I want to start off this Beer Blog by saying: "Holy crap it's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted on this thing!" I've been slacking off way too much lately and I can blame a lot of different things for that, but I'm not going to. It's time to man up and start writing about beer again. So I apologize. Now no more sissy stuff let's discuss beer!
Today I had the pleasure of cracking open one of the two collaboration beers that came out this year. Bear Republic, Stone, and Fat Head's brewery all worked together on this fine beer, simply titled TBA.
Now I don't know if these three juggernaut brewers couldn't agree on a name because they were stubborn, or because it's hard to actually label TBA. I'm gonna vote for the latter.
TBA is a brown ale brewed with molasses and brown sugar. It is also classified as "extra hoppy" which I can say is true, especially poured right out of the bottle. (That's for true!)
In my mind, TBA is so hoppy that it reminds me of an IPA (India Pale Ale), but has the flavor of a brown ale (Mind=blown). This pairing of flavors/beer types makes for an interesting combination and one that I could get used to drinking.
TBA is what happens when two of my favorite beer styles make sweet, sweet love on a warm summer night underneath a sky filled with bright stars. This beer takes the best qualities of both IPAs and brown ales and combines them to form one extremely delicious beer that is satisfying to say the least.
I even used the new mug I got for my birthday this year from my aunt and uncle to celebrate my first time tasting this beer.
I got lucky alright...by buying a bottle of this beer when it first became available and being able to enjoy it today. So the next time you can't decide whether you want to drink a brown ale or an IPA, don't think twice about having a bottle of TBA. You'll be glad you did!
Head Brewer Matt Cole's statement about TBA right on the bottle
