Wild Devil - Victory Brewing Company

mactrail

California

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fragrant, funky stew of flavors.

Big foam-up on pouring into a tulip glass, but head really lasts with plenty of carbonation as you sip. Aroma is floral and spicy with a classic brettanomyces nose as you exhale. Amazingly flavorful with some modest malt notes. Quite acidic with some very sharp fruity notes. Hops charge forward with enough bitterness to balance the weird yeast.

I don't think I've had a brett brewed beer that was so mellow and likable. And for an IPA, it's got more going on than the hop overload. Seems like a very sophisticated concoction and reinforces my opinion that Victory is one of the best of the bigger brewers.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 02:59:14 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Watch out - this one really is a Wild Devil! The sample I got popped and fizzed like champagne, and about half of it ended up in a towel. What I got poured a hazy, dark honey golden with a thick pale golden tan head that sticks around for a while. Aroma is more fruity than hoppy, apple and citrus. Flavor is hoppy and slightly bitter with a sour apple overtone. Texture has average body and is somewhat fizzy. OK, not Victory's best, but worth a try. And do have a nice big thirsty towel handy in case yours goes off like Aetna!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 22:31:02 | More by Cyberkedi

RoyalT

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - This came out a nice bronze in color with a moderate head on an easy pour.

Smell - The wild yeast is bonkers here at the nose. It is a quality aroma full of funk and fungus. There's a light, leafy hop scent and maybe some lightly-toasted malts but this nose is all about that nasty funk.

Taste - The yeast comes on strong at the taste as well but the malt really picks things up and brings a wonderful, toasted flavor to this beer. The hops are still second fiddle and mostly like endive. The profile is certainly not balanced but is most enjoyable.

Mouthfeel - This is a solid medium-bodied with a surprising bitterness throughout. It seems light in the hop department but boy did it bitter-up at the end.

Drinkability - I don't know how to categorize this ale except to say that it totally kicks butt. It brings the best part of a wild ale, that yeasty funk, the bitterness of a good IPA, and the malt structure of a big Belgian. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 02:01:32 | More by RoyalT

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with some yellow hues, and a light tan head. In the aroma, white grape and a small pine like hop. In the taste, white grapes, which are slightly sour, and a dry pine hop underneath all the tartness. A sour bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry white sour grape in the aftertaste. A nice small sour, with a nice hop back.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 16:34:01 | More by OWSLEY069

avalon07

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a dark orange color and a cloudy texture. There was a half inch of foamy, white, long-lasting head. Average lacing.

S: A nice aroma of hops, citrus, yeast, and a bit of malt.

T: Tasted of hops, grapefruit, Belgian yeast, and a malty backbone. Very lively and tasty. Easy to drink.

M: A huge amount of carbonation with a super dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: An incredibly drinkable Belgian IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 14:36:05 | More by avalon07

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker glass On-Tap.

Appears semi hazy pale golden with a nice head and some lace.

Smells of floral hop, citrusy.

Tastes of grapefruit. Some lemon zest spice. Theres a funk not apparent in the usual HopDevil. Hoppy, fruity and bittersweet.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied.

A beer to sip upon and enjoy the wild bouqet. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2009 00:41:46 | More by Stinkypuss

gford217

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL cork and caged bottle poured into a tulip.

The cork pops with a solid pop and pours a slightly hazy deep amber with a massive cream-colored head. It's at least three inches tall and recedes extremely slowly as the bubbles keep feeding it from underneath. Lacing is very good.

The aroma is an interesting mix of things. It's got the citrus hops I'm used to in Hop Devil but there also a slightly acidic citrus kick and some earthy funk just starting to creep in. The yeast is definitely present as well with an earthy spiciness in the nose.

The taste is sharp up front with some tart lemons and some spicy yeast on top of an earthy backbone. The finish is dry and slightly funky with lots of bitter spiciness. I'm not exactly sure what to make of the taste, which is all over the place, but is starting to come together.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and very lively on the palate with lots of carbonation and a citrus tartness that zings the tongue at each sip.

This is an interesting take on the original beer. It's got a lot going on and I think a little more time would probably help things meld together a little more. It's starting to get there, but not quite yet. Even so, it's quite enjoyable and very original.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 02:05:12 | More by gford217

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a strong copper with just a little haze. The head is a fast rising three fingers and recedes in a very spongey manner to a filmy foam. Nice effervescant bubbling. The aroma is tart and bitter fruits with no discernable hop notes. The brett does some interesting things to this beers aroma. When this cool brew is more to the cold side, its hards to taste its IPA qualitiea. But once this beer warms a style warping brew comes through. The taste starts with toasted bread and biscuits. Then the malts and brett comebine to give off bitter rind fruit and some funky earthy. The finish shwocases this beers citrus hoppiness and the brett yeast funk combining to make something interesting. The palate is bitter, sweet, and lambic-y tartness. This is a good and enjoyably interesting style bender. I highly recommend pickig up a bottle of this. A must try!

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2009 05:48:09 | More by scruffwhor

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing this bottle. Poured chilled from the 750ml to a double walled tumbler.

A - Hazed deep golden amber/apricot shade with creamy ecru head comprised of spacious bubbles measuring about 3 fingers high and makes a lot of lace

S - Mild lychee, golden pear and grape aroma w/ a mild brett funkiness and sweet malt scent w/ ligt stone fruit tinge

M - dry yeast & spice combine w/ sweet fruity malt and mild spice w/ a citrus tang from the hops. Finishes slightly nutty w/ a mild warmth of alcohol and pine bitterness in the finish

T - A tasty tropical yeast element w/ red grapes and mild pine hops keep the flavor of bretty funk under wraps and the mild toasted sweet malt flavors blend well together w/ subtle light sugar and citrus accents w/ mild apricot fruit and earthy yeast playing off the mild lingering pine finish

D - A great ale all fermented w/ brett? I am surprised and the taste is delicious a truly drinkable IPA w/ belgian influence. I like how the malt a d fruit shadow the hop flavors w/ subtle brett funkiness adding light/shade contrast.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 14:59:29 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

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

22oz bottle, split and paired with some smoked ribs and such

cell phone notes, tasted last weekend

appearance: served in a standard pint, hazy orange-amber body with an active beige froth

smell: caramel, funky yeast, spicy hops, apricot, peach

taste: brett is the new rage these days - victory chimes in with a genetically modified version of their solid ipa...the brett adds some funk but the taste is pretty muddy - still a hoppy beer with a funky distraction

mouthfeel: medium body, active carbonation

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 23:09:01 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Beneath a billowing stack of sandy froth is a crimson bronze liquid that is mostly obscured by haze.
Aromatic primarily of pine and lemon rind, with fainter, brett-derived notions of suede and sandalwood. Malt fails to scratch out much (or seemingly any) room, scent-wise.
More in line with it's unwild sibling, tastewise. Lightly toasty and nutty maltiness. Pine dominated hop, with some lagging citric oils, and peppery dry grasses. Funk is not nearly as pronounced as in the aroma, but some dry, leatheriness and increased lemony sour-bitterness are noted.
Light bodied, any sort of malt backbone is broken immediately by the gushing carbonation that never really settles down.
The increased dryness actually boosts the drinkability a bit, as it is nearly parchingly arid.
In full disclosure, I'm not wild about HopDevil, and I'm equally nonplussed about the Brett treatment here.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 07:44:46 | More by cokes

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Victory bomber, corked and caged, purchased from Binny's in Lake Zurich for about $7 last week. The beer is hazy dark copper color with an enormous poofy foam, easily 7-8 fingers, lots of dry lacing on the glass. The nose is nice, the unmistakeable scent of brettanomyces but not really much hops aroma (too bad). Smells like an American wild ale, or actually this smells more similar to Orval or Matilda. I like it but it doesn't have the hops whack I'd hoped for, given the Hop Devil base. Maybe it's too old (bottled on Apr 22 2009) and the hops faded too much, leaving the Brett holding the nose. Still good though! The taste is likewise very much like Matilda. Lots of Brett funk and a little sourness (not much), some musty horse blanket and sharp citrus pith. The smooth velvetty mouthfeel and delicious flavors kept me engaged non-stop until the bomber was drained. That's good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2009 00:18:53 | More by TurdFurgison

nickfl

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Giant, four finger head of off-white foam on top of a clear, reddish-brown body. The rocky head settles slowly and leaves dense, even lace on the glass as it settles down.

S - Strong, funky wild yeast aroma; distinctly brettanomyces with notes of damp earth, soft cheese, and apricots. Some toasted and caramel malts and, surprisingly, just a hint of fruity hops.

T - Toasty malt and light caramel up front with lots of powdery, funk that is strongly reminiscent of camembert cheese. Some pine hops show up very briefly towards the finish and leave moderate bitterness to compete with the funk.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Well, this is a strange one. For some reason, the hops are not nearly as prevalent as I would have expected and they blend in strange and not entirely unpleasant way with the brett funk. Unlike the the hop flavor, the bitterness is not seriously diminished and it is an unusual counterpoint to the wild yeast; a combination I have not encountered before. The net effect of the fruitiness from the yeast and hops combined with the bitterness is eerily similar to a full-flavored soft-ripened cheese like brie or camembert.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 01:27:29 | More by nickfl

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml poured into a Guinness Imperial Pint. Bottled on date of March 27 2009.

A - Clear red-orange amber color with an enormous tan head. Strong retention that slowly turned rocky as it went down leaving large, clumpy lacing.

S - Strong yeast and hop aromas permiating through the dense head. Lots of barn-yard aromas imparted by the brett. yeast. Stable, straw, and musty blanket funk (why does this actually smell good in beer? haha). Hints of pine and citrus but that take a back seat to the large citrusy-fruity smells of a few drops of pineapple and mango wedges. Mild but apparent malt backbone holds the incredibly complex smell all together. Wow.

T - A fantastic medley between the funky barnyard flavors of straw and musty blanket from the brett. yeast with the fantastic fruity and floral characteristics from the hops. Like the aroma, everything is held together with a robust, caramel-roasted malt backbone that lingers on the finish. Slight spice of alcohol finishes off the complex flavor.

M - The alcohol lends a slight spicyness to the well carbonated, slick, and medium-bodied brew that finishes slightly dry with a mild bitterness.

D - This is my first [while writing the review] of the 750 ml. I may have a hard time finishing it but it's damn delicious.
[Note: I polished it all off and really enjoyed every sip.]

That was a fantastic beer to have for my 200th review. I was a little scared of it to be honest but it turned out to be great, a fun beer to review due to its serious complexities, and got me hammered while watching The Fountain.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 19:00:56 | More by BeerFMAndy

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 7/10/08. On tap at Blind Tiger. Pours a cloudy orange with no head. Aroma of dulled citrusy hops, spicy apple. Flavor is dominated by spices (especially clove and corriander) which reminded me of a witbier. Also I got some oakiness and sour/sweet fruit in the finish. Thick mouthfeel. A very interesting beer that is nothing at all like Hop Devil. Not very sour or bretty either. Nevertheless, a good beer.
7/4/7/4/13 (3.5/5)

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2008 18:14:57 | More by LilBeerDoctor

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ml caged and corked bottle, bottled on 6/10/09. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a hazy orange/amber color with a frothy 2 inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both very good. Aroma is yeast, lemon peel, pears, peppery spice and some earthy hops. Unfortunately the taste isn't quite as appealing as the aroma. It tastes like medicine/aspirin, peppery spice, yeast, and some grassy hops. But the medicinal taste overpowers the other flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating and has a lot of carbonation. Drinkability isn't bad as it is smooth, but would be better if the beer didn't have that aspirin taste. I'll have to revisit this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 23:49:10 | More by bluejacket74

Brent

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very nice handling of the Brett in this beer - enough funk, a little horse blanket but not the whole barnyard as is sometimes the case. Smooth, with a distinct lean toward the tart side, but not out of balance. Some sweetness joins the tart for a pleasant sweet/tart character.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 13:32:11 | More by Brent

champ103

Texas

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy reddish/amber color. At first a large light beige colored head forms. The tightly packed bubbly foam rises to over three fingers and gently recedes. Not much lace to speak of.
S: I love the smell of Brett. Lots of funky barnyard and horse blanket aromas. Some sourness, kind of tart, and sweet fruity aromas linger on. Lots of layers in the nose.
T: Some funky Belgian flavors. Though not nearly as noticeable as the nose. Sweet fruits. A much more pronounced hop bitterness as well. This is good, but the nose made me think I was in for something a bit different. I am not really sure what, but the aroma and flavor are at odds with each other.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Easy and smooth to drink. I will not have any problems finishing the bottle.

A very interesting beer. The nose is full of Bretty goodness. I think I would have preferred more of the funky Brett flavor to come out instead of the hop bitterness. Still this is very good, and something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 00:50:37 | More by champ103

GClarkage

California

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

09/15/09-

Presentation- 750ml bottle, caged and corked with no freshness info. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Medium golden color. Full super white pocky head with some light lace trails remaining.

Smell- A bit of everything. SOme lemon peel, a bit of brett funk, some english style hops and a wee bit of toasted malt.

Taste- Nicely done. Really laid back in the beginning with a mild hoppy burst, some malt backing and some good brett. Towards the end it really turns quite bitter from the hops and the brett subsides leaving a bitter lemony hops flavor.

Mouthfeel- A bit higher carbonation level, but almost about right. Nice lasting flavorful hoppy aftertaste.

Drinkability- Not quite on the level with Hop It, but no far either. Quality BIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 03:54:34 | More by GClarkage

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well done extreme brew. Poured with a large foamy frothy light tan head and a some lace. Color is a clear medium amber. Aroma is a heady blend of yeast, brett bacteria, citrus hops, malt, leather, and earth. Flavor's got this different thing going on in an unusual marriage between sour and hop bitter that actually works. Very good body and carbonation. Finish is like flavor and while not cloying, still not a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 01:42:28 | More by drpimento

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml caged/corked bottle served in a snifter.

L - hazed amber color with a huge beige head that left lots of sticky lacing on the glass.

S - yeast and citrus hops.

T - bitter citrus hops are tamed by the sweet and sour flavor of the Brett finishing dry and bitter.

F - medium/full bodied with a creamy smooth feel.

D - this is quite an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2009 23:09:49 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler into new Sam Adams glass on 5/13/08. Thanks to Deuane for sharing!

A - Hazy amber/orange body with creamy one-finger head that left a decent amount of lacing around the glass. Sparse amount of slow-rising carbonation.

S - Funky yeast cloaks the typical floral and perfumy hop aroma of Hop Devil. There's some sour apple and sour cherry notes, as well as a slight alcohol twang as it warms up. Still, the hops are in there, but they seem a bit more fruity that usual, due to the addition of the Brett.

T - Fruity esters mingle with a distinct floral hoppiness and some citrus bitterness, with more of the typical Hop Devil flavor coming out. Still, there's a mild sourness and yeasty aspect that interplays with the hop character, creating a kind of Belgian-style IPA quality that is enjoyable.

M - Medium body with creamy texture and moderate carbonation. Finish is sour with some hop residue on the tastebuds. Warm mouthfeel overall.

D - Not as sour as I had anticipated, yet still quite distinct and different from the standard Hop Devil. Hats off to Victory for putting a new twist on one of their most beloved brews!

Serving type: growler

05-14-2008 17:46:38 | More by ffejherb

merlin48

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber pours a slightly hazed, copper/orange body with an immense beige head. Lots of splotchy lacing.

Aroma is fruity, minty, and slightly funky with Brett notes.

Medium body has a creamy carbonation that imparts a velvety feel.

The Brett is more apparent in the taste than the aroma. Funky gravel notes, unripe strawberries, and motheaten wool offer up a plethora of wild funkiness. Floral and citrusy hops and a minty note make up a solid IPA slanted, hop bill. Solid caramel malt backbone provides a nice balance. Finishes with a dry and herbal flourish.

Nicely done. The wildies emerge quite well in the taste here. Will probably improve with a few more months of aging.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 19:10:47 | More by merlin48

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served as a mediu amber colored beer with moderate off-white puffy head.

Smell has strong notes of citrus anf piney hops, with the addition of a nice tartness.

Taste is superb. The hops are restrained, yet flavorful. and the addition of the brett gives a nice refreshing tartness at the ending.

Left a dry-tart taste sensation in the mouth. Extremely enjoyable.

What a great pairing!. As a another reviewer commented, more brewers need to explore this combination of flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2008 22:50:21 | More by tgbljb

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Popped the cork with relative ease and a loud, well, pop.
Poured...holy crap...head is coming up fast to about 4 fingers. This is a clean glass, too. yipes. Luckily the head chunks up and calms down to a moderate level. Some clinging to the glass all the way up. Clean, chestnut appearance.

First whiff brings up Belgian IPA. Some sourness comes in, then sweet. A bit musky. Some funk and small phenolic hints..plasticy.

Tame flavor. wow, downhill form here. Thin, weak, tame. Perhaps the hops and bretts cancel out each other. Maybe I should age this a bit more. This reminds me a bit of Bud Ale. It has hops....I guess. There is a bite to it. An IPA? More like a PA with Brett instead of malt as the balancing agent. It is dry, wouldn't say sweet, but it has something else. Wouldn't say sour either. Juicy, perhaps.
Apple, slight pear and bread.
Sour hits at the end, but on the tip of the tongue. Hmm.

Good drinkability. Not sure about this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 03:54:23 | More by Mebuzzard