Virginia Beer Tour Part 3- Wild Wolf Brewing

Knowing that there was still two more breweries to visit in that stretch of territory (see previous posts) I had a decision to make, and I went with the easier one-the closer one. Little did I know that by closer it turned out to be less than 2 miles (and the difference between Blue Mountain and Wild Wolf was about 8 miles). But it is colorful and fun driving on those mountainous winding roads. Again, such really beautiful territory.

Wild Wolf was a big place, but a little confusing in a few ways. For example, since it was a converted school house (really!) it wasn't in the best location and it was not laid out like a bar/brewery/ restaurant should be. A lot of running around in that place. There was a little village behind it that sold all sorts of merchandise-little shops mostly. But there was so much outdoor seating it was incrediblae-lots of tables out front plus a huge beer garden in back. Kind of a nice place to hit while on vacation and in the summertime.


Now on to the beer. Like the menu at Blue Mountain it showed prices in 16 oz., 22 oz and growler. The selection was rather good, especially since they were not afraid of offering beer with some hops plus they had some Belgian offerings too. 

Here are the menu items:

Wild Wolf Pils, 5% ABV 25 IBU 
Our take on a German style Pilsner.  We take your traditional German Pils and add a good old American Hop Punch.  This beer is clean, crisp and refreshing.  This golden lager is the perfect beer for hot Virginia summer days.
Blonde Hunny Ale, 7.1% ABV 21 IBU  
An unfiltered Belgian style Blonde Ale with wheat and a lot of local honey in every pour.  We have also added a special spice blend to give it an added kick.  Smooth and refreshing, but be careful – this one’s ABV will sneak up on you.  This beer is straw yellow in color with a slight sweetness in the middle and an estery finish characteristic of the best Belgian beers.
Alpha Ale, 6% ABV  45 IBU  
Our American Pale Ale with a ton of Citra, Columbus and Cascade hops.  Deep amber in color with an extremely well rounded hop and malt character.  This beer gives hop heads what they are looking for without wrecking your palate; yet it is sufficiently balanced which is pleasing to many hop-timid beer drinkers. The finish is slightly dry and refreshing to the last drop.  This beer will not disappoint!
Wee Heavy Ale, 6.5% ABV 20 IBU  
Our Scottish style brown ale is deep brown in color – just take a smell of this beautiful beer and you will see why it is Scottish in style. Strong notes of roasted caramel malt & finishing with a touch of smoke and whiskey. Very reminiscent of the best scotches. The taste will leave you wanting more!
Black Wolf IBA, 5.8% ABV  70 IBU  
Hop-heads REJOICE!  This American style black ale has a medium-high hop bitterness that is piney and clean.  This medium bodied beer has a wonderful dark malt flavor and aroma without roasted astringency.

SEASONAL BEERS

‘Weiz Wolf’, Hefeweizen, 5.1% ABV 15 IBU  
Once again we have taken your traditional German beer and put our own twist on it.  Unfiltered and cloudy orange in color.  Medium light in body and highly carbonated; this perfectly refreshing summer beer has very mild notes of banana and cloves that will keep you coming back for more.
Wit Wolf IPA, 5% ABV 70 IBU 
Our take on a wheat based IPA. We started with a Wit style beer and then added just over 30 lbs of hops. Unfiltered, the beer is off white in color with a white head. Strong citrus notes on the nose leading into a slightly sweet taste, then finishing with the hop bitterness characteristic of an American IPA.
‘WolfINstein’, Imperial Stout, 10.5% ABV  65 IBU 
WolfINstein is an amped up version of our American Stout. More malt, more hops and a whole lot more alcohol. Deep black in color with a tan head. This beer is velvety smooth on the mouth. Starting with just a touch of alcohol heat, intense coffee and chocolate flavors and ending with just the perfect amount of hop bitterness to balance the entire experience. What a perfect dessert beer!

I tasted the Wee Heavy, then drank a 16 oz of it. It was good, slightly sweet and pretty balanced, but I caught more freshness than what the description gave off, not te barrel aged taste I was expecting like you get with most Scottish browns. I followed it with a Wit Wolf, and it delivered as more of an American Pale than an IPA, I thought, but then again, I think the lines are so blurred lately who really knows. It was certainly good but not too knockout, as you might assume by the description.
The food there was also very good, especially the fish tacos and the fish and chips. Don't know why I was in such a fish mood that night, to be honest. 

Overall I was happy with the beer and the food, even though the layout took some getting used to. I get the feeling it might have been a little destroyed at one time but not now-it is cleaned up nicely.

Just as a side note I had tasted the only beer I saw of theirs in local bars-the Blond Hunny Ale- which was a tasty Belgian but had a little too much zing to it than I would have preferred. I drank a big one of these in BW3. I was pleased with it, but talking to the bartendress I was informed I was the only one to buy one yet that day (they pour a lot of Bud Light in that place).