Each month, I focus a spotlight on breweries from a city, region, country but this month, I am throwing a change-up. There are quite a few big, burly beers that are described as having a fig like flavor to them. But oddly enough not a large amount of beers actually have Figs in them.
We head to Texas and Jester King for the next fig taster, Figlet.
“Figlet was brewed in early July of 2014 with Hill Country well water, barley, oats, and hops. It then underwent a long-term fermentation over the course of four months, first in stainless steel and then in bottles, kegs, and casks. As is the case with all our beer, the aromas and flavors are largely created by giving a diverse array of microorganisms, many of which are native to our land in the Texas Hill Country, the ample time they need to work with each other (or against each other!) to create unique characteristics inexorably tied to our land. During the last few weeks of the stainless steel portion of the fermentation, the smoked figs were added to the beer and allowed to referment. During this process, the sugars in the figs were broken down by yeast and bacteria. Through refermentation, the aromas and flavors of the smoked figs were transformed, integrated, and elevated in a way that we believe is greater than the sum of their parts. Figlet is 6.2% alcohol by volume.”
Then on to Orpheus Brewing in Atlanta for Sykophantes, a fig sour.
“In ancient Greece, “showing the fig” was a vulgar hand gesture, and Sykophantes means “one who shows the fig”. Earthy and full of dark fruit flavor from hundreds of pounds of figs and dark candy syrup, but with a sourness that cuts the gentle sweetness, Sykophantes is our fall beer.”