R&D Wild Bitter
New Glarus Brewing Company

rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.99/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Another beer from the elrogish camping trip in August 2017 in Oregon. Damn shocked the label says 10% abv on this.

Pours an amber color. Amassed a respectable 2/3" white head on it, especially when you consider the style and strength of this beer aren't too conducive to a nice head formation. The aroma was all over the place in a good way, you have the typical hop nose grapefruit/pine, but there was a dense oaky/woody mustiness to it that was not derived from hops, alongside the usual sour lemon notes. Lot going on as the kids say.

I've had a few wild ipas, but this was the first that managed to push a hefty amount of bitterness alongside a hefty amount of sourness. Usually the hops take a back seat, but not here. In fact, this is the first that seems to have a bigger hop/bitterness push than sour push. Has that 'leather bound books' feel to it. Not as dry as some reviews indicate. Carbonation is such that it is crisp, but not necessarily dry. Did hide the alcohol amazingly well.

Aug 12, 2020

TX-Badger from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy orangish golden color with ivory colored head. Funk, citrus, light maltiness, tartness and some floral notes on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with lightly tart citrus and floral notes followed by some light malt.

Jul 06, 2016

emyers from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16.9 oz. bottle poured into a Founders snifter.

Pours a cloudy copper color with a 2 inch billowing white head. Leaves a ton of lacing down the glass.

Quite a bit of complexity in the nose. Distinct spicy character with lemon zest and quite a bit of barnyard funk from the Brett. There is a hint of tropical fruit from the citra hops that barely manages to cut through the funk. Very interesting.

Lots of earthy, mineral character along with hints of citrus and tropical fruit, more barnyard, and clove in the flavor profile. Hints of black pepper on the finish along with lemon and more barnyard. No alcohol presence. Certainly one of the more unique flavor profiles I've experienced.

Mouthfeel is dry and very light for a 10% abv beer. Extremely drinkable.

This is certainly up there among the more interesting beers I've tasted, and as odd as a Brett DIPA sounded at first, it works.

Jan 18, 2016

mothman from Minnesota

1.38/5  rDev -65.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

White fizzy head. Golden sunset orange. Funky and medicinal. The brett has taken over this beer. It's hard to tell that it is an ipa or even what style it is. Extremely funky and plasticy. Not a good beer at all.

Nov 28, 2015

Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Floral hop notes, nice level of brett, orange marmalade, pineapple and orange rind. Dry finish. Little sweetness. No alcohol taste. Interesting brew. Perfect blend of minerally saison and double ipa.

Nov 16, 2015

jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.87/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours hazy bronze gold color with soapy lacing ring.

S - Nose is very light - oranges and dried pears, not much more.

T - Dry fruitiness: pears, orange peel, and some white oak character. Light alcohol presence.

M - Medium body and semi-dry with lingering citrus bitterness.

O - Nice fruity bitterness.

Sep 20, 2015

SinjaminBentek from Nebraska

4.06/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle share at Courtyard & Cellar for Toppling Goliath Mornin' Delight release!

22oz Bottle

Tasting next to some word class sours this is very average. A one note super sour...Meh

(B)

Sep 15, 2015

PHBoiler from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This beer is perfectly described and delivers what it says it will. Base beer is a lovely big and balanced DIPA with plenty of citrus from some grapefruit rind bitterness to juicy tangerine. The Brett is perfectly developed at this point. There are big hay/straw notes cutting through the bitterness. It's a great marriage of DIPA and Brett if you're a fan of both aspects.

Aug 31, 2015

Jason from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9oz brown bottle, sample from the brewey.

Solid blanket of lacing, great clarity ... left the dregs in the bottle. Heavy Brett. character in the nose and on the palate. Underlying hoppiness is covered by eucalyptus-like phenols and a clean earthy tone. Deep crispness produces a very refreshing crispness, the 10.0% abv is hard to find. The Wild Fruit Cave is flexing its brewing prowess.

Aug 14, 2015

Lucular from Maryland

4.99/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Look: fluffy, billowing head. On the last pour (with all the sediment) the head dissipates and it looks just like cloudy apple cider.
Smell: brett, brett, brett - and on the last pour (with all the sediment) I get strong whiffs of apple cider. Interesting.
Taste: not as bitter as the name might lead you to expect. Lots of brett. Love the dry hopping.
Feel: the perfect amount of carbonation; not too prickly.
Overall: New Glarus has created a delicious and unique beer. My favorite brett beer to date!

Aug 04, 2015

pmangold from Florida

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

enjoyed at a share - this one was dry, fruity and funky as others have stated. great fruit combinations in the nose and taste as well. this beer will have me looking for more NG spontaneous brews.

Jul 27, 2015

SportsandJorts from Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a dull and earthy orange color. a two finger or so off white head that fades fairly quickly but leaves behind a small lacing. hazy and opaque.

Smell: pronouced fruitiness, including papaya, guava and other tropical fruits. strong earthiness and some barnyard funk.

Taste: opens with a funky, fruity and earthy mixture. fruits range from papaya to guava and citruses. some strong earthiness filters in with some strong barnyard funk. small amounts of pepper and bready malts filter through the taste at various times. occasional white wine character peaks through.

Mouthfeel: intensely dry, and funky. the fruitiness gives it a slightly refreshing quality. super drinkable for 10% (not a hint of that) Leaves behind a hugely sticky and funky taste

Overall: Glad they went this direction with this R+D beer. I know its not the most popular choice but it is perfectly crafted and would be a blast to watch develop. great depth of character and great flavors

Jul 15, 2015

kbwalters from Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured cold into a tulip glass. Released at the brewery 5/8/15, consumed here at 5/16/15.
Look = 4.25 Big thick layer of yeast on the bottom of this bottle, I’ll decant it. Pours a clear golden orange with 1 finger of bubbly white head; streaming bubbles are active; great retention and lace.
Aroma = 4.25 Orange juice, citrus overlying a mild funk, brett aromas mostly. Never smelled a beer with so much orange juice in it.
Taste = 3.75 Citrus flavors lead the way, orange juice with a light biscuit malt backbone. No sour present; moderate bitterness on the finish with some funky notes. Definitely some alcohol heat coming through too. A lot going on but it doesn’t come together all the way.
Feel = 4.0 High carbonation with a medium body, fizzy.
Drinkability = 3.5 Strong; some of that heat comes through. Nothing to really grab on to here to improve drinkability.
Overall = 3.959 A lot of interesting components but they haven’t come together yet. That yeast is still active in there, we’ll have to see how this one evolves.

Jul 11, 2015

WI-Beer-Man from Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Enjoyed from the 500 ml bottle, poured into a snifter, leaving the sediment in the bottle for the first glass.

I really enjoyed this beer as it was the first time I have had a Wild IIPA. It went down too easy and a buzz ensued (my bad for not looking at the ABV as I thought it was a low ABV IPA/Sour combo...I should have read the label).

Great funk, I loved the IIPA bitterness in the background as the hops were still present and the bready malt backbone meshed with the hops and funk perfectly. I would highly recommend this as a gateway beer for IPA lovers who are looking to get into "sours" or "funky beer".

The 2nd glass was not as good as I poured all the sediment into the small 6 oz pour that was left. I would recommend either leaving out the sediment or mixing the sediment evenly into the entire bottle.

Jul 08, 2015

DeanMoriarty from California

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a single bottle in a trade with ksecler - thanks bud! Poured into a 16oz stemmed tulip.

Pours unfiltered apricot, some slight tinges of gold when held to the light, frothy tan head with great retention coating my glass with lacing. Aroma is tropical fruit, some citrus hop characteristic, herbal tea with a very mild hint of malt. The flavor is super fruity as the nose suggested - the hops intermingle with the tropical esters from the yeast perfectly - a lot of ripe papaya, pineapple, and mango - some brett-like characteristics in there too making this an interesting and delicious take on a IIPA. Medium bodied but very drinkable with good carbonation from the 3 stages of fermentation - it's definitely alive - finishing dry.

Jul 06, 2015

BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

4.36/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into a Bruery tulip.
10% ABV, 80 IBUs, 19°P, Brewed 5-14, Bottled 3-15.

A - Deep golden hued, Wild Bitter pours clear with a frothy off-white head that reduces to a lumpy, loose pile of foam while leaving sheets of clumpy lace on the glass.

S - The aroma brings me back to the first time I experienced a wild IPA, or wild beer for that matter; Wild Devil. Intoxicating barnyard Brett funk displays exceptional old mustiness and horse blanket with a lingering, mildly bitter hoppiness complimented by dry, biscuity malts.

T - Bready, buscuity dry malt gives the beer some body and dense flavor immediately but it's quickly surpassed by a combination of earthy and citrusy hop notes. While the hop profile is there and flavorful, the year this beer spent certainly gave the hops ample time to mellow out as the yeast worked it's funky magic. Just like the aroma, the barnyard funk from spontaneous fermentation rocks.

M - Not quite heavily bodied but definitely on the fuller side, sitting at 10%, Wild Bitter lives up to it's name, finishing out with a bitter kick that's also quite dry but rounded out nicely with a lingering funk on the palate.

O - I love what New Glarus is doing with their sour and spontaneously fermented program and Wild Bitter is no exception; it's a stellar funky double IPA. It's definitely quite interesting to experience a purposefully aged hoppy beer though as, when the final product is released, they're certainly "old" for today's hopheads' standards. Also worth noting is that this beer doesn't drink at all like it's 10% which is rather dangerous considering how quickly it goes down as I explore it's intricacies.

Jul 05, 2015

richj1970 from Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from 500 ml bottle into nonic pint.

A: Extremely cloudy honey yellow with enormous 4-5 finger white head with lasting retention and chunky lacing.

S: Brett, wet hay, orange peel, and rosemary.

T: Brett is readily apparent. Bready malts. Orange peel, lemon rind, herbal hops. Tons of barnyard funk.

M: Full bodied and plenty of carbonation. Finish is fairly bitter. A bit heavier than I was expecting.

O: Very interesting beer. Lots of complexity and depth. Not something I would want everyday, but really glad I got a chance to try it once.

Jul 03, 2015

Spinaltapped from Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Look: Nice thick quickly dissipating head, dark to light amber in color. Clearly non-filtered. Nice and cloudy.

Smell: A lot of Brett, wet hay, a bit of orange.

Taste: Mild Brett flavor, horse blanket, funk, barnyard, and a lot of bitterness.

Body: Great body. Drinks well. A thick mouthfeel.

Jun 26, 2015

homebrew311 from Illinois

3.17/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours a slightly hazy gold with foamy white head that hangs around. nose is full of funk and spice. Barnyard comes first followed by spicy herbal hops. Notes of sage and rosemary are hinted at. The taste is funky up front with strong herbal notes. The hops are present toward the finish with a strong dose of Brett at the end. Mouthfeel is effervescent. Overall, the funk is a little too much for my liking. One note is the fact that the 10% is well hidden.

Jun 21, 2015

d5001986 from Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

500ml bottle poured into Spiegelau tulip.

Pours cloudy golden-orange with large off-white head. Smell is slight funk, orange, and apple. Taste is interesting. Juicy, citrusy hops come through the most. There's a decent maltiness along with a floral quality. Brett funk is noticeable and becomes more so as it warms. Overall pretty good, but not really my style.

Jun 18, 2015

brentk56 from North Carolina

3.92/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours with a huge head that caps the cloudy honey colored lid; excellent stickage and spots of lace

Smell: Bread and barnyard funk, with tropical fruit tones

Taste: Bready, up front, with growing tropical fruit (papaya, guava and lychee) and lemon rind tones; the barnyard funk grows, after the swallow, and the finish is relatively dry

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: This is a Brett IPA (not a sour IPA) and the Brett does a good job adding funk and dryness; not the best example I have tasted of a Brett IPA but still quite good

Thanks, knapers03, for the opportunity

Jun 15, 2015

KFBR392 from Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: pours with a burnt orange/copper color. Mildly aggressive pour yields three fingers of crisp white, very bubbly head. Bright active carbonation with random sticky lacing left behind.

Smell: grass and caramel lead the way. Rich malts continue to ride strong throughout with heavier saturated citrus aromas accompanying as well. Dry wood and some earthy dankness linger underneath it all.

Taste: citrus with highlights of ripe mangos, papaya, tangerines, and a touch of kiwi mesh on the front with the exotic yeast profile. A yeast and funk profile continue to dominate the palate with rich, sweet malts picking up on the body. Some sprite fruits continue to shine through but heavy saturated citrus and earthy funk are the most predominant players on the finish.

Mouthfeel: interesting journey here. A bright front gradually yields to aged hops, rich malts, and funk lingering. Bright carbonation is greatly felt throughout.

Overall: pretty good overall but aging IPAs continues to seem like a confusing concept to me. Malt driven with heavy citrus notes instead of bright tropical and floral hops. Yeast and carbonation are tasty but more fitting in a sour IMO.

Jun 11, 2015

Fcolle2 from Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Dark orange with copper hazy hue. Smell has notes of pine, citrus, and an interesting spicy phenol yeast aroma. Taste has lots of hop oils and flavors of pine and citrus and lots of bitterness. Spicey wild yeast in the finish with notes of barnyard reminiscent of Brett. Good but I wish it had been soured.

Jun 11, 2015

cokes from Wisconsin

4.29/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Turbid, translucent apricot-beige in color with a giant glacier of barely retreating, dirty white froth on top.
Scents of bruised pears, white pepper, fresh basil, apple must, old suede, cedar, and balsa shavings. Funky for sure, but not leaning overtly sour.
And that holds true throughout, for better and worse. It carries a dusty, chalky, old orchard fruitiness, mostly of apple cores. It's not sweet, nor is it particularly tart. Touches of biscuit midway. Peppery with yeast inflections, then more peppery with hop nuance. Cedar dust. Cracked, old leather. Some herbal teases -anise and basil hit late. Bone dry on the swallow.
Alcohol is never noticed, the 10% seems like a typo, and if it's not, it the beer's biggest accomplishment.
Airy, gaseous bodied, which stays steady throughout, belying it's gentle heft. The general mouthfeel is its other noteworthy feat. It's probably the most Belgian-seeming American beer I've ever had.

And it's a difficult one to rate. I expected a sour IIPA, but this is neither explicitly sour nor hoppy (at least by current standards). It's Orvalian. De Ranke XX Bitterish. Both favorites of mine. I wasn't quite expecting what I got. As such, I was initially disappointed... Or, more accurately, confused. I keep tweaking the ratings upwards as the pint empties. At this rate, I'd score it perfect, had it been a bomber rather than a pint bottle.

The aging potential seems very high. I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

Jun 06, 2015

Bowers-Brew from Illinois

4.04/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I think interesting is the proper description of this beer. It certainly has some of the wild sour/funk and plenty of bitter, but there is some sweet, fruit, and spice notes floating in there as well.

I'm excited to see how this evolves, but the way it's tasting right now I can't say it's something that I would want to drink on a regular basis. On the plus side the ABV is completely unnoticed to me and hits pretty hard at 10%

Prost!

Jun 05, 2015