Verified Buyer
Verified Buyer
Definitely tastes a bit medicinal and flat. I don't taste any guava, hibiscus or strawberry.
*Packaging may varySierra Nevada Wild Little Thing
Ale /5.5% ABV / California, United States
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Product details
- Category
- Sour / Wild Ale
- Region
- California, United States
- Type
- Craft
- ABV
- 5.5%
- IBU
- 7
- Suggested Glassware
- Snifter/Goblet/Chalice
Product description
Most sours are brewed the traditional way, with wooden barrels and lots of time. But Wild Little Thing is made using a technique called accelerated “kettle souring.” First, we make wort (unfermented beer) without any hops. Then we boil it, cool it and add lactobacillus, the same friendly bacteria you know from yogurt or sauerkraut. Lactobacillus turns sugar into lactic acid. Voila! Now we’re sour. We blend this special wort (roughly 10%) back into Wild Little Thing’s total wort to achieve its tartness.
View all products by Little ThingCalifornia Residents: Click here for Proposition 65 WARNINGCommunity reviews
4.69 Reviews
5(94)4
(25)3
(2)2
(3)1
(5)
Newest
Jane Phillip Verified BuyerVerified BuyerDisgusting. Not very sour at all. Slight cough syrup flavor.
Niklas V. Verified BuyerVerified BuyerDelivered the wrong flavor of this beer — and IPA that we dislike
Jobim R. Verified BuyerVerified BuyerYummy!!
Nick Verified BuyerVerified BuyerSierra Nevada has done it again! Love this summer brew.
Ciera Verified BuyerVerified BuyerI was not disappointed when trying this new beer. Will definitely order again. Can not describe the flavor, but incredibly pleasant as one that doesn’t like super strong dark beers.
Blayne Verified BuyerVerified BuyerA great mix between sour and a smooth beer!
MJ Verified BuyerVerified BuyerPretty refreshing, I wish it had a bit more flavor. It reminds me a bit of a tarte La Croix. If you think La Croix tastes like a single lonely skittle has been dissolved in a cup of water then I’d probably avoid this otherwise I’d recommend giving it a shot. For reference: my favorite sour is the Raspberry Sour - Loveland Aleworks
Justin Verified BuyerVerified BuyerNice and refreshing.
Alfred Verified BuyerVerified BuyerBest ice cold
FAQs
A standard ale is a malty, mildly bitter style of beer that can trace its roots for thousands of years; the more modern style coincides with the Middle Ages when hops were thankfully introduced to the brewing process. Ale recipes use a quick-acting style of yeast that floats at the top of the brewing vessel; fermentation occurs at a balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to the style’s signature sweet flavor and subsequent higher ABVs. A basic ale is fruity, slightly bitter and generally darker in color, though there are dozens and dozens of distinct styles of beer that qualify as an ale.
Because ales yeasts ferment at a higher temperature and create more alcoholic conditions, ales are typically darker in color than lagers and lean towards a sweeter, maltier flavor. It depends on the sort of ale you’ve selected, however, as there are over 75 unique types of ale; a pale ale tends to be more bitter and dry, a brown ale delivers a toasted nut and caramel taste, a sour ale is tart and funky and an IPA is bold and hoppy. Many traditional, European-style ales are best described as fruit-forward, warm and even a little spicy, delivering an undeniably rich tasting experience, especially the darker, robust varieties.
Ales are more alcoholic than lagers, largely due to the style of yeast and the temperature at which the yeasts ferment; ale yeasts tolerate a more alcoholic environment and thus provide a darker, richer product. A standard pub-style pale ale or basic brown ale will generally clock in around 5% ABV, though, with dozens of different styles in today’s crowded craft beer market, you can easily find a pint that packs more of a punch. IPAs, the darling of the craft brewing industry, will typically range from 6-8%, and the popular trend towards double and triple-style versions pushes these well over 10% ABV.
Beer, by definition is crafted from cereal grains (very few of which are gluten-safe) and as such, ale is not a gluten-free product; on the beer spectrum, lagers and stouts tend to contain less gluten than ales which rely on the barley and wheat malt to deliver its distinctive sweetness. Some brewers are experimenting with more gluten-safe grains, like sorghum or rice, and others are introducing an enzyme that helps remove the gluten molecules from the final products. Household names like New Belgium Brewing Company and Stone Brewing offer gluten-safe pale ales and even IPAs, though even then, you’re not guaranteed an 100% gluten-free product.
While a rhetorical question no doubt (an ale is, in fact, an ale after all), you might not know what exactly marks the difference between the two fundamental beer styles; it all comes down to the yeasts employed and the fermentation process. The process by which ales are made is much older than that of lagers, as lager yeasts originally came from South America and thus did not enter European markets for some time. Ales rely on top-fermenting yeast strains, which, as the name suggests, remain on top of the warm wort while feeding on sugars, whereas lager yeasts sink to the bottom and ferment at much colder temperatures.
Ales, especially IPAs and Belgian-style ales, tend to be higher in alcohol than other beers, so you’re likely to consume more calories and carbs per pint. A basic, 5% ABV, 12-ounce bottle of pale ale contains around 150 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates; a common IPA (say, a Lagunitas) is closer to 190 calories and 19 grams of carbs; a glass of dark Belgian-style ale might even surpass 300 and 30 grams of carbs. Ales tend to deliver a richer, maltier taste and often appear as darker shades of ambers and toasted browns — these qualities coincide with a higher calorie count.
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