Nøgne Ø Tyttebær

This particular offering from the Ø is a collaboration with the Danish vagrant brewer, Mikkeller. Possibly my next beer project should be to explore the Mikkeller range.... hmmm... Anyways, tyttebær is described as a wild cranberry, but alternatively as lingonberry, which makes for a delicious jam... hmm... need some meatballs... once again, I digress... this is an 8% abv "wild yeast sour ale" that has been described in some corners as feral.

Well, I like to think I've had some experience with feral beverages, and let me start by saying, this isn't it. Very approachable beer. Though, I must caution, my bottle practically Eyjafjallajökull'ed on me, leaving a reddish sludge everywhere, and if such a thing is possible, caused my granite countertops to rust. The accompanying aromas did suggest some sort of savageness, all bretty and sour. The deeply muddy orange did not bolster confidence either. However...

...while this certainly enters tart and bretty, it is much less aggressive than the few gueuze I've tried. Not sweet, but a rather sharp sour crispness. As dirty as this all appears, it actually seems to have a clear expression of fruit, only framed by the brett. Light, and I can't believe I'm saying this, delicate. It's got great acidity, it's very dry, and though I wouldn't call it sessionable, it's intriguing and intoxicating, keeping on drawing you back for more and more sips (or gulps.) Well-balanced, quite delicious, and well worth revisiting.