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?