Living Proof: 100% Wild Yeast Golden Ale
Country Boy Brewing

a downright impressive wild beer, especially for a brewery i basically knew nothing about before i had this gem. an all wild bretty golden beer aged in oak, its super well done, and should be getting more attention than it looks like it is so far. really clear in appearance for what it is, bright golden colored with lots of bubbles collecting into an airy white head a half inch high. tons of fruity funk on the nose, on top of the mature drying brett, i get green pear, white wine, and crisp green apple, but its not all runaway and ester heavy, instead these are nuances, fully compatible with all the oak, and relaxed as an overall vibe. the grain base is real light, a slight honey note to it, but not much else happening there, its really about the yeast. slight acidity here, must not be all brett but a mix of different stuff, although the funk is way ahead of the sourness, its just a light pucker, lemony and clean, also mature and very well refined. patient tasting beer with the round mellow woodiness, and i love it being both crisp and dry, as well as carbonated like champagne, it adds a lot of life to this. drinkable because of the low acidity and the high intrigue it inspires. really great beer from these guys, definitely keen to track down some more of these living proof series beers! i dug this hard, a pleasant surprise to say the least!

 

 

 

It's alive! ...and its supposed to be. Wiley, surly and a little unpredictable, the wild nature of yeasts that thrive outside of the common "brewer's yeast" world carry a little tang, a little earth, and a little unruly. But for those who are well adjusted to wild ale will find the efforts in Country Boy's Living Proof series worth the while.

100% Wild Yeast Golden Ale pours with a largely headless, hazy golden appearance that's remiss of goldenrod and straw. Where it's foam is largely compromised by the beer's own acidity, its scent is rewarded with tart crabapple, dried and leathery lime, sea air, weathered oak and burlap. Its taste is sprinkled with the sweetness of grain and a mild bready taste, just ahead of the strong acidity to come.

But characterized by its distinctive and earthy tang, the middle flavor blooms with the challenged but moderate sourness of wood-soaked white wine, musty citrus, aged cork, saddle leather and gentle wafts of horse hair. Its acidic taste is redolent with sour white grape, white plum, dry citrus zest and damp hay. Its curious bitter finish is citrusy, grassy and of curing straw.

Dry, lightly powdery and sharply acidic, the beer's medium-light body is thirst-stirping and highly refreshing. Its complex after-aromas return with the unique rusticity that's found in refined fermented foods while its finish is short and sour.