Misc News – Sept 8

What we are already calling Sun King's Tap Room is in reality a tasting room. No food. Shall we say an industrial atmosphere right down to the Les Lessman walls. Actually some picnic tables in the brewery. Perfect. No sales by the glass, satisfactory samples instead. All their beers available for sampling. Buy growlers ($6.50, $5 on Fri.) and kegs to go and presumably BeerJuggs. Much like a small winery.

We should also mention their web site's On Tap page that lists where which of their beers are being poured.

Belmont Beverage has opened their new store at 404 S. Main St., Mishawaka.

Kahn's is planning a 12,000 sq ft store at 86th St. and Township Line. Yep, the O'Malia's Supermarket. Jim Arnold has bought the property outright and will have restaurant space available also. article

Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow gets ink at Hedonist Beer Jive.

Some tastes

• Broad Ripple Brewpub Cask Conditioned Best Bitter – Yes! Quintessential British Bitter with the emphasis on the bitter.
• Brugge Bad Kitty Lipziger Gose. A very rare style available only at the brewpub. Somewhat of a Wit with lactic acid and salt. Dull yellow with no head. Sour is predominant and some may think it's "off". At 4.25% it's very drinkable but it takes a serious person to have more than one.
• Brugge Prana Porter. Brugge's Pro-Am entry with Jim Matt. Black/brown with dark creamy head. Solid almost chewy mouthfeel. Coffee, coffee, coffee, even though it's Black Malt that you're tasting. More restrained medium long lasting finish. This is the beer that one Silver at the National Homebrew Competition. A meal in itself. 7%
• Oaken Barrel Weizenbock – They say a strong version of their excellent Uberweizen. They understate the case. 7%. 21 IBU. A dull brown color that is almost murky with suspended yeast make the appearance less approachable. Ivory head with some Belgian lacing. Little aroma. Big nice pure malty start that tails off slowly to balanced near-dryness. Pair with ribs, smoked meat, fried foods, general nutsiness.
• Oaken Barrel Cream Ale – Light yellow, all-malt, low carb, 4.8%. Clean. Smooth (as opposed to crisp). Could proudly be OB's intro beer.
  
• Pyramid Haywire – Sharp American Hefeweizen.
• Magic Hat Roxy Rolles – Hopped up Imperial Double Red.
• Guinness 250 – A bit of a disappointment. A porter with a Schwartzbier mouthfeel.
• Sam Adams Imperial White – Yes, Imperial. 10.3%. Main hit is over-sweet citrus. Age it or drink half-n-half with orange juice as a hangover cure.
• Sierra Nevada Kellerweis – Almost-German hefe. Banana and clove esters were overshadowed in my sample by a bit of staleness.
• Josephsbrau Summer Brew – Looking for a bottled Kölsch that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? If you're near a Trader Joe's their Summer Brew at about $7/6-pack should be your first stop. 4.5%. 25 IBU. Right to style.
  
• Jerome Andean Red Ale – Bold ESB/IPA with a red color. 6%. Pretty darn good.
• Jerome Andean Stout  - Black. Thick. Roast. Malty. Raisin. Pear.
• Jerome Xmas – Nutmeg. Cinnamon. Ginger. (certainly not Mary Ann). All with Ginger's almost campy fully-on presence. Bold. Will buy more for sipping around our tree.
  
  Jerome beers are available only at Kahn's right now but should be more widespread by Christmas.

Christian Moerlein to open Central Riverfront Park beer garden. Complete with brewpub. Won't open until 2011.

Despite the poor turnout at the Beer Bash to Battle Cancer there were delightful bottle displays to be seen, both in the tent (below) and inside the new Crown Liquors store on SR 37 & 141st St. in Noblesville (bottom).