04 Jul Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration

Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration

NEIPA

ABV: 7.1%

IBUs: 67

Packaging: Draft, 16 ounce cans

I know we’re a little late to the party with this review, but with Saint Arnold and Brash both making it into the top 10 of the 2017-2018 Most Valuable Brewery voting, it felt like good timing. Better late than never, right? When this beer dropped, we were all knee-deep in real life, and beer took a backseat, as you may have read on the 8th Wonder Brewery Guide or a few of the more recent posts. Enough with the excuses, let’s get to the beer.

I saw this bad boy on the shelf at my local HEB, but I’d heard so many folks throwing so much shade that my curiosity was stifled. Then a week later, Chris text me like, “Hey, I got you a can of that Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration, bro.”

My reply was simply, “Bet.”

He gave me his own vague summary just enough to pique my interest again and disregard all the haters I’d seen and heard. I’m glad I gave it a shot.

The can is all black can with metallic stencil lettering, reminiscent of Brash artwork and a Patron Saint with a Brashy-helmet that features Brash’s little skull. The black and aluminum is true-to-form for a Brash beer like EZ-7, so it makes good sense that Saint Arnold would design it as such, since it’s not a collaboration and all. The Brock letter about it was the best part for me, and it left a bunch of folks scratching their heads.

Despite the golden-hour sunset killing my lighting in the worst way, the beer looked pretty pretty good. Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration is a straw-like yellow-orange and pretty hazy, but it wasn’t quite opaque and juicelike like some of the SpindleTap, B52, and Baa Baa juice bombs we’ve come to expect.

It smells kinda mild for the style, but there are spicy, soapy, fruity hop notes that seem a little bolder than the sweet, bready malt and alcohol note.

Before tasting it, I heard and read a lot of salty, disappointed feedback about this beer. With each sip, I’m reminded of one of those comments. Each sip starts off bright and citrusy with a sweet and bitter finish. The finish lingers a little with some dankness. The carbonation accompanies everything well, but the mouthfeel and body are more reminiscent of a good fruity IPA than a creamy, soft NEIPA. I understand why there were haters.

Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration reminds me a lot of Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing, to be honest. It’s a great beer in and of itself, but it’s a far cry from the trade bait I’m seeking when I want an NEIPA. From coast to coast, there are far more good attempts at the style than there are terrific, and this Saint Arnold Brash Not a Collaboration falls into the former.

I’m pretty sure this is all gone now, but correct me if I’m wrong.