04 Mar Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out Saison

Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out Saison

Fulbrook Ale Works

Richmond, TX
Saison
ABV: 8.4%
IBUs: ?
Packaging: Draft, 12oz Cans

Back when Fulbrook Ale Works was taking over the fort at 1125 FM 359, we honestly didn’t know what to think.

Some random dude pops up out of nowhere and claims stake of the Texian facility. Rumors were flying left and right. The Fort Bend curse was chanted, and Houston beer fans clamored with equal parts excitement and curiosity.

We reached out and ended up on the phone with (then) co-owner Jeremiah Ivey. We talked a bit about his history and vision for the facility, and we were ready to try some Fulbrook beer. His promises to outfit the old Texian facility with new amenities like covered patios, bathrooms, and a play area for kids were all met with satisfaction.


Jeremiah has since stepped down and moved away, and Jeff Hajovsky is now at the helm. Jeff has tried to steer Fulbrook in a different direction by adding an additional name to the brewery, The F-Bomb. It’s been a confusing switch since half of their digital presence still says Fulbrook Ale Works and the other half says The F-Bomb, but they’ll figure it out.


It’s always tough to write a review on site, so it’s taken a while to get a review of their beer on our website since they previously didn’t distribute very much. Thanks to Craft Beer Cellar Cypress, I was able to get ahold of a fresh crowler of it!

For those that don’t know, “frag out” is a term used by Army, Marines, and other infantrymen when throwing a frag grenade. It’s a warning to those around that a grenade is being thrown, much like the golf version of, “FORE!” just slightly more dangerous. Slightly.

There are many types of grenades: smoke, flash, concussion, and frag just to name a few.

While the others listed are meant to disorient an enemy, a frag grenade is literally a handheld missile. Pull the pin. Throw. Boom. Hundreds of pieces of shrapnel fly out upon detonation.

Most folks that haven’t been in the military only know of frag grenades from video games and movies.

I didn’t serve in the armed forces, but when I was a kid, one of my best friends’ older sisters fell in love with a dude that ran product for the Mexican cartel, and that’s the first time I saw a grenade.

He’d host house parties with trash cans full of (terrible but free) beer, pizza, and supply everyone in attendance with all the drinks and extra-curricular stuff we could imagine.

I’ll never forget this night. It was at one of the house parties my friend’s brother-in-law threw. We were 15 years old at the time. We were drinking and smoking weed in the backyard when the brother came outside and asked us to quiet down. There were dozens of us. It was a tall ask, even for a tough guy like him. It didn’t work for long, and the subtle roar of a few dozen kids grew again.

He came out again. “Quiet down. Cops will come. The neighbors will call. BE. QUIET.”

There were just too many, and too much in all of our systems, for everybody to all quiet down.

After asking politely twice, he disappeared into the house, rolling the sliding glass door behind him.

He came right back into the backyard, sliding the door right back open briskly, and he had a frag grenade in his hand.

He whistled loudly and grabbed all of our attention.

“Shhh. I told you! Shhh…” He hollered, grimacing through his teeth ominously with eyes as big as an owl. He held up the olive green frag grenade so we call could see it, pulled out the pin, and he raised the now armed grenade above his head. He smirked and raised his eyebrows, eyes still big and menacing, as if to say, “NOW you wanna shut up?”

We did.

It was wild.

He put the pin back in and went in the house, immediately after that almost everybody left except for me and my closest friends. The party went on quietly us because we knew he wasn’t really about to blow us all up. It was at one of these very same parties where I met my wife, but that’s a story for another beer. For now, Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out.

See, Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out Saison is appropriately named. Everything about this beer is explosive, and it reminds me so much of that night with my friends.

Fulbrook Ale Works is now packaging beer, but it’s still making it’s way around town. If you happen to see their tap handles out in the wild, they’ll be bright yellow with black, military-looking, stenciled lettering down each side. They’ll be adorned with a big bomb on top. You can’t miss them. If you see the new cans out in the wild, they’re all white with 3 colored stripes, and a circle in the middle that houses a rough-looking drawing.

Once I brought my crowler of Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out Saison home, I was excited to dig in. The pour was a brilliantly-clear, pale, golden color, and the lacing was chalk-white and airy. It didn’t last long, and the lacing was spotty like camouflage on my glass.

Each whiff brought out notes of earthy, peppery, fruity esters. The medium body and relatively mellow carbonation combined to leave something to be desired on each sip. I was hoping for something much lighter in mouthfeel considering the bright appearance.

I can’t fault the mouthfeel since it’s an 8.4% Saison, though. From start to finish, fruity, spicy yeast-driven flavors dominate the sip. Considering the ABV, this is a real sneaky beer. I can see why it’s so popular. The super-dry finish is characteristically on point, and has some floral notes due to some elderflower used in the process.

You can find Fulbrook Ale Works Frag Out Saison on draft at The Growler Spot in Fulshear, Scholars & Scoundrels in Katy, and at Craft Beer Cellar Cypress as well as several others, and follow them on social to find all the locations that are now stocking their cans.