There was once upon a time when I used to be a real hop head. If you gave me a pale ale of any sort, and it didn’t have serious hop bitterness to it, I didn’t really enjoy it. Jabberwocky, Hop Delusion (way before AB), and More Cowbell were my go tos. Palates change over time and now I prefer more floral and fruit forward pale ales. Brazos Valley Brewing’s Willin is a Mosaic pale ale and gets my feature this week.
Why pick Willin? It obviously features those wonderfully fruity Mosaic hops. Yellow Rose seems to be the general consensus best and most recognizable beer from the area that features Mosaic hops, but I am going to try very hard not to compare Willin to that.
The label for Willin is dark green and maroon with a hitchhiking brunette hitting Hwy 290. If anything, she’s probably trying to hitch a ride on over to Houston to drink more of this delicious craft beer! Given how other beers from BVB have gone, we will likely see this label change colors slightly to embrace a different beer.
Willin pours a lovely golden color with lots of frothy head on the top. I am not sure if this is a single hopped pale ale, but it certainly smells like mosaic hops are the only ones that were used. Aromas of blueberry, grapefruit, and some floral essences fill up your nostrils. I’m very excited going into this one.
As expected, Willin floods your mouth with a light body featuring bright floral and citrus flavors on the front end, but it finishes with a flat, bland hop bite. It doesn’t kill it for me, but it is hard not to think about every time I bring the glass up to my lips.
I am giving Willin four stars because, from the first gulp, it reminds me of a beer to have in hand while relaxing in the kiddie pool in your backyard (or full size pool if you’re fancy). I will definitely keep it around in my rotation this summer. It was difficult for me to find though because I haven’t seen it at Specs, HEB, or Whole Foods. In fact, I grabbed the next to last six pack at Total Wine.
Perhaps I’ll just have to make my way over to Brenham and nab more. What do you usually keep by the pool in this encroaching heat? Beers to you, Houston.
Nick is originally from the Corpus Christi area, but found himself in Houston as of 4 years ago. You can spot him wearing a Hooks hat and drinking a glass of craft beer around the city. He typically prefers his beers to mirror his taste in music: complex, heavy, and dark.
[…] can with a big fat peach sitting in the bed of an old green pickup truck. This can’s actually a Willin’ Pale Ale can with a sticker on it, but the actual cans have the same maroon badge at the […]
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Posted at 12:49h, 11 July[…] can with a big fat peach sitting in the bed of an old green pickup truck. This can’s actually a Willin’ Pale Ale can with a sticker on it, but the actual cans have the same maroon badge at the […]