480. Brew Link Brewing Company (Plainfield, IN) - Ivory

“A white what??? This award winning white stout is a mind blowing ale that looks like a blonde ale yet has all of the flavors from a stout. Chocolate, vanilla and coffee along with oats are added through the brewing process allowing it to stand up to any stout around!”

Okay…but the copy on the taproom menu says, “Golden stout AKA mind f%$k stout with chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Think Tootsie Roll in a glass.” I was headed for another of their IPAs for my second beer when I double-checked the menu and saw the bit about Tootsie Roll in a glass. Not sure I would have gotten there on my own, but I like to read the descriptions and have an idea of what I’m getting into when I try a new beer. The coffee flavor is very faint, if it’s even there; but the chocolate is moderately strong up front right after it’s poured. The longer it sits, the more the vanilla comes to the fore. The balance and complexity are impressive.

479. Brew Link Brewing Company (Plainfield, IN) - Cropduster

“American IPA featuring some dank experimental Solero, Helios and Altus hops.”

I took my mom to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon out at the IU-Riley complex, and I had some time to kill, so I stopped in at the Indianapolis outpost of Plainfield’s Brew Link Brewing Company, near Walnut and Capitol, where Two Deep Brewing lived before they folded. I am apparently too lazy today to look up those three hops, so I’m just going to guess that they impart traditional “hop” flavor, along with some light pine and citrus. The finish is pleasantly bitter when it’s cold, and drifts more toward dry as it warms. It’s clean, crisp, and very pleasant, with the kind of flavor and body profile I would love to find in a session, and almost never do.

Deep Thoughts #300

Samuel Alito is also piece of shit; but at least the cunt who married him has the sense to keep her ignorant right-wing mouth the fuck shut.

Deep Thoughts #299

Clarence Thomas is a piece of shit. You married him. Why the fuck should anyone with a brain ever believe anything you have ever said since?

478. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) Kickoff Peach Blueberry

“Hazy Pale Ale featuring whirlpool and double dry hop additions of Citra and Azacca hops and fruited with real peach and blueberry.”

Which appears to differ from the original Kickoff mostly because of the peach and blueberry. There is a small hint of ripe fruit flavor up front, of both peach and blueberry when it’s cold and drifting toward more prevalent peach as it warms—but you’re not going to remember either of them because of the gut punch of bitter, not just on the back end, but about halfway down the throat. I won’t go quite so far as saying it’s bad, but it’s too bitter for me—and that, I believe, is saying something. It takes away from what is otherwise an interesting beer—richer, fruitier, and more full-bodied than the original Kickoff. (It should perhaps be noted that these are my first impressions from a cold beer out of the can. Could be a whole different ball game when I pour one into the mug.)

Upon further review, it is not a whole different ball game. It’s even worse when I pour it into a mug, and this is because I can see it. The first one I poured into the mug was almost all blueberry purée—and it was thick. I had to pour it out. The next one wasn’t quite as bad, but still had a good bit of sludge at the bottom of the can. I don’t know if the picture is going to do it justice or not, but when it’s poured into a mug, it looks like bad chocolate milk. I’m hoping this is just a bad batch (and bad luck for me, at $15.99 for four tallboys), but if it’s not, and this is the way it’s supposed to be—then this is the worst beer I have ever had the misfortune to drink.

Note: I actually sent them an email to let them know that a bad batch might be out there. Should they reply with anything that might have bearing on what I have said here, I shall update my remarks.

477. Wiseacre Brewing Co. (Memphis, TN) - Gotta Get Up to Get Down

“Magical natural process beans from the Konga region of Ethiopia lead the way in this beautiful coffee stout. This rare variety of coffee leads to aromas of sweet roastiness and flavors of blueberry pie. Lactose, or milk sugar, is added along with oats for a silky medium body and a lush finish. Red Bull and vodka done the long way for old men, not teenagers.”

And I didn’t even know about the blueberry pie or the oats when I bought it—though whether it’s the lactose or the oats that makes it so smooth, I don’t know. What’s interesting is the interplay between the blueberry pie and the coffee—though I have to be honest and say that if the website description had not said blueberry pie, I would not have gotten there myself. I can taste it, though—both the ripe blueberries and the bready crust. The coffee flavor is mild, floating somewhere in the background and providing balance for the sweetness. The combination of the two is remarkable. This is the best new beer I’ve tried in a long time.

476. Wiseacre Brewing Co. (Memphis, TN) - Bow Echo

“When you’ve reached your all time low, you need a parking lot veggie burrito and the warm snuggle of a stranger’s husky (probably named Stash), the winds of change may find this beer landing in your hand. A vigorous dry hopping with Mosaic, Citra, Denali, and Centennial hops add tons of citrus and ripe tropical fruit flavor while oats add the fluffy texture. It may look strange, but they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder (if you’re an IPA traditionalist we recommend closing them). However, you won’t regret trying this clouded up version. Your vision may be blurry from staring into life’s bowl of horseshoes or within the thought sausage of unintelligible words inside a glowing book of sleepless dreams, but Bow Echo will help your eyes climb to safety and the chilly water will take care of the rest.”

There’s a lot of fruit flavor going on here, and most of it—papaya, coconut, and maybe a hint of lemon—is ephemeral; but a nice touch of peach lingers pleasantly on the back end. You’d think there would be some pine, or traditional “hop” flavor, with Mosaic and Centennial in the mix, but neither is present. The weather geek in me wants to like this beer because of its name—a bow echo is a Doppler radar signature that indicates a complex of severe thunderstorms that have been pushed out into the shape of a bow by the strength of the wind behind them—but that ain’t sufficient for a thumbs-up. The 7% ABV is fine, and the dry finish that I begin to detect halfway through the third beer is also fine; but I don’t want to have to drink three of something in order to find out if it’s working for me. I want something to impress me enough on the first that I want to have the second. (It’s also entirely possible that I’m picking at nits just because that description from their website is both fucking stupid and bad writing.) This beer does not impress me, but it’s not bad.

475. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - All Them Llamas

“All Them Llamas is an IPA brewed with experimental hops for notes of peach, sweet melon, and apricot.”

And we’re back to the familiar world of meh offerings from Sun King. Very light flavors—all of which are so mashed up that this should be the beer they serve at Rock Sugar concerts—and a smooth finish, but nothing that makes you want to look up from what you were already doing and take note.

474. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Surf Lessons

“Surf Lessons is an IPA brewed with Sabro Hops for notes of tangerine, coconut, and pineapple.”

The individual flavors have a little more space to work with here, with a hint of coconut and a broader citrus flavor that could certainly be tangerine but isn’t as specific as the coconut. Both obscure any taste of pineapple, but that’s a difficult flavor to achieve with the kind of clarity necessary for you to be sure that it’s there. That said, its complexities are more evident than the ones in Turtle Thunder, and it apparently doesn’t make me feel like I need launch into a screed about the disappointing way that Sun King only ever seems to package its least interesting beers. It also hits the IPA ABV sweet spot, which for me is anything that begins with the numeral 7. (In this case, it’s 7.8%.) Anything under 7% too often feels like it’s not serious—or, worse, like it’s aiming for a session, which way too often turns out to be uninteresting for all kinds of other reasons—and anything over 7% makes me uncomfortable about drinking two in one go. And now, all of that said too, I’m still not sure I like it; but it ain’t bad.

473. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Turtle Thunder

“Turtle Thunder is an IPA brewed with a blend of Southern Hemisphere Hops for notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit.”

I taste a whole mash-up of things, and none of them really stand out, except for a bit of citrus at the end; but even that is non-specific. I get that local breweries make hella more money when you come in and tip a couple in the taproom, but there has to be a happy medium—especially a place with as wide a reach as Sun King. I know I harp on this whenever I post something from Sun King, but they have the resources. Black Circle does not. Kismetic Beer Company does not. Indiana City does not. Even Black Acre does not, though they have been around nearly as long as Sun King and produce at least as wide a range of beer as Sun King (if not the volume—as far as square footage for brewing in Indianapolis goes, Sun King is so far out in front that it doesn’t even matter who comes in second). You could maybe argue that Daredevil and Quaff ON! have the square footage and resources, but they are also much more focused in terms of what they produce. Pound for pound, based solely on what they package, Taxman beats every brewery I’ve mentioned here to hell and gone—and even they don’t package nearly all of what they produce. With Sun King, you get variations on IPAs and cream ale (neither of which are ever very interesting); they can do better than that, and they should—espcially for those of us in Marion County.

Deep Thoughts #298

I hope that every fucktard human being who ever voted for Donald Trump is forced to get their drinking water from Pakistan for fucking ever.

Deep Thoughts #297

Darwin almighty, I wish I could shake this dry cough I’ve been having for the last thirteen weeks. Is there some kind of virus going around?

Deep Thoughts #296

Want to make America great? Stand upright, get an education, and don’t vote for Republicans. You can do better than your uninformed parents.

Deep Thoughts #295

Explain why you vote for Trump, inbreed. Did you flunk out of school, or just stop going? Did your baby daddy not pull out when he promised?

Deep Thoughts #294

I bet that Melania has to push Marjorie Taylor Greene out of bed if she wants to part the tangerine pubes and suck Donald Trump’s limp dick.

Deep Thoughts #293

Sorry…didn’t mean to leave anyone out. Any human being who thinks Donald Trump is valid is a moron, not just the mouth-breathers on Twitter.

Deep Thoughts #292

I’m totally surprised I didn’t turn into a zombie yesterday, being vaccinated and all. Those Trumpy Twitter morons seemed sure that I would.

472. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Simcoe, Yo! Hazy Pale Ale

“Juicy, hazy pale ale, whirlpool and double dry hopped exclusively with Simcoe hops for big citrus, grapefruit, earthy hop flavor and aroma.”

I never get Indiana City beer anymore, and I kinda hate that; but then again, I ain’t made out of money, and their stuff was a touch pricey even before the world shit the bed. But god-fucking-damn can these cats drop an IPA. This one has got all kinds of shit going on, from melon up front when it’s cold, to stone fruit on the back end and a wee little bit of a citrus shine as it warms up. Those flavors get mixed up a little bit as it gets warmer, but it remains quite lovely—maybe even a little mysterious. It’s also got a fairly low ABV for a pale at 5.5%. They were making some of the best beer in Indianapolis before the world shit the bed, and now that the much-missed Central State Brewing is gone, they are definitely best in class when it comes to IPAs.

471. Four Day Ray Brewing (Fishers, IN) - Hot Pink Strawberry Rhubarb Jalapeño Blonde Ale

“Beat the heat with Hot Pink, a spicy and jammy blonde ale that pairs perfectly with the summer sun. This blonde is very fruit-forward with the freshness from the strawberries. The sweetness is balanced with a bit of heat in the back of the throat. This brilliant collaboration of flavors creates a beer that glows hot pink providing a fun, refreshing, unique drinking experience perfect for any occasion. Awarded a bronze medal at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival.”

Um. Yeah, so leaving aside the fact that it sounds like they think they reinvented the wheel, stop for a second and look at that picture. Seriously. Take your time. It ain’t getting any pinker. I was sort of hoping for something lurid like the watermelon variant of Sun King’s Sunlight cream ale, but this just looked like…you know…beer. It does have a genuinely jammy taste, however; it’s not sweet, but that strawberry flavor and aroma is exactly the same as the taste of the Smucker’s strawberry jam out of those little plastic disposable containers they give you for spreading on your toast at the diner. The jalapeño presents as spice rather than flavor and is more than “a bit of heat in the back of the throat”—at least on the first sip. It’s got a lot going on for a blonde ale, but it’s just a hair short of impressive.

470. Energy City Brewing (Batavia, IL) - Bistro Pineapple Coconut Cream Pie

“Fresh tropical pineapple and creamy coconut bring the flavors into perfect harmony in this delightful Berliner Weisse.”

This is a Coppertone commercial in a can, and possibly the most strongly-flavored beer I have ever encountered. Strong—almost overpowering—cococnut aroma and flavor upfront, followed by thick, sweet pineapple, especially as it warms up. It’s nearly as perplexing as the other “slushy” beer I’ve tried, a spectacularly overpriced thing from 450 North that I seem to recall being somewhat more balanced than this one. It’s pleasantly boozy at 6.5% ABV, but otherwise, it’s too much—too thick, too sweet, and too heavily flavored. It seems to do what a slushy is supposed to do, but I just don’t think I care for the style.

469. Switchyard Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) - Run the World

“This is our International Women’s Day collaboration brew using the Pink Boots Blend from Yakima Chief Hops. Expect lovely citrus notes from this juicy New England Pale Ale.”

The flavors are very, very light—mostly peach, but with a touch of citrus as it warms up; and though those flavors work well together, the combination of light flavors and low ABV (4.7%), renders it just a little bit south of interesting. You could drink it all day, but I’m not sure why you’d want to.

468. DESTIHL Brewery (Normal, IL) - Deadhead

“Like the bold colors & patterns of a tie-dye shirt, this classic West Coast-style IPA is bursting with psychedelic hoppy & fruity aromas swirling with abundant American hop flavor & bitterness and a vintage malt backdrop.”

I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something going on here that I don’t like. The bitterness is upfront and fairly pervasive, to the point that what fruit flavor there is remains mostly obscured—and everything in the first part of this sentence increases notably as the beer warms up. The second one was better, however—less bitter, and with more evident flavors of papaya and lemon. It still feels empty, though; and it bothers me that I can’t figure out why I don’t like it.

467. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Caramel Corn

“Ale made with Caramel corn.”

The above is the official copy on the Sun King website, but the copy on the State Fair website is much more informative: “You know the say [sic], there’s more than corn in Indiana? Well, sometimes it is all about the corn in Indiana! Sun King + Indiana State Fair Beer have partnered again for a new 2022 Indiana State Fair beer. This year’s beer is Caramel Corn. There are 100 lbs of Just Pop In Caramel Popcorn in the batch! Fun fact - kernels hail from a local popcorn farmer. You will be able to get your hands on Caramel Corn beer during the 2022 Indiana State Fair and a limited amount will be available on draft at Sun King tap room locations and at Just Pop In!”

The beer is better than the writing, though that is obviously not a high bar to clear. I have not tried the caramel corn at Just Pop In!, but this beer might be what finally gets me through the doors. It tastes the way caramel popcorn smells, with just a hint of sweetness. The taste reminded me of the smell of the Karmelkorn store in the Washington Square Mall whenever I would have occasion to walk by it. I don’t think I ever bought caramel corn there, but I must have walked past it at least a hundred times in my life. The nostalgia dump in my brain from the first sip of this beer was intense, and that by itself would be enough to recommend it; but it’s also a nicely balanced ale. I would love to have more of them; but as is so often the case with Sun King’s most interesting beers, they are not available in packaged form.

466. Metazoa Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Jumpin’ Joey

“Floral and resinous pine aromas combine with a touch of bready malt flavor resutling in a hop-forward beer with a crisp, dry finish.”

This beer has all kinds of interesting things going on: melon-y sweetness when it’s cold, pine and citrus as it warms up, and a finish that starts out dry and then becomes just slightly bitter. It’s only 5.25% ABV, and they don’t call it a session—but for Metazoa, it’s a session; and it’s a pretty good one.

Deep Thoughts #291

I’ll bet Taylor Swift is proud that her social media trolls are sycophantic slackjaws with no idea how to write a complete fucking sentence.

Deep Thoughts #290

And I get that Cunt Manchin calls itself a Democrat; but it’s a fucking liar, and it should die in a fire along with all of the Republicans.

Deep Thoughts #289

Elaine Chao’s wife is a worthless fucking cunt, but these two living abortions are nearly as bad. The Republican party needs to fucking die.

Deep Thoughts #288

Am I fucking crazy, or are Susan Collins and Joe Manchin for once in their ridiculous lives not being useless pieces of obstructionist shit?

Deep Thoughts #287

There is no room—anywhere—for conservative thought. You are ignorant and were raised incorrectly. Step aside, and let the world pass you by.

Deep Thoughts #286

If you are a Republican in the House of Representatives and your name is not on this list, then you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Resign.

Deep Thoughts #285

What are the chances that Senate Republicans grow spines and learn to walk upright like 47 members of their House caucus finally managed to?

465. Fat Head’s Brewery (Middleburg Heights, OH) - IBU-sive

“Heavy doses of citra and mosaic hops together with strata layered-in lend resinous aromatics. Tropical and citrus flavors of pineapple and orange. Light caramel malt sweetness with medium bitterness.”

And you’d think that the bitterness would be off the charts with a name like “IBU-sive.” The one I had on tap at the Off Broadway Taproom in Madison, Indiana, last week had all kinds of lovely fruit flavors going on. This one, out of a can from a six-pack I bought at Stoney’s the other day, is not as dynamic. Mostly pine, with a little bit of fruit, and practically no bitterness at all. So much better on tap than out of a can that I want to plan our next three-day weekend for Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park so I can try some of their stuff in the taproom.

464. Maine Beer Company (Freeport, ME) - Lunch

“Lunch is a special whale that has been spotted off the Maine coast since 1982. She has what looks like a bite taken out of her fin, which adds to her unique character. We dedicate this beer to her determination and persistence. Keep on swimming! Aromas of orange, grapefruit, and lemon with pine and herbal undertones. Tropical notes of guava and papaya with subtle caramel and malt sweetness.”

Would like to have to tried more than one of these, but they were $11 for a half-liter bottle—and even when you’re on vacation and not thinking about money in exactly the same way you think about money when you’re not on vacation, that’s still a bit much to pay for what is essentially a pint of beer. I don’t think there’s as much going on here as whoever wrote the ad copy for the website does, but it’s not bad. It’s crisp and dry, with lots of carbonation, and the flavors don’t linger; and even though it clocks in at 7% ABV, it doesn’t feel big or heavy at all.

Deep Thoughts #284

If you voted for Donald Trump—ever—you are an ignorant person who did not pay enough attention in school. (Do they have school in Kentucky?)

463. Fat Head’s Brewery (Middleburg Heights, OH) - Benjamin Danklin

“Loaded up like a lightning rod of lupulin, this celebratory IPA is full of dank aromas and bold citrus, mango, and pine flavors. Proof that God wants us to be hoppy!”

Um. Do I have to stand up and take off my hat before I drink the fucking thing? We were late to the Indians game the other night because I had to work, so I missed all that national anthem shit—but then they played a canned version of it before the Victory Field “fireworks,” so I had to stand up anyway. Then some yo-yo sang “God Bless America,” but I’ll be fucked if I’m standing up for that one. I still enjoy Fat Head’s beers, but now I sort of can’t help but wonder if I’m providing material support to Republicans when I buy their stuff. I hate the thought of that, but I live in Indiana, so what are you going to do? This is the least impressive beer I have tried from Fat Head’s (though that has nothing to do with the quasi-patriotic horseshit they’re pimping on the website description). (And you know what? I never even looked at the can for a description until just now; and would you believe that the first sentence is almost identical: “Loaded up like a lightning bolt of lupulin this celebratory IPA is loaded with notes of citrus, mango, and pine.”, but that the second sentence is much less Bible Belt when it says, “We’re convinced there’s a statesman in our history that wants us to be hoppy!” No grammar awards for these people, but they might not be the brain-dead Republican shit stains it was starting to sound like they might be.) The beer isn’t bad, but it isn’t great; and if they are Republicans, then I’m fucking done. (I get that there’s no real way to know if someone is a Republican, but wouldn’t it be great if they glowed, or something? So you could cross the street before they got close enough to touch you?) No more to say. I’m pretty fucking disappointed today.

462. Tapistry Brewing (Bridgman, MI) - Easy Trippin

“We took our number one selling IPA, Northern Trippin with its fruit filled nose and soft bodied citrus flavor and created a session version for your enjoyment. We added loads of Citra and Mandarina to the dry hop to create that juicy yet sessionable experience for Northern adventure.”

Um. This is utterly unremarkable in every respect; it’s so unfit to be called beer that it could run for President as a Republican; and if it were a soft drink, it would be Caffeine Free Diet Coke.

461. Sun King (Indianapolis, IN) - Rainbow Haze

“Rainbow Haze is an IPA with fruity hop character complimented [sic] by infused mango.”

Strong mango flavor up front, and just the hint of a dry finish. The 6.3% ABV is sort of amusing, but I feel like this should have more of a punch to it, somehow. It’s good, but it’s not especially interesting.

Deep Thoughts #283

You can recover from being a Republican. Just promise that you will never vote for anyone who played football and got hit in the head a lot.

Deep Thoughts #282

Someone should go around and take all the guns. I would love to watch these uneducated, inbred, right-wing fuckwit assholes pitch their fit.

Taproom: Wooden Cask Brewing Company (Newport, KY)

459. Wooden Cask Brewing Company (Newport, KY) - Batalla de Puebla “Tequila Barrel Aged Lime Gose.”
The one I tried at the York Street brewery yesterday tasted much more strongly of tequila. This one, out of a can and at home, is more balanced. The lime flavor is soft, but prominent, though not overpowering, in both iterations. The one I had yesterday at the brewery was very impressive with that strong barrel flavor. This one is slightly less so, but still pretty good. It’s surprisingly complex for a gose—and very pleasantly boozy at 7.7%.

The other two beers I tried in the taproom were somewhat forgettable IPAs. Seems like barrel aged might be the way to go here. I didn’t even have this brewery on my radar while I was looking up things to do for our three-day weekend in Cincinnati. We just happened to park ourselves near the outpost at Newport on the Levee while Amy used her phone to see about tickets to the aquarium. I looked up the brewery while she was doing that, and when it turned out that we couldn’t get into the aqauarium for three hours, we decided to walk back up into Newport proper and see about the York Street taproom.

460. Wooden Cask Brewing Company (Newport, KY) - RedRum “Rum barrel-aged Irish Red.”
This one was not on tap at the York Street brewery, but when I saw it in the carry-out cooler, I knew I had to try it. The rum flavor is very strong, and it works well with the roasty characteristics of the red ale it’s based on. The sharp bite of the rum and the high ABV (8.8%) were more evident in the one I drank last night in the ice cold hotel room; now that I’m back home in my poorly-ventilated aboveground lair and it has a chance to warm up about three seconds after I pour it, the flavors are much smoother. I’m not sure which I like better, but either way, the beer is excellent.

Deep Thoughts #281 (First Appearance of the New Team)

We should be able to sue the NRA over all the school shootings. Those assholes bought Congress, and they should be held fucking accountable.

Deep Thoughts #280

Red states should be called yellow states because of how fucking afraid they are of those who don’t look, sound, or think just like they do.

458. Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville, NC) - Double Hi-Pitch

“This extra-large version of our flagship Hi-Pitch IPA gets seriously hopped with classic West Coast hops resulting in some eye-opening dank & citrusy aromas. Expect distinctive melon and grapefruit flavors to balance out the malt in this dangerously drinkable double IPA.”

Yeah, but the can says “Extra Hoppy and Tropical.” There’s a flavor you think of when you hear the word “hoppy,” and that flavor is not present here. I don’t taste a distinctive flavor of any kind, but that doesn’t make it bad. It leans toward the sweet and fruity, with just a touch of boozy dryness on the back end. They’re right about it being dangerously drinkable, though; and the price is right, too—at least at Stoney’s, over here on the east side. You hear all this shit about inflation and supply chains and Putin and whatever the fuck else since the world shit the bed two years ago—but this bad boy was $12.99 for a six-pack of tallboys at 9%. That works for me, even if they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.

Deep Thoughts #279b

Anyone in Nebraska who still has one or two synapses firing must be thinking that their governor has been fucked in the ass by Donald Trump.

Deep Thoughts #279a

There’s nothing left but insulin shock therapy for these inbred sociopaths, right? Every single one of you morons needs to fuck off and die.

457. Rochester Mills Beer Co. (Rochester, MI) - Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake Stout

“You got your Chocolate in my Peanut Butter…From the 2020 edition of the 12 Days of Milkshake Stout.”

Quaff ON! has set the bar almost impossibly high for this style (regardless of whether it’s a porter or a stout) with the peanut butter version of Busted Knuckle, so it would certainly not be out of line to question my objectivity here. Having said that, this one isn’t bad. The lactose is a little heavy, and the ABV is only 5.5%, so the balance is a little off; but the peanut butter flavor is nice, and that low ABV does mean that you could drink a couple of them (provided you were not concerned about slipping into a diabetic coma from all the sugar). I don’t like it enough to drink more than one at a time, but I do have a rare unencumbered Wednesday off today, so I’m going to try an experiment. I have one can of Black Acre’s Saucy Intruder (rye IPA) in the fridge, and I’m going to try that out of the mug right after the milkshake stout—just out of curiosity. I don’t know that a spicy rye IPA and the dregs of a peanut butter cup milkshake stout are going to play well together, but I’m curious; and, once again—unencumbered day off. After that, a second milkshake stout into the same mug, to see if the dregs of the rye IPA shore up any of that cloying sweetness.

456. Georgia Beer Co. (Valdosta, GA) - De-Stress Express

“‘All Aboard!’ for a beer packed full of flavor! A healthy mix of base and specialty grain brings a rich and roasty malt character together with the mild bitterness of locally roasted coffee beans. Milk sugar is added to balance the flavor with a creaminess that will make this sweet stout your new favorite dark beer.”

It’s not my new favorite dark beer, but it ain’t bad. It’s got great coffee flavor, but it’s just a touch too sweet. My new favorite dark beer is an oatmeal stout from Black Acre called Bear Witness, which I have not written about yet.

455. Copp Winery & Brewery (Crystal River, FL) - Southern Grit

“A smooth, light colored, cream ale brewed with yellow corn grits. This beer uses almost 30 pounds of grits per barrel yielding a slight corn finish.”

This is a very fine cream ale with a smooth finish and a very low ABV (4%). Very nice place to stop in for a drink if you’re ever in Crystal River, Florida.

454. Yazoo Brewing Co. (Nashville, TN) - Morning Glory

“A hazy IPA brewed with Pale, Wheat, Biscuit, and Chit malts. Hopping with Talus and Pekko hop varieties lend this full bodied ale notes of grapefruit and orange creamsicle.”

Yes, and the grapefruit and orange creamsicle play nice together. They play real nice together, with the grapefruit up front and the creamsicle lingering on the back end. Totally didn’t get that with the first few I had while we were on our trip, but this one is speaking to me. I get an echo of coconut on the last one, and I wish I had a few more—the notes on the interwebs about the Talus and Pekko hops indicate flavors that sound very interesting.

Taproom: Rockpit Brewing (Orlando, FL)

So last week we finally got to take our trip to Universal Studios Orlando that we had originally planned for spring break in 2020. Also planned for that vacation was a side trip to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Crystal River. It rained the day we drove from Orlando to Crystal River, so we got the chance to visit one of the Orlando breweries I had looked up before the trip. This is an all-ages taproom with food from a barbecue joint next door.

451. Rockpit Brewing (Orlando, FL) - HIBU: Belma (Polarized Series)
“West Coast India Pale Ale with notes of currant and tropical fruit with a high level of bitterness.”
There is a pleasantly bitter finish to this beer, and sometimes it lingers—but sometimes not. The one I had in the taproom had more of a pronounced bitter finish. This one, out of their 16oz crowler can, is less persistent. I didn’t get much in the way of fruit flavor from either one of them.

452. Rockpit Brewing (Orlando, FL) - Cackler
“Medium-light in body with crisp, clean upfront bitterness. You’ll want to take time to savor the strong tropical and citrus notes that are prevalent in this all-american [sic] IPA.”
A little bit more fruity than the HIBU: Belma, but not a lot. Both are very easy drinking considering their respective ABVs (6.6% for HIBU: Belma and 7.0% for Cackler).

453. Rockpit Brewing (Orlando, FL) - LOBU: Belma (Polarized Series)
“New England India Pale Ale with notes of tropical fruit, melon and strawberry.”
More fruit forward up front than its West Coast cousin, but no specific flavors—maybe stone fruit or melon. The finish is bitter, but much lighter than the HIBU, and it doesn’t linger.

450. Jekyll Brewing (Alpharetta, GA) - Hop Dang Diggity

“Our IPA was brewed to remind us of the aroma of those tall Georgia pines, while the malty backbone balances everything out. This is not your standard IPA.”

I’ve had six of these over the last week while we have been on vacation in Florida, and I still don’t know what I think of it. It’s not remotely piney, and it’s only occasionally interesting. I wanted to like it, but I didn’t. It was the first new thing I found on our trip, so I bit. Sort of wish I hadn’t.

448. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company (McCordsville, IN) - Curried Dorian

“Dorian Oatmeal Stout with Indian Curry Spices.”

We tried the SoBro location of Scarlet Lane for the first time today (3/20/22), and I was pleased to discover that the Dorian Days taplist there was considerably more interesting (and extensive) than its counterpart at the Scarlet Lane Gastropub location in Kennedy-King. This variant of the Dorian oatmeal stout has a light curry flavor and aroma, but neither undermine the smooth oatmeal stout backbone. Not the best of the Dorian variants, but possibly the most interesting that I have tried so far.

449. 18th Street Brewery (Hammond, IN) - Nickel

“Double Dry Hopped New England DIPA.”

Nice hazy pour, and exactly the fruity, floral profile you would expect from a New England IPA. It has a comparatively sweet finish, so you don’t really taste the 7.4% ABV. Reminds me of Evil Czech’s Nefarious Harbor, which I clearly remember enjoying very much (three years ago). This one isn’t quite as sweet, and has some citrus flavor to go along with the stone fruit—but it’s not quite as much fun as I remember the Evil Czech being. Can’t put my finger on why.

447. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Dock Seven

“Dock Seven is an aggressively dry-hopped West-[c]oast style IPA, bursting with fresh floral hop aroma and bold bitterness. A Hop-head’s dream come true.”

Stoney’s didn’t stock a whole lot of Indiana City stuff while the world was shitting the bed, and I never made the effort to get to the brewery, so this is only the second Indiana City beer I’ve had in over two years. The copy above is from the can, and the website adds the descriptors “citrusy” and “resinous.” The floral and citrus notes are in there somewhere, I’m pretty sure of that; but it’s that resiny pine flavor that takes center stage. Buckled to a nicely bitter (but approachable) finish that lingers quite pleasantly, it’s a classic West Coast IPA. I don’t like it as much as Daredevil’s Lift Off, but it’s very good. Both are light years better than Sun King’s Osiris. (And you can tell how green at all of this I was when I posted about Lift Off, because I basically equated it to Osiris, and implied that Osiris was an impressive example of the style. Neither opinion stands the test of time.)

440. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - GameStonks

“Weizenbock w. Kviek Yeast.”

The name is fucking terrible, but the beer is excellent. I don’t know if you can get your head around the idea of a beer that tastes like raisins and Christmas fruitcake, but this one does—and it totally works. It’s vaguely sweet-and-sour up front, and then it fades into a smooth malt shop finish.

442. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, CA) - Powder Day

“We started dry-hopping, and it snowballed into a full-on Powder Day. Notes of citrus, stone fruit, and melon pile high in a blizzard of lupulin powder.”

Kind of a mish-mash of flavors going on here, with no one thing in particular standing out. Very easy drinking for a moderately-big (7.7%) IPA.

444. New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO) - Voodoo Ranger Agent 77

“IPA. Not Shakin. Not Stirred. This tactically refined IPA is brewed with international Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy hops to create a floral and fruity IPA.”

Should I have poured this into a warm mug I just drank a Black Acre Saucy Intruder out of? Slightly sweet, slightly floral, and maybe a touch tropical. Doesn’t taste like 7.7%, but that seems to be the way the Voodoo Ranger series rolls. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to besmirch, either.

445. SweetWater Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA) - 420 Imperial IPA

“A fresh take on ingredients from the original 420, this bold, flavor-packed new brother features a fresh combo of hops for added intensity and complexity, creating flavors and aromas of mango, peach, pineapple, citrus, and pine.”

Mostly tastes like ripe peach and mango to me, and that takes a bit of the edge off of the monster 9.1% ABV. This beer is of the confounding sort that is both very well crafted and far too big to drink more than one of.

446. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company (McCordsville, IN) - The Slaughtered Lamb Stout

“Strong Stout with Toffee & Chocolate Notes.”

The Scarlet Lane Gastropub has been operating as The Slaughtered Lamb this month, and this is the namesake brew for their pop-up homage to An American Werewolf in London. It’s got a sweet-ish component up front, but the flavors get lost in the bitter finish and the high alcohol (11%); I don’t know that I would have guessed toffee if the menu had not pointed me there. Not bad for sippin’, but not a great accompaniment for a meal.

443. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Spicy Saucy

“Rye India Pale Ale w. Jalapeno and Habanero.”

Irvington’s own venerable Black Acre Brewing Company is in the midst of their 10th Anniversary celebration, and they are tapping all kinds of funky-cool stuff this week. This one is their flagship Saucy Intruder rye IPA infused with jalapeño and habañero. Most of the hoppy, malty backbone of the standard Saucy is obscured by the fresh pepper flavors, but you do actually get some pepper flavor in addition to the spice; and the spice seems to be at just the right level. I don’t know that I would want to drink more than a couple of these, but since they’re only doing 8-ounce pours of their funky-cool 10th Anniversary variants, it wasn’t a problem.

441. Fat Head’s Brewery (Middleburg Heights, OH) - Alpha Ambush

“Our newest seasonal IPA is a West-Coast warrior for Hop Heads who truly love those little green cones. Bright and lively, it encircles the senses with dank notes of pine and citrus until the only option is surrendering to its juicy deliciousness. A stealth attack of hops!”

That pine up front is, indeed, quite bright, and it slides seamlessly into a resiny, bitter finish—especially when it’s very cold. It’s quite a bit smoother when it warms up, and I start to taste some tropical fruit and melon. The tastes of fruit and pine complement each other very well, and the 7.5% ABV feels just right—heavy, but not overbearing. Absolutely excellent.

439. Rochester Mills Beer Co. (Rochester, MI) - Chocolate Cheesecake Milkshake Stout

“Ale with milk sugars & cocoa nibs.”

Description is from the label on the can, rather than the purple prose on the Untappd page. There is a strong chocolate aroma and flavor up front that reveals a light, soft hint of cheesecake before a slightly cocoa-chalky finish. The cheesecake flavor doesn’t linger, though; and I sort of wish it would. Doesn’t change much as it warms up, and the flavors fade sharply from the first beer to the second. Starts out promising, but winds up disappointing.

Deep Thoughts #278

Know what else? Not everything you find offensive means to hurt you. Spare us some fucking time and grow a fucking spine, would you, please?

Deep Thoughts #277

You know what, stop this fucking cancel culture shit. Also, stop going to Spider-Man movies. Who the fuck are these mental furballs, anyway?

438. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Edelweiss

Okay, all the taproom menu says is “Czech Pilsner,” but I believe I saw on their page-that-shall-not-be-named that this beer is the result of a special crop of malt that was grown in Austria and sold to a handful of lucky breweries by some sort of lottery system, or first-come first-serve request. I don’t recall what the specifics of the malt were, but it’s supposed to be fancy and rare. The beer has a light, crisp floral note up front that drifts smoothly into an upright dry finish that takes on a sort of creamy citrus (or possibly honey) note as it warms up. I was intrigued by the 6.8% ABV notation on the taproom menu, because pilsners don’t typically get that boozy—but the cans advertise a more modest 4.8%. It’s not the best beer I’ve ever had, but it sounds like one of those deals that only comes around once, so I was very happy to be able to try it while it was available.

437. Prairie Artisan Ales (McAlester, OK) - Watermelon Girlfriend

“Sour ale with watermelon, sea salt, orange, lemon, lime, and natural flavor.”

I haven’t actually gone back over the list of all the beers I have tried, but I’m almost positive that this is the worst beer I have ever tasted. It has a moderate watermelon flavor, but it’s aggressively sweet. There are sour and salty tastes, but they don’t come close to balancing that burst of sweetness up front. Not pleasant in any way. The only reason I am dignifying its existence with any kind of comment is because it’s my first Oklahoma beer.

436. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company (McCordsville, IN) - Admire Amanda Wishin

“A Grapefruit, Lime, Honey, Ginger & Sea Salt Pale Ale. Scarlet Lane Brewing would like to share our Admiration for Amanda Wishin. As National President of Girls Pint Out & Indianapolis, Indiana’s Chapter Lead, she has brought thousands of women together in friendship, service & educational endevaors through that one great beverage, BEER. Cheers to Amanda Wishin for her dedication to Girls Pint Out & bringing so many women together.”

I don’t get much of the lime or honey, but the ginger rises nicely as it warms up; and the grapefruit adds some character to the bitter finish. The description made me think there would be too much going on here, but it works. Not the best Scarlet Lane beer I’ve ever had, but maybe the most interesting.

435. Goodwood (Louisville, KY) - Goodwood IPA

“Citrus nose with a beautifully dry finish that keeps you coming back for another sip. This highly drinkable IPA clocks in at 6.9% and is sure to please any fan of hops.”

I don’t know if 6.9% qualifies as drinkable, but I kind of like that they think so. I get more of a tropical fruit flavor initially, but it gets pleasantly grapefruity as it warms up. Amy and I were walking around downtown last week, and I saw that Goodwood had gone in where the Ram brewery used to be (which was where Planet Hollywood used to be), so I made a mental note to look for their beer. Found this one at Stoney’s, and I will be going back for more.

434. Yuengling (Pottsvile, PA) - Hershey’s Chocolate Porter

No real description, except that they added Hershey’s chocolate to their regular porter. It has some chocolate flavor, but very little body. At only 4.7%, it’s very smooth and drinkable; but it’s just not interesting enough to make me want another one.

433. Function Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Odds

“A Mosaic and Citra-hopped Hazy IPA with additions of lactose, vanilla, apricot, peach, and tangerine.”

I tried this one both in the taproom and in a crowler, and it is aggressively fruity up front—almost tart—but with smooth vanilla sugar notes on the back end. Hard to say if I like it or not—but it’s interesting.

432. Function Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Supplementary

“A Hazy IPA featuring Simcoe and Wai-Iti hops.”

It’s not often that we are in Bloomington at the same time that Function Brewing is open, so I made the most of it on our most recent trip to see Carrie Newcomer in concert. After a day of traipsing around campus and then Nashville in the cold wind coming from the back side of a powerful storm system, we stopped in at Function both to sit down for a drink and so I could get some crowlers to take home. This was one of the crowlers that I took home, and it was pretty good. It’s very smooth and easy drinking, with moderate citrus notes when it’s cold and somewhat more prominent stone fruit notes as it warms up.

Deep Thoughts #276

If you’re able to walk through the gates and into the lobby, then yes, we’re open. The real question is how the fuck your children survived.

Deep Thoughts #275

Would someone be kind enough to alert us reasonable folk before the lunatics completely panic over Omicron? I need to buy some toilet paper.

431. Quaff ON! Brewing Co. (Nashville, IN) - Six Foot Huckleberry Blonde

“Quaff ON! Six Foot Huckleberry Blonde is our popular Six Foot Blonde ale enhanced with pure huckleberry flavoring that creates an intense fruit aroma and adds the bold, slightly-tart taste of huckleberry.”

I geeked out a little bit when I saw this on the tap lists at some of the Big Woods restaurants in the area, because you don’t find huckleberry-flavored…well, anything, really…in this part of the world very often. Amy and I went to Bloomington this weekend for her birthday, to see Carrie Newcomer in concert at the Buskirk-Chumley theatre; and I got a chance to try this beer when we had a late dinner at the Bloomington Big Woods after we got in on Friday night. The server asked me if I had had it before, and when I said no, she said that people had been about 60-40 on it, which I took to mean more of them didn’t like the beer than liked it. I was sort of hoping for something purplish in color, even though the word “flavoring” in the description told me that they weren’t using real huckleberries; but in reality, it’s exactly the sort of straw yellow color you would expect of a blonde ale. The huckleberry flavoring is very powerful on the nose and tongue, and I can definitely understand how it might be off-putting for some. The flavor fades to the familiar Six Foot Blonde base on the back end, but up front this is the most strongly-flavored of any of the Six Foot Blonde variants I have tried. It’s not remotely as good as the huckleberry lager I tried in Montana (from the now-sadly-departed Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish, MT), but it’s also not the candy-ish circus sideshow that it could have been.

Deep Thoughts #274

It seems that I do still blog from time to time, and I have no doubt that all of you were waiting on tenterhooks for that huge announcement.