BREWERY REVIEW: TALEA Beer Co.

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

TALEA checks many of the boxes one could want in a Brooklyn brewery. It’s a female-owned brewery, it’s in the heart of hipster Williamsburg, and they have a specific focus when it comes to brewing beer.

This business has been on my radar for a few years now and when I heard they finally opened up a tasting room in March of 2021, I had to find a time to visit. Well, took a few months, but I finally got myself there.

The name TALEA comes from the two owners, Tara and LeAnn, both avid home brewers. The story is different, but not so different from Tom and Steve, the original founders of Brooklyn Brewery, which still operates about a mile away.

Both feature a large space with a brew house and a tasting room, but the difference in the spaces are very interesting.  Brooklyn Brewery, which has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1996, has a very post-industrial and slightly grungy feel to it. Food trucks set up outside in front and families (and eventually tourists) congregate to sip on some finely made brews.

TALEA, on the other hand, is much brighter and modern with a welcoming vibe all day (they also serve coffee and snacks). In many ways, it’s the new era of craft breweries.  And their focus is not on lagers or IPAs but rather fruit-forward beers that crossover to wine and cocktail drinkers.

I’ve had a few of TALEA’s beers at home in cans to mixed opinions, but I was excited to try one of their flights. Since I was here on a Monday afternoon, I was able to mix and match whichever beers I wanted to try. On busier days, they have a set “tasting” of flights around a specific theme.

I could have stuck with a round of their fruit-centric beers but I did want to try a range of options, so I started with one of the least “on brand” beers in their repertoire.

Al Dente is an Italian-style pilsner that expectedly poured a golden hue with a tight white head and a wet grain aroma. The flavor was mostly bread with a bit of lemon and toast. Not what I was expecting from this brewery, but it was a very easy drinking and light pilsner that is hard to dislike.

Next up was the amber hued Basically Pumpkin. While fruit beers are their specialty, this did not contain even the vegetable. It’s an autumn ale that is brewed with the predictable pumpkin pie spices to give that flavor. Despite the spices, I didn’t find this overly aromatic. And upon tasting it, I felt it could have used a touch more sweetness, but it had a nice effervescence and subtle notes of baking spices that put me in the autumn spirit.

One side note is that the menu said it was served with a cinnamon rim. The bartender must have forgotten it because mine didn’t come with that. In truth, that might have elevated the pumpkin pie flavors.

I must have been so eager to try the Pineapple Papaya Punch because I forgot to take a photo of it until I was almost finished.

If the Basically Pumpkin reminded me that fall is here, this beer reminded me that summer is not too far behind. It had a bright orange color with a yellow tint and was most definitely hazy. Big notes of pineapple juice burst into my nasal neurons. It was a rather balanced fruit sour reminiscent of a juicy fruit punch. The fruit was bold and juicy with a pleasant sourness throughout.

My final tasting (although I considered going back in for more) was the Westie, which is a West Coast IPA. Again, not one of their signature fruit beers but I was intrigued by the menu notes for this one and wanted to give it a try,

The color was a bit darker than the others and it gave off a nice vegetal smell with bits of honey. Not much in the way of the expected west coast hop profile. The flavor backed that up mostly with unique lime and herbal notes, but not much of that bold citrus or pine flavor. I don’t get too hung up on accurate style names, but I was very surprised to see this classified as a West Coast IPA. Nonetheless, it was an interesting pleasant beer that I enjoyed. Those seeking the usual might not.

I really like TALEA but from my limited experience (see some previous reviews), I tend to like their non-fruit beers a little better. I’ve heard them say they make beer for those who think they don’t like beer. I know that I do like beer so I’m going to stick with their beer that is made for those who do like beer.

But that’s one more reason why this place is such a success. They have beer for everyone!

And I recently got wind that they may be opening a second location in Carroll Gardens, which is where I do the Brownstone Brooklyn tour. So stay tuned for some more TALEA beer experiences.

Is TALEA Beer Co. the best brewery in NY? I love their vibe, story, and some of their beers. It is a new destination in Williamsburg worth traveling for – just like Brooklyn Brewery was once upon a time. I just wish I liked all of their beers. Still, I giive them an  8  out of 10. 

Is TALEA Beer Co’s Al Dente the best beer in NY? It’s a very drinkable light pilsner that is hard to resist if you’re looking for an easy drinker so it earns an 8 out of 10..

Is TALEA Beer Co’s Basically Pumpkin the best beer in NY? I give it a 7 out of 10 for being a very enjoyable autumn ale with slight hints of baking spices. But the pumpkin basically doesn’t ever make an appearance.

Is TALEA Beer Co’s Pineapple Papaya Punch the best beer in NY? Since it’s a nicely balanced sour pineapple bomb without the bitter hop experience some may not like, I give it an 8 out of 10.

Is TALEA Beer Co’s Westie the best beer in NY? Despite the strange classification as a West Coast IPA, it was the most interesting beer I tried during my visit. It’s herbal citrus notes made for a pleasant rounded beer. 8 out of 10.