Avarice Dekkera
Pariah Brewing Company

Initially poured and reviewed with the yeast left in the bottle.

Rich golden amber with a chill haze (SRM 5-7). Lots of random carbonation and occasional columns of medium-sized bubbles snake their way upwards. An antique white head starts out at three inches, eventually dissipating to one-eighth of an inch and rocky, leaving no lace on a Sempli Pilsner glass. (After adding the yeast, the beer quickly becomes murky and much darker.)

The aroma is fruity and funky, predominantly lime. However, kiwi is also present. There are lots of grains we well. The aroma was initially more floral, but that faded quickly to a delicate balance. (Added yeast tilted the aroma with earthy notes.)

From the bottle, the flavors were more subdued than I recall on draught. (However, adding the yeast makes a real difference.) The aroma profile is a good initial descriptor of the flavors, with mild tart/sourness. The flavors are all quite delicate, (and again, becomes earthier with yeast.) The finish is soft and lingering.

The perception of alcohol is a bit less than stated on the label. The texture is similar to coarse satin and the body is hard and light. (However, the yeast dramatically alters this to a soft, cushy, medium body.) Either way it is crisp and dry with lively carbonation.

Avarice Dekkera is a fun beer. It is easy to drink, especially for the style. It truly captures one's imagination and, while a bit romantic, it definitely tastes like Springtime in Balboa Park. I brought a bottle home and enjoyed it just as much on a cool, sunny Labor Day weekend afternoon in Western New York. My bottle was dated 25.November.2017.

As noted at the beginning, if drinking this from the bottle, I highly recommend letting the yeast flow into your glass. This is a good candidate for tasting from an Affligem degustation glass set, (one normal glass poured clear, and a small side glass poured with the yeast.) I wish I had thought of this yesterday. Oh well, maybe I'll just have to go back to San Diego.

Pours a murky amberish in the big snifter with an appealing finger of white foam, which dissipates fairly rapidly. Sudsy in the mouth, however, which gives a lift to the malty body. Tangy and just a little tart, but definitely it didn't go sour. Aroma of wet leather and spent brewing grain with a dose of apple cider.

This may be the mellowest Wild Ale ever, with long grainy flavors. Some buttery notes with some oddities, I am thinking of the YMCA, old linoleum, and the unwashed rucksack. This tastes more like the Brett yeast, so I hope they will nurture their local strain and try it in a Saison or something.

A better than average Wild Ale that turns out to be more drinkable as well. From the 500 ml bottle. Label says bottled on Nov. 25, 2017, but this is what they are selling currently at the tasting room, so it was likely a Limited brewing.

Yeast from the owners yard?! Who does that?! Loved it.

Type: 500-ml. glass
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary .25L tulip
From: Pariah Brewing Company in San Diego, Calif.
Price: $6.99
Purchased: April 17, 2018
Consumed: May 27, 2018
Reviewed as: American Wild Ale
Misc.: Bottled on Nov. 25, 2017

Picked this up on a trip to Pariah Brewing Company. Love this brewery and love what went into making this one. Back of the bottled read, “Featuring our proprietary North Park native yeast strain, this beer is bone dry, pleasantly funky, and sporting spicy Saaz hops. By native yeast, we mean that we isolated it from a Bougainvillea tree in our founder’s backyard right here in the 92104. After we convinced it there’s more to life than flannels and lattes and to come work for us, it has proven to be a real trooper. We totally love flannels and lattes. Develops with age! Pair with a deliciously odoriferous croquet monsieur or madame.”

Poured a pale semi-murky color with 1-to-2 fingers of white fizzy head. Good deal of bubbles coming up at different speeds along the sides of the glass. Average watery lacing. Good retention. (Sight - 3.50)

Smelled Brett, lime, Juicy Fruit, lemon zest, funky tart, musty basement, grass and strawberry. Really enjoyable on the nose. (Smell - 4.50)

Taste was not as good as the nose. Got Brett, lime, Juicy Fruit, dry spicy Saaz, funky tart, lemon zest, musty basement, bitter wood, strawberry and grass. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Dry, tart finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was a very interesting beer. I was back and forth on a couple of the categories. Definitely a wild beer for sure. Would like to see it in a few years. Very good. (Overall - 3.75)

3.94 | 88 | B+