American Wild Ales

Really big rabbits and Odell Flemish Giant

Odell Flemish Giant, a future potential release in the brewery’s Cellar Series.

Consider this beer a tribute to the Belgian Flanders-style that is inspiring so many brewers in America. Odell Flemish Giant will have spent a year hidden a way in oak by Continue Reading →

Posted in Carolina Bauernhaus Ales, New Releases

Carolina Bauernhaus Muriel, with local muscadines

Carolina Bauernhaus Muriel debuts on February 11th in the taproom in Anderson, South Carolina.

A golden ale brewed with rye malt serves as the base for this release. The beer was fermented in chardonnay barrels with the brewery’s house mixed yeast and bacteria culture.

After nine months in the barrels, 250 pounds of local muscadines are blended into the beer.

The resulting ale has a distinct muscadine nose underlined by an earthy rye spice.

Carolina Bauernhaus Muriel will be available in 750 milliliter bottles on February 11th, 2017.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Muscadines. Wine Barrel Aged. Chardonnay.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 2/11/17

7.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Avery Brewing, Headlines

Avery Apricot Sour joins ‘Botanicals’ as 4th release

Avery Apricot Sour, the fourth installment of the brewery’s Botanicals & Barrels Series, debuts at month’s end.

The barrel-aged series debuted with Raspberry Sour in May of 2015. Not long after, Vanilla Bean Stout was added to the series, and most recently Tangerine Quadrupel Ale.

The brewery is leaning back “tart” with Avery Apricot Sour. Just like its predecessors, each beer comprises of the four usual beer ingredients, and one specially chosen outside ingredient. The same mixed sour and wild culture in Raspberry Sour is used Apricot, with more lactic acid in the finished beer.

“As the second sour of the series, it is brewed with the same bacterial and yeast cocktail as Raspberry Sour, however the result is a more lactic beer with minimal malt character and a ton of apricot”. – Special Project Brewer Leigh Audin

Avery Apricot Sour will be available in 22 ounce bottles and draft starting January 30th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Apricots. Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: 1/30/17

7.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale gets funky in February

Marking the double decade milestone, SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale will debut in February.

If we could sum up the just the last 5 years of Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing Company, it would be growth. The brewery has jumped from a 25 barrel brewhouse to a 400 barrel system, added cans, expanded lab and quality control, added distribution states, bottle conditioning. and most recently, a multi-million dollar sour & wild facility. So much good coming out of 195 Ottley Drive.

In February, the brewery will mark their 20th year with a party featuring the band Moe. as well as releasing SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale.

For the past few years, SweetWater has been working on their own house blend of Brettanomyces. A part from some small batch releases, this is the first time the beer has seen the big time. The base beer is an imperial IPA brewed with brewery staple “hop hash”. (Hash is the potent chunks leftover after hops are pelletized.)

Described as extremely hop forward, the American wild ale is fruity, herbal, and citrusy, with a touch of funk in the finish.

Can’t make the party? SweetWater 20th Anniversary Ale will be available in 750 milliliter bottles in mid to late February, 2017.

Style: American Wild Ale
Hops: Bravo, Mosaic, Citra
Malts: Pilsner, Maris Ottler, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Midnight Wheat

Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: February, 2017

9% ABV, 81 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Don't Miss This, The Rare Barrel

Wicked Weed Happy Blending, a collab with The Rare Barrel date set

Wicked Weed Happy Blending, a collaboration with California based The Rare Barrel, is set to debut in February.

The Asheville based brewery has put together some pretty killer collaborations recently. In 2016,  it was Juiceless, a hoppy collab with Creature Comforts, which was followed by a wild/sour ale brewed with Switzerland’s Trois Dames. Fans also lusted over Red Atrial, a raspberry filled blend with Jester King.

Wicked Weed Happy Blending is the latest collaboration release, created with California’s The Rare Barrel. Both breweries are very well known for their barrel-aged sours. This release will be no different. Cellermen from each of the breweries travelled to the other’s home base and hand selected their favorite barrels. The chosen barrels were then combined with 3 pounds per gallon of nectarines and plums.

This collaboration is the brainchild of blenders from both Wicked Weed and The Rare Barrel breweries. Cellarmen travelled to one another’s breweries to select their favorite barrels from the others’ collection. They then combined the beer from these barrels with 3 lbs per gallon of nectarines and plums. This combination formed the perfect balance of character and flavor to represent each respective barrel house.

Wicked Weed Happy Blending will be a 500 milliliter bottle at the brewery on February 17th.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Nectarines, Plums.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: 2/17/17

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Victory Brewing Company, New Releases

Victory Sour Monkey (AKA sour golden monkey) gets a new format

Victory Sour Monkey a twist on the brewery’s year round favorite, Golden Monkey is now available in 12 ounce bottles for the first time. The Belgian-style tripel has spent some time undergoing multiple fermentations via three different yeasts.

The first yeast in the trio is Westmalle yeast (made famous by the Belgian Trappist brewery), used in the Golden Monkey base beer. The sour and wild characteristics come from a blend of Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus bacteria.

A result of the visionary enthusiasm of Victory Brewing Company’s brewers, Sour Monkey playfully tantalizes taste buds into a electrified frenzy by combining juicy Tettnang and Hallertrau whole flower hops with Pilsner malt and coriander seed before bringing in the fun and the funk of unique yeast varieties. With an ABV of 9.5%, Sour Monkey delivers a punch with the pure taste of Victory.

Victory Sour Monkey is once again in 12 ounce bottles in all of the brewery’s 57 state distribution footprint. Estimated retail price of $11.99.

Style: American Wild Ale (Coriander)
Hops: Tettnang, Hallertau
Malts: Pilsner

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Seasonal release.
Latest Return: January, 2017

9.5% ABV

Above image image: Beer Street Journal 

Image: Victory Brewing Company

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Really big rabbits and Odell Flemish Giant

Odell Flemish Giant, a future potential release in the brewery’s Cellar Series.

Consider this beer a tribute to the Belgian Flanders-style that is inspiring so many brewers in America. Odell Flemish Giant will have spent a year hidden a way in oak by the time you have this in your hands. Flemish Giant features flavors of raisins, figs and plum.

Recently, the brewery released Prop Culture in the Cellar Series.

Native to Belgium, the Flemish Giant is a breed of rabbit that dates back to the 16th century and tips the scales at 20 lbs. Burrowed in oak barrels for a year, Flemish Giant is our tribute to this prodigious hare and it’s homeland, the birthplace of the Flanders-style Sour Red Ale. Look for notes of tart ruby grapefruit and cherry to hop to the nose while sweet raisin, fig and plum favors thump the palette.

Ghent, Belgium is thank for one of the largest rabbits on earth – the Flemish Giant. First bred in the 16th century, the rabbit weighs on average around 15 pounds. (Honestly, there is a Monty Python movie sense that comes to mind.)

Odell Flemish Giant will be a 750 milliliter bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this beer.

Style: Flanders Red Ale (Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: TBA

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Carolina Bauernhaus Ales, New Releases

Carolina Bauernhaus Freehaus Jupiter Gold, a Freehouse collab debuts

Carolina Bauernhaus Freehaus Jupiter Gold will be available starting January 14th, 2017.

Anderson, South Carolina based Carolina Bauernhaus has teamed up with their coastal neighbors, Freehouse Brewery. The two breweries share barrels, yeast and recipes already, so a collaboration was long overdue.

Carolina Bauernhaus Freehaus Jupiter Gold uses Freehouse mixed culture from their sour tanks, plus Carolina’s house blend. The golden sour was matured for nearly a year in three different Cabernet barrels, then blended with 200 pounds of upstate South Carolina Jupiter grapes.

Jupiter Gold has a beguiling fruit notes and a bracing acidity coupled with a dry refreshing finish.

Carolina Bauernhaus Freehaus Jupiter Gold will be available in 750 milliliter bottles at the Anderson brewery on January 14th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Jupiter Grapes. Red Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 1/14/17

6.4% ABV

by Reid Ramsay