O Positive
The Alchemist

Huge berries aroma, funky, tart, almost lambic like, nice sour dark wild berry taste, medium bodied

 

Off the tap at their fifth anniversary event this American Wild Ale was raspberry-juice, ruby-red colored with a three finger head of pink foam. Fun! The retention was moderate, the lacing quite good but it eventually went from a skim to just plain flat. The aroma was pungent, a mix of earthy and musty malt mixed with herbal/medicinal notes of hops and some peppery spiciness. The flavors started tart and fruity like a lambic with elements of merlot grapes, then I tasted some grape-candy-like sweetness, jammy strawberries, and some leafy/twiggy hops. The punch of the alcohol was noticeable with the astringent notes at first but the natural sweetness (that was not cloying) overcame this as it warmed up. As it warmed I also got apricots and some waxy weirdness. Lots going on and very acidic! The mouthfeel was good, the body medium and the carbonation medium. Almost like a hybrid between an Oregon Zinfandel and an herbed beer.

An American wild ale, is made with elderberry, pomegranate and red raspberry and three strains of yeast. This fruit bomb has over six ounces of fruit in every pint! Poured out a purplish red, opaque, with no head to speak of, but fairly effervescent. Nose was sour and sweet (jn that order) with lots of raspberry and other sweet notes. The taste was tart, balancing loads of ruit, with a bit of tanin. This had a dry finish and a bubbly mouthfeel, not unlike a champagne. Very drinkable, this one sneaks up on you