Primal Instinct
Wild Wolf Brewing Company

Primal InstinctPrimal Instinct
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From:
Wild Wolf Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
7.4%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 11.32%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
84
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 23, 2019
Added:
Sep 01, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  29
An American IPA, Primal Instinct exhibits the best qualities of American-grown hops. We’ve blended five different malts to create a strong malt backbone and complemented them with five flavorful hop varieties, including hand-harvested Cascade hops grown in our very own hopyard. This blend imparts robust aromatic and tasting notes of tropical citrus and resiny pine.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by vwbus7:
Photo of vwbus7
Rated by vwbus7 from North Carolina

3.77/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Jul 10, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
As I CANtinue with New DELMARVA (+ DC) Beer Sunday (Week 774), I'd like to give a shout-out to my local, in-person beer trader, @tone77 who dropped this CAN off for me a while back. The CANQuest (tm) is an awesome thing!

From the CAN: "An American IPA, Primal Instinct, exhibits the best qualities of American-grown hops. We’ve blended five different malts to create a strong malt backbone and complemented them with five flavorful hop varieties, including hand-harvested Cascade hops grown in our very own hopyard. This blend imparts robust aromatic and tasting notes of tropical citrus and resiny pine."

I was waning at the end of a long day, but I decided to press on for one more, beginning with a Crack! of the vent, followed by a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. It foamed up mightily to form two-plus fingers of dense, rocky, foamy, tawny head with excellent retention, slowly fading to wisps, but leaving a load of sticky lacing in its wake. Color was a solid Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled like I was swabbing the head with a gallon of pine cleanser! 8=O Rin-dink-you-lously pine! Phew. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was as though that gallon of pine cleanser was getting poured down my throat! Holy Pine-Sol, Batman! My sinuses, which had been clogged for weeks, suddenly drained out, leaving me to feel & taste every bit of this one. My scalp beCAN to tingle & my eyes watered unCANtrollably. Phew! There was a slight hint of caramel malt, but by & large, this was all pine hops. Chinook? Cascade! Phew! Finish was cool & dry & I beCAN to despair that I was going to have CANother nose bleed. 8=( Man, this was no foolin' around at the end of the night. YMMV.
Dec 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by wilfonzo from Florida

Oct 19, 2019
Photo of Humanusfermentum
Reviewed by Humanusfermentum from Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nice malt/hop competition---not necessarily a balance---and the results are lively and delicious. Indeed, a strong malt backbone, with plenty of hop presence right up front. Piney, resiny nose subdued compared to the taste that follows. A tad bit on the heavy side, but utterly enjoyable.
Jul 27, 2019
Photo of wmscottsimpsonjr
Reviewed by wmscottsimpsonjr from Missouri

2.95/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
Hazy, gold copper. Resiny hop aromas with lemon, a little pine, tropical, and grapefruit. Similar moderately strong (weaker than expected based on the aroma) taste with decently prominent maltiness. Hint of booze. Moderate bitterness. Neither sweet nor dry but muddy. Heavy. Simply not an easy beer to drink.
Nov 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.73 by DSGerlach from Virginia

Aug 02, 2018
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a copper color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of citrus, tropical fruits. Taste is orange peels, pine, some malts are present, moderate bitterness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.
Jun 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.22 by superwho24 from Arkansas

Jun 17, 2018
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

3.79/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A-Pours a nice light copper color with a nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has slight fruity and hop hints
T-The taste follows the nose with some fruity and hoppy flavors
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A well made beer
Apr 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by parkwood from Pennsylvania

Feb 18, 2018
Photo of jimpyle48
Rated by jimpyle48 from Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Sampled from can
Jan 23, 2018
Photo of mntlover
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee

3.89/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a lightly hazy golden amber mixture with a two finger of white head that does leave some lace behind.

Aroma is bisquit malt, tropical fruits with a sprinkling of pine needles. Pretty normal IPA nose nothing amiss.

Taste is like the nose not quite as sweet but decent enough malt backbone. Good fruity notes orange, light grapefruit, lime again a sprinkling of pine resin.

Mouhfeel is medium with lightly peppy carbonation.

Overall pretty descent IPA, pretty much would have regular if it was local for me. Not mind blowing but a solid beer nothing to knock it on.
Oct 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.9 by Jason_cs from Florida

Aug 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by Yeldarb92 from Ohio

Aug 20, 2017
Photo of Eamonn-Cummings3
Reviewed by Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 12oz can into a speiglau IPA glass.

Look is a dark amber with a thick frothy head.

Aroma is a little orange and a lot of biscuit malt.

Taste is much better than aroma more complex hops that have hints of herbs and orange.
Aug 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.77 by JohnBradSC from South Carolina

Aug 13, 2017
 
Rated: 3.57 by Rhettroactive from Virginia

Jul 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by Dragginballs76 from South Carolina

May 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by avisong from Virginia

Apr 17, 2017
Photo of Beerdeathexperience
Reviewed by Beerdeathexperience from Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
No expedition is complete without a log, and I am on a journey to sample as many varieties of beer as humanly possible without becoming either a drunk or homeless.

Look. This is an opaque beer. It looks very thick, a cloudy medium gold. The smell is brisk and piney. It's an IPA, and while it isn't sweet, its bitterness is tastefully restrained, piney, without the strong grapefruit taste present in some IPAs. Still, it packs a nice punch at over 7%. The feel is thick and smooth.

As far as a $10 pack goes, this craft beer is one of the best I've had. Will drink it again.
Feb 17, 2017
Primal Instinct from Wild Wolf Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 84 ratings