The Wild Beer Company
Iduna Cru
Ale brewed with Apple Juice (bubbles + Apples + Wild Yeast)
Cron and I love ciders! We were extremely excited to try this beer apple juice hybrid with substantial amounts of alcohol, 9%! We expected a well balanced blend of sweetness to be countered by the full flavor of hops to make an extremly drinkable fruity beer. However we were disappointed when we took our first sips. Our disappointment could not be blamed on anyone but ourselves because we failed to read the description put out by the Wild Beer Brewing Company: it is surprisingly accurate
“Named after ancient Greek goddess of beer, this is an equally divine Belgian-style saison with a copious amount of New Zealand hops, freshly harvested Somerset apple juice and wild yeast added to the mix. However, we like to take things just that bit further (it’s the Wild way!) — once bottled the beer undergoes a secondary fermentation with champagne yeast, giving it a brisk spritziness on the tongue. Serve chilled in a champagne flute to allow the bouquet of playfully aromatic notes to be fully appreciated. Take a sip to enjoy a further cascade of striking and sensuous flavors alongside the carefree champagne-like spritziness. The long, dry finish is both refreshing and complex.” ~ The Wild Beer Co.
Smells Like – It’s going to be sour……soapy, wheaty, like a bushel of apples
First taste – Not as sour as expected, but the sourness is hiding in the background. Not in a good way. Held it in his mouth and it stayed, very strong at first then much smoother in the the end. The apple was not prominent, but there was a very strong yeast taste. I’m really disappointed by the lack of apple flavor. And now, I don’t really want to drink it…..glad that we split one bottle. The idea really intruiged us but the execution was a fail of the most epic proportions.