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Brew Notes: By Travis E. Poling The microbrew scene in Texas is getting another player. Rob Cartwright left his job as head of brewing at the Copper Tank brewpub in Austin in 2001 and with wife Amy Cartwright began putting together their dream of independence. Independence Brewing Co. was launched this month in South Austin with three ales aimed at pleasing nearly any palate. The most accessible to most beer drinkers is the Freestyle Wheat Beer, which uses malted barley and wheat, but uses Chico yeast instead of the traditional German weizen yeast that some find heavy. While it doesn't have as much character as a German hefe-weizen, it comes across as a crisp refresher for when the Texas summer re-emerges about mid-March. 
The Independence Pale Ale is on target with just the right balance of hops and malt. Rob Cartwright explains that the Cascade hops that are so popular in American microbrews are tempered by the recently developed Horizon hops. Horizon tempers the bitterness of the Cascade, but leaves behind the characteristic floral nose and taste. 
Bootlegger Brown Ale uses malt roasted deeply enough to impart big chocolate notes and even a little smokiness. The brown is a little sweet, but shares some characteristics with porter ale. As of last week, the beer was just getting out the door to Austin night spots Dog & Duck Pub, Nasty's, Opal Divines and Little Woodrow's. Because they are self-distributing — something only small breweries can do — it could be a little bit of a wait before Independence makes it to San Antonio taps. Stay tuned to this column for where and when. The bottling line arrives in December and Independence plans to have a packaged product on shelves by the spring. tpoling@express-news.net |
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Brew Notes: Austin microbrew is worth the wait
...Move over, Shiner. There's a new beer in town. Brewing a New Business in Austin |