S1P32 - Beer Review - 13 Gold

This is an extra edition beer review. The beer, 13 Gold, was not tasted and reviewed on the Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast. Instead, the One Old Guy saw it at Kroger and decided to give it a try. I took a six-pack to one of my son's softball games. They are all twenty-something guys. That means Pudge Rodriguez was in his prime with the Rangers during their youth. Pudge was by far my son's favorite ballplayer. He is also one of my favorites. I also thought that this might be a one-off special edition that would soon disappear.

The Brewery

• Nine Band Brewing Co. - 9 Prestige Circle, Allen, TX 
• The name/logo - "Our name and logo come from the Nine-Banded Armadillo. The Nine Banded Armadillo is the state small mammal of Texas. We are proud to have start our business in Texas and share the residence with our Nine Banded friend as our official mascot. The tally marks on our logo represents the Nine Bands on an armadillo in the form of a cluster of five tallies with the diagonal mark and four tallies following for the total of Nine tallies all together."
• Tap Room - M-Th 5 to 9, Fri 5 to 11, Sat 12 to 4
• Tours - first Saturday of the month @ 2 pm. $15 includes pint glass and samples.
• Other beers:
• Nine Band Pale Ale
• Cactus Cat Kolsch
• Hoop Snake Hefeweizen
• Toad Choker Barley Wine
• The Badge Honey Blonde
• Blue Lacy Brown Ale
• Hellwind IPA
• 28th State Stout
• Dubble Vision - Hazy IPA
• June Bug Summer Wheat
• Ghost Cow Oktoberfest

The Beer

• Pudge Rodriguez's 13 Gold Lager - A Crisp Refreshing Lager
• ABV - 4.3%
• IBU - 8
• $7.99 @ Kroger
• Available on draft and in cans. 
• The gold can lists some of Pudge's accomplishments around the top:
• 13 Gold Gloves - hence the name
• 2003 WS Champion
• 14 Time All-Star
• 7 Silver Slugger Awards
• 1998 AL MVP
• 2017 HOF Induction
• "Coming straight down the middle is our American light Lager honoring Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez's record 13 Gold Gloves for a catcher. This lager pours a light gold, mimicking the 13 Gold Glove trophies he has earned over his remarkable 21-year career. Enjoy this refreshing brew while you're behind home plate, tailgating at the ballpark, or lifting your trophy!"

The Review

I was expecting a light crisp lager along the lines of many Mexican and Carribean beers. That is not what I got. This brew is slightly sour and salty. It reminds me of a light version of Salty Lady beer. That is not a flavor profile that I enjoy. The beer also has an unpleasant cloying aftertaste that stays with you. My son and one other of the guys sampled a can at the softball game. Both are in their twenties. My son did not like it because he has good taste that he inherited from his father. The other guy liked it. He also likes Salty Lady so take that into consideration. So as with all beers, your enjoyment may vary. Had this beer been good, I would have included it as our next podcast beer segment. Knowing something about my partner's beer preferences I decided to spare Dennis. I will take a can to our next recording session. He can try it or pawn it off on his son the next time he visits. If you like your beer sour and salty, give it a try. Otherwise, maybe try another Nine Band Brewing selection. Pudge fans may also want to pick up a can to keep as a souvenir. It is obvious to me that Pudge was a better ballplayer than a brewmaster. 

I rate 13 Gold Gloves a two (2) out of five (5) bottle caps. 

wjh