Enter the Jackalope

Full disclosure: In response to a news article about two new breweries opening in the same warehouse, I almost penned a post ripping on the Nashville brewery scene. Halfway through, I realize I had no right to such an opinion until I had sampled the taps of the city's newest entrants.

Jackalope Brewery recent expanded its hours, so the time arrived for a taproom trip. I had not sampled anything from the brewery's guest taps around Nashville pubs. In fact, I had grumbled about the operation, since it kept limited taproom hours and all my 2011 Fridays were spent selling wine. But they remedied that problem in 2012. My buddy Christian and I had not tipped a pint in a while, so a new brewery seemed in order.

Jackalope is owned by Bailey Spaulding and Robyn Virball. To my knowledge, Jackalope is among the few brewhouses in the Southeast run by women. Women in craft brewing are not so rare; Carol Stoudt has run the Stoudt's Brewery in Pennsylvania operations for 25 years, and Hildegard van Ostaden concocts the recipes for Urthel, a new but renown Belgian brewer. In the end, who makes the beer is not as important as what beers they make.

Despite a full parking lot, a sedate taproom awaited, with only a dozen patrons within its colorful walls. The brewmasters were friendly and informative. First up was the Drunken Highlander, their mainline Scottish ale (Hairy Highlander) plus eight days of aging in that once held Corsair Distillery Triple Smoke Scotch-Style Whiskey. When there's smoke in beer, there's fire. The barrel influence cannot be underestimated. Although it tastes appropriate for Scottish ale through the mid-palate, flavors sour through the finish: hop leaf, tobacco, iodine, peat, plus hints of vanilla and spearmint from the oak. The barrel influence drove this ale into some interesting territory. Jackalope also pours the non-barrel-aged version, which will wait for another visit. Too many Scottish ales blur the night quickly.

Christian and I both went for a paddleboard of samplers. With any new brewer, it's a better bet than getting stuck with 16 ounces of unappealing ale. Fortunately, all four brews were of high quality, and suitable for everyday drinking. First up was Bearwalker, a maple brown ale. The maple syrup was somewhat subdued

Then came Puck American Pale Ale, easily the class of the foursome. Unfiltered and hazy, Puck had the look of a hefeweizen. There was no mistaking Puck for the English pub favorite. The hops made it American through and through. The trio of lemon, orange and grapefruit dominate the wonderful nose and the surprising light body. Pubkc has plenty of grainy textures and enough New World hops to satisfy hopheads and haters alike. The beer has great balance and never caves into IPA instinct. Puck was APA at heart.

From there I moved onto the Rompo Red Rye, a fruit red rich led by mellow strawberry and lichee. Light in body and with a sweet, malty finish, this was not as overpowering as it could have been. I'll have to revisit it at some point.

The final ale was a Mild; fewer beer styles have greater need for a new name. But I awaited this ale the most. Milds provide flavor, depth and character with a low-alcohol content. One of my all-time favorites, Moorhouse's Black Cat, classifies as a mild, even though its roasted malt and slight kick of English hops amplifies the flavor beyond anything else at 3.4 percent ABV. Milds are the ultimate session ales, and Jackalope's version aspires to a similar role. A solid trace of hops sneaks in on the way to a 

I hear Pharmacy Burger has a different Jackalope among its taps, so that might be the next one I hunt down. Jackalope sits around the corner from Yazoo on Eighth Avenue South in Nashville, and I would recommend the city help the newest resident of its growing brewery district. Leaving Jackalope I passed Yazoo, crowded as ever. Now that their hours have expanded, the brews from the ladies of Jackalope deserve a visit.