Top 5 American Wild Ale Producers

I like Allagash. I was told by them during a phone call i made that their Brettanamyces strain was found on their property using their open fermentation tank.

 

In no particular order:

Ale Apothecary
de Garde
Russian River
Logsdon
Jester King

 

Allagash
Jester King

Enjoy

 

1) Russian River - Compunction, Supplication, and Beatification are the American gold standard
2) Rare Barrel - their attention to detail is unmatched and they are high quality
3) Cascade - despite the complaints about price, there's no denying that they make some of the best American sours
4) Beachwood Blendery - the next big thing in American sours. Highest ceiling; could be the best within 5 years
5) Allagash/Logsdon - couldn't decide between the two. They're both obviously legit and exemplify the style.

Caveat: I haven't had much Hill Farmstead, Wicked Weed, or Jester King due to distribution.

 

Having realized I have an allergy to brett my opinion may be skewed, but I feel any discussion regarding wild ales that doesn't include crooked stave is a poor one. Chad has done so much in the research of brett and fermenting with wild strains, I feel we would still be in the age of using a wooden spoons innoculated with previous beers bugs and calling it magic. Recently, Casey is really blowing outside breweries away. I see Avery, Russian River, Jester King, and Wicked weed just gathering dust here.

 

Side Project
De Garde
Russian River
Casey
Ale Apothecary

Honorable mentions.. SARA, Cascade and.. Lost Abbey. They suck at a lot of things, but their limited sours are phenomenal.

 

Rated for VA/DC, as I haven't traded via mail in a while:

-Cascade: always awesome, wish they did $20 375 instead, but ability to walk in and buy (as opposed to "chase") is truly a great thing. The highest rated ones on BA are comperable to any AWA or Lambic I've gotten to try.
-Allagash of course, any of the 375s are worth buying, not always into the 750s like Fluxus/Victoria/etc, but they're all very experimental which is fun
-Victory Sour Monkey awesome value, very tasty new world sour, hope they keep expanding that program
-Boulevard Love Child 6 really got them back on track for me, I'm not always so enthused with the Flanders ales that have both vinous + sour quality, alongside the bourbon notes.

 

Cascade

Crooked Stave

de Garde

Jester King

Russian River

Haven't tried much of anything from Casey, Side Project, etc...

 

I'm going to assume AWA means beers with souring bacteria and brett, rather than strictly open fermentation.

Top 5: Hill Farmstead, Casey, SARA, Transient, Funk Factory

A top 11 (10 was too limiting) list would also include Jolly Pumpkin, Russian River, De Garde, Holy Mountain, Allagash, and Rare Barrel.

 

I've only been able to track down wild ales from three.

1. Jester King
2. Jolly Pumpkin
3. Prairie Artisan

We're getting stuff from The Bruery now in Texas, and I need to get in on some of that.

 

I'd argue Sante Adarius is leading the pack right now. The only American Wilds that compete or dare I say.... Surpass Russian River???

 

Russian River
Allagash
Jester King
De Garde
Cascade

Honorable Mention:
Funk Werks
Logsdon
Perennial
Almanac
Crooked Stave
Wicked Weed
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

No order: Lost Abbey / Cascade / Jester King /Russian River / De Garde

I could do 6 – 10 but they would be clearly below the level of these 5.

 

These are my top 5(6), with room for debate about who's producing the best:
SARA, Hill Farmstead, Side Project, Casey, and De Garde (Jester King just outside the top 5)

To me, these are the breweries that continue to push the boundaries without being gimmicky, and have in general developed unique and flavorful house cultures that show restraint when needed.

 

definitely with @sharpski and have to mention Ale Apothecary

 

Russian River
OEC
Crooked Stave
Kent Falls
Hill Farmstead

 

Casey
Side Project
De Garde
Hill Farmstead
Allagash

honorable mention to SARA (Ive only had a couple from them)
Tired hands also makes some good stuff but I wouldn't put them in the top tier

 

My list is limited to those I have been able to visit (more than once in a few cases) and therefore have enjoyed more than a few examples:

1. Cascade
2. deGarde
3. Jolly Pumpkin
4. Allagash
5. Wicked Weed

I love the Crooked Stave offerings. I don't have Russian River availability here and I couldn't find a Jester King bottle during four days in Austin last spring.
OEC, Transmitter, Sloop and Kent Falls are on my short list for a visit.

 

*lists the same 10 producers that's in every one of these threads*