79. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Fruit Brüt

"Bone-dry, effervescent beer brewed with strawberry purée and orange peel."

Crisp and subtle and drinkable, but not quite as special as their original brut IPA. (And truth be told, that original was so good that I probably had my expectations raised to an unrealistic degree for this one.) Really looking forward to our visit to the Indiana City taproom next month.

78. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - Anti-Hero

“Our flagship IPA is supremely aromatic, crisp, and drinkable. This iconic ale features a blend of Citra, Crystal, Centennial, and Chinook to create a crisp clean bitterness and imparts massive floral and citrus aromas. An American hop assault for all the ambivalent warriors who get the girl in the end. ‘Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess.’”

Bragging about the bitterness once again, but this one’s not so bad. They’re all kissing cousins, really. This one is possibly slightly more tropical than the other ones. Maybe. It’s definitely more balanced. In order, then…

1. Crystal-Hero
2. Anti-Hero
3. El Dorado-Hero
4. Cashmere-Hero

77. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - Cashmere-Hero

“A mountain of flavors rise above this silky, Cashmere-hopped IPA—lemon, lime, and ripe cantaloupe with a touch of grapefruit.”

Still. Haven’t. Rinsed. Out. The. Mug. Also still sitting upright. Rated the least bitter of the three I have tried, this one actually feels at least as bitter as the one that bragged about its bitterness. The flavors are a little less pronounced in this one—or possibly my taste buds have gone numb—and when I read lemon and lime in the same sentence, I think of Sprite. That sort of kills it for me.

76. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - El Dorado-Hero

“The continuing expedition for perfect hops has uncovered a new wonder-the-gold-veined El Dorado hop and its pear, watermelon, stone fruit and citrus flavor bounty.”

Anarchist, eh, White? Well, how about this? The mug was no longer frosty, but I didn’t rinse it out after I drank the Crystal-Hero. This one is less forthcoming than the Crystal-Hero, but the stone fruit sneaks up on you the same way. This Hero series in general seems to work better once they warm up a little. I got these in a 12-pack, and saved the last four to blog about all at once. I’ll rank them after the fourth, but they’re all moderately drinky, so I suppose that presumes that I am still able to sit upright after the fourth. Onward!

75. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - Crystal-Hero

“A crisp and refreshing IPA exploding with fresh floral hop character, named for a somewhat forgotten yet amazing hop variety named Crystal. A unique hopping program gives this beer a massive, clean bitterness and fresh hop aroma bursting with hints of citrus and fresh fruit.”

That bitterness is a little bit aggressive at first, but it makes way nicely for the bright lines of lemons and stone fruit. Maybe even a little tropical fruit action in there, after it warms up a little.

Deep Thoughts #178d

Also, if you think Black Panther and BlackKklansman would have been better Best Pictures, you should say why, and not just drop their names.

Deep Thoughts #178c

I know it’s so important to be as woke as possible, but what you meant to say is that more producers should be women and/or people of color.

Deep Thoughts #178b

Of course, with two decades of reporting experience, you know this; but it’s just easier to shit on Green Book by pretending that you don’t.

Deep Thoughts #178a

Brian Truitt’s self-righteous woke-ness would sound less foolish if someone had explained to him that producers get the Best Picture Oscars.

74. Elysian (Seattle, WA) - Dayglow

“A touch of wheat hazes the malt bill, softening this bright and crisp IPA. Dayglow is packed with juicy hops featuring pineapple and tropical fruit flavors and aromas.”

Definitely more balanced than some of the IPAs I have tried recently. Crisp and dry and drinky (7.4%), but still approachable. Sort of a refreshing change of pace.

73. 450 North Brewing Co. (Columbus, IN) - 450 Nugs

“450 Nugs is brewed with a 50/50 blend of Citra and Mosaic.”

The hazy New England IPA is quickly becoming one of my favorite styles, and this is a good one. Sweet and fruity with a nice tropical finish.

72. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Emodynamics

“Citra and Mosaic hops lend tropical aromas and flavors to this juicy India pale ale.”

Another semi-drinky (6.5%) pale with big fruit and tropical notes, but sweeter and less carbonated than Evil Czech’s Nefarious Harbor.

71. Black Acre Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) - TV Wolf

“A generous medley of citrus hops makes for a crisp, clean, and balanced everyday IPA with a smooth, decisive finish.”

Somewhere between everyday and special occasion, tropical and fruity up front, and pleasantly bitter on the back end. Maybe even a bit of lingering pine.

70. 18th Street Brewery (Hammond, IN) - Rise of the Angels

“Helping to resurrect your palette from the doldrums, Rise of the Angels bursts onto your tongue with a blast of grapefruit zest that is quickly followed by a parade of floral, citrus hops.”

And purple prose, but the beer is pretty good. Imperial IPAs sometimes go high on the alcohol just for the sake of going high on the alcohol, but this one is surprisingly moderate (7.7%) for the style. Very similar in flavor profile to the Evil Czech Nefarious Harbor I just tried, but more citrus forward and a little bit smoother.

69. Evil Czech (Mishawaka, IN) - Nefarious Harbor

“Our version of a New England/East Coast IPA. Very hazy with armoas of citrus and pine. Smooth and balanced with a delicate bitterness.”

Almost sweet, which I usually don’t like in a beer—but it works here. Tastes more like stone fruit than citrus to me, with just a hint of dry on the back end. Probably a little bit too drinky (7.2%) to have more than one of at a time, but I’m going to take one for the team and do a little experiment. I do get a little bit of lemon, and maybe a bit of orange, when it warms up a bit, but still mostly peach, and the slight ping from the alcohol. None of that is a bad thing; this is a lovely beer.

68. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Brüt IPA

“Straw-pale, bone dry, low bitterness & effervescent. Dry-hopped with Zythos for tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple aroma.”

Bright and fruity, but not overpowering. Just had one can as a sample from the gettin’ place, and I wish I had a few more. Only moderately boozy (6%), but it sort of sneaks up on you. Absolutely spectacular.

Deep Thoughts #177

Now here’s a shock: These ignorant Trump monkeys were from a segregated Jesus school in Kentucky. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.

Deep Thoughts #176

Hang on…I’m not sure I can get my head around this. You’re saying that the prices at one of Martha Hoover’s Patachou spin-offs are too…high?

67. Hoosier Brewing Company (Greenwood, IN) - Shake-It! Milkshake IPA Strawberry

“A New England Milkshake Double IPA featuring a double dry hopping of Citra and Mosaic hops and a great touch of fresh strawberries.”

A bitter finish takes a little bit away from the playful pairing of the strawberries with the citrusy hops, and makes it less milkshake-y, too—but neither of those things makes it bad. Not quite as well rendered as its Cosmic Crush cousin, but still pretty good.

66. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Direwolf Diner Double Dry-Hopped IPA

“Whirlpool additions of Cashmere, Hallertau Blanc & Centennial. Double dry-hopped with Citra Lupulin powder.”

Big and fruity, with a little bit of a tropical note. Nice, bright, lemony finish.