The Wild Beer Co
Evolver IPA
5.8%
Somerset, UK

The Wild Beer Co are a craft beer company that are based in Somerset and have over 15 different beers. They were first founded in October 2012 and the really unique selling point about Wild Beer is that they do things a little bit differently. So one of the core beers is called ‘Cool As A Cucumber’ and is a 2.9% cucumber and mint brew. Pretty ace.

Wild Beer don’t believe in rules or processes but try to experiment and provide a memorable experience. Well, the Evolver IPA is unlike ANY IPA I’ve ever tried so they’ve done their job right. This particular IPA has quite few things going on; quite regularly I’m tasting Belgian influences but then I get a fruitiness most associated with more American tasting beers. It smells like a Belgian or Saison beer but still has that strong hoppy kick that you get from big American craft beers who do an IPA really well.

For the first three months the beer tastes just like a pale ale however the brettanomyces (type of yeast) kicks in and after six months starts to really influence the flavouring. It is a beer that continues to evolve (hence the name) the longer the yeast sits in the bottle. So in theory you could leave the bottle for a very long time and the taste could change depending on how long you leave it. Incredible. They say, “This is a beer that can be drunk fresh, as a normal pale ale or left to evolve and mature into a unique and unusual beer.” It is most definitely a unique beer but if you are wanting a “standard” IPA then this isn’t what you’re after. This beer is a complex and unique beast, but one I strongly recommend.

OVERALL: 3/5