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29 October 2010

Random Beer Roundup - The Very Scary Edition


Happy Halloween!  Hope it is a great one for you!  

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Don't see your favorite craft beer establishment? Let them know you'd like to see them here! Work for an establishment that serves craft beer? We want to hear from you too!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


What's Brewing

From Dan at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora:
October 29 and 30 we will host an event for Main Street Aurora - "6th Annual Horror, History and Hauntings" starting at 6 pm in the Great Crescent Brewery. Food will be served as a catered dinner with beer available by the glass for $3/pint. Soft drinks will also be served. This is an "Over-21" event.

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

We're celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the Upland Tasting Room on 49th and College Tuesday November 9th with live music from Gustav and food from Tiger & Taco. Come in wearing an Upland shirt and get a free pint glass. If you show us a current, valid alcohol server's permit, you'll get a free (empty) growler.
But we're not waiting until the 9th to start celebrating. Every day from the 5th through the 9th we'll have a growler fill special, and you'll even be able to get pints! And on Mon., Nov. 8th, we'll have live music from Doubting Thomas.

Other Upland events:
Tasting at the Mass. Ave Wine Shoppe. Tues., Nov. 2nd, 5:30-6:30pm
Tasting at the Artisan's Fair in Zionsville on Weds., Nov. 3 from 6-8pm. Pints will also be on sale so you can get more of your favorites.
Triple Dragonfly Tapping at Brugge on Weds., Nov 3. Dragonfly IPA, Double Dragonfly, and Komodo Dragonfly all on tap!
Tasting for WINOS (Women in Need of Spirits) at the Speedway Union Jacks. Thurs., Nov 4.
Tasting at the Crown Liquors in Carmel. Fri., Nov. 5th, 4:30-6:30pm

At the Bar

From Jordan at the Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
Now on Tap:

Bells Best Brown-hints of caramel and cocoa, the malt body has the depth to stand up to cool weather, but does not come across as heavy
Bells Third Coast Old Ale-offers a crisp, dry bitterness with a mixture of floral & herbal aromas. PERFECT for a FALL Day. Only $ 4 a pint. 
Boulevard Single Wide IPA-A golden colored beer with a prominent flowery, grapefruit hop aroma, a moderate caramel malt flavor and a dominant hop bitterness and flavor. 
Sun King Wee Mac- easy drinking brown ale that has a nice hazelnut character with rich toffee undertones. 
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout-luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specialty roasted malts 
Rogue Dead Guy Ale- Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor. 
Sam Adams Winter Lager- The cinnamon, ginger, and hint of citrus from the orange peel blend with the roasty sweetness of the malts to deliver a warming, spicy flavor. 
Enjoy this Saturday for our Halloween Bash $3 Pints of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and New Holland Ichabod.
From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
Patrick's Kitchen currently has Broo-doo on tap, to be followed by Left Hand Warrior, also on tap are.....Old Rasputin Imperial Nitro Stout, Hop Wallop, Hoptimus from New Alabnian and we are also proud to represent Sun King with their Brown IBU...Notorious don't cha' know?
From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):

Scotty's Brewhouse Bloomington is now serving Bell's Winter White!

Scottys Brewhouse Downtown Indy is now serving Bloomington Brewing Company Ruby Bloom Amber!

Scotty's Brewhouse Northside Indy is now serving Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout!

Carry Out

From Jeremy at Big Red Liquors (E. 3rd St.) in Bloomington:
New Beer in this Week:

* Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA
* Shipyard Pumpkin - Just in time for Halloween!

*Another great find in our cellar*

*Stone Imperial Russian Stout
From Big Red Liquors (College Mall Rd.) in Bloomington:
NEW this week-and more to come...

On the session side--New Belgium's Dubbel, Tripel, and 2 Below; Boulevard Amber, Anchor Steam's Humming Ale (doesn't know the words I guess), Victory Whilwind Witbier and Two Brother's Cane and Ebel.

On the winter front-- Harpoon Winter Warmer, Clipper City Winter Storm, and Bell's Winter White

In the Heavy, Dude race we received-- Upland's Teddy Bear Kisses (aw...) an Imperial Stout brewed with fair trade coca nibs, and Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout

For the piney heads, the harvest/fresh hop newbies are-3 Floyd's Broodoo, Founder's Harvest (going fast!!), and Two brother's Heavy Handed.

Coming Soon-the return of Sierra Nevada Celebration! And Guinness Foreign Extra Stout!

From Greg at Big Red Liquors (Downtown) in Bloomington:
New this week:

*Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
*Founder's Harvest -A Wet-Hopped Ale
*Upland Teddy Bear Kisses Don't let the name fool you, this is a SERIOUS beer!
*Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA
*Bells Winter White
*Winter Bourbon Cask Ale
*Wittekirke Framboise
*Anchor Steam Christmas Ale 
*You liked them at Big Red Beer Fest? Now you can buy them at Big Red!

Victory Moonglow Weizen Bock
Napa Smith Wheat, Red and Organic IPA
New Crispin Ciders: Pear, Honey Crisp and Lansdowne Stout

*We have added another Gluten Free beer, St Peters Sorgham Beer

*Need the perfect glass to enjoy you favorite beer? We have a wide selection of glassware styles!

Don't forget our weekly beer tasting, Thursdays 6-8pm! For Thursday, November 4th, Upland Brewing will be tasting their Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout!
From Joe at Crown Liquors on US31 (Near Borders) in Greenwood:
On Friday the 29th we will tasting:

Bell's - Winter White Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge - Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale
Boulevard - Smokestack Series SeeYouLator Doppelbock
Two Bros. - Hop Juice Double IPA(15% off these sampled beers on Friday too!)

New brews include:

Bell's - Best Brown 5 Liter MiniKegs
Three Floyds - BrooDoo Harvest Ale   
Upland - Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout (2 Bottle Allocation)
New Belgium - Lips of Faith Series: Sahti Traditional Ale
New Belgium - Lips of Faith Series: La Folie Sour Brown Ale (1 Bottle Allocation)
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
From Josh at United Package Liquors (Countyline & Meridian):
New beer in stock-
New Belgium 2° Below
Sierra Nevada Celebration ale
Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA
He'Brew Jewbelation 14
Ommegang Three Philosophers, Hennepin & Chocolate Indulgence
gift set with fluted glass.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate stout
Upland Teddy Bear Kisses
No comments:

25 October 2010

KOTBR #115 - Hanging Out with Bears in the Basement


A little over a week ago, Jim put together a post asking for reader suggestions about places we should visit, and the suggestions came in fast and furious. Well, maybe not exactly fast and furious, but we did get a few quality suggestions, including one that mentioned Upland's Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout release at Goose the Market.

We're certainly not strangers to Goose the Market. I filed a beer diary from their new(ish) Enoteca back in June, we had a beer and cheese benefit there in September, and Goose's Corrie is a regular contributor to our Random Beer Roundup. So although we know that it was none other than Corrie that suggested we stop by (sneaky!), we couldn't resist the offer. Or the sandwiches. I have a once a week Batali habit anyway. (Nice story behind that Batali link).

I've mentioned Teddy Bear Kisses before - different varieties have made their way past my lips in the year or so (1, 2). I'm a certainly a fan. The beer is a chocolate bomb, with a nose that says "brownies!", a front that's somewhere between dark and milk chocolate (right in the sweet spot where you could drink/eat a ton of it), a creamy mouthfeel, and a slightly bitter finish. It's not a beer with a ton of complexity, really, but if I'm drinking liquid chocolate I really don't mind that at all. I bought two bottles. I haven't bought two bottles of anything (that didn't say New Glarus Belgian Red on them) in a really long time. 4.85 Mugs.


There is a great nose on this one of sweet chocolate and roasted malt. This beer seems to hit my senses in all of the right places. The chocolaty aroma carries through to the flavor, helping to mask the high abv. Dark chocolate, cocoa, and elements that are roasty without being smoky are things I love in a beer and this one has all of them. 3.99 Mugs.


This ominous looking stout is very dark with toffee brown edges. Pours syrupy and thick with just a little carbonation. The nose is pure dark chocolate with a hint of maple syrup. On first sip you get a dark chocolate flavor and a little burnt sugar. There's a warming alcohol kick on the finish with notes of licorice and maple. This is a dry chocolate imperial stout with more of a bakers chocolate flavor than other imperial stouts. 4.1 mugs.


Thinking back, I think I only had barrel-aged varieties on Teddy Bear Kisses last year, so I really don't know if any of it was aged on cocoa nibs. Either way, this is one solid imperial stout with a hefty dose of chocolate. When approaching this beer, it smells like a typical imperial stout, dark and roasty with a twist of baker's chocolate. All of the imperial stout flavors are present, charred barley, licorice, toffee and dark chocolate, but the chocolate plays a much bigger role here. Teddy Bear Kisses is slightly sweeter than most of its Russian Imperial Stout counterparts, and the cocoa nibs definitely add a big burst of dry, roasted dark chocolate flavor. A bit of maple syrup complexity is hiding underneath the roasted character, but it is clearly the chocolate that is the standout in this beer. Everything seems to be in great balance and this is a solid interpretation of the style. I'll plan on buying a bottle of this each year it comes out. 4.2 mugs.

Upland Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout
Mike: 4.85 Mugs | Gina: 3.99 Mugs | Jess: 4.1 Mugs | Rodney: 4.2 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.28 Mugs
5 comments:

22 October 2010

KOTBR #114 - Underground Sensation: Apple Buzz at Oaken Barrel

Limited release beers are big business - the lines and events surrounding Pliny the Younger, Dark Lord, Kate the Great, Black Tuesday, and Darkness can serve as proof. But one highly anticipated limited release that flies under the bigger craft beer community radar is Oaken Barrel's Apple Buzz - a beer + honey + cider creation that brings a thirsty audience to Greenwood's award winning brewery.

Looking for proof of that demand? The Monday release saw 133 cases of the stuff move through Oaken Barrel's doors - selling out supply for the day and surprising even the brewers themselves. Luckily, a second batch was awaiting bottling, and was made available Tuesday at noon. It sold out Tuesday.

All told, 60 barrels (at rough estimates around 1200 6 packs) of Apple Buzz we sold to the general public in two days. Proof of demand could be found everywhere in the restaurant, where folks of all shapes, sizes, and (legal) ages could be seen carrying whole cases out the door with them.

As further proof of our inability to cover everything (we're trying), our Monday evening roundtable at Oaken Barrel was our first exposure to Apple Buzz. It won't be our last, as we acquired a case of our own on Tuesday - which we'll be sharing at Tailgate for Nothing 3.

The (can we call this a) beer(?) itself is a strange beast - cloudy beyond cloudy, with a nose that gives away no clues as to what's to come. The front is fizzy, followed by light, never cloying apple flavor and just a hint of honey. The beer finishes with a lively but not overwhelmingly fizzy flourish and begs for another sip. This isn't a cider - or at least it isn't one you've had before. I'd gladly drink more than two. 3.99 Mugs.


When I heard about Apple Buzz last year and how quickly it sold out, I was incredibly skeptical. How could cider be so popular? So this year, Jess convinced me that we should go down on release day and try it. Much to our dismay, it turned out that this year's Apple Buzz was so popular, 6-packs sold out in roughly 7 hours. Luckily, Oaken Barrel bottled the rest of it and I was able to pick up some on Tuesday (TFN3!). We were, however, able to drink Apple Buzz on tap. I must say, it is not at all what I expected. This beer is less apple cider and more honey apple lambic. Granny Smith and cider apples fill up the yeasty body of this beer, along with cider-like notes of cinnamon and cloves. Honey provides an interesting twist on the sweetness, and an overall lemon-like tartness creates a relatively dry finish. If sour apple hefeweizen was a style for beer, this would be it. I think Oaken Barrel is on to something here. 3.5 mugs.


This is the first year I have made it to try the Apple Buzz and I am glad I did. We were always too late for the releases in the last few years so I was happy to hear about the upped production this time around and that we'd be able to at least try it on tap. It is a fantastic mix of tart apple and fizzy, sweet honey. The nose was bright and funky and the only thing I could equate it to was how a field smells after a rainstorm. I am well aware that sounds wackadoo, but that is just what I kept thinking whenever I smelled it. It is very refreshing and scary drinkable for the higher alcohol content. 3.96 Mugs.


Apple Buzz first gets to our table in a conglomerate of glasses and looks like unfiltered cider from the pumpkin patch. There's a yeasty, champagne funk in the nose with just a little fizz tickling your nose. It pours with a slight head and leads you to a nice yeasty apple flavor with a slight honey sweetness. This cider honey conglomeration is not sweet, very tangy and just a bit tart without being mouth puckering. It's not at all what you're expecting from a cider ale and leaves you refreshed and wanting more. 3.9 mugs.

Oaken Barrel Apple Buzz
Jess: 3.9 Mugs | Rodney: 3.5 Mugs | Gina: 3.96 Mugs | Mike: 3.99 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.83 Mugs
No comments:

Random Beer Roundup - The Tricks and Treats Edition


I'm still thinking about beer and chocolate.  The event Wednesday was outstanding.  Hope we can do it again soon!

This Saturday is our 3rd Tailgate for Nothing.  We'll be there starting about 11 am.  Come anytime and bring food and beer to share!

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Don't see your favorite craft beer establishment? Let them know you'd like to see them here! Work for an establishment that serves craft beer? We want to hear from you too!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


What's Brewing

From Crown Brewing in Crown Point:
Our Milk Chocolate Stout is now on TAP!

Here is a brief description:

Milk Chocolate Stout, 20 IBUs, 5.8% ABV
A sweet or milk stout brewed with a portion of lactose (milk sugar) that is unfermented for a full-bodied, smooth, rich flavor. Twenty pounds of locally made Albanese milk chocolate discs were added to this boil to give this beer a satisfying chocolate palate. Co-Co nibs were then added to the serving tank for an enhanced chocolate profile. Our sweet treat for you for the Halloween season. Enjoy!

From Dan at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora:
October 29 and 30 we will host an event for Main Street Aurora - "6th Annual Horror, History and Hauntings" starting at 6 pm in the Great Crescent Brewery. Food will be served as a catered dinner with beer available by the glass for $3/pint. Soft drinks will also be served. This is an "Over-21" event.

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:
On tap at Lafayette Brewing this weekend:  Star City Lager; Prophet's Rock Pale Ale; East Side Bitter; Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale; Tippecanoe Common Ale; Eighty-Five; and Black Angus Oatmeal Stout.  We're also pouring the last bit of our Oktoberfest- while it lasts. 
Bomber update:  Labels for Star City Lager and Eighty-Five bombers have arrived!  They look great.  Look for bottles of Eighty-Five to be on our shelves here at the brewery in early November, followed shortly by the Star City Lager.  And of course, we've currently got plenty of stock of 12 oz. bottles of Tippecanoe Common Ale and Black Angus Oatmeal Stout. 
Last but certainly not least:  Be sure to check out the newly openend Black Swan Brewpub in Plainfield.  Owned and operated by former LBC brewer, DJ McCallister, the Black Swan is serving up some delicious food and exclusively Indiana-brewed beers, including LBC's Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale and Black Angus Oatmeal Stout.  Look for brewing operations to commence at the pub in late 2010 or early 2011.
From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Indianapolis/Fishers:
Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out to Oktober-Feast 2010!  We were happy to have such an awesome group to enjoy all of the great beer and food with.  Look out for another Chef and Brewer’s Dinner promoting bold, rich flavors towards the middle of winter. 

On Tap Now – Downtown and Fishers
Aries American Wheat – Light and citrusy
Pie’d Piper Pumpkin Ale – Pumpkin Pie in a Glass (Amost Gone - Already!!)
NUTorious Brown Ale – Deep, dark malt with a strong kick of American Citrus hops

On the Horizon
Big Horn Weizenbock and Blue Pride German Pilsner. 

As always, thanks and see you soon.

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:
Teddy's Burger Joint Grand Opening: Indianapolis, IN. Fri, Oct. 22, 6-7pm.
To help celebrate the grand opening of Teddy's Burger Joint, we're sampling beer and giving out some neat stuff.

Muncie Brewfest: Muncie, IN. Sat, Oct. 23. 2-6pm.
Find us at Muncie Brewfest this Saturday. We'll have some old favorites as well as some new and special brews.

The Lord of the Wings: An Upland Brewing Trilogy: The Fickle Peach, Muncie, IN. Sat., Oct. 23. 8-11:30pm.
As part of their post Muncie Brewfest VIP party, the Fickle Peach is tapping Dragonfly IPA, Double Dragonfly Imperial IPA, and Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA. When you buy your tickets for Muncie Brewfest, select the Beer Geek Package to experience this epic trilogy.

3D-fly Tapping at Scotty's Downtown: Indianapolis, IN. Wed., Oct. 27. 6-10pm.
Scotty's Downtown Indy location will be tapping in Dragonfly, Double Dragonfly, and Komodo Dragonfly!

At the Bar

From Jordan at the Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
New Drafts at Beer Sellar
Bells Hell Hath no Fury
Three Floyds Broo Doo
New Holland Ichabod

We are almost out of Bells Oberon for the season and will be followed by Best Brown.

New Specials include:
Monday: Half off wings during Monday Night Football and $3 U-Call it Pints all night long
Thursday: $6,$7,$8 Pitchers
Sunday:$7,$8, $9 Pitchers
From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
Got a keg o' Broo Doo delivered last week, and picked up a 1/4 bbl of Floyd's (BBC, not 3) Homegrown Hop Pale.
Coming this week is a 1/2 bbl of Left Hand Warrior (their fresh hop) woo..hoo! Let's hope they are all as good as we hope.
From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse (various locations):
Tyranena Hop Whore and Founder's Harvest Ale now at Downtown Indianapolis Scotty's Brewhouse!!

Carry Out

From Jeremy at Big Red Liquors (E. 3rd St.) in Bloomington:
Now in Stock!

* New Belgium Trippel
* New Belgium Abbey

Local New Beers*
* Upland Komodo Dragon Fly Black IPA
* Upland Teddy Bear Kisses - An Imperial Stout aged on Fair Trade Cocoa Nibs*

Last chance to pick up Bell's Oberon 5L mini Keg!


Just Found in the cellar - Stone Emperial IPA brewed in June 2010.   Drink it now or continue to cellar for a year or more!

From Bill at Crown Liquors at Ohio and Delaware in Indianapolis:
New this week at Crown Wine and Spirits- Ohio and Delaware - Downtown Indy

New Belgium Abbey, Trippel, and La Folie
Upland Teddy Bear Kisses
Bell's Best Brown 5L Mini-Kegs
He'Brew Jewbelation 14
Thirsty Dog Pumpkin Ale
Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest

and the Seasonal return of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Friday's tasting (3pm-7pm) will feature the NB Abbey, Trippel, Brooklyn BCS, and SN Northern Hemisphere. Hope to see you then!

Also, don't forget our Fall Taster, Friday, October 29th, from 4-8pm!

From Joe at Crown Liquors on US31 (Near Borders) in Greenwood:

On the 22nd from 5-10 PM we will be tasting:

Bell's - Oarsman
Hoppin' Frog - Frog's Hallow Double Pumpkin Ale
New Belgium - Tripel (Brand New)
Guinness - Foreign Export Stout (Brand New to the US!)

Other new brews this week include:

Bell's - Winter White
Upland - Komodo Dragon Black IPA
New Belgium - Abbey Ale (Brand New)
Boulevard - Smokestack Series: SeeYouLator Doppelbock (Brand New)
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
From Josh at United Package Liquors (Countyline & Meridian):
New beer in stock-

New Belgium Lips of Faith Sahti
New Belgium Lips of Faith La Folie
New Belgium Abbey
New Belgium Tripple
Boulevard Seeyoulater Doppelbock
Bell's Best Brown
Bell's Best Brown 5-liter cans
Bell's Double Cream Stout
Duvel gift set with glass
Mad River John Barleycorn
Abita S.O.S.
From the Distributors

From Greg at Cavalier Distribution:
Cavalier is proud to introduce Rust Belt Brewery to Indiana!!  Rust Belt is from Youngstown, OH & we have 3 of their beers currently available in 22oz bottles:
  • Coke Oven Stout
  • Old Man Hopper's IPA
  • Rusted River Red Ale 
The following Holiday Brews / Ciders are now in stock & available:
  • Breckenridge Christmas Ale
  • Clipper City Winter Storm
  • Great Divide Hibernation Ale
  • He'Brew Jewbilation 14  (14 Hops, 14 Malts, 14 %)
  • JK Scrumpy's Soltice Cider
  • Mendocino Winter Oatmeal Stout 
Founders Harvest Ale is available in select accounts that support the brewery throughout the year.  As always, this special release is very limited and won't be around long.  Drink it fresh, don't age.

In addition to the He'Brew 14th Jewbilation, Shmaltz is releasing a very special Jewbilation Vertical Gift Packfeaturing a bottle each of Jewbilation 8 - 14!!  It also includes a Vertical bottle, which is a blend of all vintages, a glass & candle!!  The Jewbilation 14th and the Vertical Gift pack will both be limited.  Check out the link below for more details:

Thirsty Dog Pumpkin is in stock for the season!!

Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA, fresh/wet-hopped IPA, just arrived and will be available in limited quantities for a limited time.

Weihenstephaner Gift Packs are in stock for the season!!

UPCOMING CAVALIER EVENTS

10/26 Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Tasting @ Enoteca in Goose the Market in Indy, 5 - 7
10/29  Fall Tasting @ Holiday Liquors on Cedar Lake, 7-9
11/11  Holiday Tasting @ Chalet #5 in Goshen, 4:30-6:30
11/12  Imperial Stout Tasting @ Wiseguy's in Merrilllville
11/13  St. John's Seasonal Tasting @ St. John's Liquors 
11/16 Founder's Beer Dinner @ Binkley's in Ripple, 6:30 pm, $40. (more info below)
12/4  Holiday Tasting @ Godfather's in Valpo,  1-3 or 3-5
Upcoming Events

From Mat at Cavalier Distribution:
Founders Beer Dinner at Binkley's on Tuesday, November 16th at 6:30pm - $40 (tax and gratuity included)
Course 1 - Salad of Spinach, Farro, Morels, and Pumpkin with a Quince Vinaigrette / Centennial IPA
Course 2 - Thai Influenced Bouillabaisse / Cerise
Course 3 - Braised Short Ribs with the Flavors of Cheeseburger / Red's Rye
Course 4 - Trio of Pork: Braised Belly with Apple Cider Reduction and Rainbow Chard Pulled with Minus 8 Verjus and Spice, Grilled Tenderloin with Cauliflower & Artichoke couscous and Chestnut Butter / Nemesis
Course 5 - Flourless Chocolate Cake with Honey Scented Goat's Cheese & Pink Salt / Breakfast Stout


This Just In


@Indy CM: The official countdown has begun: Only 34 days until Tomlinson Tap Room opens in City Market, selling Indiana's finest craft beer!
No comments:

21 October 2010

Notes from the Beer and Chocolate Benefit

Hoosier Beer Geek would like to thank the folks who helped us make our first Beer and Chocolate Benefit such a success. First off, we'd like to thank everyone who bought tickets and joined us for the evening. Your donations are on their way to the fine folks at Second Helpings. We couldn't have done it without the fantastic contributions from Best Chocolate In Town, Upland, Sun King, and the amazing staff and facility at Ball & Biscuit.


In case you missed it - or wanted to be reminded of what you had - the menu was as follows:

Upland Wheat + Lemon Chiffon Truffle
White Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Shell with Yellow Dot Decoration


Three Floyds Robert The Bruce + Ginger Wasabi Truffle
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Shell w/ Crystalized Ginger Decoration


Founders Centennial IPA + Honey Lavender Truffle
White Chocolate Ganache and Shell
Purple Swirls Decoration


Sun King Barrel Aged Das Buffalo + Tiramisu Truffle
Milk and White Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Shell with Milk Chocolate Stripe


Upland Double Dragonfly + The Gorg (Gorgonzola) Truffle
Dark Chocolate Ganache and Shell
Toasted Walnut Decoration


Upland Teddy Bear Kisses + Fiery Pepper Truffle
Dark Chocolate Ganache and Shell
Paprika Dusting Decoration


These events are as much fun to put on as they are to attend, and it's a credit to our readership that things go so well. We're just getting started! Stay tuned, we hope to put something together before the end of the year.
No comments:

KOTBR #113 - Schlafly at Barley Island Broad Ripple

Roundtable 113 marked a return to Broad Ripple's Barley Island Restaurant and Brewhouse for part of their ongoing guest brewery series of events. The guest brewery this time out was St. Louis' Schlafly - long time friends of Hoosier Beer Geek. We roundtabled two Schlafly beers - Schlafly Hop Harvest and Schlafly Pumpkin.

If you've followed HBG for a while now, you might have noticed that this isn't the first time we've drunk Schlafly pumpkin. It is, however, the first time we've assigned it a mug score. KOTBR #113 also marks the first time we've ever drank in front of a baby whose father later missed the deadline for turning in his reviews. Luckily we caught the highly elusive baby on film, and will count that as a contribution from the father. This time. Chris.




Schlafly Hop Harvest - I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that this beer was not at all what I expected. I anticipated a floral hop explosion, but instead got a relatively mild beer in comparison to other wet hop ales. For me, the predominate note in this beer was a sweet, funky apple character with a moderate hop bite. In fact, Hop Harvest kind of reminded me of a Belgian blond ale. But even though Hop Harvest was not like other wet hop ales, it was a good enough that I'd certainly buy it again. 3.60 Mugs.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale - Okay . . . I'm going to trot out the old cliché here, but it's the best I can do because it is the best description for the beer -- Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is literally like having pumpkin pie in liquid form. Indeed, for me, no other pumpkin ale I've had captures a true pumpkin pie flavor as does Schlafly Pumpkin Ale. It's all there in the beer: pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. Schlafly, however, ups the ante with the addition of butternut squash. Rich, sweet, malty -- I love this beer, and I don't typically like pumpkin ales. Perfection . . . 5.00 Mugs.


Schlafly Hop Harvest - This beer is certainly not your typical... okay, this beer is anything but typical. With a name like Hop Harvest, I was expecting something big and hoppy. That's not exactly what I got. I was welcomed with aromas of oranges and herbal hops, leading me to believe my assumptions were correct. What followed up was the combination of many typical hop flavors such as lemon, grapefruit and spruce, but everything was combined in a heavy, yeasty body. Something that walked the line between IPA and Hefeweizen. This was certainly an interesting beer, but in the end I was left wishing this beer knew what it was, or at least I knew what it was. 3.2 mugs.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale - Pumpkin ales come in two varieties: spice and vegetable. On one end of the spectrum you have the sweet, squash-like flavor of pumpkin. On the other end, you have huge spice notes of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Brewers typically aim for some balance between the two. I'll admit that I'm typically not a fan of the pumpkin ales that are too much spice and not enough pumpkin, but Schlafly somehow pulls it off perfectly. Up front this beer this beer smells like chai, cinnamon and anise. The beer itself is very spicy, with all of the typical pumpkin spices, plus muscavado sugar (think gingerbread) and pumpkin. Literally like a pumpkin pie. Despite how spicy it is, I can't think of anything I would do to change this beer. 3.8 mugs.


Schlafly Hop Harvest - This was the shocker of the evening, not giving me what I wanted but not yet a disappointment. This was a lightly hopped beer with lots of oranges and pine notes in the nose. The flavor was more of a saison without all the coriander flavor and just a little funk to it. I was surprised that there wouldn't be more of a hop kick in the flavor and also found myself a little disappointed that something that smelled big only tasted like a farmhouse ale. 3.48 Mugs.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale - I love that this was served in a fancy tulip glass; finally, a pumpkin ale that isn't about getting hosed, right? Wrong - this is one big pumpkin ale at 8% ABV and is a huge spice bomb. It balances out with a nice sweet, squash flavor and makes me want to dollop on the whipped cream. I get lots of ginger, chai and brown sugar notes in this decadent ale. I would recommend this to be brought to the family Thanksgiving and to be paired with either sweet potato or pumpkin pie. It also would be perfect to make a beer float out of! 4.20 Mugs.


I am completely smitten with this beer. Every year it comes out I can't wait to try it and when I do I want to drink my weight in it. And since it is only around a short amount of time and it is around 8% abv, I never feel like I get my fill. This beer is solely responsible for turning my pumpkin beer frown upside down. What I love most about this beer is the combination of spicy flavors and full mouthfeel. I agree with Jim's sentiment that it is truly like pumpkin pie in a glass, that is undoubtedly true. 5 Mugs.

Schlafly Hop Harvest
Mike: 3.0 Mugs | Gina: 3.3 Mugs | Jim: 3.6 Mugs | Chris: 3.2 Mugs | Rodney: 3.2 Mugs | Jess: 3. 48 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.29 Mugs

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Mike: 4.25 Mugs | Gina: 5.0 Mugs | Jim: 5.0 Mugs | Rodney: 3.8 Mugs | Jess: 4.20 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.45 Mugs
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17 October 2010

Indiana's New Brewery Jungle: Checking In On Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company

Back in late July we tried to get you up to speed on the new craft breweries that are soon to call the great Indianapolis area home. Since that time there have been even more new brewery annoucements - 10 total at last count. We stopped in at perhaps one of the most prominent - Scotty Wise's Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company - to see how the space is coming together.

The building's outside shell remains the same, but the plans below give a better idea of what's to come.

The restaurant/dining space proposal calls for a patio to extend from the north side of the entrance, wrapping around the Broad Ripple Avenue end (and giving a clear view of Monon trail traffic and the scenic McDonald's building across the street).


A grain silo will sit adjacent the brewery entrance. The silo will sit on a scale, allowing brewery staff to keep close track of materials.


A panorama of the under contruction space from the front door (click image to enlarge). One thing worth mentioning here is that the space will hold both a restaurant and brewery, and is split in order to function as both. The brewery space will only occupy the western half of the building.


The former Sunflower Market walk-in produce cooler will now hold the brewery's brite tanks.


This space (located in the building's northwest corner) will house the brewhouse portion (the mash tun and kettle in this diagram) of the brewery's equipment. The building's north side windows will be extended east to reveal the brewhouse to Broad Ripple Avenue traffic.


These two rooms - built on the west wall of the space - will house the mill room and water treatment sections of the brewery. The brewery plans to utilize an reverse osmosis water treatment system in addition to city and softened water.


The brewery will start with four fermentation tanks, but has plenty of room to expand with demand.

Thr3e Wise Men head brewer Omar Castrellon repeatedly mentioned his pleasure at the way things were coming together, being sure to mention that the crew of riggers and fitters helping put things together have done an excellent job. Omar would not speculate on when he thought things would be ready, though Thr3e Wise Men owner Scott Wise said he was hoping for a January 1st opening for the space in a recent email.
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