Deep Thoughts #315

It just occurred to me that I have not prepared a résumé since Dubya was president. I barely remember how to do this, and I want to do well.

590. Guggmann Haus Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Great Day

“Our go-to Haus IPA, this citrus-forward IPA features a bready malt profile with bright, fruity aromas & flavors from Citra and Galaxy hops.”

Finally succeeded in carving out a time to get out to the Guggmann Haus taproom last Sunday, and brought home a couple of four-packs from the extensive selection in their cooler. I was impressed with the Great Day I had in the taproom, but I think the one I’m having today at home in my frosty mug might be even better. There are layered flavors of strone fruit up front and citrus on the back end, with a vague hint of pine sort of overseeing the whole thing. The pine retreats as the beer warms, but the dry finish from the malty backbone remains. Very fine.

589. Mad Anthony Brewing Company (Fort Wayne, IN) - Mosaic Moon

“An American style IPA brewed with a single variety of hop and a simple American grown grain bill allowing the hop to be “front and center”. The real star of this ale is the Mosaic hop which gives off a complex array of tropical fruit, pineapple, herbal and earthy characteristics. Much of the hop was used late in the boil preserving all the character of the hop without going over the top on bitterness.”

Ripe, smooth pineapple up front, which lingers and quite nicely complements a dry finish that dances right there at the edge of bitter without quite going over the line; and I would never have guessed that it clocks in at 8% ABV. It gets smoother as it warms up, and I may be crazy, but…there might just be a faint hint of coconut in there. Absolutely spectacular, but way too big to have more than one or two at a time.

588. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company (McCordsville, IN) - Dorian Pumpkin

“Oatmeal Stout with Pumpkin. Warning: Pumpkins were harmed in the making of this beer.”

I know, I know…you’re thinking…well, shit dude, you have a Scarlet Lane right there in your fucking neighborhood now, and you haven’t posted a Scarlet Lane beer since before they opened where Black Acre used to be? (And it actually turns out that I have not, in fact, posted a Scarlet Lane joint since they opened in Irvington; I was guessing when I wrote that just now.) I’m torn on the new place…we like going there for lunch on Sunday after they get back from church, but I don’t like writing there as much as I liked writing there when it was Black Acre. (Also, they have yet to tap a single fucking keg of either Natural Liberty or Saucy Intruder.) Anyway…Jackson was up for it today, and when I saw that they had this one in cans, I added a four-pack to the tab and took some home. And…you know what… it’s a yummy oatmeal stout. I’m more into IPAs than anything else, but stouts have grown on me—especially oatmeal stouts. I don’t know if oats in the grain bill give the beer a smoother, creamier mouthfeel and flavor than standard barley, but that’s the way it tastes to me. This one, however, is just an oatmeal stout. There might be a faint whiff of the baking spices you might associate with a pumpkin ale; and I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and try a second one in a room-temperature mug before I hit send here, but I ain’t holding my breath, yo. (Maybe the Red Apple I’m going to burn on the porch between the two will change things, but I doubt it.) Alas, the second one is no more interesting than the first.

587. Tangled Roots Brewing Company (Ottawa, IL) - Bison Weizen

“A dark wheat beer with banana and clove flavors similar to the Vermillion River Weiss with some caramel flavors from the darker malts. $1 from every Bison Weizen sold in the brewery goes to the IDNR to help take care of the buffalo at Buffalo Rock State Park.”

And we saw those buffalo when we stopped at Buffalo Rock State Park on our trip to Illinois a couple of weeks ago. (Well, we saw one of them, anyway.) Which is neither here nor there, but being in that part of Illinois is how I managed to get hold of both this and the Kit Kupfer Amber. I don’t have much experience with Dunkelweizens, but this one seems…fine? Tastes more like a Hefeweizen than anything else, even if it is a little bit darker. The banana comes up a bit on the back end, and it’s fine; not great, but fine.

585. Kismetic Beer Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Pumpkin Ale

“We started with sugar pie pumpkins that we roasted with a brown sugar simple syrup and a pumpkin spice blend. We added the roast pumpkin to a mash bill of Maris Otter, Munich, Caramunich, and Chocolate malts. Hopped with Magnum. Steeped with Tahitian, Madagascar, and Mexican vanilla beans, Ceylon cinnamon, and Penzey’s pumpkin pie spice blend. Rich, but balanced, aromas of spices and caramel, creamy with lingering, crisp finish.”

Nice balance of pumpkin and spice flavors up front, with some lingering vanilla and caramel on the back end. Like most of Ryan’s beer, this one is flavorful and complex at the same that it’s light and drinkable.

586. Tangled Roots Brewing Company (Ottawa, IL) - Kit Kupfer

“A crisp, balanced sessionable Amber Ale drawing out a distinct caramel and nutty character from the malt selection with a hint of stone fruits (peaches) on the finish.”

There’s definitely caramel in there, and it lingers both up front and on the back end. I think a hint of peach at the end would be interesting, but I’m not getting it. I’m usually not into Ambers, but this one was interesting.

584. Brew Link Brewing Company (Plainfield, IN) - Basically Bitchin’

“The Starbucks of fall beers. But without the long lines and confusing size names. Get your pumpkin spice fix in a pint glass.”

There’s a vague hint of spice and a vague hint of pumpkin up front, but neither is very deep. The finish is nice and dry, but between the two, there’s something shiny and vaguely off-putting that detracts from both. All the other Brew Link joints I’ve tried have been pretty solid; this one is disappointing.

Deep Thoughts #314

If you think President Biden can’t cut it, that’s fine; but who’s the Democrat who can? Can you answer that? Have you even thought about it?

583. Triton Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Railsplitter

“Our flagship beer, and a true example of the style, the Railsplitter India Pale Ale (IPA) is a fresh golden brew with noticeable citrus and floral aromas balanced on a nice malty backbone with a dry finish.”

That malty backbone is pretty strong, imparting a bitter finish that somewhat mutes the flavors coming from the busy hop profile. It mellows and smooths as it warms up, remaining bitter, but loosing some flavor, especially from the Carahell malt. I was not initially impressed with this beer, but it’s definitely better when you let it breathe for a minute. I sort of get the idea that there might be some rye in there, but I don’t know enough about malts to know if any of the ones they mention on the website might be rye. Definitely merits revisitng at some point in the future.

Deep Thoughts #313

If you didn’t already know that Jann Wenner was a fucking tool, then I can’t fucking help you. (Yes I can; don’t ever vote for Republicans.)

582. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Amarillo, Yo!

“Juicy, hazy pale ale series brewed with lactose and featuring massive whirlpool & dry hop additions of super aromatic hops.”

If I said at some point before that one of these beers was the swan song for the dear, departed Indiana City Brewing Co., then I was perhaps speaking in haste. I’ve been hanging on to one of these bad boys, along with three cans of Black Acre stuff, since both of those breweries folded earlier this year. The 1-2 punch was somewhat traumatic; they were two of my favorite breweries in Indianapolis. But due to circumstances that shall perhaps be discussed later, I have decided to stop cellaring these last four cans of joy. And it turns out that I have never commented on this particular Indiana City brew, so…here we go. It’s both light (clocking in at only 5.5% ABV) and flavorful, and the lactose doesn’t cut much off of the citrus shine and mildly bitter finish. You won’t be surprised to hear that I love it, and that I wish I had more of them. I also wish that these cats could have hung on, and that maybe they will resurface someday, in premises with a manageable rent.

573. Henderson Brewing Co. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - Moving Pitchers

“Henderson Brewing and Rush take the stage together with this electric brew, named after Rush’s 8th studio album. A strong ale with a medley of aromas of berries, grapes, and spice, along with maple syrup and a mild floral note. The palate shows dark fruit, pudding, and toffee, capped by a long finish. Savour solo.”

I get grapes in various stages, from fresh to dried, and possibly some spice—but it’s just as likely that the spice is masked by the 11.9% ABV. It’s big and strong, and that ain’t necessarily bad; but it ain’t necessarily good, either. I really wanted to like these beers, but I didn’t. (And I sure as hell wish I hadn’t spent almost $150 getting them the hell across the border.)

581. Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - Tropical Fresh

“Sit back and relax as you let the waves of pineapple, citrus and mango wash over you. Close your eyes and you can hear the breeze rustling through the palm trees. An antidote to a hazy glow, we sought a bright and beautiful color as canvas to flaunt big tropical hops.”

There’s just a hint of orange rind on the back end that gives it a dry finish that can’t quite be called bitter. The tropical flavors up front are somewhat muddled, and it does not drink remotely like it clocks in at 6.5% ABV. Not my favorite thing from Deschutes, but one of the more interesting.

580. Moontown Brewing Company (Whitestown, IN) - Mounds

“It’s time for another Pints for Parks series adventure! We are headed to Anderson for our 9th park, Mounds. We brewed a hazy juicy IPA featuring Strata, Citra, and Mosaic, favoring heavier additions of Strata throughout the process. A pleasant and bright tropical fruity nose greets you on your path to dankness. Take the path, it drinks clean, creamy, and easy, loaded with tons of fresh fruit flavors. Cheers to our state parks, thank you for your support!”

Strong grapefruit and pine up front when it’s cold, and some mid-range strawberry from the Strata as it warms. The bitter finish contrasts quite beautifully with the strawberry flavor, but the 9% ABV is too high for them to claim that it drinks easy. That said, it’s an excellent beer, and probably the best thing I’ve tried at Moontown.

579. Henderson Brewing Co. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - Rush Canadian Golden Ale

“This Rye Golden Ale pours a gorgeous old gold colour, with a dense, ivory head. Notes of orange, caramel and black tea accompanied by a piney & citric hop character welcome you at the sip; then followed by a dry spicy, bitter finish reminiscent of white rye bread.”

That rye is strong up front, and it mostly masks the other flavors; but it’s crisp and interesting, and it’s the best of the four Rush beers I recently acquired.

578. Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - Squeezy Rider West Coast IPA

“Chill out with this juicy refresher that’s packed with heaps of hops to bring torrential tides of tropical flavor and a dab of dankness. Big tropical fruit punch aroma, light dank, and melon paired with clean, light malt character. Hop and yeast-driven fruity sweetness balanced with a bitterness that is laid back, leaving you care-less about IBU’s."

Um. Orange up front while it’s cold, and then papaya up front as it warms. The finish isn’t quite bitter, but it does kind of linger on the palate. If they had not said they were shooting for West Coast-style, I would not have guessed it. It ain’t bad, but it ain’t quite what they’re selling, either.

577. Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - Farmstand Fresh Mango IPA

“We sought to create an IPA that brought huge mango flavor from aroma to finish. The experience is like traveling to a tropical locale and grabbing a mango from a farm stand and placing it in your IPA and hanging in your hammock.”

Yep…it’s a mango IPA, all right. The flavor is big up front, and it lingers well past the back end. It’s almost cloying, but they wisely build in a dry finish that gives the beer a nice balance. There might even be a hint of coconut in there.

575. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Six Foot Strawberry Blonde

“Quaff ON! Six Foot Strawberry Blonde features real strawberry infused into our popular Six Foot Blonde ale. Crisp and refreshing with pleasant touch of fruit, Six Foot Strawberry Blonde is a taste of summer at any time of year.”

Crunch Berries in a bottle. That’s either going to get you there or turn you all the way around in the other direction. Not sure how I missed posting this before now, as this is one of my all-time favorite beers, from one of my favorite breweries.

576. Centerpoint Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Birdie

“This India Pale Ale was brewed with Mosaic and Pacifica hops that give this beer a fruity, citrus, and floral aroma with mild bitterness.”

The orange flavor from the Pacifica hops stands out both up front and on the back end, while the fresh pine flavor from the Mosaic sort of goes streaking by. There’s just a hint of bitterness in the finish, which nicely balances the sweetness of the orange flavor. Looking back over my other entries, I’m noticing how often I mention orange flavor when I try Centerpoint beers. Maybe that’s their thing. If it is, they’re pretty fucking good at it. For one goofy second there, I thought I was getting tired of IPAs; but this one brings right back to mind how wonderfully complex and interesting the style can be.

574. Moody Tongue Brewing Company (Chicago, IL) - Juiced Lychee IPA

“In our search for balance, we began to explore the creation of a beer which would celebrate the flavors and aromatics of South Pacific tropical fruits without the bitterness of many West Coast IPAs. The Juiced Lychee IPA showcases the same tropical profile which provides acidity for salsas which cut through rich dishes like al pastor tacos and fried shrimp. Enjoy this IPA on the beach—or around your closest friends thinking about the beach—while celebrating with all of the tacos and seafood that you can hold in one hand.”

Um. I keep thinking these beers are going to be better than they are, and I keep being disappointed. If you want to call this one tropical, knock yourself out. The one I had on tap at Byrne’s Grilled Pizza this afternoon might well have had some tropical flavor, but it wasn’t prominent. There was fruit flavor, but it was sort of all over the place. It had a nice, dry finish, but was not especially impressive.

572. WarPigs USA Brewing (Munster, IN) - Blinding Light Show

“From out of the darkness comes the light. Blinding Light Show IPA wields bold citrus and tropical flavours of illuminating refreshment. All that was hidden shall be revealed.”

They say that this is an “ale brewed with orange and lemon peels,” and I suppose, if we take them at their word about using peels (rather than zest), that we can extrapolate an amount of citrus flavor from the finish, which is bitter in much the same way that citrus peels are bitter. The finish smooths out as the beer warms, but I never get the bright citrus flavor that makes me think of zest. I am beginning to believe that I have tried too many IPAs—that I have perhaps become desensitized to the style; this is an excellent beer (as are the other WarPigs joints I have tried), but I am unimpressed. I hope that this is a temporary sensation. (I also hope that pink-clad idiots being instructed by their social media masters to go see a bubble gum movie they have no hope of understanding is also a temporary sensation—and that all of them die screaming in a fire, hopefully on their way home from the movie, before they have a chance to reproduce and pox the world with their monosyllabic hellspawn.)

571. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Peanut Butter and Jelly

This isn’t an actual beer that these cats brew…this is a mash-up that my buddy Shane recommended. Finally got around to it today (on my mom’s dime, ‘cause I’m a fucking cheapskate), so here we go. It’s a mash-up of Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle and Six Foot Strawberry Blonde that Shane says is remarkably like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; and if you haven’t had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then I can’t fucking help you. The strawberry lingers way past the peanut butter, and the whole thing is sort of like a Godiva chocolate-covered strawberry beating the shit out of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. (Which, in no uncertain terms, is fucking awesome.) These are two of my all-time favorite beers, and together they make something that is both bizarre and amazing. As it warms, it becomes a peanut butter cup sitting on the face of the chocolate-covered strawberry…but you know what? That’s kind of awesome, too.

568. Henderson Brewing Co. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - Xanabrew

“Xanabrew is the latest release in the Henderson X Rush series of limited edition beers, complementing their flagship Rush Canadian Golden Ale. Belgian Golden Strong Ale brewed with Freeze-Dried Honeydew Melon, Huell Melon Hops & Niagara Riesling Juice. Complex & delicate notes of apple, pear, stone fruit, honey dew, citrus, and spice (sage, cracked black pepper). This beer finishes dry, which allows the esters and phenolic characters to take centre stage.”

Three of the four Rush beers that I recently acquired are described as “Belgian strong ale,” and this one, at 10.5%, is the mild one. It’s got a hint of funk, and a hint of citrus. The finish is dry and boozy, and there’s a bit of stone fruit or melon that lingers way past the back end. Very well crafted, but it doesn’t make my socks roll up and down.

Did I listen to "Xanadu" while I was drinking it? Reader, I did.

“Nevermore shall I return—Escape these caves of ice.”

Deep Thoughts #312

Hang on…are you saying that Rudy Guiliani was lying? It cannot be. He’s a patriotic Republican who defends Trump the Rapist. He’d never lie!

570. Henderson Brewing Co. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - Signals

“Rush and Henderson are proud to announce the third in their series of premium Belgian-inspired beers. ‘Signals’ is a classic Belgian-style blonde with Riesling must and cold-pressed apples, delivering complex aromas of stone fruit, peach and mild spice that carry through to a warming finish. This release is all the more special for us at the brewery because the fire hydrant that adorns the album cover was manufactured, almost a century ago, just 100 or so meters away at 137 Sterling Road.”

Nice wine-like character up front, with some apple peel there on the back end. Very nice dry finish that brings some of the sweet fruit flavor along with the bite of the high alcohol (12.9% ABV). A touch more interesting, on first taste, than the Xanabrew I tried yesterday.

"A boy lies in the grass with one blade stuck between his teeth. A vague sensation quickens in his young and restless heart."

569. Metazoa Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Black-Tie Optional

“For this can collaboration, Metazoa Brewing Co. is donating 5% of can sales to the Indianapolis Zoo in honor of Indianapolis Prize Winner, Dr. Pablo Borboroglu, and his work with penguin species. Black-Tie Optional honors the Magellanic penguin and its successful conservation story. This South African penguin is always dressed in black and white because its feather pattern is a form of camouflage. Black-Tie Optional is a crisp & refreshing Cold IPA that’s dressed up enough to impress, yet casual enough to enjoy in any setting."

Light flavors of stone fruit up front, with a dry finish. Oddly unremarkable for a Metazoa joint.

567. Cedar Creek Brewing Company (Martinsville, IN) - Peanut Butter Porter

“We took our award-winner base porter and added the sweet and nutty flavors of peanut butter! Smooth in mouthfeel and body - a base of chocolate and malt (with a minimal bit of roast) are blended together with peanut butter to craft a beer like a peanut-butter cup in a can!”

Picked up a four-pack of this in Nashville last weekend, and the first couple I tried tasted very strongly of peanut butter—almost like a liquid Nutter Butter cookie; but this last one has a more balanced combination of chocolate and peanut butter, with a slightly chalky finish that reminds me of unsweetened cocoa powder. The ones that tasted strongly of peanut butter made me think for a second that this was a beer that might give Quaff ON!’s Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle a run for its money; this last one has disabused me of that notion. It’s not bad—it just has really stiff competition.

566. Cedar Creek Brewing Company (Martinsville, IN) - Haze Storm

“Haze Storm is Cedar Creek Brewing Company’s take on a New England IPA (NEIPA). Double dry hopped to the brim, the huge citrus notes carry through both the flavor and aroma and are accented by a soft and smooth mouthfeel. Finishing with a touch of sweetness, a bit of dankness, and a minimal hop bite, Haze Storm is incredibly refreshing and one of our most loved brews at the tap room!”

I didn’t even know this place existed. Found it by accident while we were walking around Nashville last weekend. This beer has all kinds of things going on; some of them are New England IPA-ish, and some are not. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. Regardless of what they call it, they have produced a beer that is delicious, satisfying, and complex; and it seems to get better with—quite literally—every single sip.

565. Switchyard Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - Bill the Flamingo

“A big tropical burst comes in a smaller package! Enjoy this light, fruity pale ale that drinks easy but still brings the tropical hop-forward flavor you expect.”

There’s a faint echo of fruit flavor, but it gets lost in the malt backbone and the dry finish. It’s not bad, but it makes me think the same thing I think almost every time I try a session—you could drink it all day, but why would you want to?

564. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Hoverweizen

“Hoverweizen is a German wheat beer known as hefeweizen—a term that literally translates to “yeast wheat.” Due to the yeast that stays in the suspension, this style is known for its haziness. Quaff ON! uses the oldest cultivated yeast strain in the world for Hoverweizen.”

Ryan at Kismetic set the bar pretty high for this style with his Banana Nut Bread Hefeweizen, which I have not yet documented, though you can be sure that if they bring it back this fall (which I am told that they might), it will be posted at that time. This one is more straightforward than either of Ryan’s (he also brews a traditional hefeweizen), with a lingering banana flavor and a hint of orange on the back end. Perfectly fine, but not remarkable. If you haven’t been to Kismetic yet, you absolutely have to run—don’t walk. Everything he and Nicole are doing is good, and his beers will give you a new appreciation for the degree of flavor that can be packed into low ABV brews.

Taproom: Metal Works Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - UPDATED

I’ve been on the fence about this place ever since Function Brewing announced that they were selling their business to the Bloomington-based Endeavor Hospitality Group. Function’s posts on the social-media-website-that-shall-not-be-named are lost to history, but my recollection is that they sold to Endeavor because Endevaor said they would keep to the spirit of what Function had been doing. If Endeavor did make that claim, they have not stuck to it; they acquired a space that was already built out as a brewery and a restaurant, they slapped their own theme on it, and they bid the former tenants adieu.

You may have noticed that something similar seems to have happened with the Scarlet Lane Irvington location, which has yet to tap a single keg of their versions of either Natural Liberty or Saucy Intruder. They ran through the Natural Liberty that was left when Black Acre closed (which was a lot); and the Drinks menu on the Irvington page [accessed 7/16/23] claims that Saucy Intruder is “Coming Soon”—but that page has been making that claim for some time. (And yet, they’ve still managed to tap a number of kegs of their own stuff, despite what they claim to be grain supply shortages—which no other brewer that I am aware of has been complaining about—and a general amount of falling behind on production that they blame on “unplanned construction.”)

561. Metal Works Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - The Welder
“Crisp American-style IPA with Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo hops.”
But I digress. I finally decided to give Metal Works Brewing Company, which is what assimilated Function Brewing, a try while we were in Bloomington this weekend. And I went into it with an open mind…I swear to Darwin that I did…but it just didn’t work for me. We got into town late Thursday afternoon, checked in at the hotel, and then headed downtown. Amy had a glass of wine from their meager selection, and I had this American-style IPA, which was lightly carbonated and had some kind of vague fruit flavor that eventually sort of resolved into something that might have been a shadow of amaretto. This was followed by a slightly bitter finish that smoothed out as the beer warmed. Not impressive.

562. Metal Works Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - Scrapyard
“The mosaic [sic] hops shine hazely [sic] in this light take on a NEIPA. Light, easy drinking, with a low bitterness profile. Hops contribute to the flavor and appearance, but not to the bitterness.”
Um. This one was also lightly carbonated, but had very nice peach notes that lingered quite awhile on the back end. It also has a smooth finish that is, oddly, both sweet and dry. Not bad…but I hope this low carbonation thing doesn’t become a theme here.

563. Metal Works Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - Journeyman Session IPA
“Rotating single hopped session IPA.”
Sessions tend to be light on both flavor and alcohol, but the former is not the case here. The 4.5% ABV fits the session profile, but the prominent tropical fruit flavor and the pleasantly bitter finish are both unusually strong for the style. Easily the best of the three beers I tried at Metal Works this past weekend.

560. Big Lug Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Baewatch

“Good running on beach, good in a bathing suit, good from your dinner table. Classic Hefeweizen with a heaping amount of passionfruit to livin’ [sic] up your mood and get you in a beachier state of mind.”

Um. So the writing is obviously fucking terrible, and if this is what passionfruit tastes like, then I don’t ever need to taste it again. There’s a sort of sour flavor going on that obscures whatever there might be in the way of Hefeweizen flavors, though that sort of moderates a little bit as it warms. I’m going to go ahead and follow my initial inclination to dislike it—partly because it doesn’t taste at all like a Hefeweizen, but mostly because that is maybe the worst fucking name for a beer ever.

543. Field Brewing (Westfield, IN) - Reunion

“IPA brewed with real Tangerine and Grapefruit, while moderately dry hopped.”

The first time I tried this, I wrote that the “citrus flavors are a little more pronounced when it’s cold, but it’s still pretty good when it warms up.” The first one from a second four-pack, many weeks later, is smoother and more tropical. The second one from the same four-pack has more of the tangerine and grapefruit flavor. Wasn’t sure I liked this one the first time, but it has a complexity that’s growing on me.

Deep Thoughts #311

It’s almost hard to believe that the mental furballs on social media could possibly misunderstand an obvious application of satirical humor.

559. Kismetic Beer Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Lemon Cream Earl Grey American Wheat Ale

“Brewed for these hot summer days, we hot and cold steeped this light wheat beer with Nelson Tea’s Lemon Cream Earl Gray blend. Aromas of yeasty funk combine with light herbal and citrus notes, as well as subtle flavors of lemon, cream and spicy bergamot to round out this light summer sipper.”

That must be the Earl Grey that I’m tasting big and floral up front. The lemon cream comes in right on the heels of that, and then the bergamot lingers into the pleasantly dry finish. There’s so much flavor going on that you don’t even notice the fact that it’s only 4.7% ABV—which is what Ryan’s beers are all about. It’s also a testament to the quality of Nelson Teas; I can’t imagine that it’s a coincidence that this and the Banana Nut Bread Hefeweizen (also brewed with Nelson Teas) are two of the best things I have had at Kismetic.

558. Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Cleveland, OH) - Ruby’s Revenge

“Fiercely fresh ruby red grapefruit tangles with tantalizingly citrusy hop aromas to cultivate this bitingly Imperial IPA.”

Nice transition from light grapefruit flavor to grapefruit pith to slightly bitter finish, all of it fuming ever so slightly from the 8% ABV. I suspect that this one will be exquisite when it’s ice-fucking-cold, so I’m going to save a couple of them for Wednesday and have another go at it.

557. New Glarus Brewing Co. (New Glarus, WI) - Raspberry Tart

“Treat yourself to a rare delight. The voluminous raspberry bouquet will greet you long before your lips touch the glass. Serve this Wisconsin framboise very cold in a champagne flute. Then hold your glass to the light and enjoy the jewel-like sparkle of a very special ale. Oregon proudly shares their harvest of mouth-watering berries, which we ferment spontaneously in large oak vats. Then we employ Wisconsin farmed wheat and year old Hallertau hops to round out this extravaganza of flavor.”

Sweet raspberry flavor up front, with a hint of sour. Pretty tasty, but the 4% ABV is too low for it to be really interesting; and the sweet and sour flavors are too heavy for it be crushable.

556. Falls City Beer (Louisville, KY) - Hipster Repellant

“Hipster Repellant is brewed to celebrate hops. IPAs are a central tenet of the American craft beer scene, and the balance of a nice, malty backbone and pine hop characteristics reminds us of why we started brewing beer in the first place: to stand up and drink good beer.”

What begins with some bright citrus and faint pine up front drifts toward pineapple and papaya—and maybe even a hint of coconut—as it warms. It’s got a really nice balance to it, and the ABV (at either 6.3%, according to the website; or 7%, according to the can) feels just about right, too. Only got one of these at a gas station on the way home from Mammoth Cave last week, but it definitely merits another go.

555. Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN) - Evasion

Can’t find a description of this one, but the can says “bourbon barrel,” and it’s dated 4/19/2018. This is another gift from my buddy Shane, and at least on the first sip, it’s definitely tasting like it’s aged better than the previous version of this beer that he gifted me. The bourbon barrel flavor is strong up front, but the chocolatey stout-ness tempers it somewhat. That bourbon flavor also partially masks the 13% ABV. There’s also a pleasant sweetness that develops as it warms up. I didn’t have a strong opinion of the coffee/vanilla version I tried a few weeks ago, but this one is excellent.

Indianapolis Beer News #2

Kismetic Beer Company has been nominated by USA Today as one of the best new breweries in the country. You can vote for them here, and please do. Not just because I like them, but because Nicole and Ryan are genuinely a class act and are making some of the best beer in Indianapolis right now.

554. West Sixth Brewing (Louisville, KY) - IPA

“Our India Pale Ale has Citrus as the obvious star. Over the backbone of bready malt and pine stickiness you will find notes of peaches, lemon zest, dank grassiness, pine needles, and tangerines. Each sip is followed by a dangerously drinkable amount of resinous glamour.”

Um. So…my notes from the other night, when I tried one on tap at Pub by Novo in Bowling Green, say, “rolling bitter finish after a vaguely fruity taste up front. fruit is light and indeterminate.” This one, out of a can, in the friendly confines of my aboveground lair and poured into a mug from which so much paint has peeled in the last year and a half that it only barely resembles the Hog’s Head Inn souvenir I got at Universal Orlando, tastes pretty much exactly like the one I tried on tap a couple of days ago. If I actually tasted all of those things, and if it was, in fact, “dangerously drinkable,” then this would be an extremely excellent IPA. Alas…I do not taste those things, and at 7% ABV it is certainly not “drinkable,” whether “dangerously” so or otherwise. However…having said all that…I am coming to find that I can taste a hint of peach mixed in with that lingering bitter finish. It’s also maybe a touch smoother as it warms, but I don’t think that’s enough to reccomend it.

553. West Sixth Brewing (Louisville, KY) - Cerveza

“Our take on a light Mexican lager is crisp with a pleasant cracker like malt character with notes of corn and a low amount of hops to create a quenching and sessionable lager.”

Tried this at the Guaca Mole restaurant where we stopped for lunch in Louisville this past Sunday, on the way to Mammoth Cave. Almost passed, but then double-checked the minuscule tap list and realized that I didn’t recognize this brewery. It’s very similar to the El Gato from Centerpoint that I tried recently, though the hint of corn or tortilla chip is perhaps slightly less pronounced. Not sure this one had an echo of anything else in it at all, whereas El Gato may have a little bit of citrus there on the back end. Not bad, and certainly sessionable at 4.6% ABV; but again, not something that I feel like I want to pay craft beer prices for.

Deep Thoughts #310c

Of course, the Trumpy simpletons there should fuck off and die, preferably without reproducing—or book seats on the next sub to the Titanic.

Deep Thoughts #310b

But, once in a great while, you find the wayward denizen or two of Hamilton or Boone county that actually has a brain and chooses to use it.

Deep Thoughts #310a

The bedroom communities north of 96th Street are vast Republican wastelands, filled with mental defectives who voted for Donald Trump twice.

552. Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN) - Evasion

“A small-batch variant of 2018 Evasion conditioned in rum barrels with cold-press coffee from Tinker Coffee Co.”

This was a gift from my buddy Shane, who got it from one of his buddies; and since Shane had already tried it, he was kind enough to pass this one along to me, with the caveat that it had obviously been sitting around for at least five years. I don’t know much about cellaring beer, so I’m not sure how its age is affecting the taste—but it doesn’t taste bad or off. It has more of a coffee mouthfeel than a coffee flavor, and I suspect that the rum flavor from the barrels may have faded. (It certainly doesn’t taste strongly of rum the way that Wooden Cask’s RedRum does.) It also doesn’t taste as strongly of alcohol as I would have expected for something that clocks in at 13% ABV. (I do, however, feel that high ABV kicking in as I get toward the end of it.) All told, not bad—but almost certainly not what it would have been when it was freshly tapped.

551. New Glarus Brewing Co. (New Glarus, WI) - Serendipity

“Severe Drought, we shared the farmer’s horror as Wisconsin’s cherry crop failed! Dan bought what cherries he could. The apple crop fared better. Then joy! A grand Wisconsin cranberry harvest. What will Dan brew with Apples, Cranberries and Cherries? Oh my! You hold the happy accident of Wisconsin’s favorite fruit aged in oak with an almost magical wild fermentation. Serendipity is a wondrous celebration that sparkles your senses and dances across your palate. A kaleidoscope of flavor discovered by accident in a sour ale!”

Um. The strong apple and cherry flavors are almost perfectly balanced, but the cranberry gets lost in the shuffle with the sour taste on the back end. The ABV is only 4%, but it feels heavier, somehow. Not sure if I like it or not, but it’s pretty well done.

550. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Fuzzy Fresh

“Fuzzy Fresh is a Fuzzy Navel-inspired ale packed with orange and peach character.”

I’ve never had a Fuzzy Navel, but I can imagine that this is pretty close. The first sip tastes strongly of peach schnapps, but the orange juice flavor builds in on subsequent sips, as does a slightly malty finish. At only 5.3% ABV, you could probably drink this all day—but the fruit flavor has a little too much bite for me to want more than one of them at a time. It would probably be a little more effective with a higher ABV.

549. Centerpoint Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - El Gato

“El Gato is a smooth Mexican Lager that is thirst quenching and easy-drinking. Notes of corn and bread crust on the aroma give way to a grainy and sweet corn chip taste. A tight white head lingers and gives a crisp finish even on the hottest of days. Brewed in collaboration with Square Cat Vinyl, who did the can label artwork.”

Extraordinarily light, both in taste and color, it does have something of a corn chip flavor to it—but that is also very light. It’s very well done, and I like it; but a beer like this just isn’t interesting enough to merit craft beer prices.

548. Brew Link Brewing Company (Plainfield, IN) - Double-O

“If you went to the grocery store and found no cookies, don’t blame us. Over 50lbs of those famous chocolate and creme sandwich cookies have been added to this milk stout because why not?”

Because are the Oreo people as psycho about their trademark shit as the NFL and the way it embargoes “Super Bowl?” If so, then fuck the Oreo people, too. This one genuinely tastes like liquid Oreos—which is absolutely a-okay with me. The chocolate flavor begins to dominate as the beer warms, but it still tastes like Oreos; and the 9.0% ABV is kind of awesome.

547. Brew Link Brewing Company (Plainfield, IN) - Nuttercup

“If you’re reading this then you are probably not a peanut. That’s because we drowned them all to make this well balanced, full-bodied and sweet chocolate peanut butter porter. Need we say more? Oh, if you are a peanut reading this, we suggest you run.”

Strong peanut butter on the nose, but a more balanced chocolate and peanut butter flavor; and it’s not really sweet at all. Crisp up front and dry on the back end. The menu at the restaurant downtown describes it as “liquid Reese’s Pieces,” but it doesn’t quite get there. Not bad…but not Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle.

546. Rogue Ales (Newport, OR) - Batsquatch

“For years rumors have circled that deep in the woods on Mt. St. Helens lives the fabled Batsquatch. While there are many tales of Batsquatch, they are all a bit hazy on the details, which makes the truth such a juicy mystery. So what better way to honor the elusive legend than with a hazy IPA? Perfect for camping and potentially making a new friend. This juicy, cloudy IPA features intense tropical flavors and aromas.”

Um. Those first two sentences sort of make me cringe; the can art is pretty dope, though, so maybe that makes up for it. Anyway…it has a very smooth fruit flavor up front, and finishes just barely on the dry side. The hazy appearance and the almost-sweet fruit flavor make it feel a little heavy, and it’s just a hair’s breadth short of being interesting. A slightly higher ABV (it clocks in at 6.7%, which ain’t shabby) or more of a bitter finish would give it some welcome balance.

545. Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - Cosmic Creatures

“Savor the unexpected with an experimental IPA that is truly out of this world. Crack one open to unleash bright notes of grapefruit and guava.”

There is a very pronounced fruit flavor up front, and since I don’t recognize that flavor and also have no real idea what guava tastes like, I’m going to assume that it’s the guava they advertise. I also get a little bit of grapefruit, but it’s much more subtle, contributing more to the slightly bitter finish than to the flavor. At 6% ABV, it’s light for an IPA—but a touch heavy to be thought of as a session. It’s not as good as Fresh Squeezed, but it might be slightly more interesting. Maybe.

544. Field Brewing (Westfield, IN) - Home Field

No description other than “Rye IPA,” though that’s pretty much all you need to get me on board. It ain’t Saucy Intruder, but then, nothing is Saucy Intruder. (One of these days, the new Scarlet Lane in Irvington is going to start pouring their version of that beer—though it should be noted that I ain’t holding my breath; but I digress.) It’s actually pretty good. The spice in the rye is right there up front, and at 6% ABV, it’s more drinkable than Saucy Intruder…but it ain’t Saucy Intruder. That may not be fair, but it’s all I got.

542. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Koi Decoy

“Koi Decoy is a Hazy IPA with Galaxy, Nugget, and Liberty hops for a blend of citrusy and piney character.”

Something of a citrus shine up front, but not much else to remark. Not bad, but not impressive or interesting, either. I gave it a fair shot, but it never spoke to me.

541. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - 14 Karat

“14 Karat is an anniversary IPA brewed with a blend of 14 hops for a full host of hop character.”

They call this beer a “Golden IPA,” and at first I thought it wasn’t very interesting; but then I kept getting hints of mango and peach on the back end, and a pleasantly bitter finish that lingers to the back of the throat. Sort of took me by surprise, so I may have to hunt down a couple more of these and then come back to it at some point.