Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - "Under Currants" wild ale

Sour beers and wild ales have carved a niche for themselves in the beer market over the last few years. It seems like every brewery has some version of a wild ale, packed with random fruit or made with some funky yeast or made in some obscure style. Sometimes they're super sour, and sometimes they're quite dark and fruity. Today's beer is an example of the latter, coming to us from Firestone Walker Brewing Co., products of which I have reviewed numerous times on the blog. This Paso Robles, CA-based brewery uses a special, proprietary blend of both Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus yeast to riff on their "Agrestic" ale, to which they added 1.5 pounds of blackcurrants per gallon and then matured in French oak "fruiders" for four months to produce this 6.30% ABV wild ale. Also of note - this ale is just over a year old, with a date of birth listed as 2/28/18. It's batch #001, with only 2900 cases produced.

Sounds really interesting. I'm a fan of most stuff FW does, and their small-batch, single-bottle series are always intriguing.  I'm pouring the "Under Currants" into my antique coupe glass, because I feel like it.

Hmm, in terms of aroma it's definitely quite sour. There's a thin layer of white foam and LOTS of little bubbles in there. Color is a pleasing reddish-purple.

Taste-wise, it's quite dry and  refreshing with a strong showing of blackcurrants, dark fruit, caramel malts, and lemon rind. There's an element of tartness, sort of like a softer version of the old black cherry Atomic Warhead candies, and this remains throughout the beer. The fruits make the beer less "bright" and a little thicker and vinous. Finish is fruity and has a long, lingering aftertaste with a touch of tingling tartness.

I'm digging the texture of this beer - it's full-bodied and smooth -and is thicker than some wild ales I've had, which is kind of nice. I'd suggest this to anyone who enjoys sour / wild ales but may want something less fizzy or light or bright than the other variants on the market today. This beer is available in a muselet-topped 12oz bottle and sells for $15.99, and unlike the other Firestone Walker single-bottle releases, this one does not have its own attractive display box. So not the cheapest, but definitely a nice take on the style and worth a try, especially if you're into sours.