Honey, Genmai Gunpowder
Paradox Beer Company

 

 

I remain surprised by the growing number of lovers of this style. I am not among them, despite Gen Mai being the 25th Wild Ale I've rated. To me, American Wilds are still an acquired taste (and sometimes expensive for what the Wild became.)
But, the acquisitions are getting, at least, to be better appreciated by me.

Paradox has produced an example. There is little about Gen Mai that I can embrace, but also little I dislike.
It Looks OK, tho is no Show-off. It Smells like fruit past its prime, but not Stinky. It Tastes tart, but not Sour. It Feels bubbly, but not Swill. Call me The Un-enthusiast.

Perhaps a better way for me to approach Wilds is in the summer (February in Chicago does not encourage open minds.) And summer fare, like salads, might work better. The bubbles cut the oil and the tart tames the vinegar. Maybe under those conditions I will appreciate more Wilds.

This bottle was Gen Mai's 2016 rendition and boasted an 8% ABV.

 

Not a gusher thankfully, but a beautiful cloudy gold gem of a beer with a four finger white topper. Exc. look for a wild ale.

Full aroma featuring hormonal and overripe fruit, rounded and sharper tart notes, doughy sweet, and oddly fetid floral notes that give it a disturbingly alluring appeal.

Would be great to find that taste follows aroma, but it only partly does. Overripe fruit notes abound and are the primary flavor in a mix that includes both vinegary tart and rounded bready tart, with some bitter and citrus at the end of the sip that rescue this beer from being a one note nancy. Instead it gives it a lemon and dry ending that is tasty. If the more hormonal notes in the aroma were flavors in the taste this beer would be amazing.

Nicely viscous, zippy carb., finish does develop a bit of resiny lemon buildup thing after a while, probably beer's worst feature.

Quite a tasty beer, refreshing and interesting, with a killer aroma for those who are fans of the deeper aspects of brett.

Bottle. Very tart. Reminds me is a sour

 

 

I really was happy my brother brought this to share poured in a glass chilled.

The color is lightly hazed golden with white head and fine bead. The smell has a sour scent yet floral with a honey aspect in the nose. The feel is great both sweet and sour with herbal from the tea and perhaps a tannin.

The taste is mostly sour with a light herbal accent and mild honey element in the finish. Overall I would drink this again a very nice twist on the style with good honey in flavor.

 

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

A real sizzler. Minor slow gush when opening, but lots of sudsy and carbon dioxide soda gas like noise in the glass. Bright head of white, with easy two fingers but has very little retention but fast re-population. A volcano is literally erupting through the middle of this thing. Dissolves to a fine collar, and leaving a giant bubbling lava field of dark apricot orange and lemon in the middle. Never seen a beer carb up like this before, and this one is certainly noisy.

Pleasant grass like aromas and sharp funk. Dry notes of pepper and almost lemon sensations from a nice estery touch. Something sort of fruit taffyt sticky smelling abounds as well which sort of hints towards a bit of tropical notes. Interesting beer but kind of odd nose.

Big hints of tropical fruit juice flavor on first sip. Pineapple and a bit of a wet body wash completely over the mid palate. Mild sensing funk tones with fruit angle that starts to dominate. Light bodied box juice flavors, with a bit of gaseous flavor which is quite obvious in the aftertaste.

This comes off as more of a tropical soda than a beer, but with just a little more body to keep it interesting. Doesn't really give much diversity in the palate either.