American Wild Ales

Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Coming Soon

Monday Night Vinology Syrah is the 1st chapter in new wild ale series

Monday Night Vinology Syrah debuts this weekend, signaling a new series of “hybridized” American wild ales from the Atlanta based brewery.

This first chapter in a coming series of “hybridized” wild ales. Vinology Syrah is fermented it oak with its namesake Syrah grapes. According to the brewery, drinking this with your wine-loving friends will “blow your collective minds”.

Monday Night Vinology Syrah debuts at the brewery’s Garage location on March 2nd.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Syrah Grapes.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: 3/2/19

4.7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, New Releases

“Bright & in your face” Firestone Walker Bretta Tangerine debuts

There’s a new wild ale rolling out of Buellton, California – Firestone Walker Bretta Tangerine.

This new hybrid wild ale features 1,000 pounds of specially selected Murcott tangerines grown in Ojai, California. According to master blender Jim Crooks, the Murcott wasn’t just a geographical decision. “The aroma coming off the zest was so pungent, bright, and in your face. We knew that it was going to make this beer pop,” he said.

Bretta Weisse serves as the base for Bretta Tangerine, which has seen fruits like blackberries and black currants.

The Final Blend.

The Murcott tangerine concentrate as blended with 15 barrels for Bretta Weisse for fermentation and maturation. Additionally, Crooks took tangerine concentrate from Ventura Coastal and co-fermented it with another lot of Bretta Weisse. The two tangerine lots were blended together with a third lot of 18-month old Bretta Weisse.

Firestone Bretta Weisse is available in 375-milliliter bottles in all markets the Barrelworks line is sold starting the last week of February 2019.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Tangerines.)
Availability: 375ml Bottles
Debut: Late February 2019

6.2% ABV

Image: Firestone Walker

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Half Acre Brewing, New Releases

A blend of 3 wild ales for Halloween: Half Acre Haunting Pattern

Half Acre Haunting Pattern is available today in honor of Halloween.

This spooky release is a blend of an 18-month-old mixed culture wild ale, a 20-month barrel-fermented saison, and a 16 month barrel-aged Belgian-style blonde ale. The resulting beer per the brewery is a “medium bodied, lower acid beer that weighs orange peel and papaya against pie and hay.”

Half Acre Haunting Pattern is available in 22-ounce bottles at the brewery today, along with a matching long sleeve t-shirt.

Style: American Wild Ale
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Brewery Release.
Debut: 10/31/18

?? ABV

Image: Half Acre Beer

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Seasonal Return

Allagash FV 13 (foudre aged wild ale) resurfaces this weekend

Allagash FV 13 returns to the brewery once again this weekend.

A Belgian-style golden ale is the base for Allagash FV 13. The beer is fermented in stainless steel with the brewery’s epic house yeast, then transferred to a 2,700-gallon French oak foudre (exactly like the one on the label).

What is even more unique about FV 13, is that a portion of the previous batch of this beer is used to inoculate (ferment) the new edition. A little bit of the old makes the new.

This year’s beer features an aroma with notes of graham cracker, lime zest, and vanilla. The flavor blends sweet and tart with notes of grapefruit and raspberry, and finishes with a cleansing bitterness.

Allagash FV 13 is a 375ml bottle release. Each release takes four years to brew, ferment and condition before public release.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ White Cane Sugar. Oak Aged)
Hops: Tettnang, Hallertau

Availability: 12.7 oz bottles
Latest Return: September 2018

8.8% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Headlines

Dogfish Head launches full-scale wild ale program this month with “KnottyBits”

Delaware-based Dogfish Head has released a few sour ales in the past, starting with Festina Lente nearly 15 years ago. That wild ale won a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup in 2006. Let’s not forget current heavy seller SeaQuench Ale, America’s best selling sour according to the brewery. On September 29th, Dogfish KnottyBits will inaugurate the brewery’s full-scale American Wild Ale program – “Wooden…it Be Nice?”

KnottyBits has spent a year in wood barrels with Brettanomyces yeast, aged on 700 pounds of sweet and sour cherries plus rhubarb from Fifer Orchards. That equates to nearly 2 pounds of cherries per gallon.

Additionally,  the brewery has announced two more wild ale releases in the new series:

  • Wet Hop American Summer (November) – a Farmhouse Ale (7.75% ABV),  this beer was aged in freshly emptied Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces for over a year, before being racked onto freshly harvested and hand-selected whole leaf Citra hops, still wet from the fields.
  • Eastern Seaboard (December) – Wild ale (8% ABV) brewed with blackberries and beach plums.  After spending almost a year and a half aging in wine barrels, the liquid was met with several hundred pounds of blackberry and Eastern Shore beach plums, handpicked and selected by the brewers.

2000 Dogfish Head KnottyBits 375-milliliter bottles will be available at the brewery on September 29th at the brewery starting at 11 am.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Cherries. Rhubarb.)
Availability: 375ml Bottles, Corked & Caged
Debut: 9/29/18

8.2% ABV 

Image: Dogfish Head

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Creature Comforts, New Releases

University of Georgia honeybees & Creature Comforts Common Things

Creature Comforts Common Things debuts this month, a collaboration with the University of Georgia Honeybee program.

Common Things is a mixed culture saison brewed with local honey. Creature Comforts worked with the University of Georgia honeybee program. (The original brewery is located just blocks from the campus.)

This new saison is fermented with the honey in stainless steel tanks before being refermented in bottles.

“We’ve learned a lot about ways to use honey through previous projects and putting it in a light, tart, refreshing beer felt like the next progression. We’re also excited to have another opportunity to showcase locally sourced ingredients in our beer.” –  Blake Tyers, Wood Cellar, and Specialty Brand Manager

Creature Comforts Common Things will be available at the brewery on August 25th in 750-milliliter bottles. The label art was created by staff member Melissa Merrill.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Honey.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 8/25/18

6.2% ABV

Image: Creature Comforts 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Three Taverns Brewery, New Releases

London Fog inspired Three Taverns Lord Fog debuts in cans

Three Taverns Lord Fog debuts at the brewery on Friday – inspired by the London Fog beverage.

Those unfamiliar with a London Fog, the beverage is made with hot tea, hot milk and a touch of vanilla syrup. Three Taverns Lord Fog is brewed in a similar fashion. This Sour Asylum Series release is brewed with Earl Grey tea, lactose milk sugar, vanilla, and lavender.

MORE: SOUR ASYLUM SERIES

Lord Fog will be available with the brewery opens on Friday, August 24th in 12-ounce cans.

Style: Sour/Wild Ale ( w/ Tea. Lactose. Vanilla. Lavender.)
Availability: 12oz Cans
Debut: 8/24/18

5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay