Biomimetic
Speciation Artisan Ales

19.2 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 9/2018. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy medium golden yellow color with a 2-3 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lightly tart/tangy peaches, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, passion fruit, gooseberry, white grape/wine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of vanilla, peppercorn, pine, leathery/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/funky/spicy yeast, and pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy peaches, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, passion fruit, gooseberry, white grape/wine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of vanilla, peppercorn, pine, leathery/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; peppery Brett spiciness; and fruit/wheat tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of peaches, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, passion fruit, gooseberry, white grape/wine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, peppercorn, pine, leathery/musty funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/funky/spicy yeast, and pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness and carbonation. High carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, fairly crisp/sticky, and lightly acidic/tangy mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is an outstanding wild NEIPA. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/funky/spicy yeast, and pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish; fantastically soft feel. Great Amarillo, Chinook, Citra profile. Fantastic balance between juicy/vibrant, fairly dank/earthy hops; Brett/Saison yeast complexity, and wheat/oat/malts. Mild residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and very impressive style example as expected. Not a ton of vanilla, but noticeable.

 

The label describes this beer as a “Wild Ale with Vanilla & Second Use Peaches Dry Hopped with Amarillo, Chinook and Citra.”

The Instagram post about the release of this can describes the beer as “a Wild NEIPA,” and uses #sourbeer.

Why does it say “NEIPA” on the Instagram post, but not on the can? Yes, that’s a rhetorical question. C’mon Speciation.

Why am I writing so much about what’s written on the can and the IG notes when released? Because I’m so confused by what I’m reading and tasting.

Appearance: This beer pours a translucent, hazy, golden-amber color. Upon pouring vigorously, a bone white head of loosely packed bubbles forms, but then dissipates to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. No visible carbonation or lacing.

Smell: OK. So here is where the descriptions come into play, along with my confusion. This beer does not smell like a New England IPA. It could pass for a Belgian IPA. We can discuss what a “Wild Ale” could smell like: Lacto acidity? Brett funkyness/earthyness? This beer smells like a Saison. Dead on. Not a sour saison. But a sweet, spicy and earthy one. It’s a floral bouquet with honey. Sweetness could be from the vanilla as well. It smells like this beer uses Brett. Dry and faint melted plastic aroma and some mild mustyness. Bubblegum and banana candy sweetness too. Perhaps the NEIPA comes into play with peach juice and brighter tropical fruit notes that I’m getting only from the can? Definitely see how the Amarillo and Citra could come out here.

Taste: Grassy, crackery, and a slight, bright lemon citrus/peach juice flavor that borders on some acidity, but lends itself more to a dry bitterness. Herbal. Bay leaf.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation and dry.

Overall: This is the most intriguing beer that I’ve had in a while, and that’s largely in part due to the labeling and marketing.

The dry hopping appears to add some citrus and tropical fruit notes out of the can, but I’m not really getting any of those notes from the glass. That’s a bit disappointing for me.

The more I drink this beer, the more I can appreciate the complexity and subtle nuances, but I still can’t get past the marketing and labeling of this beer. Maybe it shouldn’t bother me so much, but it does.

So is this a hoppy sour or a sour IPA? It’s neither. This is a Saison or a Belgian IPA. If you told me it was (even “a wild”) NEIPA I’d tell you you’re crazy.

Do I like the beer? Yes. Do I get it? No

The beer comes in a 16-ounce can. The beer is 45 degrees and served in a pint glass. The pour of the beer produced a two finger airy and frothy head. The head dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The color of the beer SRM 3 a pale straw with bright sunny yellow colors. The clarity of the beer is hazy with carbonation. The beer's appearance of the beer is fair for this beer. The beer has poor head retention which and a light color similar to Budweiser. I hope this beer is not a Budweiser.

The initial aromas I get from beer is lemon and grass. The smells I detect next are a funky barnyard, herbal, floral, biscuit, toasted malt, tropical, a malty sweetness, and a touch of resin.

The first taste I get is horse blanket, lemon, and grass. The middle flavors beer is herbal, floral, solvent, cardboard, toasted malt, tropical, and grapefruit. The flavors in the background are resin, wheat, biscuit, and with a malty sweet finish.

The mouthfeel of the beer is powdery, dry, and astringent.

The body of the beer is beer light, high carbonation, and a full finish.

The beer has these funky flavors and aromas with IPA background. The malt holds well with the beer assertive flavors and aromas. Overall, I think this is an experiment with various hops and yeast. The beer is reasonably balanced. The beer is a wild ale with vanilla and peaches and dry hopped. I smell and taste the funky wild ale with hop aromas. I could not detect the vanilla. The beer is intriguing nonetheless.