30 April 2007

KOTBR Review #17: Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale

The Knights of the Beer Roundtable met up on Indy's better (south) side with special guest Jim Schembre of World Class Beverages to check out the amazing selection of beers on tap at Shallos. My notes said it well enough: "I'm overwhelmed."

Chris got lost on the way to reviewing the Hell Hath No Fury thanks in part to Shallos' amazing selection and the 21% ABV of his warm-up beer, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. He added " I'll give it 5 mugs based on ABV, but I can't really remember what it tastes like!"

Jim safely made his way to the Hell Hath No Fury, which he gave a 4 mug rating: "It's dark brown in color with a fruity nose.... aroma I got was a slightly spicy, raisiny one... I expected the Fury to have a little bite to it. But to my surprise, the Fury is quite drinkable."

Jason lauded Shallos selection, thought up a new name for the Hoosier Beer Geeks, and agreed with Jim in giving a four mug rating: "I think there were plenty of roasted malt scents, like coffee, chocolate, caramel, and the like... in a way, it smelled like a chocolate-covered orange... Bittersweet. With a little bit of spice. And I found some clove after the beer is swallowed... I was surprised with how creamy smooth it was, making it easy to swallow. Makes me think of a nice porter."

Kelly was last to weigh in - she was too busy being a successful human being. But after all the bragging she shared her thoughts and gave the Hell Hath No Fury 3.5 mugs: "Wow... totally opaque, very thin head that dissipated almost instantly... could smell the toasty, malty smell before I even got my nose near the glass... I was expecting a pretty bracing and snappy beer. Not so with this one... it went down smoothly with a lot of coffee, caramel, and a bit of spice and fruit... this beer... was the perfect thing for me on a happy spring evening. I give it 3.5 mugs, with another .5 mug for the completely awesome server who name-dropped with me about people we both knew from my hometown."

All the Geeks wish to again extend our thanks to Jim Schembre of World Class Beverages, who bought us a round, and taught us about the business side of craft brew distribution in Indiana. For more about that, and further pearls of wisdom like you've come to expect from the Knights, click on the individual reviews.

The Exciting Ride to Hell



Thanks to a couple of exciting pieces of news last Thursday afternoon (new car! promotion! gratuitous use of exclamation points!), I arrived at Shallo's a bit bouncy and a bit behind schedule. I settled in quietly with a Brooklyn Brewery 2006 Winter Ale (the warm-up beer of choice, it appeared) while Jim Schembre of World Class Beverages gave an incredibly interesting discussion about the mechanics of craft beer distribution here in Indiana.

I'll admit, I'm next to clueless when it comes to the technical aspects of craft beer. I know what I like, I'm lucky enough to have easy access to it (thank you, Hop Shop!) and my friends are all pretty well versed in the good beer realm. But Jim's statistics on precisely how much of a death grip the Bud/Miller/Coors trifecta has on our state were eye-opening. Thanks to folks like World Class Beverages, though, the market hold is shrinking and more people are starting to be exposed to the good stuff. Easy does it, I suppose.

So back to the (yeah, I'll say it) exciting stuff: the beer! My Brooklyn Winter Ale was a bit underwhelming. I was expecting more of a spicy, wassail-type nose. Unlike Jason, I like that type of thing. :) And like Jim, I was expecting a little more... something... to make it rival the other BB brews I've had in the past.

After finishing up the discussion with Mr. Schembre (and scoping the awesome calendars he gave us!), we settled in for a round of the Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale.

Wow.

The dark glass I was handed was certainly not what I was expecting-- totally opaque, very thin head that dissipated almost instantly. I could smell the toasty, malty smell before I even got my nose near the glass, so like Jim, I was expecting a pretty bracing and snappy beer. Not so with this one-- it went down smoothly with a lot of coffee, caramel, and a bit of spice and fruit.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the malty-type beers, and haven't yet garnered the appreciation for the hoppy end of the spectrum like my KOTBR counterparts. So this beer, with its drinkability, it's unusual taste and distinctive smell, was the perfect thing for me on a happy spring evening. I give it 3.5 mugs, with another .5 mug for the completely awesome server who name-dropped with me about people we both knew from my hometown.

Now that's exciting!

29 April 2007

Shout out to GBS

Just wanted to quickly say thanks to JeffreyT at the Good Beer Show - our award-winning, podcasting, beer geek compatriots up in Muncie - for putting up our new logo on their site.

FYI, JeffreyT and I are trying to find a mutual good date for us to do another cross-collaboration up in Muncie. We'll let you know when we have something worked out.

Hell Hath No Fury like a trademark infringed

Thursday's review presented me with my first ever trip to the malt-and-hops mecca of the southside, Shallo's. There are some pretty impressive beer selections in Indy, but Shallo's is the largest selection by far. To top off the experience, we were joined by Jim Schembre, World Class Beverages guru extraordinaire. For those not in the know, WCB is the red-headed step child of Monarch Beverages, a large distributor of large beers. WCB's mission: to preach the word of good beer. And while Indiana, as a whole, has a long way to go, Jim and his crew have done a pretty good job so far. Just consider the beer selection at Indy area restaurants, bars, and liquor stores.

Before we get to the heart of the matter, I want to mention something. While talking to Jim, and getting a sampling of his vast beer knowledge, he mentioned that they have a resident Beer Geek and that, in fact, "Beer Geek" is trademarked. "Beer Geek" is trademarked? That can't be right. But a quick check of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website shows that it is true: "Beer Geek", trademarked by Vision Concepts LLC, which just so happens to share an address with Monarch Beverages.

So what's a Hoosier Beer Geek to do? We haven't been told to cease and desist, but just in case, we better get our house in order. We could argue that "Hoosier Beer Geek" is completely different from "Beer Geek". Will that hold? We'll have to ask our resident HBG attorney. If not, we may need to search out a new name. One that doesn't infringe on anybody. My suggestion:

The Brew Man Group

Nope, no intellectual infringements there.

Okay, now to the serious business.

Like my comrade Jim, I too started with Brooklyn's Winter Ale, which was on special that night. I found it to be tasty and simple, not overly wintry with the usual hints of pine and juniper and all that crap. Nope, just straight forward.

I finished the night with a Hoppin' Frog Hoppin' to Heaven IPA. The brewery is new to me. It was at Jim's suggestion, who mentioned that they just delivered a bunch of Hoppin' Frogs to Shallo's. It's a surprisingly sweet IPA that doesn't pack the spicy punch that I come to expect from IPA's. Probably a good starter for those new to IPA's.

The beer of the evening, though, was Bell's Hell Hath No Fury. A beer brewed and released in October, meaning it is at the end of its availability cycle. So if you like what you see, you probably won't be able to get it for very long. We're big teases like that.

HHNF is classified as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. And dark it is. Its color is comparable to the dark sludge found in the bottom of a coffee urn after a long day of use. I mean it is dark. And it pours with a thin, dark tan head.

I had a hard time defining the aroma. I think there were plenty of roasted malt scents, like coffee, chocolate, caramel, and the like. Also a bit of a citrus hint. So, in a way, it smelled like a chocolate-covered orange.

The taste certainly continued. Bittersweet. With a little bit of spice. And I found some clove after the beer is swallowed. Not overwhelming, like clove often is, but it is there.

I was surprised with how creamy smooth it was, making it easy to swallow. Makes me think of a nice porter. Which, at 7.7% ABV, could make for a dangerous situation should you drink too much, which would be easy to do.

I am assigning a four mug rating to this based on the fact that I gave another Belgian Strong Dark Ale (Unibroue's Trois Pistoles) a 3.5 mug rating, and if memory serves me correctly, I liked Hell Hath No Fury more than Trois Pistoles.

Of course, that review was way back in November. I suppose I should try Trois Pistoles again to verify my statement. What kind of Hoosier Beer Geek would I be if I didn't pay due diligence?

The perils of choice - Bell's Hell Hath No Fury at Shallo's

Conventional wisdom is that choice is a good thing. The more options available, the happier the person who may exercise those options, right? Well, psychologists are actually questioning this premise. In other words, they postulate that the more choices we have, the less happy we are. Just ask any New Yorker.

So that brings us to Shallo's Restaurant and Brewhouse, a beer-lover's sanctuary tucked into an inconspicuous strip mall on the extreme southern border of our beloved Naptown. As Chris has already mentioned, the beer choices at Shallo's are unbelievably impressive. Staggeringly impressive. Mind-blowingly impressive. In fact, they are so impressive that I felt a little bit of anxiety creeping in to my mind as I perused the beer menu. The thought echoing around my cranium was, "So many choices. So many choices. Hmmm...oh crap."

But then our special guest, Jim Schembre of World Class Beverages, thankfully demonstrated that the conventional wisdom about choice being good prevails. In other words, Jim showed me that the shrinks are full of dookie, at least when it comes to beer choices in Indiana. How did Jim do this? Well, aside from being a font of knowledge regarding fine malt beverages, Jim let us in on the business side of craft beers in the Hoosier State. According to Jim, the percentage of the market that craft beers hold in Indiana is minuscule compared to the markets in other states. Why? Well, there are a number of factors involved. Ultimately, it all boils down to knowledge, or lack thereof. We Hoosiers won't try what we don't know. After all, we're not a very adventurous lot. We like what is familiar to us. And, by and large, we Hoosiers are simply not knowledgeable about craft brews because they're not available in very many places in this state.

Fortunately, this is changing as more Indiana liquor stores and bars venture into the craft beer market, upping the collective beer knowledge of us Hoosier folk. The number of brewpubs in Indiana has also helped to broaden craft beer horizons here. In short, Jim got me to see that I should cherish the Hoosier drinking establishments that have lots of beer choices because these establishments are not many.

So, with peace of mind, I started with Brooklyn Brewery's 2006 Winter Ale. As I've noted before, BB's beers have always impressed me. However, I wasn't blown away by the Winter Ale, which is a Scottish ale according to ratebeer. It certainly was malty and dark like a Scottish ale, but it was lacking some "oomph" for lack of a better expression. Not a bad beer, but nothing special. BB's other brands are more reliable in my opinion.

Then, upon Jim's recommendation, we went for Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale as our feature beer. We were happy to find that Shallo's has this beer, which I'll call "the Fury," on tap. The Fury is a dark Belgian style ale that is 7.7% alcohol by volume. It's dark brown in color with a fruity nose. The prevalent aroma I got was a slighlty spicy, raisiny one. As a consequence, I expected the Fury to have a little bite to it. But to my surprise, the Fury is quite drinkable. It is what Jason would call a "chewy" beer because of the chocolaty, malty flavor, but it goes down easily. The fruity aroma also produces a raisiny flavor, yet the Fury is smooth stuff. I found that I had to slow down because I was drinking it a bit too quickly. Because of this smooth quality to the Fury, I found myself thinking of Spaten's Optimator, which is a KOTBR favorite. While the Optimator is a lager, the Fury is a pretty similar beer in my book, but is perhaps slightly fruitier in nose and taste.

My rating for the Fury: a solid 4 mugs.

So, Shallo's--you rule. Your beer selection rules. Jim Schembre and World Class Beverages rule. And unless things change soon, Shallo's is the undisputed heavyweight beer selection champion in the Hoosier State. What's more, Shallo's wears the title extremely well.

27 April 2007

Get ready for a trainwreck

For those of you who've kept current with what we're doing, the new logo was just the tip of the iceberg... the blog is going to get a whole new look. I've been doing some testing of layouts elsewhere and I think we've reached a consensus on the look - now all I've got to do is move the new template over.

The new template is going to cause some issues with the current site layout, so the site might be a mess for a little while - stick with us! I promise it'll all come to a beautiful conclusion. Or concussion.

Indy's Best Kept Secret - Shallos

Excellent Roundtable tonight - the best we've had for a while, and maybe the best we've ever had! We had a blast, and lots of good conversation. We met up at Shallos in Greenwood, and let me just say, their beer menu is simply to die for. As a matter of fact, the menu is almost too good, if that's possible. They had 30-something beers on tap, and hundreds more in the cooler. WOW! It got to the point that I simply couldn't choose a beer and had the waitress bring me what she thought was good. It was like being a mosquito in a nudist colony - I knew what to do, but I just didn't know where to begin! (I can't quite remember what movie that line came from). Hands down, Shallos gets 5 mugs for their beer selection. It's got to be the best in the city. And I never even got to look at the import side of the menu!

Jim Schembre of World Class Beverages joined us tonight to talk about all of the exciting things WCB is doing and has planned. He really stressed their Beer Finder system on their site, so if you're ever looking for a beer and want to know who is carrying it, check it out. It's updated daily! Thanks, Jim, for coming out with us tonight - we learned a lot, and we look forward to drinking with you in the future! And thanks for the kick-ass calendars!


I started off tonight with a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. And while I had other beers throughout the evening, I never really got past this one. If you don't know, Dogfish 120 is considered the Holy Grail for Hopheads. This sumbitch is - wait - 21% ABV!! 21%. I really don't know what else I can say about it. Maybe my eyes bulged out and my face turned blue. The Dogfish 120 has the highest ABV of any beer I've ever drank.


We were supposed to launch into the Bell's Hell Hath No Fury for a review - and we did - but you will find no review from this Knight of the Beer Roundtable about this beer. Now, Bell's describes this beer as "A brew that gives you either sympathy for the devil or the courage to face him. Goes especially well with your favorite lost my girl/truck/dog/trailer song." All I can tell you is that it was dark and good. After the 120, I really couldn't taste that much anyway.


So there you have it. You HAVE to check out Shallos, but I would be careful with the Dogfish 120. I'll give it 5 mugs based on ABV, but I can't really remember what it tastes like!

26 April 2007

Hello, Shallos

Tonight, the Knights of the Beer Roundtable will hold court at Shallos Antique Restaurant & Brewhaus, a great little secret on the southside. Shallos has a fantastic beer selection, which is what I'm sure we'll be talking a lot about. It's in what used to be the old Target Shopping Center or County Line Mall - I'm not sure what it's called now - that's on the northside of County Line Road at US 31. Drinking will commence around 8 or a little after. We hope to have Jim Schembre - the HMFIC at World Class Beverages - as a special guest.

17 April 2007

Are You Going To San Francisco?

I am, next month. And I'm looking for some tips from anyone familiar with the Bay Area on the best breweries to hit, other than Anchor, which I'm already planning on. I know we have some readers in San Fran, so speak up! Maybe we can grab a beer while I'm out there.

something wicked this way comes

Hoosier Beer Geek is about to go high-tech on your asses!

Mike is working on a kick-ass logo for us to display proudly, as well as some updates to the site itself.

And Jason is bringing the tour de force - video highlights of our Roundtables so you can get to know the Knights of the Beer Roundtable a little bit better, and to see how much we actually drink compared to how much we report on! Yes, we will be posting on YouTube and then bringing the show over here. I know you won't believe this, but he came up with the idea while we were having a beer over lunch! The first one will be from the Barley Island trip, and will be up once he can get it edited.

You've probably also noticed the compilation post that we've been doing for the last two Roundtables that give you a brief summary of all posts. We did this to satisfy two camps of our adoring fans. One camp liked the old way where all reviews were published in one post. One camp liked the new way where everyone posts different reviews. This new way is the best of both worlds!

Let us know what you think!

16 April 2007

KOTBR Review #16: Barley Island's Bourbon Barrel Beers


Normally, the Knights of the Beer Roundtable are able to agree on a beer for reviewing and then drink it together at the same time. Our night at Barley Island was a bit looser. We all drank several of the beers they have on tap, plus a couple that weren't. In the end, we came to a general consensus to review the two Bourbon Barrel beers that we sample, the Oatmeal Stout and the IPA. This review resulted in some of the widest ranges of beer ratings. Here are the Knights' ratings and postings, beginning with the Bourbon Barrel IPA:

Mike starts us off on way he gave it a 2.5 mug rating...
I am not a drinker of hard liquor, so neither bourbon beer was particularly suited to my tastes...If you had blindfolded me and placed the glass in front of me I never would have suspected I was smelling beer...A sip of the IPA really brought out the bourbon, with a slightly flowery, hoppy note mixed in. It really tasted very similar to the way it smelled.

Jason follows by giving the IPA a knockout 3.5 mug rating...
[It is] an IPA that is heavy in bourbon aroma and strong on alcohol flavor. It's an incredible one-two punch. POW! Strong bourbon bite comes from the left. BAM! The IPA hoppiness punch comes in from the right. If you are a gluten for punishment (I am), this beer is right up your alley.

And here is what the Knights said with the more popular Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout:

Mike again starts, this time giving the beer 3 mugs...
I felt like the bourbon worked better in the stout...it made me think of film noir, cigarette smoke, and contemplative depression. But in a good, sort of romantic way.

Jason riffs on the stout, giving it a 4.5 mug rating
...the Stout takes on my favorite characteristic of bourbon: the caramelized malt flavor and aroma. The beer's aroma had a subtle hint of bourbon and the malty goodness that you appreciate in a stout is emphasized even more with the added bourbon component.

Chris finishes the geeky review by concurring with Jason and giving the Stout a 4.5 ...
...it was better the warmer it got...this is a really good beer, especially if you still have a stomach of steel and can take bourbon...


Can you guess who the Hoosier Bourbon Geeks are? Find out by checking out the individual reviews...

15 April 2007

Get me stranded on Barley Island!

Three of the KOTBR, along with Mike's groupie Gina, Nick, the Bartender of Deano's, and Kord, a tailgating buddy, trekked north to Hamilton County - Noblesville, to be exact - for the latest Roundtable review to check out Barley Island. We got stood up by Bob & Mark at Indiana Beer, but we thought we had a sufficient number of beer geeks to give a good review.

Owner Jeff Eaton had promised us a tour of the brewery, and we promised to drink lots of his beer. I delved in right away, finally getting to try the Black Majic Java Stout on draft. I've been a fan of the award-winning brew in the bottle, but hadn't had the pleasure of tasting it fresh. And it was worth the wait! Many of you may know that this beer took the Silver Medal at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival for Coffee-flavored beer. It's a wonderfully malty beer, with a strong coffee and chocolate nose.

Jeff came over to have a beer and talk about their business with us for a while, too. I'm always curious about where all the beers are being distributed, how far their reach is. Jeff told me they're all over Indiana now, everywhere in Illinois but Chicago (only a matter of time), and their newest market, Minnesota (primarily the Twin Cities). Last year they brewed about 660 barrels, and with their new equipment, they're now on pace to double that amount this year.

We then turned back to the beers in front of us. First up was the Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout, only available in 22oz. bottles. Of course, it was better the warmer it got. The nose was heavy bourbon, with hints of chocolate. The bourbon mixed well with the malts to smooth it out. It had a slightly chewy mouthfeel, medium-bodied, I would say. There was a bit of a bourbon aftertaste, but it wasn't heavy or overwhelming. This is a really good beer, especially if you still have a stomach of steel and can take bourbon (I don't). I have to give this 4.5 mugs. It's a unique, but very satisfying taste.

Next up in this double review was Jeff's their Spring/Summer seasonal offering, the Sheet Metal Blonde, the Barley Island attempt at the classic Belgian Whitbier. And a very accurate attempt it is. It has a heavy clove nose, with a slight hint of citrus. Now I have to say that I'm not a big fan of the whitbier, in general, so I'm not the best person to review this type of beer fairly. The batch also still wasn't completed, and was missing carbonation. For those two reasons, I'm not going to offer a mug review on the Sheet Metal.

After we downed a lot of Jeff's beer, he took us to the backroom to begin the brewery tour. Like Mike, I didn't really understand much of what was going on, but I know there were shiny tanks with beer in them! The malt room smelled absolutely delicious (no surprise there). I could have camped out there. They recently purchased a good deal of new equipment from a brewery in Las Vegas (can't remember which one) that had expanded and over-bought. This is allowing them to up their brewing capacity.

I did have one very interesting experience. I got to eat an actual hop, before it was put into the beer. Jeff showed us the hope pellets they used for brewing, and we decided to have a taste. Obviously, it was very bitter, and it left a bad aftertaste that wasn't going away, and as well as a grimy feel on your tongue. Not being a huge hop head like some of my fellow Knights, I needed to get some water to wash that down before I could move on to another Black Majic to finish the evening off.

Many thanks to Jeff and his crew for the great service, wonderful hospitality, and willingness to take some time out of his night to chat with us and show us around the place.

John Lee Hooker would dig these beers


While drinking the two Bourbon barrel-aged beers that Barley Island's Jeff Eaton provided us, I couldn't help but think of the song "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer". Now many folks will probably think of George Thoroughgood when I mention this song, though I should point out that it was written by the late, great blues man John Lee Hooker and he first recorded it in 1966.

Mr. Hooker was a man of great taste and knew that these three drinks complimented each other well. So it only makes sense that some beers will taste really good with a bourbon hit to it. And I think it is important to understand why.

What is bourbon? It is an American whiskey whose grains consist of mostly corn but also includes a combination of wheat, rye, and malted barley, distilled in water, and aged in charred oak barrels. And I should point out that I am a fan of bourbon. Actually, I'm a Hoosier Bourbon Geek. Sounds like a great name for a new blog...

So let's look at the two beers that we sampled. One was their Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout, which is heavy on the malts, and the other is their Barfly India Pale Ale, which is heavy on the hops. Just from the simple description of one beer was malty, the other hoppy, you should be able to determine which beer should match better with bourbon.

The Bourbon Stout was incredible. They take a used Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel and pour their stout in. The stout soaks up some of the residual flavors and aromas of the bourbon. When finished, the Stout takes on my favorite characteristic of bourbon: the caramelized malt flavor and aroma. The beer's aroma had a subtle hint of bourbon and the malty goodness that you appreciate in a stout is emphasized even more with the added bourbon component.

The Bourbon IPA was a first for me. Jeff pointed out that they used bourbon barrels that have already had beer in it for their Bourbon IPA. To put it crudely, IPA gets the Stouts sloppy seconds. I think the IPA in all its hoppiness is able to pull out all the residual bitters and alcohol from the barrel. It results in an IPA that is heavy in bourbon aroma and strong on alcohol flavor. It's an incredible one-two punch. POW! Strong bourbon bite comes from the left. BAM! The IPA hoppiness punch comes in from the right. If you are a gluten for punishment (I am), this beer is right up your alley.

I enjoyed both beers. The Bourbon Stout would pair well with a prime rib dinner. The Bourbon IPA would pair well with spicy Indian, Thai, or Tex-Mex cuisine. Both have their place; both I would drink again in a heart beat.

I'm giving 4.5 mugs to the Bourbon Stout. Everything about it was wonderful for me: the aroma, the dark pour, the thick head, the creamy mouthfeel, the slight dry aftertaste, the tasty malty wonderfulness. I'll be purchasing some 22 ounce bottles from Barley Island soon.

I'm giving the Bourbon IPA a 3.5 mug rating. It's a beer that I have to be in the mood for. The aroma is overwhelmingly bourbon, the pour was light, the head thin, and the mouthfeel crisp. It has a bite. A double bite. It's like the clash of the titans in my mouth, but in a good way.

I want to thank Jeff for meeting with us, talking to us, and taking us on the brewery tour. And kudos to him for turning his home brewing passion into a vocation.

13 April 2007

Bourbon Barrel Bewailment

During last evening's session, Chris (or was it Jason?) make a point of explaining to our host (Barley Island owner Jeff Eaton) that we were beer geeks, not beer snobs. I think the point was to let Jeff know that we might be in over our heads on the beer talk. Once the brewery tour started, I might as well have been a passenger on the beer Titanic.

But that doesn't mean I couldn't appreciate the effort involved in bringing Barley Island's brews to your local liquor store. The amount of repetitive labor involved in packaging just a six pack had me thinking back to my days interning for the Department of Defense, where I once spent a week formatting diskettes - the IT department equivalent of peeling potatoes.

Every bottle of Barley Island beer that leaves their facility is individually loaded into a machine, where the beer label is affixed. Every cardboard six pack container is hand folded. The bottling process is just as intensive; bottles are loaded into a wooden hopper by hand, and then fed into a machine that fills the bottles and affixes the bottle cap.

Of course I haven't even mentioned the brewing process, because the steps involved are lost on me. But our tour was amazingly informative, and I now understand why the folks at BeerAdvocate.com included respecting brewers as a important step in reviewing beer.

I might as well get to the actual beer. Over the course of the evening I sampled five of Barley Island's products - The Dirty Helen Brown Ale, the Bourbon IPA, the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmel Stout, an unfinished batch of the Sheet Metal Blonde, and the award winning Black Majic Java Stout.

I am not a drinker of hard liquor, so neither bourbon beer was particularly suited to my tastes. Both the IPA and the Stout had a strong nose of Bourbon, though the odor was a bit more prevalent in the Stout. If you had blindfolded me and placed the glass in front of me I never would have suspected I was smelling beer.

The IPA had a pumpkin colored cloudy appearance with very little head, while the Stout was a dark, flat brown, and looked almost like a glass of Coca-Cola. A sip of the IPA really brought out the bourbon, with a slightly flowery, hoppy note mixed in. It really tasted very similar to the way it smelled.

I felt like the bourbon worked better in the stout, where it wasn't overpowering and mixed well with the taste of coffee. It was a light and smooth beer, but not something you'd want to drink fast. Oddly enough, it made me think of film noir, cigarette smoke, and contemplative depression. But in a good, sort of romantic way.

Neither bourbon beer really suited my pallet, to be honest, but that isn't to say that I'm not a fan of Barley Island's work; Their Java Stout is right up my alley. And if you're a fan of Bourbon, I'm sure both of these beers are well worth your attention.

So there's a little bit of regret when I write that I'd give the Bourbon IPA (a qualified, but honest) 2.5 mugs, and the Bourbon Stout (a qualified, honest) 3 mugs.

I'd like to thank Jeff Eaton and the staff at Barley Island for their hospitality and time, and I hope to visit again soon.

11 April 2007

Going mad in Fort Wayne: a roadtrip report

When giving the opportunity, I enjoy trying new places when traveling. And with my in-laws living just 30 minutes away from Fort Wayne, I thought it was time for a trip to Mad Anthony Brewing Company's Munchie Emporium. The trip occurred on Good Friday and I was joined on the journey by my sister-in-law Andi and her husband Dale.

First, a little background. The brewery is named after the city's namesake. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne is a Revolutionary War hero who fought many battles in the Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. He was referred to as "Mad Anthony" because he could lead an army into battle on little or no sleep. Sounds like he could have been an architecture major, but I digress.

The brewery has been around since 1995. The Munchie Emporium, apparently, has been around longer.

The Munchie is a large restaurant with separate bar and family rooms. The decor is eclectic, including a dead deer head above the bar.

Upon entering the bar, you will notice the beer list on the wall (unless the picture is too dark, then aren't noticing anything). Tonight they had 10 brews on tap: Auburn Lager, Blonde, Oatmeal Stout, Brown Ale, Spring Fling, Winter Ale, Irish Stout, Ol' Woody Pale Ale, Raspberry, and Blackberry Porter. The lager, blonde, ol' woody pale ale, and others can be found in six packs in liquor stores, including the Hop Shop.

They have a full bar at the Munchie, so if beers aren't your thing, you can get something else. Though I don't know why...

My favorite place to sit in a bar is at the bar. It is where the action is and it is the best place to converse with those who know beer best: the bartender. The bartender on this night was Kelly, a very fun and personable keeper. The beers run between 3.50 and 4 bucks. And there is a sampler set that you can order. Kelly was very kind in letting us try a couple of beer samples each on the house.

My sister-in-law Andi is a light beer drinker. Not in terms of consumption, but type. Domestic beers are her thing, with Budweiser being one of her favorites. She stuck with Blonde all night, a good starting point for those who aren't big into craft beers yet.

Her husband Dale sampled, and liked, the Raspberry wheat ale. About half way through the pint, he had about enough of that. He grew tired of the strong fruit flavor. He liked it, but it was too much of a good thing in this case. Thankfully, it did not go to waste. His lovely wife finished it for him.

After sampling a couple of beers, I elected to start with the Ol' Woody Pale Ale, an APA. It is light amber in color and pours with a small white head. The lace clings some to the glass. The aroma was close to non-existent, with very small hints of citrus and hops. When drinking it, I noticed some citrus and clove notes to the flavor. There is a hit of hops, though much milder than most IPA's. It leaves a dry feeling in the mouth with some aftertaste and a little burn in the throat. It's a fine beer that is a great starting point for those who want to start drinking IPA's. I would give Ol' Woody three and a half mugs.

For my next beer, I went with the curiously named Spring Fling, a German-style Amber Lager with a 6.0% ABV. Looks are deceiving with this beer. It has a dark amber color to it with lots of lace and a slight head. I wasn't able to pick up any aroma at all. It was smooth and syrupy in consistency. And it tasted like...well, sometimes beer just tastes like beer. I have a feeling that this was suppose to be Ft. Wayne's version of Bell's Oberon. It's a simple brew that would work well in warmer weather, but it lacks the yeasty complexities that Oberon possesses. Both Andi and Dale sampled this beer and enjoyed it. It's a good beer, but again, a starter beer in my opinion. I give it three mugs, making this an average (but not bad) beer.

At this point, it is about 5 til midnight. We had been there about an hour at that point. Then Kelly yells "Last Call". Last call? At midnight? On a Friday? You're kidding?

She wasn't. They close at midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11pm Monday through Thursday, and 10pm on Sundays. Early closing for a bar, so if you go, take notice: go early!

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to try one more beer. I decided to try one of the stouts, but which one. I sampled both and both the were good. I decided to go with the Irish Stout. And I'm glad I did.

As expected, it's a dark beer. A blackhole actually. Light does not penetrate. It's brown to black in color and pours with a nice, dark tan head that leaves lots and lots of lace on the glass. It has a pleasant aroma of roasted malts that carries over into the flavor. I think the easiest way to describe this beer is it's like Guinness, but better. More complexities, more malts, a better flavor. A very full and well balanced beer. Four mugs, all the way. I highly recommend to anyone who prefers maltier beers.

I also want to note that, since it was after midnight, my Lenten obligations were over. I elected to order Scotch Eggs from their late night munchies menu. And the Scotch Eggs match well with the Irish Stout.

As seen by the mugs hanging on the wall, there are many that enjoy the multiple beer offerings of Mad Anthony. I was impressed with the number of beers available (five mugs in that category) as well as with the quality of beers. I'd like to go again when the IPA is on tap. It was an enjoyable bar with enjoyable people. I just wish it could have lasted longer.

10 April 2007

New study on beer released . . .

I snatched this interesting article from another beer site. Hmmm . . . :


Deano's New Adventure

I was reminded today by a posting on Feed Me/Drink Me of something I've been meaning to make mention of on here. Deano, of Deano's, recently sold out his partnership of the wine shop on Mass Ave., and will now be taking on the challenge of Managing Partner at the new Barcelona Tapas that will be opening downtown on May 15. The good news from Deano is that all the beers on tap will be excellent, exampled by Delirium Tremens. I've never had DT on tap, but I promise I will be there early on to try it!

08 April 2007

Making some cameos

Look for some extra special guest appearances in upcoming reviews from fellow beer geeks that live in the good beer world. This Thursday at Barley Island, some of our friends from IndianaBeer.com and from Deano's are joining in on a Roundtable. And in two weeks at Shallos, Jim Schembre from World Class Beverages will belly-up with us. Look for more beer geek appearances in the coming months.

04 April 2007

3 Floyds is the King of the World

Congratulations to Three Floyds for being named the Best Brewer In the World - 2007 by RateBeer.com. According to the site, "The total number of brewers in our contest is 5,836. The 100 listed represent the top 1.7% of all brewers -- the creme de la creme of world brewing; a greater percentage of the population qualifies as genius for comparison." They were the only Indiana brewery to make the list.

Also, they were honored with the distinction of brewing the #3 Best Beer In the World - Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout; #4 - Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout; #17 - Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA; and #62 - Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine. In the Best Beer in the United States category, the four aforementioned beers came in #1, #2, #10, & #39, respectively, as well as #60 - Three Floyds Alpha King and #76 - Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter.

Damn, we knew they were great, and now everyone else does. Good job, Nick & Gang!

02 April 2007

Knighthood has been bestowed

The Knights of the Beer Roundtable are proud to announce that we have claimed yet another poor soul to our life of drinking and debauchery. Ye all welcome and revere Mike, of ridehorsey, as the 6th Knight. I would be remiss not to mention that Mike comes to the Beer Roundtable already sporting a groupie, Gina, who we also are glad to have with us.

You loyal readers know that Mike and Gina have joined us at the last few Roundtables, and you can see from the previous post that Mike also now has posting privileges.

Welcome to the Jungle!

KOTBR Review #15: Bell's Oberon


For review #15, the Hoosier Beer Geek's Knights of the Beer Roundtable took on Bell's Oberon, an American wheat ale, at Deano's Vino in Fountain Square. It's spring arrival is highly anticipated by it's fans to the point that tapping parties were held all around town. Three knights posted their reviews and here's a brief look at their thoughts:

Jim's review gave Oberon a strong 4 mug rating.
Because of its drinkability, Oberon would be a good "gateway" beer for those who are interested in trying out more craft beers... among lighter beers, it's the best I've been able to find.


Jason's review gave it a 4 mug rating as well.
...it is an enjoyable beer. And the best part is that it will likely be enjoyed by all levels of beer drinkers, both novices and snobs.


And newest Knight Mike rated the beer at 3.5 mugs.
It tastes like what a good American style beer should taste like. A full bodied, truly tasty Budweiser. Without the (magical horse crap).


To find out what "magical horse crap" is, and for more from our Knights, be sure to read the posts.

Goodweiser

Despite the overwhelming success of my first attempt, I decided that it would be in the best interest of those folks who take the time to read these reviews if I actually knew what I was doing. I popped "how to review beer" into Google, and came up with this article at beeradvocate.com. The following review was written using their advice.

1) Stop, think and drink!

Oops.

Knowing that Chris wouldn't be attending, I decided to try out his favorite, Bell's Oberon Ale, as a warm-up beer. No need to stop or think on the warm up beer, right?

The thing is, the only time I drink is at HBG (or KOTBR) meetups, so one beer is usually just enough to cloud my thinking. By the time I was about halfway through beer number two, we decided to review the Oberon.

Wait! I hadn't stopped or thought.

2) Respect brewers

Ok. Respect, Brewers. But go Cardinals.

3) Form your own opinion

You might be surprised how hard this is to do when you're drinking with a group of folks who are all sharing their opinion of a beer. In order to form my own opinion, I try to not listen to anyone except myself. I'm pretty good at that, anyway.

4) Keep style in mind

I was wearing a black sports watch with brown shoes. The beer wasn't wearing shoes.

5) Senses

Apparently I lost mine, at some point. More about that in a moment...

6) I've formed my own opinion to skip every other step except...

7) What to look for

This gets broken down like this:

Appearance: The beer had a cloudy amber tint. Light got through... but the beer wasn't clear enough to see through the glass.

Smell: Oberon has a very light sweet smell, maybe a little bit fruity, but indeterminate as far as a specific fruit.

Taste: You know those Budweiser commercials where George Clooney does the voice over and he says things like "Budweiser is a full bodied American ale that tastes like Jesus' own supply of magical (hops, yeast, malt, barley, whatever) grown in fields fertilized with the manure of magical horses"... He sells it really well, right? And then you drink the beer and it's sort of like "I'm not tasting the magical horse crap.. wait.. yeah I am."

Bell's Oberon is the beer he's actually talking about. It tastes like what a good American style beer should taste like. A full bodied, truly tasty Budweiser. Without the MHC.

Mouthfeel: Light. Like any light beer you've drank.

Drinkability: Easy. Too easy.

It's at this point that my notes read like the tracklist for a Bob Seger EP:

Trashed in an hour.
Man, I'm gonna feel dumb tomorrow.
I only had four.
Chased with a Carmel Macchiato and PB and J.
Vomit?

I went to bed regretting everything I had ever done, but woke up the next day ready to go to work without any problems. Is this a miracle beer? Perhaps.

I give it 3.5 mugs. Not my favorite, but a trustworthy standby.

A Midsummer (or early...or late...or spring...or fall) Night's (or day's) beer

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon is the king of the fairies. At Bell's Brewery, Oberon is the king of beers. It is reportedly Bell's best seller and one of the most anticipated beers every spring. Don't believe me? There were at least a half dozen Oberon tapping parties last week around Indy, all well attended.

Oberon is an American Pale Wheat Ale, a beer type that combines the best of Hefe Weizens and IPA's, combining the full yeasty flavors of wheat beers with the bit and smoothness of pale ales. A deliciously light combination that is easy to drink and easy to love. Perfect for barbecues, baseball games, yard work, and front porch sitting.

It looks like a summer evening before a storm: cloudy with lots of yellow-orange color. The head pours like cumulus clouds: big, white, and foamy. The smell is like driving by an orchard with the car windows down: light, fruity fragrance. The drinkability is like playing in the yard and having a sweat bee sting you: incredibly enjoyable with a itty bitty bite that doesn't distract you. And the feel in your mouth, like a beer after a day of working in the yard should be: clean and crisp with no annoying aftertaste. The taste is like a summer garden: a delightful melding of flavors that are hard to individually identify. And like a bakery, with light yeasty flavors. And like a brewery, with it tasting like beer and all.

Okay, so I'm not Shakespeare. Big deal, you wanna fight about it? But trust me on this, it is an enjoyable beer. And the best part is that it will likely be enjoyed by all levels of beer drinkers, both novices and snobs. Jim said it best that this is a great starting point for those first trying craft beers. And you will most likely find Oberon's sitting next to my stash of Hopslams in my beer fridge.

Bell's Oberon Ale

Well, it looks like I get to lead off with the review this week.

We convened at Deano's last Thursday night after a bit of a hiatus to review Chris's "Precious," Bell's Oberon Ale. And, wouldn't you know it, we reviewed the Oberon without Chris, as he had to spend the evening at home taking care of the young'un. We did, however, get Chris's blessing to go ahead without him (that is, according to Jason, so Chris, it's all Jason's fault if we in fact didn't get your permission).

Oberon, which is an American wheat ale, has become Bell's best-selling beer. It's not hard to see why that's so. Oberon pours to reveal a medium head. The beer itself is a cloudy golden color with a slight orange tinge. The nose is slightly citrusy but not powerful. It feels refreshing and clean in the mouth, leaving a slight bitterness but not unpleasant bitterness behind. The flavor is smooth, not cloying, and reminds me more of a lager rather than a wheat ale. But behind the smoothness is a bit of heft, a little bit of power that you don't commonly find in most lighter beers. It is that heft that sets Oberon apart and makes it stand out from its counterparts.

Because of its drinkability, Oberon would be a good "gateway" beer for those who are interested in trying out more craft beers. This is the beer to take with you to the track this May or to the grass picnic area behind the outfield at Victory Field this summer (or, if you're a soccer fan like me, to the Toyota Park parking lot for tailgating festivities). Oberon will be available until September.

My rating: A solid 4 mugs. It's not my favorite beer, but among lighter beers, it's the best I've been able to find.