Sourdough Wild Ale
Almanac Beer Co.

Sourdough Wild AleSourdough Wild Ale
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From:
Almanac Beer Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.44 | pDev: 16.57%
Reviews:
46
Ratings:
326
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 11, 2020
Added:
Jan 30, 2014
Wants:
  14
Gots:
  40
Brewed with a mash of raw and malted barley, oats, rye, spelt and lemon, this beer was fermented in used wine barrels with a blend of Brettanomyces wild yeasts and Marla Bakery’s San Francisco sourdough yeast. The finished beer is dry-hopped with tropical Mosaic hops. This unfiltered ale is alive in the bottle: drink fresh for a bright, passionfruit aroma or age to develop the wild yeast funk.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Enochase04:
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Rated by Enochase04 from Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%

Aug 15, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 11, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours a cloudy yellow with 1/4" white head on the top. The aroma had a mild funk presence and lots of breadiness, but the sourdough part was largely underwhelming or entirely absent. Additionally, in terms of Mosaic hops, this is about the least influential Mosaic hopped beer I've come across.

Taste, very mild sour and hop presence. Both fall into the number 2 on the 10 pt scale. The brett character is stronger, and about an average 5 on the 10pt scale. I think the first time i had this was at Stone Oakquinox, but subsequent to that, I picked up a bottle to see if maybe it was too fresh the first time I had it. Really the only thing that develops is a little more brett character it seems. The hops strangely seemed to contribute more in the way of bitterness than they did aroma or flavor, which is out of the ordinary for the Mosaic hop. Would like to try this with a very mild hop that doesn't clash potentially I guess.
Nov 01, 2018
Photo of Phil-Fresh
Reviewed by Phil-Fresh from California

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2014 Bottle

A: Moderately funky, floral, lightly lemony with some oak.

A: Golden color, clear, with a thin white uniform head that had a decent retention given the years.

T: Moderately funky sourdough flavor, mixed with light lemon, and oak.

M: Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: Alright; surprised to see the sourdough character is fairly strong after three years with some lemon, and wine barrel presence.
Sep 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

May 27, 2017
Photo of Dactrius
Reviewed by Dactrius from Netherlands Antilles

3.42/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
This is over three years old, why the hell is it so hoppy still? There is negligible sourness even after all this time. This is basically a decent IPA. Nice carb, head and clarity though.
Apr 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Jan 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 2.34 by HopHead84 from California

Dec 04, 2015
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Another beer, another thank you to Tina for this 375 capped bottle. On to the beer:

A fluffy white head retains itself well on top a yellow-orange colored ale. A bit muddy is the color, I shall add, and splashes of white lace cling around the glass. It smells funny, not like your common sour ale. It smells floral with an "off" sourness to it. It smells like a beer that it well past its due date.

Very different. This is not very sour, though there is a little funkiness. It tastes like flowers got in the way of a honeycomb, but at the end is gently hit with a teabag of bittering and tropical hops. I cannot find the added lemon induced into this beer. When you realize that this beer will not be a puckering treat, you accept what you get, and on its own Sourdough Wild Ale is not a bad beer. This all swims in a medium body, where there are few carbonation bubbles, and they don't interfere.

I do appreciate Almanac to think outside the box, and the final result is acceptable. This beer is not straightforward, so don't jump immediately to conclusions.
Oct 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.69 by swanfungus from California

Aug 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by Ilpalazzo from California

Jun 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by jrob21 from North Carolina

May 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by KVNBGRY from Florida

Apr 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.22 by mtndg15

Apr 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.3 by Fievel from Pennsylvania

Apr 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by ChaseTheAce from Texas

Apr 04, 2015
Photo of AllagashEvan
Rated by AllagashEvan from Maine

2.15/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Aroma of freshly hydrated bakers yeast. Oxidized.
Mar 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.76 by Kenai4 from Minnesota

Mar 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by LoriCrotty from Minnesota

Mar 26, 2015
Sourdough Wild Ale from Almanac Beer Co.
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 326 ratings