Payette Brewing Company - Mutton Buster Brown Ale

Pouring a rich brown with reddish flashes, good clarity, and topped with plenty of beige foam, Mutton Buster is an inviting brown ale. Look for aromas of light toast and caramel, complemented by some chocolaty nuttiness, hints of brown sugar and a touch of herbal, earthy hops. Thankfully, all these notes translate to the palate too. Residual sweetness is quite low, allowing the mild to moderate hop bitterness to easily counter with a spicy, earthy zing, drying the beer out nicely and lingering for a moment in the crisp finish along with a bit of a nutty impression. Really well-balanced and sessionable, this brown ale makes for easy drinking on its own, but it’s also quite food-friendly. Try pairing with grilled meats (mutton, perhaps?) and grilled vegetables. Cheers!

Mike Francis founded Payette Brewing Company in 2010. A former industrial engineer for Boeing in Seattle, Mike had grown weary of the corporate grind and decided to branch out into a new direction, embracing his passion for homebrewing by going pro. His first step was to go to Chicago to study brewing at the famous Siebel Institute. Following his degree in Brewing Technology, he went to work for Seattle’s Schooner Exact Brewing Company after which he returned to his hometown of Boise, Idaho to open his own brewery.

As a nod to the adventurous, outdoorsy spirit of Boise, Mike named his new brewery after Francois Payette, a 19th century French Canadian trapper and trader famous throughout the region. In line with this theme, in 2012 Payette became the first brewery in Idaho to begin canning their beer, allowing folks much greater opportunity to enjoy great beer outdoors where bottles are either prohibited, or prohibitively heavy.

Payette’s first brewing facility was located in Garden City, immediately adjacent to Boise. But, production at this brewery topped out at just about 10,000 barrels per year, so after five years of success and growth it was time for an upgrade. Payette Brewing Company moved into a new, larger brewery in spring of this year, boasting an initial capacity of 40,000 barrels annually. Located in downtown Boise just a couple miles from their original brewery, Payette’s new facility is near the city’s Greenbelt along the Boise River and features a large Tap Room and outdoor beer garden frequented by local food trucks to attract both Boiseans as well as tourists. For more info, give them a ring at 208-344-0011 or visit them at www.payettebrewing.com.