Brux Domesticated Wild Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.39/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Russian River? Sign me up! Tall 750ml caged and corked bottle purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne.

Pours a clear, bright, slightly coppery golden colour, with a fizzling head that froths at first, and the subsides to a very mild ring. Body is fine, slippery and light, holding some minimal carbonation. No lace. It's actually remarkably unassuming, and much less exciting than I thought it might be.

Nose is better. Definite earthy Brett tones, apple skin, sweet sugar toffee, fairy floss, some banana leaf. But it's actually much more subdued than I expected. There's a hint of funk, but no more, and certainly no wild acidity. I'm a little bit surprised and a little unenthused.

Taste is similarly subdued: in fact, perhaps even more so. There's that sugary sweetness coming through again, more toffee, laced with just suggestions of earthiness, some faint horsey tones, and some cherry- and apple-skin on the finish. Feel is exceptionally light and thin.

Overall, I'm massively unimpressed. This is tame, dull flat and uninteresting. Holy crap this needed something more: it really is lifeless. It ends up "domesticated" to such a degree that it's insipid, weak and unable to fend for itself in the wild.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:57:49 | More by lacqueredmouse

dgilks

Australia

4.31/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Slightly hazy golden orange colour with a big, off-white head that dissipates quickly. Good.

Solid stonefruit and Brett aroma. Lots of earthy funk and peaches. Lots of peaches. Nice and easy.

A lovely flavour. There is a lot of stonefruit and some orange. The funk is subdued but earthy and delicious. Very mild tartness but there isn't much at all. A delightful wild rather than sour ale.

Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. Crisp.

A wonderful beer. Crisp, refreshing and tasty. It is a beginner's wild beer but it works really nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 08:12:12 | More by dgilks

outdoor7or24

Georgia

3.69/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

750ml shared with mothman, poured into tulip glass.
A: pours a medium copper color with gold hints, one finger off white head that slowly fades, plenty of carbonation, delicate light lacing.
S: tart, sour, vinous, citrus, light Brett (barnyard hay smell)
M: thin, light creamyness, carbonation tingles the tongue
T: light sweetness up front, grape, citrus hints, Brett funk, sourness, dry finish
O: glad I tried this, would buy again

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 22:41:21 | More by outdoor7or24

Samuel906

California

3.46/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Light and crisp, mild but suitable carbonation. Pine hops apple and citrus in the nose, slightly bready. Heavy Yeast flavor and Lots of bretts Which makes it sweet and tart. Refreshing and no booze. Flavor a bit underwhelming. Very reminiscent of liefmans gudenband.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:58:38 | More by Samuel906

ONUMello

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into a tulip
A: Golden orange color with a voluminous two-finger head that lingers with quite a bit of turbulence
S: Citrus, earth, herbs, a hint of light malt and a touch of a chemical smell. Complex with pleasant subtleties overall
T: Fairly delicate, primarily herbs and spice with some apricot, citrus, malt and just a touch sour. I'm not noticing the brett as much as most mention, though this does have a bit of a 'wild' streak. My biggest issue with it is it has almost no finish whatsoever- a nice burst of flavor up front and three seconds later it's all gone
M: Light-bodied with a fresh crispness and aggressive carbonation. But like the taste it disappears in about three seconds
O: This has so much potential but doesn't carry through from start to finish. My scores on T/M/O are giving it the benefit of the doubt at this point but I would be curious to see if it develops additional complexity with age. Just for kicks I tried the last pour from the bottle in a flute alongside the tulip glass- the flute made the nose far superior but lessened the intensity on the palate fwiw.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 06:39:27 | More by ONUMello

imscotty

Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours with a full white head that lasts a while. Not much lacing. Well carbonated. The beer is a pretty light golden color, somewhat cloudy.

S: Smells sour, citrus, hay, this was all good. Detected a somewhat soapy smell that detracted.

T: This wild ale is sour, but not too sour. just the right level for my tastes. Also tasted apricot, bread and that wild Brett barnyard taste. (Actually, I think Brett tastes like dirty socks (not that I taste dirty socks). Don't let that description turn you off, I like Brett. Had a nice sweet/ spicy aftertaste that lingered for a bit.

M: Light, crisp, well carbonated, refreshing.

O: This is an easy drinkinwant to buy a few bottles to put away for when I am in the mood for a subtle sour.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:47:07 | More by imscotty

OldPenguinHunter

California

2.49/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Popped the bottle a few days ago, was pretty disappointed... Poured into a tulip.

A. Fizzy and golden, maybe a bit too over-carbonated, sustaining head.
S. Band-aids and tart fruit
T. Sour dough bread, a bit of nutmeggy-ish spice, very dry and sort of anti-septic.
M. Very dry, the carbonation explodes into a pillow-y foam on the tongue.
O. I can see some Orval-esque notes in the beer, that may just be the Brett. Brux. but I can't get over the flaws, the beer tastes antiseptic and smells like Band-Aids.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 19:57:37 | More by OldPenguinHunter

Beerswag

California

3.61/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of 1pt 9.4oz bottle into a snifter shaped ale glass

A-champagne head, with active bubbles and immediate head of over 4 fingers thick. Head gone within 1 minute. Copper color with an unfiltered look. No lacing whatsoever on the glass. No thickness.
S-pear and fig tones on the nose. Alcohol upfront. Light on the clove smell.
T-head feels tart and beer finished fruity. Definitely find the "domestic" style coupled with the Belgian style ale.
M-smooth mouthfeel upfront with a bite and dry finish.
O-expected more out of a Russian River/Sierra Nevada collab. This beer should have sat on the shelf for a few years since aging would enhance this beers qualities. Might be enjoyed by some who is a follower of the Saison/sour-beer genres.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:27:44 | More by Beerswag

dogfishandi

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml. Caged and corked bottle poured into a snifter. A little above fridge temp.

Pours out a hazy/ cloudy sunset orange color, nearly golden. About a fingers worth of white head full of big bubbles that soon after faded to a ring and eventually nothing. Not much lacing to speak of.

Very floral Brett aromas. Slight hints of lemon citrus and must. Not too complex of an aroma.

Again, very floral, rose like almost. Hay, Lemon citrus with just a slight barnyard/ basement must.

A rather assertive carbonation. An airy mouthfeel, fairly light to medium in body. A bit of tartness, but nothing comparable to must popular wild ales.

Not a bad brett beer. Not terribly complex, but good for someone who is just getting into sours and Brett beers. I'd prolly come back to this if it wasn't for the rather big price tag as its quite the drinkable wild.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 05:36:11 | More by dogfishandi

Pencible

Virginia

4.11/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly clear light gold with quickly dissipating white head.
S: It smelled like tart unripe apricot and lemon zest and grassy hops, with some funky must and spicy white peppercorn.
T: It tasted like tart unripe apricot and lemon zest, with some grassy hops and sweet candi sugar and funky must and spicy white peppercorn. It had a clean and crisp aftertaste with lingering bittersweet.
M: It was watery with lots of bubbly carbonation. Like a heavy champagne.
D: This was a very nice wild ale, although not super wild. The scent and taste were balanced and enjoyable. The body was fitting, and the finish was incredibly smooth with well hidden alcohol, so it was really easy to drink. Worth buying a second bottle to age, but enjoyable fresh. Not mind blowing, but a solid brew. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:44:06 | More by Pencible

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle poured into a tulip at cellar temperature. The cork exploded off of this bottle without me touching it as soon as I took the cage off. A geyser of beer and foam ensued. Luckily, I didn’t lose much.

L – Pale amber color with a 4-finger bubbly white head that dissipates as rapidly as it appeared. Only a few patches of bubbles remain, and as a result, not much lacing appears. Slightly hazy with tons of bubbles.

S – There’s a strong presence of musty, barnyard Brett, as well as some sour lemon, green apple, and pear aromas. There may be a touch of bready malt, too, but it’s somewhat buried under the funkier aromas.

T – Slightly tart with apple, pear, and lemon notes followed by a bit of musty Brett. As the funkiness settles down, sweet bready malt and subtly bitter earthy, grassy, and spicy hops come through. There isn’t as much tartness or funkiness as the nose suggested, but it’s still tasty.

F – Light-bodied with too much carbonation, a prickly and airy mouthfeel, and a sweet, earthy, spicy, and dry finish. Really the thing that lingers the most is the tongue-prickling feeling from the carbonation.

O – This is a pretty good wild ale. The aroma is great and it tastes good, but the mouthfeel of this one holds this beer back. It is far too carbonated, so much so that it feels like it’s generating carbon dioxide while it’s in my mouth. Like really it feels like it’s so effervescent that it’s making gas in my mouth and down my throat. This sensation plus the prickling carbonation makes it tough to pick out the nuances of the taste. One positive aspect of the mouthfeel and the beer is that the alcohol is hidden extraordinarily well. This is a nice beer, but I’m sorry to say that I was expecting more out of a Sierra Nevada-Russian River collabo.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:20:16 | More by BlackBelt5112203

popery

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a orange-ish shade of gold. A bit darker than hoped for. Big fizzy white head. Sticks around for a bit but no lacing and fades entirely. Aroma is light. The main flavor that sticks out is a medicinal flavor that I'm not a huge fan of. There's also some earth, pale malt and a little funk. Mild grassy hops. Some brett fruitiness but very light. Taste is dry. There's a big earthy, fruity kick at first but it doesn't really go anywhere. Just a sort of nondescript Belgian tartness that dies quickly. It's a bit like taking a bite of an under ripe apricot - tart and fruity but lacking flavor. Mild hop bitterness in the finish. Very dry feel. Mildly chalky. Quite effervescent. It still has the over-carbonated feel that many brett beers seem to have in the bottle - could dissipate with time. It's a decent beer, which is a disappointment given the pedigree. The underlying Belgian just doesn't seem to be all that great. I wish that they had gone with something closer to Sanctification. This has too much malt depth and that medicinal note is too much. I'm going to sock away my second bottle and pray that something more develops given enough time.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 07:26:21 | More by popery

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 750 ml corked bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy copper golden orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Solid three fingers of off white head that fade into a few thin patches. Leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A very interesting funky, fruity, and mildly tart aroma. Yeast with a Belgian like funk and a good scent of Brett. Some pepper spice. Big fruit esters including banana, orange, pear, apple, white grapes, lemon zest, peach, and apricot. Also some hints of mildly tart cherries. Mild bready presence of malt with a hint of cracker and biscuit. Big hints of grass and floral hops. Smells fairly dry and wine like. Pretty nice.

Taste: Just as complex and funky as it smells. Big yeast strains with Brett funk and a mix of pepper spices. A big mix of bright fruit esters with notes of pear, apple, orange, banana, white grapes, lemon zest, apricot, peach, and tart cherry. Very grassy tasting with a solid presence of floral and herbal hops lingering around. Mild taste of malt with some biscuit and cracker. Tastes like a cross between a Belgian Farmhouse ale and an American Wild ale. Nicely complex, drying, and tasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Spicy, crisp, and somewhat prickly. Finishes dry. Alcohol is hidden very well.

Overall: A really good tasting and unique take on a Wild ale. Good combination of funk, fruit, and grassy hops. A pretty good collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 07:29:57 | More by MattyG85

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.84/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A quickly forming head, up to two fingers, which mellowed out to a finger or so. The body's color is a hazy medium straw.
The aroma is wonderful: banana bread, apricot and lemon. Very bright.
The taste is also bright with the same fruits plus orange.
The texture a low point with a high level of carbonation. Crisp and medium body.
This is a wonderful beer. I need to find another bottle to stow away for a few years.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 03:06:56 | More by Fatehunter

GPHarris

Alabama

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a - poured a three-fingers thick fizzy and bubbly eggshell-colored head into a tulip glass that left a thick ring of lace that disappeared halfway through the pour. the body was a bright, lively, bubbly amber color.
s - lemon and pear aromas throughout.
t - grassy with some lemon tartness. has just a "bit o brett" and i see where they got "domesticated" from.
m - medium coating. crisp, bubbly and dry. very biting on tongue. lively and well done.
o - i expected a little more from these two but it is very well done. i think it would be a great intro sour to some people. i thoroughly enjoyed it any way.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:56:46 | More by GPHarris

DovaliHops

California

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a slightly hazy, orangish-copper color. Large white head. Scent is VERY funky! A good amount of Brett to the aroma...smells like this beer is gonna be sour (even though I know it isn't at this point in this beer's life). Tart, wood-like aromas with some orange zest. A little bit of pear and citrus fruit as well. Taste is slightly tart at first, not nearly as tart as it smelled though. Tons of pear with a good amount of Belgian yeast. Light barnyard character. Spicy with some lemon...bit of a bread-like finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Smooth and crisp. Drinkability is high...ABV very well hidden. Overall, I am DEFINITELY holding onto my other bottle of this for a VERY long time. It drinks as a solid beer now, but should become AWESOME in a few years.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 10:05:22 | More by DovaliHops

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A-Pours a hazy marmalade color. Quite cloudy. Head is volatile. The head is very bubbly and spacious. Head is not very cohesive. Brux doesn't lace much but when it does, it leaves fat clumps along the glass.

S-That odd, candied spiciness of the Brett is clear. Tart, unripened pears and apples. There is a noticeable malty sweetness laying beneath the tartness. Barnyardy. There is a good balance between the sweet and the sour.

T-Sweeter here. The tartness and funk switch places with the malt. Belgian hops and Brett. The flavor falls off quickly…its there for only a few seconds. Dried hay and some candied citrus. The flavor is not tart throughout but its abrupt finish is a mildly sour one.

M-Far too bubbly. The carbonation stings the tongue; it nearly burns it. My palate is singed from the bubbles after six or seven sips. Off-dry. Alcohol is hidden well.

O/D-Could have been better but kudos to these two elite breweries. I can never really complain when an easily available, decent quality Wild Ale pops up on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 03:13:44 | More by VelvetExtract

ADZA

Australia

3.64/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

With a beautiful pop it pours a hazed orange hue with a ever rising creamy three finger head and lacing about the place,on smell im getting lots of oranges,brett,white grapes and stale pub ,the mouthfeel is medium bodied,a tad tart and well carbonated maybe a lil too carbonated and has tastes of lemon rind,orange cake,a touch of sour grapes,abit of funk,candy and finished with a sherbet dryness and overall its not bad and overall it is what it is a Belgian Ale with Brett no wow factor but its nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 08:27:15 | More by ADZA

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

ST: 750ml poured into a tulip glass.

A: A pretty, clear orange-gold with a thin white head and fast champagne carbonation. Leaves spotty lacing.

S: Lemon, orange, wet stone, brettanyomyce funk, fruit doughnut, pilsner edge, a sour lemonade.

T: Very bitter and sour lemon with a hint of grapefruit upfront, dry stone and sour orange linger with peach and herbal notes and a light spice.

M: Dry and bitter / sour / tart.

O: Interesting and complex beer. The sour and bitter notes of stone fruit mesh with citrus and herbal spicy funk. How the beer would change with age would be worth knowing.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:23:22 | More by ianjsullivan

JG-90

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml into glass, shared with friends

A - Hazy straw color, minimal to no lacing

S - Dry, Fruity. blind I would say its a pinot gritio (it really smells more like a wine than a beer)

T - Dry, fruity with pear and apple, tart

M - medium mouthfeel, with moderate-high carbonation

O - First taste of a wild ale, very impressed.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:01:48 | More by JG-90

maxk

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle, kept cold, served in a tulip and allowed to warm before consumption.

Slightly hazy orange gold with a little white head which quickly dissipates to almost nothing. Minimal lacing.

Banana, fruity esters, a little bit of citrus fruit and mango. Just a little bit of a funky, bacteria smell.

Strong apple flavor, a little bit of clementine and citrus oil. There is some nice caramel sweetness, tinged with Brett funk. Oily mouthfeel, nicely carbonated, and negligible alcohol heat.

Interesting beer. I wasn't sure quite what to expect but I've loved everything I've had from RR and like many SN offerings so I decided to give this a shot. It's a good wild ale, but not spectacular. One big thing it has going for it is availability, every beer store in my area still has bottles of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:55:56 | More by maxk

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Sierra Nevada tulip. Didn’t pull out the Russian River goblet for the side-by-side Light cherry and earth. Funk and slight phenolics. Shows lots of promise. Good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 03:23:48 | More by Thorpe429

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer pours a slightly dense deep copper color with a violent carbonation of microbubbles. The loud fizz supports a thick white head of foam.

S- The dry clean aroma has a faint hint of yeasty esters and mineral notes.

T- The nice dry crisp flavor is smooth with a tartness in the finish. There are some unripe pear notes that start to come through with a green apple hint in the finish.

M- The light mouthfeel has a full creamy fizz in the finish and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer is nice yet very subtle flavors and the brett is not overpowering but it will be interesting to see if this chances over time.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 22:04:39 | More by rhoadsrage

Avangion

New York

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours frothy but head quickly dissipates. Champagne-like bubbles fizz throughout, making this look like a living beverage, translucent but not clear or cloudy, golden amber color, not too dark. Smells like a gueze, with musty, yeasty, weedy aromas but not overpowering ones. Very smooth taste, not full-bodied and definitely tilted toward the tart/sour end of the spectrum. Apple taste. Slight, short alcohol finish. Extremely dry and pleasant for something so sour. I plan on cellaring one.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 22:29:24 | More by Avangion

fatmusic14

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Shared a bomber with some friends. Review based off of about 7 oz.

A - Hazy, golden, beautiful. Reminiscent of autumnal leaf changes in Vail Valley.

S - Pungent, tart - refreshingly sour.

T - less "in your face" than the smell. Really well done, smooth, tangy, hints of mint and summer.

M - no complaints. Great carbonation and aftertaste.

O- get your hands on this.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 19:58:50 | More by fatmusic14