Brux Domesticated Wild Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

danmouer

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hi-test Orval!
This is a beautiful Brett blond. Subtle but enticing aroma if sour cherries, pineapple and cinnamon along with light sweet malt. The mouth fills with peppery spice, bright fruit, and distinctive character of Brett. Finish is bone dry and lingering, warmed by alcohol with nicely balanced candy sweetness and hop bitter.

I would love to squirrel away a case and taste one or two a year to see how they develop. This could replace Orval as my standard sacramental beverage.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:13:11 | More by danmouer

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared with my friends at Logboat Brewing.

A - Poured out a slightly hazy, copper color with a one-finger head of fizzy foam. It left thin sheets of lace on the glass.

S - Good, tart aroma with a touch of funkiness. Sour apple and grapes, too.

T - It tasted sour and fruity with a nice funky, horse blanket bite. Some caramel and yeasty flavors, too.

M - Very clean a dry. A medium bodied ale.

O - This is a very tasty beer. I love a wild ale and this one hits the mark.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 05:00:29 | More by zeff80

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml caged and corked bottle. Served in a Unibroue tulip, the beer pours a hazy golden/orange color with about an inch and a half white head that fizzled away quickly. Pretty much no lacing at all. Aroma is nice, it smells like pears, apricots, lemon peel, peppery spice, brett, and some hay. The brew tastes similar to the aroma, like apricots, hay, bready malt, funk, and some light banana and tropical fruit. Mouthfeel/body is medium and a bit slick, but with very high carbonation. The high carbonation doesn't help the drinkability of this brew for me. Overall I think this is a solid brew and it's certainly worth trying, but I would have to think before spending $14.99 on this again. Hopefully the next time I try this I'll get a bottle that's less carbonated than this one was.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:13:01 | More by bluejacket74

BeerLover99

New Jersey

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

A: cloudy/bubbly straw, big white 2 finger head,

S: belgian yeast, fresh bread, floral, lemon peel

T: same as nose, firm souring pucker, hint of bitter/oily

M: med body, bubbly/mild oily mouth

O: Great to see 2 famous California breweries team up!
Still can't decide if I like the style, but interesting treat
+ love breweries taking beer in different directions.
Curious to try other Wild Ales and see how it compares. Have
tried tons of SN + Russian River due to NorCal trip and amazing
wife who said OF COURSE we will go to Russian River for you!
Worth trying and supporting these 2 CA beer gods.

VERY GOOD, GIVE IT A GO!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 17:38:19 | More by BeerLover99

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip.
A: Pours a relatively clear golden yellow with absolute loads of carbonation producing a 4+ inch rocky white head. Wonderful retention...just seems to continously re-feed itself...lasts forever.
S: Pleasantly fresh brett aroma predominates...tart, sweet, and sour. Melon and fresh fruit. Spice and white pepper too.
T: Doesn't quite hold up to the promise of the aroma...but still nice. Milder notes of brett, candi sugar, light caramel malt, melon, lemongrass, and hint of spice (more apparent with warming).
M: Extremely effervescent...tons of carbonation tingle. Light body (and a bit thin)...lighter than you'd expect from the ABV. Sweet with a hint of tart/sour. The beer is pleasant while in your mouth, but doesn't linger much at all on the palate...which knocks it down a peg for me.
D: A lighter, nicely complex, and easily drinkable beer. Good with lighter picnic fare. Started off excellently and finished solidly. Nice to have once, but I don't see myself revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 05:45:26 | More by mwilbur

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

A great Brett crafting. Yellow with lasting foamy head, it did foam over somewhat. Funky aroma. Very tasty and like a white wine pairing for lunch. Great drinkability. Soft mouthfeel. From Winooski’s. Earthy, grassy hops. Slight lemon. With mild pepper, a little like a saison.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:37:44 | More by northyorksammy

Florida9

Illinois

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

A: Somewhat cloudy orange-yellow in color. Forms a moderate sized, fizzy head that fizzes away quite quickly, leaving just the faintest bit of surface coating. No lacing.

S: Aroma is light, but inviting. Slight yeasty funkiness, with notes of apple, flower, banana, hay, and a touch of spice.

T: Flavor is similar to the aroma. There is a touch of sweetness of the front end, with a good bit of fruit: apple, banana, and pear. There is some Bretty character as well, a little hay, and some floral qualities, but it is mostly in the background.

M: Lighter bodied with an aggressive carbonation. Too much actually. Slightly tart, but not at all sour.

O: I know this one is listed as a Wild ale, but it comes off more as a Saison, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Overall, a good beer, which I would happily have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:29:10 | More by Florida9

Flashy

Vermont

2.65/5  rDev -31%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

From a bottle purchased at a reliable, high turnover store. This beer smells like a skunked bottle (and at $15 I hope to g*d it was fresh)- but I think that this is the way it is supposed to taste.
Sour tasting, but clean, if you want to say anything nice- at $15 a bottle- never again. I am used to pretty much anything. I had high hopes for these brewers and made the purchase based on their rep, but will look before leaping next time.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 00:08:09 | More by Flashy

Chas58

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From a Bottle into my Firestone Walker Nonic Pint Glass

Appearance: It pours with a very frothy thin head that immediately disappears with very little lacing. The color is a golden yellow with a slight tint of orange. Little to no lacing remains.

Smell: A nice funkiness, not overpowering, but subtle. Hints of floral and banana mixed with the funkiness of the back side of a farm. A very pleasant, and surprisingly subtle yeasty aroma follows the brett aroma. For the farmhouse / Saison drinker this is a pleasant yet understated aroma

Taste: A very recognizable mixture of farmhouse tastes, including banana, breadiness and slight citrus. The sour middle leaves a very pleasant after taste. The sourness is not off putting or puckering, but fairly pleasant and balanced

Mouthfeel: Very carbonated with prickliness and a slight sourness that is quite appealing. A mildly yeasty film with an overall pleasant aftertaste.

Overall: This good, about what I expected, but less than hoped for. I expected a solid farmhouse ale to rival some of the really good belgians, and that is what is in this bottle. Nothing wrong, very drinkable. Very little indication of alcohol in the mouthfeel or the taste. Less carbonation would be slightly better. I would happily uncork another of these are share it around, as it is quite a nice collaboration between two epic brewers in Russian River and Sierra Nevada. Well done

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 23:34:11 | More by Chas58

ChugginOil

Illinois

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

Pours a slightly hazed straw color with a pillowy 2 inch mound of head. There is some lace on the glass but not a ton.

The nose has that funky barnyard smell to it that is similar to horse saddle. There are some apricot scebts intertwined with the funkiness.

The flavors are funky as well and have some bread-like malts, barnyard funk, leather and a bit of dried apricots.

The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied with ample carbonation and a crisp feel.

Overall, this is a decent collaboration that definitely nails the funky flavors but may be a bit yoo much for some.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:20:00 | More by ChugginOil

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a globlet. This pours a slightly cloudy golden color with a thin white head which quickly disappates. There is an obvious brett smell, along with the usual belgian yeast smells of sweet fruit, banana, bread. The feel is medium, very high carbonation. The taste is pretty good, more belgian fruit, some bread malts, the brett is lighter than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:03:47 | More by DavidST

homebrew311

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into snifter. Appearance is a slightly hazy golden color with a generous bright white head. Nice head retention and heavy lace left behind. Nose starts with somewhat musty white grapes, lemon zest, and sourdough come through as well. Smells like it is going to very dry with a touch of acidic tartness. Taste has a strong dry yeasty flavor up front, minimal tartness, and a hint of fruit. The grape character comes through stronger towards the finish. The end result is somewhat blah, it is super dry and has no real character. The end is somewhat grainy. I was hoping for more tartness. The mouthfeel is highly effervescent with a light body. Overall, the aroma promised a beer with more character, the taste is not as exciting as I would have hoped for.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:15:34 | More by homebrew311

ckollias

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 750 bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange hue with a frizzy, two-finger white that slowly dissipates the glass and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Definitely a yeasty sweet aroma. Hints of citrus mostly lemon.

T: Fruity taste with – slightly citrus flavor. The middle of this beer is weirdly dry and finishes on the tart side of dry.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: This was just so an OK beer for me. Although it did grow on me the more I sipped it. Nothing I would grab again but worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:44:43 | More by ckollias

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Slight white head over cloudy amber liquid.

S: Honey, grass, leaves, earth, marigolds, sour funk.

T: Grass, biscuit malt, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, earth, leaves and some sour funk in the finish.

M: Thin mouth feel with a medium to high level of viscosity.

O: I see where they were going with this one, and I like it. The citrusy and fruity presence of Amarillo and Cascade hops give this wild ale a quality different than the European varieties. However, due to the price point I think I would rather go for a Cantillon Vigneronne instead.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 23:40:38 | More by DaftCaskBC

SanFranJake

California

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

Review of my second bottle because my first was when it first came out and I thought it needed some time, albeit only a few months, to sit.
Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a tulip.
Gold/orangish hue, mild head which faded pretty fast but stayed pretty carbonated.
Flavor was sweet and tart..not all that bad given the style. At first taste the aroma and flavors combined to remind me for some reason or another of Big League Chew...strange, I know. Dry mouthfeel...reminded me of champagne.
I was hoping for this to get better, even after only a few months, and it DID, just not to the level that I had hoped.
Given the two breweries, I would have hoped for something better, though maybe time will tell on this one. Perhaps they can collab on something else down the road.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 18:29:25 | More by SanFranJake

UnderPressure

South Carolina

2.58/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Slightly hazy, golden orange. Very fizzy head, which quickly melts to a ring. Highly carbonated. I don't see much lacing, if any.

Tangy and sour aroma. A slightly sweet backbone, and some hops.

Unusual flavor. Not what I was expecting. Aside from the sourness, there is an emptiness to the flavor. Some might describe it as "watery."

The emptiness carries over to the mouthfeel. The carbonation is very high, and explodes as it enters your mouth. The finish is dry and lingering.

I'm sorry to say, I didn't like this beer very much. Normally, I love wild ales and sour beers. But, this one didn't have much going on in the flavor department. Generally speaking, I would prefer a bolder flavor and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:50:18 | More by UnderPressure

Monkeyknife

Missouri

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

Poured from the bottle a hazy orange-yellow color with two fingers of bright white head.

Aroma of tart green apples, lemon, earthy grains, lemon and barnyard funk.

The taste really delivered what the aroma set up with the layers of tartness, earth and yeasty Brett funk.

Medium bodied and crisp with a moderate carbonation.

This was pretty much what I expected from this collaboration from Russian River and Sierra Nevada. Definitely worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 23:20:41 | More by Monkeyknife

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a corked and caged bottle into a Victory tulip

A- pours a cloudy shade of light orange with a two finger white head that fades extremely quickly. Not too great looking overall

S- lemon and funk. Oh yes. Tons of funk. Lovely

T- it tastes very...fresh, I guess. Not a ton of funk. Decent lemon. Very mild flavor overall

M- medium bodied, TONS of carb. Wow

O- this is approachable. Doesn't hold a candle to the RR sours we all know and love, but it's still solid overall

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:01:19 | More by bigfnjoe

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy medium golden amber. Massive white head during pour that dissipated immediately into a thin layer of foam with light lacing. Aroma of light fruit; apple, pear, lemon; light saison yeast and a hint of brett. Flavor is the same light fruit, a nice light sweet malt and a hint of brett. Finishes slightly dry with light fruit and the memory of the brett. Light bodied with very active carbonation giving a nice mouth feel. They nailed this one for me; I'm not a big brett fan, but enjoy saisons with a light touch of wild yeast. I guess I'm too domesticated, but if so, they made this one for my taste. Really glad I took a chance on this.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 04:09:53 | More by LiquidAmber

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 750 mL corked and caged bottle. Poured into my Dogfish Head tulip glass. Keep chilled before opening. Cork opens with a pretty aggressive pop.

Appearance: Dark yellow to light orange in color. Pours a pretty aggressive fizzy white head that occupies about two thirds of the glass. Settles into a thin lacing pretty quickly.

Aroma: I definitely get a lot of brett in the aroma. I remember hearing that the brett wasn't aggressive when this was first released, but there is plenty of barnyard funk and brett now. A touch of light lemon is present as well.

Taste: Some sweet malt character upfront with just a touch of lemon/green apple tartness. A touch of clove, but the dominant note here for me is the brett and yeast tones. Really subtle all around. The barnyard notes are nice for sure. Balanced but somehow underwhelming. The assertiveness and complexity of the aroma is not quite all here yet.

Mouthfeel: Definitely on the lighter side in terms of body. Really nice champagne like carbonation level.

Overall, a really interesting collaboration that is good but doesn't quite live up to the billing. The flavors are solid, but still do not feel totally developed. Still, some very nice complexity and brett tones throughout. I think time will be kind to this as the sour background notes can develop.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:59:58 | More by Gosox8787

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

A bottle poured into some snifters with a bunch of heads. Had to give this at least a few months for some magic to happen.

BRUX pours out a beautiful golden light yellowish shade in the glass with a nice amount of bright white bubbles forming a nice cap of solidness. The cap of white lasts for quite a bit of time. A small amount of specs on the glass on the way down.

Smell is bright with some floral appeal mixed in with ripe pineapple, apple, pear and some faint brett in the back.A sparse amount of pale malt in the backing. Not terribly funky smelling, kinda like a wild saison/blond. A great nose with building as it warms.

Not a very wild beer. I get the blond characteristics. Some faint grassy hops and light florals. The brett is understated (at this time) b makes a small impact on the tounge. Pineapple and pear with trace hits of malt here and there. The alcohol does not make an appearance.

The body is a step below medium with a nice touching carb bite going for it. Not sour, just a bit of a twinge in the mouth. Not tart really either. I see this going together nicely with some light cheese samples. This is a decent beer, but more of a saison/blond hybrid of some sort IMO.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:35:17 | More by onix1agr

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

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

Pours light amber with thick white head that lingers well.

Smell is characteristically Belgian. Brett aroma, funk, light notes of ripe fruit and a little musty grass.

Taste is ripe fruit, funkiness, lemon, and mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with heavy champagne-like carbonation. Very nice.

Overall this was really good. Would definitely pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 00:07:24 | More by TrappistJohnMD

arizcards

Arizona

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

Picked up a caged and corked 750 ml bottle on the 4th of July for $13.99. Not a big fan of wild beers but i love RRBC and SNBC so i had to give this a shot.

Beer poured a golden orange with a fizzy champagne head that disapated pretty quickly.

Nose is tart apples.

Taste is lemongrass and tart apple.

Mouthfeel is light and effervescent with some pretty good smoothness.

Overall this is a tasty beer that is pretty well made. I am sure the brett heads are not thrilled as the wild factor is pretty mild but it plays well on my palate. Very pricey, would not do again but it was fun to try.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:00:21 | More by arizcards

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy golden-orange with a big finger of frothy white head. The head fades down very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet pale malts, tart light fruits, some funk, sourness, oak, Brett, and light spices.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet pale and grainy malts with some lemon zest, tart light fruits, and a bit of funk. Through the middle, some oak comes through with some Brett, sourness, and a hint of spice. The finish is a mix of tart light fruits, funky Brett, some sourness, oak, and some lemon zest.

M - Medium bodied with moderate-heavy carbonation. Feels smooth with sour, tart, and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice complex and balanced Wild Ale with good funk and tartness.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 05:05:51 | More by ngeunit1

stumac

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank this tonight for my corn dog's bday! Pours up a murky golden with super bubbly white head. Aroma of apricot, lemon zest, white pepper. Tastes of light fruits, funk, spices. Very dry brew, nice moderate carbo, bitter funky Brett (er...Brux) finish. Very cool how it's just Brett in the bottle fermentation and not the original fermenting yeast used. Only cocks...I mean chickens

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:18:04 | More by stumac