TexiCali Nut Brown Ale
Freetail Brewing Company

 

On tap at the brewery. Pours a caramel brown color with thin white head. Smells of toasted malt. Medium body. Tastes of toasted malt with a little sweetness and has a light bitter finish. I like the bitterness -- some brown ales get too sweet by the end of the pint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am, on the whole, not a huge fan of Freetail beers. I don't mind them, but they often don't do much for me. I find them to be uninspired outings most of the time, or maybe I just don't care for their yeast strain or brew selections. But whatever, I've never been drawn to them. All that said, one of their brewery locations in San Antonio is two blocks away from where my youngest kid goes to daycare, so I stop in from time to see if anything new is available. The TexiCali brown ale is not new, but I don't drink many brown ales so I thought I'd give this a try. Glad I did.

Pours a healthy copper-brown color with a noteworthy two-finger head. Decent lace. The nose is richer than expected. Nutty with a sweet caramel note to it. And the taste echoes the aroma, with a sweet caramel flavor up front, followed by a more earthy, nutty maltiness that really mellows everything out. Some solid toasty notes here as well and a dry, lightly hoppy finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

This beer surprised me, to be honest, and I've had enough beers by now that I'm not easily surprised. Still, this was a pleasant discovery. Maybe it's a bit too sweet overall, but by and far this beer was solid. It really began to open up a bit as it warmed to room temperature as well, which is to be expected but is not often rewarding. This is definitely one Freetail brew that I'll return to in the future. Cheers.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Chestnut brown glass shows good clarity, holds a thin tan head that gives a few ropes of lace.

Aroma: Caramel malt, earthy hop note, light grape ester.

Taste: Pretty spot on for an American Brown, it's hoppy but I'm guessing it Fuggles or something similar, goes very earthy and leafy. Balance is still toward the sweet side and it finishes with a little thick syrupy sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium heavy, low carbonation, some alcohol heat, oily texture.

Overall: A well made beer but not to my tastes. Can't find any flaws beyond recipe decisions, and that's just your opinion man.

 

 

 

 

 

Not my favorite in the style. Slightly wierd aftertaste