Billy's Chilies Beer (Timberline Series) - Twisted Pine Brewing Company

jokelahoma

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint shaker.

This one pours a nice clear golden/brass color, with a decent sized head that lasts longer than one might expect.

The nose is phenomenal! It's full of wonderful chili pepper aromas, blended with just a hint of malt. I'm always stunned when people smell this one and say "ewww, smells like peppers". What the hell? Look at the name folks. Look at the label. It's a chili pepper beer, and it's a damned good one.

The taste is really quite mild compared to the aroma. Not a lot of heat, but a good deal of chili flavor. The maltiness is here too, keeping things relatively balanced. That's not an easy trick with any beer, let alone something using chili peppers for a good portion of the flavor. They use five different peppers in this, and no single one stands out as "the" pepper flavor. Again, a remarkable balance. If you hate spicy foods, it stands to reason you won't like this. if you don't mind spice but hate heat, try this one. It really isn't hot at all, just spicy. The 4.0 rating is in comparison to other chili beers, many of which aren't that good. This one is very well made.

The mouthfeel is fairly thin, as one would expect, but just substantial enough to keep this from tasting like juice. There's no doubt you're drinking a beer.

Overall, I found this to be a great example of a chili beer. If your only experience with chilis in beer is that Ed's Cave Creek abomination, give this one a shot. It'll make you forget that Ed's even exists, which is a good thing. Well balanced, well made. A remarkable, albeit somewhat gimmicky beer from Twisted Pine.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 17:01:47 | More by jokelahoma

waltonc

Colorado

2.17/5  rDev -36.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

My neighbor gave this one to me.

Wow, they aren't kidding when they say Chilies. This is by far the spiciest chili beer I have had. The other reviewers have it covered - about the only thing I taste is hot peppers and cigarettes. Interesting for a couple sips, but now I need a new beer. Maybe this would be good to cook with though. Perhaps in some chili, or in the water pan of a meat smoker, or any other bbq scenario where adding beer is desired.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 02:52:14 | More by waltonc

brentk56

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a modest head that fades quickly to a ringlet; not much lace, either

Smell: Clearly the best part of the beer - the blend of the chilies comes through on the aroma; smoky and hot

Taste: Here is the downfall - this is a simple lager flavored with chilies; the chilies overhwelm the taste and there is nothing else to add complexity

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, almost watery, with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Interesting concept that perhaps goes better with spicy food or, then again, perhaps not

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 04:24:09 | More by brentk56

Tolnik

Colorado

1.4/5  rDev -59.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I've never had to pour out a beer until this one. I am ashamed that I had to do this to a beer. But as this beer doesn't have anything really to attribute to a beer it happened.

The appearance was good with the head that came off and then reduced to thin lacing. The smell had some hops to it but then the chilies came to power. The taste was just pure chili. If you want nothing else to taste but chilies this would create a dream beer for you. But as I enjoy the combination of all the different aspects of a beer, this one lacked everything that in my mind makes a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2009 03:43:59 | More by Tolnik

rowew

Colorado

2.3/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Presentation: 12 oz short bottle, label has a picture of the 5 chilis used in the beer. No date info.

Appearance: Pours golden with just a slight haze, huge frothy head. Head sticks around quite a while.

Smell: All chiles, no beer. Smells like fresh peppers.

Taste: Actually there isn't much flavor here at all - the base beer is overwhelmed by the chilis .. but even that isn't much, its more of a burn at the end.

Overall impression: I've had some decent chili beers in the paste, but this one isn't something I'll be getting again. It is lacking in flavor, and only has some chili aroma and burn going for it.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 00:31:49 | More by rowew

weeare138

Pennsylvania

1.05/5  rDev -69.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Thanks to hopdog for the opportunity...
Appears a light gold with a small white head that quickly fades into a mild cap that dissipates. No lacing, or CO2 are present.
Smell is of chili peppers, and mexican food with a bad salsa gone awry.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas...not sure what else to say. I'm at odds and not really sure what to say.
Mouthfeel is hot...spicy, that is. Pretty gross. Sorry, I just don't have that much to add. It's peppers, it's hot, it's a spicy salsa beer. Hmmmm.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 19:20:03 | More by weeare138

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.3/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I believe this has been revived, but either way, here goes the review:

Pours an effervescent & hazed straw color with 1 finger of white head. Beer cleared nicely & possessed very good head retention & lacing

S: Smokeyness & ancho chilles

T: Rich smokey chilles up front. Chilles heat surfaces as this warms along with some honey malt notes. Finishes slightly sweet, a little hot & a little dry

MF: Creamy, medium bodied & perfect carbonation

Drank easy. This & Amicas chilles beer are the 2 best I've had. Would go great with Tex/Mex or BBQ

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2007 15:29:17 | More by russpowell

BeerBelcher

Ohio

1.5/5  rDev -56.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Looks like Bud Light, with that mysterious juice that's left in the jalapeno jar added. It even refracted light in that weird viscous way that left-over pickle juice does. The smell is earthy. I, having read the label, knew that it was peppers right away...so I asked my wife (pregnancy having given her the nose of a bloodhound) to give it a wiff. She identified carrots, potatoes, and other fruits of the earth. Nothing that belongs in a beer bottle, I assure you.

The flavor was, in a word, awful. I can't say I've had other chile beers, and this example will make me think twice before I do. After this beer, the fact that I have a bottle of Rogue Chipotle in the fridge is terrifying.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2006 19:58:28 | More by BeerBelcher

jdoolin

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Presentation: 22oz bomber poured into pint glass

Appearance: Dark gold, clear, but with flecks of chiles. Small white head dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Chile peppers are very evident. That wonderful aroma of fresh chiles. Has a bit of the malt in the nose and just a fait whiff of hops, but chiles dominate... but that's a good thing for this beer.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Chile peppers are evident right away. It's a nice chile flavor, but not dominant. The malt flavor kicks in immediately after and the blend is very nice. The flavors meld together seamlessly. More chile in the finish. At first, heat can only be felt in the back of the throat. After a while, it builds up on the tongue as well, but it is never intrusive. Medium thin mouthfeel. I wouldn't want to have more than one of these though.

Notes: What a pleasant surprise! This beer was a curiosity foremost, but the flavor of the beer and the chiles mixes so well, I found this a definitely enjoyable brew that I will seek out again. I would love to make chili or salsa with this, and then pair it with the beer itself.

If you like chile peppers, you owe it to yourself to try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2006 03:46:27 | More by jdoolin