De Proef Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird) - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

gameface23

Massachusetts

2.45/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: From a 750 mL bottle poured into a brandy snifter. It was straw colored, but had a bit more of an amber hue than I was expecting. Chunky yeast sediment was abundant.

S: Not much in the aroma. I was expecting at least a little wild tang, but there was none. I picked up grassy and vegetal notes with some hops.

T: Again, nothing in the tang department. Lackluster, with a bready blanket overshadowing everything else. Pretty bitter finish.

M: Decent. Medium-bodied.

D: I definitely wouldn't buy this again, especially at the price.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 13:18:44 | More by gameface23

rpstevens

New Hampshire

2.55/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

The beer looks promising to start, pale straw color with a thin white head that leaves a little lacing. Very active carbonation.

The smell is slightly funky and sour with nice notes of lemon and hay. There is a bit too much malt present in the nose for my taste though.

The bread and malt really take over the taste of the beer. There are some notes of hay, citrus, lemon, grass and there's a mild hop as well, but the bready undertone kind of ruins those flavors. The funk and sour from the nose are also not present in the flavor at all.

There is a slight alcohol burn and sweetness that are not very pleasant. The beer is well carbonated and very light-bodied, but the malty/bready flavor is unpleasant and the aftertaste is awkward and indescribable.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 23:23:33 | More by rpstevens

bronzeside

Georgia

2.6/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a 750 of "Surly Bird" expecting the same type of tasteful yet adventurous experience I've had from the other De Proef Flemish Wild Ale products (Pig Nun, Spoon Whacker, etc.)

A little difficult to get the synthetic cork out--as I poured into a chalice, I found why-- pretty darn flat. Little to no head, like amber water.

Color a dark amber. Massive amounts of sediment as I reached the bottom of the bottle.

Smell was quite tart--before the first sip I braced myself for the sharp bite the Gueuze offerings I've tried--not there, though.

Nor did I catch the smooth dynamic barnyard flavors I expected. Yes, the grass, hay etc. were all there, but with a slightly off slightly sour bend.

Am really wondering, as many of the other reviewers noted a good head on the brew, if I did not get a bad bottle?

Hate to risk my money on another, though, as there are so many great (and consistient) Belgians out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 00:34:20 | More by bronzeside

bobhits

Kentucky

2.83/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours golden cloudy body with a HUGE white head with some staying power. A lot of lace left even in an absurdly dry beer.

Musty with citrus notes, and hop mixed malt finish.

Wild ale is rather open but I hoped for a bit of sour notes, instead I got a lot of musk, funk, hints of citrus, followed by old sitting funk I dunno. It isn't bad, it's actually decent but not for me. There's just not enough bite from the citrus side for me.

Well carbonated but too hard to finish.

I worthy beer but split multiple ways.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:29:58 | More by bobhits

erica

California

2.85/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

This was a strange beer, and my scores might not make sense at first glance, with great aroma and not so great taste, but I can't score it any other way. It'd be a lie. I split a 750ml of this, not really knowing what it would be like, since I'd never heard of it before. But I was willing to try it, as the bartender said it was more sour than he likes... So I thought Oh good, sour. I'll love it!!

However...

Appearance was nice enough, it was a cloudy dark yellow/straw colour, with perhaps a slight tinge of orange. It had a lively white fluffy head that soon diminished into a thin layer of bubbles which coated the entire top the entire time.

It smelled fantastic!! Really great. Very sour like a gueuze (while writing my notes I couldn't figure out the correct way to spell gueuze/geuze/gueze, so I crossed it all out and just put Cantillon. Self-explanatory.) So anyway, it smelled like a Gueuze, mixed with a funky French cider apples and spices too. Very wild and fresh. It got me all excited. And then... the first sip. I actually thought it tasted very good, some sourness, apples, grapes, maybe a bouquet of wildflowers thrown in, along with just a hint of oak in the background. However, after maybe the 2nd or 3rd taste, I began to get more of that bitter Orval-like taste, the brett. I guess it is. And from there on, all I could taste was this overpowering non-hop bitterness. And the aftertaste lingered way too long and didn't disappear even after some big gulps of lemon water. It began to give me a stomach ache, so I ended up dumping about 1/3 of what I had into Francis's glass. I couldn't take it anymore.

So, moving on, mouthfeel was fizzy and light, that was nice. But drinkability, not so nice, considering I couldn't even finish what I had. I would have to say to my fellow beer-drinkers:

If you like Orval, drink it all!
If you're not a fan of Brett, this isn't one to get!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2005 16:10:04 | More by erica

mdfb79

New York

3.15/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From 06/25/11 notes. Picked this up at a store in NJ, but unsure of the vintage. The place has random Belgian vintages going back to 1991m so I'm guessing this is an older bottle. Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Bruery tulip.

a - Pours a cloudy dark amber color with one finger of fluffy white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of sweet fruit, bready malts, and cardboard. Seems like it may be a bit past its prime.

t - Tastes of sweet fruity malts, cardboard, msuty notes, bready malts. Again, past it's prime.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty smooth and easy to drink.

o - A bit disappointing as it is definitely a shell of its former self; I'm guessing it is a pretty old bottle. Would like to have fresh sometime.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 15:53:33 | More by mdfb79

mmmbeer

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL Belgian bottle, with F0108 on the synthetic cork. Pours a lightly-chilled medium gold, with lots of carbonation and an inch of ivory head that leaves nice lacing. It has a strong aroma, with phenols, orange, pear, light hops, a bit of acidity, and some earthy/funky yeast notes. Tastes of oranges, pale malt, floral noble hops which impart a medium bitterness, and a touch of sweetness. This is all pierced by strongly phenolic yeast and an alcohol pungency. Light, a little tingly, dry with a long spicy finish. Drinks like a big and pungent saison, and it's a bit harsh when cold, but mellows a bit as it warms. An interesting beer for sure, but this could use a few more years in the cellar I think.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 12:41:40 | More by mmmbeer

sweemzander

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750mL bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a goldenrod color. Produced a nice tall cap of white froth. Great retention and lace.

(S)- A bone dry horseblanket, earth, clay, and a lemon-Brett funk. Bits of biscuit and tartness at the end. Quite nice and funky.

(T)- Very similar to the smell. A heavy Brett funk with lots of earth, clay, and spice. Far more Brett than the smell led me to believe actually.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A decent balance, though very Brett-forward with earthy bits. Not a whole lot else taste-wise.

(D)- Its easy to enjoy well enough, though nothing to write home about. The Brett is just too dominating for me to get more out of this than just a Brett funk. The smell was quite nice though.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 18:42:05 | More by sweemzander

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

also known as "Flemish Primitive Wild Ale #3", 750 ml bottle split with my lady.

pours golden.. somewhere between clear and cloudy. what a nice, thick foamy head on this beer. weblike lacing, belgian thru and thru.

smells distinctly of a sharp cheese. lots of bacterial farmhouse fermentation present in the nose as well. pungent and savory aromas.

taste is very intense in its upfront bitterness and extreme carbonation. 'burly', a word used by the bar to advertise it, is dead-on in its representation of this beer's character. spice and alcohol dominate. nothing extraordinary about the flavor.. more like a dry champagne than a bitter hoppy beer. harsh side of the alcohol presence is well hidden by a sourness.. aftertaste is overwhelming at times and burps are lambicy. wild! true dat.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2005 21:47:26 | More by goodbyeohio

NCSUdo

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle

A: Beautiful clear golden, huge bubbly head

S: Big apple nose but not a sweet apple, some pear, yeast and bread that eventually gives way to a big, big hay/barnyard like aroma, really loses me here

T: Yeast and bread, with a bitter finish, good but nothing to write home about.

M/D: Excellent mouthfeel, light body and low carbonation, drinability is low for me as this beer just did not impress me overall

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 00:51:43 | More by NCSUdo

UCLABrewN84

California

3.46/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to wethorseblanket for sharing this one at jmgrub's birthday tasting.

Pours a hazy honey orange with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, and some cardboard aromas. Taste is much the same with a Brett flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that seems to be showing a bit of oxidation compared to the other beers in the series.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:59:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

shbobdb

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Holy horseblanket!

This beer is like Orval, only grown up and ready to kick ass and take names.

Whew!

We are talkin' some serious brett funk here. It's like drinking a barnyard. The 'wild' in this brew is pretty much wild yeast, not bacteria. Sure, there is a nice crisp finish from the lactic acid bacteria, but man, this beer is anything but clean!

There is also the unwelcome bitterness that others have mentioned. I can't really say I dig it. A 45 IBU wild beer was something best left thought about, not brewed. There is a reason why lambics use old hops and this beer is a showcase for that.

All that said, this is still a pretty drinkable brew. The way it looks man, this is how beer is supposed to look. A beautiful golden body with a head that just won't quit no matter what you do. Wonderful.

The taste is also a wonderful showcase of what Brett can do. I'm not a big fan of brett, but if you like the flavours it produces this is definately the beer for you! Just don't expect any moderation what-so-ever.

Definately a beer worth seeking out. I'm inspired to seek out the rest of the series. A masterfully done beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2006 17:34:59 | More by shbobdb

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A barnyard musty smell greets you. Nice creamy head and pale colour. The taste must be acquired, and I have had better, such as recently in Vermont. Some lemony citrus. It will surely scare off most beginners. Creamy and drinkable. I think this should be had with a meal.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2006 02:01:07 | More by northyorksammy

TenHornsProud

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear straw yellow with a huge, white rocky head, almost Orval like.

Smells of some funk, diacetyl butteryness, and notes of brett barnyard.

Taste is up front green apple, sweet, with earthy funk that goes into a more bitter middle and ends on a slightly metallic, sharp, floral, and funky end. Surprisingly bitter but balanced. Still, somewhat one dimensional and boring.

Lighter to medium body with medium to high carbonation. Alcohol is surprisingly well masked.

A hoppy, somewhat fruity and floral funky beer that lacks something, maybe more malt or more funk would help. This WOULD be great with some slightly spiced/herbal food though.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 23:15:52 | More by TenHornsProud

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 750mL bottle, poured into Watou chalice.

Appearance: Deep orange, hued slightly yellow. Decent head, dissipates quickly to a thin white layer.

Smell: This smells very much like Orval to me. Horse blanket is maybe the correct word...

Taste: Tastes like Orval, but was much more reasonably priced.

Notes: I liked this, and will buy it again. Unfortunately I haven't found this in Columbus, I had to buy it at Cloverleaf in Detroit during a business trip.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2005 01:58:21 | More by TurdFurgison

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Upon uncorking it is a slow gusher. It pours a murky gold with a TON of sediment. It appears to be yeast particles. The head is ivory white and holds surprisingly well though it doesn't give much lacing.

This one has a definite must to it, along with Jolly Pumpkin's Lambicus Dexteris, this is one of the funkiest intentionally funky beers I have smelled. Candied vomit anyone? At any rate is smells both highly acidic and sweet and the same time with some funk to make it "primitive" so to speak.

The flavor is much less funky than the nose. It has a nice yeast blend in it though. It has a mild tartness and some definite bretty character. The hops are surprisingly noticeable adding a nice little bitter note. The malts are really noticeable here, they are very-honey graham cracker-like.

It is a nice ale with a lot of depth, but it is a bit sweet for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 06:17:49 | More by crossovert

darklordlager

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up at Blue Max three or four months ago. Second De Proef beer of the week--this brewery really puts out some good stuff.

A: Pulled from the cellar, popped open, and thrown into a snifter. Pours a gorgeous clear-golden colour with a volumptious 1" slighty off-white head. Marks the sides as it dies down a bit. Looks great. Second pour is a bit more hazy, with some floaties--despite my efforts to decant it (or balance decanting with wasting as little as possible).

S: Funk, hay, barnyard. Lots of fruit--apple, pear, grape. Smells very acidic.

T: Funky, but not nearly as sour as I was expecting it to be. More of an acidic funk to it. Lighter fruits lead in, with a bit of hay/earthy barnyard flavour. Smooth for a beer of this style. Dry, not tart at all, or sour (like I was kind of expecting). Earthy/peppery flavour lingers on the tongue. Slightly chalky. Even more earthy with the second pour, with a slightly intensified tartness.

M: Light-to medium with high carbonation.

D: While good, this one had me wanting a little bit more. A solid wild beer, but not something I would drop the cash on again. A bit too earthy without a sour/tart element.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 04:53:10 | More by darklordlager

radshoesbro

California

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured into a tripel karmeliet glass from a 750 ml bottle. Split this with my wife over a few pieces of pizza.

Smells of mixed fruits. Big papaya notes with pineapple and brett. This is very fruity smellinh, and quite appealing. No sour smells.

Taste is dry, but overwhelmingly so. Fruit characters dance on the tounge. Yet they are slightly muddled up and very difficult to pick out. A small bit of something almost crab apple tasting.

Mouthfeel is alright. there is a good deal of dry characters on the back of the throat.

Drinkable, but sort of heavy in the stomach.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 04:58:55 | More by radshoesbro

DCon

Missouri

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

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Thirsty Monk (Belgian bar in basement) in Asheville, NC for $6.50. Tapped from a Dark colored tap handle w/ the Surly Bird on it into a 16oz La Moneuse Blaugies Tulip Glass.

Aroma- Extremely sweet on the nose with a light sour background (only hints) and very complexed. Finishes with a ton of musk though... Appreciated the first part of the aroma but didn't care for the muskiness.

Appearance- Received with a 2 finger head that had average retention. Has a dark amber colored body and left good lacing behind.

Flavor- The flavor is sweet with light, artificial cherries. The backend is sour and very complexed. No hops or bitterness involved.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, and has a light sour finish on the palate.

Overall Impression- I'm not too sure of the style but enjoyed it! Wish there was more flavor and body instead of the musky aroma and finishing flavor. I have this in bottle and interested to see how it ages. VERY easy going beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2012 19:19:59 | More by DCon

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating. Pours lightly hazy and cloudy golden amber color with a nice 2-3 finger dense white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice thick foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big pear, tart apple, grape, pepper, lemon, earth, herbal, floral, clove, grass, hay, and light yeast funkiness. Nice aromas with good complexity and decent balance. Taste of pear, tart apple, grape, lemon, pepper, clove, herbal, grass, hay, earth, light funk, and yeast spiciness. Lightly tart earthiness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, citrus, pepper, clove, grass, herbal, earth, funk, and yeast spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance and complexity; nice fruity/peppery flavor balance; zero cloying flavors noticed after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a lightly slick, very crisp, and prickly mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with almost no warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Belgian pale wild ale. Nice flavor complexity and balance; very smooth and easy to sip on for 9%. I enjoyed this offering quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 05:28:47 | More by superspak

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly cloudy gold with big poof of white foam. Scent leads with musty dirt and grain, tart green apple and pear, light citrus. Tast follows suit, apple notes well developed and play with the musty and earthy yeast profile, cleaner citrus and tropical notes on the end with breadyness. Medium bodied, bubbly yet cream, dry. Solid offering, was expecting more from the brett.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 14:30:23 | More by rfgetz

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy bright yellow/orange with a big fluffy head and nice lace rings.

Yeasty grain and grainy malt, with some spice and funk. Some musty notes in the nose.

Yeast and grain up front, some white pepper bite, some spice, a little funky rot, some mild bitterness, and any sweetness is more grain than fruit. Mild bitterness at the end.

Medium bodied, good carbonation.

Not bad. I think we have the style wrong here. This feels like a farmhouse brew. Alcohol is so well hidden that the 9% literally kicks you in the ass. You just don't notice it. Drinkable and enjoyable. Not super complex, but enough so that you'll enjoy the whole bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:49:34 | More by OtherShoe2

mynie

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

That, my friends, is some bottle art. Wild ales from Europe should not come wrapped in cartoons, and nor should they evince the contemptibly measured boldness of a so-called "edgy" brewery's logo. They should look like a scene out of Hitler's nightmares.

Aside from that, pours a lightly hazy gold with a really nice head. Much more similar to a BSPA than a wild. Actually, it don't look or smell nothing like a wild--just, crap, is this just a Belgian Pale?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, aside from that fact that in today's age of 15 dollar bombers, I kind of like to know what I'm paying for...

So, okay, it's a BPA. And it's a pretty one. But it smells a little too soft. Nothing at all is offputting--light citrus fruit, light pepper, and a real light yeasty sourness. But you notice there were three "lights" in the last sentence.

Tastes much more firm. Sweet citrus and berries run into nodes of mineral water and black pepper. This odd melange gives way to a more traditional, grassy finish that's similar to a good, light saison. There is just a teeny tiny little hint of brett in the back end, so maybe this is indeed a wild--only it way more resembles a BPA than a wild, so whatever.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 03:56:15 | More by mynie

ChugginOil

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to my buddy Shwaa for the awesome b-day gift.

Pours almost crystal clear and ends up a light hay color. There is an inch of white head that seems sticky as it sits for quit a while. There is a decent amount of wavy lace.

Then nose has some light fruity esters, light "band-aid" aromas, light tartness, and barnyard horse saddle.

The taste is similar to the nose. There is that strangely pleasant taste of band-aid with flavors of fruity esters, Belgian yeast, and an earthy/mineral taste. A barnyard funkiness is really working and I just can't put my finger on the exact resemblance but this one is funky as hell. There is a very subtle tartness that quickly fades into a bitterness. The 9% alcohol by volume is completely hidden underneath the strange and tasty flavors.

The mouthfeel is light bodied with ample carbonation. There is a smooth. There is a prickly feel that comes with the carbonation.

Overall, pretty impressed by this unusual brew. This is unlike any other wild ale I've had because it really brings out the barnyard qualities. Very funky and strange, yet delightfully drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 06:18:22 | More by ChugginOil

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, Thick White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Black Pepper, Corriander, Yeast, Apple

T: Black Pepper, Yeast, Oranges

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Yeast, Mildly Spicy

Overall, a really nice saison, whoever coded this a belgian pale was wrong. Great spicy and tast character.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:16:50 | More by merc7186