641. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Quarrymen Pale Ale

“A classic, American-style pale ale. Cascade finishing hops contribute to this beer’s well-defined hop flavor and aroma.”

It was so hot and humid in Bloomington this week that I could not be bothered to walk the handful of extra blocks it would have taken to get to Big Woods on Grant Street rather than the big Big Red on College. (To say nothing of the fact that Big Woods would not have had anything for Amy to drink.) So I opted instead for spending too much money on a couple of four-packs of Bloomington/Nashville beers that I don’t come across all that often up here. Is Quarrymen a great pale ale? No. Is it perfectly serviceable? Yes. (It also has really nice “cover art” on the can, which, combined with the “cover art” on Rooftop, should make anyone whose soul is inextricably tied to Bloomington, Indiana, think immediately of Breaking Away.) Does it have any properties I feel compelled to remark upon? Unfortunately, no.

598. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Simcoe Kid

“Return of the Simcoe Kid! Another brew from the BBC archives, Simcoe Kid is a single hop IPA showcasing…you guessed it, Simcoe! Smooth bitterness complimented [sic] by citrus and tropical fruit flavors. Pink grapefruit dominates the aroma, with subtle hints of mango, guava, and passion fruit, courtesty of Helio Gazer yeast.”

Very nice balance of citrus and tropical fruit, though I don’t get much of anything specific. Smooth and easy to drink, with just the barest hint of a dry finish. Very well done, but doesn’t seem to be in my wheelhouse.

525. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Clown Convention

“Tropical Fruit Flavors of guava, passion fruit and strawberry. A smooth, hazy IPA.”

Oddly tart for fruits that should not be; and though it’s hazy, it ain’t remotely smooth—but it ain’t bad, either. It’s like dank, mixed fruit up front, and then bitter on the back end. I’ve tried a handful of beers from these cats, both on tap down in B-town and in cans up here—and I still don’t know what to make of them. My initial note says that it needs to warm up, and the one I’m working on now is sitting in a room temperature mug from which I have consumed a number of other beers today. This last can isn’t tart at all. It has sweet echoes of fruit up front, and just a hint of dry on the back end. It’s definitely better warm, and is so far the best thing I have tried from Bloomington Brewing Co.

155. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Java Porter

“We’ve been brewing this beer as our cold weather seasonal for nearly the entire 20 year history of BBC. Always looking for slight improvements in flavor, this year we decided to tweak the formula a bit. We upped the amount of coffee, and where in the past we’ve added the coffee directly into the boil, this time we cold-brewed it and added the liquid during fermentation. This technique has given us beautiful coffee notes without the attendant tannic bitterness this beer sometimes had. The coffee beans were Brazilian, 20% dark and 80% medium roasted. Two big thumbs up to our coffee roasters, Nick and Audrey Schultz of Brown County Coffee.”

Big coffee notes up front, and the drinkable finish of a solid porter. Second really good dark beer I’ve had on this trip. Even Amy thought it tasted good.

154. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Rooftop

“Golden with a smooth mouthfeel. Dry hopped with Cascade. Malt undertones balance this hop bomb before its long, bold and bitter finale.”

Not as dramatic as the description claims, but not bad.