Fitzhugh Ethiopian Tella

I got to try a couple of styles of beer that i've never had before yesterday.  Here and there, when the weather has been nice and not too hot, i'll occasionally venture out to a brewery to sip their wares, though lately only if i can be outside and spaced away from others.  So, on Sunday, i hit up a new joint out in the hill country called Fitzhugh Brewery.  Picnic table secured, i gave their Ethiopian Tella a shot, and it's different and very good.  Here's what a Tella is:

Tella is a traditional beverage fermented with grains that are native to the Ethiopian region. This Tella is made of Ethiopian teff flour, sorghum flour, maize, millet, barley and honey. Traditionally this beer is bittered with an herb called Gesho which lends a subtle spiciness and earthiness to the beer that hops can't quite match.

The 6.8% ABV brew pours a slightly reddish brown with a white head and smells sweet and earthy with lots of grain notes and some hints of honey.  The flavor is that same mix of sweet and earthy, though not overly so, and pretty well balanced.  The lack of hops is certainly noticeable with the Gesho herb making for a very different kind of beer, and a wonderful brew to sip on outside on a warm Fall day.

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River Horse Gentle Giant

Going in a slightly different direction than i normally do during this time of year, taking a small break from Oktoberfests and pumpkin ales, i hit up a big ol' bottle of imperial witbier from New Jersey's River Horse Brewing.  The 8% ABV brew pours a hazy golden wheat with a white head and smells of orange peel and lemon grass along with some light notes of bread and a general, all around earthiness.  The flavor is a mix of said orange, citrus, and grass, followed by some notes of Belgian yeast and a hint of banana.  I don't know why, but this one made me feel like i should be watching baseball.

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Clown Shoes Pumpkin Sombrero

I am full on into pumpkin beer season these days, and my taste for the weekend came from Massachusetts' Clown Shoes Brewing.  The 7% ABV Mexican stout pours black with an off-white head and smells of pumpkin, spices, and roasted malts.  The flavor is an earthy mix of said roasted malts and pumpkin with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon.  It's a Fall brew, and Fall is here...kinda, so drink up while watching your team lose on Saturday, or watching your other team win on Sunday.

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Austin Beerworks Lechedor Horchata Stout

I just can't help myself when it comes to desert-y stouts, and i recently enjoyed the Lechedor Horchata Stout with rice, cinnamon, vanilla, and lactose from the good folks at Austin Beerworks.  The 8.5% ABV brew pours black with a dark tan head and smells of cinnamon, vanilla, and some roasted maltiness.  The flavor is a nice mix of said cinnamon, vanilla, and malt in a lighter bodied brew than your usual stout.  It's definitely a great brew for early fall when it's still pretty hot outside...which is the norm around these parts.

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