HOUSTON—Saint Arnold Brewing Co. (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today announced the upcoming release of Saint Arnold Icon Gold, the latest in the brewery’s line of rotating beers that complement the brewery’s year-round and seasonal offerings. It will begin showing up in 4-packs of 12 ounce bottles and on tap in pubs and restaurants throughout Texas and Louisiana as supplies of Icon Green, a well-received Amarillo hefeweizen, are exhausted.

Saint Arnold Icon Gold is a Bière de Saison that delivers a complex spicy nose with notes of brown sugar and plums. Developed by brewer Aaron Inkrott, Saint Arnold Icon Gold was inspired by traditional French and Belgian farmhouse style ales, including Bière de Noel, which translates to mean Christmas Beer. Saint Arnold Icon Gold’s taste starts with big spicy malt and alcohol, moving to fruity in the middle and then an earthy, spicy finish.

“The malts used were focused on creating a complex malt backbone, with subtle floral characteristics from the Hersbrucker hops,” said Inkrott. “The yeast is an aromatic Belgian Saison strain that produces complex esters balanced with earthy and spicy notes.”

Saint Arnold Icon Gold has original gravity of 1.075, final gravity of 1.0105 and alcohol by volume of nine percent. It is best served at 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

“This is a great example of the creativity of our brewers,” said Saint Arnold Founder/Brewer Brock Wagner. “Using a saison yeast with a heartier malt bill creates a satisfying result and a complex beer that doesn’t fit a specific style.”

A new Saint Arnold Icon beer is released every three months or so, depending on how quickly supplies are exhausted. As the brewery continues to experiment, some Icon styles are expected to be replaced from one year to the next while other styles may return.

This beer is referred to as Saint Arnold Icon Gold because of its striking metallic gold and black label.

Upcoming in the Saint Arnold Icon line is a Bohemian Pils, scheduled for release around December as Saint Arnold Icon Red, which will replace 2012′s Belgian-Style Pale Ale.

When I visited, I discovered that after a cool, wet summer at home, my system wasn’t prepared for temperatures in the 90s, with humidity to match. Fortunately, there’s a cure for that: don’t exert yourself; stay out of the sun; and, oh, yes, drink plenty of liquids. Austin was ready to oblige; it’s home to dozens of bars and clubs; and by day it operates the “Dillos,” free motorized trolleys that shuttle office workers—and the occasional Beer Traveler—around the city center.

My first stop was Opal Divine’s Free House (700 West Sixth St.). Named for co-owner Susan Parker’s saucy grandmother, it’s a Texified version of an Irish country pub. This 125-year-old structure sports a huge outside deck, with misting machines to combat the weather. Inside, half a dozen air-conditioned rooms accommodate a range of moods. After looking around, I found my way to a downstairs room and sat across from a tiny bar decorated with foreign currency stapled to the walls. The rows of taps, nearly 30 in all, included the local Live Oak, Real Ale, and St. Arnold’s breweries, as well as imports and national micros. The atmosphere was traditional, with one notable exception: free Wi-Fi, which is taking the town by storm.