Wild At Heart
Brewery Ommegang

Wild At HeartWild At Heart
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From:
Brewery Ommegang
 
New York, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 12.33%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
217
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 14, 2019
Added:
Oct 31, 2013
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  37
Wild at Heart is an audacious new ale in our Brewermaster’s Obession Series. In a rarely-employed technique we use only wild brettanomyces yeast in primary fermentation - the very heart of the beer. The brettanomyces yeast imparts robust fruit flavors and aromas, and combines with Motueka and Topaz hops to create uncommon tastes and aromas.

Wild at Heart pours a rich amber hue, slightly hazy with a full white head. Tropical aromas include mango, passion fruit, pineapple, and a touch of slight lemon and lime. Complex flavors present a restrained fruity sweetness, green apples and a touch of tartness. Carefully balanced with gentle malt sweetness and moderate lemon and lime hop flavor. Faint hop bitterness is followed by a crisp, effervescent finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by crhea89:
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Rated by crhea89 from California

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

Dec 21, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.73 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Mar 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.42 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Dec 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by rawfish from California

Oct 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.36 by Stinger80OH from Ohio

Oct 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.61 by sanitarium16 from New Jersey

Jun 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by gspeer711 from California

Jan 30, 2016
Photo of generallee
Reviewed by generallee from Virginia

3.82/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Presentation: It was poured from a brown 750 ml bottle into a tulip glass. The label lists the abv at 8%.

Appearance: The body has a light amber color with soapy light tan head. It has a hazy look and some visible carbonation. The head quickly settles out and lacing is very minimal.

Smell: The aroma has a funky phenolic character with some fruity notes, light grain, and cereal. The fruity notes remind me of unripe mango, sweet passion fruit, and tart apple peels. The sweet fruity notes come out more as the beer sits.

Taste/Palate: It’s mostly sweet and fruity up front. I get pear, apple and a touch of mango. I also get sweet cereal and grainy notes which quickly turn to tart funky yeast and mild bitter hops in the finish. The palate feels smooth and fairly full yet still carbonated.
Dec 07, 2015
Photo of hardy008
Reviewed by hardy008 from Minnesota

3.74/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a cloudy dark gold color, with an almost 3 finger white head, which has good retention and lacing. The aroma has mango, peaches, pepper, and pale malts.

Tastes mostly sweet with mango, peach, pepper, and pale malts. Is a nice tasting beer, but I don't detect the Brett, or any tartness at all. Tastes more like a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Nothing wrong with that, because I like Belgian Strong Pale Ales, but that is not what this tastes like.

Medium to full bodied with average carbonation. This is a nice tasting beer, but I have to mark it down somewhat for not being an American ild Ale as advertised on the bottle. Still a good beer though.
Oct 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by AMarkle6524 from Pennsylvania

Sep 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by rydev24 from Pennsylvania

Aug 15, 2015
Photo of BethanyB
Reviewed by BethanyB from New York

4.47/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: A deep, hazy amber whose white head is quick to fade.

Smell: The wild prairie vibe comes through in the aroma: the tart and tangy scent of brettanomyces in the yeast is runs even more wild with coriander, white pepper, and lemongrass, but is also softened by a sweet, milky, wheat-like smell, almost like the breath of a baby.

Taste: The first taste that hits the tongue is the tart brett charachter, but upon swallowing, a determined presence of maple sugar and cinnamon emerges at the back of the throat and floats forward over the taste buds. It's a great touch. The tanginess of oranges mixes with the sweetness of apricots, and this fruity flavor combo grows, along with hints of coriander and peppercorn. Also steadily increasing is a distinct maltiness, which mixes with molasses to create a light French toast taste.

Mouthfeel: The medium body boasts a ton of bubbles, and yet, the carbonation manages to not overtake the taste. Cheers to that--it's not an easy feat! The finish too manages to strike a balance between being smooth and dry. I did not notice any alcohol warming, but I was perhaps because I was distracted by the many points of merit.

Overall: Complex and full of character, this imaginative piece of folk art is actually well worth its hefty price tag. It's so tasty, in fact, that I imagine I'll neglect my wallet for more, if I come across it. It's too bad Ommegang doesn't add this to its standard lineup--I would be thrilled!
Jul 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by ArkyVaughan from New Jersey

May 12, 2015
Photo of Nugganooch
Reviewed by Nugganooch from California

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
75ML C&C bottle – Lost Abbey stemware
Notes taken on 122/17/2014

A: Soft golden straw honey color with a touch of cloudy yeast in appearance. Active and sudsy looking pure snow white froth swelling over top. Dissipates rapidly leaving some wide swaths of lace gripping to the glass.

S: The nose suggests sourdough bread with lemon grass, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of strawberry fruit. Not particularly funky or barnyard to me but also not that bad actually. Leaves you with more of a wetted grass like aroma.

T: Starts off very cidery with a light touch of farmhouse yeast. Not funky or tart at all and actually quite sweet on the lips. Stale sourdough bread and lemon peel makes up most the other flavors along with some golden fruits and more apple cider notes. Very low perceived bitterness to this and the alcohol is kept really well hidden. Not particularly great to me and a big step down from the nose. Drinks more like a subpar Belgian Pale. Just getting a bunch of cider like flavors here.

M: Moderate to moderately heavier body as the beer sits kind of flat on the palate with a light syrupy thickness to it. Touch of drying in the finish but mostly clean and flatter. Mouth feel is not doing any favors to improve the overall experience.

D: Wild at Heart was a bit of a disappointment coming from Ommegang. Really not much depth of flavor going on for a Wild and a poor mouth feel making this a bit of a chore to drink much of. Would be more passable as a BPA I think. Wouldn’t really recommend this one.
May 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by RichH55 from Illinois

May 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.45 by Faxmesomehalibut from New Hampshire

May 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.26 by AGust82 from Connecticut

Apr 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Zonian1 from Ohio

Mar 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by InfragilisBrew from Illinois

Mar 18, 2015
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Rated by ivegot3Dvision from Oregon

4.46/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I enjoyed this beer way more than I should've. The brett it was fermented with was nice a clean and made for an interesting, easy drinking beer.
Feb 14, 2015
Wild At Heart from Brewery Ommegang
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 217 ratings