Indy Samplings

Some Tastings:

• Granite City Oktoberfest. Bright red/brown leather-look. Very cold in an iced glass so aroma test was abandoned. Good fat white ½" head that held on a while. First taste was sharp, not quite metallic, as the strong bitter finish cam in too quick to appreciate the still-frozen malt. Once warmer, it becomes a fairly rich, traditional O'fest with a big, quick, floral bitter finish. Order with a warm glass.
• Rock Bottom, 86th St, Indy, DWANA-nother beer Hefe – A coriander Belgian Wit with enough Ginger to make a difference. Smooth and very quaffable.
• RB86th Pifer's Pale – Brewed for the wedding of two regular customers. A 6.9% APA/IPA with 60 IBU of Amarillo and Crystal hops. Big throughout but a bit one dimensional.
• RB86th Pumpkin Seasonal – Deep Labrador-eye orange brown. A tank of varying refracted shades from loam to wheat. Long-lasting dense ivory head. Pumpkin spice aroma sings over the malt base only because we expect the malt, sort of like a rhythm section. On the tongue it isn't very sweet or pie spicy, just a solid blend.*
• Rock Bottom, Downtown Indy Pumpkin Seasonal – Unfiltered dark hefe-looking. Full in-your-face pie spice aroma comes through. 5.3%.*
  
  Also on tap at RBD, Hop Bomb, Happy Pils, Hefeweizen, Coffee Stout.

* No pumpkins were harmed in the making of these Pumpkin ales.

Granite City has some new "brew mixers" on their beer menu (but not online). They had a Two-Pull (Light and Bock). Now there are a whole slew up to a Blarney (Bock and Stout).

Rock Bottom, 86th St, Indy has a Brewers Dinner on Wed, Oct 21st but it's sold out at 65 people. So they're having a prequel – another Brewers Dinner on Tues, Oct 20th. Call 317-471-8840 for details.

Apple Buzz is back at Oaken Barrel. 28 barrels made, half gone already.

Collapsable plastic Port-A-Pint Beer Glass. $8.