A taste of… Tailgate Light

Tailgate Beer (Contract)
Irvine,CA

Preface: This contract brew is a case of meeting market demand with a business plan rather than a brewery. When I spoke to Wesley Keegan, the young man who founded Tailgate, I was impressed with his grasp of how to meet a market demand and do it in a way that did not totally defy business logic. At my request he sent a selection of his products. I will admit he has great big stones including a “Light” beer. The following are my tasting notes…

Appearance.
This is a straw blonde beer with fine fermentation and a sparkling white rocky head.

Aroma.
There is a aroma of malt with slightly sour undertones. It reminds me a great deal of the Schaeffer beer of the 1960s.

Flavors.
Naturally the very first impression is that of a cool refreshing liquid. The second sensation between lip and sip reveals very little. There is a hint of malt at the very beginning and the finish is definitely slightly hoppy.

Mouth feel.
There is a surprising amount of mouth feel here medium in range and the effervescence adds a little bit of volume.

Finish.
This brew finishes off with a surprising amount of hops on the palate. Not surprisingly, as a reveler off a tailgate.

Comments:
As I said at the beginning of this review, it took a lot of stones to send me a light beer. Nevertheless, let me say that overall, this is a step above most of the light beers I’ve ever tasted. On a hot day in August, sitting on a wood deck overlooking the sea, with a pile of steamed clams in front of me, I wouldn’t be afraid of ordering a six pack of this beer.

Website: http://tailgatebeer.com/

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