Flemish Primitive Wild Ale

In the spirit of celebrating the newly formed blog, Beer Guide decided to open a very special bottle he had been saving for such an occasion. Delighted at the prospect of such a thoughtful gesture, Bier Goddess watched as Beer Guide extracted the synthetic cork from the 750 ml bottle. 'Flemish Primitive Wild Ale' from the brewery 'De Proef Brouwerij' from the town of Lochristi in Belgium was acquired in San Francisco back in November of last year.

Written on the back of the bottle was the following:
The name 'Flemish Primitive' refers both to the famous wild yeast that lends a unique flavor accent to this extraordinary ale, and to the school of "primitive" painters in Medieval Flanders whose startling work kick-started the Renaissance.
Working in his ultra-scientific brewery in western Flanders, Dirk Naudts, "The Prof", is one of Belgium's leading brewmasters. A rigorous experimenter, his fame is the perfect matching of malt, hops, and yeast. He has crafted recipes for breweries large and small throughout Belgium. The masterful Flemish Primitive, like everything from De Proef, is great brew born of science and passion.

Beer Guide and Bier Goddess first noticed the strong fruity nose. When pouring they noted the rocky white head. It was clear like a Duvel but not as golden, more amber in colour. There seemed to be a difference of opinion when trying to discribe the flavour. Bier Goddess thought it had a strong taste of sour grapefruit, likely a result of the wild yeast. She also detected some fruit and it was definitely very dry throughout. Beer Guide thought it was like a Saison more so than the Triple he was expecting. It wasn't as sweet as a Triple but rather quite dry in the finish. He said that it was fruity with notes of pear. He also added that despite the 9% alcohol content, the mouth feel was lighter than that of a Triple. Both agreed that it was well made and definitely worth seeking out.