Valley Brew Stockton Sour (Phils Wild Mild)

Brewed by Valley Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
Stockton, California USA

nip handbottle via mutual trade with agensteve shared wetherel who did the trade with me, from the barrel.. 6th beer of the tasting I hosted tonight, shared with bikesandbeer, wetherel and my girlfriend Cyn. Pours copper with a bubbly head, with low carbonation. Nose is super vinegary. Tastes is sweet and tart very vinegary, very very good overal, but it seems somewhat 1 dimensional. Possible handbottle degradation, its good but was expecting better.

Feb. 2008 Beergeeks tasting. Waves of Rodenbach from the old days wash over me. The smell and the taste of sour and perfect oak make this an incredible beer.

Bottle at the brewery. Pours a hazy dark amber with almost no head. Quite sour with some sweetness. Aromas of malts and residual sugars. Also hints of glue and lactose. Very soft carbonation. Milky mouthfeel. Very nice, and a lot like the Rodenbach. Thanks!

Pours like cognac with no head and no carbonation. The nose is tart cherries and a touch of funk. It floats over your tongue like velvet. The flavor is cherry sour front, evolving to a sweet mid, that gives way in the end to a toasted nuttiness. Excellent brew!

Wait ok check glass, yeah it still says Valley Brew even though I could swear I briefly glimpsed Rodenbach on it. I close my eyes and smell it again and I am instantly transported to pre-Palm Roselare. Wow this has a spectacular nose, crack in liquid form that could just as easily be the perfume of a bikini model. Did Steve channel the Rodenbach gods or perform some strange voodoo beer ritual over this? I am afraid to taste it because that amazing nose cannot be topped. Big yet soft yet bold and spicy with herbal fruit notes and wonderful bread and oak come thru. Oh shit my glass is almost empty but at least I saved money on that plane ticket. And it could not be named after a nicer guy, uglier than hell but a damned great guy. >>>>>>>>>>> Wild Mild aka The Road Back-While taking a stroll through the fields of Flanders sipping from a Valley Brewing Chalice I could have sworn that I heard whispers telling me to take the road back, but where was it and where would it lead? As I took in the beauty of my surroundings and the amazing liquid in my glass I noticed a road to my left nestled in the trees. As I followed the winding road all of my senses alive with the sounds and sights of nature I realized that a simple journey could transcend almost any experience. When I turned the last corner a sign came into view but it was too far away to read and the sun was setting directly above it so that I could not focus directly ahead of me, I picked up my pace and noticed that I was down to my last quaff of Brew the sign was directly in front of me and I was finally able to make out what it said which was simply, Roselare. Wild Mild is a beer that pays homage to the wonderful brewing traditions from Flanders Belgium. Soft and delicate yet bold, spicy, herbal and tannic with a wonderful appetizing acidity this is a marvel of depth, complexity and balance that belies its strength, a great beer to enjoy with a good cigar or as an alternative to Red wine with dinner.

Tasted at the February Northern California Beer Tasting. WOW!! This sour poured a murky amber brown color. Little of no head, no carbonation. The aroma is malt, woody and tart, with some funk. At first I thought this was an old Rodenbach Grand cru, then it sort or reminded me of a Valley Brew effenbock, then I wasn’t so sure. Damn nice beer though. The beer is very complex and seems to change character with each sip. Lots of malt, fruitiness, funk and tartness. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

A Mes rate: bottle at Chris_O’s Ha Ha Ha Ha Gimme the Cheese Tasting.
Beautiful red amber brown with no head or carb. Awesome aroma that is both sour and malty and just an excellent combination. The yeast is obviously Belgian and very Rodenbach. Lovely fruity notes and just all round perfectly poised. Flavour is not quite so fantastic but it’s still a cracker. Awesome sweet / tart balance, lovely and soft and a glorious prickly yeasty warmth in the belly a la Rodenbach as it should be. Very slight oxidised and metallic notes. Dry and fruity finish with more lip smacking sourness. Complex and bloody brilliant.

Bottle at Chris_o’s The Wolf tasting. Beer of the evening for me. Rather a lovely sour aroma. Bit of wood. In mouth, sweeter and maltier than you would expect from the aroma. Great sour finish. Good sour beer.