Bourbon Barrel Aged ReplicAle Tasting

The explosive growth of craft breweries in Central Indiana has been closely followed by the emerging craft trend of experimenting with barrel aged beers. New programs have been initiated by many established breweries, while new breweries often begin barrel aging from the moment they open for business. Aging in empty bourbon barrels has become a particularly popular activity, as the bourbon and oak characters can pair nicely with some of the big, aggressive styles that American craft brewers favor to begin with.

A recent tapping event at Tomlinson Tap Room offered a unique opportunity to sit and evaluate a number of local examples side by side. Granted, you may be able to find a number of these beers together at a large festival, but you might run a little short on the “sit and evaluate” aspect. Breweries participating in the special tapping included Barley Island, Black Acre, Bloomington Brewing, Flat 12, and Sun King. All base beers were ReplicAles from 2013’s Winterfest, aged for an unspecified period of time in bourbon barrels. Despite the ReplicAle label, where brewers are supposed to interpret the same basic recipe, there were some significant differences in underlying beer style here. Most were labeled with the pretty nondescript “Strong Ale” classification, while two others were appropriately classified as an Old Ale and a Winter Warmer. Here are my thoughts on each beer:

Flat 12 Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Ale  IBU: ???  ABV: 11.5%

Very strong bourbon aroma with supporting oak character and muted malt in the aroma. The flavor is more balanced with a well-aged caramel malt backbone showing hints of a slightly oxidized sherry character. The 11.5% alcohol content is very evident in the warming character, which has a smooth quality from aging. Overall, there is still too much bourbon flavor and aroma for my tastes. But this one is definitely a grower and I liked it more with each progressing sip. Of course, that could also be the 11.5% working its magic on my brain.

Bloomington Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale  IBU: 12  ABV: 8.5%

The aroma here is much more subdued after tackling the massive Flat 12 Old Ale. The barrel character initially seemed to be overshadowed by the malt, but the aroma seemed more balanced when I came back to it later. The barrel contribution is more noticeable in the flavor, balanced with the toasty malt character and some chocolate notes. The finish comes across drier than expected with a slightly tart aftertaste. There are some good characteristics here, but overall it struggles to stand out when progressing through this lineup.

Black Acre Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale  IBU: 51  ABV: 7.8%

The aroma and flavor of the barrel is very subdued in this beer. The real star of the show here is the massive hop character and supporting bitterness, which are still quite impressive in spite of extended aging. There is good dose of caramel and slightly oxidized malt character that support the hop profile a bit more than the barrel flavor. I like this beer a lot and imagine it had quite an intense hop profile when it was younger. If someone paid a premium price for this as a barrel aged beer, they might be disappointed by the lack of assertive barrel character to be found here. But if we’re just talking about which beer I enjoyed the most, this one ranks pretty high on my list.

Barley Island Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer  IBU: 50  ABV: 8%

Nice balanced aroma with the barrel character adding complexity to a backbone of caramel, chocolate, and roasty malts. The flavor matches very closely to the aroma with some oak tannins also coming through. The finish is very smooth with a slight warming as it goes down and some bourbon character lingering in the aftertaste. The reported 50 IBUs don’t contribute a high perception of bitterness. This is what I look for in a barrel aged beer. It’s a great Winter Warmer with a barrel character that complements, rather than overwhelms, the base beer.

Sun King Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale  IBU: 50  ABV: 8.2%

Strong barrel character in the aroma with a unique toffee malt character. The toffee malt is more balanced with bourbon and oak in the flavor, with a firm bitterness and oak tannins lingering in the aftertaste. There is also a bit of tartness in the finish of this beer. Good beer – the toffee malt character is enjoyable and really stands out, but it’s also a bit one-dimensional in comparison to some of the other beers in this lineup.

After several runs through the lineup, I settled on the following ranking order:

5th:	Bloomington
4th:	Flat 12
3rd:	Sun King
2nd:	Black Acre
1st:	Barley Island

Barley Island was the pretty clear winner in my book. I thought the greater emphasis on chocolate and roasted malts in this beer paired very well with the bourbon and oak. It also had the best overall balance of the five beers in this flight. Second place was a much closer call. While Sun King’s beer was probably a superior example of a “barrel aged” beer, I found Black Acre’s just a bit more enjoyable despite the lacking barrel character. Flat 12’s submission definitely grew on me and would arguably be the best choice for someone who enjoys a very prominent bourbon character, but the balance was just tilted a little too far in that direction for me. And while there was nothing I particularly disliked about the Bloomington beer, there was little I could pinpoint to make it stand out in this flight.

Did anyone else make it out to try this flight? Agree or disagree with where I slotted them?

Cheers, Nathan

IndianaBeer Best of 2013

Welcome to the first (annual?) edition of IndianaBeer’s staff picks of our favorite, and least favorite, things in the past year of craft beer! Sure…..we’re a little late to this party, but trying to come up with an authoritative list like this is challenging because we don’t individually visit every Indiana brewery, try every beer on the market, or attend every event. We’d love to make that sacrifice for you, but our resulting condition would become a pretty big drain on your tax dollars. Still, we do make our rounds in the craft beer world, and 2013 produced some wonderful memories and standout beers, events, and trends that deserve a mention here.

Our sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who visited our site in 2013. We’re looking forward to a great 2014 and making plans for some exciting new content and events. Cheers!

From Greg…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: RAM St. Olaf Barrel Aged Bock

This deep bock beer delivered excellently the flavors of the bock beer with rich, malt sweetness with a finish that still lingers slightly sweet accentuated by light hop bittering. Yet, this beer, to become a Saint, spent 9 months aging in a Harrison Hill (Indiana produced) bourbon barrel! This provided the vanilla notes with the flavor of the bourbon! Perhaps my choice is influenced by my affinity for bourbon barrel aged beer, perhaps because it is Indiana+Indiana, and perhaps because it was a ‘swan song’ beer for both Andrew Castner and Chris Knott as I knew at that tasting that both were leaving the RAM. However, I truly believe, after tasting hundreds of Indiana beers this year that this one shines on flavor alone and stands proudly as my choice for a local favorite in 2013.

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers

With so many great beers I usually refuse to name a ‘best’ or ‘favorite.’ Yet, I have one! Well, two. Three Philosophers is a Belgian-style quadruple from Brewery Ommegang, (Cooperstown, NY) that is enhanced with 2%, yep just 2%, Kriek from Liefman’s of Belgium. Ommegang is part of Duvel Moortgat of Belgium providing wonderful opportunities for even more enhancement of the Belgian style beers. Three Philosophers is a limited release strong dark ale (9.8%) with notes of dark roast, raisins, dark sugars, and when fresh the cherry/kriek comes shining through. Background has banana esters with solid malt sweetness from 5 malts with a deep fruit characteristic going from raisins to molasses to a hint of chocolate, and the background of Spalt Select and Styrian Golden hops. This is a wonderful sipping beer. The brewery suggests it is a beer for contemplation. It is also a beer that can be aged although I drank some fresh on tap and then compared that to a bottle of the 2011 release which I found interesting but delivered more dark fruit with the cherry completely hidden, or just gone. Yet, I would be happy to contemplate on this beer many times and I look forward to next year’s release!

Best Beer Event: Bloomington Craft Beer Week and Festival

Sure there were many great events and some had more offerings, but even so how many beers can I conscionably taste in a few hours? While the Bloomington Festival is my ‘local’ so you may be crying ‘foul’ my defense and designation is based on three factors: 1) the venue, 2) the full week of local events including a brewers panel, and 3) the organization that included our own Nathan Compton heading up a giant recycle environmental effort! Most Indiana breweries and many out-of-state and national breweries made it to Bloomington where fresh air freely circulated through the quaint cover of the historic quarry building, which also makes this event a multi-level and architecturally interesting venue! Participation of attendees was fabulous with never a crushing crowd and usually an opportunity to chat with brewers. This is a perfect Spring event where the weather cooperated fully in 2013, parking if plentiful, and the only possible drawback might be the need for a few more restrooms and bus service. The concept of a week with local beer on tap all over Bloomington, special tappings with Indiana Breweries and their brewers, and a panel with brewers from Central Indiana which was very well attended, quite informative, and perhaps even raised a slight controversy or two without contention. The capstone for me to name this the best was our man Nathan working his @ss off before, during, and after the event to make sure this provided the lowest environmental impact possible.

Best Craft Beer Trend: Increasing Number of Local Beer Taps

While many chain restaurants are hanging on to 3 taps of Light, many have at least a few taps of fresh local beer. The trend of some bars not to even carry national beers gives us reason to cheer! This year shows even bigger declines for former big national yellow fizzy beers and increased growth of craft – and much of that is driven by the local restaurants and bars that are giving many customers what they are asking for which is good, fresh, interesting and flavorful craft beer!

Worst Beer Event: Dark Lord Day

Well it is not fair to rip on an event that I don’t attend, is it? And I am certain others enjoy this event making it worthwhile. But the concept of a beer being so rare that one must go on one day, get a ticket and realize that in the early days there might be a possibility you did not achieve your goal of coming back with the beer made Dark Lord Day a non-starter for me. Yes, I realize the rules changed and you should get 3-4 bottles as long as you stand in line but even last year 3F suggested if you were not Group A you might not get Vanilla. YES, I know it is mostly about sharing rare beers. Yes, I know Three Floyds has made great efforts at customer service. Yes, I believe the Floyd family are wonderful folks with a great brewery and I like their beer. So… this is not really a bad event. But it is an event that I’ve not been able to justify what, for me, would be the outlay of a few hundred dollars for two nights in a local hotel, food, beverage, tickets, beer to share, etc. So… at the bottom of my choices.

 

From Jake…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Daredevil Brewing Lift Off IPA

In my opinion Lift Off IPA from the guys in Shelbyville has been one of the best and most consistent beers out of Indiana this year. Releasing the 4-pack of cans at an extremely competitive price only solidified them as the best beer available in Indiana.

Honorable Mentions

Upland Wolf Eye: Wolf Eye is a slightly tart berliner weiss style beer recently released by Upland. It is pretty well available around Indy, and is one of the few beers I'll order multiple, berliner weiss is probably my favorite style.

Sun King Pappy Fog: This special release of Velvet Fog was aged in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels. I was able to try it at the VIP tent at Microbrewers Festival in Broadripple, and it was easily the best beer available at the festival.

McClure’s Orchard Jalapeno Cider: McClure's Orchard has really broadened my view of how interesting ciders can be. Usually coming in between 6-7% ABV this spicy cider inspired me to make a few batches of my own Jalapeño Cider using apple cider from McClure's. I've only ever found their bottles at Kahn's Fine Wine and Spirits and at the orchard in Peru itself (which by the way sells cider and a multitude of other apple products even when they are out of season.) Parts of the orchard shut down between Christmas and April, but I believe the restaurant/tasting bar is still open during the winter months.

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

I'm generally a big supporter of using proper glassware, that is never frozen, especially with hoppy beers, but there is just something about sipping this easy drinking flavorful pale ale out of the can it comes in. I'm loving having this and Oskar's Imperial Stout, Ten Fidy, regularly available thanks to Oskar Blues joining the growing list of great breweries distributing in Indiana.

Honorable Mentions

Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine: Coffee BCS is a very close second only missing out to Barleywine because the Barleywine is brand new this year! The whole line up this year was spectacular including the Backyard Rye which is relatively hard to find in Indiana.

Local Option Morning Wood: While I love the Morning Wood, an oak aged coffee amber, really all of Local Option's beers have impressed me. Based in Chicago, IL but brewed on contract in Maryland and Michigan, the original location is a "Beer-cade". A "Beer-cade", for those of you who don't know, is a glorious place that blends an awesome craft beer draft and bottle list with an arcade. Sometimes the games are free. Why Indy doesn't have a Beer-cade is beyond me, but I fully support anyone who wants to give it a go.

Best Brewery: Daredevil Brewing (Shelbyville)

Daredevil's first year was an outstanding success in my opinion. While the number of different beers they released this year may have been low compared to other breweries, all of them were outstanding. In addition to the social media presence, the overwhelming detail put into letting their customers know where to find their beer was done extremely well. I'm also very much looking forward to the Rare Devil series from these guys.

Honorable Mentions

Three Floyds Brewing Co: Always. Great.

Sun King Brewing Co: The brewery that really started everything happening in Indy right now is still simply put one of the best breweries in the state. They have a few beers that miss the mark every once in a while, but overall they are absolutely one of the best breweries in the state and no one can argue that.

Best Brewpub: Twenty Tap (Indianapolis)

Twenty Tap just fits into this category because Kevin Matalucci finally started brewing in the basement a month or two ago. Between the seasonal menu, the 38 craft beers on tap, and the outstanding bottle selection no beer bar or brewpub comes close in my opinion. Chef Rob Coate, who is also in charge of the beer list, does an outstanding job here. Living so close makes it easy to get to Twenty Tap anywhere between 2-6 times a week for me. You'd think with all those visits the beer list would get repetitive, and how wrong you'd be. I have never looked at the incredible 38 beer draft list and have tried all 38. If you like trying new things get to Twenty Tap, and try the outstanding food too!  I'm probably headed there right now.

Honorable Mentions

Black Acre Brewpub: This little brewpub on the east side of Indy offers another spectacular menu by Chef Mike Dike. I especially like the brunch served on Sundays from 11-3. After a rocky start in 2012 the brewers have really picked up their game and have an average of 10-12 of their own brews on at any given time. This place is absolutely worth the trip.

Broad Ripple Brewpub: With a change of head brewer comes a fresh look at the classic English brewpub in Indianapolis. The former Oaken Barrel brewer who has taken over is starting to stamp his own style on a few of the beers at the brewpub. When you make it in, I suggest trying the Dark Hero, a strongly flavored coffee oatmeal stout that I thoroughly enjoy.

Best Beer Event: Upland Sour Wild Funk Fest

In the second year of this festival, the people at Upland improved on what was already my favorite festival of the year. This year having the pairings of fruits and cheeses at the pouring tables and the inclusion of the VIP presentation by Caleb only made it better. To say I'm excited to see what they do in 2014 is an understatement, especially now that I live walking distance from the festival.

Honorable Mentions

Brewers of Indiana Guild Microbrewers Festival: Perhaps the VIP experience wasn't quite as thought out as it could have been, but all in all I enjoyed the Microbrewers Festival this year, as I do every year. With some tweaks and maybe a slight price drop the VIP experience will be worth it and I know the good people at the Brewers Guild are doing everything they can to make the 2014's Microbrewers Festival even better.

Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup: This was my first time participating in any fashion at the Brewer's Cup. I judged 3 flights and a mini-best of show and I had a great time. The quality of the beer was outstanding; even though I did try the worst beer I've ever tasted, which was disqualified. All the stewards were great and the whole list of volunteers who helped out did an superb job. If you are involved with craft beer in any way in the state of Indiana you should be volunteering at the Brewer's Cup; it's really a great time.

Best Craft Beer Trend: Canning

The push towards craft brewers canning instead of bottling is something I fully support. Some local Indy area brewers are even taking advantage of a business who has a mobile canning line to can their beer for distribution. Cans are simply a superior vessel and craft beer drinkers in Indiana are already used to cans, thanks to Sun King, making the introduction of cans from Daredevil, Oskar Blues, Flat 12 and others easier. I am ready to see some more specialty and dark beers from the local breweries going into cans. We all love IPAs but its time to see some stouts and weird/funky brews in cans on shelves.

Honorable Mention

Actually Opening: I'm looking at you Outliers! Seriously though, with approximately 70 operating brewers permits in the state we are looking to add another 35 or so in 2014. Realistically we could see 100 operating breweries in Indiana by the end of 2014. CHEERS TO 100!!!

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Craft Beer Hipsters

If you hate people who drink craft beer, and hate people who buy rare/specialty beers but still go to festivals and drive long distances to get rare/specialty beers you might be a hipster. These people can be a bit annoying, but generally they aren't hurting anyone so who cares.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Session Beers: I had quite a few discussions with people about session beers back in the spring/summer. Oddly enough nobody is talking about session beers when its 10 degrees outside. I'm guessing when March rolls around they'll be back. Drink them if you like them, but I'll stick to interesting and flavorful beers, more often than not that means beers above 5% ABV.

Stubborn Beer Managers: I’m lucky to live in Indy, very close to Twenty Tap, however a lot of bars around Indy, especially the suburbs, and other areas of Indiana are slow to accept craft beer. Recently Clay, President of the Brewer's Guild, said that 60% of craft beer sold in Indiana is sold within Indianapolis. If all the new breweries are going to make it they are going to need to start converting taps in areas other than Broadripple and Mass Ave. Craft beer needs to break out of its comfort zone and challenge what people are drinking at chains restaurants and bars. This is going to take support from all 3 tiers, especially distributors, to get this done.

 

From Jason C…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Three Floyds Zombie Dust

I know, I know…this would probably be near the top of the list for a good number of people. I’ve always maintained that I’m a craft beer geek for the common person so here is my boring, mainstream selection. Look, I’m still a hop-head at heart, I dig the Citra hops, and it’s friggin’ delicious so it’s my #1 choice.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Thai.p.a., Iechyd Da Gumption Double Amber, New Albanian Mt. Lee California Common, People’s Notorious BIP, and anything that Crown Brewing does with their java porter (especially the Coconut Java Porter)

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Founders KBS

I realize that this is a tough beer to get your hands on but once you do, I promise you, your taste buds will jump back and wanna kiss themselves. This bourbon barrel stout comes in at 11.2% but somehow manages to just melt over your tongue with smooth coffee, bourbon, & chocolate flavors. When I get one I tend to hug it and pet it and squeeze it and call it George.

Honorable Mentions

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Bell’s Two Hearted (oldie but goodie), Founder’s Backwoods Bastard, Green Flash Hop Head Red, Southern Tier Pumking, Stone Ruination

Best Brewery: Three Floyds (Munster)

I had to re-write this once I knew that this was also Nathan’s selection since he pretty much said it all. With Zombie Dust on the top of my list plus the murderer’s row of ridiculously great beers, Three Floyds is still the undisputed heavyweight champ of Indiana breweries.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery, Crown Brewing, Flat 12 Brewing, Iechyd Da Brewing, ZwanzigZ Brewing

Best Brewpub: Iechyd Da (Elkhart)

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why my vote for best brewpub goes to Iechyd Da. My one and only visit (in case you missed the review click here) occurred shortly after they opened for business on a Sunday so the patrons were fairly sparse. However, something about the overall ambience of the place just struck me as welcoming and comfortable. The food menu consisted of artisanal pizzas and sandwiches along with a handful of nice munchies. Then, of course, there are the beers. I’ve already sung my praises with mentions in the best Indiana beer and best Indiana brewery categories. Put it all together and I’d strongly suggest making Elkhart a destination for your next brewery visit.

Honorable Mentions

Lafayette Brewing Company, Shoreline Brewing

Best Beer Event: Winter Warmer @ the Lafayette Brewing Company

I set a new personal record, eight, for festivals in 2013 but my choice for best event was the easiest decision I had among all of the categories. There are many reasons that this long-running strong ale and barleywine event sold out just 40 minutes after ticket sales opened to the general public. First is because there are more high-octane brews in a relatively small area than what should be allowed by law. Next is that it’s held in the cozy confines of the LBC’s second floor venue with an occupancy limit of about 300 (and that includes the brewery representatives). Oh and what’s this? Some fantastic BBQ, plenty of tables and seating, tons of great raffle prizes, big hitting homebrews from the Tippecanoe Homebrewers Circle, and some pretty fantastic people. Huge beer festivals are overrated!

Honorable Mentions

Bloomington’s Craft Beer Festival (nice for a big event), Lafayette’s Beers Across the Wabash

Best Craft Beer Trend: Cans

So sure, once opened I will most likely pour my beer into a glass or cup so why should it's vessel matter? I suppose I just like the added convenience that a lighter weight, less breakable beverage container has to offer. As long as I can get the same great flavor out of a can then sign me up! Added bonus, it’ll help me get past those pesky yellow shirts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every May.

Honorable Mention

New breweries opening up everywhere!

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Food Pairing

Fairly certain that I'm in the minority on this one and I'd surmise that beer and food pairing is really just starting to gain momentum. That said, my approach is simple. I’m drinking the beer I’m drinking because it has the flavor and characteristics that I want to experience in that particular beer. I’m eating the food that I’m eating because it has the flavor and characteristics that I want to experience for that particular meal. I really just don’t give a rip if a particular beer style would complement or enhance the flavor of blah blah blah…  If I wanted to worry about this sort of crap I’d be drinking wine.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Fake mustaches @ beer festivals, sours

From Kathleen…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Zwanzigz Ghost Pepper Infused Imperial Stout

This beer I’ve tracked to every festival since first trying it on Winterfest 2013. I think it is amazing. It first hits you with the malt and chocolate tones and then the burn creeps up in the back of your throat. It isn’t over powering, but it is just damn good.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery - Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout, Black Swan Brew Pub– Sour Cherry, Brugge Brasserie – Getting’ Figgy with it Porter

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager

This was a new one for me this year. I first found Lakefront up in Chicago during Labor Day weekend and was excited to see the Wisconsin brewery had distributed down here Indiana as well. (I’m looking at your New Glarus, it can be done!) I love the spiciness, the warm flavor, the consistency of ever sip. I love that this beer is good cold, but gets better and better as it warms in your hand. A true winter warmer.

Honorable Mentions

Southern Tier – Crème Brulee, Founders Brewing – Rubeaus

Best Brewery: Bier Brewery

I have to give it to my neighborhood brewery. That little nanobrewery is kicking it up more and more and still makes excellent quality beer. I also like that after three years they are still keeping it going with a new mix up every week with some “classics” and some amazing seasonals. Plus Jerry, Corbin, Darren and all the rest are great people.

Honorable Mentions

Zwanzigz, Cutters Brewing, Iechyd Da

Best Brewpub: Black Swan Brewpub

If I didn’t live all the way over on the northeast side I’d eat and drink so much at Black Swan I’d be a regular. Their food is always wonderful, fresh, and kept new with changing their menu. The house brews are high quality for a great price. I love their cream stout, maple oat ale, and their sour cherry.

Honorable Mention

Zwanzigz

Best Beer Event: Brew Bracket Oktoberfest

The Tomlinson Tap Room is a great place to host Brew Bracket, you get to sit, eat, chat, drink and vote and it benefits a good cause. The only downside to this Brew Bracket is it is only 8 breweries instead of the usual 16.

Honorable Mentions

History on Tap, Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

Best Craft Beer Trend: Holiday Seasonals

I love pumpkin ales, I love Christmas ales. I love that more and more breweries are getting with these seasonals and producing their own little twists or some improving on the basic concept. This year I tasted double digit amounts of both of these beers and it made me extremely happy. I hope this is a continuing trend.

Honorable Mentions

Local Craft Beer on Tap, Local breweries getting into canning / bottling

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Special Release Events

Now, I understand the hype of getting a special released beer, but some events are packed full of people, for an extremely overpriced bottle of beer.

(Dis)Honorable Mention

Recipes with Beer

From Nathan…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Bare Hands Brewery Thai.p.a.

First off, I love IPAs. But the craft market has become so saturated with the style, many examples I try these days just kind of run together. So when a brewery does something truly unique with the style, and pulls it off beautifully, it tends to get my attention. Bare Hands Thai.p.a. infuses an IPA base with spices including ginger and lemongrass to pull off a beer that is remarkably flavorful and still well-balanced. Cheers to one of the best up-and-coming breweries in the state for breathing new life into one of my favorite styles.

Honorable Mentions

Barley Island Black Mystic Java Stout, Black Swan French Country Ale, Flat 12 Walkabout Pale, Sun King Grapefruit Jungle, Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: North Coast Old Rasputin

This pick was unavoidable following our group tasting of Russian Imperial Stouts. North Coast’s Old Rasputin is Exhibit 1a on the trappings of taking a wonderful beer for granted in the quest to try new beers in a growing craft market (Bell’s Two Hearted might be 1b…but I digress). Filled with complex flavor while maintaining an easy drinkability, Old Rasputin also offers a value that is difficult to beat. In an era of increasingly overpriced specialty beers, it’s nice to see the best Russian Imperial Stout on the market still available for a reasonable price.

Honorable Mentions

Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale, Green Flash West Coast IPA (when reasonably fresh, check the bottling date before laying down your cash!), Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont, Troegs Nugget Nectar, Two Brothers Domaine DuPage

Best Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing (Munster)

Hype and trends provoke different reactions from different people, and they tend to elicit a negative knee-jerk type of backlash from me. But as much as I’m inclined to slot another brewery here, you have to set that aside and consider the full body of work: Alpha King, Gumballhead, Zombie Dust, Arctic Panzer Wolf, Alpha Klaus, Broo Doo, Moloko, etc, etc. I can’t objectively say that any other brewery can top that lineup. Do their beers always live up to the hype? Nope. Are they still the biggest bad ass on the block? Absolutely.

On a side note…….I may live in Indianapolis, but it seems northern Indiana is giving our scene a pretty good run for its money these days. What gives? The Michigan influence?

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery, Bier Brewery, Crown Brewing, Iechyd Da Brewing Company, Oaken Barrel Brewing

Best Brewpub: Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery (Kokomo)

While I can’t say enough about the exceptional beer quality at Rock Bottom College Park, Half Moon gets the nod here for overall experience. The Kokomo brewpub combines a high quality and diverse selection of beers with tasty smokehouse barbeque and a wide range of additional brewpub fare. And their beer sampler is done right: a solid sample of every beer on tap. Half Moon seems a bit underrated outside of Kokomo, but the packed house we’ve encountered on some visits suggests the locals recognize this gem in their backyard. Skip the bypass on your next trip through Kokomo, and treat yourself to a Half Moon visit instead!

Honorable Mentions

Black Swan Brewpub, Figure 8 Brewing, Rock Bottom College Park (Indy), Rock Bottom Downtown (Indy), Zwanzigz Pizza and Brewing

Best Beer Event: Lafayette Brewing Company Winter Warmer

It’s a rare thing these days to find a beer event that doesn’t grow for the sake of growing, let alone one that has been around since 1995. LBC’s Winter Warmer started that year as a barleywine and strong ale tasting event for their Brew Crew program. While the event quickly grew to include a takeover of LBC’s second floor, additional breweries, and public ticket sales by 2002; it has never ventured beyond the walls of LBC’s downtown facility. While tickets are difficult to obtain these days unless you know a local Mug Club member (thanks Jason!), this unique event more than justifies the $45 ticket price. Consider the ratio of about 250 patrons and 19 participating breweries (an event where you actually can sample beers from every brewery without long lines), the free Beer-B-Que buffet, and free taxi rides home; and you get a uniquely intimate event with great breweries and high gravity beers for a chilly February weekend. An easy call for best event of the year.

Honorable Mention

Brew Bracket Pale Ales

Best Craft Beer Trend: Local Craft Beer at Bars and Restaurants

There were numerous occasions in 2013 where I was pleasantly surprised to find great local craft beer on tap when visiting a bar or restaurant. I’m not talking about businesses who have historically (or even recently) marketed themselves as craft beer destinations, I’m talking about your average establishment around the city that caters to patrons who couldn’t care less what IBU, SRM, Starting Gravity, or Final Gravity mean. It’s great to head out for a family dinner and find offerings from Bier, Daredevil, Flat 12, Fountain Square, Sun King, or Triton available to complement your meal. There is still plenty of room for improvement in this area, but it’s a real sign of progress when the average restaurant understands there is more to a good meal than offering BudMillerCoors for refreshment.

Honorable Mention

Increased Diversity and Availability of Canned Craft Beer

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Barrel Aged Beer Pricing

This is a touchy category because it tends to involve the ugly monetary aspects that have become a byproduct of craft beer’s commercial success. And yes, it’s hard to fault a business for charging whatever somebody out there is willing to pay. But as a consumer, I have to take issue with the pricing trends in barrel aged beers. Barrel aging is a valuable tool in continuing to push the boundaries of flavor in craft beer, and I respect the time and resources required of such an endeavor. But your beer probably didn’t become 5 times better just because you stuck it in a barrel. So forgive me if I pass on the opportunity to pay 5 times as much for the result.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Beer Cocktails, Paid memberships just for the right to spend more money on beer (ie. Secret Barrel Programs)

Best Trend I Want to Start in 2014: Combining Craft Beer and Burlesque

Who’s with me???

Indiana Beer News, Oct. 27-28: Festivals, new Beers and more....

Take your pick of Beer Events this weekend in Indiana!

DOWNTOWN INDY:

The first ever SunKing CANvitational includes at least THIRTY ONE breweries, all packaging in cans, on Georgia Street and PanAm Plaze from Noon (early entry $75) or 1-5PM ($50) Saturday, September 27. click here for TIX Such 'far flung' brewers as Marble of NM, Sockey of ID, Surly of MN, Tallgrass of KS, and Morgan Street of MO will participate as well as one of my favs, Revolution of Chicago and of course our home-state heros TinMan and SunKing of IN and more. There will be food, music, BEE coffee, and fun.

Within walking distance is the Upland Brewery OKTOBERFEST same day (Sat. Sept. 28) 1-9PM promising all the fun of a Munich beer tent, live music, food trucks, music and tix only $5 click HERE for Upland Oktoberfest TIX at Military Park off of West Street in Indya

BrewBracket Oktoberfest City Market Indy, 6-9 PM, Saturday, Sept. 28. $35, Brew Bracket TIX here/ Tomlinson Tap Room, 7 rounds of side by side tastings, Participating brewers include Upland, Flat 12, Bier, Twisted Crew, RAM, Granite City, Iechyd Da, and #BBPales winner Thr3e Wisemen. A portion of ticket sales will be donated directly to King Park Area Development


Connect with your Irish Roots Well, not exactly a beer fest but beer will be served and there will be hurling - you know, the sport (no not THAT kind, we hope) tonight, Friday, Sept. 27, 7-9PM at Kuntz Park, 1502 W. 16th ST, Indy. Flat12 beer will be served in a beer garden and This is the last night of the season for Indy GAA's Premiere League, which has grown into a great spectator event through the year. Info at IndyGAA

Outside downtown Indy

Irvington Brew Fest, Saturday, Sept. 28 7-10 PM (Music at 6:30), $10, 5333 E. Washington St. Indy, No advance sales, beer by Flat12, Fountain Square Brewery, Black Acre, New Day Meadery (pints $4). music and food Facebook page info

Noblesville BrewFest Saturday, Sept. 28, 3-7 PM, Forrest Park, lost of national and local breweries including Barley Island, Triton, Flat12, Cutters, Fountain Square, Half Moon (Kokomo), Upland, Union, SunKing, RAM, and (not local but....) Chimay + many more! More Info Here

We'd mention the Valpo Brew Fest but it is sold out

OTHER BEER NEWS!

Indiana Collaboration Beer: Black Acre Brewing (Indy) and Bloomington Brewing (uh, B'ton,IN) released a collaboration beer yesterday: an American cousin of a German style Roggenbier with a balanced grain bill using a lot of malt including rye malt, chocolate malt and carafa , a hefe yeast strain and variety of German and American hops. This very malty dark beer starts with just hint of yeast esters, delivers a nice rich dark flavor and finishes with a slight spice of rye. This beer is dark in color, rich in flavor and complex. It does not provide much in hop notes like most American ryes and this does not have the graininess of some. We sampled this one on the day it became avaialble and we will be going back for more. It should be on tap both at Black Acre on East Washington St. in Indy and at Lennie's in Bloomington - but don't delay, there are limited quantities.


Meanwhile we've been trying all of the pumpkin beers we can get our mouths on. Yes, we know some do not like beer with pumpkin. It only comes once a year and we enjoy! We had a delicious Pumpkin Ale by Bier Brewery (Indianapolis) the other nite and this is right up there among our favorites - a lot of delicious pie spice coming from addition to fermentation and kegs! Cutters Pumpkin Porter is a tasty spin on the traditional. We hope to get our hands on some Flat Jack Pumpkin Ale by Flat12 this weekend and it is on tap at Flat12 Bierwerks.

RateBeer reports that the top five rated pumpkin styles are mostly not out yet but their number 6 is Pumpking by Southern Tier. We had some last week and loved it but want to do a direct comparison with our favorite so far. After chatting with over a dozen patrons and bartenders at multiple craft beer establishments we select Schlafly Pumpkin as the best so far regionally. Schlafly delivers a wonderful balance of spice with malt underpinning. Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard is an Imperial that also delivers a mouthful of flavor. Again, we felt the Bier and Cutters offerings hold their own against these widely distributed offerings. If you like less spice we suggest the Shipyard PumpkinHead or the Smuttynose Pumplin Ale (both from Maine). While I rarely rip on a great brewery, I've sampled the Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin twice now (small tastes) and thought it lacked flavor. Clearly more research is needed... and I am waiting for the release of several more.


Upland holds lottery for Lambic's, expands beer to Chicago

Upland Kiwi, Strawberry, and Blackberry fruied Lambic-style ales will be released in limited quantities via a web site open at NOON on October 1 (an d closing at noon, Oct. 8). Lottery winners will receive notice by email on Oct. 9th. Any remaining sours available after Nov. 5th will be sold on a first-come basis in Indy and Bloomington. We had a chance to taste some of the notes sours with Head Brewer Caleb Staton recently in a project looking at flavor over time. It is quite interesting to note the differences in profile based on a few months difference in age! We had not had the chance until then to try an unfruited Upland sour but for those of us who love Belgian gueuze this was a wonderful experience! Upland Sour Lottery site is HERE


Upland beer will hit taps and shelves in greater Chicago in October starting with Upland Wheat and Upland Dragonfly IPA. Seasonals will be rotated in starting with Upland Infinite Wisdom Tripel and the wet-hopped APA Upland Harvest Ale. Upland President Doug Dayhoff shares, "the tremendous reception of Upland's recent wholesale expansion into Ohio and Kentucky has created an opportunity for even more growth....We anticipate strong reception as we move into Chicago." River North, distributors of other national and craft beer, is handling the Illinois expansion.

Daredevil starts canning Daredevil Brewing, Shelbyville, IN, will be making the popular Lift Off IPA available in cans before the end of this year. Lift Off is a well balanced IPA with West-Coast hops and has developed quite a following already in Indiana. Daredevil also has RipCord Double IPA and Seasonals that have included Muse and Carnival, a Belgian Saison now available, as well as a lighter koelsch.

Beers to you! GregKitz

Beers, Cheers, and Sneers – September 27

Can’t find anything to do Saturday? Then you must not like beer! We have the return of Brew Bracket with a special showdown of local bourbon barrel aged beers and additional events in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Nashville, Noblesville, Terre Haute, and Valparaiso that you can find on our calendar. I’m throwing in the towel the minute word comes out about a beer festival in Flora. But on a serious note, there is so much going on these days that we do welcome and appreciate any tips from our readers. So here we go……

Federal and State permits have been approved and equipment is starting to roll in at the new Planetary Brewing Company located near Old Town Greenwood. Check them out at the linked Facebook page to monitor their progress. Thanks to William Breuninger for the tip.

Congrats to the Hopcat in Grand Rapids, MI for being named the second best beer bar in the country by readers of CraftBeer.com. For good measure Founders’ Taproom (within walking distance) was second place in the North Central region. The HopCat was previously named the #3 Beer Bar in the world by Beer Advocate magazine. OK, so it’s not Indiana news but you’re not really living without an annual trip to Grand Rapids……or maybe I just have a problem.

We hope to avoid making stories like this a trend, but the weather of 2012 has claimed its first victim. Bell’s seasonal Cherry Stout will not be brewed this year after early warmth followed by multiple frosts damaged Michigan’s tart cherry crop this spring. Some kegs from last year’s batch are still in storage and will be released in limited numbers.

Attention “beer collectors” – your days on eBay are numbered. The site will begin removing listings for beer and liquor after 20/20 decided to save modern society by hiring a teen to buy vodka from their marketplace. Bloodsuckers dreaming of $250 for a bottle of Dark Lord are not stoked.

According to The Economist, the average U.S. worker has to work five minutes to afford 500ml of beer. Things look pretty good for Americans compared to the other countries in the study with Indian workers facing nearly an hour of toil for their brew. It also doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the rational few who threaten relocation to Canada or Mexico if the election doesn’t go their way.

Indiana is well represented on a recent top 10 list of the best beer website underage redirects. Earning prestigious spots on the list were Black Acre (He-Man singing 4 Non Blondes), Sun King (the Muppets take on Rick Astley), and Upland (redirect to Justin Bieber’s site). But my vote goes to Trumer Pils for subjecting youngsters to dancing men in painfully short lederhosen.

The blog STL Hops hosted a contest for readers to apply their Microsoft Paint talents to a Three Floyds Dark Lord theme. The winner is below and all finalists can be viewed here. The winning entry was submitted by Tyler Dumey and depicts Dark Lord Day with (as described by the blogger) “beers attacking bunnies and flowers, lava, brimstone, and sperm falling from the sky”. It’s unclear what events at Dark Lord Day inspired visions of electrocuted flowers and sperm in the sky, but next year you might want to make sure the guy standing next to you in line doesn’t answer to “Tyler”.

Cheers, Nathan

Black Acre Taproom Visit

Black Acre Brewing may be the most recent brewery to open in the Indy area, but our visit to the taproom was admittedly long overdue. So it was the first thought that came to mind on a Monday night when parental responsibilities were removed and many other local taprooms were closed. Black Acre found a home among a revitalized strip of eclectic shops in the historic Irvington area. Their location and commitment to a quality, diverse beer selection appears to have resonated with the community as evidenced by the capacity crowd on a Monday night, and their recent showing of 1st place in Best Brewpub and 4th place in Best Beer Selection on the Indy A-List.

A small menu of finger food is available some evenings at the taproom, but Mondays are reserved for local food trucks with Circle City Spuds providing the nourishment on this particular evening. But the real attraction here is their draft list, which featured Black Acre beers, 16 guest beers, one mead (courtesy of local meadery New Day), and one cider. The guest beers range from local brewery offerings to unique specialty imports from Belgian, but we were there to get a sampling of the in-house brews. There were five options on this evening that generally leaned toward the lighter end of the craft beer spectrum:

Ol’ Fritz Berliner Weisse: 7 IBU, 3.8% ABV – Light, refreshing, and clean version of the German sour wheat ale with a level of pucker that was more tart than overtly sour. A nice, easy drinking beer on its own, it can also be ordered with a traditional addition of either Raspberry or Woodruff syrup. We ordered another with the Woodruff and it was outstanding! The flavor of Woodruff syrup is one of those things that is really difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t tried it, and I can’t claim to have a good comparison. But Poppi says Jordan Almonds…….so there you go.

Apricot Wheat: 20 IBU, 4.7% ABV – This one had the aroma and flavor of apricot juice with little else coming through. Not a bad flavor, but not what I look for in a beer.

Street Lamp Blonde: 21 IBU, 5.1% ABV – American Blonde is not my favorite style (when it comes to beer), but this offering was exceptional. The addition of lemongrass and lemon peel gave it a more interesting flavor profile than expected while retaining the smooth, refreshing character you would expect. It was my choice for a follow-up pint.

Green Tea Pale Ale: 25 IBU, 5.5% ABV – Described as a pale ale with additions of green tea matcha, ginger, and honey. The aroma was promising with a good mix of green tea and citrus hop character. The flavor was a bit more skewed towards the green tea addition. Many green teas on the market will have flavor additions to liven up the green tea base that can be a bit bitter and grassy. That seemed to be what Black Acre was going for with the addition of ginger and honey. But the ginger was subtle and any honey sweetness may have mostly fermented out. An interesting idea, I would probably enjoy this beer more with a little more assertiveness in the complementary flavors.

Fair Wind Porter: 37 IBU, 6.6% ABV – The one outlier from the lineup of lighter beers, the Porter featured an intense bitter chocolate character balanced with a roasty finish. A pretty solid offering that could take the next step with a bit of caramel or toffee malt complexity.

Black Acre’s taproom was a nice place to hang out and enjoy a few beers with a modern looking interior that still felt like a neighborhood bar. There are offerings among their draft list that will fit virtually any taste (you can find the current list here) and the house Berliner Weisse with Woodruff is a rare treat that justifies the trip on its own. Based on the number of people hanging out by the time we left on a Monday night, it might be a good idea to plan your trip towards the early side of the evening. The taproom’s location and hours are:

5632 E Washington St.

Indianapolis, IN 46219

Mon: 4-10pm

Wed/Thurs: 4-11pm

Fri: 4pm-12am

Sat: 12pm-12am

Sun: 11am-3pm

Cheers, Nathan

Brewers of Indiana Guild and the State Fair

"They who drink beer will think beer."
-Washington Irving

To help educate the masses and for the sure fun and benefits of it, I volunteered to run the Brewers of Indiana Guild's booth last Saturday morning and last Wednesday night.  Not only was I educating others, but by playing a trivia game, I educated myself more on general knowledge of Indiana Breweries. A few of the questions were posted on Indiana Beer's Facebook earlier this week. 

I also learned that sadly not many people know about Indiana beer. Some only know a select amount.  The top names that came to people's minds were Sun King and Upland Brew Co.  With the 2012 Brewer's Cup Awards list up, Bier Brewery was one that a lot of people asked about though.

I found that by asking people what they have already tried, or what kind of style they liked, it opened up really good conversations into recommending new breweries to try.  I know I sent a few people away with directions, ways to get, or reasons to go to either Flat12 Bierwerks, Bier Brewery, Black Acre, Thr3e Wisemen and Brugge Brasserie. I took a baby step approach to conversions some people when they mentioned drinking Budweiser to trying Sun King Sunlight, which would be light, smooth, easy to drink and a nice switch over. 

Over the conversations with the almost 200 people that came into the booth while I was there, I only heard one person mention they don't drink craft beer because of the price. I tried to highlight some of the more affordable breweries as well as highlight some of their specials and sales. I also played up the advantage of growler sales on Sunday. 

All in all, I'm glad that I was able to represent the guild, represent IndianaBeer, represent as an Indiana craft beer drinker and give people information and inspiration to try something new. 

- Kathleen

On my way to the fair! 

 - 

American Craft Beer Week 2012 - The Beginning

First off, Happy American Craft Beer Week everyone!

I hope you are out supporting our local craft breweries or at least getting out and drinking some of the many great craft beers there are available to us in Indiana.

I personally kicked of this week on Monday by having a pint of New Belgium's Cocoa Mole at the Indy Beer Sellar. If you like chili beers, I suggest giving this one a shot. It leaves a nice little burn in the back of your throat. For more of what is available at the Beer Sellar - Check out their tap list! and make sure you stop in this Friday for their Tap Attack! starting at 7pm - Just to name a few to get you thirsty:

• Founders -  Breakfast Stout
• Three Floyds - Zombie Dust
• New Holland - Dragon's Milk Oak Barrel Ale 

Onto Tuesday - 

Went down to Irvington to visit Black Acre Brewing Co. for the first time and socialize with Girls Pint Out and Arts & Craft Beer Owner, Tara Maggert. 

Since Tuesdays, Black Acre is typically closed, the place was only filled with about 20-30 people at any given moment. Jordan, brewer - bartender - and more,  was quick to pour you a pint and the place was comfortable enough to just stay up at the bar and chat. 

My first pint was a house beer - Watermelon Wheat.  Wheat ales are not my typical choice, but I thought I would give it a try. If you like something sweet and cool, I would go with this beer. The other  house beer on tap was the Strong Ale.  Black Acre also offered selections from local favorites Sun King and Bier Brewery along with non local craft beer. 

I will completely admit that I had a snifter of  Monk's Cafe Sour Flemish Ale after the Watermelon Wheat.  It is another favorite of mine, rare to find in bottles, and the first time I've seen it on draft. Who could resist that!?

If I lived closer to Irvington, I'd be a more frequent visitor to Black Acre. I hoping next time to catch a taste of the Green Tea Pale Ale. 

And a tip:

For the ladies - Try to come out to a GPO event, you are not alone in loving craft beer :) 

For the crafty ladies - Check out the monthly events at Arts & Craft Beer. 

Now those recaps are done.. Time to get ready for tonight!

Greg K and I will be at Tomlinson Tap Room for Indianapolis Monthly's first Beer Fest - 15 breweries, $30.. 6pm-8:30pm - Tickets are still available - (By Clicking Here!)

See you readers tomorrow for the recap. 

- Kathleen