Wild Devil - Red Wine Barrel-Aged
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

 

 

750ml cork caged stores at 42, received back in 2018, enjoying February 2020.
Drank out of a teku glass

Rust like copper color. (4)
Thick head and proper lacing around glass.
Very enjoyable mouth feel, dancing on the tongue.
Still pretty funky taste, finishes dry. Overall flavor I’m not entirely impressed. On the nose it screams flavor but in mouth not quite there.

750 ml corked and caged bottle

pours a clear dark golden color, thick white head. lively carbonation that settles down for the second pour out of the bottle. aroma is a bit earthy, a touch funky, spicy, a little vinous and fruity. taste is similar, fairly dry, moderately complex. thinner bodied, higher carbonation level.

 

$ 14.00 (Including tax)/750 mL ($ 0.551/oz) cork and cage bottle from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Reviewed 12/28/18.
“Bottled on 16 Aug 2018” stamped on front label in nearly invisible ink. On shelf at distributor. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Opens with a loud “POP” and produces a weak geyser.
Appearance – 3.5.
Body – Amber, hazy.
Head – Large (Maximum five cm, controlled center pour), off-white, medium density, average retention diminishing to an irregular four to ten mm ring and a rocky partial layer.
Lacing – Fair. Narrow ring of tiny to small bubbles with pendulous stalactites.
First pour – Light amber, slight haze.
Aroma – 4 – Vinous, like a medium-priced port. Fades.
Flavor – 3 - Very little. Begins with a bit of oxidation/wet cardboard taste. None of the expected B. bruxellensis funk is present, unless you consider the oxidation taste as being desired. No alcohol (6.7%), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Thin, watery, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3 - Drinkable, but not desirable - seems like a waste of Hop Devil.

Medium-amber and basically clear in a tulip glass... Pour produced a super-tall head even with a fairly-moderated pour... Musky funk of dank wood and old red wine right up front... Those aromas carry-over well into the taste, complimented by dry grapefruit peel, a tang of grape must, and a barely sweeter moment on the mid-palate akin to - I wanna say old brown bread... Medium-weight body has a bit of chew, and I'm chalking that up to the brett - ample carbonation... Mildly bitter, mildly sweet, with a solid funky tang and a drying, oaky aftertaste...

At first not quite sure what to make of it - I haven't had the base beer, Wild Devil, but this reminded me of a biere de garde/saison/wild ale hybrid - with a definite "barnyard" character - rustic and earthy - barrel aging was apparent (6 months in Napa Valley red wine barrels), as was the brett, and had something suggestive of an amber ale's hoppage and body beneath... Not typical of my interests of late, but I've enough familiarity with beer of this nature to give it a confident thumbs up...