A new brewery on the scene is always very exciting. And a new brewery putting out a beer simply marked Pilot #001 is so brave that it has to pay off. We all have our favourite core beers, but pilot beers keep me on the edge of my seat. I’m as happy to drink a beer I dislike as a safe bet most nights of the week!

When I saw that this was in Probus Wines in Dublin, I was very eager to visit.

It is a California Common, a beer which uses lager yeast at temperatures north of the typical lager, demonstrating that even the smallest changes can lead to significant differences. This is no typical lager!

First Impressions:

Pilot #001 is served cold, and is on the darker side of amber with a about a centimetre of head. It might not be a lot of head, but it counts. It’s very creamy, and shows no sign of dissipating, for quite some time.

Second Impressions:

There is much more focus on bittering hops than aroma hops in this beer, which is perfect for the style.

There is a strong foundation on this beer – a toastiness from the malts. It is has a crisp, clean bitterness to it, which is perfectly complimented by the creamy mouthfeel. The evidence of the quality of the head is seen the entire way down the glass.

The bitterness persists and the finish is dry.

Final Impressions:

I can’t wait to try this again, but more than that, I am very eager to try more from Wild Bat. A beer of this quality, straight out of the traps is an amazing achievement.

It will be interesting to see what the next pilots will offer, but also what direction Wild Bat will take. I can’t tell whether this pilot is a core-range assessment test, or if they intend to be rotation experts.

Regardless, I think it is safe to say that Wild Bat is a brewery to keep an eye on in the second half of 2015.