Need help exploring Wild Ales

How would you classify Orval? It may not be "wild", but it certainly has a prominent Brett character.

 

I'll seCANd this! Here is my (very recent) review of LoveBug:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39467/360995/?ba=woodychandler#review


I will also throw in a vote for Leipzig Goses. I am more of a hophead than a sour/tart drinker, but as a retired U.S. Navy sailor, the scent & taste of salt gets me going each & every time that I have one. The saltier, the better, in point of opinion! (Brushes salt from shoulders while admiring his Sea Service ribbon with silver star. Salty dog, baby!)

 

And that's why I put wild in quotes. The shorthand these days seems to be that wild indicates some Brett like character; sour is for lacto/pedio; and what you're describing is spontaneous or sometimes just spon.

Not that I'm totally on board with that, but I generally assume that's where people are coming from in discussions like this.

But, yes, from that point of view I agree that you'd normally see sour and funk at the same time.

 

Ritterguts Gose, Saison Dupont, Ommegang Hennepin, Boulevard Tank 7.


The Jolly Pumpkin 12 oz bottles.

Rodenbach 11.2 oz bottles.



Anderson Valley Gose's are not wild ales, they are kettle sours but can scratch the sour itch very inexpensively.

They need to bring back the G&T gose though.

 

No you are doing a disservice to yourself and anyone else you tell this information to. Sorry. Though I am not a brewer and do not know all the facts but a wild ale does not have to be sour and you can look at Orval or a lot of jester king beers or jolly pumpkin or the masters at allagash. I would read the article posted on the allagash website or the beer connoisseur article. Even drink lots of beers from off color.

 

I personally find more variance in the sour/wild ale family than any other category of beer styles.

Some are lip puckering kick you in the teeth sour, some are really full of funkiness, some are just mildly tart and fruity, some have a vinegar taste to them.

The sour style that I find less variable is the gueuze. I also find a little less variance in Flanders Red and Oud Bruin. Fruit lambics are pretty variable esp depending on the fruit ale...and the "wild ale" seems to be a catch all category and is very highly variable.

Being that I don't know your personal tastes or what's available to you- it's probably best to do some research on the website. The beers with more reviews are probably more widely available (not always as people tend to whale hunt then review those beers and skip shelf beers esp with sours). Read the reviews to get an idea of the flavor profile then go for it! Good luck!

Obviously Cantillon and 3 Fontenein are going to be gold standards for Belgian sours but can be hard to get ahold of.

Russian River and Cantillon/3F are my personal favorites but it's not easy to get Russian River or Cantillon where I am

 

Doesn't sound like you are ready for Colorado...

 

Nothing wild about Gose

 

Right but OP also asking about sours also and I feel like gose is an easier intro...

 

From the OP:

"I'm just getting into Wild ales and sours"

 

Most lambic producers would disagree with you calling lambic a 'sour beer'. I personally don't like using a 'taste' word to lump together different styles. It's like saying 'I like bitters' when referencing who knows what styles... Lambic, saison, Oud Bruin, Flemish red, gose, Berliner Weiss, they are all very different styles, not all of which may have perceived sourness. Don't even get me started on the kettle sour garbage. Sour is a taste, not a style; just as dark is a color shade, not a style, ....

 

The shorts & parka look really is a thing out here. That wardrobe is as much a hallmark of the season as drizzle in the murk.