Border towns are known for being disruptive little places with unique, unspoken laws. They’re the kind of place where weekends are the main focus (starting Monday am,) and little things become big ones quickly. So is Bryan, Texas a Border Town? Not at all. But it is a small one, and the above applies.
Black Water Draw Border Town Lager draws some similarity from its namesake and hometown. It’s a relatively small beer that becomes big as you drink it, and it’s definitely looking forward to the weekend.
(Time out for one second. I bought this beer back around Christmas time 2016. I often write reviews the moment I get the beer, so it’s at it’s peak freshness, and then I post it later. I made the trip to Black Water’s down town location for their Ole St. Nipplaus can release, which was well worth the drive per myself and Nick. The review has been sitting in my journal ever since.)
Border Town Lager is damn good as far as Mexican lagers are concerned. It starts off crisp, as expected, but there’s a bigger malty-sweetness and a sharper, albeit small, bitter aftertaste that has notes that are right in line with the style. The hop flavor is super subtle.
There are dozens of macro comparisons here, so I really want to make this one count. One of my good friends is a devout drinker of Dos Equis, and despite me trying again and again to convert him, he’s steadfast.
I really wanted to try Border Town Lager for him. I was hoping it’d be the perfect transition for him, but I won’t know ’til BWD gets their distribution further into Houston or I make my way up there for some cans. Border Town Lager reminds me more of a Bohemia, which is a huge complement, as that’s one of my preferred brews when poolside in Nuevo Vallarta.
Border Town Lagger was a bit maltier than I expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for me. It’s just not the right one for my buddy, but I won’t stop believin’. *Cue Journey in the background*
Border Town Lager pours a medium copper that’s pretty close to clear. There’s no head, no lace, and nothing much to speak of visually. But Border Town’s a good beer.
I put a lime in it. Not better, not worse, just different. It brought down that maltiness a little, and balanced it out. The lime-bitterness and the aftertaste came together to put the sweetness in check.
I could see this being an excellent beer to cook with, be it in the marinade or in your hand as you tend to the grill. I have a special place in my heart for Mexican Lagers, and my hunt continues. But how about you? What’d you think of Border Town Lager? Let us know in the comments below. Beers to you, Houston.
Anthony's a Houston native, a Creative Strategist at https://ledgeloungers.com/, an adjunct instructor of Visual Communication at Lone Star College, and a UH Coog that loves good beer almost as much as he does his city. Anthony lives to help others and that's found a home helping some of the coolest breweries on earth with creative and marketing projects that can be seen on our Portfolio page. Fueled by hoppy lagers, sessionable IPAs, and gangster rap, he's ticked his way through H-Town, rocking the most unusual Nikes he can find. When he's not writing for us, he's with his family or very patiently rooting for the Rockets.
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