Tadarida Obscura
Freetail Brewing Company

 

Kinda nice IPA.
Light reddish brown w/ small frothy foam.
Light roast and subtle sweetness balance each other well.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Black glass with brown edges. Hold just a wisp of head and a razor thin collar.

Smell: American citric hops balanced by roasted grain.

Taste: Hops are nice and fresh, roasted grain stays back and plays a supportive role, leaving the package stoutish, but hop forward.

Mouthfeel: Medium light body, moderate carbonation, slightly oily milky texture.

Overall: Very drinkable hoppy rich beer. Tasty with nothing out of place, a nice edition of Black Ale, Recommended!

 

On tap at the brewpub shortly after the La Muerta bottle release.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma has some nice roasted malt notes, as well as quite a bit of pine from the hops. The two aspects go very well together.

The flavor is similar. There is quite a bit of roasted malt and chocolate in the flavor, as well as some bitterness and flavor from the piney hops. The bitterness is low to medium. The beer is very easy to drink.

Medium, creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Poured into a pint glass two days after tapping.

Appearance: Dark mahogany on the edges and black in the middle with an off white head about a centimeter thick that lingers and leaves a thin lacing over the top of the beer.

Aroma: Citrus and grassy with roasted notes, very fresh smelling.

Taste: Roasted grains, slightly smokey, grassy, grapefruit and citrus with a touch of caramel.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation and a dry lingering finish.

Overall: Enjoyable and I would definitely have another.

So I finally found myself in the San Antonio area and I decided to see what all of the fuss was about this Freetail Brewing Company was...more on the establishment itself in the BeerFly review, but suffice it to say it is amazing!

A: Billed as a black IPA it lives up to the name. Very dark with a modest head that died a little quicker than I care for.

S: Very roasty! The caramel is back there, but the smoke and espresso notes really steal the show here.

T: Fighting mad hops for a porter...which I suppose is why they called it a black IPA. At the same time, however, it is a tad underwhelming on the hop profile for an IPA. A very good beer, though, that fits somewhere between the American Porter and IPA categories.

M: Hold me closer tiny bubbles. Smooth and curiously crisp, this one is an enigma.

D: This brew is very drinkable as it has an interesting battery of flavors and aromas as well as a relatively low ABV.

Darkest of brown, appearing black with a fine beaded tan head that leaves nice clumps of lace.
Smokey, roasty and sweet dark malt smells. Caramel, vanilla and marzipan with an espresso edge. Tiramisu comes to mind.
Dry, roasty palate with a coffee finish. Seems like an aggressively hopped American porter (ala Avery NW Porter). There is a bitterness that builds but it's not what I would call an IPA.
Body and texture is more like a Belgian ale, high carbonation, yet subtle bubbles. American Porter meets Belgian IPA.