Staff
By Danny Housey
Okay, so it’s taken me longer than it should have to do a review of a Nola beer, considering it’s a 5-10 minute drive from where I live. Let me put it out there that these guys have great beers as well as a great staff. I’v been on the brewery tour a couple of times, and they couldn’t be friendlier. If you’re ever in New Orleans and have never been, you’re missing out.
I poured the beer into an “American-sized” pint glass (the glass that 99.9% of establishments use and insist on calling a pint for some reason). It comes out a dark gold/amber color. It’s a pretty citrous-y pale ale with a dry finish. It’s got a leafy, lemon smell with what I think is a hint of mustard. It has a light, dried fruit finish, with a mouthfeel on the lighter side. I could definitely knock a few of these back on a hot day. There’s a pleasant, upfront bitterness to it as well. Overall, this a well-balanced ale leaning to the more bitter yet light and drinkable side of the spectrum.
I have to admit, I tried this beer when it came out earlier this year, and it was kind of just ‘meh.’ I’m a big fan of both their Hoptitoulas and Mecha-Hopzilla IPAs, as well as their blonde. Compared to those, I was left a little dissatisfied with this at first. It’s a little different than a more traditional pale ale in that I taste more yeasty bitterness as opposed to a hop-based bitterness. But the other week I picked up a six-pack and I found myself enjoying a lot more. I think my expectations influenced my initial opinion on how the beer would taste. Now that opinion has changed.
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