Wild Beer Co: Brett Brett Double IPA (England: IIPA: 8.4% ABV)
Visual: Hazy apricot. Moderate whitish froth.
Nose: Lemon on pancakes. Light acidic fruit. Fresh cut apples. Shortbread. Apricot and peach. Light cream.
Body: Passion fruit. Pineapple. Tart. Thick feeling but dry body. Lemon curd. Pink grapefruit. Tart apples.
Finish: Cheese puffs feel. Lemon curd. Light bitterness. Tart pineapple. Pink grapefruit. Sour dough.
Conclusion: Ohh, tart, tart. This is a very tart and slightly sour IPA – dry and somewhat acidic. It feels pretty funky and yeastie at the end, yet, despite brettloads of brett, the acidic main character finds itself on a comparatively clean base in the main body. I say comparatively as there is still a thick feel to the body, and a yeastie character, but the tartness carries the main body so much that it isn’t a main influence.
The feel doesn’t really shout IPA, double or otherwise. While there is obviously a buttload of hops contributing to the tart, tropical character – the bitterness, or in fact hop oils or hop feel, are all low. If I had to do a high concept description I would say it tastes kind of like a tarter, tropical hoped Orval. Kind of. It is hard to do a direct comparison. It tastes kind of like what I expected “You Taste Better When You Are Scared” to, but is much better done than that one.
Right now it feels like an interesting mash up, lots of fun elements – the tartness, the funky yeast and the big tropical flavours – all packed together but without much coherence. Still very enjoyable, but I wonder if time will let it settle into a more thematically consistent beer. Only time will tell.
As is it is a fluffy shot of tart flavour, very welcome, very refreshing and a bit different. A bit more enthusiastic than refined but that is no bad thing.
Background: This sounds like Evolver IPA ramped up for Double IPA stakes. Basically an IIPA spiked with Brett so you can actually age it without losing the hops. I have a second bottled tucked a way to test this theory. Sounds like it is playing in the same area as Stone’s Enjoy After IPA, which I have also tucked away and aging. I’m a big fan of Wild Beer co and grab them whenever a new one pops up in Independent Spirit. Drunk while listening to Pottymouth – Bratmobile for a bit of energy music. Any Brat/Brett puns are completely coincidental.
