The Wanderer - The Bruery

KevSal

California

5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Update: ok so i had this guy at a tasting yesterday from the bottle and it was stellar. ive had this one a hand full of times now and everytime i love it more and more. ive seen how far ill go for a glass (went up once on break time from work to have a glass at city beer when i heard it was on) i have to be honest with myself this one is perfect in my eyes.

Original Review 4.53

On tap at city beer, had this guy side by side with Marron Acidifie.

4 A- a dark bubbly copper with a 1 inch beige head. looks fantastic.

5 s- its greatest feature. this guy smells amazing. very complex, lots of things to smell here. the fruits come through first, cherry and blueberries very present. acidic notes, subtle bourbon and vanilla come forth as it warms, very unique, i love it.

4.5 t. follows the nose. i let this guy warm up in my hands and it made a huge difference. Bourbon becomes more pronounced. very enjoyable. should have ordered 2 of these guys rather than a side by side!

4 m- thick for a sour, medium bodies. good for the tyle. carbonation is present. just enough

4.5 o- granted this is one of my favorite styles, but this one actually surprised me. it was much more enjoyable than i expected. the massive amounts of fruits used on this guy really make it, the bourbon notes are a pleasant surprise.

this one is the clear winner against Marron
wish i had more of this guy to cellar than the allotment i got, should have brought the gf dangit. am going to thoroughly enjoy my bottles for sure.

EDIT: after having it again several times this guy really is a great beer. consistently surprising me with the nose and taste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 05:13:59 | More by KevSal

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

A - Pours a gorgeous nice dark amber color with some great ruby hints. The head is a nice 2 inch slightly off-white/ecru. It is dense but not too much and quite active. Very nice looking beer.

S - Delicious aroma. Wow. Sweet cherry notes, cinnamon and slight cider notes complimented with some nice tartness. As it warms the cherry notes get more intense and you perceive some woody notes and funk. The tartness comes in on the back end and balances out the sweet aspect.

T & M - Very fluffy mouthfeel. Wow. This beer is great. Carbonation is fluffy and allows some slight tartness to start creeping in the flavor that later intensifies a bit with some nice vinegar and some tart cherry notes. There is some nice sweetness slight cider notes, some nice sweet/tart cherry and very woody hints. There is some funk in the middle as well. Boy this beer is complex. There are some nice slight caramel sweet notes and some apple cider notes in there. This is all tamed and plays backup to the vinegary sour notes that aren't too overwhelming but clean and refreshing. This beer is delicious. As it warms there is some nice spicy wood that creeps up as well as the cherry and blackberry notes. Mouthfeel is fluffy and nicely carbonated with a nice dry finish.

O - Great sour. Has to be one of my favorites out there. Very well crafted with great sour notes and aromas that work well with the other flavors. The sour notes don't overwhelm but you can feel their presence.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 01:09:48 | More by JoEBoBpr

PeprSprYoFace

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Bruery Annaversary party. Poured into a 5oz glass. about a 2.5oz pour. Glass was rinced. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a cloudy mahogany color. Thin light tan head dissapated to a ring. No lacing.

Aroma is nice. Funky and tart with caramel and dark fruits.

Taste is nice and sour tart. Little bit of funk but has a nice caramel sweetness. Soo tasty.

Mouthfeel is so smooth with a high carb. Coats mouth with the flavors.

Overall this was a damn tasty beer. I wish I had a bottle. May need to give up a Veritas to get one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 05:52:42 | More by PeprSprYoFace

dubinsky

California

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap, 8oz/$9 pour into a tulip, at The City Beer Store for their collaborative release with the Bruery to commemorate their fifth anniversary and obviously mutualy beneficial relationship with the Bruery.

A - A murky dark amber and mahogany beer with a 1/2 finger off white head that stuck around for a minute and then receded leaving behind some lovely lacing.

S - I love sour beer noses and this one has it in spades. Awesome bursts of sour cherries, raspberries and vinegar in the front. The end of the nose was a bit sweeter, not giving my any real identifiable smell that i can put my finger on.

T - The taste was very familiar, with great sour cherries and apple cider vinegar funk off the bat. The cold pour was very tart at first but i noticed as it warmed up it became sweeter and the flavors of the fruit and the barrel became more identifiable. Unfortunately i had to run back to the office, but who knows what i would have found if i could have stayed there longer.

M - Medium bodied with slightly higher carbonation compared to the Marron Acidiefe that my friend was having at the same time. The sourness was spot on. There was no puckering to speak off, and although dry to the fact that its a sour, it didn't dry my mouth out at all like other sours have.

O - A great sour beer. I think that the flavor profile is complex enough for the sour snobs, but the mouthfeel and the taste are easy enough for a sour rookie like my friend to enjoy. We both bough the bottle limits. Congrats to both the Bruery for yet another great beer, and to City Beer for the wonderful place to shop for craft beer in SF.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 21:45:19 | More by dubinsky

ngeunit1

California

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Served a cloudy, rich brownish-red color with a thin finger of frothy white head atop. The head faded down very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing in the process.

S - The aroma is full of lots of sweet and sour cherries, with some other berries and citrus in the background, and some clear oak character coming through.

T - Starts off with lots of big sour and tart cherry flavor with some acidity and some other fruit flavors. There is some oak and a bit of funkiness as well. Through the middle, more oak character comes through alongside more sourness and berry flavor. The finish is full of fruit flavors, with cherry, berries, and citrus elements coming through and some oak adding complexity to the mix.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Fairly smooth with lots of sourness and acidity that is almost puckering at times.

D - Very drinkable. The sourness and the tartness were very strong and rich here. I really enjoyed the mix of the various fruits and the oak, it really worked very well.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2011 04:29:40 | More by ngeunit1

merc7186

New York

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a snifter glass.

A: Deep Ruby Hue, Passes No Light, Off White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Black Cherry, Red Plum, SOUR mash

T: Deep Sour Dark Fruits, Sour Mash

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, SOUR

Overall, a solid sour ale...the dark sour fruits really pop but kill you too. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:26:07 | More by merc7186

cosmicevan

New York

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Notes taken from a bottleshare at the Phoenix Sun in NYC. Thanks kindly to Mike (pretty sure Mike brought this one...all apologies if I got that wrong - converse with me and I will fix it) for sharing.

a - deep murky brown with 3 fingers of foamy head.
s - really nice sour smell. smarties. brett funk. sweet. berries.
t - WOOO that's good. Awesome even. great sweetness and great sourness. perfect balance. the berries in this are perfect. REALLY tasty.
m - sour, but not puckering. a bit prickly on the mouth.
t - overall i am blown away by this beer. berry sour with oak. blueberry and cherries mix great with the oak, just phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 20:13:51 | More by cosmicevan

unitmonster

California

4.72/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Bruery/DFH collaboration charity event, and at Bruery 3rd Anniversary party (bottle).

A - Dark, rusty looking brown color. Not very appetizing.

S - Delicious acidic, sweet berries, and oak.

T - More delicious sweet berries (blackberry, blueberry, cherry), some oak flavor, and funk!

M - Dry, like a champagne. Does not leave a heavy feel on the throat.

O - I love this beer. I am always seeking out bottles of it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2011 01:45:31 | More by unitmonster

dmsohyea

California

4.68/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Bruery 3rd Anny fest. Taster glass.

A: Deep red with a tinge of orange. Small head dissapates quickly and doesn't leave any lacing.

S: Smells of cherry, raspberry, cranberry, citrus fruits like orange and lemon. Some tartness on the nose as well. Just outstanding.

T: Is extremely well balanced. Follows the nose almost exactly. Tons of different berry flavors melded nicely with citrus. Sourness is there but not overpowering. Tastes just perfect.

M: Mouthfeel has low carbonation and slight astringency from the high acid level. This may have benefited from just a touch of extra carb.

O: In the two catagories that I really care about, taste and smell, this one is an absolute winner. I hope to find a bottle of this someday and enjoy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2011 18:25:50 | More by dmsohyea

warnerry

Michigan

4.66/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

A - Pours a beautiful clear brown-tinged ruby color with about one finger of light brown head.

S - Lots of fruit in the aroma, with cherry and blackberry leading the way. Also a big lactic acid presence with no detectable acetic acid that is often found in Bruery sours. The fruit aromas are mostly on the tart side, though some sweetness comes through. Funk presence is pretty mild, but definitely there.

T - Similar to the smell, the is a big fruit presence. Jammy blackberries and tart cherry juice. Lots of lactic acid and a decent amount of funk. I love how the taste manages to be tart, fruity and creamy all at the same time. Maybe a touch of acetic acid, but lactic acid dominates the sour flavor profile. A mild oak presence as well. Very nice.

M - As mentioned about, a nice and surprising creaminess to the mouthfeel. Nice amount of carbonation, making it just a touch prickly.

O - Easily my favorite of the Bruery sours I've had, and one of the best American Wilds I've had as well. Great flavor profile and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:00:23 | More by warnerry

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I got a bottle from City Beer Store, brewed for their 5th Anniversary. Happy Birthday City Beer Store.

Pours a nice, hazy ruby(ish) with a bit of brown. The head started huge in the snifter. The lacing is moderate and the head dies after a bit.

The smell starts with the sour blackberry right before the cherry. The sour leans towards vinegar, though it isn't in a bad way. There is a slight earthy afterthought with a hint of booze.

The taste is all sour with no break. I think the blackberry is still more noticeable than the cherry but they're both there. No noticeable alcohol, a dry woody aftertaste, very nice.

The mouth is good, but a bit heavy with the carbonation. On the plus side, it never ever was flat.

A pretty amazing Wild Ale. Super sour and a great addition to City Beer Store's BDay. Sad I was too late to get tickets.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 03:01:31 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

pastradul

California

4.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Stoen sour fest. Pours a dark brown with a very small light tan head that has good retention and leaves light lacing on the glass. Looks quite cruddy in the glass. The aroma is huge fruit. The blackberry and cherry both come through strongly. Some light bourbon, oak, and acetic notes come through as well. The taste is sweet with big fruit. A lot of berry come through (blackberry, raspberry) as well as the cherry with a good tartness. Light bourbon notes come through in the taste as well. The finish has a bit of an acetic burn to it. Medium body. Medium carbonation. Overall, quite an enjoyable beer. I look forward to trying it in the future to see how it is as the fruit fades a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 03:20:01 | More by pastradul

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Bruery tulip.

Appearance. Pours a hazy rust-brown with two fingers of pale yellow/off-white head.

Smell. Whoa! Funky sour cherries, red apples and dark berries! It's a nice sweet hayloft funk with some dank old wood. Getting just a little cantaloupe as well.

Taste. Nice sour light fruits, cherries and some dark berries. Quite sour and tart without being anywhere near uncomfortable. Some good dry earthy funk and old wood as well. Very nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with strong, fine and smooth carbonation. Again, very nice.

Overall. Yes sir, this is how to do an American sour. Really enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:37:31 | More by Rutager

lestat314

California

4.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this 2 times on tap at bruery 3rd anniversary event, and at the provisions store rare beer flight.

A- lovely rich hazy amber color with substantial head that laces nicely. very inviting.

S- substantial tart berry odor, and slight funky aroma rises from the head of this wonderful beer.

T- Very well balanced sour flavor, mixed with complex berry flavors and some wine character as well. loved it.

M- one word.. clean... was just so beautiful to drink down and left my mouth refreshed and happy

O- amazing, well balanced sour. would love to have some at my disposal on a regular basis.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 15:02:43 | More by lestat314

ehammond1

California

4.53/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle (2011)

Thanks for opening this with me, JealousChalice!

(Aged for 1+ year)

Hazed auburn and bright ruby with a nice crown of off-white, persistent bubbles crowning the top, eventually leaving thin ribbons and dots of stick down the glass. Very pretty.

Bright, expressive, fruit-forward aroma (cherries, blackberry, and currants), along with quite a bit of acidic sour character, a little vinegar, and only a mild funk.

An incredibly flavorful beer: big fruit notes (cherry and blackberry), with a huge level of sourness, complementary vinegar, and a bit of funk.

Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation. Very nice.

Perhaps The Bruery's best sour.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 20:58:38 | More by ehammond1

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This poured out as a hazy amber color with an off white head. The retention is nice with a pretty good lacing. The smell of the beer is of tart and fruity. The taste of the beer is very good, the fruit comes out really well the oak and there is a beautiful vanilla flavor with nice grape-like flavor. The mouthfeel is nicely carbonated with a dry finish. Overall very good sour, leaves a film in my mouth. Still very good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:38:35 | More by Knapp85

RodneyX

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I actually found this beer kind of ugly as it was a cloudy orange and brown color that didn't leave any lacing. The smell was very nice with lots of berries and barrel aging notes. There was some great funk and sour. Taste was a real winner as well with a great wine quality and tannic notes. Good sweetness and funk.

Its a pretty unique beer, and definitely glad I was able to acquire this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 19:09:01 | More by RodneyX

brystmar

New York

4.48/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Gorgeous pour; mountains of white head leave behind sticky lace. Strong, pungent aroma with wild American yeast, wine barrels, and sour fruits approaching my nose.

Love the taste! Tons of lacto & sour fruits, good acidity and tart fruits. Plenty of funky dark fruit, plums, yeast, lots of tasty sourness and fruity funk. A hair too much carbonation; easily remedied by waiting for it to warm in my glass.

The complexity of various ingredients in my glass would never come from a traditional Belgian blend master. Wanderer is exactly what I love about (and expect from) American sours. Fantastic!

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:33:14 | More by brystmar

waltonc

Colorado

4.47/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this from a bottle last week thanks to JoeySchlitz and several glasses on tap yesterday at Boulder Sourfest. Pours hazy reddish brown. Nose is dominated by the fruit in this brew - tart blackberries and cherries. Flavor is similar - not extremely sour. Pretty refreshing, fruity qualities, light vinegar quality. Body is medium with medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 12:57:19 | More by waltonc

DovaliHops

California

4.47/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you Chad for having self control and not drinking this beer without me. Pours a reddish, brown-amber color with a large, off-white head. Scent is a nice, tart aroma with a lot of oak and sweet vanilla. Taste is initially very acidic, with sweet cherries. A ton of barrel character and oak, with lovely, smooth vanilla flavors. Nicely sour, and finishes with sweet cherry and fresh blackberry flavor. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit puckering. Very acidic. Drinkability is high. Overall, this beer was beyond awesome and I wish they would brew this again so I can hopefully snatch a bottle for myself.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 06:18:08 | More by DovaliHops

dsgolovin

California

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on-tap at City Beer Store in a tulip glass.

A-dark brown

S-right away I got fruit, cherries and berries up front, then slight vinegar and leather.

T-I really liked the fruit in this, which did interesting things with the base beer. I would call this beer an Old Bruin with Cherries and Blackberries. More sour than sweet, but the natural fructose comes through in a non-cloying way.

M-Nice carbonation, which helped this go down.

This was a beer to savor, it is complex and well-rounded, and made me want more. I agree that I should have brought my girlfriend to buy more beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 08:39:53 | More by dsgolovin

phichifiji00

California

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: Brown with a pronounced ruby hue, pours thick off-white head that fades slowly. Lots of lacing.

Smell: Cherry, blackberry, tart, funky, earthy, red fruit, oak, vanilla.

Taste: Tart, sour cherry, blackberries, a hint of maltiness, sweet tarts, acidic, red wine vinegar, oak, vanilla.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, lots of carbonation, acidic, makes your mouth feel like you've just eaten a package of sweet tarts.

Overall: A very good beer. The sour level was fantastic, very complex flavors. Truly a well done beer. I only wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 18:00:02 | More by phichifiji00

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to merc7186 for this bottle...

A: Pours out a hazy redish yellow with very little head. It's a murky brown, but in a beautiful sense. There is absolutely no lacing as it drinks.

S: This beer smells of sour cherries and other fruits. It's extremely acidic, a little sweet, but damn this is sour.

T: Damn. This is a sours beer. Huge sour fruit, big time acid too. It's awesome. I'm floored by how sour this is, it's amazing.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sour, super puckering, delicious.

O: This might be one of the most sour beers I've ever had. It's incredible. The sour fruits are stellar. This is an amazing sour.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:04:44 | More by trxxpaxxs

dookiepower

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at City Beer at the noon release for their fifth anniversary celebration, congratulations City Beer!

Appearance-8oz. pour into a tulip at the bar at City beer, with a 1/2 finger head that had some nice retention, and left a little bit of lacing. It had a dark mahogany color with a bit of a amber tint to it, it's a bit dark inside the store so my description may not be 100% accurate.

Smell- Great great nose. It had a nice funky aroma with a little waft of cherries and vinegar on the beginning of the nose and ended with a bit of tartness from the blackberries with a tiny bit of the oak from the aging coming through.

Tate- Starting off from the tap was a very straight forward cherry and vinegar funky taste that was nice and quite far on the sour side. Not as sweet as Marron from The Bruery. It also had some nice very easy malt components to it. As it warmed up in the glass the Cherries became a little bit more pronounced but you also started to get a lot more of the blackberry in it as well. Finally at the bottom of the glass as it had gotten closer to room temp it showed a very nice blackberry and a tiny hint of vanilla from the barrels. Overall a great tasting sour. Will be interesting to see what this does with a little bit of age on it.

Mouthfeel- It was not too thick or too thin, just right for my likings. I think the carbonation was medium, a little bit of a tingle on the tongue from the carbonation and acidity but not too much to make you pucker up. Definitely an easy drinking sour that has a nice flavor profile that is not too heavy or too sour to manage.

Overall- A great sour from one of the best breweries and bottle shops in California. Not too sour, but not too sweet. I liked this beer a lot and would recommend it to the Ba's!

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 20:35:41 | More by dookiepower

Slartibartfast6

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the five beers for the 5th anniversary celebration at City Beer, in San Francisco. The Wanderer was served in an 8oz tulip, and from the looks of how things were going they probably ran through that keg within the first few hours. On a semi-unrelated note was the first in line, and was well worth the wait.

Appearance - Pours a murky amber colour with a half finger head, and a good head retention that left a hint of lacing.

Smell - An absolutely astounding nose! It had that recognizable funky aroma with an underling note of cherries, and as you take a second to let it soak in the blackberries sneak their way in on the backside.

Taste - Right off the bat you get the vinegar funk with a hint of cherries, that was more to the sour side but far from overstepping its bounds. As it warmed up a bit the fruit began to come into its own; though the cherries were still there the blackberries started to make their guest appearance. Finally, as it got to room temperature the cherries took the back seat to the blackberries, as they took center stage.

Mouth-feel – Nice consistency, not to think not to thin. The carbonation was on the medium to high side , and this really helped bring out the flavors.

Overall - A spectacular sour from one of my favorite "Bruerys." An easy sour for all, from the pretentious to the beginners.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 04:13:15 | More by Slartibartfast6