Free Kittens
Berryessa Brewing Co

I grew up going to Lake Berryessa so its cool that there is now a brewery (that is good) out that way these days as an adult (allegedly).

Pours light golden with ample clarity into a 1959 Marquette basketball jersey pint glass. Big 1.5" white head. The aroma has that rice/grain thing going for it, refreshing. They make another rice/grain beer down the road (to be closed soon though) at a much larger scale in Fairfield.

The taste is relative light-ish beer kind of affair. But with more noticeable lager yeast. And you know, this is the type of stuff I want to drink when jumping off the rock at Lake Berryessa. It does well at being what it was likely designed to be: lake beer. Its mostly discernable as lager yeast and grain, the 1/4 bill of rice is a neat levity trick. I haven't seen it since I had it that one time, so hopefully it comes around come warmer weather. I can't envision taking a person seriously who can't find some value in this one.

 

 

From the can. Pours a thin gold. Light, slightly musty aroma. Crisp, with a light bitterness and a clean finish. Easy drinker. It’s been a while since I’ve had a rice lager, and this was a good one.

 

 

My second rice lager brewed in California from a haul of ten from City Beer Store. (Does this mean the style is becoming a California thing?) Obviously, I think Free Kittens should be re-classified as a rice lager, particularly since the brewer slugs it that way on the can.)

Looks a crystal clear light gold with modest bubbles. Smells seems more aromatic, perhaps from the jasmine rice. Tastes of a high quality rice (and I'll concede other grains) working together with a clean lager yeast and balanced by a modest dose of hops. Finishes semi-dry. Refreshing on a summer day.

My first from Berryessa, I went on their website and they tell a standard story of a brewer in a family-friendly resort area. As such, how IPAs dominate their offerings is not surprising.

 

 

a really perfect summer lager, with jasmine rice among the grains used here. its crystal clear light golden in the bubble pint glass, holding a full inch of snow white head and leaving intricate lacing as it drinks. lots of frantic carbonation, lively brew. aroma is slightly floral, and although i am looking for it with my senses, i definitely get the jasmine rice element, slightly starchy and spingy, not perfumey or anything, but distinctive, and seemingly lighter than most pilsener types on the dusty dry cereal malt thing. the flavor is like that too, more delicate in malt flavor than is customary in the style, but without a much lighter body, the starchy rice keeps this soft and rounded and plenty full for an all day drinker. it has the touch of jasmine and a more classic hop profile, saaz maybe, bittering it up in the dry finish and giving it a nice freshness overall. excellent carbonation, clean tasting lager yeast, and just a bit more interesting than most craft pils types out there right now. i cant think of a better hot weather beer this summer...