Independence Jasperilla Old Ale 2008 Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Jasperilla Old Ale 2008
Style: Old Ale | ABV: 9.3% | IBUs: 29
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Named after brewery founders Rob and Amy's dog Jasper, Jasperilla is Independence's biggest beer, and the only one to get the single-bottle treatment. Brewed once a year and aged for six months before release, Jasperilla is an Old Ale on a mission.

Independence note it's brewed using English Old Ale and Chico yeasts, but do not divulge the hop or malt bills. Regardless, here's how they describe the finished brew:

Brilliantly golden, Jasperilla is a unique take on an old ale. Biscuity malt flavors meld with subtle plum and berry notes.

Sounds like a good dog to me, let's give it a try. We're trying the 2008 release here, but these notes are from when it was still fresh

Appearance: A slightly hazy, and pumpkin-colored body with plenty of sediment in solution. On top, a finger and a half of creamy, off-white head that endures well and leaves decent lacing.

Aroma: A mix of various fruits (mostly apples and citrus) over sweet toffee-like malt with some whiffs of alcohol around the edges.

Taste: Golden fruit and citrus notes riding on top of a bold toffee-and-molasses malt backbone. Towards the end some woody flavors manifest themselves. The alcohol is much more present in the mouth than in the nose and compliments everything well. As for the aftertaste, it's nicely boozy and peppery.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation and a dry finish. There's some slickness from the alcohol left in the mouth and just a hint of burn.

Drinkability: Definitely approaching sipper territory.

Verdict: I'm happy to report that this is quite a tasty and complex beer, and would be a great brew to enjoy with a cigar in the evening. I'll be cellaring a bottle for a year or so to see how it ages.

Grade: A-

Note: While the review above is being posted in 2011, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh.

Independence Freestlye Wheat Beer Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Freestyle Wheat Beer
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 4.7%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

Inspired by Texas summer days spent at their favorite swimming holes, Independence describe Freestyle as being similar to a "a Pilsner brewed as an ale." This is the brewery's lightest beer and they list it as an American Wheat Beer, noting they feel it could also justifiably be referred to as a Blonde Ale. Freestlye, indeed.

It's brewed with Horizon hops, Two-Row Pale, and American White Wheat malts, and American ale yeast. Independence describe the finished product as:

Crisp, light-bodied, and refreshing [with] dry flavor followed by a slightly sweet malt finish. Freestyle is the taste of summer in Texas.

Well, the temperature outside is certainly right for this beer, I just wish I had a swimming hole to enjoy it with.

Appearance: A somewhat hazy, golden-orange body with a nice, near white head. Great curtains of lace.

Aroma: Sharp citrus and some apple cider notes over a wheat base. Almost reminiscent of an apple pie at times.

Taste: A solid cereal-like wheat backbone is very much in charge here, and is heavy on the cereal-grain flavors. It reminds me of Weetabix, which is certainly not a bad thing. There's a little hop character towards the back, but this is certainty a wheat-forward beer. The aftertaste keeps the cereal flavors going.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation. It dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: You really can't fault it here, this is quite quaffable.

Verdict: A unique take on the American Pale Wheat Ale style, Freestyle is a likable beer for me. It has more of a spotlight on the wheat than most beers in this category, which offers up a nice change of pace that I appreciate. Still an easy and refreshing drink, this would be great on a Summer's day here in the Lone Star State.

Grade: B+

Independence Pale Ale Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Independence Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale | ABV: 5.5% | IBUs: 39
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

It's time to check in with Austin's Independence Brewing Company again. This time, we're trying their Independence Pale Ale. That makes its full name "Independence Independence Pale Ale", which appears to be one of those self-titled album situations.

Anyway, the beer is an American Pale Ale and was apparently inspired by the unlikely heroes of Texas, hence the beautiful label art featuring Angelina Eberly. The backbone is built from Two-Row Pale and 20° Caramel malt varieties, Horizon hops are used for bittering, Cascade and Saaz hops are used for dry-hopping, and the whole thing is brought to life by American Ale yeast.

Independence describe the finished product as "bright, bold, and hoppy [with] a distinctive citrus aroma and clean, hoppy finish." Sounds right to me, let's crack it open.

Appearance: A somewhat hazy orange body with a finger of off-white head that leavers decent lacing.

Aroma: Mild, citrusy and somewhat grassy hops over caramel malt. A little thin, but appetizing.

Taste: Very similar. The same hop profile (though more intense) over a solid, biscuity malt backbone keeps everything balanced. There's a hoppy aftertaste, stronger than I expected, that is certainly welcome.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and refreshing with ample carbonation.

Drinkability: Very quaffable, as you'd expect from a Pale Ale.

Verdict: Independence is a very drinkable, straightforward Pale Ale. It's not going to set the world on fire, but it will work perfectly for a session. I would prefer the hops to be cranked up just a little bit, but then I'm a certified hophead, so I could say that about most beers. Mild and inoffensive, this makes a great "gateway beer" to turn someone onto craft beer.

Grade: B+

Independence Bootlegger Brown Ale Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Bootlegger Brown Ale
Style: American Brown Ale | ABV: 6.0% | IBUs: 14
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

The first beer I ever reviewed here on PintLog was Independence Brewing's Austin Amber Ale, a tasty little Amber with a gorgeous label. Well, it's been a few years and I figure it's time to review another of their beers. For the follow-up I settled on their Bootlegger Brown Ale.

On their website, Independence mention that Horizon hops are used for bittering, but it's unclear what (if any) other varieties are included. The backbone is built from 2-Row Pale, Belgian Chocolate, and 20° Caramel malts. Here's how they describe the finished product:

Smooth, chocolaty, and easy-drinking. Bootlegger has a distinctive, chocolaty flavor. [It's] is medium-bodied and filtered for a clean, laid-back finish.

On the label, there's another piece of gorgeous artwork, featuring a depiction of a bootlegger driving down Congress Avenue outside of the Texas Capital. If the beer is half as good as the artwork, it should score well.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, dark brown body with pumpkin highlights. Up top, a half-finger of tightly-packed and cream-colored head that recedes rapidly, leaving a ring around the glass and little lacing.

Aroma: First up, a wave of coffee. Not dark-roasted espresso, but regular black coffee, (similar to New Belgium's Giddy Up). There are plenty of chocolate and roasty malt notes to back it up. No hops.

Taste: The coffee flavors keep going strong with lots of chocolate, roasted malt, nuttiness, and dark fruit. Some mild hops in the finish. There's lots going on here, but everything meshes in a way that keeps it pretty straight-forward. This is very much a sweet beer, but not cloyingly so.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and silky smooth with good carbonation. The hops in the finish dry the sweetness up a little.

Drinkability: An easy-drinking beer, this would be a good session choice.

Verdict: Independence have crafted a charming little beer here. Lots of different complementary flavors come together to give Bootlegger a good amount of character (something many Browns are missing) while still having a lot of sessionability. Solid.

Grade: B+

Independence Austin Amber Ale Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Austin Amber Ale
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 4.9% | IBUs: 14
Serving Method: 12oz. bottle poured into pint glass

This is Independence Brewing Co.'s flagship beer: an Amber Ale that draws heavily on the company's Austin appeal. The label design is brilliant, basing itself on the city's famous Greetings From Austin mural on South First Street. I've seen Independence's offerings increasingly in my local shops over the last year and I could resist this beer (or is it the label?) no longer.

Or maybe I nicked a six-pack from the one of the brewery's high-ups at my dad's 50th birthday party a few months ago and I'm just getting around to trying it out—it's a mystery. I love both Amber Ales and Austin, so expectations are somewhat high for this beer.

Appearance: Huge foamy head on top of a thick golden-brown body.

Aroma: Citrusy and malty with hints of light hops.

Taste: Very much an Amber Ale with a malty taste with subtle hop undertone.

Mouthfeel: Moderately fizzy and sharp with a clean finish.

Drinkability: Very easy to drink, I can see drinking this beer outside throughout a long summer's day.

Verdict: Not a bad attempt—it's surely no Fat Tire, but a very tasty and drinkable Amber Ale none-the-less. I'm delighted that both this company and this beer hold up to the lofty expectations its brilliant design ignited in me.

Grade: B+