Calico Man
Faith American Brewing Company

 

 

Kelsey Grammer's brewery, aka Frazier from TV's Cheers and Frazier shows has been in production for over a year and I am just seeing it now in stores. Contract brewed in Schenectady, NY which is not in the Catskill Mts. but apparently this beer was only born in the Catskills.
This was very inexpensive - $2.25 for a 16oz. can at the local, no selection beer store.
It pours a pretty, deep amber, slightly hazy but relatively clear, propping up a dense, tiny bubbled white head that left lace drapes and had good persistence.
The nose is nicely malty and floral - like old school NW Oregon and WA IPA's of the late 90's but not quite that loud. Caramel and berries with a sweetish floral character that is a VERY nice change from all the mango and tangerines explosions I find in so many 3 letter style beers these days.
Flavor is balanced and rich with malt presence - a bit tame for an IPA but in the ballpark with firm bitterness offset by mellow, caramel and honey sweetness. No big hop flavors just firm boil hop character that does not overwhelm the medium bodied malt sweetness.
For me, this is more of a 2022 Pale Ale with good balance of flavors or maybe a British style IPA with rich west coast malt character. Or maybe a throwback to Eastern style IPA, malt forward with a sharp back end hop bite.
Any way you look at it, it doesn't suck and is far better than I expected though there is an astringent, metalic aftertaste that lingers unwanted.

Picked up a 4 pack for under $10 @ Total Wine. Pours a semi clear copper with thick cream colored head that lingers and leaves plenty of lacing, Carbonation is continual and appealing to watch, (if you're into that kinda thing), as the head recedes. Aroma is mildly pleasant but nothing really stands out other than some piney & grassy notes; very well balanced with the malts. The taste is not overly bitter but the bitterness is pervasive from the start through the finish. Small amounts of fruit & floral overtones are present in the mouth, A quite enjoyable solid brew, especially for the price, (in this sometimes overpriced market).

Went away for the summer and for my birthday, I was given this and the Faith American Ale as a gift. As much as I love Kelsey and his body of work, this beer was a bit different than what I was accustomed to when it came to American IPA's. No, this wasn't bad and I enjoyed kicking back with this but if you're looking for a hop bomb or something more noteworthy that characterizes beers of this type from these parts, this might come across a bit timid and overly relaxed.

Not a bad pour to this as the liquid was coppery, nearly clear, and subtly radiant with a few fine bubbles coming up throughout my time with this. Plenty of head topped this off as the lacing left behind was quite extensive along the bottom three-quarters of my pint glass. Smooth and earthy hops, turbid citrus, and copper filled the mellow nose as the taste effortlessly followed suit. Slick, and a bit sticky from the hops and bread in the aftertaste, this was about as easygoing an IPA that I've had in quite some time. Balanced, with a moderate amount of carbonation, this would probably be ideal for a summer day but would easily be fitting for nearly any occasion year-round.

Couldn't decipher the writing on the bottom as the code was probably meant for wholesalers and distributors. Regardless of that, this felt fresh and could have been easily followed up by another since this wasn't around for very long after pouring it out. No, this isn't an award-winning beer but it was fun, inviting, and easily carried the sense and spirit of the Catskills and at the end of the day, it's nice to take a break for more bombastic fare in favor of something that has me looking forward to my first trip to this brewery!