March is here, and with it the promise of spring, warmer weather, and outdoor activities. More importantly, a new month means a new featured beer at Taco Mac, and this month it’s the local Jekyll brewery from Alpharetta, Georgia. That means at least four featured beers with glass giveaways every Thursday night. I made a beeline to my Taco Mac here in Canton on the first Thursday (March 3rd) and ordered up a big foaming mug of Jekyll Cattywampus India Brown Ale.
Jekyll Cattywampus India Brown Ale is a new beer for me and only available at Taco Mac (at least for now). It is an India Brown Ale brewed with new-fangled tropical fruity hops. “Cattywampus” is Southern slang for crooked, askew, off center. There is no mention of Cattywampus India Brown Ale on the Jekyll Website but Taco Mac describes it as follows:
Brown ale built like an IPA with pale chocolate malt lending the roasty yet smooth and soft chocolate note. Mosaic and Amarillo hop additions attribute a pronounced berry and pine note.
Jekyll Cattywampus India Brown Ale has an alcohol content of 6.3% by volume. You would pay $6 for a pint or mug at Taco Mac normally, but I bought a 25-ounce mug with the Jekyll and Taco Mac logos full of the beer for $14.95. You keep the mug and since it was Thursday you also get the logo glass of the night. A heaping helping of beer and two nice glasses for $15 ain’t bad at all. I even got $5 off with a coupon.
My large mug of Jekyll Cattywampus India Brown Ale arrived a beautiful mahogany color with a very tropical nose with lots of pineapple and passion fruit. Taking a sip, the beer is light malty in body with just a hint of cookie malt and chocolate. More passion fruit and pineapple and a grassy herbal bitter finish quikly emerge.
For me, this needs more malt but I like it well enough that I'd give it 3.5 stars and yes, I would buy it again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft