Jackalope Bearwalker Brown Ale Review

I try and support local Nashville breweries whenever I can, and one local brewery I hadn’t visited or tasted from lately is Jackalope Brewing Company. It’s been pretty snowy in Nashville recently, so I went with a six-pack of Jackalope’s Bearwalker.

Bearwalker Brown Ale Alcohol Content and IBU

• Beer: Bearwalker
• Brewery: Jackalope Brewing Company
• Type of Beer: Brown Ale
• ABV: 5.1%
• IBU: 32

The Appearance

As typical for a brown ale, the appearance is brown, but also with a reddish hue. It poured really well into a straight pint glass and had a really aesthetically pleasing head on first pour. There was very light lacing down the side of the glass as I drank.

I did notice that if the beer sits for a while and you’re drinking slowly that the carbonation almost disappears leaving the drink to look like it contained very little carbonation.

The Taste

Initially I got a syrupy malty taste. Bearwalker is brewed with maple syrup and I was expecting more of the syrup notes to come through – it was somewhat overpowered by the malt. It didn’t have a strong flavor, not bland, but nothing really noteworthy either. I experienced a surprisingly sharp finish for a brown ale and the carbonation felt just right on the tongue.

What to Drink With

If you look on Untappd you’ll note lots of folks enjoying with a wide variety of meals, such as steak, bar food, and seafood. Bearwalker’s popularity means it’s widely available at a number of establishments. I really enjoyed this as a standalone beer, enjoying the cold winter’s nights outside by a fire.

Round Up

I can’t be too harsh on Bearwalker as there are clearly lots of deer drinkers that enjoy it. I found it lacking a flavor profile and was disappointed that the syrup didn’t come through as much as I had hoped.

If you’re looking for a mild, steady Brown Ale then Bearwalker is for you.

Quick Note: Jackalope is one of many fine breweries in Nashville. If you’re interested in finding out more about other Nashville breweries, check out the Nashville brewery page I put together featuring over 30 Nashville breweries!