Brewhouse Rarities: Tamarind Ale
Flying Dog Brewery

Clear, copper color. Medium-sized, creamy head. The aroma of malt, caramel, and some fruits. Sweet with gentle acidity. An Interesting idea but kind of unimpressive.

Quite like this brown ale really has a fruity flavor of apricot and some fig that mixes quite well with the base beer. Haven't really had a Tamarind beer before but this one is pretty tasty. Drank kind of old since best by on label was marked September 2017 so flavors may have faded a bit.

 

 

 

 

12oz can bb 9/7/17 poured into a pint glass
A: Brown with a 1/2 finger head
S: Malt/caramel
T: Typical brown ale, more malt/caramel, a hint of tamarind
M: Medium-bodied, a touch sweet
O: I enjoy tamarind but this doesn't show much of it. Otherwise a decent but average brown ale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I keep adding Flying Dog bottles to my inventory! Man, those guys are the dictionary definition of "prolific"! This will be the third or fourth horizontal that I have conducted of their offerings since I embarked on the eradication of the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody.

From the bottle: "Tamarind, with its notes of fig, apricot and lemon, is an ingredient our brewmaster has wanted to work with for years. So the stars have never been more aligned than when our cellarman Jake threw it into the ring during our annual Brewhouse Rarities pitch session, the stage for anyone in our tribe to see their idea become a reality."

I Pop!ped the cap while thinking of the movie, "The Tamarind Seed", starring Julie Andrews & Omar Sharif. A gentle pour was followed with an in-glass swirl that raised just over a finger of foamy, rocky, light-tan head with modest retention. Color was a pretty Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a bready quality along with a lemony tartness & I was doubly curious to taste this one. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was unquestionably a Brown Ale at its base, but the fig flavor was highly pronounced. Man, did that take me back! One of the best liberty ports that I hit was Haifa, Israel and the street vendors with their dried fruits of figs and dates were a great snack as we wandered around. I love the taste and mouthfeel of dried figs and this beer evoked that flavor. It still had the breadiness of a Brown Ale & the lemony citrusiness was also perceptible, but it was the fig flavor that really made it for me. Finish was semi-dry, lightly tart, definitely not sweet, but not terribly dry, either. It was a very pleasant drink and my thanks to Jake for having suggested it.

 

A - Pours medium brown/orange
S - Ripe fruit, a little dankness, not much tamarind (or I just don't remember the smell)
T - Same as the smell, more complex though. Not exactly what I would classify as a brown ale though. Malty brown ale notes with some floral notes as well.
M - Nice and full bodied, good carbonation.
O - Definitely worth a try, I'll probably have more and buy it if I have the chance.

Enjoy by 9/7/17. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a transparent copper with great clarity; small off-white head that falls leaving great retention and nice lacing. The aromas are malt forward with some subtle sweet fruit notes. The tamarind aromas are mild, but it gives off a subtle apricot aroma. The flavors seem to follow the nose for the most part. Solid malt backbone. The tamarind is there without being overwhelming. It doesn't seem to steal the show, but remains balanced and noticeable. Brown sugar is noticeable. There's a touch of sweetness, but nothing crazy or cloying at all. Caramel and toffee is there along with some citrus notes. Some raisins in the mix. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is very nice. It's medium-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp and fluffy. Pretty smooth and easy to drink.

This is a nice brown ale. It's unique due to the tamarind, but still has some traditional qualities to it. I like it.