Beer Review - Farmer Brown's Ale

St. Arnold Brewing Company Farmer Brown's Ale - ??% ABV

Ahhh, spring is in the air and time for all of the activities that comes with spring.  Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, bees are buzzing and tornadoes are wiping out trailer parks somewhere in Oklahoma.  For the first time in many months we are able to go enjoy outdoor activites and we do so with gusto.  Running, jumping, playing and humping every leg we see, and we don't want a heavy beer to weigh us down.  So spring beers are typified by their lighter character and hints of all of the rampant floral activity everywhere we look.  It is time for the maibocks, the saisons, and the sweeter stouts and porters (think chocolate, like the basket full that the Easter Bunny brings you and make it a liquid).

 

Our first selection of the season comes to us from the St. Arnold Brewing Company located in Houston.  Farmer Brown's Ale is a ..... well, it's a ..... it's kind of like a .... oh hell, it is a bastard ale.  First you take their normal brown ale (which is not bad ... not great, but not bad) with it's caramel malt flavors, but instead of the normal yeast you use a saison yeast with it's earthy, fruity, spicy characteristics.  Farmer Brown's Ale is part of what St. Arnold calls it's 'movable yeast' series where they experiment with mixing yeasts normally found in a particular style of beer, with an all together different style.  I have tried this on occasion with brews by others brewers and have observed mixed results.  Sometimes they shine and sometimes they suck.  This one definitely does not suck.  The ale has a very light, malty nose and very little head.  The texture is very smooth with light carbonation and a beautiful golden - brown color.  The flavor is the very flavor of spring and growing things ... malty, sweetish, fruity, floral, earthy and wonderful.  Though they have not published the ABV I would surmise that it is somewhere around the 5.5% - 6%. 

Go to your favorite patio or park or your back porch, sit, relax and soak in sume sun and pollen and enjoy this fine brew before it goes away for good.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company
2000 Lyons Ave.
Houston, TX 77020
http://www.saintarnold.com/index.html