Hoosier Beer Geek

UPDATE - Upland Tasting Room now open!

2009-11-09T21:45:00.009-05:00

Back in September we reported that Upland was opening a tasting room in Broad Ripple. We're now happy to report that the tasting room at 49th and College has officially opened as of 2:00 pm on Monday, November 9th.

Super-cool growler fillers.

Hours:

Monday - Thursday from 2 - 10 pm,
Friday - Saturday 12 - 10 pm., and
Sunday 12 - 8 pm

On Tap: Preservation Pilsner, Wheat, Helios Pale Ale,
Dragonfly IPA, Rad Red Amber Ale, and Rauchbier.

Right now, pints can only be purchased on Sundays and Mondays but growlers are available everyday except Sunday. Growlers are $12 new or $8 for a refill.

You won't find their newest release, Teddy Bear Kisses, in the tasting room just yet, but the Russian Imperial Stout will be there soon. We'll keep you posted.

Random Beer Roundup - The Christmas Creep Edition

2009-11-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

Good Day!

I cannot wait for this weekend to get started. Mike and I are headed over to the St. Louis area for the weekend to help my parents get moved in to their new house. While that's fun and all, Schlafly is pretty close and I hear they put something good on tap recently. Hopefully we'll get to check out a couple other places that we've been meaning to, but we'll see. What will you be drinking?

If you'll be spending your time in Indy this weekend, you can cheer on Knight Jess as she runs her first half marathon! GO JESS! Good Luck and have fun!

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.)

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, November 6th from 4:30-6:30 at Crown Liquors in Carmel: beer tasting (more info below)

Saturday, November 7th at Ron Smith's home: Teach a friend to Homebrew day.

Tuesday, November 10th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner (featuring HBG's very own Rod/Jess' beer (Harvest Mild) as brewed by Jerry and Rodney) - Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180 (menu below)

Tuesday, November 10th at Big Woods Brewery in Nashville: official opening

Thursday, November 12th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Blitzen Ale Winter-White Tapping - 6 pm to 6:30 pm

Thursday, November 12th at Chef JJ's Backyard: Sun King Harvest Brewer's Dinner - 6:30 pm (more below)

Tuesday, November 17th - Sunday, November 22nd at New Albanian's Bank Street Brewhouse: Official Grand Opening celebration

Thursday, November 19th at Casler's Kitchen in Fishers: Sun King Brewers Dinner (more below)

Saturday, November 21st at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette: Alpha Acid Test (more below)

Saturday, November 21st: Hoosier Beer Geek's Tailgate for Nothing, a publicly advertised yet still somehow secret no freeloaders BYO everything craft beer tailgate for any old folks who consider themselves a fan of sharing great beer and good food. There's only one way to get more details - Send an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

What's Brewing

From Clayton at Sun King Brewing:

Thursday, November 12th - 6:30 p.m. @ Chef JJ's Back Yard - Harvest Brewer's Dinner: 6 courses of harvest inspired, locally grown deliciousness, each paired with a different Sun King Beer. $35 per person, reservations required. www.chefjjs.com

Thursday, November 19th - 7:00 p.m. @ Casler's Kitchen - Brewer's Dinner: 4 Courses prepared by Casler's Chef, Craig Baker, prepared with and paired with Sun King Beer. Contact Casler's Kitchen for details

We have a lot of great beers for the transition to fall! Home Grown Harvest Ale is a rich, smooth amber ale that was brewed with barley, wheat, oats and rye. It was hopped with several pounds of locally grown Noble hops from an urban farmer at Basic Roots Community Foods on the East side of Indy.

We also have El Gallo Negro, which is our Black I.P.A. available in the tasting room and at MacNiven's, Deano's and Binkley's. It is a big, roasty, hoppy, delicious beer.

Java Mac is making a return to our taps after a few weeks of absence. We have once again infused Kauai coffee from local roaster B-Java into our Wee Mac Scottish Ale to create a roasty, smooth, nutty, delicious coffee brown ale. Java Mac will be available in our Tasting Room and on draft at The Aristocrat Pub at 52nd and College.

Tulip Wit has just been released, which is an unfiltered Belgian Wit produced with a syrup made by Hickory Works in Brown County from our state tree. It has a great floral aroma and was fermented with a special Belgian yeast strain that lend an array of fruity characteristics to the beer.

This week we brewed a Chocolate Stout that will hopefully be ready around Thanksgiving. It is our first stout and we will keep you updated as to it's progress, but it is sure to be a rich, full bodied, delicious beer that is just right for a cold winter night. We plan to barrel age 50 gallons of Chocolate Stout in a Buffalo Trace barrel with tart cherries for release sometime next year...

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co in Lafayette:

alpha acid test
Saturday, November 21
2 pm to 5 pm, Tickets $20

Can you pass the Alpha Acid Test? We brewed a 60 IBU ale with one hop addition at 60 minutes in the kettle. After fermentation and maturation, we're going to rack this beer into 10 kegs and firkins and dry hop each individual vessel with a different hop variety (technically, 1 control beer and 9 different hop varieties). In an open tasting format, we'll sample the resulting brews to discern the subtlties of each individual hop variety. Sort of an IPA Extravaganza utilizing some familiar and some not-so-familiar hop varieties. Also included in the price of admission: commemorative tasting glass, raffles of LBC merchandise and munchies from our pizza kitchen. Don't miss this unique tasting experience! A limited number of tickets are on sale now.

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Upcoming beers: November 9th: Teddy Bear Kisses - A Russian Imperial Stout available only at the Upland Tap Room.

From Jerry at Rock Bottom Downtown:

Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner
Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Come join us for our Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner. Jerry and Victor have once again put their artistic minds together and have created a delectable feast celebrating the autumn season. We will be offering four courses each paired with an accommodating beer.

The Menu Includes:

Sweet Potato Amaretto Crepes, Fall Harvest Soup, Stuffed Lamb Chops, and a Maple Pumpkin Cannoli.

Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180

Carry Out

From Kirk at Mr. G's Liquor in Noblesville:

JK Scrumpy Solstice Cider 22 oz $7.19
Founders Backwoods Bastard 4pk $12.99
Clipper City Winter Storm 6pk $10.99
Hebrew Bar Mitzvah 22oz $5.99
Great Divide Hibernation Ale 6pk $11.99
Mendocino Winter Ale Imperial IPA 6pk $8.99

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

- Breckenridge Lucky U IPA
- Founders Backwoods Bastard
- Great Divide Hibernation Ale
- Mendocino Winter Imperial IPA
- Corsendonk Christmas
- Affligem Noel
- Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire
- Christmas in Belgium Gift set
- Stegmaier Holiday Warmer
- Mahr's Christmas Bock
- Tripel Karmeliet Gift Set (4 bottles and a glass)
- Brunehaut St. Martin Cuvee de Noel
- Samuel Smith Winter Warmer
- Lindemans Gift Set (Framboise, Pomme and a glass)
- Bell's Christmas Ale

Event:
5th Annual Holiday Insanity Beer Tasting at Keg Liquors

December 3rd from 5 – 8 PM

Another of our great traditions, we conclude the year’s beer tasting schedule with a bang. Featuring Holiday and Seasonal beers from around the world. Last year's tasting included over 21 different beers to sample. More details will be forthcoming as this one shapes up.

From Matt at Vine and Table in Carmel:

This Friday (11/6), I will be putting out our November beer specials, which will include Breckenridge Autumn Ale, Goose Island Harvest Ale, Abita Fallfest, and Saranac Pumpkin Ale. Also we just got in some new products that are exciting, including: He'Brew Jewbelation (13th Anniv. Bar Mitzvah) and He'Brew Rejewvenator (Year of the Date).

From Patrick at Crown Liquors in Carmel:

Definitely a beer tasting worth attending.
Crown liquors in Carmel is offering a beer tasting Friday, November 6th, from 4:30-6:30 including some great beers and some surprises.

These include:

Stone Imperial Russian Stout Vintage release
Founders Breakfast Stout
Great Divide Hibernation Breakenridge Lucky U ipa
Hebrew Jewbelation
Two brothers Heavy handed ipa
Avec Le Bon Voeux
Scaldis Noel Premium

Also, there will be beers from Sprinkle and Pierces private beer stash available for tasting...Come and enjoy these featured beverages and check our new beers and hear about others on the way in weeks to come!

On Tap

From Dustin at Spencer's Stadium Tavern:

On Tap:
Old Style Rogue Dead Guy Harpoon IPA Dirty Helen
Sun King Java Mac, Pale Ale, Harvest Ale New Albany 15-b Porter

From John at The Legend in Irvington:

Just put on tap:
Sun King Home Grown Harvest Ale

From Sam at BW3's (Downtown Indianapolis):

Gone is Three Floyds Broodoo. In its place we have 1/6 bbl of Three Floyds Dreadnaught that was kegged on October 19. Pretty fresh stuff.

Bells Expedition Stout is nearing the end of the keg and is to be replaced by Double Cream Stout.

Stone Arrogant Bastard

Founders Reds Rye

Bells Two Hearted

Three Floyds Robert the Bruce and Gumballhead

Upland's Bad Elmer's Porter

Dogfish Head 90 Minute and Punkin Ale

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale (to be replaced by Celebration)

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Barley Island Dirty Helen

Distribution News

From Krystal at World Class Beverages:

Brewers FX Matt, Ommegang, and Dogfish Head receive prominent mention in INSIGHTS Express article, “Beer Advocates” ; Chain Retailers Showcasing Craft¹, in their frequent use of samplings, cross-merchandising displays, and specials to showcase and promote the craft market.

Christmas beers are starting to roll in… here are a few that are expected to be out in stores mid-end November:

Anchor Christmas, Atwater Winter, Bell’s Winter White, Boulevard Nutcracker, Brooklyn Winter Ale, Rogue Santa’s Reserve, Matt’s Brewing 12 Beers of Winter, and Three Floyd’s Alpha Klaus. Look for these seasonals in stores near you. If you’re not sure what retailer might carry these near you, find out for yourself on our website’s (www.worldclassbeverages.com) Beer Spy and find your nearest retailer. CHEERS!

(Insight, B. M.: Vol 11, No 104(2009, November 3). Insight Express. Retrieved November 4, 2009, from http://www.beerinsights.com).

From Greg at Cavalier Distribution:

2009 Founders Backwoods Bastard is on the loose!! "Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrles, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit or earthy spice and a scintilla of dark cherries. It's a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate." Usually we only get a few cases for the state, and although it is still very limited this year, we were able to spread the Founders love much more than in previous years. Make a point to grab some to drink now and some to cellar for awhile. Get is soon, because it'll be gone before you know it.

He'Brew 13th Jewbilation...the Bar Mitzvah, is officially released. Yes, He'Brew has officially come of age with this beer. Brewed with 13 hops, 13 malts and weighing in at 13% abv, this monster is the ideal warmer as the days get shorter and colder. This year's Jewbilation is a masterpiece of balance although it's big & bold. As always, this beer is very limited.

From Lion Brewing Company comes two brand new beer lines to Indiana. Lions Head & Stegmaier beers from Pennsylvania have both made names for themselves as very solid beers for affordable prices. Several styles of both Stegmaier & Lions Head Beers are hitting the Indiana market now, so look out for these new beers and give them a try.

We have a ton of incredible Winter/Holiday Seasonal Beers & Special Releases in stock that should be out in your favorite craft beer locations soon. There's a bunch, so here's the list:

The Bruery 2 Turtle Doves--Brand new this year and limited!!
Clipper City Winter Storm
Founders Breakfast Stout
Great Divide Hibernation
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
Stegmaier Holiday Warmer--Brand new this year!!
Mendocino Winter Imperial IPA
HeBrew 13th Jewbilation--13 Hops, 13 Malts, 13% ABV...Bar Mitzvah!!
Shipyard Prelude Ale
Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Xmas
Affligem Noel
Blaugies La Moneuse Winter--Very Limited
De Rank Pere Noel--Very Limited
Scaldis Noel--Very Limited
Scaldis Noel Premium--Very Limited
Scaldis Prestige de Nuits--EXTREMELY Limited--Prestige aged in Burgundy casks!!
Dupont Les Bons Voeux--Extremely Limited
Serafijn Xmas Angel--Limited
Slaapmutske Xmas Nightcap--Limited
Struise Tsjeese--Limited
Mikkeller To/From--Very Limited
Mikkeller From/To--Very Limited
Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper '08--Extremely Limited
Olfabrikken Jule Ale--Limited
Olfabrikken Jule Kloster Ale--Limited
Mahr's Xmas Bock--Limited

We also have some incredible Gift Packs in stock as well:

Corsendonk Gift Packs
Tripel Karmeliet Gift Packs
Kwak Gift Packs
Christoffel Gift Packs
Xmas in Belgium Gift Pack
Schnieder Gift Packs
Weihenstephaner Gift Packs

Congratulations to Jeff Eaton and the entire Barley Island family on their new place in Broad Ripple. In addition to featuring several wonderful Barley Island brews, the pub is also pouring Left Hand Milk Stout, Mad River John Barleycorn Barley Wine (GABF Gold Medal Winning Vintage), New Albanian Brew Co. Elector Imperial Red Ale & Two Brothers Cane & Ebel Hopped-up Red Rye Ale.

Other News

Indiana Public Radio’s 3^rd annual All Beers Considered beer & cheese tasting

Here are the basics:
November 22^nd, 2-5pm
Cornerstone Center for the Arts, (Downtown Muncie)
Admission is $17, $15 for IPR members
Reservations are due by Wednesday Nov 18

To rsvp, email iprmembers@bsu.edu or call 800.646.1812
All proceeds benefit Indiana Public Radio

Good Times at Barley Island Broad Ripple

2009-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

As anyone who frequents Broad Ripple knows, Barley Island has been working on the space at the corner of College and Broad Ripple Avenue for a little while now. Last evening we got a sneak preview of the space.

For those who've visited Barley Island's original location in Noblesville, the Broad Ripple space is a much more polished BI. A deep blue room with dark wood trim and paneling, a nicely laid out and long bar, BI bottle artwork displayed on canvases on the walls, and a brick fireplace in the middle of it all immediately make this one of Broad Ripple Avenue's more dressed up locations.

The menu consists of standard but well thought out pub fare - appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and wraps, with enough vegetarian options to appease those who don't eat meat. The beer menu starts with Barley Island's regulars - Sheet Metal Blonde, Flat Top Wheat Ale, Blind Tiger Pale Ale, BarFly IPA, Dirty Helen Brown Ale, and Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout - but with potential for 24 total taps, you can be sure that more Indiana beer is coming.

The space will be non-smoking, and with five televisions laid out throughout the room, will make for a great place to catch a game. The bar area is nicely laid out, with a pint-holding wooden rail around the floor, perfect for those who chose to stand around and have a conversation.

We can't help but be excited by the possibilities, and what Barley Island can add to the Broad Ripple craft beer scene. "Hopefully, with Brugge and Broad Ripple Brewpub on one end, and Barley Island on this end, we can get some of the other bars on the street to put more of a focus on craft beer. Sure, a few of them have it already, but we'd really love to see more focus" said World Class Beverage's Matt Clapesattle.

We couldn't agree more - in a perfect world, Barley Island can serve as an anchor to a whole community of bars serving craft beer, with a vast array of different breweries and styles on tap. It has to start somewhere.

Barley Island Broad Ripple opens to the public at 11AM this Thursday, November 5th.

KOTBR #89 - Revenge of the Delayed Liveblogging - Halloween Edition

2009-10-31T21:12:00.011-04:00

Our first go-around with delayed liveblogging was an delayed overnight success - meaning we haven't yet experienced its success, but we're sure it's going to take off any overnight now.

But rather than rest on our yet-to-be-acquired laurels, we've decided to do it again. This time, we've thrown another complication into the works - this time, it's Halloween. So grab your wife, husband, children, pets, elderly, withered and poor, servant or free, gentile or Jew... grab them, lock the doors, sit around the fire, and prepare for a bone-chilling delayed liveblogging experience of spooktactular proportions.

The beer we're drinking tonight was acquired on our trip to Michigan. We didn't know much about Arbor Brewing Company when we started this roundtable, and I think you'll see that we didn't know much about them after it was over, either.

We were joined by long-time reader/KOTBR friend John, who has the misfortune of also being Rodney's coworker. Here we go.

Mike typing Arbor Brewing Company Strawberry Blonde

Rodney: This beer is $2.19, you got it from Siciliano's, and Arbor Brewing Company is from Ypsilanti, which is like a Viking city.
Jess: I don't get a lot of strawberry.
Gina: I smell some. I get the strawberry when you breathe out, like on the exhale.

Everyone stares at the screen to see if I'm actually liveblogging.

Rod: Alright, liveblogging.
John: I could drink a lot of this.
Rod: I could do a kegstand of this.
John: I rate all my beer in kegstands - like I could kegstand this for 30-40 seconds.
Rod: I get strawberries and banana in this. I get a kinda... a strawberry juice.
John: It's a fruity something.
Jess: I like that there's such a price difference between these beers. (The beers all have pricetags on their caps, which is just the way the liquor store does business.)
Rod: I get fresh strawberries, like real strawberries. Of all the strawberry beers I've had, this is the most accurate.
John: It's got some stuff floating in it.
Rod: It's probably bottle conditioned.

We're listening to Halloween sound effects, and the current sound is something like someone driving a spike into a ground. Someone decides that the sound is someone playing table tennis. Or badminton. With moon gravity.

A discussion of Rob Zombie movies happens. We're talking about Halloween and John says, "I don't really like those Michael Myers movies - I saw The Love Guru and it wasn't very good."

Rod: Are we mug rating Strawberry Blonde?

YES.

Jess: I give it 2.4.
Rod: I give it a 3.2 because I think that for a strawberry blonde it's an accurate beer. It's very accurate of the title.
Gina; I give it 3.6, I like it and I think it's really good.
Rod: I think if you like fruit beer...
Jess: See, I like fruit beer, but I got too much feet.
FEET?
I think the beer is a little watery, but it is what is is. 2.74
John: I'm similar to Gina, I'd give it a 3.5. I thought it was good, though I'm a fan of sweeter beers anyway.

Jess gets a fresh pour of the beer, and realizes her sample was somehow tainted.

Jess: Nevermind, give me a 3.2.
Rod: Yeah, give me a copy of Rodney.
John: I think this is better if you get the chunks.

Arbor Brewing Strawberry Blonde
Rodney: 3.2 mugs | Jess: 3.2 mugs | Gina: 3.6 mugs | Mike: 2.74 mugs | Guest Judge John: 3.5 mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.24 Mugs

Gina typing Arbor Brasserie Blonde Sparkling Ale

Rod: What's a sparkling ale anyway?
John: It is the Miller High Life of this beer.
Rod: This is chunky. Who's shaking these bottles.
Rod: It's fruity.
Jess: I get pineapple juice and then something weird in the flavor at the end of it.
Rod: Almost all I get out of this is pineapple juice. Maybe apple. It's not that sparkling.
John: Maybe it means how the chunks catch the light. It's almost got a kind of sour thing going on.
Jess: It's almost like when pineapple goes a little bad. Kind of fizzy.
Mike: That's going to be the next wave of craft beer, to see how bad you can make it. Like "Lost Abbey made their beer so wrong this year. They used like a turnip and some ants."
Rod: Maybe they can come up with something that would send ants crawling out of the bottle when it gets opened.
John: Like a rocket widget.
Rod: I like how we've abandoned talking about the beer.
Jess: Arbor Brewing started in 1987.
Mike: Tasting this with pumpkin seeds reminds me of how a public restroom air freshener smells.
Jess: I would say 2.4. Rancid pineapple juice gets a lower score.
John: It's hitting my love for sour beer.
Mike: Uh, It's wrong and I know it's wrong, but I'd drink it again. 3.
Gina: I give it 2.5 Mugs.
John: I give it 3, it reminds me of sour beers which I enjoy.
Rod: I give it 2.45. I might have ranked it higher if it advertised itself as some type of pineapple beer.

Arbor Brewing Brasserie Blonde Sparkling Ale
Mike: 3.00 Mugs | Jess: 2.4 Mugs | Rodney: 2.45 Mugs | Gina: 2.5 Mugs | John: 3.00 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.67 Mugs

Rodney typing Arbor Brewing Bliss Hefeweizen

Mike: That doesn't smell like a hefe to me.
Jess: I don't get bananas.
Mike: ..maybe a little bit.
John: It smells like a hefeweizen to me, more citrusy than bananay.
Jess: I get cloves.
Mike: When I think of Bliss I think of watery green beans. Which is what this tastes like.
Rod: I think it smells like bananas, tastes a bit like lemons and limes.
Jess: I thought you said womens.
Mike: It's like the most boring craft beer ever.
Rod: Man Mike, that's damning.
John: Whatever, he bought it.
Mike: I mean, what do you say about it?
John: It smelled like a wheat beer but then it didn't taste like much of anything.
Jess: I give this one a 2.2, Arbor brewing is not impressing me.
Mike: Yeah, it's not like it's bad it's just why bother?
Gina: Seeing that they are in Michigan, I wonder if we got old stuff?
John: Why can't they put born-on dates on these? Why couldn't you go to their brewpub and bring some back?
Mike: Mug score for that beer was 2.
John: Yeah me too.
Gina: Copiers.
Rod: Man when you type copiers you think of the machine. I'm going to give it a 2.6.

Arbor Brewing Bliss Hefeweizen
Jess: 2.2 Mugs | Mike: 2.00 Mugs | John: 2.00 Mugs | Gina: 2.00 Mugs | Rodney: 2.6 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.16 Mugs

Gina typing Arbor Brewing Co. Old Number 22 Alt Beer

*insert sound effects about crossing the bridge*
Mike: I feel this guy just stands there telling people not to cross the bridge.
John: It's like the guy on 38th street.
Mike: I know it's like you have your windows up so you can't hear him.
Rod: I think this glass is more than one ounce.
Mike: You just should worry about crossing the bridge.

*conversation about the battery dying on the laptop*

Mike: I think we need to figure out what number 22 is.
John: Maybe he was a baseball player.

*more discussion about the Halloween sound effects*

Mike: Uh, the beer. I get coffee.
Rod: I get a little bit of the rubbery flavor I get out of dark beers.
Mike: I get black coffee, like bitter coffee.

*insert discussion about eating cereal instead of crackers*

John: But, yeah, the rubbery taste. I'm getting it.
Rod: Coffee and some of the flavors I get out of a brown ale. Like an American brown ale.
Mike: It reminds me of that beer...
Rod: Dark Horse?
Mike: Yeah, like that beer Dark Horse does (Dark Horse Black Bier - the one with the donkey on the label). But not as good.
Gina: I don't really have anything to say about it.
John: Yeah, I don't have a lot to say, but I haven't had the Dark Horse beer.
Rod: Mike has skulls on his shoes, they are his Halloween shoes that he only wears once a year.
John: You could drink beer out of it (Mike's shoe) and then it would be really chunky.
Rod: If anything this beer should be commended for its lack of chunks.
Mike: If I'm going to drink a chunky beer then I want it to be a dark beer, kinda like chili.
Rod: I give it a 3, run of the mill.
Mike: I give it a 2.87.
Gina: 2.3
Jess: I give it a 2.0.
John: I'll go 2.5.

Arbor Brewing Company Old Number 22 Alt Beer
John: 2.5 Mugs | Rodney: 3.0 Mugs | Gina: 2.3 Mugs | Mike: 2.87 Mugs | Jess: 2.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.53 Mugs

Gina typing Arbor Brewing Company Red Snapper Amber Ale

Rod: I'm looking forward to these next two beers. I think they are going to be better.
John: It's got a hop smell, no?
Jess: It smells like yeast.
Mike: I think it's a little bit...Tootsie Rolls.
Rod: It tastes like a good homebrew Amber. It depends on you if you consider that an insult.
Mike: I think it has a pretty nice balance.
Jess: I think it's kinda homebrew-y.
Rod: I'm getting caramel, brown sugar.
John: Mike is making too many tasting sounds.
Mike: I'm just trying to get inspiration.
Rod: Man! In a bank! With a sack of gourds! Go!
John: I don't think this is improv, Rod.

John is following twitter on his phone while this is all happening.

John: I don't get this twitter..."What's your favorite sex position? The Bourne Ultimatum."

Rod: So mug scores. I'm going to go 3.2.
Jess: 2.8
Gina: 2.2
Mike: 3.13
John: 3

Arbor Brewing Company Red Snapper Amber Ale
Rod: 3.2 Mugs | Jess: 2.8 Mugs | Gina: 2.2 Mugs | Mike: 3.13 Mugs | John: 3.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.86 Mugs

Gina typing Arbor Brewing Co. Sacred Cow IPA

Rod: Sacred Cow is a good name, but not necessarily for an IPA.
Mike: When I think of IPA, I don't always think of India.
Group: OOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh. India Pale Ale, IPA, Sacred Cow.
Rod: It's kinda creamy. Kind of an herbal hoppiness. Grapefruit juice.
Mike: It's kinda chewy.
Mike: So is that more IPA or Pale Ale? I think this is the best one we've had.
John: I'm not a hoppy person, but I like this.
Jess: I think it's more Pale Ale.

Mike: 3
Jess: 3.2
Rod: 3.1
John: 2.5 cause I'm not a hops fan.
Gina: 2.9

Arbor Brewing Company Sacred Cow IPA
Mike: 3.0 Mugs | Jess: 3.2 Mugs | Rodney: 3.1 Mugs | John: 2.5 Mugs | Gina: 2.9 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.94 Mugs

Greetings From Michigan, A Great Beer State: Stop #4 - Founder's Brewing Company

2009-10-30T18:28:00.008-04:00

This past week Gina and I took a couple days off to visit family in Michigan. Of course no vacation is ever complete without enjoying a beer or two, so we also visited a few of Michigan's finer craft beer establishments.

Our final stop on our one-day whirlwind Michigan beer tour found us in Grand Rapids, home of Founder's Brewing Company. After we deposited our bags in our hotel, we took a scenic one mile walk across the grand river and a found ourselves a seat at the Founders Tap Room.

The tap room is a huge, airy, space; A long barn-like building featuring an east side composed of windowed garage-type doors, which I'm sure are opened during good weather, expansive wooden floors, and what must be at least thirty tables. A pool table or two and a makeshift stage filled out the space. Of course I can't forget the bar - a gigantic curvy monster that took up most of the west wall. It was there we sat down for dinner, and a pint or three.

Founders Hand of Doom - A 10% Imperial IPA might not seem like the best way to easy yourself into a night of drinking, but keep in mind we had already visited Dark Horse, Arcadia, and Bells that day. Knowing that the car was safe back at the hotel meant that we had very little to worry about.

Hand of Doom is a super coconut IPA - at least that's what my notes say. Sweet, syrupy, thick and hoppy, with hints of coconut throughout - nose, front and finish. The creamy mouthfeel reminded me of something that it took me a little while to put my finger on. And then it hit me - Hand of Doom drinks like Apocalypse Cow. If there weren't so many other beers to try I certainly would have had another. And another.

I wonder if there was any lactose in there..

Founders Newago County Cherry - Imagine Cerise aged on oak. And there you are.

Founders Honey Wheat - 5.5% ABV, cloudy, with that regular gold wheat beer color. The nose is sweet and fruity, with an agreeable sweetness that goes through the whole beer. My notes say "Upland Wheat + heft in body + honey". Very tasty.

Founders Super Gold - Another 5.5% ABV beer, Gina's notes say "an easy to drink beer that tastes watery, and yet peppery". Super Gold is a pale lager, and was probably the least interesting beer of the night.

Founders Holé Molé - We split a 4oz a sample of this one, and actually we didn't finish it. This was by far the spiciest beer I've ever had. A stout with habenero pepper, it was pretty much like sipping on hot sauce. I appreciate the experimentation and the experience, but I can't imagine having a whole pint.

While this concludes this batch of Michigan coverage at HBG, it's worth noting that we left Founder's shortly after a band of hippies (one of which may have been Founders brewer Jeremy Kosmicki) took over the music stage (that's not really why we left - I love you, hippies!), and headed over to Grand Rapid's Hop Cat, where we had a fantastic experience. On our way over toward Detroit we stopped in at Jolly Pumpkin Ann Arbor, where we sampled a few beers that definitely stand out. In Warren we visited Kuhnhenn during their Octoberfest celebration, and rounded out the night with a stop at Dragonmead, where the extensive beer menu blew us away. We'd highly recommend all of these breweries and bars, and look forward to our next trip, where we'll dig in a little deeper.

Random Beer Roundup - The OOH Spooky Edition

2009-10-30T09:00:00.004-04:00

Heya. So how's everyone doing? Sorry I missed you last week. I had a funeral to attend. The good news was that even in small town Illinois, I was able to find Boulevard Wheat on tap and hang out with my brother and step-sister. I don't get to see them enough.

So Halloween is this weekend. Anybody dressing up? Doing something fun? Giving out good Halloween candy? I love the kids' expression in the neighborhood when they roll up and get a full size candy bar. And I can sit in my driveway and drink beer. How bad could that be?

Anyone going to check out the Pirates v. Ninjas bout over at Ellenberger Park? Stop by the ticket booth and say hi if you do!

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.)

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, October 30th at Chef JJ's Backyard: Sun King/Hell Night Beer Dinner. More details below.

Friday, October 30th at the Crown Liquors in Carmel: A Goose Island Reserve tasting. More information here.

Friday, October 30th at Vine and Table in Carmel: Beer Tasting. More details below.

Saturday, October 31st at Oaken Barrel in Greenwood: Pumpkwan Tapping

Saturday, November 7th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 1

Tuesday, November 10th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner (featuring HBG's very own Rod/Jess' beer (Harvest Mild) as brewed by Jerry and Rodney) - Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180 (menu below)

Thursday, November 12th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Blitzen Ale Winter-White Tapping - 6 pm to 6:30 pm

Thursday, November 12th at Chef JJ's Backyard: Sun King Harvest Brewer's Dinner - 6:30 pm (more below)

Saturday, November 14th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 2

Saturday, November 21st at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 3

Coming soon: Hoosier Beer Geek's Tailgate for Nothing, a publicly advertised yet still somehow secret no freeloaders BYO everything craft beer tailgate for any old folks who consider themselves a fan of sharing great beer and good food. There's only one way to get more details - Send an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

What's Brewing

From Clayton at Sun King Brewing:

10/30 - Hell Night at Back Yard. Spicy Hot Food Fresh off The Big Green Egg paired with Sun King Beers: Sunlight Cream Ale, Chile Cream Ale, Osiris Pale Ale and El Gallo Negro - Black IPA. This will be a great night of mouth melting food paired with beers to 3 beers to accentuate the spice and one to cool it down. $35 per person, reservations required. www.chefjjs.com for details and reservations.

11/12 - Harvest Brewer's Dinner, 6:30 p.m. at Chef JJ's Back Yard in Broadripple. Exclusive event featuring six Sun King beers. The beers will be paired with six small plate courses prepared special for the evening. The food will represent October’s harvest from local farmers around Indiana. Back Yard is the only place to experience this perfect night of farm to table food and fresh, locally hand-crafted beer. Check out www.chefjjs.com for details and reservations.

From Crown Brewing in Crown Point:

We are planning for the official start of the club to be on December 1st, 2009. The first official event will be held that Friday, December 4th, 2009. At the first event, the brewery will provide a keg of Bock (the only one left) for the members that Friday night. During the party, you will receive your membership card, club t-shirt and beer. Please have your applications submitted as soon as possible to make sure you receive your t-shirt that night!

Benefits of the Club:
1. A 22 oz. glass of beer for 1 penny more than a pint(16oz.) every time you are at the brewery. What a deal!!

2. Exclusive T-Shirt

3. Tapping Parties (be the first to try new beers!!)

4. Exclusive deals on the 22nd of every month.

5. More events to be determined.

From Andrew at Oaken Barrel:

Releasing this year' version of our 2009 Indiana Brewer's Cup Best in Show Pumpkin Ale on Saturday from 12 - 3, and it is fantastic.

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co in Lafayette:

LBC says, "HELLO INDIANAPOLIS!" Indy-area fans of LBC should have begun to see bottles of our Tippecanoe Common Ale and our Black Angus Oatmeal Stout on the shelves of Crown Liquors around town. We dropped off our first 40 case delivery to the Carmel store recently, so we'll available in short order, if not already. A big thanks goes out to Crown's beer buyer, Mike Sprinkle, for making this possible.

ON TAP @ LBC THIS WEEKEND: Ouiatenon Wit Bier, Prophet's Rock Pale Ale, East Side Bitter, Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale, Tippecanoe Common Ale, Eighty-Five, Black Angus Oatmeal Stout and Rejuvenator Blonde Doppelbock. We're also serving Weeping Hog IPA from our hand pull.

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Upcoming beers: November 9th: Teddy Bear Kisses - A Russian Imperial Stout available only at the Upland Tap Room.

From Jerry at Rock Bottom Downtown:

Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner
Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Come join us for our Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner. Jerry and Victor have once again put their artistic minds together and have created a delectable feast celebrating the autumn season. We will be offering four courses each paired with an accommodating beer.

The Menu Includes:

Sweet Potato Amaretto Crepes, Fall Harvest Soup, Stuffed Lamb Chops, and a Maple Pumpkin Cannoli.

Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180

Carry Out

From Patrick at Crown Liquors:

Crown Liquors is very excited to welcome some beers we've never received and others we are pleased to have. These beers include:

Lafayette Brewing Co. Black Angus Oatmeal Stout and Tippecanoe Common Ale in 6 pack bottles. We will be selling them for $9.99 6pk, 15%off for a case.

New Holland Charkoota Rye & Dragon's Milk 22 oz.
Mad Hatter in 6 pks.

Southern Tier
IPA in 6 pks.
Phin & Matt's Extrordinary Ale in 6 pks.
Pack of Pales in 12 pks.

Southern Tier High Gravity 22 oz.
Unearthly
Hoppe EPA
Iniquity
Creme Brulee Stout
Oat Stout

The Bruery Two Turtle Doves
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout & Hibernation Ale
Dubisson Scaldis Prestige de Nuits 750
Hebrew the new Jewbelation

From Matt at Vine and Table in Carmel:

Friday, October 30th, we will be having our "End of Oktober"-fest beer tasting. These will be all American Oktoberfests (Bell's Oktoberfest, Brooklyn Oktoberfest, Schlafly Oktoberfest, and Samuel Adam's Oktoberfest). These items will be discounted and available for sampling in our store. Also, if you buy two or more six-packs of any of the beers we are sampling, you will receive a free Weihenstephan tall pilsner glass.

On Tap

From Dustin at Spencer's Stadium Tavern:

On Draft:
OLD STYLE
Rogue Dead Guy
Sun King JAVA MAC
Harpoon IPA
Dirty Helen Brown Ale
Gum Ball Head
Sun King Pale Ale
Two Hearted

You can now follow us on Twitter. Find out the Drink Specials for the day, Lunch Specials, What band is playing this weekend.

Follow us here:
http://twitter.com/spencerstavern

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse:

Sam Adams Winter Lager is now available at Scotty's Brewhouse!

From Nick at Deano's Vino in Fountain Square:

I'm going to have some new beers from Sun King on draft this weekend: the Black IPA, Harvest Ale, and Cream Ale. Plus we are having a Halloween party on Saturday, w/ DJ's spinning from 9 to 2.

From Sam at BW3's (Downtown Indianapolis):

Things are still changing at Buffalo Wild Wings. Here is what is on now and what is coming soon:

Three Floyds Broodoo, Gumballhead, and Robert the Bruce

Bells Two Hearted and Expedition Stout

Dogfish Head 90 Minute and Punkin' Ale (Punkin will be in Friday afternoon)

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA
Founders Reds Rye

Stone Arrogant Bastard

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale

Barley Island Dirty Helen

Upland's Bad Elmer's Porter

Going away soon will be Bells Expedtion Stout, which will be replaced by Bells Double Cream Stout. Also, Three Floyds Dreadnaught will be replacing Broodoo when it runs out.

Distribution News

From Krystal at World Class Beverages:

Victory is doing a GREAT job with their marketing efforts, especially in their Youtube videos. Here is one I’d like to share from World Class Beverages, “(Re) Introducing Helios – a craft beer from Victory Brewing Company.” Victory - Helios

News around the Internets

The New York Times with a discussion of stout.

Greetings From Michigan, A Great Beer State: Stop #3 - Bell's Brewing Company

2009-10-28T21:30:00.007-04:00

No proper beer trip to Michigan would be complete without a stop at Bell's Eccentric Cafe. On our way in the door, I noticed that I had a message on my phone, and just as soon as we walked in the door, we were right back out on our way to the Bell's production facility (Thanks Bob and Marty!). Their facility is normally not open for public tours, so this was an extra special treat for us.

Driving up to the building, you get the sense that Mr. Bell is not fooling around. The building is a massive steel structure tucked between a couple buildings and a couple fields just a few miles out of town. This location works well for them because that means they have some more room to grow in the future. And that is a good thing for all of us.

We've got a lot of photos, so I'll mostly let them speak for themselves.

The control board in the photo, while functional, is not generally used in production. The brewer runs the operation from a computer room.

We don't know exactly what's in here, but we hear it might be sour! I for one am super excited about that prospect.

There are a lot of green updates to this location, including solar lights, motion detector lights, and a grass rooftop. The barrels on the left are supported by an overhead grid. This allows for easy access for the workers as well as the hoses and other brewing equipment.

This machine washes, sanitizes, and fills the kegs.

This shelf holds beer from previous batches they've brewed (no 9000 yet, we asked) so if they run into any issues, they can check it out. They take quality control seriously here!

The bottling line fills and packages Expedition Stout.

This was my favorite stop on the tour - the lab.

Bell's Eccentric Cafe is located about 5 miles from the brewery. It's a giant room with beautiful details in wood and brick. You can order beer at the bar and food at the small window to the right of the bar. Notice the 76 Ale sign hanging on the wall? It comes from the old Terre Haute Brewing Company.

Mike had the Rye Stout, which is something brand new to bottles. The flavor in front was a deep roasted malt with coffee flavors, also kind of like toasty bread. The rye comes through in the middle, and the beer finishes with a full coffee flavor again.

I had the Golden Funk, a 6.5% ABV Sour Ale. The board said it had peppercorn, galangal, and cardamom. I've never heard of galangal before, but wikipedia says it's a root that is used in some Asian dishes. The beer is floral and sour with a funky medicinal flavor. Mike said that the nose reminded him of ketchup flavored potato chips, but I mostly just got a lot of floral notes. It's very interesting and I hope this is just the beginning of their sour offerings.

Random Beer Roundup - Where's Gina Edition

2009-10-23T08:00:00.007-04:00

Gina is out of town right now, so you're stuck with me. Normally you'd get some sort of intro here - a story, a life lesson, something - but I'll just leave you with this: I may ride a bike to work, I might eat a decent amount of vegan foods, and I consider myself pretty open minded. But I hate hippies.

(Gina will be back next week, and as always - if there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.)

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Saturday, October 24th from 1-6 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie: Muncie Brewfest (Full details below)

Saturday, October 24th at Spencer's Stadium Tavern: The Alzheimer's Association of Indiana and Spencer's 3rd Annual Halloween Party. Costume contest, Auction, 50/50, and more. All proceeds go Directly to the Alzheimer's Association. Live Music with Fair & Square.

Wednesday, October 28th at Zing: 5 Course Hoosier Beer Dinner featuring native Indiana food paired with Hoosier Craft Beers. $30/person. Reservations are limited. call 317-638-7775 for more information or to make reservations.

Thursday, October 29th at Keg Liquors, Clarksville: BBC Beer Tasting, 5 - 8 PM.

Friday, October 30th at Chef JJ's Backyard: Sun King/Hell Night Beer Dinner. More details below.

Friday, October 30th at the Crown Liquors in Carmel: A Goose Island Reserve tasting. More information here.

Saturday, November 7th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 1

Monday, November 9th at Upland in Bloomington: Winter Warmer Release

Tuesday, November 10th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner (featuring HBG's very own Rod/Jess' beer as brewed by Jerry and Rodney) - Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180 (menu below)

Thursday, November 12th at Rock Bottom Downtown Indy: Blitzen Ale Winter-White Tapping - 6 pm to 6:30 pm

Saturday, November 14th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 2

Saturday, November 21st at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 3

Coming soon: Hoosier Beer Geek's Tailgate for Nothing, a publicly advertised yet still somehow secret no freeloaders BYO everything craft beer tailgate for any old folks who consider themselves a fan of sharing great beer and good food. There's only one way to get more details - Send an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

First, this.

Muncie Brewfest Fans!

Here is the list of participating brewers and pubs. We'll have just a couple of minor changes, but they should all be additions.

Hope to see you on the 24th!

Brewers:
1. Founders
2. Stone
3. Three Sergeants
4. Magic Hat
5. Three Floyds
6. Brooklyn
7. Boulevard
8. BBC
9. Left Hand
10. Goose Island
11. Bells
12. Magic Hat
13. Schlafly
14. Sun King
15. Barley Island
16. Hoppin’ Frog
17. Dogfish Head
WC: Wyders, Harpoon, Dark Horse, Atwater, Abita, Southampton, Saranac, Oaken Barrel
MB: Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, New Belgium
CAV: TBD

Pub Tables:
A. MadHatter
B. Savage’s
C. Scotties Brewhouse
D. Blue Bottle

As an aside, certain Muncie-ites are now calling Muncie "Indiana's Craft Beer Capital" based on the fact that they seem to be buying more Founders, Bells, and Three Floyd's in Muncie than anywhere else in the state. Fair enough, numbers are hard to argue with.

But we'd argue that to be "Indiana's Craft Beer Capital", Muncie might first work on having at least one craft beer brewery. All those numbers prove is that you're a bunch of drunks.

In any case, a little good natured ribbing is a good thing. We wish the folks behind the Muncie Brewfest the best of luck with their event.

What's Brewing

From Clayton at Sun King Brewing:

Hell Night at Back Yard. Spicy Hot Food Fresh off The Big Green Egg paired with Sun King Beers: Sunlight Cream Ale, Chile Cream Ale, Osiris Pale Ale and El Gallo Negro - Black IPA. This will be a great night of mouth melting food paired with beers to 3 beers to accentuate the spice and one to cool it down. $35 per person, reservations required. www.chefjjs.com for details and reservations

From Kwang at Oaken Barrel:

We are offering everyone's favorite appetizer, Elephant Garlic Bread every
Wednesday. It is served with Marinara and Cheese Sauce and it's available all day for only $6.95. Also, we pair the Garlic Bread with 23 Oz. beer of your choice for only $9.95. What a bargain!

From Jerry at Rock Bottom Downtown:

Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner
Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Come join us for our Fall Harvest Brewer's Dinner. Jerry and Victor have once again put their artistic minds together and have created a delectable feast celebrating the autumn season. We will be offering four courses each paired with an accommodating beer.

The Menu Includes:

Sweet Potato Amaretto Crepes, Fall Harvest Soup, Stuffed Lamb Chops, and a Maple Pumpkin Cannoli.

Tickets are $35 per person. Call For reservations as space is limited - (317) 681-8180

Carry Out

From Todd at Keg Liquors:

New Products:
- Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
- Bells Rye Stout
- Bells Java Stout
- Bells Best Brown 6 packs and 5 liter cans
- Bells Double Cream Stout
- Avery New World Porter
- Three Floyds Broodoo
- Left Hand Warrior IPA
- Left Hand Milk Stout

Events:
October 29th - BBC Beer Tasting at Keg Liquors from 5 - 8 PM.
Join us as our friends from BBC Shelbyville Road stop in for the next in line of our "locals only" beer tastings. Brewers Jerry and Sam will be in with a great lineup of their beers, and an appearance by a Randall that we will use as a surprise infuser of one of their beers. Here is the lineup:

- Rye 75
- Professor Gesser's Mind Numbing Ale
- Luna de Miel Raspberry Mead
- Heine Brothers Coffee Stout

and a couple of surprise beers as well.

On Tap

From Dustin at Spencer's Stadium Tavern:

On Draft:
OLD STYLE
Rogue Dead Guy
Sun King JAVA MAC
Harpoon IPA
Dirty Helen Brown Ale
Gum Ball Head
Sun King Pale Ale
Two Hearted

You can now follow us on Twitter. Find out the Drink Specials for the day, Lunch Specials, What band is playing this weekend.

Follow us here:
http://twitter.com/spencerstavern

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse:

Sun King is now available at Scotty's Brewhouse in Indy, Muncie and West Lafayette!

From Sam at BW3's (Downtown Indianapolis):

Things are looking good tap selection wise at the store.

Founders Reds Rye
Stone Arrogant Bastard
Bells Two Hearted
Bells Expedition Stout
Upland Bad Elmers Porter
Three Floyds Gumballhead
Three Floyds Robert the Bruce
Three Floyds Broodoo
Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale (just a little bit left)
Dogfish Head 90 Minute
New Belgium Fat Tire
Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA
Barley Island Dirty Helen

From Greg at Cavalier Distributing:

We have a ton of new and incredibly exciting beers & news:

Cavalier Distributing is extremely proud to announce that we are bringing New Albanian Brewing Company Beers north across the Hoosier state! To start with, NABC is releasing limited amounts of Elector Imperial Red, Beak's Best American Bitter & Bob's Old 15-B Porter in draft only. You will be able to find NABC Beer on draft in select bars across the state starting this weekend. We are officially launching NABC in Muncie this weekend at the Muncie Beer Fest, Fickle Peach & Heorot!!
www.newalbanian.com/index.html

Left Hand Warrior IPA

New this year for Warrior is that the fresh hops are picked right in Colorado – both in the western slopes and in Left Hand's hop farm at the brewery. Cascades, Chinooks and Centennials are the freshies. They bitter with Magnum and dry-hop with Warrior. The final ABV will be 6.6% ABV with IBU’s cutting at 60. In addition to the recipe changes the Warrior has a new label this year as well. Get this while you can, because supplies are even more limited than in previous years and are going fast!!

Breckenridge Lucky U IPA has finally arrived in Indiana after much speculation & anticipation. Lucky U is brewed with 7 different hop varietals creating a wonderful hop profile. In true Breck form, this beer has a strong malt backbone to balance it out, creating a very smooth, balanced beer. Lucky U is the perfect everyday IPA and a great complement to it's big brother, 471 Double IPA.

Two Brothers Heavy Handed Fresh Hop IPA features different hops in each batch. If you want to track the hop varietals in your bottle of Heavy Handed, look the lot number up at: http://www.twobrosbrew.com/

Make a point to grab some Heavy Handed and enjoy that fresh, resiny wet-hopped taste.

The Lion Brewery in Pennsylvania is making it's way to the Hoosier state with a couple lines of award-winning beers. The Brewery produces both Stegmaier & Lions Head Beers, and several styles are now available in the state. You will start seeing both Stegmaier & Lions Head Beers hitting stores and bars in the next couple of weeks. In addition to being great beer, all of the Lion Brewing Beers are offered at a great price. Make a point to try some soon.

The Midwest Muncie Breer Fest is this Saturday at the Horizon Convention Center in Downtown Muncie from 1 - 6pm. We will be launching NABC Elector Imperial Red at the event in addition to pouring several other phenomenal beers!!

Lastly..

HBG reader Josh found this while out in Fountain Square:

Anyone know anything?

Greetings From Michigan, A Great Beer State: Stop #2 - Arcadia Brewing Company

2009-10-22T20:18:00.009-04:00

This past week Gina and I took a couple days off to visit family in Michigan. Of course no vacation is ever complete without enjoying a beer or two, so we also visited a few of Michigan's finer craft beer establishments.

Our second stop along the way was a random detour - we knew that we were headed to Bells in Kalamazoo, and we also knew that we had a hotel reservation in Grand Rapids. The question then became "how much can we (responsibly) fit in before we get to Founders?"

The Michigan beer map showed on slight detour on the way west along Interstate 94 - Arcadia Brewing Company. Knowing very little about the brewery (apart from recognizing a few of their beers from somewhere along the way) added a little mystery to the detour.

If you want to get the attention of the staff at a brewpub, just pull out a camera. As soon as I did, I was met with a greeting of "no photography, please". I turned around and said "oh, OK" and was met with a smile and a "just kidding" from Arcadia brewer Kevin Becraft.

As I sauntered off to the restroom Gina struck up a conversation with Kevin. When we had walked in the bar I noticed a large group of Marines taking a tour of the brewery, which is located in a warehouse space just behind a bank of windows on the wall across from the bar and restaurant. When I returned to the bar I asked Kevin about the tour.

"You want to jump in?" he asked. We quickly jumped on the back of the tour group and learned about the process of brewing and bottling Arcadia's award winning English style beers. For example, Arcadia uses open fermentation in the brewing process (something we hadn't seen in practice before), and bottles on a bottling line produced in the 1950s.

Unfortunately we were on a schedule, so we couldn't spend more time with Kevin and his co-brewer Josh Davies. They were kind enough to answer some of our questions and also make some suggestions on where else to visit while in Michigan.

Brewers Kevin and Josh
And of course - we had a couple beers.

Arcadia Golden Harvest Ale - Recommended by Kevin. My first thought was "this reminds me of Broad Ripple Brewpub". This is a bold English pale, with a nice malt balance bringing up the back. The use of fresh hops is evident in the snappy hop bite in the finish. I wish we could have stayed for more.

Gina had Arcadia's ESB, but her notes are unclear - being on vacation meant that she was easily distracted.

Next up, a stop at Bells. And another stop at Bells. And a return to our original stop at Bells.

KOTBR #88: The Charlie Davies Roundtable

2009-10-22T14:30:00.004-04:00

As you may have noticed, several of the Knights of the Beer Roundtable at Hoosier Beer Geek are soccer fans. And even though the United States Men's National Team had their ticket to World Cup 2010 punched on October 10th with their defeat of Honduras, the US v. Costa Rica match last Wednesday seemed as good a reason as any to get together, open some beers, and watch the match, even though the results didn't impact the US much.

But then the day before the match, forward Charlie Davies was involved in a horrific car accident, making the match an emotional one for team members and fans. So in Charlie's honor, we dedicate Roundtable #88 to him and offer 9 word reviews in honor of USMNT's #9. Get well soon, Charlie.

Three Floyd's Black Sun
Jim - 3.565 mugs: Sweet floral nose. Dry metallic finish. A deceptive beer.
Mike - 3.75 mugs: Hoppy front. Light on tongue. Lingers bitter. Balance everywhere.
Rod - 3.6 mugs: Dry cocoa stout but why do I get strawberries?
Gina - 3.8 mugs: Malty, dark fruit, dry, hoppy, weird stout, usual 3Floyds.
Jason - 3.89 mugs: This complex hoppy stout has a touch of Unibroue.
KOTBR Score: 3.72 mugs

New Glarus Raspberry Tart
Jim - 5.0 mugs: Raspberry jello nose. Tart, luscious berry flavor. Simply perfect.
Mike - 5.0 mugs: Here's proof - sometimes a beer can't be any better.
Rod - 4.5 mugs: Fresh raspberry jam, lemon tartness, my favorite New Glarus.
Gina - 5.0 mugs: OMG, this makes me so happy. Love, love, love.
Jason - 3.69 mugs: Is this very berry really beer? Sweet enjoyable tartness.
KOTBR Score: 4.63 mugs

Rodenbach Flemish Sour Ale
Jim - 3.5 mugs: Smells like nail polish. Oaky sour flavor. Fairly decent.
Mike - 3.62 mugs: Sour middle, sour finish, but overall a little watery.
Rod - 3.7 mugs: Cranberry, cherry, apples, pears, and a lot of water.
Gina - 3.95 mugs: Sweet fruit nose, lightly tart taste. Grape, oak, raisins.
Jason - 3.29 mugs: Less of old, more of new, favorite sour yet.
KOTBR Score: 3.61 mugs

Fantome Pissenlit
Jim - 2.75 mugs: Dandelion saison. Rubbery smell and taste. Not my thing.
Mike - 3.45 mugs: I liked the dance this did on my tongue.
Rod - 3.7 mugs: Funky starchy sweet nose, tastes like dandelions and saison.
Gina - 3.3 mugs: Poo nose at first. Flavors are sweet, sour, natural.
Jason - 2.39 mugs: Like Burt Reynolds, smells like dandelions in sour piss.
KOTBR Score: 3.11 mugs

Greetings From Michigan, A Great Beer State: Stop #1 - Dark Horse Brewing Co.

2009-10-19T17:14:00.001-04:00

This past week Gina and I took a couple days off to visit family in Michigan. Of course no vacation is ever complete without enjoying a beer or two, so we also visited a few of Michigan's finer craft beer establishments.

Our first stop was Marshall, Michigan's Dark Horse Brewing Company. You may know of Dark Horse from their distribution in Indiana - beers like Crooked Tree IPA, Reserve Special Black Bier Ale, and Perkulator Coffee Dopplebock.

One thing we've never understood was Dark Horse's scattershot beer packaging. A stop in to their brewpub was all the insight we needed to figure out their marketing philosophy.

Dark Horse's brewpub is the sort of place where bathroom graffiti is appreciated - a Bert's Peppy Grill sort of cobbled together space that is one part Three Floyds, one part biker bar, and one part hunting cabin.

The tap handles are a collection of cast off idols and knickknacks - half a toy horse, what looks like a soft soap dispenser, an idol of Lenin, a Dryad's dildo, a bloody hand in wood, and their more commonly used double barrel shotgun - that pour a varied collection of brews. An Oktoberfest, scotch ale, amber, harvest pale ale, oatmeal stout, and smoked stout joined the aforementioned Crooked Tree IPA and Special Black Bier on tap.

It's obvious that Dark Horse's mug club must is widely supported - you'll notice rows and rows of custom made mugs lining every available space in the bar. Before we left, we noticed a group of folks sitting down at a table towards the back. The waitress walked up and said "the amber?", giving away their "regular" status at the bar. The fact that they were elderly women didn't seem strange at all.

Dark Horse Harvest Pale Ale - This is a cloudy, copper-colored beer, with a milky head and light lacing. The nose is citrusy hops - mostly orange, with a slightly footy note mixed in. The front is bitter but light, backed up with a nice malt balance. The highlight of the beer is the creamy mouthfeel - an element that reminds me of Three Floyd's Apocalypse Cow.

Dark Horse Oktoberfest - The nose on this one is light and bready, and comes from a deep red/almost purple colored brew. The front is grapeish and fruity, but the beer balanced out with a cereal-like malt flavor. This beer has a sugary sweetness that isn't present in most of the oktoberfest beers I've had, which I can appreciate since I'm not the biggest fan of the style.

Dark Horse Black Bier - The beer has a nose of BBQ meat, but the beer is smooth and subtle - a little smokey, a little meaty.

Dark Horse is only 3 and half hours from Indianapolis, and is the perfect start for a weekend Michigan beer trip. Stay tuned for more stops along the way in the next few days.

Random Beer Roundup - The Let's Relocate Michigan to Indiana Edition

2009-10-16T10:04:00.001-04:00

We are in beautiful Grand Rapids, Michigan this morning getting ready to start day 2 of our little beer vacation. I always forget just how beautiful it is to see the fall leaves change. But what is more beautiful than the leaves is the number of breweries up here making really great beer. My favorite place so far has been the HopCat, a microbrewery with an extensive draft and bottle list. Since we could walk to our hotel from there (and Founders), we were able to sample more of their offerings. The HopCat has a variety of taps and bottles from several of the Michigan breweries that we won't be able to see on this trip (like Short's, the Livery, and Hideout) so it was nice to be able to sample some of their beers. The best part was that they offered 2.5 oz. samples for a $1 each.

In other news...
Rock Art Brewery is being told to stop using the name of their "Vermonster" beer by a well know energy drink maker because they claim there will be some confusion. Without similar resources to fight, they are in a lose-lose situation. Either they change the name, or they possibly lose the entire brewery fighting for it. The one thing Rock Art has is an awesome community of craft beer fans that extends far beyond Vermont.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

So, SAVE VERMONSTER. This is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

Thursday - Friday, October 15th and 16th at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington: Big Red Beer Fest

Starting Friday, October 16th at Rich O's Public House in New Albany: Lupulin Hop Festival

Sunday, October 18th from 12-5pm at Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville: Oktoberfest

Monday, October 19th at 6:30pm at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville: Oktoberfest Beer Tasting. $30/person. RSVP (more info below)

Saturday, October 24th from 1-6 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie: Muncie Brewfest

Wednesday, October 28th at Zing: 5 Course Hoosier Beer Dinner featuring native Indiana food paired with Hoosier Craft Beers. $30/person. Reservations are limited. call 317-638-7775 for more information or to make reservations.

Friday, October 30th at the Crown Liquors in Carmel: A Goose Island Reserve tasting. More information here.

Saturday, November 7th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 1

Monday, November 9th at Upland in Bloomington: Winter Warmer Release

Saturday, November 14th at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 2

Saturday, November 21st at Payless Liquors at 96th & I-69: Beer MBA class 3

Coming soon: AleGate, A Tailgate for Nothing. Want more info? Send us an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

What's Brewing

From John at Half Moon Brewery in Kokomo:

The “Duke Of Double” IPA

O.G = 1.080 ABV = 8.4% IBU = 113

Here it is. The one that hopheads of central Indiana have been waiting
for. A Double IPA worthy of a title, not just a name. The Duke of Double
is royalty among IPA’s. It has a smooth caramel malt taste and
full-bodied mouth feel that’s buried somewhere between the fragrant aroma
and GINORMOUS flavor of American grown cascade hops. At 8.4% ABV and 113
IBU’s, the Duke Of Double could be trouble if not handled with caution.

Coming Soon: Bock

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:

On tap:
Ouiatenon Wit Bier, Prophet's Rock Pale Ale, East Side Bitter, Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale, Tippecanoe Common Ale, Eighty-Five, Black Angus Oatmeal Stout and a couple of our fall seasonals: Rejuvenator Blonde Doppelbock and Hunters Moon Pale Ale. We're also pouring Weeping Hog IPA from our beer engine.

From Andrew at Oaken Barrel in Greenwood:

The craze that surrounds our annual release, Apple Buzz, is in full swing. We have already sold half of the 28 barrels that we produced in just four days. For the unfamiliar, this beer combines wort, apple cider, and honey to make an amazingly popular beverage that pushes the envelope. Make sure people come out real soon if they want some this year.

We are having a Pumpkin Festival on October 31st from 12pm-3pm. We will be releasing this year's version of our Pumpkin Ale, which was the 2009 Indiana Brewer's Cup Best in Show beer over the summer. More details for this event to come...

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Upcoming beers
Winter Warmer - Release: Nov. 9 - A barleywine with a very dark color achieved through a long boil. The finest British and American malts are used to create a large malt character. Rich fruit flavors and aromas are balanced by a hoppy taste and lingering finish. Silver Award Winner 2008 World Beer Cup “Old Ale” category. Available in bottles and draught. 9.0%ABV, 46.7 IBUs, 20.4 Starting Gravity

Upland Events

Upland will be pouring beer at the following events:

Muncie Brewfest (Muncie) Oct. 24
Festival of the Falls (Bloomington) Oct. 24

At the Bar

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):

Sun king brew is now on tap at Scotty's Brewhouse in West Lafayette, Downtown Indy and North Side Indy!

From Beth and Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:

Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville invites you to our Oktoberfest Beer Tasting on Monday, October 19 at 6:30 PM.

The six course German-inspired menu will feature Stout Short Ribs, Kolsch Fondue, German Meatballs, and much more, with six perfectly paired beers.

$30 per person, this includes tax and tip. Call 317-733-8755 for reservations and information.

From Sam at Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown Indianapolis:

Bells Expedition Stout and Two Hearted

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Three Floyds Broodoo, Gumballhead, and Alpha King (Robert The Bruce is coming soon)

Dogfish Head 90 Minute

Upland Wheat (Bad Elmers Porter is coming soon)

Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest

Founders Reds Rye

Stone Arrogant Bastard

The beer selection is changing to reflect the cooler weather. Keep an eye out for more big stouts and hopefully barleywines coming soon.

From Dustin at Spencers Stadium Tavern in Indianapolis:

On Tap:

Old Style
Victory Prima Pils
Rogue Dead Guy
Harpoon IPA
Schlafly Hefe
Sun King Pale Ale
Sun King ???
Bell's Two Hearted

Carry Out

From Anita at Great Fermentations in Broad Ripple:

Beginning Brewing Classes

Sunday, Oct. 18th @ 1 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 11th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Nov. 22nd @ 1 PM

From Patrick at Crown Liquors in Carmel:

3 Floyd's Broodoo (Fresh Harvest Ale)
Lindemans Gift box (Pomme & Framboise with authentic Lindemans glass. Makes for a great gift!)
Breckenridge Lucky U
Great Divide Tripel
Great Divide Hercules and Yeti in 4 pack's
Hair of the Dog Adam & Fred while supplies last

Make sure to put in your request for vintage stone. We have verticals of Vertical Epic, Old Guardian, and Imperial Russian Stout.

In the coming weeks we will be getting new beers from Southern Tier, New Holland, and North Coast. When we get it in you will find out right here at Hoosier Beer Geek.

Distribution News, Reviews, and Gossip

From Mat at Cavalier Distribution:

Cool Link about Boulder

Babies Need Beer Too

2009-10-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

Getting older is weird. As is the natural progression of life, I've now reached the age where it seems like one of my friends has a new kid about once a month. I'm not the type for children, and I'm also not the type that usually handles gifts for these sorts of occasions. But recently I was struck with an idea so great that I'm finally committed to doing my part in welcoming the new little bundles of joy (whatever) into the world.

In the past few months, two of our very own Hoosier Beer Geek Knights of the Beer Roundtable have had newborns. I was thinking about the sorts of gifts that new parents are likely to receive - endless piles of diapers, tiny outfits, and target gift cards - all very practical and useful. But these aren't gifts that children are going to appreciate - they're gifts that make life easier on the parents. And that's not only fine, it's also dandy.

But I think you should know that I'm always thinking of the kids.

And that's why I've decided to buy them beer.

Yes, the perfect gift for a newborn must be beer! But not just any beer. I'm thinking of a beer that will stand up to aging 21 years - a beer that will serve as this child's legal introduction (at the age of 21) to how great beer can be.

But finding information on beers that have been aged 21 years was hard to come by. There are rumors of very old bottles of Thomas Hardy on various websites, but most accounts are of beers that are 10 years old, not 20-plus. What I was looking for is the surest shot - because you can imagine the sort of hype you might build up for a beer you've been aging for 21 years.

Instead of just winging it, I turned to a team of experts - from local folks to brewing superstars - and asked them: "Are you currently producing or distributing a beer (or beers) that you think will stand up to 21 years of aging?" Some suggested beers they'd had experience with. Others suggested beers of their own.

Stay tuned 21 years to find out how this turns out.

The Distributors

Mat Gerdenich, Cavalier Distributing:

I have no sure bets on this one. Sorry.

The stories I hear the most are Thomas Hardy and JW Lees. The oldest Stone Vertical Epic is only 8 years old.

Bob Mack, World Class Beverages

Thomas Hardy’s is out of production right now (last I heard), but the brewers claim that it will hold up for 40 years and they often advertise it for aging at least 26 years (they’ve tested batches to at least that length of time). I’m pretty confident in Samichlaus for at least 21 years also. Of course, I’d be concerned that both beers be stored upright in relatively benign conditions.

Hardy’s has been brewed since 1968 so in theory there might be some 41 year old bottles out there, but I’ve never heard from anyone who has consumed one of those in recent years. Stan Hieronymus has consumed some 20 year old versions that he was pretty pleased with, though.

I’ve had some Samichlaus that was 15 years old and it tasted nothing like an old beer. The oldest Thomas Hardy that I’ve had was about 12 years and it was remarkable. I’ve had quite a few vintage Samichlaus bottles and I’ve never taste one that seemed flawed.

I’ve had some Chimay Grand Reserve that was 20 plus years old and in my opinion, it was getting close to being bad beer, though some beer geeks in the group I was with pretty much fawned over it.

Frankly, a lot of people consume older beers and seem to get excited over off flavors that they associate with aging and I just don’t care for those flavors in new or vintage beers. The Hardy’s and Samichlaus vintage beers that I have consumed have never had “flawed” flavors in them. I have a friend who ages almost any beer and gets excited about the magnified off-flavors that aging can bring out and that sort of bother me, so I let him enjoy most of his vintage stuff himself.

In my opinion, I’d go with Thomas Hardy.

The Brewery Presidents

Blaine Stuckey, Mad Anthony Brewing Co.

I hate to admit this, but John Hill of Broadripple Brewpub and I were sampling brews one evening at BRBP, Brugge and the Jazz Kitchen. Between 2 and 3 AM we (John) thought it was a good idea to raid the cellar for a twenty two year old Thomas Hardy Ale. My nearest recollection is that it was Fantastic. [Mad Anthony has] aged ales available during the holiday season. The Oldest Mad Anthony stash is about ten years old - Old Crippled Bastard Barley Wine 2000.

John Bryan, Boulevard Brewing Company

I had a 40 year-old Rodenbach Grand Cru in Belgium in 2005 and it was amazing. I would look for sour beer, as these are already acidic in nature.

Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head

Any of our beers over 15% abv should last for that long. Also – the Life & Limb beer Dogfish and Sierra brewed together that comes out in November would be good for this sorta thing.

The Brewery Rep

Matt Steirnagle, Stone Brewing Company

I don’t think we brew or distribute anything that will actually profit from being 21 years old. I’ve sampled Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout aged cold for about 7 years, and though they were both still pretty good, it was clear they had already hit their prime, probably a few years earlier. I have tried a 28 year old beer that hadn’t completely lost its charm. It was Courage Brewing LTD Imperial Russian Stout, brewed in 1980. It tasted… Well, let’s say that my appreciation depended heavily on my love of funky beer, and on the thrill of ingesting something older than I am. In other words, probably not the sort of thing that would impress a youngster as part of their first legal beer experience. Thomas Hardy or J.W. Lee’s are both good bets. It pains me to say it, but Sam Adam’s Utopias might also be a fitting candidate. To really pull out the stops, one could buy an age-able beer each year, on the child’s birthday, for all 21 years and conduct a vertical tasting at the end.

As to what makes certain beers last way longer than others, it’s hard to say for sure. Packaging has a lot to do with it. There is no way of filling a bottle without introducing a little oxygen to the beer, which is what makes it taste stale after a certain period. Bottle conditioning with live yeast converts this oxygen to CO2, stabilizing the beer and extending the shelf life. Alcohol, hops, and acidity act as preservatives. Very old beers tend to take on characteristics of dried fruit and leather, so you’d want to age a beer which would taste good with, say, prunes and wallets. Hop flavor tends to die down after a year or two, so beers with a lot of “green” character aren’t usually suitable for long term aging. Sometimes hoppy beers ending up aging nicely anyway, but they are generally a lot better fresh.

The Danish Wonderbrewer

Mikkel Bjergsø, Mikkeller

My beer 黑 / Black is made for perfect aging. High alc% (17.5), black, thick and heavy.

So what did I buy? In the end, I've decided to wait it out, and base my purchase on the past experience of those who helped answer my question.

It seems as though Thomas Hardy's is the best bet, but one aspect of this purchase that I consider important is that the bottle of beer have the birthyear on it. Thomas Hardy's bottles all have a date, but since there is no 2009 stock to go around, they don't fit the profile.

Another issue with Thomas Hardy's is that there hasn't been consistency with who is actually brewing the beer - which might also mean there are quality control issues. Between the actual brewing and the bottling, it's really hard to say what we'd end up with.

Bob Mack stated that he'd had 15 year aged Samichlaus - and found no flaws. Samichlaus also puts vintage dates on their bottles. The only problem is that 2009 Samichlaus isn't yet available in the states.

But it will be soon enough. And we're not in a hurry. So the baby Knights (Squires?) will have to wait. I don't think they'll mind.

Random Beer Roundup - The Rain's Not Stopping Edition

2009-10-09T12:10:00.006-04:00

Last weekend's trip to Kings Island was a great time and I even got a Jungle Jim's trip in on the way. I picked up some delicious offerings, including a couple coffee beers. I'm so happy that it's that time again and I would love nothing more than to see those styles offered year-round (Sun King's Java Mac is tasting great, btw). Anyway, I talk about coffee beer a lot so I'll shut up now.

Next week, Mike and I will be in southern Michigan on a much needed vacation. We're hoping to check out a few brewpubs and bars on our journey. We've got a few stops planned (Founder's, Hopcat, Bell's, Big Rock Chop House, and Kuhnhenn's for sure) Anything else we shouldn't miss? The roundup next week should go on without a hitch, hopefully.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

So, grab your umbrella. This is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

Friday, October 2nd - 10th at NABC's Public House & Pizzeria in New Albany: Sandkerwa is still going strong (more details below).

Saturday, October 3rd-4, 6th-10th at NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse in New Albany: Fringe Festival

Saturday, October 10th at the Lafayette Brewing Co in Lafayette: Join the Circle City Socialites and the Lafayette Brawlin' Dolls at their afterparty following their bout.

Saturday, October 10th at Upland in Bloomington: Schwarz Tag event and Schwarz release (more details below)

Monday, October 12th from 7-9 pm at Shallos in Greenwood: Beer Tasting $18 Advance / $25 DOE (more details below)

Tuesday, October 13th at 7pm at the Fireside Grill in Indianapolis: A Dinner with Magic Hat. RSVP (Required), 317-823-1000 | $35.00 PER PERSON | INCLUDES TAX AND GRATUITY

Thursday - Friday, October 15th and 16th at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington: Big Red Beer Fest

Starting Friday, October 16th at Rich O's Public House: Lupulin Hop Festival

Sunday, October 18th from 12-5pm at Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville: Oktoberfest

Monday, October 19th at 6:30pm at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville: Oktoberfest Beer Tasting. $30/person. RSVP (more info below)

Saturday, October 24th from 1-6 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center, Muncie: Muncie Brewfest

Wednesday, October 28th at Zing: 5 Course Hoosier Beer Dinner featuring native Indiana food paired with Hoosier Craft Beers. $30/person. Reservations are limited. call 317-638-7775 for more information or to make reservations.

Monday, November 9th at Upland in Bloomington: Winter Warmer Release

Coming soon: AleGate, A Tailgate for Nothing. Want more info? Send us an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

What's Brewing

From Mike and Roger at New Albanian Pizzeria and Pub in New Albany:

S andkerwa is still going strong with Mahrs Lager, Weissenohe Monk's Fest, Kulmbacher Weiss, along with four gravity kegs this weekend. We'll also keep a couple stateside fall seasonals pouring, currently Pyramid Juggernaut and Three Floyds Munsterfest, but look for Rogue Maierfest and Two Brothers Pumpkin to be appearing this weekend or early next week.

From John at Half Moon Brewery in Kokomo:

Half Moon Octoberfest on tap!
O.G.=1.061 ABV=6.05% IBU=31

Double IPA coming soon!!!
O.G.=1.080 ABV=8.4% IBU=113

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Currently on tap (in addition to our year-around beer selection)

Oktoberfest -A Bavarian-style lager with a rich, amber hue and a malty sweetness. All-German malts with rare German hops are used to make it authentic in style. The crisp, hop finish tops off this delicious brew. Our best-selling seasonal. Available in bottles and draught. 6.8% ABV, 16.5 IBUs, 15.8 Starting Gravity

Weizenbock - A powerful dark wheat beer in the German tradition. Draught only, limited availability. 7.5% ABV

Double Dragonfly IPA - The big brother of our Dragonfly IPA. The IBUs in this brew pack a powerful punch (not to mention the ABV), but likes its little sibling, the Double Dragonfly is very well balanced by a strong malt character. 9.1% ABV, 80+ IBUs, 21.0 Staring Gravity

Upcoming beers

Schwarz (black lager) -Release: Oct. 10 - Our German-style schwarzbier, or black lager, is dark in color; but you shouldn’t always believe your eyes, as it is unexpectedly light in body. This brew has very light hints of chocolate and coffee from the dark malt, making it perfect for the fall and winter months. Available in bottles and draught. New for 2009. 5.0% ABV, 25.3 IBUs, 12.0 Starting Gravity

Winter Warmer - Release: Nov. 9 - A barleywine with a very dark color achieved through a long boil. The finest British and American malts are used to create a large malt character. Rich fruit flavors and aromas are balanced by a hoppy taste and lingering finish. Silver Award Winner 2008 World Beer Cup “Old Ale” category. Available in bottles and draught. 9.0%ABV, 46.7 IBUs, 20.4 Starting Gravity

Upland Events

Schwarz Tag - Join us October 10^th for live music and the release of our German-style schwarzbier. A portion of the proceeds go to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center—and one of the exotic felines will even be joining us for part of the event!

Around Indiana:

Upland will be pouring beer at the following events:

Big Red Beer Fest (Bloomington) Oct. 15-16
Trader’s Point Oktoberfest: (Zionsville) Oct. 18
Muncie Brewfest (Muncie) Oct. 24
Festival of the Falls (Bloomington) Oct. 24

At the Bar

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):

Come check out Scotty's new seasonal menu and new brews! (Different brews available at all 5 Scotty's Brewhouse locations)

From Dave at Magic Hat Brewing Co:

Fireside Grill Host Beer Dinner - Featuring 5 Different Beers from Magic Hat Brewing Company

Join us Tuesday, October 13 at the Fireside Grill at 11705 Fox Road, Indianapolis, IN

7 PM | RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, CALL THE RESTAURANT AT 317-823-1000 | $35.00 PER PERSON | INCLUDES TAX AND GRATUITY

The night’s menu will include...
Lucky Kat (an additional beer not included the Night of the Living Dead Variety 12-Pak) will be offered as a greeting drink without food pairing
1st Course, bacon wrapped scallop paired with Circus Boy
2nd Course, spicy butternut soup paired with Roxy Rolles
3rd Course, 8 oz beef sirloin and mashed potatoes paired with #9
4th Course, Chocolate Cake paired with the fall Odd Notion, a Chocolate Belgian Stout special to the Night of the Living Dead Variety 12-Pak

From Beth and Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:

Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville invites you to our Oktoberfest Beer Tasting on Monday, October 19 at 6:30 PM.

The six course German-inspired menu will feature Stout Short Ribs, Kolsch Fondue, German Meatballs, and much more, with six perfectly paired beers.

$30 per person, this includes tax and tip. Call 317-733-8755 for reservations and information.

From Sam at Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown Indianapolis:

I promise this time, Schlafly Pumpkin is almost gone. Coming soon will be either Bells Java Stout, Expo Stout, or Double Cream Stout. Also coming soon is Robert the Bruce. We also just tapped Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA.

Also on tap:

Arrogant Bastard
Gumballhead and Alpha King
90 Minute
Two Hearted and a bit of Oberon
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Spaten Dunkel
Founders Reds Rye

Finally, we will be tapping our Sierra Nevada Estate the middle of this coming week (Wednesday). It is only 1/6 barrel so get it while it lasts.

From our friends at The Legend in Irvington:

New at The Legend in Irvington for the fall in bottles:

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Wychwood Hobgoblin Dark English Ale

Shipyard Pumkinhead Ale

Darwin Original Flag Porter

Two Brothers Heavy Handed Fresh Hop Ipa

Still on tap:

Bells Oberon (for those who can't get enough)

Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale

Bluegrass Brewing Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

Two Brothers Cane & Ebel Red Rye Ale

Plus all our other bottled craft and micro brews

Come and enjoy

From Doug at Shallos in Greenwood:

A beer tasting on Monday, October 12th: $18 Advance/$25 DOE. Some beers that will be available for tasting:

Stone Vertical Epic 09-09-09
Stone Smoked Vanilla Porter (if the keg lasts)
Sierra Nevada Estate
Three Floyds Gorch Fock
Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout
Left Hand Widdershins
Left Hand Goosinator
Left Hand Rye Bock Lager

Carry Out

From Anita at Great Fermentations in Broad Ripple:

Beginning Brewing Classes

Sunday, Oct. 18th @ 1 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 11th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Nov. 22nd @ 1 PM

From our friends at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:

Saranac Octoberfest
Saranac Pale Ale
Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA
Victory Helios -Belgian Farmhouse Ale
Sam Adams Octoberfest in a 22oz bottle
Clipper City Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Boulevard Saison
Boulevard Sixth Glass Quadrupel Ale
Boulevard Double Wind IPA
Boulevard Long Strange Tripel
Samuel Smith Stingo -Ale aged in oak casks for over 1yr.
Struise/Mikkeller Double IPA

Also, our 17th Annual Beer Fest will be Thursday and Friday October 15th and 16th, 6-9pm. There will be 200+ beers available. Come join us!

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

Founders Harvest Ale
Great Divide Fresh Hop
Two Brothers Heavy Handed
Bells Best Brown 5 Liter Cans
Great Divide Tripel

From our friends at Mr. G's in Noblesville:

Boulevard Double IPA
Boulevard 6th Glass
Boulevard Saison
Boulevard Long Strange Tripel
Boulevard Saison Brett All 750ml @ $7.99 each

Founders Harvest Ale $9.99 4 pack
Great Divide Fresh Hop Ale 22 oz $7.99

Distribution News, Reviews, and Gossip

From Mat and Greg at Cavalier Distribution:

We have a ton of new & special release beers in for this week's RBR, enjoy...

The Bruery has made it's way to the Hoosier state! The Bruery is a small craft brewery in Orange County, California specializing in unfiltered, unpastuerized, bottle-conditioned beers. Every one of their beers undergoes secondary fermentation and continues to mature in the bottle over time. Please check or their website at www.thebruery.com and check out their ratings on-line for more info. These are the first 4 styles to hit the state with a promise of many more to come: The Bruery Orchard White, Saison Rue, Berliner Weiss (limited) & Autumn Maple brewed w/Yams & Maple Syrup (very limited)!!

Thirsty Dog Barktoberfest & Pumpkin Ale are here and available in bottles for the first time ever! The Barktoberfest is Thirsty Dog's tribute to Oktoberfest Marzen style beers and the Pumpkin Ale is make from 4 different styles of 100% Ohio grown Pumpkins. Both of these beers are limited, so get some soon.

Clipper City Imperial Pumpkin Ale has been released for the first time ever this year! Weighing in at 10% abv, this is not an everyday Pumpkin beer, it's a pumpkin explosion!

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin is the second of two new Imperial Pumpkin Ales to hit this year. Both Clipper City & Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin are very limited and will go fast as this is the first year of their release. We are already sold out of Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin for the year, so whatever is out there is all there is left...get it now while you can!!

Great Divide Belgian Tripel Ale has been released for the first time ever this week!! This is the 8th new beer from Great Divide this year, and has been highly anticipated. Fresh off being awarded multiple medals at the GABF, GD comes out with yet another new, wondeful special release beer! We have already sold out of this year's batch of GD Tripel, so if you can find, make sure to buy some or wait until next year.

Fruli Belgian Strawberry Beer is a new beer hitting the state as well. Produced using a centuries old brewing process, Fruli is a premium white Belgian beer brewed with coriander, orange peel & blended with fruit juice. For fruit beer enthusiasts, this is a must try!!

FRESH HOP ALES:

Limited quantities of Founder's Harvest Ale are hitting good Founders accounts for the first time this year. This is Founder's annual tribute to the hop harvest, produced with copious amount of fresh, wet hops. This wet-hopped ale is always a wonderful treat and as always is extremely limited.

Great Divide Fresh Hop is out as well in 22oz bottles. Fresh off multiple medals at the GABF, Fresh Hop is he next in the line of wonderful GD special release beers. GD Fresh Hop Pale Ale is a fantastic fresh hopped beer brewed with wet hops flown in overnight from the Pacific Northwest. We are already sold out of all of this year's GD Fresh Hop Pale Ale, so it you can find it, buy it now while it's still available!

Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA is the 3rd in our series of fresh/wet-hopped beers to be released over the last couple weeks. Heavy Handed is brewed with hops harvested within 24 hours of the brewing process creating a fresh, hoppy beer balanced well with a strong malt backbone. Two Bros produces multiple batches of HH as well, so keep looking out for the next batch with all new hop varietals. ENJOY!!

Chaucer's Cellars Meads & Dessert Wines are back. Located in California's Central Coast, Chaucer's Cellars has made a name for itself creating renowned Dessert Wines perfect for any celebration or everyday occasion. The following styles are available now with more to come: Chaucer's Mead, Pomegranate, Olallieberry & Raspberry Wines.

Upcoming Tastings:

Victory Liquors 10th & Raceway Rd. ; Friday 10/09/09 5-7pm ; Wine and Beer
Shallos Fall Tasting on Monday 10/12, 7 - 9 pm.
Big Red Beer Fest, Bloomington, IN ; Thursday & Friday 10/15/09 & 10/16/09
UPL (United Package Liquors) Camby--KY Ave South of 465 ; Tuesday 10/20/09, 4:30-6:30pm ; Fall Seasonals
UPL (United Package Liquors) 96th & Olio ; Thursday 10/22/09 5-7pm; Fall Seasonals
Midwest Beer Fest in Muncie, Saturday 10/24 @ 1 - 6pm @ Horizon Convention Center.

http://www.mensjournal.com/americas-best-beers

http://www.mensjournal.com/top-five-beer-towns - good plug for Two Brothers Cane & Ebel

KOTBR #87 - 1001 Beers to Try After Michael Jackson Died

2009-10-08T21:45:00.002-04:00

For KOTBR #87, we met at Rod and Jess's house to blaze our way through one of the newest entries to the Indianapolis market - beer from Southern Tier. Southern Tier has been available in northern and southern Indiana for quite some time, but being that they're distributed by neither World Class Beverages or Cavalier Distributing means that you won't find them in just any central Indiana liquor store. As far as we know right now, they're only available at Kahn's.

The good thing is that despite the limited availability, most of the beers are currently ringing up for just $5.99. As you'll read below, that's a nice price for beer that scores pretty well.

This KOTBR also features something we've never done before - live blogging. While the typical live blogging session is posted while it happens, in this case we transcribed everything live, and are now bringing to you just 24 hours later. We hope that this will give you a peek into what it's like when we sit down for a roundtable.

Mike typing Southern Tier Cherry Saison

Everyone says something about the nose - mildly soapy, cherry, jess mentions a bag of balloons...
Gina: "That's got a lot of alcohol."
Jess: "I don't remember it having that."
Mouthfeel is thick. Medicinal notes on the finish.
Rod reaches for a notebook.
Jess: "But Mike is live blogging!"
Gina takes another drink. "Huh..."
Now I'm getting copper/pennies from the nose.
Jess: "I'm kinda disappointed. We had this back in July."
Gina: "It's alright."

Jess: "I give it a 2.4 cuz I'm getting some weird flavor on it I don't enjoy."
Gina: "There's a coppery... it's right on the back."
Mike: "I just think the beer is cloying and coppery. Not a good combination. 2.0."
Jess: "Rod's gonna throw this off... He's gonna give it like 6."
Gina: "2.1"
Rod: "I'll go 2.9. I don't think it's necessarily bad, it's just not what it says it is. It's too much citrus. In the nose I get orange juice, and then I can taste a little tangerine - a super sweet watery orange."

Gina: "Hmm... I do get... it's more tart cherry that I get."
Jess: "I don't get the oak."
Rod: "I think the oak is doing that dry finish."
Jess: "I do appreciate the pickup truck with a giant cherry in it on the label."

Southern Tier Cherry Saison
Mike: 2.0 Mugs | Jess: 2.4 Mugs | Gina: 2.1 Mugs | Rod: 2.9 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.35 Mugs

Gina typing Southern Tier Heavy Weizen

Rod pours water.
Mike takes pictures.
Mike takes more pictures.
Rod takes pictures.
Rod swirls beer, opens and pours.

Mike: "Looks good, orangey."
Jess: "It's definitely unfiltered."

Mike cheers for a commercial and proclaims that he's switching to Revol wireless.

Mike: "Smells good."
Jess: "This is the one we're supposed to have with a lemon."

Rod takes pictures.

Mike: (nose) "I can see lemon..."
Jess: "It's citrusy, not banana-y."
Mike: "Orange and banana.. not banana, lemon..."
Rod: "Orange and pineapple."
Jess: "It's the Spongebob beer. It's unique. Not what I really expected from the nose. What's crazy is that it's 8 percent."
Mike: "I like it."
Jess: "A good summer high gravity."
Mike: "It's not like a hoppy orange and pineapple... like sometimes you get those elements from the hops in a beer, but this is more true to the actual fruit."
Jess: "I'd give this around a 4. Kind of a jump from the last one."
Mike: "I'll go 4.15"
Rod: "Wow. I went 3.5."
Jess: "Mike's like 'I'm drinking the rest of this.'"

Jess tries to give Mario (the dog) a sip. Mario refuses.
Mike takes pictures.

Gina: "3.7"

Southern Tier Heavy Weizen
Gina: 3.0 Mugs | Jess: 4.0 Mugs | Mike: 4.15 Mugs | Rod: 3.5 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.66 Mugs

Rod writing Southern Tier Pumking (pumpkin king)

Jess: "I looked over and saw 'f***ing.'"

*currently trying to find something to watch besides "So You Think You Can Dance"*

Mike: "I still get coconut out of the nose."
Jess: "I get cookies, as a beer it's good but..."
Mike: "It reminds me of those pumpkin orange cookies with coconut that we make."
Jess: "What? Is that what happens at your household?"
Mike: "We pick out 10 fruits and put them into cookies."
Mike: "If you gave this to me blind I think I could guess it was a pumpkin beer... maybe I wouldn't. I like this more than most pumpkin beers, like I could drink a pint of this."
Gina: "When I first take a drink of this and it hits the back of my mouth I'm like 'oh I don't want this' but then it sits there and it's ok."

Rod's thought bubble: "This tastes like pumpkin cookies, complete with cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin... maybe a pumpkin snickerdoodle."

Jess: "Did we do a mug score for this last time?"
Mike: "No, we just blind tasted them. I would probably score this as high as the Schlafly, but that time we were just blind picking the best."

Jess: "So I guess it's like, it has pumpkin pie crust."
Gina: "I still think if I tried this blind I could say it was a pumpkin beer. It's a little like green pumpkin... not quite ripe pumpkin."
Jess: "A little like squash?"
Gina: "Yeah."
Mike: "I think everyone is going to be like 'where did she get this, is she eating not ripe pumpkin?'"

A commercial appears on the television in which a talking pothole (with a southern accent) is talking.

Mike: "It's good to see that Britney Spears can still find voice work."
Gina: "Britney Spears is a pothole."

Rod: "Ok so are we doing mug scores for this?"
Mike: "3.8"
Jess: "3.75"
Gina: "3.9"
Jess: "I'm going to go to the bathroom.... are you really going to type that?"
Mike: "He's just being thorough, that's all."
Rod: "3.85"

Rod's thought bubble: "Mike, you have a Windows update pending."

Souther Tier Pumking
Rod: 3.85 Mugs | Gina: 3.9 Mugs | Jess: 3.75 Mugs | Mike: 3.8 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.82 Mugs

Jess writing Southern Tier Iniquity

*insert lots of discussion about cute, cuddly grizzly bears on the TV*

Mike: "This is the black one eh?"
Gina: "I smell pepper."
Voice from the television: "I'ma dog musher."
Rod: "And then they fight them."
Mike: "There's a bike race on the iditarod, and this is a barleywine."
Gina: "I get pepper."
Rod: "I get pepper and caramel."
Mike: "I kinda get a grape sucker taste out of it."
Gina: "I get smokey."
Mike: "The first time through I got that."
Rod: "Like the sear on raw meat, it's a carcinogen flavor."
Gina: "Like cancer?"
Rod: "Yeah, tastes like cancer."
Mike: "Sweet, tasty cancer."
Rod: "Isn't that what Jesus died of?"

Mike: "Did we get a picture of the pumpkin?"
Jess: "I can drink more, it's okay."

Rod: "I get the roasted flavor in the black ipa."
Gina: "I get a bitter roasted flavor, but not the sweetness."

*Mike leaves to blow his nose*

Rod: "You censor us too much."
Mike: "I really like this."
Rod: "This is, this is my favorite one so far."
Mike: "I like that it's an IPA but then it has some smoke in the middle and it's balanced and it's not just hops there's just a lot going on here."

Rod: "Jess take this down, I'm going to do a monologue. So I think Southern Tier aren't taken seriously because a lot of their Imperial series of beers are one-dimensional but I think at their core styles they are really good, and this Iniquity is really good, a lot of their beers are one off, you wouldn't buy more than one."
Mike: "They just make so many imperial beers, it makes it more miss than hit - it's like 'what's imperial mean anyway?'"
Rod: "I think they're just going with beers over 8%."

*Long involved discussion of Nine Inch Nails on Palladium and the 1990s*

Mike: "4.2 mugs"
Rod: "4 mugs"
Gina: "4.4 mugs, I kinda like it"
Jess: "4.1 mugs"

Southern Tier Iniquity
Mike: 4.2 Mugs | Rod: 4.0 Mugs | Gina: 4.4 Mugs | Jess: 4.1 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.17 Mugs

Mike writing Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly IPA

We're watching 1000 Places to See Before You Die on some HD channel, and I suggest we write a book titled "1000 beers to drink before you die."

Gina: "Someone already wrote that."
Rod: "Really? Michael Jackson?"
Gina: "Maybe"
Mike: "What about '1000 beers to drink after Michael Jackson died'? Maybe we can title the post that. That'll probably piss someone off."
Rod: "Any attention is good attention, just ask David Letterman."
Mike: "Did you see that clip?"
Rod pulls up the Letterman confession clip, Jess opens the beer.

Rod: "Excellent head on this. I guess the Inequity was good for head too."
Jess: "Insert Rod talking about head."
Rod: "I find the exact temperatures on the sides of these thing interesting. Most of them are 40, this one is 42."

Then they attempt to let the dog sample the beer. And the dog drinks the hoppy beer.

Rod: "This smells like oak, it might as well be an oak-aged barleywine. I don't get any hops out of this."
Me: "That tastes like a barleywine."
Rod: "Yeah, it's hoppy, but not IPA hoppy."
Gina: "It's got a finish when you exhale like a smoked cheese."
Jess: "I'm not getting the cheese."
Rod: "I kinda see it, it's the oak and the alcohol, that combined is kinda smokey. Like a smoked cheese."
Gina: "Yeah, barely there, but still present."

A conversation about aha, gabf, and breweries in fort collins happens.

A conversation about Indy's homebrewer clubs (Are they coming to AleGate/TFN? We hope so. Throw down your weapons, homebrew clubs, put on a silly hat, and let's share a beer. Hell, wear a mask, we won't tell your friends.)

Mike: "I love barleywines, and I don't care if this isn't one, it is."
Someone: "I agree, and that's not a bad thing."
Rod: "Homer spit?"
Gina: "Wouldn't that just be a barleywine anyway?"
Rod: "Yeah, but I would think that the malt to hop ratio in a barleywine is more malt, and I think in an imperial ipa... I think there's more hops in an imperial ipa. I think in this the oak sweetened it, and that's why it tastes like a barleywine."

Then the Homer Brewing Company appears on 1000 Places to See Before You Die. They're still in Alaska.

Rod: "Oh man, beer on tv!"
Mike: "Oh sh*t, Jewel's brother is on tv!"
Rod: "Jewel's from Alaska?"
Gina: "Yeah, she lived in a van."
Rod: "Down by the river?"

Then a conversation begins about Jewel's brother, and if he's drunk. The consensus is that yes, Jewel's brother is drunk.

Me: "4.44"
Jess: "4.3"
Rod: "I'm gonna go 3.9 because I like the iniquity better."
Gina: "4.0"

Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly IPA
Jess: 4.3 Mugs | Gina: 4.0 Mugs | Rod: 3.9 Mugs | Mike: 4.44 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.16 Mugs

I love sausages and leather pants

2009-10-08T16:00:00.002-04:00

I live in Irvington, a neighborhood on the eastside of Indy. And I work downtown. So five days a week, 50 weeks a year, for the past 8 years, I drive the same stretch of East Washington Street twice a day. That is four thousand times that I have passed 1417 East Washington Street.

That is 4000 times that I've looked a building situated behind a well landscaped lawn, tucked in between two not-so-well maintained buildings, and have wondered: "What the hell is that place?"

Across the front, a sign that proudly proclaims "Indianapolis Liederkranz". I had no idea what that meant. It just made me even more curious.

It wasn't until late last year that I discovered that the Liederkranz is a German singing club dedicated to the promotion and preservation of German culture. One of several German clubs, I should point out. Coming from a German-American heritage, I made it my mission to go inside the club and see what it was all about. That opportunity came last Saturday.

The Liederkranz hosted their annual Oktoberfest celebration. Members paid $3 for admission; the public could join in the fun for only $7. I dragged KOTBR Mike and my wife along for an evening liederhosen, polka singalongs, bratwurst, and, of course, beer.

We entered the building from the Washington Street side, stepping into a lobby. Beyond the lobby and coat check is a large, simple hall. In here, tables and chairs were lined up. At the far end, the Alpine Express band was playing (drums, horns, and accordion). Next to them, several couples were dancing.

Along the wall to the right was a table selling sausages, sauerkraut, and German potato salad. Next to that was the bar, hidden behind a Bavarian facade. Inside the bar was a keg of Warsteiner Oktoberfest at $2.50 a cup and a variety of bottled German beers. They also had some big brewed domestics, but I didn't see anybody drinking that.

Speaking of the beer drinking people, most of them were, um... more mature than I. Not that I have a problem with that. There were a few younger individuals. While initially I felt like I was getting stared at because I was a stranger, it didn't take long for people to come up and talk to us. They're Germans; they have no problem with being up front and in your face.

They may have been older, but most of them danced. Polkas, German line dances, waltzes... they did it all. The band played lots of traditional German songs, but mixed in a couple of American songs (including one Jimmy Buffett song...much to my pleasure and Mike's dismay). There were song sheets on the tables too, so that you could join along. Several Ein Prosits and Zicke Zacke Hoi Hoi Hoi's were had.

During an intermission, we headed upstairs to see what was there. Up front was an old bar with two taps and several beer coolers. Again, German beers are the theme here. The draft beer prices were the same, but of particular interest, for $3.50 they will refill your personal stein that you bring from home.

Past the bar is the auditorium where the men's and women's singing groups perform.

Membership at the Liederkranz is $25 a year for individuals and $50 a year for families. The bar is open to members on Wednesday evenings (which is choir practice nights) and before event nights (they do cabaret and other shows that are open to the public... check out their calendar here).

I've been to many social clubs before, mostly ones named after various animals. This social club seemed different. Despite the generational gap (or two) between myself and the majority of the members, we had a lot in common. German heritage. Enjoyment of a polka. Ability to drink stein after stein of German beers. A love of sausage and leather pants (and not in the perverted kind of way).

I could see myself joining someday in the future (maybe near...maybe down the road). I think there are many people who could join and fit in. And I've been told that if you like playing skat, you'll be in good company. I'll have to make sure I learn that game before my next visit.

HBG Classics: Roadtrip to Warbird Brewery, Ft. Wayne, Indiana

2009-10-05T11:16:00.004-04:00

In the latest bit of unfortunate beer news, Fort Wayne's Warbird Brewing Company has closed. All of us at Hoosier Beer Geek are sorry to see them go, and wish Dave Holmes and the Warbird staff luck in their future endeavors. We visited Warbird's Fort Wayne facilities back in October of 2007 and found an immaculate brewery, friendly staff and a stable of tasty and highly sessionable beers.

My wife is from the greater Ft. Wayne area and I first heard of Warbird Brewing from the Ft. Wayne newspaper. What really caught my attention was the company founder's desire to serve his beers in cans. And his reasoning was sound: it did a better job of keeping beer than bottles. You didn't hear about many craft breweries doing that.

My first experience with Warbird Brewing, however, was at a bar in Ossian that served the T-6 Red Ale on tap. It wasn't until I returned to Indy that I finally bought a six pack of the T-6 Red Ale, which happened to be the only beer they produced and distributed.

That was a couple of years ago. Today, much has changed. They couldn't get past the public perception that canned beers are cheap beers, so now they put them in bottles. And they have added new ales to their collection. But Warbird founder Dave Holmes is still continuing his mission of brewing better beers. And on Saturday, Hoosier Beer Geek took flight and landed at his brewery where we were given a tour and a few samples.

It sounds kinda funny to hear Dave (seen above) say that he brews beers that his wife would like. But don't think of Warbird as a chick beer brand. He's not brewing Zima or wine coolers. But he's not brewing the super hopped, super malted, super complicated beers either. He's doing traditional ales. And he's doing a great job at it. More about the specific beers later.

Warbird is unlike most Indiana breweries, in that they have no restaurant, bar, or gift shop as part of their operations. They are a brewery in the strictest since of the word. Located near the Ft. Wayne airport in an industrial park, it is all about work when he is on site.

The brewmaster at Warbird recently left, leaving Dave with those duties. Though Chris Tallman (seen above) has been brought on recently, and I suspect that after a while, he will have the brewmaster title.

Marketing-wise, everything revolves around planes. Dave is a former military pilot and until recently would fly antique aircraft in air shows. He sold his plane, but his love for the old birds carries on as every beer is named for a plane. Military stencil fonts are found on their labels, packaging, and kegs.

Currently, there are four beers available in bottles. But they currently brew five styles. We were lucky enough to taste four of the five, and we started with the "Shanty Irish" Irish Ale. It is only available at JK O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House in Ft. Wayne, but it will be bottled and released for St. Patrick's Day next year. It is a very nice Irish red with sweet notes of molasses, brown sugar, and caramel, but with a little bit of hops. A great beer and my favorite of the four we tasted.

I should also point out that a variety of this Irish Ale is now on tap at the Rathskeller in Indianapolis as the "Rathskeller Red". Warbird is the new brewery for the house beer and first went on tap on October 16th, so be sure to check it out. We were informed that this new deal made the Rathskeller their number 1 outlet.

We also had the T-6 red ale, the Warhawk pale ale (above), and the Mustang golden ale (below).

All four are quality beers that everybody in our group enjoyed. Which brings us back to the "beers my wife would drink" statement. Four knights made it up: Kelly, Mike, Gina, and myself. I brought along my father-in-law and brother-in-law. Both have been trying to expand their beer pallet. But neither are big into big hoppy beers.

So I say again, everybody in our group really enjoyed all of the beers, geeks and novices. These are beers that are easy to enjoy and easy to convince others to enjoy. While the Mustang is not a lager or a pilsner, you should serve these to Bud and Miller drinkers and watch them light up as they discover what real beer tastes like.

Know someone who isn't big into the big hops of Hopslam, Hoptimus, or any other double, triple, quadruple, or any other numbered IPA? Start them on a Warhawk. They brewed this beer in the traditional sense. It has bite, but it doesn't leave bite wounds.

Speaking for myself, I'd say that all four beers would receive at least a 3 mug rating with the Shanty Irish getting at least 4. And while it is readily available in Indianapolis and most of Indiana, it is probably one of the most under appreciated breweries in the state. Which is a shame. I would recommend that everybody should try and take flight with Warbird.

Hoosier Beer Geek Classics: Pumpkin Beer Challenge (or Pumpkingate)

2009-10-03T10:07:00.001-04:00

Part of the magic of having three years of HBG under our belts is that we have seasonal material that can be relevant to our newer readers. The article below is one such case - it originally ran on October 14th, 2008.

I hope that part of the appeal of this blog is the photography. Unfortunately this roundtable is one in which the the world conspired against us and caused all sorts of problems. First, my camera refused to recognize its lens. Chris stepped in to take photos, but then lost his camera. And Rodney refused to do anything to help. Lastly, Chris never submitted his reviews. Why these problems? Could it have been the spooky Halloween seasonal beer?

As a result of our lost photos and review - which we hope to someday release in a post-hbg special collectors edition box set¹ - we're stuck with stock pumpkin and homemade halloween-ish images this time around. I hope you'll bear with us.

* * * * *

Last year around this time the Knights headed out to Rock Bottom in Indianapolis and reviewed their Pumpkin Ale, leading the since-added Knights to believe that we're all anti-pumpkin. To prove that wasn't the case, we decided to line up all the pumpkin beers we could get our hands on for our Pumpkin beer showdown.

Suddenly all the folks (besides Gina and myself) who met for that previous roundtable starting bowing out of this one, thus confirming that they're pumpkin haters. Nevertheless, Rod, Jess, Chris, Gina and myself met at the Weaver household to shake this thing out.

Because we were dealing with eleven beers, we broke them into groups of three (with one group of two) and had a lucky volunteer² serve them to us blind. We each took notes, picked a favorite from each group, and advanced that beer to the next round.

The names have been added only in hindsight - here is a compilation of our notes.

Group 1 - A vs B vs C

A) Blue Moon Harvest Moon:
M: Beery-beer nose, watery but agreeable, slight pumpkin finish
G: Lager flavor mostly with just a hint of pumpkin spice, nutmeg. Not offensive.
J: Watery beer mixed with old canned pumpkin
R: Beery nose (grain, malt, water) with canned pumpkin and cinnamon. Tastes like an amber ale with slight cinnamon and apples with a hoppy tingle at the finish.

B) Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale:
M: Cinnamon/Nutmeg nose, taste that echoes the nose, tastes like Big Red gum
G: Spicy, sweet, CINNAMON flavor kind of overpowering
J: Nutmeg nose, very spicy with notes of clove, ginger and sugar
R: Heavy nutmeg and allspice in the nose. Tastes like pumpkin pie - cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar.

C) Wolaver's Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale:
M: A big spicy nose, strong orange elements figure into the flavor, unbalanced
G: Spicy, slightly medicinal. Something off in the flavor.
J: Overpoweringly orange and medicinal - almost like orange cough syrup. Might possibly be contaminated?
R: Nose of butternut squash, caramelized acorn squash and cinnamond. Tastes like sour Belgian yeast, orange and grapefruit. I think this is infected or something.

We voted Beer B (Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale) through to the next round.

Group 2 - D vs E vs F

D) Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale:
M: A cinnamon/apple nose, watery with a hint of cinnamon in the finish
G: Some spice, but lacking in flavor.
J: Tasty pumpkin spice nose (can a nose taste?), the flavor makes me think of pumpkin dip (pumpkin mixed with cinnamon) and is very balanced
R: Allspice, clove cinnamon and sugar in the nose. Tastes like balanced pumpkin pie - canned pumpkin, saigon cinnamon and a spicy finish. Although it didn't win this group (thanks to the other voters), this was probably my favorite pumpkin beer of the night.

E) Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale:
M: Nice balanced cinnamon, spicy warm front, elements of banana
G: Good aroma, light, but easy-drinking pumpkin flavor.
J: Banana nose with hint of cinnamon and a boatload of cloves, quite tasty and quaffable
R: Baked banana, cream and canned pumpkin nose. Tastes like coconut, walnuts, canned pumpkin and cloves

F) Southern Tier Pumking:
M: Nose of chocolate chip cookies, hints of coconut, this is a pumpkin beer?
G: Oats and buttered popcorn jelly bellies, WTF?
J: Pumpkin cookies with a hint of chocolate in the nose, almost like tropical take on pumpkin pie flavor
R: Tropical nose?! - pineapple, coconut, butterscotch, banana. Tastes like macadamia nuts, coconut, bitterness of a walnut shell. This did not taste like a pumpkin beer but it was delicious! Is tropical a beer style?

We all liked Beer F (Southern Tier Pumpking), but it didn't really seem to fit the pumpkin category. Since this is the "Pumpkin Beer Challenge", we chose Beer E (Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale) to move to the next round.

Group 3: G vs H

G) Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale:
M: Bitter egg nog-like finish, slight cinnamon notes in nose
G: Nice aroma, Pumpkin spice and coriander, banana. Spiciness lingers on the tongue. Alcohol quite present.
J: Cinnamon nose, plenty of allspice, heavy alcohol taste with pumpkin spices
R: Canned pumpkin, cinnamon and malt in the nose. Tastes like brown sugar, allspice, clove, star anise, pumpkin, cinnamon and has an alcohol warmth in the background.

H) Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale:
M: Tiny hint of spice in nose, a bit malty, finish reminds me of scope mouthwash... bitter
G: Citrus aroma with a light balanced flavor.
J: Weak nose, fizzy, not much taste of anything let alone pumpkin, eww (insert frowny face here)
R: Nose of fresh pumpkin, butter, coriander and candi sugar. Tastes like pumpkin and floral hops. Kind of like a pumpkin IPA or ESB.

Since we only had 11 beers to chose from, this group only featured two. We voted Beer G (Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale) through to the next round.

I) Schlafly Pumpkin Ale:
M: cinnamon apple nose, balanced and way tasty
G: Spicy and sweet.
J: Smells like pumpkin soap/lotion smells, spiced with a balanced pie flavor - very sweet!
R: Heavy clove, cinnamon, brown sugar and buttery nose. Tastes like caramelized sugar, toasted almonds, cinnamon and caramel malt. Kind of like the crunchy cinnamon stuff that is on the Cinnamon Crunch bagels at Panera.

J) Saranac Pumpkin Ale:
M: Malty cookie nose, something in here reminds me of ketchup. Or maybe meatloaf.
G: The flavor reminds me of corn and vomit?
J: Tasty pie nose, kinda eh flavor - not really wild about it
R: Smells like burned electronics? That can't be right. Maybe slight caramel. Tastes like cream, almonds, hazelnuts and french vanilla. Definitely doesn't taste like the nose.

K) Post Road Pumpkin Ale (by Brooklyn Brewery)³:
M: Nice... a bit bitter
G: Not much to talk about.
J: Spiced nose, burnt pie crust taste - uggh.
R: Nose of peach, cinnamon and caramel. Malt and caramel flavors. Slightly sour with a malty sweetness.

We unanimously voted Beer I (Schlafly Pumpkin Ale) through to the next round.

Semifinals:
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale vs Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale advances to the final

Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale vs Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Schafly Pumpkin Ale Advances to the final

Final Round
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale vs Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Your Pumpkin Beer Challenge Grand Champion: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

* * * * *

¹This is where I've convinced everyone we'll make our millions.

²Thanks, Claire.

³Does anyone know why this isn't a Brooklyn Brewery branded beer? We sorta wondered.

Random Beer Roundup - The I Thought I Remembered You Saying You Wanted to Express Yourself Edition

2009-10-02T08:45:00.039-04:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of the RBR. Welcome home from GABF if you were able to go, and congrats to Brugge and Barley Island for bringing home some medals!

I am happy to see some great beers newly available around the State. I can't wait to crack open a few from Boulevard, Bruery, and Hair of the Dog - plus, Java Stout from Bell's is back! Hooray!

I hope the weather is nice this weekend. I'll be spending Saturday enjoying Kings Island for the first time. I also hope my friends don't mind a detour beer run - not that we need more beer, but you know, whatever.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

So, get your flair. This is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

Friday, October 2nd - 10th at NABC's Public House & Pizzeria: Sandkerwa continues. See the lineup here.

Friday, October 2nd at 7:00 at Broad Ripple Tavern: 6 Sun King Beers on Tap - $25 includes beer and food.

Saturday, October 3rd from 2-5 at the Rathskeller Biergarten in Indianapolis: Ale Yeah!, a microbrew festival to benefit Giving Sum - Cost: $25 in advance , $30 DOE

Friday & Saturday, October 2nd & 3rd, 6pm - ?, and Sunday, October 4th, noon - 6pm at the Blue Heron at Blackthorn, 5440 W. Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, IN 46628: Moser's Traditional Oktoberfest. Tickets $5 advance/$6 door For more information call Moser's Austrian Cafe at 574-654-0086

Saturday - Sunday, October 3rd - 4th at NABC Bank Street Brewhouse: Fringe Festival

Thursday, October 8th from 5 -8 p.m. at Agio in Indianapolis: Ales for Adoptable Tales - a microbrew and hors d’oeuvre pairing benefiting the Humane Society of Indianapolis. $50 in advance / $75 DOE. Purchase a VIP wristband for an additional $20 and enjoy the VIP Patio area featuring special food and more beverages. Wristbands may be purchased at the same time as advance registration or at the event.

Saturday, October 10th at Upland in Bloomington: Schwarz Tag event and Schwarz release (see details below)

Monday, November 9th at Upland in Bloomington: Winter Warmer Release

Coming soon: AleGate, A Tailgate for Nothing. Want more info? Send us an email to knights@hoosierbeergeek.com.

What's Brewing

From Clay at Sun King Brewing in Downtown Indianapolis:

Friday, October 2nd @ 7:00 p.m. • Broadripple Tavern • 6 SUN KING BEERS ON TAP AT ONCE • Help decide which beer goes on tap • $25 includes food and beer

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Currently on tap (in addition to our year-around beer selection)

Oktoberfest -A Bavarian-style lager with a rich, amber hue and a malty sweetness. All-German malts with rare German hops are used to make it authentic in style. The crisp, hop finish tops off this delicious brew. Our best-selling seasonal. Available in bottles and draught. 6.8% ABV, 16.5 IBUs, 15.8 Starting Gravity

Weizenbock - A powerful dark wheat beer in the German tradition. Draught only, limited availability. 7.5% ABV

Double Dragonfly IPA - The big brother of our Dragonfly IPA. The IBUs in this brew pack a powerful punch (not to mention the ABV), but likes its little sibling, the Double Dragonfly is very well balanced by a strong malt character. 9.1% ABV, 80+ IBUs, 21.0 Staring Gravity

Upcoming beers

Schwarz (black lager) -Release: Oct. 10 - Our German-style schwarzbier, or black lager, is dark in color; but you shouldn’t always believe your eyes, as it is unexpectedly light in body. This brew has very light hints of chocolate and coffee from the dark malt, making it perfect for the fall and winter months. Available in bottles and draught. New for 2009. 5.0% ABV, 25.3 IBUs, 12.0 Starting Gravity

Winter Warmer - Release: Nov. 9 - A barleywine with a very dark color achieved through a long boil. The finest British and American malts are used to create a large malt character. Rich fruit flavors and aromas are balanced by a hoppy taste and lingering finish. Silver Award Winner 2008 World Beer Cup “Old Ale” category. Available in bottles and draught. 9.0%ABV, 46.7 IBUs, 20.4 Starting Gravity

Upland Events

Schwarz Tag - Join us October 10^th for live music and the release of our German-style schwarzbier. A portion of the proceeds go to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center—and one of the exotic felines will even be joining us for part of the event!

Around Indiana:

Upland will be pouring beer at the following events:

Big Red Beer Fest (Bloomington) Oct. 15-16
Trader’s Point Oktoberfest: (Zionsville) Oct. 18
Muncie Brewfest (Muncie) Oct. 24
Festival of the Falls (Bloomington) Oct. 24

At the Bar

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):

New Beers Coming To Scotty's Brewhouse Oct 5, 2009:

Muncie Location:

Drafts:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Upland Dragonfly India Pale Ale
Upland Rad Red
Magic Hat Black Howell
Stella Artois
Dogfish Head 60 Minute India Pale Ale
Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale
Sun King Bitter Druid Extra Special Bitter
Bell’s Third Coast
Stone Ruination India Pale Ale

Bloomington Location:

Draughts:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
Dogfish Head 60 Min India Pale Ale
Bell’s Best Brown

Bottles:
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

West Lafayette Location:

Bottles:
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Brooklyn Brown

Draughts:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Bell’s Porter
Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
Three Floyd’s Robert the Bruce
Sun King Bitter Druid Extra Special Bitter
Rogue HazelNut Nectar Brown

Downtown Indianapolis Location:

Draughts:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Sun King Wee Mac Scottish Ale
Sun King Bitter Druid Extra Special Bitter
Bell’s Porter
Three Floyd’s Gumballhead
Stone Levitation

Bottles:
Left Hand Milk Stout
Flying Dog Gonzo Porter
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
BI Dirty Helen
Abita Jockamo India Pale Ale
Founder’s Red Rye
Shiner Bock
Lakefront New Grist

North Side Indianapolis Location:

Draughts:
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Stone Levitation
Three Floyd’s Alpha King
Sun King Wee Mac Scottish Ale
Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale

Bottles:
Shiner Bock
Goose Island Harvest Ale
Three Floyd’s Robert the Bruce
Red Hook Longhammer India Pale Ale

From Dave at Magic Hat Brewing Co:

Fireside Grill Host Beer Dinner - Featuring 5 Different Beers from Magic Hat Brewing Company

Join us Tuesday, October 13 at the Fireside Grill at 11705 Fox Road, Indianapolis, IN

7 PM | RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, CALL THE RESTAURANT AT 317-823-1000 | $35.00 PER PERSON | INCLUDES TAX AND GRATUITY

The night’s menu will include...
Lucky Kat (an additional beer not included the Night of the Living Dead Variety 12-Pak) will be offered as a greeting drink without food pairing
1st Course, bacon wrapped scallop paired with Circus Boy
2nd Course, spicy butternut soup paired with Roxy Rolles
3rd Course, 8 oz beef sirloin and mashed potatoes paired with #9
4th Course, Chocolate Cake paired with the fall Odd Notion, a Chocolate Belgian Stout special to the Night of the Living Dead Variety 12-Pak

From Beth and Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:

Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville invites you to our Oktoberfest Beer Tasting on Monday, October 19 at 6:30 PM.

The six course German-inspired menu will feature Stout Short Ribs, Kolsch Fondue, German Meatballs, and much more, with six perfectly paired beers.

$30 per person, this includes tax and tip. Call 317-733-8755 for reservations and information.

Carry Out

From Anita at Great Fermentations in Broad Ripple:

Beginning Brewing Classes
Wednesday, Oct. 7th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Oct. 18th @ 1 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 11th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Nov. 22nd @ 1 PM

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

Hair of the Dog Adam
Hair of the Dog Fred
Vintage Stone Russian Imperial Stout (2003 - 2006)
Vintage Stone Old Guardian (2004 - 2006)
Bruery Orchard White
Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
Bruery Saison Rue
Bruery Autumn Maple
Boulevard Doublewide IPA
Boulevard Sixth Glass Quad
Boulevard Long Strange Tripel
Boulevard Saison
Boulevard Saison Brett
Rogue Maierfest
Three Floyds Munsterfest
Witches Brew
Primator Dopplebock
Southern Tier Pumking
Sierra Nevada Harvest Estate Ale
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
New Belgium Hoptober
Castelain Blonde Biere de Garde
Breckenridge Autumn Ale

From Patrick at Crown Liquors:

Boulevard - Saison, Long Strange Trip, Double Wide IPA, Saison-Brett, and Looking Glass.

Hair of the Dog - Adam and Fred.

Returning Bell's items - Double Cream, Third Coast Old, Java Stout, Cherry Stout, and Best Brown. Bell's Best Brown (5 Liter Cans are a new item this year).

Also, I want to mention Dirty Helen from Barley Island just won the 2009 GABF Gold Medal!

The Bruery - Orchard White, Berliner Weiss, Saison Rue, Autumn Maple

Founders Harvest Ale

Vintage Stone while supplies last.
03-08 verticals of Vertical Epic
Old Guardian 04-06
VE 05

Van Steinberg Witches Brew 9% triple

Two Brothers Heavy Handed Fresh Hopped IPA

Distribution News, Reviews, and Gossip

From Matt at World Class Beverages:

Bell's has begun to send their line up of Fall Releases down to Indiana. This week we received:
Best Brown, now also in 5 Liter cans as well as 6 Packs
Double Cream Stout
Third Coast Old Ale
Cherry Stout
Java Stout, back this year after taking 2008 off

We should see Rye Stout next week, and the return of Expedition Stout the week after.

No, we don't know yet about Batch 9000, before everyone asks, but we can't wait for it either!

Also, congrats to Ted Miller and Brugge for his GABF medals for Diamond Kings and Bad Kitty, and to Jeff Eaton and Barley Island for their Gold for Dirty Helen Brown, as well as all the other brewers and breweries represented in Indiana by World Class for theirs!

From Mat and Greg at Cavalier Distribution:

Congrats to all the [GABF] medal winners listed below that are proudly distributed by Cavalier Distributing in Indiana !

Category: 8, Rye Beer, 21 Entries
Bronze: Hoss, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 10 Session Beer, 27 Entries
Bronze: Bam Biere, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI

Category: 13 Out of Category – Traditionally Brewed Beer, 82 Entries
Silver: Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY - We distribute the German Version!

Category: 22 Smoked Beer, 43 Entries
Gold: Smokejumper, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Category: 31 Style Lager, 25 Entries
Bronze: Clipper City Marzhon Vienna Lager, Clipper Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD

Category: 75 Imperial Stout, 56 Entries
Silver: Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 78 Barley Wine Style Ale, 54 Entries
Bronze: Old Ruffian Barley Wine, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Good link about beer and cheese from the Wall Street Journal!

Old Town Ale House Closing Friday Night

2009-10-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Update:

Hey Everyone, This week's been great, but we're almost out of food & beer. Friday night (tomorrow!) will be our last night in business. Hope to see you.

*****

We just received the following email from Elizabeth Morse of the Old Town Ale House and thought it might be of interest to our readers:

Dear Beer Geeks,

It is with heavy hearts that we write to let you know that we're closing for business this coming Sunday. We thank you for your support and loads of good times over the past year. From now through Sunday, we will be selling all remaining beer at rock-bottom prices ($2 per any bottle). Stop in and say good-bye.

Thanks Again,
Matt & Elizabeth Morse

HBG wishes to pass along a "best of luck" to Matt and Elizabeth, and to wish them success in whatever comes next.

GABF 2009 Road Trip: Wrap-Up Post

2009-10-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

Jess and I are back from GABF and all we have to show for it are these pictures. Well, the pictures and enough beer, clothing and glassware to fill the back of a Subaru Outback. My apologies for most of these being orange-tinted, but the inside of the convention hall really is that color. I'm just keeping it real for you guys.

The biggest improvements this year were the addition of the VIP line, 30% more space in the convention hall and greater recycling and compost efforts. The VIP line was for AHA members and allowed us to enter the festival floor about fifteen minutes before the regular doors (no beer during that time but we could get in line for New Glarus). The 30% more space wasn't because there were less breweries but instead because this convention is slowly taking over all the space the convention center has to offer. More space means less crowded aisles! The recycling thing may seem kind of dumb to some of you, but it was really nice to have compost, recycling and trash receptacles at each column (along with free water). Here are some statistics:

First beer of GABF 2009: Foothills Sexual Chocolate
Last beer of GABF 2009: Brugge Tripel de Ripple
Longest brewery line: New Glarus (as always)
Longest line for individual tapping: Sam Adams Utopias 2009 (priceless was the reaction of "ew this is gross, where's the Bud Light Lime?!?")
Best surprise brewery: Trinity Brewing Company
Remarkable breweries we tried for the first time at GABF: Captain Lawrence, Short's, Kuhnhenn, Chuckanut, Trinity, Cascade
Times Jess had Maui Coconut Porter: Eight
Best part of being a Hoosier Beer Geek: Being recognized by Sam Calagione

So long GABF, until next year!

Welcome to GABF!

VIP line for those who were AHA members

Redhook has helpful signage

Happy Birthday Boulder!

Some people dress up

And some people... right.

This is what the typical brewery space looks like

And this is the house Shiner built - all entrances and no exits

New Belgium's sour beers were delicious

Sam Adams Utopias drew quite a crowd

Garrett Oliver is the best dressed man in brewing

Sam of HBG3 Toast fame posing for the camera

Clay picking a fight with the brewer from Green Flash
(We're beard brothers)

Collaborate Evil talk where we tried all 9 variants

Guess who just won two medals
(Couldn't find the Barley Island guys to get their reactions)

Poor bear doesn't get beer

The masses unload on downtown Denver

And this is AFTER we got back to the hotel

Cheers!

And if you didn't find Waldo in the earlier pictures, here's a reminder of what he looks like

KOTBR #86 - Berghoff at Mo'Joe Coffeehouse

2009-09-29T20:30:00.004-04:00

A beer review in a coffeehouse? Perhaps that's not as weird as you might think. Certainly, beer at $1.25 a pop is an enticing prospect (this is the price for which Mo'Joe Coffeehouse -- 222 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis, 317.822.MOJO -- offers all Berghoff beers on Wednesdays). What's more, I think you'll find some pretty significant overlap between those who like good beer and those who like good coffee, though the caffeine might not be so good for you if you're a hardcore coffee drinker. Just ask RZA, who's a budding physician and knows his stuff (caffeine is "worse than anything"; "it'll give you the sh*ts").

So how was the beer? Here's the low-down two of Berghoff's offerings--

Berghoff Prairie Lager

A German Pilsner. Poured with a white, fizzy head, but was slightly darker in color than the straw hue that typically characterizes a Pilsner. Nose was fruity with white wine notes. A nice crisp mouthfeel, and a fruity, dry, and fairly hoppy flavor. Pretty much what you'd expect out of a classic Pilsner. 2.50 Mugs.

Berghoff Prarie Lager
Jim: 2.5 Mugs | Mike: 2.99 Mugs | Gina: 2.1 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.56 Mugs

Berghoff Sundown Dark

A Vienna Lager, which is one of my favorite beer styles. That meant that Sundown Dark had to be impressive to really make an impression on me. Poured a medium dark brown with an off-white head. Aroma was marked by yeast, caramel, and a bit of red grape (oddly enough). Didn't get any butterscotch out of the nose, which is what I typically pick up from a Vienna Lager. Thin mouthfeel with a flavor that carried faint caramel notes and a slight hop bite. A fair but not great representation of the style. 2.30 Mugs.

Berghoff Sundown Dark
Jim: 2.30 Mugs | Mike: 2.2 Mugs | Gina: 2.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.16 Mugs

Cheers to Mo'Joe barista Dave, who set us up with the beers we reviewed.

Having no previous experience with Berghoff, it would be hard to say any of us were excited by the prospects of this roundtable. It's not that I had high or low expectations - it's more that Berghoff as a brewery has no personality. Is Berghoff a old family brewery from Milwaukee? A division of Coors? A bad beer hiding behind marketing? Google turns up three entries before finding anything about beer (and the entry says that the site in under construction).

Part of the enjoyment of craft beer is knowing that there are faces both behind what you're drinking and in the people who enjoy the beer. So who are Mister and Missus Berghoff? And who's drinking their beer?

If wikipedia is to be believed, Berghoff was originally brewed by The Joseph Huber Brewing Company of Monroe, Wisconsin, the second oldest continually operating brewery in the United States. In 2006, an agreement was reached in which the Mountain Crest Brewing Company (a Canadian company) purchased the brewery and split up the various Huber produced beers under two brands, Minhas and Berghoff - although beer under the Berghoff brand was to still be contract brewed at the Monroe plant.

Without digging deeper (and to be honest, I don't think the beer deserves that sort of attention), what we now can gather is that Minhas is brewing beers with old Wisconsin ties (and names like Huber, Wisconsin Club, Rhinelander Original, and Rockhead Malt Liquor) in hopes of cashing in on the lucrative (I guess?) Wisconsin beer market. Berghoff is probably brewed by the same folks, but they're not exactly advertising that fact.

So that's who might be brewing the beer, but who's drinking it?

The world may never know.

Berghoff Oktoberfest - A cloudy golden/copper color reveals that this is indeed beer. The nose is light, sweetly malty, and perhaps even Nestle Crunchy? It's entirely possible that the coffee smell in the air is having an effect.

On the front the beer is light and then a sweeter malty element comes through. This beer is watery, but also agreeable - somewhere between Bud Light and something with actual flavor. My first thought was that this was a beer you could drink all day, maybe at a tailgate or something along those lines, but at 5.2% ABV it might be just a little heavy for that sort of use. Nevertheless... it's ok.

But really, why bother? I think the reason you reach for this one over others comes down to ignorance or price. It's hard to argue with that price.. 2.79 Mugs

Berghoff Oktoberfest
Mike: 2.99 Mugs | Gina: 2.3 Mugs | Jim: 2.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.51 Mugs

Gina decided early on that the best way to review these beers would be to go the acronym route. Here it goes..

Berghoff Rock River Red Ale

B - Bready
E - Easy-drinking
R - Reddish brown
G - Grainy
H - Head is thin
O - Ok, but nothing spectacular
F - Fruit, like raisins or figs
F - Funny that this is eerily similar to the other Berghoff beers we've tried so far.

Berghoff Rock River Red Ale
Gina: 2.5 Mugs | Jim: 2.2 Mugs | Mike: 2.4 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 2.36 Mugs

Berghoff Traditional Bock

B - Brown with a tan head
E - Exceptionally similar to the Red
R - Raisins
G - Grape Bubblegum
H - Hint of toast
O - Off-putting nose of sweet and burnt flavors
F - Factory nose
F - For serious? Have we been drinking the same beer?

Berghoff Traditional Bock
Gina: 2.0 Mugs | Mike: 1.8 Mugs | Jim: 2.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 1.93 Mugs

Berghoff Pale Ale - By the time we made it to our last Berghoff choice, our expectations were raised. Why? Because we had used Mo'Joe's free wifi to discover that Beer Advocate rated it the highest of all the Berghoff beers. We hoped that here, finally, we'd find a beer that didn't taste exactly like all the others. My hopes were that Berghoff's joke would finally be over. Guess not.

My notes say "You *ssholes."

Berghoff Pale Ale
Mike: 1.0 Mugs | Jim: 1.9 Mugs | Gina: 2.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 1.76 Mugs

GABF 2009 Road Trip: Avery again and Great Divide

2009-09-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

As we left Boulder County, we decided to stop in at Avery one last time before moving our base of operations to Denver. The main reason for our return to Avery was the tapping of 3 sour experiments to coincide with the release of Sui Generis (Barrel Aged Series #2). Unfortunately since Sui Generis didn't go on sale until 3PM, we weren't able to pick any up. At least there was plenty of sour beer to be had on tap!

Good Sally
Salvation mixed with Sour Blend 1 and aged in Cabernet barrels

Good Sally both looks and smells like a lambic, with its hazy yellow hue and lemon, apple and pear aroma that is mixed into a nose-shocking acidity. With a nose this strong, I definitely anticipated a sourness to back it up. I was quite surprised when the sour character was actually subdued. This beer came across as a Belgian Blonde with a tinge of sourness and a creamy mouthfeel. Notes of limeade and green apple helped things diverge from style and create a nice, refreshing summer beer.

Port Alter Boy
Reverend mixed with Sour Blend 1 and aged in Port barrels

This variation of Reverend has a nice clear appearance and looks like it was filtered somewhat. When you first take a sniff of this complex ale you get lots of dried fruits with a hint of pucker. The first taste is not surprising that you get lots of apricot, plum and just a little hint of dried strawberries. It finishes with just a little bit of sour pucker to make the drinker want a little more. It's not a crazy sour beer but it's definitely delicious.

Opus Alter Boy
Reverend mixed with Sour Blend 2 and aged in Cabernet barrels

This variation on Reverend created a number of savory characteristics. The nose was faint with subtle raspberry notes complimented by rose and lavender aromatics. Despite the soft nose, the sourness of this beer was huge. When pushing past the sharp tartness, and interesting combination of rhubarb, sun dried tomatoes, white grapes, apples and black pepper came through. The sun dried tomatoes and black pepper helped define this beer as a Saison with a massively amped up sour level.

Once we arrived in Denver, we decided to head out to Great Divide just before Happy Hour. Even though we had a common cast of characters we kept running in to in Boulder County, this was probably the first time when it felt like GABF was in full swing. We pushed our way into the super crowded tap room and proceded to try Les Claymore (a sour bourbon barrel aged Claymore), a bourbon barrel aged Claymore and a Berliner Weisse.

We followed these samples up with their new Wet Hop Pale Ale and Hoss. The Wet Hop was pretty much as you would imagine, and quite tasty. We agreed that Hoss tasted like Cherry Coke and that the name was somewhat of a misnomer. For reviewing purposes, however, we decided to go with a couple of the more standard offerings.

Denver Pale Ale

The aroma of this Pale Ale is a friendly balance of spruce, grass and caramel. The grassy hop notes are well balanced with the caramel. The bitterness of this Pale Ale is mild enough to be inviting, but the lemon and grapefruit notes are enough to let hop heads get the most out of the hops. A caramel malt flavor creates a solid base that is heavy enough to balance the beer but doesn't sweeten it to the point of detracting from the hops. I was very impressed with how great the sessionability of this beer was. I could easily drink more than one without getting sick of it and the ABV floats right around 5%. I'll admit this is my first time trying this beer, and after having it at Great Divide I would really like to see it show up on some Indy tap lists.

Samurai

I think I've found a great lawnmower beer for Matt! Samurai is made with rice and pours with a nice pillowy head. It's slightly cloudy in appearance, much like a wheat but is a little more gold in appearance. The nose has hints of cantaloupe and aromatic flowers. It's slightly perfumey but not overpoweringly so. Tastes very light and refreshing while still having a very complex flavor profile. The ABV is right at 4.2% and I've had it before out of bottles when L'Explorateur was still open. This would pare perfectly with sushi or other fish options. I would love to see this more places and think it is a great "gateway" beer for those trying more craft options.

Random Beer Roundup - The Is There Some Beer Event Going On Or Something? Edition

2009-09-25T10:45:00.019-04:00

So there's a beer festival going on a few states west of here. I thought I would be ok missing it this year. As it turns out, I'm a little sad about not going. Fortunately, I get to live vicariously through Rod and Jess. They were smart enough to go and will be bringing back some goodies. This mistake will not happen again next year, I am certain.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it! News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. So, keep dreaming. This is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

Thursday, September 24th at New Albanian Brewing Co (Public House) - Sandkerwa (see details below)

Friday, September 24th from 5pm - 12pm at the Lake County Fairgrounds - Pumpkin Bash. Food, BEER, 4 Live Bands and More

Friday, September 24th, 6:30 pm at McCormick and Schmick's - Oktoberfest Beer Dinner - 6 courses, $40 tax and gratuity included. RSVP at McCormick and Schmick's.

Saturday, September 26th at Crown Brewing: Crown Challenge Pro-Am Competition (see details below)

Saturday, September 26th at Mad Anthony Brewing in Fort Wayne: Beer Dinner - Limited tickets @$75.00/plate. Advance tickets only. Reserve your tickets at www.HOPECSA.org or call 260.982.4961 (See details below)

Saturday, September 26th at Opti-Park in Broad Ripple: Festivale to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Tickets: $40/Advance, $50/DOE

Saturday, September 26th from 4 - 7 pm at Bridge Liquors in New Albany: Ales for Tails Tasting.

Friday, October 2nd at 7:00 at Broad Ripple Tavern: 6 Sun King Beers on Tap - $25 includes beer and food.

Saturday, October 3rd from 2-5 at the Rathskeller Biergarten in Indianapolis: Ale Yeah!, a microbrew festival to benefit Giving Sum - Cost: $25 in advance , $30 DOE

Saturday, October 10th at Upland in Bloomington: Schwarz Tag event and Schwarz release (see details below)

Monday, November 9th at Upland in Bloomington: Winter Warmer Release

What's Brewing

From Adam at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:

- Crown Brewing in Crown Point will be having its 1st ever Crown Challenge Pro-Am Competition on September 26th.

The Crown Challenge is an AHA/BJCP sanctioned competition and provides an opportunity to have your homemade beer evaluated by BJCP (www.bjcp.org) ranked judges and/or judges with experience in evaluating beers. The winning beer across all categories (Best of Show) will have the opportunity to be scaled up and brewed in Crown Brewing’s 7-bbl system. Beers placing first, second, and third in each flight will also be recognized.

The competition will be held on Saturday, September 26th at the Crown Brewery (www.crownbrewing.com), in Crown Point, Indiana. Judging will take place in two sessions (9am-NOON and 1pm-4pm). Winners of each category and Best of Show will be announced at an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the competition. Entrants and a guest are invited to attend the awards ceremony, which will follow the conclusion of the Best of Show judging, or as soon as possible after 5pm. Entrants and guests wishing to attend the ceremony will register upon arrival at Crown Brewing on the day of the competition. Everyone attending the awards ceremony will be given a raffle ticket for a free chance to win door prizes.

An Oktoberfest event is scheduled to take place at Crown Brewing after the Challenge.

From Clay at Sun King Brewing in Downtown Indianapolis:

Friday, October 2nd @ 7:00 p.m. • Broadripple Tavern • 6 SUN KING BEERS ON TAP AT ONCE • Help decide which beer goes on tap • $25 includes food and beer

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:

On tap this weekend at Lafayette Brewing Co.:

Ouiatenon Wit Bier, Prophet's Rock Pale Ale, East Side Bitter, Tippecanoe Common Ale, Eighty-Five, Black Angus Oatmeal Stout, Collaboration Java Porter and I Am An American IPA. We're also pouring Weeping Hog IPA from the hand pull.

From Jerry at Rock Bottom in Downtown Indianapolis:

Check out all the lagers and German styles! Maybe an Oktoberfest theme??

From John at New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany:

Sandkerwa starting September 24 (at the Public House):

Opening weekend lineup is here:
http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

Currently on tap (in addition to our year-around beer selection)

Oktoberfest -A Bavarian-style lager with a rich, amber hue and a malty sweetness. All-German malts with rare German hops are used to make it authentic in style. The crisp, hop finish tops off this delicious brew. Our best-selling seasonal. Available in bottles and draught. 6.8% ABV, 16.5 IBUs, 15.8 Starting Gravity

Weizenbock - A powerful dark wheat beer in the German tradition. Draught only, limited availability. 7.5% ABV

Double Dragonfly IPA - The big brother of our Dragonfly IPA. The IBUs in this brew pack a powerful punch (not to mention the ABV), but likes its little sibling, the Double Dragonfly is very well balanced by a strong malt character. 9.1% ABV, 80+ IBUs, 21.0 Staring Gravity

Upcoming beers
Schwarz (black lager) -Release: Oct. 10 - Our German-style schwarzbier, or black lager, is dark in color; but you shouldn’t always believe your eyes, as it is unexpectedly light in body. This brew has very light hints of chocolate and coffee from the dark malt, making it perfect for the fall and winter months. Available in bottles and draught. New for 2009. 5.0% ABV, 25.3 IBUs, 12.0 Starting Gravity

Winter Warmer - Release: Nov. 9 - A barleywine with a very dark color achieved through a long boil. The finest British and American malts are used to create a large malt character. Rich fruit flavors and aromas are balanced by a hoppy taste and lingering finish. Silver Award Winner 2008 World Beer Cup “Old Ale” category. Available in bottles and draught. 9.0%ABV, 46.7 IBUs, 20.4 Starting Gravity

Upland Events

Lotus Festival - Upland will be pouring beer outside the tent at 4^th and Grant St. on Sept. 25^th and 26^th. If you can’t make it to Denver for the weekend, there are still good times and good beer to be found in Bloomington.

Festivale - You’ll also be able to find Upland at Festivale in Indianapolis on Sept. 26^th

Schwarz Tag - Join us October 10^th for live music and the release of our German-style schwarzbier. A portion of the proceeds go to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center—and one of the exotic felines will even be joining us for part of the event!

From Mike at Granite City Brewing Co. in Carmel:

Granite City taps Oktoberfest Mon. Sept. 28 at our Mug Club party. The beer is available to the public at 5pm. There is a complimentary buffet for Mug Club members and 1 guest. Live polka music starting at 5:00.

At the Bar

From Sam at Buffalo Wild Wings in Indianapolis:

On tap:

Stone Arrogant Bastard
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Sam Adams Imperial White
Dark Horse One Oatmeal Stout
Dogfish Head 90 Minute
Bells Oberon and Two Hearted
Three Floyds Alpha King and Gumball Head
Founders Reds Rye

From Elizabeth at Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

Here's what's on tap at the Old Town Ale House this week:

Founders Pale Ale..........4
Original Sin..........4
Berghoff Blonde..........4
Bells Oktoberfest..........4
Dark Horse Rod..........4
Sun King Rye IPA..........5
Stone Smoked Porter..........5
Victory Prima Pils..........5
Left Hand 400lb Monkey..........5
Left Hand Milk Stout..........5
Bells Oberon..........5
Bells Two Hearted..........6
Avery Hog Heaven..........6
Stone Levitation..........6
Sun King ESB..........6
Flying Dog Gonzo Porter..........7
G.I. Matilda..........7
G.I. Imperial Brown...........7
Boulder Cold Hop..........7***
Three Floyds Moloko..........7***

(*** Items not offered for "pint night" pricing)

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):

Scotty's Brewhouse is rolling out a new menu at all locations on October 5, 2009! Come check it out!

Carry Out

From Kirk at Mr. G's Liquor in Noblesville:

New this week:

Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest Ale
Founders Breakfast Stout
Thomas Hardys Ale
Konings Hoeven Dubbel

From Anita at Great Fermentations in Broad Ripple:

Beginning Brewing Classes
Wednesday, Oct. 7th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Oct. 18th @ 1 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 11th @ 6 PM
Sunday, Nov. 22nd @ 1 PM

Distribution News, Reviews, and Gossip

Hey you! Looking for some fresh Cascade Hops? We may be able to help... send us an email

From Matt at World Class Beverages:

McCormick and Schmick's is having an Oktoberfest Beer Dinner Friday night, 6:30 pm. 6 courses, paired with Spaten Oktoberfest, Bell's Octoberfest, Flying Dog Tire Bite Kolsch, Ayinger Celebrator, Schlafly #15 Dunkelweisse, and Franziskaner Hefe weisse. $40 tax and gratuity included, contact McCormick and Schmick's for reservations.

Also Friday is the Rathskeller's annual Oktoberfest celebration. Tons of beer, music from Polka Boy, fun for everyone.

Boulevard arrived in Indiana this week, and should begin to show up in stores next week. Available will be the 750 ml Smokestack series Long Strange Trip, Double Wide IPA, and Saison Brett.
(***no word yet about when we'll be seeing their regular lineup)

From Mat and Greg at Cavalier Distribution:

Cooking with Beer - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63508.asp

The October issue of Men’s Journal recently released the Top 25 beers in America, and highlighted 5 of the 25 as best in certain categories. Left Hand had the best Pilsner, in their opinion.

Ales for Tails Tasting @ Bridge Liquors in New Albany this Saturday (9/26) from 4 - 7 pm.

Festive Ale this Saturday (9/26) at Optimist Park in Broad Ripple from 3 - 7pm.

Congrats to Scott Wise of Scotty’s on being named Restaurateur of the year by the Indiana Restaurant Association!!

Two Brothers Brewing Co. Heavy Handed IPA just hit the state this week!! This is the annual fresh hop treat from the brothers that always siginifies the changing of the seasons and a celebration of hops. As always, this beer is very limited and will only be available in limited quantities for a short period.

Mad River Brewing Company is releasing their 3rd new seasonal release in 2009 with The Mad Belgian Ale. The Mad Belgian is a belgian style golden ale with a west coast influence. It is a must try, so get one while it's available.

Original Sin has released a Pear Cider to go along with their incredible Apple Cider. Original Sin has fast become the preferred hard cider among those who have had the opportunity to try it, and this Pear Cider has been a highly anticipated new addition. It will be available all year, so try some asap.

A new line of Dessert Wines & Meads from Chaucer's Cellars will be hitting store shelves soon. Chaucer's Cellars is located on California's Central Coast and they are know for producing their renowned dessert wines made with a variety of different fruits. Keep your eye out, these are perfect for the season!!

GABF 2009 Road Trip: Odell, New Belgium and Fort Collins Brewery

2009-09-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

Fort Collins is a smaller town in northern Colorado with a trifecta of heavy hitting breweries, two of which distribute to Indiana. After a stop at Wilbur's Total Beverage and Whole Foods (for a quick snack) we were ready to start our day of drinking.

Odell Brewing Company opened in the Fort Collins area in 1989 and is currently undergoing a brewery expansion. We figured we would hit them up first and sample some of their award winning brews. The tap room we visited has been open since 1994 and everything seems to be very well thought out and well put together. After a sampler each we decided to try a pint of one of their GABF beers.

I went for the Friek, a blend of their two-year-old kriek and their new kriek, and because it wasn't quite ready, they added fresh raspberries to make it sweet enough to enjoy. It turned out to be an awesome lambic with lots of big mouth puckering sour notes and just a hint of raspberry sweetness on the finish.

I went with their Bourbon Stout, which we also picked up a bottle of. This bourbon stout had the aroma of fresh creme brulee and a combination of brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. The flavor obviously contained a generous dose of oaked bourbon. Brown sugar, cream, molasses, and dark chocolate all filled out the body of the beer and created a great balance that had very little alcohol burn. This is really one of the better bourbon aged beers I've had.

From there we headed to New Belgium. Many of you know of New Belgium from their recent entry into the Indiana market with their three offerings of Fat Tire, Mothership Wit, and 1554. I had signed up for a tour using their really cool online reservation system and we were set for the first tour at 2PM. When we arrived we were greeted with the knowledge that we would be getting five samples along the tour and a token for a bonus sample (which we could enjoy at any time throughout our visit to New Belgium). We were also encouraged to fill out postcards while we waited for the tour and they would mail them for us to anyplace in the world.

The tour was probably the best brewery tour that we've ever been on, and we even had a sample of the Lips of Faith "La Folie" (a sour brown ale) during our tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She wasn't hokey (no bad jokes) and encouraged us to ask as many questions as possible. The tour concludes with about twenty or thirty minutes in a private room where you have an opportunity to taste two different brews (we had Le Fleur Misseur and the recently tapped Fall Wild Ale). We filled out more postcards and also imbibed a big goblet of water.

After our tour we enjoyed a few more samples before heading on our way.

Hoptoberfest: This beer has a nice copper color with a fluffy, foamy head. The nose has lots of overpowering hops and gives you lots of grass and pine. When you take a sip, you're first met with a nice, tame Oktoberfest, and then all of a sudden it's like someone invited the hops to the party and they are there to wreak havoc on your taste buds. If you like hops and want your Oktoberfest beer to be a little more adventurous, then this is the perfect beer for you.

Dandelion Ale: If you haven't heard of this beer before, it is brewed with dandelions instead of hops. Surely your interest is piqued. The dandelions create a grassy nose that lacks the hop bitterness that usually accompanies this scent, along wildflowers and a slight sweetness. This beer is similar to many complex Belgian beers with a spicy background containing pepper and chamomile. Overall the beer is slightly sweet with hints of clover honey and simple syrup. A slight bitterness appears at the swallow and creates a satisfying finish to a really great herbal Belgian blonde.

Adam's Ale: Despite being brewed with Pilsner lager yeast, brewer Adam didn't like the sound of "Adam's Lager" or "Adam's Pilsner," so he went ahead and called it Adam's Ale anyway. The aroma is very clean with only slight hints of malt. Notes of honeydew melon and cantaloupe create an enjoyable sweetness, which is increased with the flavor of honey. A nice grassy character similar to hop leaves balances out the sweetness. Overall this makes a great summer beer.

After New Belgium, we hurried over to Fort Collins and squeezed our way in just before last call. Since we were in such a hurry, we didn't snap any photos. The Z lager had a nice, Spezial-like sweet smokiness. For a bit bolder smoke flavor, the Kidd Lager proved to be quite smokey despite its Schwarzbier label. One of the limited release beers we enjoyed was the Common Ground coffee ale. Unlike most coffee beers, this one isn't a stout. The base for Common Ground is an amber ale and it creates a very sweet caramel malt background that provides a nice contrast to the acidic coffee. We both agreed that Gina would approve.

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