Wild At Heart | Brewery Ommegang
Brewed by:
Brewery Ommegang
New York, United States
ommegang.com
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
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.
Added by Phillyz on 10-31-2013
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 216 | Reviews: 36
Reviews by Bonis:
4.25/5 rDev +13.9%
Bonis, Jan 10, 2014
More User Reviews:
4.24/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A: A hazy medium amber colored ale with almost no head.
S: A fruity Brett aroma bring notes of tropical and light colored fruit like pineapples, apricot, pears and mango. A mild Pilsner malt sweetness and moderate hops aroma.
T: Tart and fruit flavors dominate followed by a medium bitterness then a light malt sweetness. Fruit flavors like the aroma include pineapple, apricot and mango with a bit of pear. There is a medium-light hops bitterness that combines with a moderate tartness to bring the balance somewhat bitter against the light sweetness. The finish is pretty dry with a light apricot fruity aftertaste.
M: A medium-light bodied beer with a strong level of carbonation.
O: A very good ale that reminds me of a straight lambic with the only fruit character coming form the yeast. The aroma is good but it doesn't telegraph the very good flavors waiting ahead.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A: A hazy medium amber colored ale with almost no head.
S: A fruity Brett aroma bring notes of tropical and light colored fruit like pineapples, apricot, pears and mango. A mild Pilsner malt sweetness and moderate hops aroma.
T: Tart and fruit flavors dominate followed by a medium bitterness then a light malt sweetness. Fruit flavors like the aroma include pineapple, apricot and mango with a bit of pear. There is a medium-light hops bitterness that combines with a moderate tartness to bring the balance somewhat bitter against the light sweetness. The finish is pretty dry with a light apricot fruity aftertaste.
M: A medium-light bodied beer with a strong level of carbonation.
O: A very good ale that reminds me of a straight lambic with the only fruit character coming form the yeast. The aroma is good but it doesn't telegraph the very good flavors waiting ahead.
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3.82/5 rDev +2.4%
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.
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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.
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4.5/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Wild at Heart is a very tasty, very drinkable wild ale. THe Brett yeast does wonders with the flavors - lots of ripe mango and pineapple. I never heard of the hops they used, but there are a nice addition. THis is very drinkable and highly recommended. I have read reviews that state some were disappointed that the beer was not tart and sour enough.... for my palate, it is right on!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Wild at Heart is a very tasty, very drinkable wild ale. THe Brett yeast does wonders with the flavors - lots of ripe mango and pineapple. I never heard of the hops they used, but there are a nice addition. THis is very drinkable and highly recommended. I have read reviews that state some were disappointed that the beer was not tart and sour enough.... for my palate, it is right on!
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4.21/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 750 ml corked bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy copper golden orange with a lot of bubbles. Huge four finger white head which fades into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing around the glass.
Smell: A nicely juicy, zesty, and yeasty aroma with a big mix of citrus fruit esters. Upfront scent of Belgian yeast with some funk and Brett yeast hints. Fruity scent of tart cherry, green apple, pear, and banana. Big aroma of citrus fruits with hints of orange, mango, pineapple, lemon zest, passion fruit, melon, peach, lime, and slight grapefruit. Some candied sugar. Backing presence of pale malt with hints of grains, straw, and cracker. Subtle earthy hop presence. A very interesting and good aroma.
Taste: Like it smells, a juicy, yeasty, and mildly tart taste with a big mix of citrus fruit esters. Belgian yeast with some funk, spice, and wild Brett yeast. Mildly tart taste of cherry. Fruit notes of green apple, banana, and pear. Big presence of tropical citrus fruits with notes of mango, pineapple, orange, lemon zest, peach, passion fruit, lime, melon, and grapefruit. Citrus hops are fairly bitter. Soft bready backing of pale malt with notes of cracker, grains, and straw. Light background presence of earthy hops. Some sweet notes of Belgian candied sugar as well. A pretty good and interesting taste.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a fairly high level of carbonation. Juicy, creamy, spritzy, and pretty smooth. Fairly drying. Alcohol is hidden well.
Overall: A pretty interesting and tasty twist on a Wild Ale. Big juicy citrus presence with a subdued sourness. Odd but it tastes pretty good.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 750 ml corked bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy copper golden orange with a lot of bubbles. Huge four finger white head which fades into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing around the glass.
Smell: A nicely juicy, zesty, and yeasty aroma with a big mix of citrus fruit esters. Upfront scent of Belgian yeast with some funk and Brett yeast hints. Fruity scent of tart cherry, green apple, pear, and banana. Big aroma of citrus fruits with hints of orange, mango, pineapple, lemon zest, passion fruit, melon, peach, lime, and slight grapefruit. Some candied sugar. Backing presence of pale malt with hints of grains, straw, and cracker. Subtle earthy hop presence. A very interesting and good aroma.
Taste: Like it smells, a juicy, yeasty, and mildly tart taste with a big mix of citrus fruit esters. Belgian yeast with some funk, spice, and wild Brett yeast. Mildly tart taste of cherry. Fruit notes of green apple, banana, and pear. Big presence of tropical citrus fruits with notes of mango, pineapple, orange, lemon zest, peach, passion fruit, lime, melon, and grapefruit. Citrus hops are fairly bitter. Soft bready backing of pale malt with notes of cracker, grains, and straw. Light background presence of earthy hops. Some sweet notes of Belgian candied sugar as well. A pretty good and interesting taste.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a fairly high level of carbonation. Juicy, creamy, spritzy, and pretty smooth. Fairly drying. Alcohol is hidden well.
Overall: A pretty interesting and tasty twist on a Wild Ale. Big juicy citrus presence with a subdued sourness. Odd but it tastes pretty good.
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2.94/5 rDev -21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I recently drank this from a
Tulip glass poured out of a 22 oz bomber bottle. I noticed a Large 2 finger head that quickly dissipated with little to no lacing as I drank. There was a sulphourous aroma and a pale golden color. As for the flavor, I experienced a bready malt forefront with some pleasant lemony flavors. It was effervescent and had medium carbonation with a bitter and slightly sour finish. I liked it and think it would be a good introductory beer to the world of sours, however I wished for a more tart flavor.
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look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I recently drank this from a
Tulip glass poured out of a 22 oz bomber bottle. I noticed a Large 2 finger head that quickly dissipated with little to no lacing as I drank. There was a sulphourous aroma and a pale golden color. As for the flavor, I experienced a bready malt forefront with some pleasant lemony flavors. It was effervescent and had medium carbonation with a bitter and slightly sour finish. I liked it and think it would be a good introductory beer to the world of sours, however I wished for a more tart flavor.
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3.64/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750ml corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled on 08/27/13.
A: Hazy golden amber with a thin white head. Leaves spots of lacing on the glass. A bit too opaque to see much visible carbonation.
S: Bit of fruitiness and yeastiness. Some Belgian funk to it as well as a malt sweetness. Hits of hops in the background and a touch of spiciness.
T: Reminds me of a light belgian double as it has a similar fruit profile. Raisin and grape are pronounced. Just a touch of farmhouse from the Brett and no developed sour yet.
M: Medium body with lots of carbonation. Crisp and dry finish. Almost a champagne like feel.
Overall it is a very drinkable mild belgian ale with a nice fruit aspect. Would need a few more years to develop the tartness I like in my Brett beers. Agree with others that it comes off saison like.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750ml corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled on 08/27/13.
A: Hazy golden amber with a thin white head. Leaves spots of lacing on the glass. A bit too opaque to see much visible carbonation.
S: Bit of fruitiness and yeastiness. Some Belgian funk to it as well as a malt sweetness. Hits of hops in the background and a touch of spiciness.
T: Reminds me of a light belgian double as it has a similar fruit profile. Raisin and grape are pronounced. Just a touch of farmhouse from the Brett and no developed sour yet.
M: Medium body with lots of carbonation. Crisp and dry finish. Almost a champagne like feel.
Overall it is a very drinkable mild belgian ale with a nice fruit aspect. Would need a few more years to develop the tartness I like in my Brett beers. Agree with others that it comes off saison like.
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3.06/5 rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Cloudied honey with a wonderful tight two inch foamy formation. Could of exacerbated more carbonation.
Smells like beer. As an advertised wild ale I was expecting something....say....more bretty and wild, sour and tart....but no. I get more a sweet maltness as a corn adjunct or a modified corn syrup. Really not appealing.
Syrupy sweet upfront and becomes more "sourish" in the back. Reminds me Kirin beer. Rice and/or corn sweetness. Alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel is heavy and creamy. Finishes dry and carbonation is sufficient.
Really this is ok. A rare pleasant Sunday afternoon and I'm not enjoying this. Not going to drain pour it but gotta move on. Life is too short to drink what you ain't liking. Where's the American wild ale in this??? All in all my wife scarfed it up and would give this a 4 overall, she dug it so that has to count for something.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Cloudied honey with a wonderful tight two inch foamy formation. Could of exacerbated more carbonation.
Smells like beer. As an advertised wild ale I was expecting something....say....more bretty and wild, sour and tart....but no. I get more a sweet maltness as a corn adjunct or a modified corn syrup. Really not appealing.
Syrupy sweet upfront and becomes more "sourish" in the back. Reminds me Kirin beer. Rice and/or corn sweetness. Alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel is heavy and creamy. Finishes dry and carbonation is sufficient.
Really this is ok. A rare pleasant Sunday afternoon and I'm not enjoying this. Not going to drain pour it but gotta move on. Life is too short to drink what you ain't liking. Where's the American wild ale in this??? All in all my wife scarfed it up and would give this a 4 overall, she dug it so that has to count for something.
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3.67/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a moderate sized pure white head. The head settled into a thick ring.
The aroma is sweet with a slight yeast spice. Pale malt sweetness with perhaps some candi sugar and a light hint of clove from the yeast. This is also a very subtle tart note. The aroma is nice but not very strong.
The taste is a mix of sweet and tart. Quite fruity with green apple, lemon and some light tropical fruit notes. Almost a champagne fruitness. There is a slightly tart note from the brett but not very strong. Some pepper. Some bitterness in the end from the hops, mainly grassy.
The feel is light with very airy carbonation, burns just a little. Sweet and crisp on the palate but does have a bitter offset in the finish from the hops. Slightly dry. Not very tart.
A nice beer but not quite what I expected from a brett added beer. Its not very tart. Its dry and drinks very well, good palate cleanser.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a moderate sized pure white head. The head settled into a thick ring.
The aroma is sweet with a slight yeast spice. Pale malt sweetness with perhaps some candi sugar and a light hint of clove from the yeast. This is also a very subtle tart note. The aroma is nice but not very strong.
The taste is a mix of sweet and tart. Quite fruity with green apple, lemon and some light tropical fruit notes. Almost a champagne fruitness. There is a slightly tart note from the brett but not very strong. Some pepper. Some bitterness in the end from the hops, mainly grassy.
The feel is light with very airy carbonation, burns just a little. Sweet and crisp on the palate but does have a bitter offset in the finish from the hops. Slightly dry. Not very tart.
A nice beer but not quite what I expected from a brett added beer. Its not very tart. Its dry and drinks very well, good palate cleanser.
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Wild At Heart from Brewery Ommegang
3.73
out of 5
based on 216 ratings.