Brewed as an American Stout, Jason Davis in his infinite and unquestionable wisdom decided to add Belgian yeast to this one. Stouts are originally British in origin, with some hailing from the Emerald Isle as well. American stouts deviate a little by having a little more hopped up character and these days like to have their morning coffee while being brewed. Hops range in variety, as wel as the amount of bitter taste and often a roasted malt flavor.
Brought again to us by the Freetail Brewing Co. This is unique brewpub, is still determined to change your perception of beer and of Texas craft brews (Yes, we have very good craft brews here in Texas)! Born out of inspiration in 2005 while at Chama River Brewing Co., in Albuquerque, NM, owner Scott Metzger and brewer Jason Davis have created a very unique brewpub that has paid homage to Texas and its inhabitants. Named after the official Texas flying mammal, the Mexican Free-Tail Bat and the beers definitely take on the attitude of its namesake, as well as that of the owner and brewer.
BearAdvocate.com recently rated Freetail as the #1 rated brewpub in Texas and was the winner of the San Antonio Express-News 2009 Critics Choice for “Best Place for a Cold Beer”.

Appearance is typical for a stout. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, color into a pint glass. Produces a minimal head, with just the right amount of carbonation and leaves a nice lacing that hangs around on the glass very nice.
Aroma is of chocolate, roasted malts and a very nice caramel. Hops are definitely definitely present lending a nice balance to this stout. What’s different about this is that the Belgian yeast comes to the surface to balance out the chocolate and caramel. The floral notes present remind one of cruisin’ through South Texas looking at the wildflowers..but I digress..
When I first sipped this one, all that I smelled earlier came rushing at me. Another sip or two brought out some coffee flavor with an almost tart orange hint to it. The hops are present and balance out the chocolate. The Belgian yeast makes this a bit creamy for a stout, but a welcome change to this style.
Mouthfeel was definately that of a full bodied stout that almost felt like a meal aafterwards!
Overall, I like this one. I had not come across a stout with a belgian attitude, but leave to Jason to try it. It would be interesting to take it further and try a Simcoe hopped version of this one. Although that might be a bit much…At about 5% ABV I had another and it went well with the 5 layered lasagna that the kitchen whipped up.







