As I have mentioned before, I work in the energy industry. Depending on what side of the fence you are on, it can elicit some strong feelings. Luckily for me, most of the folks where I live are pro industry and it makes sense because so much of the population are employed by it.
So you ask, what does this have to do with beer? I have found that people in my industry are more interested in beer than the regular population. I know several people I work with that brew their own beer and are regularly recommending or bringing me new beers to try.
Another question, Matt, what does this have to do with anything? I am glad you asked. A couple weeks ago at my company Christmas party I chatted with a colleague that I had never really gotten to converse with. Not a hard thing to do, especially when he works in our Houston office and I have until then only seen on the video conference screen. As we got to talking about beer, he mentioned that he and another of our colleagues in Houston are owners in a brewery there. Of course I was immediately interested in trying what they had to offer. Their brewery, the No Label Brewing Company is located in Katy, TX.
As my beer luck would have it, the two guys from Houston were coming to the home office for a meeting and brought some of their beers with them. Merry Christmas to me. The first one I tried was the Ridgeback Ale.
Appearance: The beer poured an Amber color similar to an ice tea. There was some slight haze and nice carbonation noted. A thin off white head provided some above average lacing in the glass.
Smell: At the start I picked up a malty aroma. When the beer warmed, a more floral hoppy smell was present.
Taste/Mouthfeel: The beer had a medium mouthfeel with the carbonation making it somewhat bubbly. Like the nose, a floral and somewhat fruity hoppy flavor was present with the slightest bitterness on the finish.
Overall: This beer was very pleasant and has high drinkability. It compares very favorably with my favorite Amber from my home state's Abita brewery. However it has a much more complex flavor and more depth. This is definitely one that I could enjoy several of.
The No Label Brewing company brews several other beers, but unfortunately for me they are only available in Texas as of now. Many thanks to Richard and Gilberto for bringing me some to try out. For more info on this beer or their others, please see No Label Brewing Co.
Cheers!
Hi Matt, I followed Meredith's blog link to see what she & the extended family were up to at Christmas. (Please just don't call me "Stalker".) Looks like a good one. Beach Christmas sounds like the best idea--except maybe a winter wonderland in Montreal or somewhere like that.
ReplyDeleteCome visit sometime so you can sample more Canadian microbreweries. There's a limit carrying stuff across the border, but could do a small sampler maybe this spring. Am hoping to get down this spring for JF in NO & possibly FI in Lafayette.
Hi to Margaret/Peggy/Maggie & family.
Hi Virginia. We did have a nice time at Christmas. It was cold by beach standards, but would be a mild one by comparison to Canada. I would love to sample some Canadian microbrews. I am glad you mentioned FI. I used to not get why the locals here would have such pride in it with my New Orleans bias, but it is a really nice little festival. Best part is it is free to enter, unlike JF that has become a real pricey affair.
ReplyDeleteI will pass along your regards to Peggy. Thanks for checking in.