When most craft beer drinkers think American Wild Ales, Russian River immediately comes to mind. Known for their expert use of barrel aging and wild yeast, the wild ales in their portfolio are top notch. Temptation is one of those, a blonde ale aged in French Oak Chardonnay barrels and fermented with brettanomyces and other spontaneous bacteria.
For Caitlyn and my two-year anniversary, I decided to open a special bottle sitting in my cellar, Duck-Duck-Gooze from The Lost Abbey. This American Wild Ale is said to be one of the absolute best ever produced in the United States. Its limited availability and high marks from craft beer enthusiasts alike make this one of those most sought after “sours” in recent years.
As one of my favorite breweries, The Bruery, I’m always searching out their new, limited and exotic beers. Recently I received their Mischief Gone Wild, dubbed an American Wild Ale though I beg to differ, from Scott in California. This is essentially their Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Mischief, fermented with Brettanomyces to give the beer a certain ‘funk’ character, typical of the yeast.
Russian River, known for their notorious “Pliny” Imperial IPAs, are also brewers of some of the best American Wild Ales in the country. Wild Ales are beers that introduce “wild” yeast or bacteria that leave a certain funk behind in the beer – normally producing sour qualities. Last week, I split a bottle of Supplication Batch 005X3 with my girlfriend.
