190. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Dystopian Game Show

“A hazy, double dry hopped IPA brewed with Norwegian Farmhouse Yeast. Perfect for watching the jumbotron from the comfort of your own living room.”

I had never heard of Kveik yeast, so I had to look it up. It apparently lets you brew quite fast, and is very fruit forward, in addition to being easily mutable as strains move from one part of the world to another. “Farmhouse” makes me think funky, but that might just mean that I’ve had too many beers from Taxman and Central State. I don’t taste any funk here, but I do get a strong grapefruit flavor (which could be because poured into a mug it looks like yellow grapefruit juice) and a little bit of pine. The bitter finish is flavorful, and not just bitter. Love it—absolutely fucking love it. (The only problem is that, at $16 for a four-pack of tallboys, it’s too expensive. Fine to try, but not something to be had regularly. Hopefully they will have this on tap when the world stops shitting the bed and we can all go back to, you know, fucking working.)

189. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Juice Loosener

“’You got all that with one bag of oranges?’ Hopped with Mandarina, Citra and Cascade and brewed with vanilla and lactose.”

Sounds like this should taste like some sort of juice bomb, but I don’t think it does. The moderately high alcohol (8.5%) announces its presence right away, and then slides into a bitter finish that is more orange rind than orange peel. And yet…not bad. Too big to have more than one of at once, though. I just might update this post. (Hell, I got spare time.)

188. Kennebunkport Brewing Co. (Portland, ME) - Mighty Cascade

“Hooray for the Cascade Hop! The hop that changed the beer biz. This Brut IPA uses champagne yeast to create a crisp, dry IPA with a citrus backbone. The mighty Cascade hop helps deliver its classic floral aroma and spicy citrus notes on the finish.”

The flavors are all a little muted, but the finish is nice and dry. Doesn’t really do anything for me, though.

187. Terre Haute Brewing Co. (Terre Haute, IN) - Mango Tango

“Mango Tango is a delicious, and refreshing IPA brewed with Mango puree. Citra and Apollo hops provide a juicy profile that skyrockets the fresh mango sweetness, and the tangy-dry finish. Brewed with premium malt and oats, Mango Tango IPA brings a soft and smooth body to amplified notes of tangy-citrus that is simply out of this world.”

Yeah, they’re not screwing around with the mango, so if that ain’t your jam, then look elsewhere. It obliterates everything else. Even that tangy-dry finish doesn’t stand a chance.

186. New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO) - Voodoo Ranger Starship IPA

“Brewed with out-of-this-world Galaxy hops, Starship IPA will blast your taste buds with notes of fresh grapefruit and citrus.”

The flavors are nice, but it’s got a sharp finish that I’m not digging.

185. Almanac Beer Company (Alameda, CA) - Waves

“WAVES is our uber dry-hopped West Coast IPA fully maxed out on dank aromas of citrus and pine. It’s clear and it’s here, can you catch it?”

Very dry, almost bitter, finish; but I don’t think it qualifies as dank. Tiny little bit of stone fruit or tropical fruit up front, and then the citrus washes over you like a blissful anesthetic. The 6.7% alcohol seems just about right, and it was on sale at Stoney’s—$4.99 for a four-pack of tallboys.

184. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Lupulin Astronaut

“Lupulin Astronaut is an India Pale Ale brewed in honor of those brave souls dedicated to discovering new worlds of citrusy hop flavor.”

Another lightly flavored IPA from Sun King. Possibly a touch more interesting than the other Sun King offerings I have tried recently, but not by much.

183. Black Circle Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Two-Tun Common

No description apart from Kentucky Common Ale. One of the first things Black Circle has done in 12-ounce cans. The nutty chocolate flavor is very strong, but there’s also a crisp, dry finish. I’ve had this once before, in the taproom, but I don’t remember it being this interesting.

182. Single Cut Beersmiths (Queens, NY) - Softly Spoken Magic Spells

“Far away across the field there is a golden IIPA with a tropical/bright citrus/mild pine and smooth/soft lightly sweet malt that will take you home again.”

I drank the first one out of the can yesterday, and it was…not unpleasant, exactly; but it tasted big, and wasn’t all that enjoyable to drink. I also got a lot more pine than fruit. Today, I poured one into the mug, and it was a much better experience. Still tastes a little bit big (because it is, at 8.6%), but the flavors are more balanced.

181. Guggman Haus Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Azacca’s Secret

“We’ve collaborated with Black Circle Brewing Co. for the latest IPA in our experimental series. Azacca’s Secret offers a medium body with flavors of ripe pear, sweet orange and passion fruit, with an aroma of peach, apple, strawberry and mango. For the first time, we’ve highlighted Vic Secret and Azacca hops along with a more fruit-forward yeast that creates a hybrid between the appearance of an American IPA and taste of a New England IPA.”

The description makes it sound like more of a Guggman Haus joint than a Black Circle joint, but I don’t know how these collaborations work—whether it’s Lennon-McCartney or McCartney-Lennon, you know what I mean? I picked it up in an aluminum crowler at Black Circle earlier this week. I don’t taste any specific kind of fruit on its own, but it’s definitely a fruit-forward IPA, with a lingering sweetness and moderate bite (7.7%)—both of which are a little heavy for me, but not really bad.

180. Black Circle Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Mama Trye’d

“Our Carney Rye’d Rya IPA brewed with Centennial, Citra, Azacca, and Simcoe hops.”

I feel like this one lands somewhere between Dan’s original and Philip’s more bitter version. This one has a bitter finish, but a lingering sweetness.

179. Upland Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Juicy Beast

“Juicy Beast is the first beer of the 2020 Side Trail Series. This Imperial IPA is brewed with a monstrous amount of hops and enough malt to give it the highest ABV to date of our New England-Style IPAs. Two of our favorite hops, Citra and Galaxy, make up the hop profile for this beast. Two dry hop additions, one at the beginning and one at the end of fermentation pack in a gratuitous amount of rich tropical flavor. A healthy proportion of oats and wheat along with a fruity English ale yeast help to ensure a full body and a succulently sweet finish.”

It’s fairly light and easy to drink for something so big (8.5%), but too sweet for me.

178. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Keller Haze

“Keller Haze is an IPA with pronounced flavors of pineapple, citrus, tropical fruit, and orange peel finished in a slightly hazy kellerbier style.”

I would not have noticed this if I hadn’t tried this one right after I had an Osiris, but they both have the same light finish. Neither the tropical nor the citrus flavors qualify as pronounced, but the tropical ones stand out a little more. I thought it was a little bit dank and sharp at first, but that might just be in contrast to how bland the Osiris is. Sun King needs to take a lesson from Indiana City and can some of the more interesting beers that they’re currently only serving in the taproom.

177. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Osiris

“Osiris Pale Ale is an assertive West Coast-style Pale with a distinct citrus hop punch.”

There’s a little bit of citrus there, but it’s certainly not a “punch.” And the use of the word “assertive” here is akin to Vizzini’s use of the word “inconceivable” in The Princess Bride. Not bad—just boring.

176. Metazoa Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Chairman Meow

“Crisp, clean, and commanding with robust tropical fruit notes and a dry, tart finish.”

There is some tropical fruit and citrus up front, but the high alcohol (8.5%) hangs heavily over the proceedings. That and the (very) dry finish become more pronounced as it warms up. Interesting, but not especially enjoyable.

Deep Thoughts #186 - Special Topical The World Has Lost Its Fucking Mind Edition

Part of me wants to get a six-pack of Corona and go drink it on the sidewalk in front of a Chik-fil-A, just to scare the right-wing retards.

Deep Thoughts #185

Can you believe that an unfit, unqualified moron doesn’t even know how to respond to a crisis, much less handle one? Who would have guessed?

175. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - When the Lights Go Out

“When the Lights Go Out is a porter brewed with locally roasted coffee for maximum aroma balanced with creamy malt sweetness and a dry finish.”

Yeah, okay. Just not particularly impressive.

174. Single Cut Beersmiths (Queens, NY) - Jenny Said

“There’s good reason IPAs are the favorite child of us Beersmiths; so many new hop varieties are becoming available annually and we love digging through these options hunting for great original lupulin expression. JS IIPA is brewed exclusively with a variety of these newfangled flowers for a unique spin on the tropical stone fruit/bright citrus/dank resin profile that is our trademark.”

This has almost the same taste profile as the Full-Stack DDH, but with more citrus and a bit less alcohol (7.2%). Also a bit more bitter on the back end. That bitter finish is more pronounced as it warms up. More interesting than the Full-Stack DDH, but both are excellent.

173. Single Cut Beersmiths (Queens, NY) - Full-Stack Double Dry-Hopped IIPA

“Ah, good ‘ol Full Stack. So smooth, tropical, citrusy, just such a friendly IIPA. Well, no more—we gave it our DDH treatment for a mega-assault of what you loved about this brew in the first place.”

At 8.2%, this isn’t the kind of thing I want to drink more than one of at a time, but it’s awfully good. I don’t get much citrus, but it’s got nice tropical and stone fruit flavors. I don’t find it aggressively flavored or hopped. The only assault I feel is from the alcohol. Stoney’s has Single Cut on sale at $8.99 for a four-pack of tallboys, so I may be posting about more of these in the next week or so.

172. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Mosaic, Yo!

“The first release of the Yo! Hazy Pale Ale series featuring Mosaic hops!”

The series itself is described on the can as “Juicy, hazy pale ale series brewed with lactose and featuring massive whirlpool & dry hop additions of super aromatic hops.” The flavor profile changes dramatically between drinking one out of the can and pouring one into a mug. Out of the can, it’s almost all pine; but in the mug, the tropical flavors open up a lot. There’s a little bit of citrus in there, too. All of the flavors are light, and along with the low alcohol (5.5%), that makes this a very drinkable beer.

171. Black Circle (Indianapolis, IN) - Ghidorah

“Derreck, Dustin & Paul’s birthday beer. Obscene amounts of Oats & Lactose create a rich & creamy base, while Coffee & Chocolate added post fermentation replicate the flavors of roasted malts. Vanilla, Almond, and Strawberry were added to this version to give the beer the flavor of a classic Birthday Cake.”

Nice light strawberry notes, and a little bit of a bite from the alcohol. I’ve never had a white stout before, but I think I like the idea—moderate to high alcohol with lots of non-hops flavors that come from sources other than the usual chocolate malt, coffee, and roasted grain.

170. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - No Bones

“Our Craft Brew Doodle Crew series continues with this juicy tropical hazy IPA with massive whirlpool and dry hop additions of Azacca and Trident hops.”

The first sip was very sharp, and tasted a little bit like horseradish; but then it settled into a nice tropical flavor with a bitter finish. I haven’t had anything from Indiana City for a while. I had begun to convince myself that all of their Craft Brew Doodle Crew stuff was basically the same beer with different names and different art on the labels; but this one is definitely new territory, and it’s good to be reminded of why I’ve always liked Indiana City so much.

169. Cannon Ball Brewing (Indianapolis, IN) - Midsommar Ale

“Lemon honey beer inspired by Swedish Sima. skål!”

Not very strongly flavored in either direction, but drinkable and refreshing.

168. Bad Dad Brewing Co. (Fairmount, IN) - Pull My Finger

“Dank and lemony with a tropical fruit nose to help clear the air.”

*Giggle.* Pull My Finger. Damnit, Beavis, this video sucks. Heavy caramel maltiness up front almost kills this one for me, but that’s straight out of the can. I get a little more of the tropical flavor when I pour it into the mug. Actually, that tropical flavor is pretty nice once it gets to breathe a little bit. Just a touch of lemon zest there on the back end. Way more interesting than I originally thought.

167. Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN) - Frozen Assets

“Frozen Assets is a rich Belgian-style cocoa milk stout that features a generous amount of roasted barley, chocolate malt and lactose. Full-bodied with complex malt undertones, subtle Belgian esters and aged on cocoa nibs, Frozen Assets is a decadent treat on those cold winter nights.”

Exactly as advertised, though the cocoa and lactose seem to cancel out some of the usual Taxman funkiness. Really good balance between the dark flavors and the lactose. The funk starts to peek its head out as it warms up. Possibly my favorite of all the Taxman offerings I’ve tried.

166. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Hop Tickler

“Hop Tickler is a crushable American IPA with Citra hop character and a touch of wheat.”

Surprisingly light for a Sun King offering. Bright flavors of citrus, stone fruit, and pineapple, with a crisp smooth finish. Wasn’t sure I liked it at first, but now it’s growing on me. As I get into the second one, I’m finding that the 6.2% alcohol is sneaking up on me a little bit—in a very nice way. It’s been a minute since I was impressed with something from Sun King, but I’m digging this one.

165. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Carver’s Army

No description that I can locate, apart from “peanut butter porter.” We tried out the new Black Acre Loft downtown this past weekend, and this was one of the lovely options they had available for carry-out. It’s very dark, and it has a soft peanut butter flavor that works well with the bitter chocolate malt. Maybe not quite as interesting as the peanut butter version of Quaff ON’s Busted Knuckle, but a damn close second.

164. BrewDog (Columbus, OH) - Pulp Patriot

“New England to the power of two. This Juggernaut of a double IPA weighs in at 9.5%, delivering a payload of big fruit with mango and peach front and center. Milk sugar builds and rounds out the fully juicy notes.”

The description on the website says, “intense stewed raspberry aromas and gigantic jammy flavour.” The description on the can is the one about mango and peach, and that’s what the beer tastes like. Starts off smooth and sweet when it’s cold, and then sharpens up a little as it warms. It’s a little bit too heavy for me, both in terms of flavor and alcohol—but lovely, in its way. Extraordinarily romantic, but I’m not going to explain that.

163. Horny Goat Brewing Co. (Milwaukee, WI) - Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter

“This award winning porter gets its luscious dark color from the generous use of roasted malts. We bring just the right amount of hops to the party to balance out that malt backbone and let the stars of the show shine. You will get heavy notes of chocolate and peanut butter to question whether you’re drinking a glass of delicious suds or popping a peanut butter cup in your mouth.”

Very similar to the Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle from Quaff ON!, but more aggressively flavored and much sweeter. Not bad, but more than one at a time is awfully heavy.

162. Terre Haute Brewing Co. (Terre Haute, IN) - Stiffy Green

“Indiana is known for ‘Stranger Things,’ but the strangest by far is the Legend of Stiffy Green. J.C. Heinl, a resident of Terre Haute, passed away in 1920 and his beloved bulldog, Stiffy, stayed at his grave until he died as well. Since then, there have been cemetery sightings of a ghostly dog with glowing green eyes. Spooky smooth with a hoppy bite.”

Smooth, yes. Bite…not so much. Light tropical flavors and very easy to drink. Not particularly interesting, but not bad at all.

161. Triton Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - The Hempire Strykes Back

“Feel the fearsome power of this Hemp IPA brewed in honor of GenCon. This “juicy” IPA is crisp, clean and approachable for the hophead and non-hophead alike! Featuring Falconer’s Flight, Summit, Liberty, and Citra hops. This IPA is also infused with hemp flour from Sipp Industries!”

I still don’t know what the hell hemp is supposed to taste like, but this one opens up with a big burst of pineapple, and finishes very smoothly. I get a little bit of citrus as it warms up. Oddly refreshing for an IPA, and easily the best thing I’ve tried from Triton so far.

160. BrewDog (Columbus, OH) - Jack Hammer

“Get ready to hammer it. Press the button. Take the ride. Hop overload awaits. Kick-start with massive grapefruit aroma. Then accelerate hard into mind bending bitterness. Ride the spike of caramel craziness until the end of the line. And let the bitterest of bitter finishes nail your taste-buds to the floor. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

This beer gives me heartburn. It’s just as aggressive as the hyperbole indicates. Remember the caricature of Hemingway in Midnight in Paris? This is the beer equivalent of that character.

159. Bad Dad Brewing Co. (Fairmount, IN) - Tapestry of Obscenity

“Hops so smooth and citrusy, you won’t bleeping believe it.”

Oh, but I do believe it. I also believe that there is more tropical flavor going on here than citrus flavor. I could be wrong, though. It has yet to warm up much, and this is the last one I have. The world may never know. I do know that there is a good amount of sludge that comes out of the can at the end—sort of like the grounds at the bottom of a badly filtered cup of coffee. There is a bit of lemon going on there, but I still think it’s mostly tropical.

158. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle

“Our flagship Busted Knuckle infused with peanut butter.”

Damn. Best thing I’ve had on this trip, and it ain’t close. Strong peanut butter notes up front, and a lingering chocolate bitterness. Had this at Big Woods in Bloomington (third of three, so I was a bit altered at the time), and told Amy, mostly joking, that it was like making sweet, sweet love to a Reese’s Cup. The moderate alcohol (7.2%) balances the sweetness and makes this—easily—the most complex and interesting porter I’ve ever had.

157. Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) - Flesh & Blood

“Brewed with mouth-puckering lemon flesh, sweet orange peel and blood orange juice, Flesh & Blood balances the resinous hoppy characteristics of an American IPA with the explosive zesty fruitiness and subtle drying tartness of citrus to deliver a highly quaffable ale that’s incredibly unique and lovely to down the whole year round.”

Had this one at Big Woods in Bloomington because most of the things I saw on the menu and wanted to try were sold out. I may not have been in the best of moods when I drank it, and might have disliked it disproportionately for that reason. That said, the orange flavor is very mild. If they’re really going for balance, they nailed it. If they’re going for something with the bright, strong essence of orange—not so much.

156. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Hu Dang

“Hu Dang Hazy IPA is a New-England style India pale ale brewed with our house strain of yeast, offering a creamy mouthfeel & flavors of mango, nectarine, and citrus.”

Very drinkable, relatively low-alcohol NEIPA. Not the best example of the style, but not at all bad.

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.

153. Function Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Oval

“Pale Ale brewed with Eukanot, Michigan Copper, and Mosaic hops.”

Also unremarkable. Neither this nor Diameter were bad, though.

152. Function Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Tangent

No description that I can find, but it had a strong bitter finish that was a little bit off-putting at first, but became more and more interesting as it warmed up.

151. Function Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Diameter

“NEIPA with Citra and Idaho 7 hops.”

Should be right up my alley with the New England style and the Citra, but I found it unremarkable.

150. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Common Necessity

“A silky smooth sweet stout brewed with hazelnut and coffee.”

And, in this particular case, at the original Big Woods in Nashville, carbonated with nitrogen. Very low carbonation, and very strong hazelnut and lactose presence. A little too sweet for me, possibly somewhat obscuring the hazelnut and chocolate flavors—but the creamy nitro texture more than makes up for that.

149. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Blood Orange Yellow Dwarf

“Yellow Dwarf infused with blood oranges for added citrus flavor.”

Very drinkable and very refreshing. The orange flavor is strong, but not overwhelming—but I didn’t squeeze the slice of orange into the beer, so maybe I was missing out.

148. The Tap (Bloomington, IN) - Hull-n-Oats

“Medium-full bodied, deep gold and cloudy pale ale, triple dry hopped with Mosaic giving big pineapple and passionfruit notes and soft mouthfeel.”

This one was also very lightly flavored, but also not bad. A little more hop flavor going on here than with Bionic Dragon.

147. The Tap (Bloomington, IN) - Bionic Dragon

“Traditional American IPA packed with Waimea and Mosaic hops giving a tropical, citrus and floral aroma and flavor with assertive bitterness.”

I didn’t find this bitter at all, but I also didn’t find it to be terribly flavorful.

Drinking My Juice in the Hood, Yo

So we took another trip down to south central Indiana this past weekend, but it was too soggy to do much in the way of hiking. We wound up spending most of our time walking around Bloomington and having drinks at local breweries. Over the course of three days, we stopped in at the Tap in Bloomington, Big Woods in Nashville and in Bloomington, Lennie’s (Bloomington Brewing Co.), and Function Brewing in Bloomington. We ate at the Tap and the Big Woods in Nashville, but the food was just okay—except for the pulled pork sandwich Amy had at Big Woods, which was excellent. I didn’t get pictures of the two beers from the Tap, and I didn’t write down notes at the time I was drinking the beers, so the posts that follow may be a bit thin.

146. Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL) - Jai Alai

“The merry game of jai alai provides inspiration for this citrus-forward India Pale Ale with notes of clementine, orange peel and caramel malt creating an IPA that’s both bold and approachable.”

Pleasantly bitter finish, but the orange flavor is very strong. This is the second time I’ve tried this beer, and I keep going back and forth on it. Sometimes I really dig that bitter finish after the big orange hit up front; and other times it’s like a boozy Creamsicle, but not in a good way. Loses some of that initial sweetness as it warms up.

Deep Thoughts #184

How is Lindsey Graham still able to perform the basic functions of speech when he spends so much time with Donald Trump’s dick in his mouth?

Deep Thoughts #183

Um, Lindsey? The American people chose Hillary. We got stuck with Donald Trump because of the Electoral College, not the will of the people.

145. 18th Street Brewery (Hammond, IN) - Sex and Candy

“The enticing smell of Chinook and Cascade hops waft forth from this IPA, benefiting both you and your special friend. Fruity, and faintly sweet Sex and Candy is simply a dream.”

The first one I tried last night, out of the can, was more than faintly sweet. This one, out of the mug, is much better. The sweetness was caramel and malt last night, but now it’s more like a ripe peach. Chinook and Cascade both advertise grapefruit, but I’m not getting much of that. I was disappointed in the one last night, but this one is pretty good.

144. Metazoa Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Cat Hops

“Some might call it catty, others captivating, but one thing’s for certain—Cat Hops IPA can capture your attention. Brewed from a mesmerizing clowder of Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops, Cat Hops carries a zesty aroma that’s likely to snuggle up on the tip of your nose and fall asleep there. Its notes of grapefruit, citrus, and caramel malt round out a crisp, dry body that’ll satisfy the senses more than an ounce of catnip and a laser pointer.”

Uh…all right. But don’t let the hyperbolic purple prose distract you too much. (I sort of did for a minute there.) This is a nicely balanced IPA with a strong bitter finish. Bright citrus up front and a very slight tropical sweetness that the bitter finish immediately obliterates. Not quite as good as Black Mamba, but still pretty good.

143. Upland Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Juiced My Style

“Our Side Trail Series was born out of curiosity & a passion for innovation. This juicy Imperial IPA is audaciously hoppy dripping with bold tropical fruit, citrus, & pine with background notes hinting at dank & floral. Virtually all of the hops were reserved for after the boil to minimize bitterness, and amplify flavor & aroma. So, kick back, sip, & explore this juicy Imperial IPA.”

Needs a little time to warm up, or else all I get is tropical fruit up front and a little bit of bitter on the back end. Not as impressive as the other two Side Trail beers I’ve tried, but certainly not bad. Damning with faint praise again, perhaps. I start to get some of the citrus as it warms up, but not the dank so much. I’m still not entirely sure I know what that means.

142. Heretic Brewing Company (Fairfield, CA) - You Can’t Handle the Juice

“Yeah, we know you’re tough. We get it. You can handle yourself. You do what most ordinary people don’t do; You seek out and support great craft beer each and every day. Big beers. Small beers. Crazy beers. Classic beers. Hazy beers. Nice. You have a passion and we really do appreciate that. But even so, plenty of extreme people still can’t handle the juice.”

Big, juicy stone fruit up front, followed by the powerful sharpness of the high alcohol (8.5%). Maybe a bit of pineapple in there, too. A little too big and sweet for me, but not bad. Reminds me of Evil Czech’s Nefarious Harbor.

141. Black Circle (Indianapolis, IN) - Rusty 49

No description, but lots of tropical fruit up front, and a crisp, clean finish. Some stone fruit and citrus as it warms up, I think. I thought this was a one-off for Rusty Redenbacher’s birthday, but then a second keg popped up last week. Lower alcohol (5.6%) than most Black Circle IPAs, but definitely one of Phillip’s best efforts yet.

140. Black Circle (Indianapolis, IN) - Jaycee Cones

This is a solid Citra IPA that was one of my favorites at Black Circle when Dan was brewing. Phillip has only made a couple of batches since he took over, and the first one subbed Amarillo for Citra and wasn’t quite as good. They’re back to Citra with this batch, and it’s very good. Phillip’s batches of Dan’s recipes tend to be a touch more bitter, but are still very good. Nice blend of tropical and citrus, and there’s something dank in there, too. Not the same as Dan’s, but maybe more interesting; and the flavors get bigger the more it warms up.

139. Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN) - Hop Audit: Lemondrop

“Hop Audit explores the endless combinations of boutique hops and saison yeast. The super-Cascadian hop known as Lemondrop features a uniquely expressive citrus and fruity notes. When paired with the complex, peppery esters of farmhouse yeast, this combination is one you won’t want to miss. It’s time to Hop Audit!”

Jumping the shark again, I have to say that I’m not sure we need exclamation points in beer descriptions. But getting to the beer itself, it’s got a nice, light citrus flavor up front. Not much else going on, but I get the idea that I need to let this one warm up. It gets a little funkier when it warms up, but not all that much. Not bad, but it doesn’t do much for me.

138. Heretic Brewing Company (Fairfield, CA) - Evil Cousin

“Almost everybody has their favorite cousin. Ours is a resiny citrus and pine joy with an easy drinking malt character. We love hanging out with our cousin at the beach, camping, hiking and every holiday party. Why not welcome our cousin to your next family gathering?”

Surprisingly easy to drink for such a big beer (8.0%), with lingering citrus and a bitter finish. There’s some tropical fruit swimming around in there, too. Usually I get the tropical when it’s cold and the citrus when it starts to warm up, but that seems to be reversed in this case. Interesting, but not quite as interesting as the last two.

137. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Scary Stuffed Animals

“Our 18th Craft Brew Doodle Crew DDH Hazy IPA features whirlpool and double dry hop additions of the brand new tropical juice bomb Sultana hop accented with Meridian and Amarillo.”

Nice crisp finish, with subtle fruit up front. The wide world of the interwebs tells me that Meridian hops bear flavors of lemon, mixed berries, and tropical fruit. Don’t think I recall “mixed berries” as a flavor note in anything I’ve encountered so far, but I do get hints of it. Sultana apparently features pineapple, pine, and citrus. I still have a hell of a time locating pineapple (or else it’s just so generically “tropical” that when I taste tropical fruit, I’m really tasting pineapple), and I don’t get much pine, either—but that might be hitting me on the back end with that slightly bitter finish. The lemon comes out more as the beer warms up, and it seems like there’s less lactose in this one than in the some of the others in the series. Another very interesting beer—I seem to be on a roll.