Ode To Mercy - Wild Heaven Craft Beers

vfgccp

New York

4.26/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Beautiful looking brown. Awesome color; bright brown and loaded with ice tea and cranberry highlights. Fine, off-white head with nice lace and retention.

S - Dusty coffee beans, legumes, hazelnut, a little brown sugar, and just the slightest touch of white booze.

T - Bold, light roast coffee steals the show with a supporting cast of caramel, toffee, and cream. Sweet buckwheat honey, oatmeal, and a touch of cinnamon linger through the finish. Great integration.

M - Nice medium frame.

O - Great looking beer with an awesome flavor profile. Awesome job staying true to the core elements of the style while ramping up them up to balance the imperial-level booze. It would have been easy to drive an imperial brown into the territory of porters and stouts.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:57:50 | More by vfgccp

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Reddish brown color, decent head.

Odd--smells so much like coffee! Sugary malty coffee. Some nuts maybe.

Taste is pretty sweet, some coffee flavor, some nuts, some sweet sugar.

Well carbonated, creamy.

Tastes so much like coffee but I don't think there's any coffee in this. Very tasty!

7.4/10

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:11:41 | More by AlexFields

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.36/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

"What could be better than deep roasted malts, oak, and a smooth, creamy finish? Ode To Mercy-like all our beers-is designed in the great tradition of European brewing but with a distinctly American creative flair. We brew Ode all-grain with no adjunct sugars, creating bigger flavor without excess alcohol." Ode To Mercy is brewed in the style of a Double/Imperial American Brown Ale. One of the two initial staple beers that Wild Heaven has released. No freshness date, although I estimate the beer at over a year of age.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my Wild Heaven pint glass. Served above 48º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a billowing head of a dirty tan tone, very thick froth with a good retention. Body color is a mahogany red-brown with high clarity and medium carbonation. Body coloration is a tad lighter than anticipated. Thin but consistent lacing. Impressive appearance. 4.25

(Smell) Crisp bready yeast, doughy caramel malts with mildly tart fruit tones like citrus orange, apricot and peach. Earthy and resiny hop aromas with a mild bitterness pairs with the tartness of the fruit for a general balance. A hint of nutty character accents the malt bill. Some slight spice peps up the aroma. Amongst brown ales, it's quite different and very inviting for the craft beer crowd with a lot of unexpected notes. A bit closer to a belgian brown ale than the American side. Potency is medium. A pleasing aroma for a brown ale. 4.25

(Taste) Flavor is very musty and dank. Dry notes of medium roasted malt, far less bready and more biscuity than in the aroma with some notes of butter. Nutty character is very intense, the most thoroughly pronounced character in the flavor, a touch dry and musty. A medium bitterness definitely balances the aroma but hop flavor is hardly evident to notice, some murky spicy hops. Very peppery and slightly dry finish. Overall it's not nearly as impressive as I had predicted the flavor to be but the age may have had a lot to do with that. Somehow, it's still quite drinkable, but not as diverse or exciting as in the aroma. A lot of the brightness and curiosity has faded. 3

(Mouthfeel) Mild crispness with a matched creaminess. Texture should go with slightly creamier, it seems to be confused in between. Slightly slick and resiny mouthfeel. Body is medium-heavy for the style, medium overall. Alcohol presence is medium. A bit confused, I was thinking that the texture should be either more creamy and less crisp, but not in between. 3

(Overall) I am trying to convince myself that a lot of the flavor of this beer was lost in time, but I also think that many of the flavors would have remained similar when fresh. A very high potential in this beer, and if it had tasted similar to the way it smelled, it would have been an excellent quality brown ale. When I free up some room in my review fridge, I'll go for a second opinion on this one. 3.25

Wild Heaven Craft Beers'
Ode To Mercy Imperial Brown Ale
3.36/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:15:07 | More by Jadjunk

TheNoni

New York

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to my cousin in ATL for hooking me up with 2 4-packs of this beer during Thanksgiving. He had brought it up to NYC earlier this year and I have been craving it ever since. This is my first review so here goes:

A - A nice dark burnt orange / caramel color in the tulip, about half inch of tan head on a decently hard pour.

S - Very biscuity / grain forward smell. I think the beer definitely tastes better than it smells.

T - Toffe/caramel flavors, a pleasant sweet aftertaste and alcohol bite without being cloyingly sweet or harsh.

M - Nice and fullbodied - well carbonated.

O - One of my favorite imperial brown ales, I don't think I have tried any other beers in this style that comes close to having this flavor profile. I really wish I could get Wild Heaven in NYC. Also can't imagine how the special barrel aged version of this beer would be.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 23:38:35 | More by TheNoni

GameFreac

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Atlanta brewery brown ale - heard great things. Finally checking it out.

Appearance: Pours a brown color you can sort of see through. Looks filtered but still kinda cloudy. A film of a white head.

Smell: Smells of brown sugar, chocolate, sweet malts. Very good!

Taste - Taste is awesome. Mirrors the nose with coffee and a slight nutty flavor too, as well as a little bit of hops, and tiny bit of booze. I hate boozy beers but it works here.

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel is medium. Maybe a little too thin for 8%.

Overall: Great beer. One of my favorite brown ales ever. Lives up the hype.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 05:02:28 | More by GameFreac

Mojo

Alabama

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a clear reddish brown. It has a large three to four finger head, and leave tons of lacing on the side of the glass. Smell is mostly pine, maybe some raisin. Mouthfeel is just world class. It is full and just exactly perfect with ideal carbonation. Taste is sweet malt, some honey, and a nice bitter finish. I highly recommend this beer. It is brewed outside of Atlanta, and I'm sure how widely it has been distributed, but try it if it comes your way.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:25:58 | More by Mojo

Dudeletter

Georgia

4.98/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The Best Nighty-Night Beer
Some beers are light, some beers are heavy. This beer needs to be drinkable, sweet and high proof. Needs to be able to end a good meal and be a relaxing end to the day. The Winner is Wild Heaven – Ode to Mercy

Wild Heaven - Ode to Mercy
. This beer is an imperial brown, it is caramel malty sweet and crisp; distinct in both bottles and kegs, the beer is a newcomer, but still a great fixture to the Atlanta Beer scene. It is risky to start with an imperial beer, but they pulled it off.

www.dudeletter.com/?p=639

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 15:34:29 | More by Dudeletter

kylehay2004

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: 1.5 finger thick head on a clear deep slightly dull amber body.

S: sweet caramel malts, nuts, with a nice coffee/smokey note and chocolate.

T: booze are more prominent in the flavor than aroma but not overly so. Sweetness provided by chocolate with roasted and smokey malts.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: much more complex than a standard brown and the imperial aspect is a plus and is well applied.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 01:00:50 | More by kylehay2004

kevinjosephlee

Georgia

4.68/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a glass.

A: Copper / light brown in color with off-whitish head and some lacing

S: Malty-sweet nose with toasty almonds. Light floral and fresh citrus notes from the hops. "Darker malts but short of being overly porter-like" (that is straight from the BJCP Guide, more or less). And this beer nails the style.

T: Chocolate is the first and the persistent flavor. The finish is more like a dark-roasted coffee with the high bitterness of an espresso shot. (The sweetness was just a little too much for me. But what do I know; maybe that high sweetness was necessary to cut the bitterness.)

M: Medium-full body with a molasses as well as dry, resiny impression. Alcohol warmth in the end.

Notes: As far as nailing a style, I don't think I have had a beer in the past year that has done THIS well. Furthermore, I really enjoyed what the brewmaster did with this creation. It was almost like drinking a more complex and rich Irish coffee. Amazing!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:17:21 | More by kevinjosephlee

TheSeeker61

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a one finger head and can smell the malts and a hint of coffee. The taste is very much like the smell. Malts up front and a hint of coffee in the back. Like the mouthfeel. It's a medium thick. Overall a decent beer. Gets better as it warms. Not a favorite but will have it from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 23:55:09 | More by TheSeeker61

JCaweinstein

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light brown to reddish colored, nice creamy head, one finger with staying power. The beer is clear with a moderate amount of carbonation.
The aroma is strong. I like that I don't have to work hard to pick I up. It smells very sweet, like caramel, honey, it's almost like a dessert.
Malty sweetness, a little more sweet than I usually like, caramel, toast, and wood. The caramel like sweetness is the biggest flavor here however I enjoy the flavor complexity.
Crisp and sweet right away, the flavors change nicely as it warms but I'm left with a cloyingly sweet aftertaste.
I love everything about this beer except for the aftertaste. It smells good and has good flavors and is decent to look at. I would buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 00:15:26 | More by JCaweinstein

jchoffman

Georgia

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Russian River Belgian Stemmed Glass

A: Poured a clear dark amber with a nice light tan head that faded to a layer and left some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose starts with a big malty sweet aroma as well as a pecan smell. There were some sweet brown sugar aroma in there as well.

T: The taste is a nice balance of sweet and slightly earthy flavors. It started with sweet caramel and moved on to a bit of hops along with a roasted malt flavor. The hops are actually more prominent than the nose led on.

M: The feel is very creamy and medium bodied.

O: This Imperial Brown ale is one of the better I've tried, would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 20:50:16 | More by jchoffman

maximum12

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a four-pack in lovely Norcross, GA during training week. Gotta have something to ward off the damage done to my brain from all that light, airy information. 12 oz. bottle.

Poured into a short, actual glass glass in the hotel (that thar is a mark of falutin' high). Points for a cool label; like the low-hatted strummer. Surprisngly light, looks more like cream cola than a brown, sparely carbonated. Nose of light, sweet malts again belying the brown label, bits of chocolate.

Ode to Mercy morphs on the tongue. Creamier than raw milk right out of the udder, this is a lactose lover's damp-sheet dream. Sweet milk, light roast, oak in the back of the throat. Brown, nutty, malt tang. Hard to detect the alcohol here, this is a beautiful sipper.

Very good beer. I'm not overly partial to browns, but this was a fine example, I'll be coming back to Wild Heaven with tonsils gaping.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 02:13:53 | More by maximum12

GregSVT

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a clear dark amber with a nice light tan head that fades to a layer and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose starts with big malty sweet aromas as well as a nutty pecan smell. There are some sweet brown sugar aromas in there as well.

T: The taste is a nice balance of sweet and slightly earthy flavors. It starts with sweet caramel and moves on to a bit of hops along with a slightly roasted malt flavor. The hops are actually more prominent than the nose led on.

M: The feel is very creamy and medium bodied.

O: One of the better brown ales I've had but about par for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 05:29:29 | More by GregSVT

brentk56

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a glisteningly clear copper color with a nice head that leaves quite a bit of lacing behind

Smell: Caramel, nuts, pears and cocoa

Taste: Caramel and nuts with a hint of cocoa; gets a bit boozy by mid-palate, with a building treacly sweetness that lingers into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Though I would like to see more balance in the finish, this is an appealing imperial for those who don't mind a malty, nutty ale

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 23:08:55 | More by brentk56

lnashsig

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Many thanks to Ahlthe3rd for the chance to taste this. Second offering from Wild Heaven I have tried, the first was very good. Poured from bottle into Brooklyn tulip. Pour appearance is a little surprising- transparent light brown color. Not what I was expecting (would expect a much darker and cloudy color). Really nice fluffy off white head with superior retention. 30 mins later it is still there. Smell- cocoa, nutty roastiness, espresso. Very creamy body. Taste- the cocoa hits the front of the tongue, roast with espresso beans on the back of the palate. Super rich and creamy. This is a really nice beer, I would have it again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:34:02 | More by lnashsig

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a perfect pint

A- pours a brownish shade of transparent, dark amber (so....brown?) with a very hefty two finger white head. It took me a couple of pours to get the whole bottle in the glass because of how robust the head is. Regardless, it's a damn fine looking beer.

S- very nutty aroma....hints of booze too. Pretty good

T- a lot like the nose...the taste is extremely nutty, and the finish is a little sweet. Minor hints of hoppiness in the finish....no booze to speak of. Very tasty

M- body is on the thin side, a little weird for 8.2%...about standard for a brown though

O- looking at the ABV and getting a whiff of booze made me very nervous...I got none of the heat I expected, just a fantastic brown ale. Well done to the guys at Wild Heaven

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 18:31:53 | More by bigfnjoe

KajII

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Best served in a Dimpled Mug]

The pour was just a shade light of a clear medium brown with an average sized (1-2 finger) beige creamy head that dissipated slowly into a thin layer of foam creating some really nice lacing.

The aroma was of a dark roasted malt, a mild resin hop and a light leathery yeast with notes of roasted coffee, a bit of nuttiness and a mild hint of wood (oak).

The taste was malty and mildly bitter with a nice dose of coffee at first and then became a tad hoppy with a nice woody alcohol flavor towards the end. The flavor lingered for a good while after the swallow with a nice strong woody coffee flavor left behind on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was a good medium in body and smooth and creamy in texture with a lively carbonation.

Overall a hoppy/woody Brown Ale that had the coffee and alcohol flavor blending together with everything else rather well.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 16:16:12 | More by KajII

SuperSpy

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A wonderfully clear reddish brown. A decent darker-than-off-white head and plenty of lace.

The aroma is nutty, sweet and toasty, with a hint of earthy hops. Exactly what you expect from a brown ale.

Medium bodied with biscuit, walnuts, a sweet graininess and just enough hops to give it an earthy and semi-dry finish. There is a hint of alcohol toward the end but it comes through in the aftertaste.

Definitely a keeper. The taste is just complex enough to keep you interested and the texture is wonderfully smooth. I definitely recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:48:52 | More by SuperSpy

Jawn

Georgia

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

This beer is red. It's a beautiful red, but it's calling itself brown. I didn't get much of a head from this beer but it's still nice looking. It reeks of nuts and dank... hmmmm. The taste does not deviate much from the smell. Maybe some toasty malts, and the alcohol is definitely masked. I should note the near perfect level of carbonation and the sexy velvet feel in my mouth. Overall this is an alright beer. I favor it highly above their other bottled offering, Invocation. I remember being blown away when this was first released, but this review is a testament to my own tendency to be swayed by local hype. Still, keep it up Wild Heaven! I have yet to try your quad.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 08:22:22 | More by Jawn

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another Southern rarity brought to the Northwest by unclejedi. 12 oz. brown bottle, popped and dropped to a standard pint glass.

Label admonishes: 'Serve Your Neighbor'; oops, just served myself only. Brewed & Bottled 'to our exacting specifications' at Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC.

A: Hmm, as an ale of any sort, this sienna-brown beauty nears a '5'; pretty color, gorgeous and sturdy 1-finger+ head of creamy khaki, healthy carbonation. Superb look, buuuutttt... it's so far short of 'brown'! Even in dim light, it's 'amber'; in strong light, its clear ruddiness would make me categorize this as a 'Red Ale' at best. Huge, goopy globs of foam as lace. A '4.5' reflects a look that is a shade less than 'outstanding'... but just a shade... Overall, a total knockout.

S: A husky, smoky noseful! Boldly nutty, surprising notes of coffee and cocoa/spice.

T: Nutshells. Dark cocoa. Sweet cereal grains. Earthy spices. Man, I enjoy this beer from first taste. A slight metallic flavor, but in the big picture that's OK.

M: Silky smooth! Medium-bodied feel and a slightly powdered mouthfeel. For a 'big beer' (8%+ ABV), this is a sneaky one; alcohol is subtle and feel isn't overly thick. 'Chewy' is a descriptor, but not a bad one whatsoever.

O: A surprise for me ~ what a happy find! Would I drink it again? Absolutely! Nice balance, sturdy body and a

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 04:22:51 | More by msubulldog25

iadler

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into snifter.

A- Pours a reddish brown with one finger head that dissipates into a thin cap. Spots of lacing are left behind.

S- Malt forward with notes of brown sugar, toffee, roast malt, bakers chocolate, raisins, nuts, red cherry, peppery spice, subtle citrus hops and a hint of booze.

T- Roasted malt, coffee beans, bakers chocolate, brown sugar, toffee and earthy oak upfront followed by some cherry, orange, raisins and booze.

M- Medium carbonation and body. Fairly smooth with the abv being noticeable, but not terribly boozy. Has a strange bitter and metallic taste at the end.

O- If you are a fan of brown ales with a good amount of roast presence, this one may be for you. Not a bad brown ale, but the strange bitter and metallic taste was distracting.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 04:32:51 | More by iadler

Soozy

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice copper brown, leaves lacing. Smells great. I get a big chocolate malt smell, some caramel. Taste is just straight up malty overall. Fairly well balanced beer, big chocolate and caramel malt up front and a lingering bitterness. I little bit of an almond taste up front. It finishes with a sense of alcohol and a hint of espresso. Let this beer warm up. It went from "ehh" to "wow, that's pretty good" in my glass.

Really good beer, but I think it's just a tad too bitter. Not much at all, but just a lingering bitterness that seems a bit out of place.

I'd definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 02:23:21 | More by Soozy

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to kkipple for this one.

Light fizzy pasty white 1/3 finger head, crystal clear amber almost brownish orange slight reddish color.

Nose has nice malty notes, brown malts, bit of caramel and toffee, light sweetness, brown sugar, sweet and almost toasty, hint of floral hops and even touch of cocoa.

Taste starts with lots more malts, brown malts, toasty malts, lots of brown sugar, hint of molasses, caramel and toffee, semi sweet, with hint of cocoa. Then light bitter hops, touch of earthy and floral almost spicy hops. finishes drier and quite bitter, lots of lingering toasty brown malts and caramel, brown sugar, and hint of lingering cocoa, and late spicy hops.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb, bit creamy, booze is hidden well.

Overall nice, great malts, move bitterness and spicy hops, tasty but still drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 13:40:44 | More by jlindros

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer appears brown, hinting on dark orange. The white head stands in at about a half inch, leaving some sparse lacing on the glass. The aroma brings some sweet fruit and alcohol. Lightly smoky, a bit too sweet. Alcohol presence could be masked better. Overall, this was OK, but I prefer brown ales to have less alcohol and be more sessionable. Too sweet for me to enjoy more than one.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 17:29:59 | More by Huhzubendah