Style: Wild Ale

ABV: 8.3

88/100

Aroma:	10
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

Reuben's Brews Aeir (2020)

What the brewers say

Spontaneously inoculated with wild yeast and microflora native to our Ballard neighborhood. Ferments in oak for at least a year before being blended.

What our panel thought

Initial impression of Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza—kind of savory, smoky, underlying tropical notes—and herbal, yeasty, with light hay-and-earth funk. In the flavor, moderate acidity, with low sweetness, light herbal-grassy bitterness. Funky, Brett-forward. Complexity across the board. Wonderful balance.

What our editors thought

Cantaloupe-honeydew nose, punctuated by rind and wood undertones. Intensely Brett-forward sip, with a strong bitterness that overpowers softer fruit notes. Austere and overwhelming, despite the light body.

Review printed in: Brewing Craft Classics (Feb-Mar 2021) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

TRVE Brewing Company Axioma

Complex aroma that is rich and funky with barnyard, lemon, and hints of tar. Similar complexity through the finish, just short of the line of being harsh despite restrained sourness.

Beachwood Blendery We Are Who We Pretend to Be

Intriguing nose; barnyard Brett in foreground, with bright layers of strawberry, lemon, red apple. Bright acidity layered on medium funk; fruit-forward, with light berry notes alongside lemon and lime, on a soft spritzy body.

The Veil Brewing Company Culminate

Nose of stone fruit, mango, and guava, with leather, earth, and barnyard. Funk-forward flavor with peach, lemongrass, hay, and a slightly bitter leathery note carrying into the finish. Smooth acidity draws citrus and tropical fruit across the palate; a touch of sweetness helps to balance it. Nice complexity. Lovely nose provides insight into what's coming. Very nice beer.

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.