Casita Brewing Company “Release the Light”

Style: Belgian Blonde
ABV: 6.5%

It’s another Friday and another “New Release” post! If you follow us on our social media, you hopefully saw our interview with Taj Martin – aka “blackbeardedbeernerd” (check him out on Instagram!) – from Casita Brewing Company. Taj has been working there since the brewery opened and is one of our favorite bartenders around. When we heard that he collaborated with the brewing team at Casita to brew his first beer, it was a matter of “when” not “if” we would head over to check it out. To make the experience even better, we got to borrow Taj for a few minutes to ask him some questions. You can check out that interview here or by heading over to our Instagram: @eastcarolinabeer.

Today, we’re going to dive into the beer itself and give our reviews. “Release the Light” is the result of Taj’s inspiration and ideas in collaboration with the awesome brewers at Casita. Continue reading to see our tasting notes!

Nick’s Take

After reaching out to Taj with the idea of Joe and I doing a short interview with him about “Release the Light,” we decided we’d come out to the brewery when Taj was next scheduled to work. It turned out to be a lucky break, as the last keg of Taj’s brainchild kicked shortly after we had secured ourselves a pint. As I grabbed my plastic cup and examined it, I was struck by the gold sheen and effervescence of this Belgian blonde ale. The foamy white head that came after being poured didn’t dissipate a bit – in fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it increased in volume! Not to mention the amount of lace that stuck to the cup. Taj’s goal for the look of this beer was achieved to a T.

On the nose, I picked up a lot of aromas that you’d expect from a Belgian-style beer. There was a lot of sweet malt character in the realm of biscuit/bread, fruit, and esters. It had a very clean and inviting profile in my opinion and was presumably going to be a very approachable beer to go with the streak of hot weather we’ve been having.

I took my first sip while listening to Taj discuss his experience with his first brew, and it was incredibly smooth to drink. The light body and subdued carbonation on the palate made it easy to take sip after sip. The mouthfeel really embodied the persistent foamy head, which was soft and smooth.

There was a very exciting profile of flavors in “Release the Light” that came as no surprise, as they were consistent with the aromas. The malty and yeasty flavors represented the Belgian style well. Biscuity malt, fruity and estery flavor, along with a touch of spice – clove seemed to come to mind for me – make for a sweet and crushable blonde ale. Taj said he was going for a beer that would be light enough for everyone to enjoy in the summer while also maintaining a full flavor, for an overall enjoyable beer drinking experience.

As mentioned earlier, we got our draft pours just in the “me” of time. I was pleased that Taj’s brew did so well that the kegs had all been depleted (and frankly I wasn’t surprised, as Taj has a lot of friends and fans that came to enjoy his brew), but also wish we had gotten to enjoy more of it! Luckily, Casita’s fridge was still stocked with cans to take home, and we did just that. I’ll be taking mine to the beach on my next trip, as “Release the Light” is really a perfect summer weather crusher. It is light bodied, flavorful, sweet, and doesn’t become undrinkable when its temperature rises – this is important when drinking beer in the sweltering sun. Go check out the brewery to get some cans for yourself, as these won’t last much longer!

Joe’s Take

Although I was the cameraman for this interview, I think I had the better seat. I got to see someone talk about their passion and something they had created. It’s always interesting to listen to these conversations as it gives you an insight into their vision, thoughts, and perspectives on a certain topic. This one was of particular interest as Nick and I share a mutual respect for the art and vision that goes into beer culture. It’s a culture of highly individualized takes on foundational styles and can even represent dramatic deviations from what is traditional. Even though this interview was short, it was a pleasure to take part in and is something that Nick and I would love to continue to pursue.

Now, shifting to the beer in question, “Release the Light” was served to us in a plastic cup as Taj poured the last few pints from the final keg. For those who came after us and ordered the beer (some through some encouraging by us), it was served from a can with a label featuring a set of hands releasing a firefly into the night sky. This was great imagery for the beer’s title and I enjoyed the artwork on the can. The beer itself was golden and pale, with a seemingly permanent head that persisted throughout the entire tasting. It was pretty hazy as well and when held to light was almost a glowing golden color. It had a continuous cascade of carbonation and was a very visually appealing beer.

The aroma was a little difficult for me to get a full profile of at first as the wide-mouth plastic pint dissipated most of the aroma. However, as I drank the beer down a bit I was able to detect strong aromas of estery dark fruit, biscuity malt, and a light sweetness. There was also a slight spice to the beer which helped tone down some of the sweet smells. The aromas enticed me to take a sip and I gave in to the temptations.

The mouthfeel of “Release the Light” can only be described as a silky smooth sheet of bright bubbles running over my tongue. The beer was light but still silky smooth and the moderate to high carbonation helped cleanse my palate of the beer. There was a slight drying effect, but not much. This beer drank a lot lighter than its 6.5% ABV and was easy to finish, almost… too easy.

The flavor of this Belgian single was extremely well balanced and the sweet fruit was counteracted with biscuity, bread crust-like flavors. The banana-like esters were not overpowering and I picked up more flavor akin to dark fruit like plums and cherries. The flavor was not overpowering or too intense and could be paired with a variety of foods like a hearty barbecue or even a delicate fish. The flavor of the beer would probably not get too overwhelmed by the rich barbecue and would add a unique flavor to the light fish.

Drinkability, the word that means nothing to some but everything to others. The drinkability of this beer was extremely high, just as Taj intended. I could easily drink this beer over and over again (and I will). In any setting this beer could work. Dinner, check. Evening with friends around a campfire, check. Hanging out on the back porch, check. Good thing Nick and I bought several cans to bring home with us. If you find this release in your local bottle shop (I bought some at the brewery and from our friends at Jarvis Street Bottle Shop), I suggest you pick it up as it probably won’t last long.