LA-31 Grenade - Bayou Teche Brewery

shivtim

Georgia

2.23/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Also picked this up while in New Orleans.

Poured into a pint glass. Translucent light yellow/orange with a thin white-ish head. Lots of bubbles.

Nose is grain, gentle hops, slight ethanol. A hint of sweetness.

Taste is Corn, malt, mild and metallic. I don't pick up the passion fruit at all at first, but upon warming it comes out just a little.

Mouthfeel is almost overly fizzy.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 22:10:38 | More by shivtim

tr9871

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +34.7%

04-21-2013 18:59:47 | More by tr9871

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.19/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Picked this up at Top Hops this past weekend, having never seen any of the Bayou Teche offerings before. Yes, I was drawn in by the label but it was nice to see a beer from The Pelican State available up in this neck of the woods as well. The price wasn't that high and even though this didn't match up well to what I normally drink, this was a welcome change from something heavier without feeling fake or watered-down.

The pour to this was average - a somewhat deep golden hue, moderate head, and just a bit of lacing could be seen. Not a lot of carbonation to this either but what was present stayed from start to finish. The mouthfeel certainly has the passion fruit here but not the thickness of the wheat. Instead, this felt a bit heavy and laden with syrup. It almost felt like a soda, even though I could feel the alcohol kick in by the time I was finished.

While this was a bit on the strong side, I could easily see this being a session beer once the weather got to be a little bit warmer outside. Yes, it's a bit sudsy and syrupy but it has a nice, easygoing aspect to it without being too watered-down or weak. The website for Bayou Teche says that the beers are meant to be paired with food from the Pelican State and I would love to give this a go with some crawfish or jambalaya. Until then, I will enjoy the bread and malt that predominates in this and gives it just enough body to make up for the lack of any depth in the flavor. Worth a go during warmer weather when a simple "lawnmower beer" won't do.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 07:59:50 | More by JerzDevl2000

Resuin

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

03-22-2013 10:47:58 | More by Resuin

kbalkum

2.5/5  rDev -25.1%

03-04-2013 01:39:44 | More by kbalkum

ssimpson89

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -2.7%

12-27-2012 22:30:21 | More by ssimpson89

Tron

1.5/5  rDev -55.1%

06-19-2012 04:13:16 | More by Tron

JISurfer

South Carolina

2.2/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I was very unimpressed with this offering. I had it last year when I visited NOLA and enjoied it. This batch seems boring. There's no real passion fruit smell or taste. I grow it, so I have an idea of what it tastes and smells like. For a wheat ale, it was very nondescript, very light on the malts, very light on the hops as well. This may as well be a light beer. Hopefully they get it back to what it was.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 04:32:37 | More by JISurfer

olbubba

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

06-08-2012 03:26:52 | More by olbubba

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

During my recent visit to Louisiana I spent some time in New Iberia. As it turns out, there just happens to be a tiny brewery just up the road a spell in the town of Arnaudeville (just north of Lafayette - see "Stuff Cajun People Like" #34... http://stuffcajunpeoplelike.wordpress.com/

I'd just come from the drive-through daiquiri, picking up beer for a crawfish boil when I saw them - Bayou Teche beers (never heard of 'em) - and I just couldn't pass them up... however, knowing that in cajun c'untry anything other than a 10 oz. can of light beer might get you dragged behind the swamp boat for a bit, I needed a plan... aaaiiyeeee! There it was, "LA-31 Grenade"! I'd play the fool Yankee tourist who couldn't help but be drawn in by a beer that sounded like some sickening drink off of Bourbon Street. And so it went, I was not beaten - merely ostricised - but mainly met with awed confusion. My wife, however, liked them and we drank all 6 within the first few minutes.

As for the beer itself, it's contract brewed by Lazy Magnolia. It looks as you might expect for a wheat beer. There's not much fruit in the nose, but you do get it clearly in the taste (fruity and slightly tart), and it helps to balance the malt. It's not overly strong, and you can drink two or three of these in a row. Does it stand out as a great fruit beer? No, but it's not bad. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 14:10:38 | More by NeroFiddled

ucsbmullet

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

03-28-2012 23:38:56 | More by ucsbmullet

ThePorterSorter

New York

4/5  rDev +19.8%

03-12-2012 02:43:53 | More by ThePorterSorter

hpthebull

California

1.5/5  rDev -55.1%

02-27-2012 02:51:24 | More by hpthebull

Whitrabbt74

Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%

02-04-2012 21:45:56 | More by Whitrabbt74

kingcrowing

Vermont

2.9/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a fairly clear wheat/amber color with a small white/yellow head. Nose is wheaty and a bit sweet, mellow and a bit flat.

Taste is sharp and fairly bitter, crisp and slightly sweet with a somewhat odd flavor on the finish, I guess that's the passionfruit? It's really light and refreshing which it says in the description so I think they did that well.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 20:43:33 | More by kingcrowing

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm kind of a sucker for fruit/adjunct beers, so this one was on my radar before a recent trip to Louisiana. Picked up a bottle at Stein's in New Orleans, 12 oz., no date. Poured to a pint glass.

PASSION INFUSED BEER - "Brewed and Bottled by: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. Kiln, MS for Bayou Teche Brewing".

A: Starts a warmer shade of 'golden', a vibrant sunshine radiating from the glass. Almost clear, just the faintest unfiltered fog. Not a whole lot of carbonation here, bubbles are spaced apart and rise tediously. Head starts as a fizzy half-finger that dwindles away in a couple minutes; no lace. Gorgeous color, but a fairly dull look otherwise.

S: Even after 10 to 15 minutes of warming, not a whole lot to this one. Malts are a bit grassy and honeysuckle-sweet. Fruit is tame, a bit 'tropical', I guess...but more 'berry' than anything. I think I like the smell quite a bit, but I wish it weren't so damn shy...

T: Pulpy, mushy passion fruit rolls over the tongue right away - now that's what I'm talking about! Beneath it is a bready pastry-like maltiness. Between the slightly citric juice and the doughiness, there's something scone-like here. Not too sweet, good balance with a fleeting tartness.

M: Mild feel, a fine sediment and little carbonation. Light-medium body and a coating stickiness. Lacks some life, in general.

O: Yeah, there are some flaws here, but I'm curious about my bottle's freshness. It's been about five weeks since I bought it, but who knows how long it sat in the beer cooler? Carbonation just seems low and aroma is so subtle... Anyway, the flavor was a 'win' and it proved refreshing and (too) easy to drink after a 4-mile run on a mild December afternoon. Sure, I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:16:31 | More by msubulldog25

Ajlvt

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +19.8%

11-27-2011 20:14:37 | More by Ajlvt

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev +19.8%

11-25-2011 03:03:28 | More by Exiled

MemphisKev

Tennessee

3/5  rDev -10.2%

11-16-2011 02:52:57 | More by MemphisKev

Travisnin

Idaho

5/5  rDev +49.7%

11-14-2011 08:33:48 | More by Travisnin

teromous

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Right off the bat I can tell that it's pretty clear, with only enough haze to make it impossible to read through. It refracts all different colors as light passes through, it shades of medium gold to dark amber. The head is very small and goes away fast, and there isn't any lacing.

S: It has a very fruity smell to it, reminiscent of lambic beers. I pick up a sour raspberry smell, with some light cherry scent. I know it is brewed with passion fruit, but it smells more like raspberry lambic than passion fruit to me. It smells pretty good.

T: I get a lot of mellow tartness, to the point of being slightly bitter...like the rind of an orange peel. I also get a lot of flavor from the passion fruit, and I pick up a wheat aftertaste. There is a slight metallic taste though which brings it down a bit. Overall I'd say the flavor is about average, as the metal taste is very light.

M: The mouthfeel is very bright and effervescent. I would say it's a good fit for a beer that tastes like this. It's a medium-light body, with a light aftertaste.

O: Overall I thought it was a pretty good beer. It wasn't the best fruit beer I've had, and I probably won't buy it again, but it's a good beer and would be perfect for people who want a punchy beer without the sourness of a lambic.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 23:14:20 | More by teromous

yesferro

Mississippi

4.18/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a few bottles of this at McDade's in Jackson MS after Top of the Hops.

Pours a dark yellow, not much head. Smell kinda funky and malty, I get berry scents too but they're faint.
Taste surprised me, grassy is the first thing that popped into my head. Extremely refreshing, I get hints of all kinds of fruit, it's sweet but not sticky, I like this! Really wish I had more then 2 bottles of this. Very interesting beer, well done, the fact that it's degrees outside is probably influencing my opinion here.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 23:03:53 | More by yesferro

Francepants06

Louisiana

3.23/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had both in bottle and on tap
It appeared slightly murky and golden yellow.
I smelled some fruitiness with a little bit oh wheat. It tasted like a wit bier with a passion fruit finish.The mouthfeel was light body. I prefered the bottle over on tap because I felt like you got a little more fruit out of the bottle. Not a beer I would buy a six pack of, but decent nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 04:03:22 | More by Francepants06

bmwats

Louisiana

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Golden amber hue. Heavy carbonation. Pours about a half finger, bubbly, white head which settles very quickly. Carbonation continues to rise throughout the experience. No lacing.

S: Just a bit of a malty, baked bread nose with plenty of strawberry, watermelon, and a little raspberry. (Since it's a passion fruit infused brew, it probably smells like passion fruit; but since I'm not sure what passion fruit smells like, I'm sticking with this).

T: Just a bit of malt, and a touch of hops. The fruit aspect comes across more as 'steely' than sweet, but not off-putting.

M: Light body, refreshing quality. Subtle sweet start transitions to (as noted before) a steely aftertaste which lingers on the palette.

D: Light, refreshing, un-offensive brew. Nice change of pace session.

Atmosphere is very average. Nothing interesting about the body. Decent color, plenty of carbonation results in a bubbly head which you might miss if you sneeze, and no lacing. Nose is pleasant enough. A little grain with a nice infusion of fruit, but not overwhelmingly cloying. Flavor is lightly malted and hopped fruit blend, but not sweet. Actually, this is nicely done and decently balanced in that regard. Light and refreshing, change of pace, session brew. Overall, this is a pretty decent quaff.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 17:50:43 | More by bmwats

champ103

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Green Room in Lafayette.

A: Pours a clear yellow color. A one finger white head forms, and recedes to nothing. No lace.
S: Some grainy malt that is lightly sweet. Light fruity aromas that are fairly generic.
T: Follows the nose. Not much going on. Just some sweet malt, cereal grain, and light fruits.
M/D: Light, thin, and watery. A bit under carbonated as well. Not hard to drink during the hot summer months.

Just kind of bland and generic. Nothing bad, but nothing I would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 03:53:48 | More by champ103