Tequila Barrel Aged OJ Jammer
Sixpoint Brewery

 

L - Trace head atop a translucent orange body.

S - oranges at first, salt, then a slight hint of tequila.

T - More tequila on the taste, with supporting citrus. No bitterness, low sweetness, low booziness.

M - medium-light body with medium carb.

O - A tequila showcase.

Pours a bright golden orange with a thick, creamy, fluffy white head nearly straight from fridge temperature and allowed to warm over the course of a homebrew boil.

Orange, salt, coriander. I am looking for more here, but that’s all I get throughout the glass. The aroma is very welcoming. Warmth brings the Tequila barrel presence out and enhances the aroma. It's a subtle tequila note -- more like a sipping tequila than a shooting tequila -- and provides a warmth to the experience. While there is no doubt I am smelling a beer, the tequila note is very much like you're sipping a fine tequila.

The first sip starts with a sweet candied orange that lingers throughout the rest of the taste but quickly moves behind the effect of the salt and coriander. You can quickly find the gose in this, even if it doesn’t come across in the most “typical” way. It’s not quite as salty as you might expect, but that goes well with the orange – there’s balance between the two that a traditional salt level might throw off kilter and create a much less pleasing flavor. As it is, the salt acts like the pith of an orange would, to prevent the fruit from being overly sweet or fruity. That said, there is the slight presence of a bubblegum-like note, which is hard to pinpoint if it’s yeast or orange related. Perhaps an interplay between the barrel and the orange? I’m not sure, but it works in this beer. The warmer it gets, the more that note morphs into separate barrel and orange qualities, which is a good transition as that note was a little dominating for a couple sips. The barrel aging comes to roost as the beer nears room temperature and the agave-like qualities from the tequila play off the salt and orange really well. Margarita-like isn’t a stretch, but this stands firmly in the beer category. Every so often I would get a hint of mint? I think that might be a me thing for this review, as I can’t seem to pick out where it would come from.

Medium body, nicely dry. Easy to drink.

The flavor is where this beer shines and there is a lot of complexity there. The flavors work really well together to create something greater than the parts. The 8% is deceiving as this drinks more like a 6% beer thanks to the dryness and the inviting orange and salt notes. The barrel aging is not over the top – this is not a tequila-flavored beer – and that’s a good thing. You get enough to know it is there, it dances around your tongue with the candied orange, and then gracefully slides off stage as the salt sets in with each sip.

Postscript: I realize barrel aging requires a bit of heft to avoid certain issues, but I would love to see a 4% version of this beer ala Yuzu Jammer. Not sure how to work that sans barrel, but I want to drink this faster than the 8% allows. A 4% version would be a great summer beer with some queso enchiladas.