-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird)
De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)
- From:
- De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)
- Belgium
- Style:
- Brett Beer
Ranked #24 - ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #14,530 - Avg:
- 3.92 | pDev: 13.01%
- Reviews:
- 113
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 09, 2022
- Added:
- Jun 14, 2005
- Wants:
- 15
- Gots:
- 18
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerCon5:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
3.92/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a very large foamy airy 3+ finger head with med retention, rocky, spotty lacing, semi hazy amber to orange color
Nose big earthy funk, Brett barnyard funk, wet hay, grassy, light fruity notes and acidity, doughy wheat grain malt notes, bright but mild fruit, apricot, stone fruit, a touch of citrus
Taste starts with more of the Brett funk up front, barnyard and a little horse blanket, a bit of tart funk and cheesy funk with light acidity, grassy, wet hay, a bit of doughy malt and wheat, grist like, mild fruity esters with some apricot, pear, light grassy hop bitterness, a bit of sweet stickiness, but drier on the finish, lingering mild bitterness
Mouth is med bod, a faint warming alcohol, high effervescent carb that keeps slowly rising out of the bottle
Overall a decent funky farmhouse style beer, hard to give it a real category but unique and tasty nonetheless
Oct 09, 2022Nose big earthy funk, Brett barnyard funk, wet hay, grassy, light fruity notes and acidity, doughy wheat grain malt notes, bright but mild fruit, apricot, stone fruit, a touch of citrus
Taste starts with more of the Brett funk up front, barnyard and a little horse blanket, a bit of tart funk and cheesy funk with light acidity, grassy, wet hay, a bit of doughy malt and wheat, grist like, mild fruity esters with some apricot, pear, light grassy hop bitterness, a bit of sweet stickiness, but drier on the finish, lingering mild bitterness
Mouth is med bod, a faint warming alcohol, high effervescent carb that keeps slowly rising out of the bottle
Overall a decent funky farmhouse style beer, hard to give it a real category but unique and tasty nonetheless
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut
3.71/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.71/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
No bottling date visible (cap stamped ‘14421606’)
Pours a lightly clouded deep golden body with a towering, rocky head of fluffy, off-white foam; excellent retention fades steadily to thin soapy lacing spread around the glass.
Aromas of pineapple and citric funk balance with yeast alongside touches of brine and hay; additionally, there’s an underlying clove sweetness and musty banana peel depth; fresh and bright.
Taste brings out a bit of damp cellar and bitter herbs, while undertones of banana, clove, and yeasty funk build throughout and linger thoroughly through the finish.
Mouthfeel shows an airy medium body with a hefty fluff of carbonation; a moderate alcohol presence builds steadily over the mid-palate to a drying dulled bitterness spread through a thinning finish.
Plenty of funk and yeast play well here, but are thrown off just a bit by an untamed booziness; nonetheless, this is still fresh on the palate, and drinks enjoyably considering its ABV.
Aug 26, 2019Pours a lightly clouded deep golden body with a towering, rocky head of fluffy, off-white foam; excellent retention fades steadily to thin soapy lacing spread around the glass.
Aromas of pineapple and citric funk balance with yeast alongside touches of brine and hay; additionally, there’s an underlying clove sweetness and musty banana peel depth; fresh and bright.
Taste brings out a bit of damp cellar and bitter herbs, while undertones of banana, clove, and yeasty funk build throughout and linger thoroughly through the finish.
Mouthfeel shows an airy medium body with a hefty fluff of carbonation; a moderate alcohol presence builds steadily over the mid-palate to a drying dulled bitterness spread through a thinning finish.
Plenty of funk and yeast play well here, but are thrown off just a bit by an untamed booziness; nonetheless, this is still fresh on the palate, and drinks enjoyably considering its ABV.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
4.1/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
4.1/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
I shy away from wilds. I fear for getting a sour one that I will have to drink by myself.
But Surly Bird teaches me to be less afraid of wilds as they also can be dry and let malt sweetness in.
This is only my 6th from de Proef, so I'm not going to pass judgment... but this is an interesting ale and, apparently, an even more interesting yeast that keeps giving me these indescribable flavors. So while I will stifle sweeping judgments on de Proef, I'll try to rate Surly Bird.
Looks like a pleasant blonde. Foam hangs around.
Smells intriguing... with yeast indicating it will control (and balance) what goes on.
Tastes like what a great yeast should do: balance malts with spices and let them come and go and let new flavors pop in and out.. Feel eventually gets too dry, overpowers the good impression the ale made.
The solution: have the rest of the bottle with food. And I did. Finish Surly Bird with food.
May 03, 2017But Surly Bird teaches me to be less afraid of wilds as they also can be dry and let malt sweetness in.
This is only my 6th from de Proef, so I'm not going to pass judgment... but this is an interesting ale and, apparently, an even more interesting yeast that keeps giving me these indescribable flavors. So while I will stifle sweeping judgments on de Proef, I'll try to rate Surly Bird.
Looks like a pleasant blonde. Foam hangs around.
Smells intriguing... with yeast indicating it will control (and balance) what goes on.
Tastes like what a great yeast should do: balance malts with spices and let them come and go and let new flavors pop in and out.. Feel eventually gets too dry, overpowers the good impression the ale made.
The solution: have the rest of the bottle with food. And I did. Finish Surly Bird with food.
Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird) from De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
269 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!