uncle billy's brew tour

If Amos Lowe were a plant, he'd be a hop tree (or vine if you will). This guy's love for hops has translated into a plethera of great tasting beer at the Uncle Billy's Barton Springs location.

Every second Wednesday of every month, Uncle Billy's (both locations) holds a free tour. Now, I'm not going to bore you with the specifics of the brew tour itself. Once you've been to one, you've been to 'em all. The process, the ingredients, etc..., they're all pretty much the same. If you haven't gone to a brewery tour, go now! However, what makes each one unique and interesting is the brewer or, in some cases, the tour guide. Each brewer will provide their own quirky personality into the tour, making it all the more enjoyable. In fact, when you get to know the brewer, the beer does in fact taste better.

Take Amos for example. He takes a lot of pride in what he does, and he loves what he does. He treats the process with respect, and I picked up on a lot of respect for the yeast. He definitely loves his hops, but he also likes balance. He doesn't want aggressively bitter beer, but instead enjoyably hoppy. He respects the ingredients he puts in, but he's also not afraid to experiment. Knowing all of this, and how and why he makes each of the beers, makes each one all the more enjoyable.

Amos and Kim (assistant brewer) fed us a healthy amount of beer after the tour.

Back 40 Blonde

Agave Wit

Hill Country Organic Amber

Ax Handle Pale Ale

Insomniac Coffee Stout

Rylo's Rye Pale Ale (Belgo)

The impressive tap selection

My favorites were by far the Insomniac Coffee Stout and the Rylo's Rye Pale Ale (both on their rotating taps). The Insomniac used cold brewed coffee from Austin Java. Using cold brewed coffee instead of hot brewed allowed the beer to pick up all of the roasted and chocolate flavors without any of the unwanted bitterness. It was absolutely smooth and delicious (best version of Insomniac yet). The Rylo is a Rye Pale Ale (10% Rye) with Belgian yeast. It's like the Agave Wit and the Hop Zombie had a baby. Floral, effervescent, and a nice hoppy balance makes this one an absolute winner in my book.

Kim, the assistant brewer, was also there. However, I did not get a chance to talk with her. Seriously, she's a ninja. Each time we were done talking about one beer, she'd come back with a pitcher full of the next beer. Ninja skills pouring pitchers, I can't imagine what kind of skills she's got in the brewing room.

So if you're free on the second Wednesday of the month, head to Uncle Billy's for a free tour, free beer, and a chance to meet one of the coolest brewers on this planet. Cheers!