Texas Tuesday

Karbach Bodacious is bold and beautiful

The folks at Karbach sure know how to brew a gorgeous beer, don’t they?

Bodacious, a Double IPA, is described by the brewery as “sexy and smooth with legs for days” and oh, are they spot-on in that description.

This limited release has had plenty of beauty rest (you’re welcome for the bad joke) after aging in Merlot barrels for a full five months. The aging process allows its hop aroma to recede slightly, giving way to a rich, velvety malt backbone that mixes with oak flavors from the barrel. Upon swallowing, a delicate, lingering bitterness remains on the tongue.

Bodacious is on shelves now and ready for your tasting pleasure. Check out the full stats below, courtesy of the brewers themselves, and let us know if you think this brew is as hot as we do in the comments below!

OG:  21.5

IBU:  85

ABV:  10%

Malts:  Pale, medium Crystal, dark Crystal, Munich, Biscuit

Hops:  Amarillo, Citra, Chinook, East Kent Goldings, Simcoe, German Magnum and Sapphir

Availability:  Limited 22 oz. bottles

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Your Pint Jockeys Tasting Event Lineup: March 20

Get ready, Pint Jockeys

It’s the most wonderful time of the month – tasting time. This month, as always, we’re bringing you craft beer from some of the best names in the business and even a few special guests.

All tastings take place this Thursday, March 20^th from 5-7PM at the Del Papa Distribution Centers in Beaumont, Victoria and Texas City. Read on for more info.!

Beaumont

Beaumont, you’re in for a treat. Pedernales Brewing Co. founder Lee Hereford will be on-hand to share some of his brewery’s most beloved beers with tasters. Don’t miss the chance to meet Mr. Hereford and talk shop with him as you sip on Pedernales favorites!

Here’s the lineup:

Classic Hefe-Weizen – This classic unfiltered beer stays true to the Bavarian style with a strict yeast strain creating distinctive flavors of banana, apricot and clove. Light, cloudy and golden in color, this brew boasts a thick, frothy head and has received top marks at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.

Lobo Lito – A full bodied, true Reinheitsgebot quality Pilsner beer made using Pilsner malt barley, Weihensteffan yeast, Saaz hops and Hill County well water. Its slightly lower alcohol content and thirst quenching, slightly hoppy finish make it the perfect summer-time beer.

Lobo Lager – This pilsner beer starts with Texas Hill Country well water and Czech hops. Brilliantly crisp and clear with a dense foam, light golden color and subtle hop aroma. The flavor is a delicate balance of expertly malted barley and carefully selected hops.

Lobo Negro – A true “Dunkel,” or dark brown lager, with a spicy maltiness that is neither sweet nor too roastily dry. The lager yeast is worked at low temperatures, imparting a clean roundness and balance.

Classic India Pale Ale – The brilliantly clear, light copper color of this classic English beer denotes the specialized caramel malt used to give the ale a light toasted flavor. Classic NW American hops are used to balance the malty sweetness of the barley to provide a wonderful herbal aroma from this well balanced beer.

Location: Del Papa Distribution Center, Hospitality Room, 410 I-10 South, Beaumont, TX 77707

Victoria

Victoria, you’ll be paid a special visit from Texas Big Beer Brewery founders John and Tammy McKissack. They’ll be on-hand to share some of their brewery’s best beers and talk all things craft beer with ya.

Here’s your roster:

Big Texas Blonde – This Belgian Strong Pale Ale with a 10.54% ABV content pours an orangey-tan colored hue with a cloudy body. The aroma of this beer is full of bread, fruit and candy notes while the taste is equally complex and interesting with present flavors including dough, fruit, honey caramel and more.  

Working Stiff Ale – Brewed in the style of an Extra Special Bitter and named for the “premium ales” of the working class in the London pubs in the 1800’s, this beer pours a copper color with a frothy white head. Aromas from this medium-bodied brew include caramel malts and floral hops and the taste is founded on a solid backbone of malt and earthy hops. The finish is smooth with moderate bitterness.

Renaissance Cowboy – A “wee heavy” Scotch Ale, this brew pours a deep amber-brown with a light brown frothy head. The aroma is full of heavy malts with brown sugar, molasses and dark fruity notes. Flavors include much of the same, including sugary and fruity notes. The body is medium and thick with a sweet, malty base and sweet, smooth finish.

Texas Crude – This robust American Porter’s aroma is heavy on the vanilla with other hints of sweet chocolate and toffee. The taste is smooth with sweet malt and toffee flavors and a medium body with light carbonation. Bitter hop tastes follow through to a dry yet satisfying finish.

Beeriac IPA – An American IPA with a thick, hazy amber and copper-colored body that leaves a thick, frothy head with substantial lacing when poured. Beeriac’s aroma is full of orangey, citrus notes mixed with light pine notes, caramel sweetness and tons of hops. The flavor profile includes citrus tastes followed by sweet caramel flavors with a medium mouthfeel and carbonation.

Location: Del Papa Distribution Center, Hospitality Room, 3907 E. Rio Grande, Victoria, TX 77807

Texas City

Texas City, your tasting is all about variety this month, and what a mix do we have in store for you! Check it out:

Saint Arnold Icon Blue – This Brown Porter is a dark, medium bodied ale with rich chocolate malt notes. Icon Blue pours a dark brown color with ruby and garnet highlights, producing an off-white head. During the brewing process, the brewers used English malt hops and their own Saint Arnold yeast, also hailing from the U.K.

Karbach Summer Love Street – In the 1960s on Allen’s Landing in Houston sat Love Street, a hot spot of music and social impact. Love Street was not only a place, but a state of mind; a place to unwind and let the music refresh your soul. So too is this Kolsch-style beer, hopped delicately with floral German hops with a clean malt profile that refreshes to the core without sacrificing character.

Goose Island 312 – Inspired by the city of Chicago and densely populated with flavor, 312’s spicy aroma of Cascade hops is followed by a crisp, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body that’s immensely refreshing.

Goose Island The Illinois – Illinois is a 9.0% ABV 95 IBU Imperial IPA that pushes the limits of hop flavor and aroma. It pours a deep gold color with a complex citrus aroma. The taste is balanced with a clean bitterness and a medium to full body.

Shock Top Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat – The latest addition to the Shock Top portfolio, this Belgian-style unfiltered wheat ale is brewed with honey, caramel malt and aged on bourbon cask staves for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment all year round.

Rolling Rock – This premium extra pale lager is crafted using a time-honored recipe with only the finest malted barley and blend of hops. A classic American lager, as well-known for its distinctive, full-bodied taste as it is for its craftsmanship, heritage and painted green bottle, Rolling Rock is full-flavored with a subtle bite and a light to medium body and color.

Location: Del Papa Distribution Center, Hospitality Room, 1220 I-45, Texas City, TX 77591

Thursday can’t get here soon enough – see you then, Pint Jockeys!

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Texas Tuesday

Saint Arnold Icon Blue joins the brewery’s famed Icon series

There’s a new Icon in town and boy, are we excited to welcome it.

Saint Arnold’s latest addition to their Icon series –which consists of special beers that the brewery releases for only about three months at a time – is a dark, medium bodied ale with rich chocolate malt notes. The brewers used English malt hops and their own Saint Arnold yeast, also hailing from the U.K.

Released just last week on March 3, 2014, Saint Arnold Icon Blue pours a dark brown color with ruby and garnet highlights, producing an off-white head. As you pour, you’ll pick up heavy chocolate aromas, with hints of nuttiness and lightly roasted coffee sprinkled in. According to the brewers, the Saint Arnold yeast “contributes mild esters, which are perfect for this style. Chocolate and roast are the primary flavors in this ale, with a distinct sweetness coming through as the beer warms up.”

The folks at Saint Arnold recommend that you serve Icon Blue at 45° to 55°F. See a full list of stats below, and be sure to check this one out while you can!

Cheers to another great Texas craft beer release!

 

Style:	Brown Porter
Packaging Color:	Blue
Date Released:	March 3, 2014
Original Gravity:	1.052
Final Gravity:	1.0132
Alcohol:	5.1% ABV
Bitterness:	27 IBU

 

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Texas Tuesday

A look at an old favorite: Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s Brown Ale

There’s something about a cold and dreary day that makes us want to don our coziest ten year old pajamas, cuddle up on the couch, indulge in a full season of a television series we’ve already watched twice on Netflix and of course, sip on a cold craft beer.

Sometimes, there’s just nothing like the comfort of the familiar. If you’re looking to re-visit an old stand-by this week, may we suggest Saint Arnold’s Brown Ale.

Originally released in June 1995 in celebration of the brewery’s one-year anniversary, Brown Ale sports a very light character and pleasant bitterness with a subtle hop flavor and aroma. A beautiful, deep copper brown ale, it has a full, malty body with hints of chocolate, a touch of sweetness and a light hop flavor. A complex malt character is created by combining five different types of malt. When poured, the beer produces a rich, creamy head with a fine lace.

The brewery recommends pairing it with pecan crusted snapper, other light fish and venison.  Anything containing nuts is sure to pair well, with the nuts bringing out the nutty malt character in the beer to produce a most satisfying taste.

Almost ten years after its birth and more than five big time beer awards later, Brown Ale has cemented its place as a tried and true favorite in both the craft beer world and the palettes of many craft beer lovers. We hear it’s even the favorite beer of the wife of the brewery’s owner!

Cheers to the classics! We hope you stay warm and dry out there, Pint Jockeys. We’ll see ya next week!

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