Hello everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be tasting the Jester King Buddha’s Brew made by the Jester King Craft Brewery located in Austin, Texas.

All of these Jester King brews that I’ve had so far have been really tasty, so I’m looking forward to giving this one a go too.

From the website, jesterkingbrewery.com, we find this description of the Buddha’s Brew.

The first Jester King beer to be fermented entirely in oak. Unfermented wort was racked directly to oak barrels and inoculated with souring bacteria. From there, it spent months aging in our barrel room before being blended with live kombucha at bottling. Unfiltered, unpasteurized & naturally carbonated through re-fermentation in the bottle.

Sounds good.  Let’s have a sip.

This beer has an ABV of 4.7% and it comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle.

It poured a mostly clear, radiant, golden color.  It formed a white head of decent size from an easy pour.  The texture was sudsy, soapy and fizzy.  The retention time lacked a little bit and not much lacing was left behind as it subsided.  It got a lot more hazy as I poured the bottom third of the bottle.  Still an ok looking beer though.

The aroma consisted of white grapes and hints of lemon.  Both of which produced a very light tart smell. Evidence of wood and a meager amount of barnyard funk were found as well.  Tones of grass and wheat became more apparent as it warmed.  Honestly, I didn’t get a whole lot of the kombucha tea that was mentioned in the commercial description.  It wasn’t a bad aroma though.  Quite good actually.

The taste released a very relaxing sourness and tartness.  Not “lip puckering” at all.  More of the grapes and lemon citrus, but again, very manageable and easy going.  Some funk was available, however not an overabundance.  A light relish of oak protruded on the back end and the grassiness became stronger as I went along.  Still no tea however.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin bodied.  Smooth, but crisp, dry and refreshing.  The carbonation was lively on the tongue and a sturdy amount of flavor was left behind for me to enjoy between sips.

Overall, I thought this to be a respectable beer.  It was very easy to drink and it would pair very well with the upcoming Spring and Summer season.  Enough character was available to keep me interested for the entire drink that’s for sure.  Now, I don’t think it’s on par with some of the other Sours that I’ve tried in the past, but I do believe that this beer could be enjoyed by most anyone looking to explore the style and I think that it is acceptable enough to be appreciated by even the most advanced craft beer geek.  Either way, pick up the Jester King Buddha’s Brew the next time you see it and give it a try.  I’d love to hear another opinion.

Thanks for reading everyone.  Don’t be afraid to comment.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.75 out of 5

Grade:  B