Wild Mind Spontane' Bramble Fruited Coolship Wild Ale

Wild Mind Spontane' Bramble Fruited Coolship Wild Ale.
6 % ABV. 5 IBU.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Bright red coloring, slim pinkish head. Opaque.

In the nose: Tart and fruity. Very berry. Blackberry, cherry, & boysenberry. (I peeked ahead.)

In the mouth: Seriously sour. Big funk in here. Juicy, fruity, tasty. Medium-bodied, and exceptionally refreshing. Rich and complex. Dark berries aplenty, applied to the sour, producing deliciousness.

Damn, this was good. I should have bought a couple of them, but they were $25 a bottle. Worth it, though.

This single-year blend of our first 100 percent spontaneously fermented wild ale was inoculated overnight in our custom-made coolship and then fermented on blackberries, cherries, and boysenberries. The truly wild ale was refermented in the bottle and has notes of dark currants and fresh berries with a strong base of barnyard funk.

Wild Mind Mahalo Sour Ale fermented with pineapple

Wild Mind Mahalo Sour Ale fermented with pineapple. 5.5 % ABV, 25 IBU. Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Clouded, bright golden, slim white head.

In the nose: Pow! Sour hits first, quickly followed by sweet fruit. Pineapple, large and in charge. Well-tempered combination of the sweet & sour.

In the mouth: Fierce and funky sour attack on the palate. Thereafter, it's all pineapple. Fresh, pulpy, flush with bright, tropical fruit. Quite refreshing. Medium bodied. Long, sour finish. Tasty sour, for sure.

In late January, in the worst temperatures that keep us all inside, we all want to imagine the sunny tropics. Having this beer tonight puts me on the beach in my mind. That's enough for me.

This blend of Camille, our base barrel-aged saison, was conditioned on pineapple puree and Motueka hops to create a fruity, hoppy, and refreshingly tart saison.

Wild Mind Wind in the Willows American Wild Ale

Wild Mind Wind in the Willows American Wild Ale. 7% IBU, 5 IBU. Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Opaque, apricottish-hued, slim ivory head.

In the nose: Sour and fruity from the start. Fruity, funky, not too hoppy. Yeah.

In the mouth: Ooo! Ooo! Big pucker! Wow, sour! Lots of citrus, tons of fruit. Medium bodied, long tart finish. Okay, I'm getting the apricots, but they're smothered in sour. Plump stone fruit, scant citrus, and puckering sourness covering it all.

Strap yourselves in for the sour, boys and girls, this one has it all.

Fermented in barrels with our wild yeast, Wind in the Willows brings together farmhouse funk with the tangy sweetness of apricots. This tart rye saison is bright and complex with notes of fresh apricot jam.

Wild Mind Artisan Ales Northern Bloom

Wild Mind Northern Bloom Pale Ale. 5.8% ABV. 45 IBU. Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

There's a little trick in reviewing some beers from Wild Mind, these days. Some of the names have changed since their early, unoriginal monikers. Have I had Northern Bloom before? Doesn't show up in the blog. So, I check Untappd. It says I've had it twice, and the first time, I had a picture of it, from August of 2016. That beer was called Wild Pale Ale. But that one was 6.5%  ABV. And 40 IBU, different from this crowler I'm about to open. So, I'm going to re-review as if it's a new beer. Because it probably is. Here we go.

Hazy, dull orange, slim white head, soon gone.

In the nose: light bitterness. small citrus. a whiff of the wild.

In the mouth: more hops, more bitterness, increasing spice. Citrus flavors returns on the palate. Medium bodied, robust mouthfeel, tasty, tasty, tasty. Definitely delicious. I like this one. Good beer and I can drink it.

Postal script: This is the 500th post tagged "Minneapolis". I noticed that this number was being reached when the tag "Minnesota" was around 986. What if Minneapolis hit 500 at the same time as Minnesota hit 1000? How could this happen, do I just stop posting Minneapolis reviews, in favor of Minnesota ones? (Keep in mind, of course, that a Minneapolis tag is also a Minnesota one.)
Too hard. I already had reviews lined up, I didn't want to wait too long to post them, just for this. How many Minnesota/not Minneapolis beers did I have in the fridge waiting for review? Some St. Paul, some Roseville....a Mankato. It wasn't enough. And too many Minneapolis I just had to get to.

Another tactic: go through the reviews and see if there are any where the tags were forgotten. A time-consuming effort that yielded few results. And when I found that place where I'd omitted both "Minneapolis" and "Minnesota", that didn't get me any further along in this mission, for the one number grew along with the other. Before I knew it Minneapolis was at 499, Minnesota at 991, and I didn't have the heart to search for eight more missing Minnesota tags. I'd have to throw in the towel.

Do I go out and get more non-Mpls./MN beers, review those, save the ones I'm sitting one, put off the ones in wait? That's far too complicated for something so silly. You never know, I might have to delete a post or something, then it wouldn't be the 500th anymore. And maybe that's not worth all the worry. Or, is it?

See, that's what the inside of my brain looks like. And if you've read this far, you're proven that you're one of those people who wants to get a peek.

Wild Mind Cool Ship Special Release Spontane'

Wild Mind Artisan Ales Cool Ship Special Release Spontane'. Coolship Wild Ale. 5.4% ABV. 5 IBU. Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden hued, swiftly departed head of foam.

In the nose: Intense sour. Fantastic funk. Fruity, vinegar-y, and very enticing.

In the mouth: intense puckeration. Oh, yeah, that's sour. Sour, and fruity and dry. Medium  body, fully tart finish. Long puckering. Whoa.

I've been sitting on this for a month or so, since their 1st. anniversary party, when so may other special beers flew out the door before I could get there. I got this bottle the next day, and saved it till now. I'll be back soon to check out what's new, and see what's up with the bottle room. Soon. soon.

For now, I'm still finishing off this bomber, and it's a sourhead's dream. Incredible sour, long-lasting tart. Good degree of oakiness, plenty of barrel influence. Apricot and peach. Funky, funky, funky.

Oh, I will be back for more. If not the same, then all the other barrel-y wild and wooly goodness.

"A little more than a year ago, this blend of our 100 percent spontaneously fermented wild ale was inoculated overnight in our custom-made coolship. We then refermented in the bottle, resulting in a complex, truly wild ale with notes of stone fruit, honey, and loads of barnyard funk."

Boom Island Oude Funk

Boom Island Oude Funk, The Spontaneous Series, 2015. "Brewed with aged hops and is a blend of 1 year , 2 year, and 2 year old vintages, and fermented in oak wine barrels. 4.8% ABV. Best before 2025."
Well, I couldn't wait that long. Five months was all I could do. (Note: I bought the bottle in December, finally opened it in early June, publishing those notes now.)

Still white head, bright golden straw color, high carbonation.

Screaming wild & funky & sour right from the start. Very gueuze-like. All the horses' blankets and everything under and around them.

In the mouth: Funky-see, funky-do. The oak comes through the wine character evident. Fresh sour splash with each new sip. Light-bodied, extra-consumable. Smooth, refreshing, funky, wild and delicious.

A great achievement from Boom Island. Quite a piece of work. These guys are on the right track.

B.O.M. Triporteur Wild & Funky

I'm doing an event tomorrow at Acadia called Minnesota Wild & Funky. Appropriate then, perhaps, to have "a true Belgian sour", the night before. I've had this before, and liked it, but these are my first notes.

B. O. M. Brewery Triporteur Wild & Funky, Belgian Pale Ale, Bree, Belgium. 5.4 % ABV.

Clouded, pale amber coloring, slim, soon-gone head.

Aroma is all manner of funky stuff, musty old caves & basement, wild yeast, rotting fruit, light spice.

In the mouth: tart sour from the start, bracingly so. Fading fast through, mellowing on the palate. Delivers a tart smack once again with each new sip, then the typical Belgian pale ale comes through, the standard yeast profile, the tasty, fruity malt body. Great balance in this, nice and tasty, but not too much of anything. Not too sour, not too fruity, not bitter at all. Just right.

Destihl Wild Sour Series Counter Clockweisse

Destihl Brewery Wild Sour Series Counter Clockweisse. Berliner -style Weisse Bier. Brewed and Canned by Destihl Brewery, Bloomington, IL, USA.

Hazy, straw yellow, slim, white head.

Tart nose to start it off, some funk and some fruit, and we got the wheat in there, too. Intriguing, to say the least. Inviting, as well, leading me drink.

Intense tartness once on the palate. Massive attack of the sour. Smallest bit of bitterness, and not a drop of sweet. You've got to be in for this one, not for the faint of tongue. Sour candy flavor is the biggest impression. One of the boldest Berliner Weisses I've had in a long time.

What's the gobbledygook? "This "reverse engineered" Berliner-style Weisse Bier is our interpretation of a sour German-style wheat ale that is very pale, light-bodied, low hopped, highly attenuated and pleasantly acidic and lemony tart from our unique spontaneous wild yeast and lactic fermentation. Cheers. Alec. 3% by Volume. IBU: 4."

Wish I knew why they say it's "reverse engineered." Maybe someone will tell me.

Indeed Wooden Soul #3

Indeed Wooden Soul #3. Indeed Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 750 ml growler purchased at the taproom.

Clouded, dull amber coloring, slim white head.

Funky stuff starts it off right away in the nose, wild and fruity. There's some fruit addition in this, but it doesn't identify itself right away. I'm loving the sour aroma.

In the mouth, more sour, more fruit. Some kind of berries in here, some kind of barrels, some kind of wild yeast. I'm going to cheat and read the description for you. And me.

"Barrel & Cherry aged tart, crisp sour blonde ale. 5.2% ABV. 14 IBU."

Cherries, yeah, that's what it was. Doesn't say what barrels, but I'd guess white wine. Nice and tart and fruity. I'm particularly fond of tart cherry beers...to a point. I will enjoy all 750 milliliters of this one. And urge you to go try it for yourself. It's delicious.

Fair State LactoBac 6 Lichtenhainer

I used to write these notes "live" typing as I'm drinking, then posting immediately after on the internets super-highway world wide web.coms. Then, I decided to alter the time stamp (I think it's somewhere in West Africa), so you, the reader wouldn't actually know at what inhuman hour I'm actually doing this drinking.

Why, then, I wonder, when I look at these notes I wrote weeks ago, and see the real-time stamp, do I feel the need to tell you that these notes on Fair State LactoBac #6 were written on Thursday, July 30 at 3:46 A.M? Maybe I should keep that information to myself?




Fair State LactoBac 6. It's another sterling example of why I need to visit Fair State more often. I've had the other LactoBacs, (not all, though) at other stops at the taproom, and perhaps at other bars. This past Sunday was the first time I decided to take a growler home with me. On the other occasion, I think, I just wasn't equipped to carry one back with me on my bike. This time, though I was prepared, and so my 750 ml growler collection has grown by one, and I'm ready to dig into LactoBac 6, a beer about which I've forgotten everything.

Appearance: clear, bright golden-hued, slim white head.

Aroma: Musty, funky, and oddly fruity. Undercurrents of white wine and wild yeast.

Taste: Whoa! Wild and weird. Now, I remember. This one has a german name that I'll have to look up, and it's clear from the smoked malt character coming through on the palate that it's some cross between a Berliner Weisse and a rauchbier. Or is it?

This is crazy stuff. Can't say I've had a smoked sour before. Wine barrel character, smokiness, light fruit, full-on funk, ending dry. Sharp, sour, just enough bitterness, exceedingly tart and dry.

One of the strangest beers I've ever had. Somewhat refreshing and just a little shy of delicious. There may be some who would detest this brew. I shall not be one of them.

I don't know why, though. I've had strange beers that I've hated. But, then, they were far stranger than this. LactoBac #6 has got just enough goodness to keep the strange from being bad.

And here's what the brewery says: LÄCTOBÄC 6 is our interpretation of a Lichtenhainer, a mostly dead style of sour wheat beer from Central Europe. Brewed with Oak-smoked wheat malt and Beechwood-smoked barley malt, and soured by lactobacillus. pH 3.28. 4% ABV, 10 IBU.

Sisyphus BA Wild Brown Ale

Sisyphus Barrel-aged Wild Brown. 7.7% ABV. 67 IBU. Date: 7/6. And some other scribbles, something something, then /63. Huh.

Ever the jokesters, Sam & company at Sisyphus have wax-dipped their can growlers (crawlers) for the anniversary celebration. Someone asked me why, what purpose does the wax serve. Well, none, but neither does wax-dipping enhance bottles. It's all for show. Why not show it off on a can?

Appearance: dark brown coloring, with ruby highlights. Creamy tan head, slim ring that drifts down to nil.

Aroma: Wild and funky. Red wine barrel characteristics. Vinous, let's say, with notes of cherries and berries. Chocolate notes lurk just below.

Taste: Dark malt notes hit first, cocoa and raisins pop up, then the rich barrel-aged wine characteristics, and the twist of funkaliciousness. What a weird, wild, wonderful thing this is. Beautiful blended weird, wild, wonderfulness.  Not quite full bodied, smooth and tasty. A treat, for sure.

I don't know everything about this beer. What kind of barrel? Red wine, I think. What kind of wild yeast? Brett, I think. But, maybe I'm wrong? I'm sure I'll find some answers soon.

De Proef Rainaert Flemish Wild Ale

The Legendary Cunning Fox, Rainaert Flemish Wild Ale, from the Brewmaster's Collection, De Proef Brouwerij, Special Reserve. Triple fermented using two yeast strains, Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces. 9% ALC. by VOL. Brewed and bottled by De Proefbrouwerij, Lochresti, Belgium. Bottle conditioned.

De Proef Rainert Flemish Wild Ale, 750 ml bottle.

Hazed, pale yellow appearance, solid, bone white head.

Funky, wild, and weird aromatics. Citric, sour, and horse-blanket musty-fusty. And a little feline urinary by-product.

Super-tart on the palate, big sour pucker, coupled with a hoppy blast. Despite the potent power of this double attack, it gets downright mellow thereafter.
Very smooth and indubitably delicious. This went down easy.

I'm a big fan of this, as a fan of Belgian sour ales, as well as Belgian strong pale ales, this does double duty. Yum-meeeee.

Russian River Temptation

Another one shared by the gracious Joe and the benificent Liz, the american wild ale from Russian River called Temptation, aged in chardonnay barrels. Wonderful brew. I first took notes on it in December of 2005. Here they are:


"French oak chardonnay barrels", eh? I smell it once the cork comes out.

Lovely pale amber color, nearing orange, completely cloudy, witha thick, sturdy snowy cushion of foam above.

Potent aromatics, screaming sour from afar....on closer inspection, yup, that's tart, with citrus and spice squeaking in...deep, heady stuff....beautiful.

Sourness is the main game in the mouth, blasting the tongue, then fading gently. Bracingly tart. Then smooth, but never releasing the hold of the tart, accompanied by some fruit and a bit of spice. Nice.

Full-bodied and fresh. Zesty, snappy, tangy...quite an accomplishment, matching the quality of Belgian ales so well that if you didn't know, you'd swear this bottle crossed an ocean.

Fine and mellow, this tempting ale. Delightful. Delicious. D'lovely.

Mikkeller Funky E

Mikkeller Funky E, Belgian Wild Ale aged in Sauternes Wine Barrels. Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller, at DE Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium. 9.4 % Alc/Vol.

Highly hazed and carbonated, deep amber/nearly crimson coloring, slim head, lacy and lasting.

Aroma screams out of the glass, crawling up to the nose. Lactic sourness is dominant, raw and real, wine-like, fruity & tart. Nice. Niiiiii-ce.

Taste: Brisk, fresh, and crazy. Sour turns to dry, then fades a bit. Cherries and berries with a sour twist. Medium bodied. Vastly complex, wine character matches with the barrel's work and the funky-fresh wild yeast. Really tasty stuff, and I really like it. But something seems missing, and incomplete. What is it? I think It gets about halfway there, and doesn't quite go all the way, the way it should. Misses some depth. Good for what it is, but, oh, it should be bigger, deeper, longer,

Ain't nothing wrong with it, just not what it could be.

De Proef Flemish Primitive Surly Bird

Year ago, Dirk Naudts of Brouwerij DeProef had a uncanny idea, to make a wild ale, Flemish style, and name it after characters from the historic and legendary painting by Hieronymous Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights. Specifically, the third part of the triptych, the one dealing with Hell and featuring all many of morbid monsters. These were called Demon Fish, Rat Rider, Pin Head, Spoon Whacker, and Surly Bird, all based on particular details from Bosch's hellish depictions. I was only able to find one of these, Spoon Whacker, way back in July, 2005. I really haven't seen them so much on the retail shelves, and was surprised to find one recently, but I did buy it, and I did drink it. Here are notes on a bottle of Surly Bird:


De Proef Flemish Primitive Surly Bird, DeProefbrouwerij, Lochristi, Belgium. 9% Alc./Vol.

Picked up at Dennis Brothers Liquors, Cottage Grove, MN, last week. No idea of the age on this bottle.

Hazed-up, dull golden color, tiny, near-non-existent head.

Aroma: sour, wild and funky. Very mellow, was probably intense once upon a time.

Taste: Wild and crazy, sour and malty. Vastly complex. Fruit notes lurk below, covered by wine-y overtones and smothered by brett. I'm enjoying this.

And now I will pause to read the label. "The name Flemish Primitive refers both to the famous wild yeast that lends a unique flavor accent to this extra-ordinary ale, and to the school of "primitive" painters of medieval Flanders whose startling work kick-started the Renaissance.
Working in his ultra-scientific brewery in Western Flanders, Dirk Naudts, the Prof, is one of Belgium's leading brewmasters. …"

I give up. The type is too tiny. But I'll bet it goes on about how awesome Dirk is.

All in all, this was a great ale, but I can't help but think it was better fresh. In fact….

So, I'm thinking, if there's not a great deal of difference between the various Flemish Primitive labels, why not share that Spoon Whacker review from 7+ years ago. I thought that, and now I'll do that:

"My last Flemish Primitive (the Pig Nun) tasted wildly different six months apart. Since this bottle is at least a year old, I feel fairly confident that it's hit some level of maturity, and if it hasn't it, I'm up for the weirdness.

Hazy, peachy golden hue, big, fluffy white head. Beautiful.

Aroma: without a close inspection, it's a wild, whirly-burly thing. Closer now, it's a funky, sour, citric, yeasty mess. Orange and lemon, wild yeastiness, straw and strangeness.Pungent and invigorating.

To taste,now: smooth, but delivering a dazzling array of sweet citrus, some sour, a hit of hops, and the wild yeasties. Big flavor, very refreshing, absolutely delicious. A wonderful drink.

Zesty, tangy, terrifically alive. More spices speak up, some clove and cinnamon, even, underneath the fruit. A wicked mix of flavor, but terrifically delicious.
 I really wish I had more than the one bottle.

Huge mouthfeel, medium bodied, but so stacked in the flavor department, there's no disappointment, no dissatisfaction. A tremendous ale. I'm glad I got it at it's prime. ...or...DID I?

Amazing. That could be my one-word review. Too late for that, though..."

Wait...Pig Nun? That one is sorted on BeerAdvocate under "archived" because it is no longer being brewed. Are the others? So many mysteries. Why not, just for fun, and because we'll never get another chance, share that Pig Nun review, too?

"Clear, golden color, fuzzy white head above...lovely, really...

Sourness greets the nose at first, citric fruits, and well-worn socks...yeah, this is funky! Alcohol peeks in a bit too early...I haven't even tasted it, yet...it feels terribly strong....(yet it's "only" 9%)

Taste: big, fat sour...almost hard to take, unless you're into that stuff...and some of you are....you freaks...ahem. (who am I to talk?)
yeah, this is a sour mo'fo...but not too bad, some tasty fruits, peach and apricot, mmm...very tangy, loads of citrus, huge sour on the palate, balanced by a judicious addition of sweet...

...I couldn't finish this bottle in one sitting, and capped it until the next day, where it's lost no carbonation and no flavor, at least not in the appearance or aroma.

One weird ale, unique, but brimming with flavor and rather refreshing, if sour is your thing. As for me, the more I drink, the more I admire it. Glad I got an extra bottle, for saving.
If I were a gueueze geek, I'd give this sky-high ratings. I'm not, so there you go, but damn, this is a fine creation. I have to look out for more from these guys...anyone seen any Rat Riders around?

(paid $10.49 at Cellar's, Roseville...i had to go out of my way for this one, being a fan of Belgian ales, and Bosch. Love the PigNun, but her inkwell holder is really creepy!)

11-1-05, over 6 months later, and I cracked the second bottle, sourness is nearly gone, and it's a very mellow affair...sitting in the closet did this one some good. Now to track down Surly Bird and Spoon Whacker!"

That was April, 2005. I'm very sure now that this bottle of Surly Bird was a bit too old. Still need a Rat Rider, though!