak barrels. The 10 Commandments and its “Thou Shalt Nots” do not apply to Amorosa. A courtesan, she has no need for the morality of denial. A stunning beauty with depth of spirit and sensuality. Amorosa is ruled by the fruits of her loins and mother earth. Sweet and sour, Amorosa is equal parts lover, liberated soul and the object of every suitor’s affection. She is desire incarnate and sensuality embodied. In choosing to open this bottle, you are now courting this magnificent woman. For some, she will arrive like the siren’s call breathing upon your lips and dancing across your taste buds. Others will be denied. For you see, a wonton woman, Amorosa beckons all and chooses few. Will your prayers be answered?

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A corked and caged 12.7 fl. oz. bottle, with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A cloudy reddish brown colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, raspberry, sour, oak, lemon juice.
Taste: Sour, tart, sweet, raspberry, grape, lightly vinous, oak, light lemon juice and a splash of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable with a good balance between sour and sweet, and good raspberry aroma and flavours.