Texicali Brown Ale - Freetail Brewing Co.
This Brown Ale comes out of San Antonio, TX, with a lot of 210 pride. With some powerfully hoppy goodness unseen by many Brown Ales, the Freetail team presents the Texicali Brown Ale, which, in their words, was brewed “to celebrate union of two coasts--the carefree, surf-wise ways of the West combined with the rugged, tough-minded will of the Third coast.”
With a description like that, I knew this one was going to be unique. But even with that in mind, this Brown Ale still surprised me.
It is a union of American 2-row, Vienna malts, UK Caramel, Chocolate, and Roast malts, with US Crystal Hops (freetailbrewing.com). And it comes out of the can at 6.5% ABV and 33 IBUs. Sounds like the fixings for a good Brown Ale to me, so let’s see how it fares in our firsts.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--A little lighter than most Brown Ales, but an enticing golden brown nonetheless. The golden color is probably from the use of Vienna malt, which is present in a lot of lager-style beers. It formed a frothy head that sent us right into the aroma.
On the Nose--Quite hoppy, which is somewhat unusual for a Brown Ale, but as I said, I expected some unique qualities. The floral and woody notes of the Crystal hops are very forward and pleasing, especially with the malt sweetness fighting its way into position on the nose.
On the Palate--Whew! This one is hoppy. Not overly so, but certainly not what you might expect from a Brown Ale. This gives me the west coast vibes Freetail was looking for. The green and woody flavors are very forward with a pinch of spice. It has a noticeable alcohol level, kind of like an imperial, but not quite as strong. A hint of roast and chocolate hits the palate at the end to help balance the hoppiness. It kind of reminds me of a darker Kona Big Wave, which is totally awesome.
I really enjoyed this beer, and I think it is one that has the potential to bridge the sweet Brown Ale gap for many IPA drinkers. It has some great hoppy notes along with some more traditional qualities of a Brown Ale, making it easy and fun to drink with lots of distinct flavors. Visit Freetail in San Antonio if you have a chance. They have some great beers and even more interesting inventions on tap at their brewpub.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew