Blog posts tagged with 'england'

To kick things off we're showcasing a couple of beers that have just landed in store from The Wild Beer Co of Somerset, England. We've managed to get our hands on 7 of their brews ranging from saisons, an IPA described as "Hops + Hops + Hops", and a chocolate-espresso-vanilla imperial stout. Decked out in black label-less bottle with colour coded horned beast logo, these beers certainly look like they mean business. 

A young brewery, the Wild Beer Co seem to be constantly trying to bring that certain "je ne sais quoi" to their beers, be it through the addition of unusual ingredients (dried apricots and spices in Bliss), aging in barrels (Modus Operandi) or sourcing the freshest hops from both hemispheres every six months for a pale ale named, surprise surprise...Fresh. I've had the pleasure of tasting two of the aforementioned brews, Bliss and Modus Operandi, and what I can say is, these guys may just prove themselves to be the wild card of modern English craft brewing.

First up is Bliss, a Saison (Belgian style farmhouse pale ale) flavoured with dried apricots, an array of spices and a dose of Brettanomyces (or Brett for short); the wild yeast strain responsible for those notable Belgian "funk" aromas. 

The beer pours a hazy amber colour with a huge fluffy white head, hints of spice already jumping out as it's poured. In fact, the nose is a veritable spice rack in a beer; lashings of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and coriander are on show with just some of the that apricot-orange tang underneath, which comes across almost pumpkin-like. It's certainly got those Autumn vibes, so it's perfect for our current seasonal segue. The palate hits straight away with apricot sweetness, a little sourness (most likely from the Brett) balances it out with those numerous spices lingering on the finish. It's a classic Saison with a twist, and a twist that works.

Next up, the brewery's first ever brew, Modus Operandi. Boasted as an Old Ale aged 90 days in Bourbon barrels, this also has a dose of Brett added (hey, it wouldn't be very wild without it now, would it?). This 7% abv, deep ruby coloured beer has a dense nose of toffee, vanilla, caramel and cherries, as well as that classic Brett funk. The palate holds sour cherry, red apples and fudge. It's full bodied and a little slick, with the carbonation lending a smooth, almost creamy texture. In all it's a fairly unique style, almost like a Lambic/Old Ale hybrid, hard to pin down but that seems to be exactly what the Wild Beer Co are going for.

There aren't too many breweries pushing the boundaries as much as these guys so if you're looking for something with that little bit of wildness, why not check them out. They're in limited supply too so don't hesitate... head into the wild!

Other beers available from The Wild Beer Co:

Fresh

Epic Saison

Wildebeest

Madness IPA

Scarlet Fever

Modus Operand

Bliss