Up my Street

After a series of not-very-well-received (by me) "normal" beers, Wide Street makes a triumphant return to the sour game with Wildwood, a 5-year bourbon-aged affair, and a surprise find on the taps at The Porterhouse last month. It pours a gorgeous rose-gold shade and smells decadently of fine sherry: unmistakably oaked though without the honking vanilla of fresh bourbon.

The body is fuller than I would expect for a highly attenuated beer of just 5.5% ABV, and that gives it a pleasing slickness, helping accentuate the taste. The vinous theme continues, here more Burgundy than sherry, with notes of cherry, raspberry and redcurrant. And while it's plenty sharp, it's not harshly vinegary. The whole is mature, balanced and refined, reminding me somewhat of Rodenbach Classic. Excellent work, and a welcome return to form. I hope there's more like this waiting in the vessels at Ballymahon.

The brewery has, however, also produced another more mainstream offering, if you can call something badged as "west coast pils" that. Cheat Code is 5% ABV, hopped (generously, we hope) with Nectaron, and pours pale and quite hazy. The aroma immediately offers that fragrant, slightly floral, edge of stonefruit, where peach and apricot start to resemble lychee and white plum. Yum. Sometimes that indicates that this is really a pale ale in a thin disguise, but from the first sip this is clearly a proper pilsner.

A dry crisp bite precedes all flavour, and it's light bodied. Its fruity character comes entirely from the hops, and isn't a function of accidentally warm fermentation. That takes a moment or two to materialise, and isn't the juice-fest implied by the aroma. Instead, it's bitter, in quite a grassy, herbal, noble sort of way. I wasn't expecting that, but it's tasty. Although the buying guides for Nectaron all emphasise its tropical character, it is a descendent of Saaz, and I think that side of the family is manifesting in the flavour here. The grass tang coats the palate and gives the beer a surprisingly long finish, even with quite a thin body and little malt character. I had fun with this. It's first and foremost a well-crafted pilsner. Any modern hop colour on display is a bonus.

Two very different beers here, both excellent. Neither is an IPA, you say? Why, I hadn't noticed. I'm sure that's merely a coincidence.