Wild Beer Co

Based on a farm near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, Wild Beer have been pushing the boundaries of brewing in the UK since they started in 2012. From the beginning they have used barrel aging, allowing their beers time to develop and then in some cases blending different beers before releasing them to the public. We have picked up a great selection of their current range, including three big bottles that are perfect for sharing and trying something different.

Shnoodlepip, Saison, 6.5% ABV (750ml sharing bottle)
A saison brewed with pink peppercorns, aged in Burgundy red wine barrels, then blended from barrels on top of more pink peppercorns, hibiscus flower and passion fruit. Shnoodlepip is a beer Wild quietly release each year when the barrels are tasting just right – usually about 9 months after filling.

The Blend Summer 2016, Gueuze, 5% ABV (750ml sharing bottle)
Inspired by Belgian gueuze, this is quite possibly the definitive beer of the Wild Beer journey. The Blend Summer 2016 contains 11 different beers from 24 individual barrels, in which beer was aged for between 6 months and over 3 years, to create superior complexity and depth.

Ninkasi, Saison, 9% ABV (750ml sharing bottle)
Named after the 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. However, just to take things that bit further — once bottled, it undergoes a secondary champagne yeast fermentation. On the nose there’s a bouquet of playfully aromatic notes. Take a sip and enjoy a further cascade of striking flavours alongside the carefree champagne-like spritziness. The long, dry finish is both refreshing and complex.

Sourdough, Berliner Weisse, 3.6% ABV (available on tap and in growler)
A wild beer slant on the German sour style of beer. Using a 58 year old sourdough culture and a little Brettanomyces yeast, the beer is put straight into oak barrels to slowly ferment and mature for 4 months. There is a lovely gentle rounded fruity sourness to this beer.

Millionaire, Salted Caramel Stout, 4.7% ABV (available on tap and in growler)
Sweet and salty collide in this rich, balanced and smooth dessert stout. Lactose, caramel and high quality Valrhona cocoa nibs provide a chocolate and caramel backbone alongside the roasty malts, whilst the Cornish Sea Salts gives a savoury salty kick.

Sleeping Lemons, Gose, 3.6% ABV
Gose is a traditional German-style sour wheat beer, usually brewed with coriander and salt. Once nearly extinct, this very refreshing style has made a comeback. Wild Beer preserve lemons in salt and lemon juice to provide the perfect backbone to this wonderfully complex beer.

Witness, Belgian Pale Ale, 5.8% ABV
A take on the classic Trappist beer Orval. A pale ale with Brettanomyces, resulting in a funky beer that will develop and change over time.

Of the Sea, Sea Inspired Beer, 7% ABV
This was inspired by a brewery team ‘bisque off’. Wild Beer then set themselves challenge of bringing the sea to your glass. Shellfish in the form of cockles and lobsters, foraged kombu and dulse seaweeds and sea herbs seasoned with Cornish sea salt, saffron and star anise. There is a briny hit and rich smoothness which accentuates the taste of the sea.

Zintuki, Blended Sour, 7.3% ABV
Zintuki is Ninkasi’s younger, wilder sister (and goddess of food and dinner). A perfect name for this blend of Ninkasi (see above) and Somerset Wild (a sour beer fermented using yeast and bacteria from local orchards). A combination of the complexity and champagne spritziness of Ninkasi with the dry lemon acidic sharpness of Somerset Wild, gives a blend richly aromatic on the nose, refreshing on the tongue and deeply satisfying on the pallet.