Jester King Brewery - Figlet

Jester King’s Figlet is a farmhouse beer that gets refermented with smoked Texas figs from the folks at Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Figlet is brewed with malted barley and rolled oats, hops, and a mixed culture of traditional brewer’s yeast along with native yeast and bacteria.

Figlet pours a medium orange-amber color, capped by significant off-white foam that’s well-retained and leaves behind significant lacing. Endearing impacts of ripe apple, fresh berries, and expressive fig notes lead the aromatics. Figs tend to be pretty subtle—but they’re nicely showcased in this beer. The smoked element is present but smooth, playing a secondary role that lifts the accompanying fruit character and amplifies the fig expression.

Figlet has a nicely rounded mouthfeel, emphasizing core amber maltiness, lightly smoked fig, and that familiar impact of Jester King’s mixed-culture fermentation. Much like Provenance and Citrus Froot Direct, this has a complex ferment that’s packed with lemony citrus, toasty sourdough, and some welcome peppery bitterness. Aspects remind us of potent amber ales, or an amber altbier, but that impact of the figs and subtle smoke put this in a category all its own. Super tasty beer, as well as one of the few ways to get a taste of Franklin BBQ this far from Austin. A unique balance of fruit leather, smoked fig, and citrusy, peppery yeast notes.

A modest ABV and subtle smoke impact encourage drinking this fresh for best results. We’d love to try this alongside some actual Franklin BBQ, and the core red fruit and gentle smoke should pair nicely with all sorts of barbecued pork, tri-tip, brisket, etc. Jester King offered a Figlet-specific pairing featuring a fig-leaf creme brûlée with chocolate and cranberry smoked granola.