Motorworks Brewing Tami Tamarind Sour Brown Ale. (Staff photo / Alan Shaw)
Beer: Tami Tamarind Sour Brown Ale
Brewery: Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton
Notes: This, along with Thresher, is the first bottle release for the Bradenton brewery. It's sold only at the brewery. My 22-ounce bottle of Tami is No. 244 out of 350, and the bottle cap was dipped in red wax. Motorworks says this is a sweet and sour homage to the tamarind.
It began, according to the label, as a brown ale soured with lactobacillus and brewed with 10 pounds of tamarind. It was then aged in whiskey barrels for about six months.
It pours a deep, deep brown in color, with just a bit of light getting through. The head is large and tan. I can smell the tamarind (sweet and sour) immediately, followed by the whiskey barrel. I was skeptical about barrel aging a beer like this, but it works splendidly.
The taste is lovely. Tart and sour with tamarind sweetness and a backing of whiskey. Motorworks hasn’t overdone it with the barrels: some whiskey barrel-aged beers taste just like liquor.
Body is smooth and hefty.
This is a delight and a fantastic first bottle release for a brewery. A must-try for fans of sour beers. Pick one up at the brewery for $15 if they still have them.
Have you had Motorworks Tami? What did you think? Use the comment field below to sound off.
