Jester King Brewery Austin, Texas
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Volume 16 Issue 3 Jester King Brewery Austin, Texas Black Metal Michael Jackson once remarked on and a few breweries evaporated in the with wild Texas yeast harvested atop Austin, Texas’ counterintuitively rich brutal heat of Texas’ overall feelings the brewery’s rooftop, to a European- beer scene. In the heart of a land not about beer. That was back then. inspired, porter-colored mild ale, to necessarily renowned for good beer, a monstrous double stout. Not the the Austin environs had numerous For much of its more recent history, standard opening lineup of an amber, brewpubs and breweries, and offered Texas’ craft brewers have had to be a blonde and a pale ale, they instead a welcome breeding ground for better rather careful not to stray too far off debuted with an oaked rye IPA called beer culture. Even the legendary the map, sticking to traditional, almost Wytchmaker, and Commercial Suicide, Pierre Celis, famous resurrectionist “starter” beers in their lineups. It was their English dark mild ale—a 3% ABV of Belgian Witbier, settled there in a training-wheels approach that seems session brew that drinks like a beer the 1990s to open his U.S. brewery. to have lasted a bit longer than in other twice its strength. They have a passion Austin helped foster strong bits of states. But the craft beer movement for marrying the extreme with poise— creativity and growth for brewers in has helped pierce that balloon, and which means some of their beers are the microbrewery boom of the 1990s. what’s rushing through the aperture made using techniques such as open But it didn’t last... Various downtown is better beer. The newest influx of fermentation, whisky barrel aging, and brewpubs were almost all shuttered, Texas breweries hit the scene at a bottle-conditioning with wine yeast. Celis’ own brewery was dismantled, rapid pace. Or, you know, brewed to 10%+ ABV. But remarkably, for extreme domestic One of them is the craft beers, they’ve remained refined Jester King Brewery, (Continued on reverse page) located on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country on SPECIFICATIONS the outskirts of Austin. The folks behind the Style brewery have opted out Farmhouse Imperial Stout of the “safe and careful Alcohol By Volume 10.8% approach,” deciding Serving Temperature instead to brew anything 55–61° F from authentic, oak-aged Suggested Glassware farmhouse ales made Snifter, Tulip, Chalice, or Pinot Glass and balanced. well water, and fermented with a yeast strain. The sudden flash of citrus mixture of traditional brewers yeast rind and earthy hoppiness contribute The Jester King brand continues to and locally harvested native yeast and on the bitterness side, working nicely evolve while maintaining its artisan bacteria (and black metal music played with the malt-derived bitterness from vibe. Local artist Josh Cockrell, who to the beer during fermentation, of this beer’s specialty malt additions. was at the brewery during our three course). It’s essentially pure black initial visits giving tours, sterilizing in color at first glance—it’s actually This beer’s certainly an anomaly for things, filling kegs, rolling barrels— a super dark brown when held to a Texan beer—and Jester King’s Black whatever was needed at the time— penetrating light source—blanketed Metal is also a bit anomalous for the designed their label artwork, brewery by a very thick, brownish head. There’s style itself, remaining balanced for logos, and tap handles. We found a show on display here as cascading what it is and almost unnervingly easy a couple of his tap handles while in effects fizzle down the side of the to drink, with a sort of split personality: Austin checking out the local better glass at the interface of the liquid and for those seeking out extended waves beer scene, and these handles are foam formation. of flavor and intensity, you’ll get it. truly works of art. We’ve long been But if you’re seeking more subtlety fans of Jester King’s attention to Make sure the beer is served at the and sophistication, you’ll get that detail, the passionate commitment correct temperature—cold is its only too, though it may take a particularly to unleashing unconventional beers known weakness! Expect big notes refined palate to realize it given the on the marketplace, the artisanship, of roasted barley from the start, with richness of flavor. This is not just a the risk-taking, the do-it-yourselfism, quite a bit of coffee, anise, and even big bad monster of a beer thrashing the brewing prowess shown by these some toffee, plus a little suggestion about, beating its chest and crushing homebrewers turned pro, the will to of the hefty 10.8% ABV, at least when beer cans on its forehead, but a well experiment, and the drive to source this is served on the lower end of the crafted, smart, interesting beast of a and use local, organic ingredients and suggested serving temperatur (the beer that manages to retain balance harvested rainwater. We think you’ll alcohol does start to reveal itself with and poise. It’s an impressive juggling dig what Jester King’s up to. For more added temp). From the aroma alone, act, even for the ablest of jesters. info, check out their website over at it seems like this beer might have jesterkingbrewery.com. been played a softer, gentler kind of Aging & Pairing Notes: black metal during fermentation, with Black Metal comforting notes of treacle-ish, singed The 10+% ABV and style category here syrup and deep chocolate. But while suggest Black Metal should do just fine Jester King’s Black Metal currently it starts with some sweetness, this is with, say, six months or more in the sees very limited distribution, with quickly dried up by the unleashing of cellar, as some of the core chocolate only about 20 cases sold in the U.S. coffee (espresso, esp.), burnt currants, notes gravitate toward more of a in 2018. This year’s limited run will be vinous warmth, scorched raisins and caramel focus with time. We suggest predominantly heading to our Rare charred wood. Esters are perceived as pairing this with a maduro cigar, Beer Club members, with around 50 to low, but they are there if you look for sinister heavy metal, a mace (or other 75 cases left over for distribution solely them, offset by a bit of fruity impact similarly unwieldy device), and maybe in Texas. Jester King Black Metal is from the alcohol. Black Metal finishes something by Dante for balance. brewed with a variety of malted barleys with heaps of coffee and treacle, and and rolled oats, English-style hops, ends quite dry for the style, thanks aerated and filtered Texas Hill Country to a very high attenuating traditional MonthlyClubs.comtm Volume 16 Issue 3 Les Trois Mousquetaires Brossard, Québec, Canada Grande Cuvée Weizenbock The Québécois good-beer scene has the years since the company has tracked down. We also recently featured been renowned for breweries like expanded its lineup from a pair of (and loved!) their pale and zestily hopped Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel!, both of lagers to its current expansive Maibock—also brewed with Québec-grown which see significant distribution range of German-influenced malt. throughout the States, but it’s creations and beyond. Like the small-scale operations like Les Greater Montreal region, the Les This month, we’re pleased to introduce Trois Mousquetaires that remind Trois releases—Maibock, Rauchbier, our Rare Beer Club members to arguably us that it’s frequently better to Kellerbier, etc.—conjure an Old- the finest beer we’ve had from these folks visit. Located directly southeast World, European charm. thus far: a dark wheat ale in the form of of Montreal, maybe an hour or their Grand Cuveé Weizenbock. It’s brewed so north of the Vermont border, Some of our Rare Beer Club with 100% Québec malt and Northern the brewery exports only a few members will fondly recall their Brewer hops—and it’s one of our more occasional offerings, most often Sticke Alt. Of the brewery’s cellarable features in recent memory (for their hefty Porter Baltique. German-style offerings, we those looking for a little something to tuck Les Trois Mousquetaires were particularly thrilled away for a while). This one’s very limited got its start back in 2004, with the brewery’s take stateside, and we hope you love it as much shortly after its three on that older style— as we did. To many more exceptional beers founders lost their jobs which can be challenging from our friends at Les Trois Mousquetaires! after a production plant to track down in the was moved to Ontario. States, especially fresh. Grande Cuvée Weizenbock Hence the Alexandre Or pretty much anywhere Dumas reference. “One else in the world, aside Les Trois Mousquetaires’ Grande Cuvée for all, all for one!” from Düsseldorf... We (Continued on reverse page) were able to secure the Using their experience Les Trois Mousquetaires SPECIFICATIONS as production engineers, Sticke Alt as a Rare Beer they decided to purchase Club selection a few years Style a small brewing operation back. Like many of their Weizenbock (dark wheat ale) along the north shore of beers, it utilized 100% Alcohol By Volume 10.5% Montreal. (We’re glad Québec-produced malted they did.) In 2008, brewer barley, and to this day Serving Temperature 50–57° F Alex Ganivet-Boileau it’s still one of the finest took over brewing examples of that elusive Suggested Glassware Tulip, Chalice, or Weizen Glass responsibilities, and in style that we’ve ever Weizenbock is a 10.5% ABV dark wheat ale Les Trois Mousquetaires’ Weizenbock is welcome touch of oxidation), cola, and even that perfectly showcases what this brewery one of the tastiest we’ve ever found, with some rich red fruitiness, almost berry-like.