Ding Points: 60.50
Pour: 60.00, Nose: 70.00, Palate: 60.00, Mouth: 50.00, Global: 60.00
Tasting Notes:
Thanks go out to @lnashsig for the chance to try this.
Opened in 2008, Freetail Brewing Co. states, ‘Free your mind and your tail will follow‘, which is alarmingly similar to the much more recent tagline by Burnt Hickory Brewing of, ‘Free your mind and your glass will follow‘. Anyway, both are cheesy.
22 oz bottle. Mid to dark golden body with a pretty small head. Not much retention, not a great deal of lace. Average looking.
Freetail Brewing Co., 3TAIL
It’s quite a heavy beer with some viscous feel about it. Paradoxically, the beer looks a little light in the glass, with some large bubbled carbonation and wispy feel about it. Odd.
Nose offers largely what one would expect, with a alcohol laced, mild spice note.
Sugary sweet, with a few phenolic notes, the yeast is unmissable in the taste and the beer sits close to, if not firmly in the style – despite the brewery confusingly calling this a “Belgian-Style Golden Strong‘! A little slick in the mouth, but with the alcohol content and the (approximate) style, that’s OK. A touch of peppery spice in there too, but to be honest it is largely overwhelmed by the sweetness and the alcohol.
Commercial description
The pilsner malts, the honey-like elements and the spice that the label mentions are all detectable, but just don’t really add up to much beyond the sugar. The yeast element is stronger and does shine through, so that is a plus, but it seems to be fighting a losing battle against the residual sugar. The beer almost seems under-attenuated.
Truthfully the beer is just a little too big, and even thought all of the ingredients are present, they just don’t seem to mesh together at all well. There’s no issue with a big beer in this style, but somehow the beer seems all about size and much less about how those parts might fit together. Potential, but not quite there for me.
Other: 8.7%, 28 IBU, Belgian Strong Pale Ale.
Against my better judgement, and only because I know you don’t care what anybody thinks about you or your opinions, I would like to ask a favor. Instead of bitching and moaning, as you put it, would you take a few minutes out of your day and let us know about things like this that affect our business? I know it’s your favorite thing to whine about local beer and beer fans, but if you don’t do anything to fix or improve the situation, you are part of the problem. I realize you might not care that you’re just pointing out the problem, but I figured I’d give you one last benefit of the doubt to see if you actually wanted to help the beer community, rather than ridicule it. It’s obvious you are a little confused on the concept, but I ask that rather than pester and bother people who produce beer for a living, I ask that you assist them and the people to partake in their products instead. When coming across potential copyright issues, help us out? When you have issues with pricing, let us know? I know it’s strange to have somebody ask you for feedback, but how else do we know? Let me know if you decide to assist.
I’m confused. What do you want me to do? I think you are MASSIVELY over-thinking and over-analyzing my comments. I simply pointed out that the tag lines are very similar and I think they are both a little weak.
As for the pricing issue, I found it curious, so asked for opinions on Twitter. As for communicating directly with you, why should I? You’ve made your feelings about me and my opinions, VERY clear.
Ding, it’s blatantly obvious you enjoy the devil’s advocate approach. You dislike the ridiculousness of “bloggers” who constantly complement terrible beers; a point that I agree with wholeheartedly. The fact that you blocked Scott and I for throwing some of your similar critiques and rhetoric shows you lack the fortitude or “cojones” to come to the realization that you cause more harm than good with your methodology. Once again, I’m simply asking for some assistance here and there when you are privy to information that could help us with our upstart business. Yes or no?
You’re COMPLETELY wrong about the ‘Devil’s Advocate’ thing – completely, but moving on…..
I think you are overestimating my influence. I’m just a guy, writing about beer *for himself*, who gets read by virtually nobody. How can I be ‘doing harm’ (or ‘good’)?
I don’t understand what you are asking of me. What do you want me to do?
BTW – I hope you told the brewer at Cannon Brewpub about his diacytl (sic) infested beer – gotta help people out, ya know!
>’Once again, I’m simply asking for some assistance here and there when you are privy to information that could help us with our upstart business. Yes or no?’
Precisely what information am I privy to? How can I ‘help’ you?
Are you asking me to run every post or tweet that directly or indirectly mentions BHB past you before it goes public? I’m very confused as to what you are asking of me.