Family Business King Biscuit ESB

Yesterday, before my Saints lost in spectacular and heart wrenching fashion, my wife and the kids and i ventured into the Central Texas hill country to check out a brand new brewery that just opened this week, Family Business Beer Co.  Out in the hilly, shady ranch land of Dripping Springs, the set up is pretty cool, a big open taproom with some killer woodwork on the walls and ceiling of the bar, and spacious grounds with plenty of picnic tables, games, an on-sight food truck, and an enclosed playground.  With the kids set with slides and rock walls and such, my wife and i sampled the wares.  Everything was good, but my favorite of the day was the King Biscuit ESB, a 5% ABV English style bitter that poured a nice brown hue with a frothy, white head.  Aromas of malt, caramel, and spice were prevalent with some floral hints, and the flavor was a nice mix of sweet and bitter, caramel and toffee notes combined with some subtle earthiness that really rounded the whole thing out.  A great beer for a cool and sunny day around Austin.  Give it a shot.  We want these kinds of things to stay in business.

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Note: That is my child in the orange laying on the ground with a bunch of rocks on stomach.  He's cool.

Iron Maiden Trooper

I honestly don't know why i haven't written about this beer yet.  It combines two awesome and amazing things...beer and Iron Maiden.  Trooper is an ESB, a nice strong bitter with a copper color and good lacing on the glass.  Hailing from Robinson's Family Brewery out of the UK, the beer has a malty, sugary aroma that pairs pretty well with the light caramel flavors, easy hops, and mild carbonation.  It's a pretty easy beer to drink with a nice, hoppy sting at the end, and the bottle is just amazing.  Seriously.  Dig on that Eddie art.

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Go ahead and watch the video for Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" below.

Honker's Ale

The folks over at Chicago's Goose Island Brewing Co. have just recently moved their craft beverages into the Austin area, and after trying their Honker's Ale, i approve.  The beer is an English bitter that pours a golden caramel and gives off aromas and flavors of said caramel, some nuttiness, hints of citrus, and a light hop that finishes pretty dry.  It's a refreshing beer and easy to drink, and while it's not going to shock and awe you, it will definitely serve you in a pinch.

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