Sunday Funday was actually recovery Sunday from sloppy Saturday. But I really couldn’t turn down Brews Brothers’ 4th anniversary party. As the top craft beer bar in Galveston, it really is the best place to enjoy some pints.
This particular day was special though because they had a vast array of beers available for their anniversary party. With the majority of the beers clocking in at 10% or higher ABV, it made for an evening where drinking responsibly was paramount. Fortunately, I had a designated driver for the evening so I could enjoy the festivities.
To begin the evening, I ordered a Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #14. A Belgian strong ale and not the most recent release in the Divine Reserve series, this was a special beer as I was unable to get my hands on it when it was originally for sale. Coming in at 10% ABV, it pours a golden color and has an orange, fruity taste. You do catch the boozy flavor within the finish, so be warned. However, it was an excellent beer.
My next offering was Austin-based (512) Brewing’s Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Pecan Porter. With Pecan Porter being a staple in the craft beer scene, I figured it would be difficult to top a favorite of mine. Well, this version of Pecan Porter is significantly better. The oak barrel flavor resonates and combines with the pecan notes nicely. The whiskey flavor is a bit strong even though the beer is a 9.5% ABV beer. Even though the whiskey flavor doesn’t quite blend perfectly, it’s still a winner.
Finally, we saved the best for last. Karbach’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged Hellfighter with vanilla bean is such a brilliant beer. The barrel-aging process is an art and Karbach perfected it on this beer. The bourbon flavor is balanced by the vanilla notes throughout the entire beer. It tastes like hot chocolate with marshmellows in it so you get the chocolate base with the vanilla flavoring throughout. Again, I can’t stress enough how balanced it was and made the 11% ABV seem very deceptive since it finishes so smoothly. It was, by far, the best beer of the evening and was the perfect nightcap to a wonderful anniversary celebration.
I’m not going to lie, after that, we went home and enjoyed a few more beers which made for a sloppy evening and a headache the next morning. However, the beers enjoyed at Brews Brothers were well worth it and made the evening a complete success.