wild rose | The Alberta BeerSmith

A few years back Calgary’s own Wild Rose brewery took a huge step in our little microcosm of beer and made a gose. Gose is a top fermenting German style of beer that is typically moderately sour and salty either from the water sources or by the addition of salt. The style has recently undergone a Renaissance in North American with many craft brewers rebooting the unique style. When Wild Rose made Gose Rider, I honestly had only heard bits and pieces about the style and was eager to research, drink and learn more. In addition to salt, coriander is often added for flavour to this beer style that averages between 4 and 5 percent alcohol. As such, most Gose do not comply with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 or the Reinheitsgebot. Wild Rose decided to take the Gose Rider (which I found delicious in its first iteration) and age it for 18 months in barrels having previously contained red wine. I should mention that I previously reviewed the un-aged Wild Rose Gose Rider here and gave it a resounding 90/100 rating (https://albertabeersmith.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/wild-rose-gose-rider/) This Barrel Aged Gose Rider was limited to only 99 cases (1188 bottles) and clocks in at an uber-sessionable 4.5% ABV. Enough of the technical, let the adjectives fly and lets get down to the business at hand.

The beer pours a surprisingly dark coppery straw colour with a largely evident effect of the barrel in the body colour alone. The head is a thick but porous off white with little carbonation evident by appearance. The nose is rich and complex at first look with a tons of woody oak notes and tart lemon aromatics. A delightful aroma on its own with the heavy, rich and earthy wood notes vying for attentions from the fresh, fruity citrus notes. The first sip is zingy with a lemon tartness at first. As the beer warms a mild dark fruit note replaces the tartness that I had become accustomed to. The oak is extremely complex and almost takes over the entire flavour profile. The underlying gose base regains some form by adding a tart sourness throughout the profile. The sourness is reserved but quietly present enough to give balance. This is a difficult beer to put into words as I’ve never had anything quite like it. Wooden, mild earthy and dark fruit notes are sweeter and obviously accentuate the barrels impact. This is one of those beers that I could smell and taste for hours and still have words to describe it so lets end it short. This is one of the most intriguing and convoluted brews made in Alberta and I hope to see more like it. For Wild Rose to take on a Gose in the first place was mighty ambitious but this is another level entirely. I have a lot of respect for them to create this beer and I think this rivals as one of the best craft brews in Alberta.

Grade: 94/100

Wild Rose Hef Nelson

Posted on June 27, 2015 by lauriepatricksmith

Wild Rose Brewery is often considered to be the old guard in a scene that is finally starting to flourish and expand. Opening in 1996 at a time when there were only two other “microbreweries” in Alberta (Alley Kat and Big Rock) Wild Rose has been taking a very Albertan approach for almost 20 years. Hef Nelson is a mixture of styles per say. A traditional German Hefeweizen with a unique and modern hop. Nelson Sauvin are a New Zealand hop strain that is known to produce a myriad of fruity notes akin to white wine. The similarity is so pronounced that the hop got its namesake from the Sauvignon Blanc that is produced in New Zealand’s Marlborough area. Hef Nelson is brewed touting a sessionable 5% ABV and a heavy 40 IBU’s (heavy for a hefeweizen).

Pouring out of the amazing 90’s esque bottle that brings back the memories of watching WWF (now WWE) in my friends basement is a cloudy, opaque bright straw yellow. A minor highlight of orange in the body with a thin almost soapy white head. The aroma is beautiful with tons of floral and fruity ester notes, banana, apple, cloves, coriander and the typical Nelson influenced stonefruit, mango, kiwi and gooseberries. Grapefruit and passionfruit are more apparent in the flavour profile. Mildly sweet malts, toasted wheat, bready notes, light honey and caramel. The fruit is the big show in this beer with tons of tropical notes sparring off against the hefeweizen yeast esters of clove, coriander, lemon rind and banana. Nice crispness on the finish with a moderate bitterness that doesn’t linger long. A nice contrast between the hefeweizen components and Nelson Sauvin hops leads to a nice balance in the profile and an extremely complex yet drinkable brew.

Grade: 84/100

Wild Rose Gose Rider

Posted on July 4, 2013 by lauriepatricksmith

My local craft brewery Wild Rose is celebrating summer with a slightly sour salted beer infrequently seen anywhere on the planet. Of all the traditionally sour styles only Berliner Weisse and Lambic’s haved survived. One to go the way of the buffalo is Gose a salted sour wheat beer once brewed in areas of Northern Germany. Grodziskie and Lichtenhainer are similar but smoked styles even less frequently seen. With the recent craft beer rennaisance in North America, Gose is a style that has started to crop up from time to time as seasonal beers. To me Wild Rose is a brewery who generally doesn’t try anything to crazy despite recently creating a Belgian IPA, Rye Saison and Kellerbier (unfilitered pilsner) so attempting a Gose is courageous and intimidating at the same time. Gose Rider is brewed to 4% ABV with wheat, barley, Saaz hops, coriander and salt.

Gose Rider pours a murky golden yellow with a hazy body and a beautiful finger of bright white head and a ton of tin bubbles ascending towards the head to start. The nose is incredibly unique and unlike anything I can recall with definite funky sourness albeit light and subtle. Coriander and crisp wheat aromas accompany a light toasted bread malt. The flaovur lacks sourness on the first sip until swallowing where a moderate and monotone sourness hits the palate. Sweet toasted wheat malts and a light honey or caramel sweetness pervades the sourness and salty flavour. After I had about half the bottle I noticed a tart lemony zest on the finish with lingering coriander. Gose Rider is like an incredibly easy to drink and sessionable wit with less wheat and a salty flavour. This is an incredibly refreshing and crisp brew which is perfect on a hot summer day (or really any day).

Grade: 90/100

Price: $6.39

Wild Rose Hoptimal Imperial IPA

Posted on January 19, 2013 by lauriepatricksmith

Wild Rose is a local Calgary brewery located in a now defunct Canadian Armed Forces barracks. Wild Rose makes a solid roster of session beers spanning most styles but they really hit their stride with their seasonal and special offerings. The most recent (literally released yesterday) in a line of awesome seasonal beers is the Hoptimal Imperial IPA. Hoptimal is brewed with a blend of four hops; Summit, Newport, Cascade & Columbus. These hop varietals are indigenous to the Pacific NW and Cascade and Columbus in particular are usual suspects in Imperial IPA’s. Hoptimal is brewed to 8% ABV and is available in Calgary in 650 mL bottles and draft (select locations) for a short time.

Hoptimal pours a bright golden copper with a sheen of hoppy orange. The head is a thick and foamy mess that dies slowly to a marshmallow like surface while leaving a huge band of sticky lacing on the glass. Nosing the glass, a huge puff of resinous and floral hops with intense grapefruit aromas and mild pine scents. Smelling further I notice a hint of lightly toasted caramel malts and more huge floral hop aromas. Mild honey sweetness and light toasty caramel malts are quickly overtaken by moderately heavy hop flavors and a light acidic backbone. Big grapefruit and citrus fruits accompany floral and pine resin notes in the middle with an awesome smack of bitterness. The hops are definitely potent and poignant in Hoptimal despite lacking an overall lengthy bitterness. Warming alcohol and hops on the finish round the beer off well. This isn’t exactly the pine and resin bombs of San Diego but this is a simple and straightforward Double IPA with a great execution. The full bodied resinous smack is there with gorgeous floral and citrus hops combining well. A moderate bitterness perhaps lacks the overall oomph of this style, but regardless this is a simple but well done Imperial IPA.

Grade: 89/100

Price: $7.00 / 650 mL