Spontanwildstrawberry - Mikkeller ApS

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

2/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Blushing deep orange in color, so-so clarity with quickly vanishing head. Good looking beer.

S: YIKES! Electrical tape/plastic/vinyl notes dominate. Its a shame, I feel like there is definitely some nice aroma underneath but its totally overwhelmed.

T: There is a decent fruit lambic underneath but the electrical tape vibe is impossible to ignore. Revolting!

M: Not particularly dry, but impressive for a 7.7% lambic.

Avoid at all costs, a seriously disgusting plastic-tasting mistake. This is very odd because both the Grape and Raspberry version of this are quite delicious.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 00:49:02 | More by mattsander

kojevergas

California

2.05/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

375 ml green glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a USC conical glass in me friend Bo's gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are quite high; I love Mikkeller and I enjoyed the kriek in this series.

Served a bit warmer than refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with graham crackers. (Don't ask me why).

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of nice thickness and cream, and good retention. Colour is a clear copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Lacing is poor. A pretty mundane looking sour - especially compared to Mikkel's kriek.

Sm: Somewhat off-putting fermented tart strawberry. Bacteria and clean malts. Eggy. I wouldn't go so far as to call it sulphuric. It's certainly strong and unique, but something about it really bothers me. Sugary and sweet.

T: Tart strawberry, clean malts, some cream, and bacteria. Quite strange. The finish is weirdly sour, far from satiating my sour fix. Balanced but the dominant note (those weirdly tart strawberries) really turns me off. Crystal malt and tingly white wine notes are a highlight, but are ruined by the strawberry. I just outright don't like the flavour, but I can appreciate how others might enjoy it.

Mf: Light, smooth, and wet. Adequate coarseness to bring out the flavour.

Dr: A major disappointment from my favourite brewery. I just plain hate the flavour; it doesn't at all suit my personal taste. I can see where others might like it, and I appreciate the craft utilized in producing it - but I frankly can't stand the way it tastes. Bleh. It's pricey to boot. I will say that it hides its ABV quite well.

Every beer advocate should review this just to experience it. It's truly a unique experience.

D

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 08:51:37 | More by kojevergas

kaips1

Kentucky

2.83/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From the bottle into a snifter

Ok, lets try my first Mikkeller Sour. Pours a nice reddish amber with at first a rushing 2 finger white frothy head. The head dissipates quickly into a solid ring of tiny bubbles. The hues of this beer change along the red spectrum at every angle of light, yet it is an expected cloudy visibility, almost murky. Now on to the aromas that escape the glass, and boy do they escape. A whiff upon opening the bottle was all farts and sulfur and rotten eggs, funny thing is I had my gf take a whiff right after I did and she liked it, go figure. Upon the beer entering the glass I still smell sulfuric rotten eggs but also Brett essences and slight bits of fruity sweetness that almost makes me think strawberry syrup that they use in gum. My gf says that she can smell sour and strawberry, I think shes crazy. Now on to the taste, and its almost as interesting as the smell. There is a sulfuric farty egg flavor that sits right on my tongue and isnt helped by this rubber tire kind of flavor. The gf thinks it tastes like nail polish remover smells. I dont know if this needs time to do its thing or if it'll never be GOOD. The mouthfeel is spot on, nicely carbonated not too much and not too little. Overall, probably not gonna try this again, I was hoping for something awesome and I feel it fell very short, the experience is the only justification for the price. I know not to drink Mikkeller sours at $12 a bottle ever. Now I'm sure I wont be trying the Spontankoppi.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 03:15:51 | More by kaips1

rarbring

Sweden

2.83/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A clouded dark straw brew, An off-white head, little lacing but some curtains.

Smelling of rubber and sweetener, and moldy strawberries.

Initially sweet strawberry biscuits, then some sour milk on moldy strawberries, with a hint of yeast.

Medium high carbonation, coarse and dry. A small body.

Nope, one of the few Mikellers I do not like.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 17:07:10 | More by rarbring

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.88/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

The flavor of strawberry lends itself to complement sour ales very well, however it seems that the delicate notes prove to be too volatile for any meaningful impact. There's just something about strawberry lambics that leaves lackluster impressions. Does Mikkeller's attempts prove otherwise?

Appearances of blood orange, amber and peach gives a fruity glow while displaying a diffused haze. The beer billows with foam easily to the rim, then settles to a hardy blanket with sticky white lace. It's a very charming beer.

Strong phenols, sulfur, and earthen fungus notes shock the olfactories with high levels of pungency and offense. Where the floral note of strawberry was expected, the beer instead delivers putrid odors of hydrogen sulfide, electrical tape, mushroom, wood decay, shellfish, and gastric notes of egg and matches. The messy aromas however do carry also the brine, limey, and the pleasant must of oak that's expected of higher quality spontaneously fermented ales.

Fortunately, there's little about the off-putting aromas that translate to taste as the starkly dry ale delivers fruity taste that's loosely identifiable as tart strawberry. Low lying sweetness allows the tart acidity to dictate the balance. Along with the tartness, there's also the bitterness of lime skins or lemon pith that finishes the beer. Mixed within the flavors, numerous other flavors rise in the form of plastic, salt, pepper, must, sweat, grass, damp soil, and oysters. Very complex, but the flavors prove to be very challenging to taste.

But like most lambic-style ales, the beer's high acidity and zesty carbonation keeps the mouthfeel light, dry, astringent, and warm. Early subtle sweetness is quickly supplanted by the cidery sourness that develops grape skin astringency and oak tannin heading into a powdery-dry and lightly alcoholic finish.

You have really got to get into the serious earth notes from pediococcus that range from the taste of mushroom to sulfury gas to downright bile. Because many of the aromas are well represented, at least as much as the classic lactic and Brettanomyces notes that are much more pleasant and predictable.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:19:08 | More by BEERchitect

russwbeck

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Very clear orange yellow pour with a finger of white head. The bubbles race to the top of the glass and hold up the head for a really long time.

S: The aroma is much like the Spontankriek: tart, sour, with an underlying sweetness. Not particularly impressive in any one aspect.

T: Again, as with Spontankriek, this is just sour. No sweetness to counterbalance the sour at all. Really just tastes the same as the kriek. I can't distinguish any strawberries, either. Glad I split this with a buddy.

MF: Light and a bit over carbonated. The dryness at the finish is nice, but doesn't help the drinkability that much.

O: Pretty disappointed in this series so far. I'd recommend you don't spend the money to pick these up. Just not worth it.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 02:11:07 | More by russwbeck

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, ripe strawberries. In the taste, a dry small sour strawberry and somewhat like champagne. A sour like bite and a lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry sourness and note of fruit in the aftertaste. Dry strawberries and a small sourness, not to shabby.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 16:43:06 | More by OWSLEY069

Beejay

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A: A very hazy peach color.. the head rises instantly to the top of the glass like champagne, before the large bubbles collapse upon themselves, leaving a foamy ring around the glass, and a thin frosting of light head.

S: As the bubbles burst through the top layer of the beer, they bring with them tartness, and an acidic note. Berries dance with the sour smell, and perhaps a touch of a plastic note lingers in. I am also getting a smell like fresh stream water and wet rock. Almost a bit of earthiness. As I continue to sniff the plastic smell comes forward a hint.. hopefully it doesn't show itself in the taste.

T: Tart! Whew is that tart, there is a quality like a citrus peel... part sour, part bitter. Light strawberry notes as well as some earthiness followed by funk, there is almost a sharpness to it, like an aged cheese. Very interesting.

M: Dry and high carbonation. There is certainly an acidic feel to it, making your teeth feel like you just ate a lemon. The dryness leaves you reaching for another sip.

O: Overall interesting. Not my favorite beer in the world, but I had a craving for a good sour.. this didn't quite quench the craving, but it was a start. A little too much funk, and not quite enough cohesion.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:11:25 | More by Beejay

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.2/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up tonight at the COOP for a pricey $13... a guilty but expensive pleasure. Poured into my slim tulip, the brew glows a slightly hazed orange.. 1 finger white head leaves decent lacing.

Funky with a light strawberry note.. real fruit though.. a bit phenolic that makes me think bandaid.. some sulfur.. still pretty okay.

Flavor is better slightly.. fruity and acidic... plenty of lactic notes combine with fermented out fruit.. sorta briny... the fruit shines mid-palate for a moment and then moves back to the traditional lambic elements.. phenols show again on the finish as a sorta lingering bandaid note.

Body is light as expected... carbonation is spritzy.

Decent... but I don't appreciate the bandaid aroma/flavor too much, I know they show often in funky brews, but I thought they detract too much from the fruity elements.

4/3/3/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 05:39:10 | More by JohnGalt1

Etan

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12.7oz bottle into a tulip.

A: Pours a nice auburn with a head of big white bubbles that die almost immediately.

S: Big horseblanket smell with sweet strawberry notes poking through. Musty and wet but the fruit is quite nice.

T: Mostly horsey instead of lactic. Lots of old wet funk (horsey, mushroom, old milk), sometimes unpleasant. Wood, lemon, mild fruity sourness that is not obviously strawberry, which turns pretty tart in the finish. Improves a bit as it warms, with the fruit notes coming out.

M: Light-bodied, lively carbonation.

O: Didn't really get any sulfur as the other reviews mention, but the horseblanket is a bit too strong on this one. Definitely improves as it sits, but still doesn't end up strong.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 03:58:22 | More by Etan

TheBeerCarl

Idaho

3.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer has a light reddish-yellow body that pours with a thin white head and next to no retention.

S: The nose is a bit of a failure in that it resembles that of a Pilsner with a light wet hop and light malt smell. Smells like a drunk mans breath.

T: Extremely tart strawberry is the first flavor to hit the palette resembling an unripe strawberry with some earthiness, floralness and heavy bitterness. Quite interesting.

M: The mouthfeel is good for the style with a light body and sharp carbonation that compliments the flavor profile.

Overall this was a good strawberry lambic but it could use a bit more strawberry flavor and a better nose.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 09:04:00 | More by TheBeerCarl

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a hazed orange tinted amber with a finger and a half of off white head. Head retention is modest and lingers as a thin ring of bubbles.

S- Moderately funky on the nose with notes of barnyard,damp hay and stinky cheese. Oak and lemon notes in the middle. Faintest whisper of strawberry on the back end.

T- mild tartness up front with notes of lemon and tart berry. A bite of oak with a tannic quality fleshes out in the middle with a medium acidic character from the beer itself. White wine notes intertwine as well. Finishes with a hint of strawberry and an earthy Brett flavor.

MF- sharp mouthfeel with a medium body. Active clean carbonation.

D- decent drinkability

Overall a decent fruit lambic. More tartness, fruit flavor and a better integrated oak character would do well in the future versions of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:54:53 | More by Viciousknishs

Pencible

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a nearly opaque bright copper with quickly dissipating off white head.
S: It smelled like very tart vinegar and funky oak, with musky white grapes and a hint of unripe strawberries.
T: It tasted like huge funky oak and musky white grapes, with some tart vinegar and unripe strawberries. It had a lasting and bold funky aftertaste.
M: It was watery with lots of carbonation. Nice lively body.
D: This was a pretty extreme lambic, with borderline moldy character. The scent and taste were fairly complex, but not so delicate or refined. The body was fitting, but the finish was pretty harsh, so it must be sipped. Hoping age will help this brew mellow out and gel. Fresh, it was a challenge to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:46:38 | More by Pencible

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a flute.

I sniffed this after popping it open and was unhappy to find HUUUGE sulpherous well-water/rotten egg aromas... So I'm going to let this decant for a while...

Pinkish-orange body with a nearly white head of 3 fingers. Surprisingly nice retention. Decent legs, decent lacing. Looks slightly murky; perhaps murky isn't the word. It is translucent, but certainly not transparent.
This actually doesn't look too bad-- not bad at all in fact.

Barely any strawberry on the nose-- and this doesn't have the oaky notes I'd hope for... It's got a lot of sulfer action with some serious bacteria notes. As it warms the oak and strawberry notes increase quite a bit.
The beer is really dry-- a little dehydrated strawberry action (think astronaut ice cream strawberry flavor) with s pedio bite and a big dry finish. No tartness... Limited sourness.

Feels pretty full for the style, it's like a very firm body. Low carbonation doesn't work here for me-- a bit more would liven up the body and make this pop.

Overall-- a fun beer to try (after it decants). If you pop one of these open, do yourself a favor and let it decant for at least 10-15 minutes! It has improved tremendously, though still nowhere near the best examples of fruit sours (can we call this a Lambic? It uses Lambic technique right?)
Anyway, I've had much worse sours. I think for a first batch this is pretty good. Let mikeller get the barrels aged a few times and we might see some really impressive stuff from this line!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 03:44:06 | More by AleWatcher

sweemzander

Illinois

3.49/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a cloudy golden orange color. Produced quite the voluminous white fluffy head that is really sticking around for awhile. Lacing 'a plenty left behind in the process.

(S)- The smell is funk central. Brett heavy with a potent but clean acidity. Ever so slightly earthy in the funk as it turns very very dry. On the finish is one of the brightest strawberry fruit aromas I have ever seen in the style; very juicy.

(T)- Very similar to the smell. Really dry and funky up front. Very Brett-centric in the funk area, that almost turns a touch towards the band-aid realm for me. Its saving grace is the bright strawberry acidic fruits on the finish.

(M)- A crisp and vibrant carbonation level. The dryness helps, though the Brett heavy funk profile turns almost medicinal/band-aid. Thankfully the fruits come through on the finish to twist it into a nice fruit profile for the lambic base.

(O)- This looked and smelled quite good; awesome really. The taste and feel is just way too much centered on the hospital room Brett funk to really enjoy fully. The vibrant strawberries on the finish was the saving grace of this beer that explains why my review is not scored lower.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 19:08:48 | More by sweemzander

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.51/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Strawberry aroma wafting after the pour, but then funk aroma. A little pink colour, surprising head, and lacey Unwashed clothes, feet like, that kind of funkiness. Thanks Jon.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 15:08:53 | More by northyorksammy

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Had to try this to report back to the others...being the scout can be dangerous, but it can also be rewarding. Wonder which will befall me here? This stuff pours a lightly hazy golden-brass topped by a finger of off-white foam. The nose reeks of mildly sulfurous berries (I can't say that it smells like any kind of strawberry I've ever smelled, but I also can't say definitively that it doesn't, either...), tart lemon zest, and a kiss of funk. It's a bit much if inhaled sharply. The taste brings in more of the same, with a touch of strawberry coming through identifiably. Now, I've never had wild strawberries, and apparently they're tarter than the garden variety, but I can say that this is definitely more sour than I expected. An almost tannic quality seems to creep up from beneath near the finish, but it quickly peters out. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry, sticky finish. Overall, a pretty nice "lambic", though it's a rougher tartness than I'd prefer in these beers. Still, it ain't bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 14:42:54 | More by TMoney2591

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle, best before May 2022. Wow, a decade from now, hard to quite fathom.

This beer pours a hazy medium orange-tinged amber hue, with two fingers of tightly billowing off-white head, which leaves a low ebbing berm of lace around the glass as it slowly fades away.

It smells of week-old, yet still rather sweet strawberries, languishing in the back of the fridge, with some mildly earthy barnyard funk, some bewildered pale malt, a subtle, more vegetal tartness, an echo of musty cheese, and tame leafy hops. The taste is sour strawberries, this time a bit more fresh in their bearing, mixed with some aged lemon juice, a continuing funky barnyard essence, meek grainy malt, some softly rendered barrel notes, and a very slight petrochemical nature.

The bubbles are a bit frizzy, but in a generally low-key manner, the body medium-light in weight, the acidity doing a lofty sort favour for us all, at the same time letting the smoothness off with nary a warning. It finishes off-dry, the malt kind of asserting itself for the first time, as the sourness, funk, and fruitiness maintain a steady holding pattern.

A surprisingly agreeable 'new' world wild ale (so the Danes are allowed to call it 'Lambic', eh?), the barrel treatment deft and understated, just enough to allow the base nature of the fruit to actually shine through. Well drinkable, and that's a metric shit-ton more of praise than I had been expecting to proffer for this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 07:17:54 | More by biboergosum

MasterSki

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from West Lakeview Liquors. Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip while watching AgentZero do his fantasy draft.

A - White foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, but minimal lacework. Lightly hazed golden body.

S - This smells a bit more like rotten strawberries than wild strawberries. Funky and dirty, with some sulfur, and hints of medicine and plastic. The base lambic seems less sweet than other beers in the Spontan- series. Gets better as it warms up, and is somehow better than it sounds from the description.

T - A touch more strawberry here, and more of an authentic vibe than one of sugary fruit candies. There's a bit of bile and sulfur in the periphery, but the fruit is actually quite pleasant here. Moderate lactic sourness, and a bit of mineral. No alcohol to be found, even at 7.7%.

M - Medium-bodied, with pleasant carbonation. Dry and tannic in the finish, with some moderate acidity to it.

D - If you can get past the rotten fruit and off-flavors in the nose this is actually fairly enjoyable. I'd take it over Spontangrape or Spontankriek to be honest.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 15:13:05 | More by MasterSki

mkotsayfan

California

3.74/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 375ml bottle into a snifter. Pours a cloudy dark orange with a nice pillowy white head w/decent retention. The aroma has typical lambic smells: lemon, funk, grapes, and a disappointing amount of strawberries/sweetness. The taste delightfully has more strawberry, but something is offputting a little bit. I'm not sure if it's just the mix of flavors, or if the strawberries themselves aren't quite as good when fermented, but it's off. Nothing offensive, however. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied with good carbonation, and a nice tart finish.

A solid brew from Mikkeler, I can see those that don't like Strawberries might think the taste is a little offputting, but I still thought it was fairy enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 21:54:19 | More by mkotsayfan

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12.7 oz bottle into a duvel glass

A: a nice orange amber with a touch of blushing pink one finger of slightly off white head that dissapates slowly and leaves some nice lacing... A nice looking sour.

S: Funky, sour, earthy oak with a slight hit of strawberry on the end. A nice citrus, lemony sour up front into the earthy oak and a touch of Barnyard haylike funk.... A nice nose, until
The beer warms, then I start to get a kind of
Smoky melting plastic aroma.

T: much like the nose but i feel the barnyard notes and especially the earthy oak bite are toned up a notch, with the finish containing the fleshy hint of wild strawberries.... Much like the spontanale the oak delivers a bitterness that doesn't seems to compliment the other flavors as nicely, wish it was toned back a touch. Maybe a little age would do this good and round of the flavor profile a
Bit more. And much like the bose as the brew warms i start getting that melting plasticness.

M: very nice medium, lush mouthfeel, and a lightly creamy level of medium carbonation, not as bitter and oaky in the aftertaste as the spontan ale, which is a good thing.

O: this is a nice strawberry sour, with a very nice mouthfeel, I just wish the flavor was a touch more rounded and there was a tad more strawberry and minus the melting plasticky ness .... This had the potential to be a great sour i feel, just needed to be a bit more well rounded. With certain aspects toned up and other toned down.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:51:04 | More by PeterIngemi

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Mikkeller Teku (proper!). Poured a fluorescent orange with a two finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, funk, sour, fruit, strawberry, diaper, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, funk, earth, strawberry, fruit, subtle sour, and massive funk on the followthrough that sticks to the palate. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was fairly good brew. Upon first inspection of the aroma I was all for this one as there is just something about that diaper smelling funk that I love in a beer. However, this also carried over into the flavor as the funk profile going on here was a little overwhelming. Yes, you heard that correctly. It completely overwhelmed my palate and wouldn’t stop. If you are a fan of massive funk in a brew this is the one for you, no doubt about it.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 10:39:29 | More by thagr81us

mfnmbvp

Illinois

4/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12.7 fl oz. bottle, with no apparent bottled on date present, but the cap does say 10081205. Got this at the local Binny's the other day. My second journey into the realm of lambics, and it is always exciting to try another one of Mikkeller's creations.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours about one finger of off-white bubbly head, audibly sizzling away. Head retains itself for a minute or two. Body color is light orange around the edges, and a bit darker in the middle. Almost an IPA-like appearance to it. Can definitely spot a bit of a yeasty culture looking presence in there.

S - As soon as I uncapped this, I got a whiff of the sour barnyard funk, and tart fruit. Funky Belgian yeast type smell almost reminds me of a fruity latex glove. One of the more unique smelling beers that I've encountered, yet I was still hoping for much more fruit.

T - Extremely tart, sour, and yeasty. Tastes of brettanomyces and bacteria. Belgian yeast strains don't exactly seem to be my thing, but I'm slowly trying to ween my way towards liking them, taking baby steps. Would have definitely enjoyed more of a strawberry presence here, because I can barely taste any strawberry at all.

M - Tart, bubbly, champagne like feel to it. Carbonated. Very sour bretty, yeasty aftertaste. Finishes very smooth and clean, though.

Overall, I am really on the fence with this beer. I definitely have to say I enjoyed this beer more than many other Belgians I've had in the past, but I guess I am just disappointed because I was hoping for more a tart fruit fix. Still, an enjoyable enough bottle, and one I am glad to have tried. Sour, tart, bretty, yeasty fun, and definitely glad it doesn't have a weak abv like a lot of other lambics I've seen around. If it wasn't so damn expensive, I would probably try it again. Pick it up if you see it!

Mikkeller Spontanwildstrawberry ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:40:49 | More by mfnmbvp

rangerred

Tennessee

4.16/5  rDev +24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375ml bottle into a tulip

Pours a deep clear light copper with just the faintest hint of pink. A one finger white head slowly fades to a ring around the sides of the glass and a thin layer of bubbles over the beer.

The aroma is extremely funky. Plenty of Brett along with hints of wood and a light fruityness with hints of strawberry. Some straw in there too along with some medicinal phenols.

Tons of tartness immediately in the taste with a healthy dose of funkyness. This is accompanied, however, by wonderful fresh picked strawberry sweetness that you can tell is definitely not from any artificial additives. There are some faint wood notes from the barrel aging but it is very understated. The tartness almost seems to increase after the beer is swallowed leading to a bit of astringency on the back of the throat although this gets less and less noticeable throughout the glass. The finish is a little sticky with lingering tartness.

Overall, it took me a little while to warm up to this beer but halfway through the glass I am loving it. The strawberry flavor is quite pleasant and fresh tasting and I love the tartness and funk. A nice lambic and one I'm glad I picked up.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 00:51:05 | More by rangerred

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Burnt orange, one finger off white head, minimal lacing.

S - Strawberries, brettanomyces, white grapes, hints of perfumy hops, sweet grains, buttered popcorn, bubblegum, and peach. Very complex.

T - Not as complex as the nose, but still very delicious. Tart strawberry, funky brett, vinous, sharp bitterness on the back end.

M - Medium body, moderate-low carbonation.

O - Very drinkable, great beer, great series, I have also tries the spontanframboos and really enjoyed it, can't wait to try the rest of the series.

10081205

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:11:57 | More by Rickythejeweler