30 December 2013

The 2013 Hoosier Beer Geek Readers Choice Awards

Every year since 2008, we've asked our readers to tell us their favorites in Indiana beer. We've finally compiled the results of our readers survey for 2013, so let's start with the demographics:

Numbers: 499 people took the survey, which is the most we've ever had respond.

Location: Not surprisingly, 481 (96%) of survey respondents were from Indiana. Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia (hi Rod and Jess!) also contributed two or more respondents.

Education: In an optional question, we asked readers to tell us their education level. Most of our readers hold an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree/doctorate (70% of readers in all). Another 18% hold a trade school or high school diploma. And the rest of our survey respondents attended one of the following esteemed institutions:  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Starfleet Academy, the Vulcan Science Academy, the Imperial Academy of the Galactic Empire, or the Time Lord Academy. Hey geeks!

Age: The average respondent age was 36, which is two years older than the average age from the previous four years. So it looks like our readership is aging right along with us.

Gender: 383 (77%) respondents were male, and 116 (23%) were female. The latter percentage is higher than it's ever been, and we hope to see even more women participating in next year's survey.

Now that we've covered the demographics, let's get to your choices for the best in Indiana beer. We'll list the top five in each category, along with the city where the brewery is located and the percentage of votes received.

Favorite Brewery

In this question, we asked readers to choose their favorite Indiana brewery, regardless of whether it was a production brewery or a brewpub. It will probably be no surprise to anyone that Three Floyds took the top spot, just as they have every year in our readers survey. A strong response from the Michiana area this year allowed Iechyd Da from Elkhart to secure the number two spot, moving up from number four last year. Rounding out the top five breweries were Indianapolis breweries Sun King, Flat12, and Bier, who all placed in the top five last year, with Sun King edging out Flat12 for the third spot by one vote. New to the top five this year is Indy's Triton Brewing Company, who tied with Bier for the number five spot.

1. Three Floyds Brewing - Munster (24%)
2. Iechyd Da Brewing Company - Elkhart (19%)
3. Sun King Brewing Company - Indianapolis (8%)
4. Flat12 Bierwerks - Indianapolis (8%)
5. (tie) Bier Brewery - Indianapolis (7%)
Triton Brewing Company - Indianapolis (7%)

Favorite Brewpub

In this question, we asked readers to choose their favorite brewpub, which we defined as a brewery that offers a full food menu. We further asked readers to base their choice on the entire brewpub experience (i.e., food, beer, and atmosphere). As mentioned above, Michiana readers came out in force in responding to this year's survey. So we have a new top brewpub in the state:  Iechyd Da, which unseats Three Floyds as the top brewpub. Completing the top five are two brewpubs that are longtime reader favorites, Brugge Brasserie and Broad Ripple Brewpub, which goes to show that Indiana's oldest brewpubs continue to do things right. Newcomer Black Acre slots in at number four, reflecting the Irvington brewpub's quick ascendance in the Indianapolis scene.

1. Iechyd Da Brewing Company - Elkart (26%)
2. Three Floyds Brewing - Munster (14%)
3. Brugge Brasserie - Indianapolis (10%)
4. Black Acre Brewing Company - Indianapolis (8%)
5. Broad Ripple Brewpub - Indianapolis (6%)

Favorite Craft Beer Retailer

We wanted to know where our readers buy beer for carryout. Once again, Indianapolis-based Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits tops the list.  Michiana's Chalet Party Shoppe chain moves up one spot from last year to number two, pushing last year's number two-ranked retailer Crown Liquors to number three. Big Red Liquors and City Wide Liquors are new to this year's top five.

1. Kahn's Fine Wines & Spirits - Various locations (20%)
2. Chalet Party Shoppe - Various locations (18%)
3. Crown Liquors - Various locations (10%)
4. Big Red Liquors - Various locations (7%)
5. City Wide Liquors - Various locations (6%)

Favorite Craft Beer Bar

In this question, we asked readers to choose their favorite bar or restaurant that places a specific focus on its craft beer selection. Brewpubs with guest taps were not eligible in this category. Just like last year, Twenty Tap earned the top spot. South Bend's Fiddler's Hearth moves from last year's number four slot to second. Indianapolis's City Market gem, the Tomlinson Tap Room, enters the top five for the first time at number three. Newcomer Constant Spring earned the fourth place spot, and the Indy's northside favorite, the Ale Emporium, falls from second choice last year to fifth this year.

1. Twenty Tap - Indianapolis (19%)
2. Fiddler's Hearth - South Bend (13%)
3. Tomlinson Tap Room - Indianapolis (7%)
4. Constant Spring - Goshen (4%)
5. Ale Emporium - Indianapolis (3%)

Favorite Beer Event

Over the last five years, the number of Indiana-based craft beer events has grown substantially, so the choice for top event this year was more difficult. Three events staged by the Brewers of Indiana Guild made the top five (that couldn't be because of who coordinates the festival volunteers, could it?), with the Guild's largest event, the Indiana Microbrewers Festival, taking first place. Upland's Sour Wild Funk Festival made the top five again, and Sun King's inaugural CANvitational is new to the top five.

1. Brewers of Indiana Guild's Microbrewers Festival (22%)
2. Brewers of Indiana Guild's Winterfest (18%)
3. Sun King CANvitational (13%)
4. Upland Sour Wild Funk Festival (5%)
5. Brewers of Indiana Guild's Bloomington Craft Beer Festival (5%)

Most Anticipated New Brewery

In this question, we asked readers which new brewery they most looked forward to. We defined new breweries as those slated to open in late 2013 or in 2014. In answering this question, readers had a lot of choices. It looks like folks from Goshen are really eager to see a new brewery in their city because Goshen Brewing Company took the top spot. Indy's Twenty Below and Outliers, both of which are now open, took the next two spots. Rounding out the top five were Indy-area breweries Scarlet Lane and Bent Rail.

1. Goshen Brewing Company - Goshen (19%)
2. Twenty Below at Twenty Tap - Indianapolis (10%)
3. Outliers Brewing Company - Indianapolis (8%)
4. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company - McCordsville (6%)
5. Bent Rail Brewing Company - Indianapolis (5%)

Favorite Sister-State Brewery

In this question, we asked readers to choose their favorite brewery from a state adjacent to Indiana. The choices were also limited to sister-state breweries that distribute in Indiana. This year's top five is almost identical to last year's top five, with Michigan breweries dominating the list. Founders edged out Bell's for the number one ranking by one vote. Goose Island once again came in third. Dark Horse is new this year at number four. And Jolly Pumpkin is fifth again, but unlike last year, they share that spot with New Holland.

1. Founders - Michigan (29%)
2. Bell's - Michigan (28%)
3. Goose Island - Illinois (6%)
4. Dark Horse - Michigan (6%)
5. (tie) Jolly Pumpkin - Michigan (5%)
New Holland - Michigan (5%)

In closing, we thank our readers for participating in the survey this year! We hope you'll participate in the survey for 2014.

27 December 2013

KOTBR #153 - Camaraderie and Short Prose

Jim writes:

At one time, Hoosier Beer Geek's stock-in-trade was the beer roundtable. This was the whole reason the blog started seven years ago:  the beer review. Twice a month, we, as the Knights of the Beer Roundtable, would gather at someone's house, at a brewery, or at a bar to drink and review beer. Then we'd post our reviews, which usually focused on some sort of weird theme.

We don't do much reviewing anymore because we're busy old folks, but also because we came to realize that the value of the roundtable is not in the reviews themselves but in the fact that we get to see each other and enjoy each other's company (which these days doesn't happen often enough).

In short, camaraderie is the value of the roundtable.

So last week, we gathered for our seventh and final roundtable of the year. Ostensibly, this was going to be a holiday beer roundtable, but we really used it as an excuse to clear out our beer cellars and, yes, to renew our sense of camaraderie. Here are some thoughts on some of the beers from that benevolent beer gauntlet, conveyed in the spirit of the Four Word Film Review because no one likes long beer reviews. But I'm going to cheat a little and use five words for each beer instead of four:

The Bruery 2 Turtle Doves: Toasted pecans, not roasted birds.

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter vertical (2011, 2012, & 2013): Younger Klaus is better Klaus.

August Schell Star of the North Berliner Weisse: Screw winter; summer beer's here.

AleSmith Yule Smith Imperial Red Ale: Just a jolly red DIPA.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn: Seventeen malts and hops. Meshuggah.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2013): Jump, java, and wail, man.

Goose Island King Henry (2012): Hail the Monarch of Barleywines!

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler: Don't wait; join #TeamRadler now.

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza: Christmas spices. Tart finish. Excelente.

Perennial Sump Coffee Stout: Sump pumped up something delicious.

Four from the Bruery:  2 Turtle Doves, 3 French Hens, 4 Calling Birds, and 6 Geese a-Laying

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter Vertical (2011, 2012, and 2013)



Perennial Abraxas Imperial Stout

August Schell Star of the North Berliner Weisse

AleSmith Yule Smith Imperial Red Ale

Jackie O's Mystic Mama IPA

Jackie O's Chomo-Lungma Honey Nut Brown Ale

Jason writes:

Hanukkah, Christmas
Yuletide, Saturnalia,
Kwanza, Festivus.

Holidays are here.
Here is my gift to you all:
Haiku beer review.

2 Turtle Doves makes
Mick Jagger sing brown sugar
Why you taste so good?

3 French Hens: boozy.
A fresh Belgian dark cookie
Like mom never made.

4 Calling Birds: ginger.
Skipper too. Professor builds
Coconut brewhouse.

6 Geese-a-laying:
Syrup sweet and quite a treat.
Will not hiss at you.

Alpha Klaus Vert.
Eleven, eh. Twelve, okay.
Thirteen: Yes! Hops! Best!

A cowboy meal: Sump.
Sam Elliot wakes up to
Whiskey and coffee

Abraxas coffee.
Taste of cocoa, not much else.
I pity the fool

The Star of the North
Makes me head for the mountains
Of some other beer.

Yulesmith: may be red.
But IPA, IPA,
It’s an IPA

Chomo-lungma: Dude.
Honey Nut Cheerios, but
With brown and not milk.

Mystic Mama says
Come here Big Daddy. Suck my
Hoppy Titties. What?

Hey Pumpkin Head!
Noel de Calabaza.
Says to pucker up!

Raspberry Tart says
Hey raspberry puss, you should
pucker up too, pal!

Haiku Remix One:
Mix Sump and Raspberry Tart
Chocofruitywow.

This is not Kosher.
Jewbelation Reborn is
Bottle of pulled pork.

Haiku Remix Two:
Mix Reborn and Radler for
A luau pig beer.

BCS Coffee:
more coffee than Sump, it’s in
My head, might be dead.

Firestone Walker
Fifteenth Anniversary.
Big name, but big taste.

Sigh. My true beer love.
King Henry, I wish I were
Heir to your fortune.

Parabola is
Chocolate milk in the form
Of a tasty beer.

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2013)

Goose Island King Henry Barleywine (2012)

Firestone Walker Parabola Imperial Stout (2011)

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Perennial Sump Coffee Stout (2013)

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Fin
We at Hoosier Beer Geek hope you've had a great holiday season. Cheers to more great beer in 2014!

Random Beer Roundup: The Happy New Year Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change
           


The Brewers


F
rom David at Triton Brewing

TRITON HOUSE BREWS 
Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, Alt Lang Syne, Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Nitro Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Gingerbread Brown, Headsplitter­­ Imperial IPA, Midnight Rail Black IPA, Nobody’s F’Alt Oktoberfest & Three Tine Triple
GUEST BREWS
Against The Grain Brewery’s Bitter As Appropriate, Against The Grain KY Ryed Chiquen, Crispin Hard Cider, Country Boy Brewing Right Good Wheat with Blackberries, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Moinette Belgian Blonde, New Day Meadery Southcider, Widmer’s Omission Lager and Widmer’s Omission Pale Ale 
TRITON BREWING EVENTS 
Tuesday, December 31st, New Year’s Eve, Triton Brewing will be open for Holiday Package sales, 2-7:30pm! 
Wednesday, January 1, Triton closed! Happy New Year! 
Friday & Saturday, January 17-18, Columbus Beer Fest, at the Columbus Convention Center-Columbus, OH. For tickets and more information, check out: www.columbusbeerfest.com.

From Matt at Cutters Brewing

The brewery will be open for samples and carryout sales on New Years Eve until 6 pm and closed on New Years Day. Hours for all other days will remain the same, open until 6 pm Monday-Friday and from 1-5 pm on the weekends.

On tap at the brewery: Lost River Blonde, Monon Wheat, Half Court IPA, Floyd's Folly Scottish Ale, Empire Imperial Stout, Pentagon Porter, General Brown's Sour Brown Ale, Anniversary Belgian Brown Ale, Vanilla Bean Infused Empire Stout, and a limited amount of a yet to be named Citra-hopped IPA.

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing


Join us New Years Eve for the tapping of our King Solomon’s Imperial Stout. It will be on all day. You can enjoy a pint of this great beer for only $2.50 every Tuesday!

Here are the other beers that we are pouring at Thr3e Wise Men:
· Snow Bunny Blonde
· Two Lucys Blackberry Wheat
· Bulldog Brown
· Hubbard & Cravens Porter
· Rocky Ripple Pale Ale
· Golden Zoe IPA
· Centennial Martyr Double IPA
· Old 59 Barley Wine
· Up Next: King Solomon’s Imperial Stout which will be tapped on Tuesday December 31st.

Our list of great establishments pouring our beer keeps growing. You can find a full list of locations on our website.

Are you a bar/restaurant owner and interested in Thr3e Wise Men Beer? Let us know and we will come speak with you about our great list of beers and support that we can offer.


From Valerie at Flat 12 Bierwerks:  

Anniversary Party #3. Jan 4th. 11 am-8pm. We'll have Winter Cycle Double IPA, an estimated 40+ beers on tap including barrel-aged and cask beers, a big tent, live music from Coolidge, Scribble and Caveman Truck and more. Frequently asked questions? Please consider the attached poster your personal invite to the anniversary party. We appreciate what you do for the local beer community and hope you'll be able to come by and celebrate this milestone.


Also on the docket:

01/16/2014 Reel to Reel - Flat 12's local Film Night
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
01/18/2014 An Evening with Heroes
6:30 pm - 11:00 pm
01/25/2014 - 01/26/2014 Brews in the Barn
5:30 pm - 12:00 am
02/01/2014 WinterFest
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
02/08/2014 Lafayette Winter Warmer-SOLD OUT
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
02/15/2014 USA vs RUSSIA - Flat 12 Olympic Hockey Viewing Party 
Currently in the taproom: two hold-outs from 12 Chefs of Christmas and a couple other specialties.

Clown Tears Extra PaleGrampa’s Glazed Ham PorterWalkabout Pale AleLacto-Matic Milk StoutGlazed Ham PorterFlat Jack Pumpkin AleHalf Cycle IPAUpside Down BlondeHello My Name is Amber AlePogue’s Run Porter



Bars, Restaurants, Carryout, & Distributors

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse:
All Scotty’s Brewhouse locations will be tapping Thr3e Wise Men’s King Solmons Imperial Stout on New Years Eve! Come by and bring in the new year with a pint of this tasty beer.

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th Street & Downtown Indianapolis are both pouring some Sun King Maluis Pi! Come enjoy a 48oz Pitcher of this tasty fruit beer on Thursday for only $7.00.

Scotty’s Brewhouse Mishawaka is now serving Founder’s Breakfast Stout. Join us on Thursday for a $2.50 pint of this delicious beer or any of our other 30 taps.

From Mark at Lino's in Speedway:

Tap takeover pint night with New Albanian Brewing, Jan. 17, 5:30PM at Lino's. Event page: www.facebook.com/events/539188492844490/.


From Mike at Yogi's in Bloomington:
 Visit www.yogis.com and check out our updated draft list on the homepage.

From Eric at Zink Distributing:
Now that Christmas is in our rearview and we’re gearing up for New Year’s, it’s time to decide what beer will help keep out the winter chill. Widmer Brothers has a true Winter Warmer in the Widmer BRRR that’s up to the task.

Here’s what the Widmer website says about BRRR: “Warm Up with a Cold One. Or Two. Our winter red ale is the perfect treat, naughty or nice. The deep red body fills your glass and a citrusy hop aroma fills your nose. Then caramel and chocolate malts reward you with a perfectly balanced, malty sweet flavor and velvety finish.”

26 December 2013

The 2013 Hoosier Beer Geek Beer of the Year

Jim writes:

Every December since 2008, we've looked back at all the beers we've had during the year so we can pick our Beer of the Year. Our method for picking the HBG Beer of the Year is unscientific. We don't limit our picks to beers we've reviewed as a group, which is probably a good thing since we don't review beers much anymore. Nor do we limit our picks to Indiana beers; indeed, you'll see that this year's list of favorites includes a mix of beers from Indiana and elsewhere. We also don't limit our picks to new releases; some of us inevitably pick old favorites just because we want to. And we each have different tastes, so we always end up choosing a wide variety of beers each year.

So here's how the process works--

Each of us picks our top five beers along with three beers in the "honorable mention" category. To rank the beers, we award 5 points for each first-place vote, 4 points for each second-place vote, 3 for each third-place vote, 2 for each fourth-place vote, 1 for each fifth-place vote, and 0.5 for an honorable mention.

And which beer ended up in the top spot? You'll probably be happy to see that it's an Indiana beer, but you might (or might not) be surprised by the brewery. This beer won our votes by a pretty substantial margin, which means that almost all of us were impressed by this beer.

This year's Hoosier Beer Geek Beer of the Year is...





Bloomington Brewing Company's 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat

We first had 10-Speed at the Tomlinson Tap Room during one of our monthly Pint Nights. Most of us hadn't had any BBC beers beyond their flagship brew, Ruby Bloom Amber. We were wowed when we finally tried 10-Speed; it was laden with tropical fruit notes and was crisp and refreshing. We're not exaggerating when we say that Three Floyds Gumballhead now has a rival for the best well-hopped wheat beer in the state. At a later Pint Night, we had a cask version of 10-Speed that was dry-hopped with Mosaic hops and infused with grilled pineapple. We adored this version of 10-Speed and were left wishing we could get it year-round. Come May 2014, when 10-Speed is released again (well, we hope it'll be released again), 10-Speed will be in our beer rotation through the spring and summer.

This is the first year we've picked a BBC beer as our beer of the year, and we're guessing that it may happen again in the future based on our experiences with their beers. Our congratulations go out to the BBC crew!

Other Indiana beers received votes from us in our 2013 Beer of the Year poll. Specifically, offerings from Bier, Black Acre, Flat12, Fountain Square, Iechyd Da, New Day Meadery, The RAM, Sun King, Three FloydsUnion, and ZwanzigZ pleased our palates this year.

So without further ado, here's our list of all beers that received votes, ranked in order of points received. Indiana breweries are in italics, along with the city in which the brewery is located. The states/countries for non-Indiana breweries are also listed.

The Top Five:

1. Bloomington Brewing Company 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat - Bloomington

2. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine - Illinois

3. (tie) Perennial Abraxas (Imperial Stout) (2013) - Missouri
Sun King Afternoon Delight (Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Doppelbock) - Indianapolis

5. Stiegl Grapefruit Radler (look for #TeamRadler on Twitter; join the team now!) - Austria

The Rest of the Best:

6. (tie) Flat12 Corsair Gin-Barrel-Aged Cucumber Kolsch - Indianapolis
Three Floyds Alpha King (American Pale Ale) - Munster

8. (tie) Baxter Stowaway IPA - Maine
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2013) - Illinois
Union Brewing Company Miami Weisse (Berliner Weisse) - Carmel

11. (tie) Black Acre Citra Pale (Pale Ale) - Indianapolis
Founders Sweet Repute (Wheatwine) - Michigan
New Glarus Berliner Weisse - Wisconsin
Prairie Standard (Saison/Farmhouse Ale) - Oklahoma
Rivertown Ville de Rivere Gueuze - Ohio

16. (tie) Against the Grain Bo and Luke (Imperial Stout) - Kentucky
Iechyd Da Breakfast Cookies Milk Stout - Elkhart

18. (tie) Black Acre Hop Pun DIPA - Indianapolis
Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne (Flanders Red Ale) - Belgium
The Bruery 3 French Hens (Belgian-Style Strong Dark Ale) - California
The Bruery Melange No. 3 (American Strong Ale) - California
New Glarus Serendipity (Fruit Ale) - Wisconsin
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy (Imperial Stout) - Colorado
Urban Chestnut Berliner Weisse - Missouri

25. Sun King Shake Up (Berliner Weisse-Style Ale/Fruit Ale) - Indianapolis

26. (tie) The Alchemist Heady Topper (Imperial IPA) - Vermont
Bier Pumpkin Porter - Indianapolis
MKE O-Gii (Witbier) - Wisconsin
New Day Gin-Barrel-Aged Shelby Blue Ribbon (Strawberry/Rhubarb Mead) - Indianapolis

30. (tie) Flat12 Lebowski's Kolsch - Indianapolis
Fountain Square Hop Your Face (Imperial IPA) - Indianapolis
Jackie O’s Chuma-Lungma Honey Nut Brown Ale - Ohio
Local Option Bierwerker Schmetterling Gose - Illinois
Local Option Bierwerker American Muscle New World DIPA - Illinois
Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s (IPA) - Colorado
Pipeworks Ninja v. Unicorn DIPA - Illinois
The RAM Double Down (Imperial IPA) - Indianapolis/Fishers
Sun King Dominator Doppelbock - Indianapolis
Sun King Grapefruit Jungle (IPA) - Indianapolis
Sun King Malus Pi (Fruit Ale) - Indianapolis
Sun King/Three Floyds Royal Brat (ESB) - Indianapolis/Munster
Three Floyds Evil Power (Imperial Pils) - Munster
Three Floyds In the Name of Suffering (Black IPA) - Munster
ZwanzigZ Fastenbier Rauchbier - Columbus

In our list, IPAs and Pale Ales are certainly well-represented, and so are Berliner Weisses. This latter choice reflects our belief (albeit not a universal belief among us) that a beer doesn't have to be "big" to be flavorful.

Here are the votes from each Knight of the Beer Roundtable:

Jim:

It's always challenging to pick just five beers, but here are the ones that left me with the best beer memories of 2013:

1. Bloomington Brewing Company 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat. The tropical notes, crispness, and sweet notes in this beer combine to produce a stunner. The cask version of 10-Speed that was dry-hopped with Mosaic hops and infused with grilled pineapple is amazing and now has a place in my top five beers of all time. BBC is a brewery that definitely deserves your attention.

2. Union Brewing Company Miami Weisse Berliner Weisse. Berliner Weisse is one of my favorite styles. Union's offering was unique because it was from a cask. Ever had a Berliner Weisse with a silky mouthfeel? If you haven't, go to Union and give Miami Weisse a try.

3. Black Acre Citra Pale Ale. Black Acre has become my favorite brewpub, and I know I'm not alone in that opinion. Their house beers are always high quality, no matter the style. And if you crave Three Floyds Zombie Dust like I do, you'll find a more-than-worthy rival in Black Acre's Citra Pale.

4. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout. I'm elated to finally have Oskar Blues in Indiana because Ten Fidy is my go-to imperial stout. Why? Because it's hefty without being boozy; it's flavorful yet smooth; and it's packed with lovely chocolate notes. I always have room for a 4-pack in my fridge.

5. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine. I don't like barley wines, but I love this one. The aging of this beer in a second-use Bourbon County Stout barrel imparts nice chocolate undertones to the bready malt to produce a winner.

Honorable mention:

- Local Option American Muscle DIPA. I may not be metal enough to have the bartenders at Local Option treat me nicely, but damn, is this beer amazing! Next time I visit Local Option, I'll have to wear my Motorhead t-shirt to the pub.
- Sun King Shake Up. Another Berliner Weisse-style ale on my list. Tart, refreshing, lovely. Please make this every summer, Sun King . . . please.
- Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. What's not to like in a grapefruit soda/lager hybrid? Join #TeamRadler before it's too late, kids.

Jake:

1. Flat12 Corsair Gin Barrel Cucumber Kolsch
2. Sun King Afternoon Delight
3. Bloomington 10-Speed on cask w/ grilled pineapple
4. Against the Grain Bo and Luke
5. Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Honorable Mention:

- Local Option Schmetterling Option Gose
- Three Floyds In the Name of Suffering
- New Glarus Serendipity

Kristin:

1. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine
2. Baxter Stowaway IPA
3. Rivertown Ville De Rivere Gueuze
4. The Bruery 3 French Hens
5. Bier Pumpkin Porter

Honorable mentions: Jackie O's Chuma-Lungma Honey Nut Brown, Sun King's Malus Pi

Matt:

Every year we do this I always struggle with trying to narrow down beers to just five. I had the pleasure of having some really amazing beers this year. I always struggle with "what was the best beer I had this year." Do you rank it based on style or creativity? What about for volumes sake? The beer I consumed the most this year probably needs to be on the list, doesn't it? Here is my list:

1. Three Floyds Alpha King

This beer takes number one for the simple reason of how fantastic a beer it is. I consumed more of this beer this year than any other, and almost always had a sixer in my fridge. This beer is as good as it has ever been, and for me is going to remain at the top spot as long as I drink good beer.

2. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Yes, an InBev product made my list. This year's Bourbon County Coffee Stout was one of the very best beers I've ever had. In all aspects of what I look for in a beer, it was almost perfect. This beer had an amazing beginning, middle, and end. The fresh-packed smell of coffee, zero alcohol burn, and toasted chocolate marshmallows was a real winning combination.

3. New Glarus Berliner Weisse

I've always had an affinity for the Berliner Weisse style, and I seek them out if I can get my hands on them. I've had my fair share of beers in the style, but from my first sip of this beer I knew it was something special. Everything in the beer worked in harmony and the first sip was every bit as good as the last. New Glarus always brews amazing beers and this one did not disappoint.

4. Iechyd Da's Breakfast Cookies Milk Stout

I've really been super impressed with all of the beers I've had from Iechyd Da out of Elkhart. This sweet stout was not cloying or over the top sweet, but a very nice and refreshing take on a milk/sweet stout. I'm already looking forward to hitting them up many times at Winterfest this year.

5. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

Another InBev product on the my list....(Man, is this guy an asshole or what?) I love English Barleywines and we sadly do not get many here in Indiana. We get some American Barleywines that are really malty DIPA's, but this beer was also nearly perfect to me. The base of the beer was chewy, dark fruits with notes of molasses and figs rounded out with vanilla and oak from the barrel aging. The toffee and caramel back bite gave this beer a near palate overload from start to finish.

Honorable mentions:

- ZwanzigZ's Fastenbier Rauchbier. I am continually impressed with the beers coming out of Columbus's ZwanzigZ, and this smoke beer is no exception.
- Pipework's Ninja vs. Unicorn DIPA. A welcome surprise when I found a bottle in Chicago. This is a citrus lover's DIPA.
- Flat 12's Lebowski's Kolsch. I thought there was no way this beer was going to work, but I'll be damned if it was fantastic and very memorable. More so than that was that I loved the beer.

Jason:

I’m not sure which is tougher… picking out my five favorites of the year or remembering what all I had tasted. Between festivals, tailgates, parties, etc., I have sampled a lot of beers. So I am limiting my top five to beers I consumed a glass, can, or bottle of. And here are the beers that stand out in my mind.

1. Bloomington Brewing Company 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat dry-hopped with Mosaic and infused with fresh grilled pineapple: Set up in a firkin Tomlinson Tap Room, the infused hoppy wheat was love at first site. The regular hoppy wheat is good. It is definitely a competitive alternative to that other hoppy wheat beer from Indiana.

2. Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine: King Henry is probably my favorite beer of all time. Big boozy beer in a bourbon barrel? Yes please. Bourbon County Barleywine is not as well balanced and blended as King Henry, but damn it is good. Enjoyed on tap at Shoefly.

3. Founders Sweet Repute Wheatwine: Big boozy beer in a bourbon barrel? Yes please. Whoa! Déjà vu! A seriously sweet beer that was happily consumed at Mass Ave Pub.

4. Black Acre Hop Pun Double IPA: I have a hard time drinking at any other place than Black Acre. Their house-brewed beers are great. Their guest list is great. And it is two blocks from my home. The Hop Pun DIPA is one of my favorites of Black Acre’s and it stands out the most right now.

5. New Glarus Serendipity: I get that people like Wisconsin Belgian Red, but it would not make my top five any year. It’s just not for me. So I was not expecting to enjoy Serendipity. But the blend of fruits in this beer makes for a refreshing, flavorful beer. Not often that a fruit beer stands out for me. I want to go to the Old Fashioned in Madison, Wisconsin and drink another glass of Serendipity. And then go and buy a case. Seriously good.

Honorable Mentions:

- Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s: Welcome to Indiana, Oskar Blues! The Deviant Dale’s found a reserved spot in my beer fridge.
- Sun King/Three Floyds Royal Brat ESB: Both breweries receive accolades for their crazy beers. But both do “regular” beers well. And this ESB fits the bill. I love a good ESB.
- Sun King Shake Up: I mention this because this is the second fruit beer that stands out in my memory. I can’t drink a pint glass at a time. A snifter would do. A fun beer that should be served every year at the State Fair.

Gina:

Yikes. I had a hard time narrowing down my picks for this year. My ground rules for picking were only limited to full pours of any beer I had this year.

1. Perennial Abraxas (all variations) - This got my top spot for a couple reasons, the main being that I could have let it and its variations (Coffee, Barrel Aged) dominate half my list, so I compromised.

2. Bloomington 10-Speed - I’ve been so impressed with Bloomington lately. They’ve really been on fire with a wide range of styles and outstanding quality.

3. Stiegl Radler (Grapefruit) - I wanted to drink this more than anything else most of the time. #TeamRadler

4. Urban Chestnut Berliner Weisse - I crave this beer on regular intervals. While I generally love this style anyway, this particular beer held a perfect balance of tart and sweet.

5. MKE O-Gii - I picked up a 4-pack of this while visiting Madison, Wisconsin this summer. This monster beer is infused with Rishi Tea and comes in at 9%.

Oh, honorable mentions too:

- The RAM Double Down
- Sun King Shake Up
- Sun King Dominator Doppelbock

Megan:

#1: Afternoon Delight (Sun King Brewing): GABF was not wrong to award this beer a gold. SK does bock beers right, and throwing this one in a Pappy Van Winkle barrel highlights all the right flavors.

#2: Abraxus (Perennial Brewing): Dark and delicious, the cinnamon finish made my heart sing.

#3: Stiegl Radler (Stieglbrauerei zu Salsberg): I know this beer is getting a lot of hype right now, AND THERE'S A REASON FOR IT. It's summertime in a glass; refreshing, slightly sweet, slightly tart...and a low ABV for responsible consumption (whatever that is).

#4: Duchesse de Bourgogne (Brouwerij Verhaeghe): Perfect sour gateway beer. Easy and smooth, perfect blend of sweet and tart.

#5: Heady Topper (The Alchemist): No comment necessary.

Honorable mentions: Grapefruit Jungle (Sun King brewing), Hop Your Face (Fountain Square Brewing), Serendipity (New Glarus)

Rod:

1. Bloomington 10-Speed - I didn't have the pineapple version, but I was completely surprised by how good the regular was at our Bloomington Brewing Company pint night at Tom Tap. Right up there with Gumballhead, maybe better!

2. Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine - Reminiscent of King Henry in a good way. All of the great things about bourbon without so much alcohol.

3. Prairie Standard - My first introduction to this great Saison brewery left a lasting impression. Clearly they are masters of the funk.

4. The Bruery Melange No. 3 - Another example of a great blended beer from The Bruery. Expensive, but surprisingly worth the $30+ price tag. Expertly blended and complex.

5. New Day Gin Barrel Aged Shelby Blue Ribbon - Normally I don't vote for things I had at a beer festival, but I may have drunk a pint's worth. The combination of gin flavors with strawberry and rhubarb was incredible.

Honorable mentions - Against the Grain Bo and Luke, Iechyd Da Breakfast Cookies Milk Stout, Three Floyds Evil Power

Past winners of the Hoosier Beer Geek Beer of the Year Award:

2012: Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner
2011: Three Floyds Zombie Dust
2010: Brugge Brasserie's Spider
2009: Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter (on cask)
2008: Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper (2007)

20 December 2013

Random Beer Roundup - The Holidays Are Better With Beer Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change
           

Take the Hoosier Beer Geek Year-End Readers' Survey.

The Brewers

From Matt at Cutters Brewing

Our holiday hours will be as follows:

Christmas Eve--Open until 2 pm
Christmas Day--Closed
December 26--Open from 1 pm until 6 pm
New Years Eve--Open until 6 pm
New Years Day--Closed

All other days will be regular hours, weekdays until 6 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm until 5 pm.

On tap at the brewery right now:  Lost River Blonde, Monon Wheat, Half Court IPA, Floyd's Folly Scottish, Empire Russian Imperial Stout, Pentagon Porter, General Brown's Sour Brown Ale, Pumpkin Porter, Vanilla Bean Infused Empire, and Anniversary Belgian Brown Ale.  Growler fills start at just $6, and holiday gift certificates are available. 
From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing


We have now tapped our Old 59 Barley Wine! It has been aging for over a year now. Come by and enjoy a 10oz snifter of this delicious beer for only $5.50.

Here are the other beers that we are pouring at Thr3e Wise Men:
· Snow Bunny Blonde
· Two Lucys Blackberry Wheat
· Bulldog Brown
· Hubbard & Cravens Porter
· Rocky Ripple Pale Ale
· Golden Zoe IPA
· Centennial Martyr Double IPA
· Old 59 Barley Wine
· Up Next: King Solomon’s Imperial Stout which will be tapped on Tuesday December 31st.

Our list of great establishments pouring our beer keeps growing. One of our newest locations is The Gathering Bistro & Pub on the Northside of Indianapolis. You can find a full list of locations on our website.

Are you a bar/restaurant owner and interested in Thr3e Wise Men Beer? Let us know and we will come speak with you about our great list of beers and support that we can offer.

2014 is approaching fast and we know that beer events are being planned. If you are interested in having Thr3e Wise Men be at your event please email Ryan Kellerman @ rkellerman@thr3ewisemen.com.

From David at Triton Brewing

TRITON HOUSE BREWS 
Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Nitro Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Gingerbread Brown, Headsplitter­­ Imperial IPA, Midnight Rail Black IPA, Nobody’s F’Alt Oktoberfest &Three Tine Triple
GUEST BREWS
Against The Grain Brewery’s Bitter As Appropriate, Against The Grain KY Ryed Chiquen, Crispin Hard Cider, Country Boy Brewing Right Good Wheat with Blackberries, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Moinette Belgian Blonde, New Day Meadery Southcider, Widmer’s Omission Lager and Widmer’s Omission Pale Ale
TRITON BREWING EVENTS 
Tuesday, December 24, Christmas Eve, Triton Brewing will be open for Holiday Growler fills, 2-7:30pm!

Wednesday, December 25, Triton closed! Merry Christmas from your friends at Triton Brewing Company!
Thursday, December 26, 5pm, Alt Lang Syne Tapping with KG’s Slider Station

Tuesday, December 31st, New Year’s Eve, Triton Brewing will be open for Holiday Growler fills, 2-7:30pm!
Wednesday, January 1, Triton closed! Happy New Year from your friends at Triton Brewing Company!

From Valerie at Flat 12 Bierwerks:  

Anniversary #3

01/04/2014
11:00 am - 8:00 pm

We’ll open the doors an hour early. We’ll throw a tent over the biergarten. Then we’ll fill it with friends and neighbors and some great beer. Tapping – a limited edition Winter Cycle Double IPA (in bottles, too). The beer line-up? It will be extensive and full of surprises including a barrel-aged area and cask table. We’ll have music by Coolidge plus Scribble Food Truck and Caveman Truck to pair your beer with an all-around good time.
Save the date! Fat Tuesday celebration on March 4th.



From Dan at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora: 



Right now at the taproom we have on Blonde Ale, Chocolate Porter, Cherry Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Coconut Porter, Bourbon's Barrel Stout, Dark Lager, Langtree Lager (Classic American Pils made with locally grown corn) and IPA. We are getting ready to get Coconut Porter back on tap on shelves, it is shceduled to be bgrwed early next week.
New accounts in Indiana are Big Red and Sahara Mart in Bloomington.
The new canning line is finally up and working as advertised.

Bars, Restaurants, Carryout, & Distributors

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse:
All Scotty’s stores are still pouring Thr3e Wise Men’s Mount Crumpit Christmas Ale. Come and get it while it’s still available. It is going fast!

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th street Indianapolis has now tapped Sun King’s Malus Pi! Come and get a pint of this very tasty fruit beer on Thursday for only $2.50.

From Eric at Zink Distributing:
This week I’m excited to talk about Urban Chestnut, one of my new favorite breweries. Urban Chestnut out of St. Louis has been available in Indianapolis since 2010 but only in limited quantities. With their new production facility close to being open and a new focus on supporting the great city of Indianapolis, we’re now able to offer an extended version of their lineup. 
Year Round:
Zwickel (Classic Bavarian Style Lager) - Our flagship lager, pronounced ‘zv-ick-el’, is an unfiltered, unpasteurized, German classic that finishes as a smooth-drinking, vitamin rich (from the yeast), naturally cloudy bier.
Winged Nut (Chestnut Ale) - We affectionately refer to the first beer in our Revolution series of modern, American craft beer, as our unusual little bird. It’s a little on the flighty side @ 5.7% ABV, and it’s a little on the wacky side because we brew it with finely milled chestnuts (genus castanea …for you nut freaks), Willamette hops, and we ferment it with a Bavarian Weissbier yeast strain. All of these nuances contribute to its ‘nutty’ personality. 
STLIPA (Double IPA) - We pronounce it “sta-leep-ah”; you pronounce it how you like. STLIPA, which is the acronym for St. Louis India Pale Ale, is actually a DIPA (Double or Imperial IPA, double the stats of a traditional IPA). We hope it’s a “sleepe” that you’ll include in your set of favorite DIPA’s from one of the best beer cities in the world, St. Louis.
Seasonal and/or One-off:
Erlkonig (Pale Wheat Dopplebock) - This Maifest special is sweet, soothing, and a deceptive delight. So much so that it may deceive thy sight. Should you start to see visions of Elf King fame, heed the warnings from where this beer gets its name. Spelled out clearly in the Goethe poem…Hold on tight to a loved one, and head for home.
Pilgrim 7 (Seven Grain Pale Ale) - Harvesters rejoice! In celebration of the seasons of “Reap‟ and “Thanks‟ we introduce this bounty for your table – a sessionable ale brewed with seven (that’s right) seven different grains; Oats, Sorghum, Wheat, Barley, Emmer, Spelt, and Rye. The result…a tasty, “cornucopia of flavors‟ ale.
Dorfbier (Munich Dunkel) - The Dunkel style is what many refer to as the original beer of Munich and the surrounding countryside and villages (Dorf in German) of Bavaria. This everyday beer ranges in color from amber to dark brown, depending on the amount of Munich and roasted malts used. Ours is a deep reddish brown with a rich malty flavor. The sweetness of the malt is balanced by the use of another Bavarian friend…the Hallertau hop…in this specific case Hersbrucker grown near Wolnzach, Hallertau. 
Harwood Myth (English Brown Porter) - This English-style, brown porter has a nicely rounded, roasted malt flavor. You may detect some cocoa and /or caramel surrounding the bitterness on the sides of your tongue.
Stammtisch (German Pilsner) - Stammtisch is an informal group meeting held on a regular basis – more directly translating to ‘table for regulars’. Our Stammtisch was brewed to celebrate this idea of community and socializing. It’s a traditional German pilsner featuring a blend of Hallertau and Strisselspalt hops, and we think it’s the perfect accompaniment to any friendly gathering. Help us make it a ‘regular’ around here! 
Teufelspakt (Schwarzbier) - Our German black lager honors Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the author of “Faust”, who is rumored to have sustained his life during a bout of sickness by drinking only this style of beer. Some may say that you would have to make a deal with the devil to survive solely on beer.

For more info please visit urbanchestnut.com or zinkdistributing.com.

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen & Drinks in Zionsville:
Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville is currently pouring Bloomington Brewing Co. Ruby Bloom Amber, Flat-12 Walkabout Pale, Gaffel Kolsch, Left Coast Hop Juice, Bier's Pumpkin Porter, Sun King's Moonlight Stout (great beer by the way), People's Hop Killa (a deal for the pint), Kentucky Brewing's Bourbon Barrel Ale, Again, the BBC's award winning Rooftop IPA, DareDevil's Carnival (their Saison, and getting rave reviews), as well as our year round offering of La Trappe Quad. We will have their 12 in bottles as well, it is barrel aged...

From Mark at Lino's in Speedway:

Pint Night this Friday, December 20th from 5:30p to 9:00p.
Accumulation White India Pale Ale and Ranger IPA on tap, free New Belgium pint glasses while they last with purchase of a pint and cornhole.
We've just scheduled a tap takeover pint night with New Albanian Brewing, Jan. 17, 5:30PM at Lino's. Event page: www.facebook.com/events/539188492844490/.


From Mike at Yogi's in Bloomington:
 Visit www.yogis.com and check out our updated draft list on the homepage.






13 December 2013

The HBG Indiana Brewery Directory


We try to do our best to keep track of Indiana breweries, though the task is increasingly difficult given the craft brewing explosion in the state. To assist you in figuring out where you might like to try locally-brewed beer, here's our newly-expanded Indiana brewery directory. This directory, which is also accessible through a tab at the top of the page under the blog's header, includes a map and list of current and planned Indiana breweries, articles that we wrote for Indianapolis's Metromix newsweekly (RIP Metromix), and a handy dandy infographic to cap everything off.

If you know of any breweries missing from this directory, let us know at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com so we can add them.

Random Beer Roundup: The WOW That's Good Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Take the Hoosier Beer Geek Year-End Readers' Survey.

The Brewers

From Shane at Daredevil Brewing Co:
This week we announced and shipped our anniversary beer, J.W.P. American Stout and we had the first tapping at MacNiven's on Thursday night and where you can find it until the keg kicks. Look for J.W.P. American Stout on draft throughout our distribution footprint of central and southern Indiana starting next week. 
Looking for Lift Off IPA in cans or on draft? Check out our website for locations or the Beer Spy app. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for our frequent updates.
Daredevil Brewing Co. | Current beers available
Lift Off IPA: Our flagship beer available year round.
A bounty of American Hops delivers the signature clean and crisp finish of a perfectly balanced West Coast style IPA.
J.W.P. American Stout: Our limited release anniversary beer.
Forged from the combination of nine grains and American hops to deliver a huge bouquet of aromas and abundant flavors of rich, silky espresso in an expressive American Stout with the spirit of the Wild West.
Carnival Saison: Our current seasonal Belgian style
A creative and artistic balance of spicy phenols, fruity esters, noble hops and Belgian malts with a classic dry and thirst quenching finish.
From Matt at Cutters Brewing Company
The brewery will be open for tours, samples, growler fills, and six pack and keg sales as usual, Monday-Friday from 3-6pm and Saturdayand Sunday from 1-5 pm. There are still a limited number of Bourbon Barrel Aged Empire 22-ounce bombers for sale at the brewery, and gift cards are also available!

Currently on tap at the brewery: Lost River Blonde, Monon Wheat, Half Court IPA, Floyd's Folly Scottish, Empire Imperial Stout, General Brown Sour Ale, Pentagon Porter, Pumpkin Porter, Rye on the Scarecrow Double Rye IPA, Vanilla Bean Empire Imperial Stout, and our new Anniversary Belgian Brown Ale.

The Anniversary Belgian Brown is a special small batch we brewed on the one year anniversary of our very first brew in our current location. It's currently on tap at the brewery, so come help us celebrate our first year in Avon with a sample and a growler fill!

Growler fills start at just $6, so come stock up on beer for the cold weekend ahead!

From David at Triton Brewing

TRITON HOUSE BREWS 
Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Nitro Dillinger’s Extorter Porter, Gingerbread Brown, Headsplitter­­ Imperial IPA, Bourbon Barrel Railsplitter IPA, Nobody’s F’Alt Oktoberfest & Three Tine Triple
GUEST BREWS
Against The Grain Brewery’s Bitter As Appropriate IPA, Crispin Hard Cider, Country Boy Brewing Right Good Wheat with Blackberries, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Moinette Belgian Blonde, New Day Meadery Southcider, Widmer’s Omission Lager and Widmer’s Omission Pale Ale  
TRITON BREWING EVENTS 
Wednesday, December 18, 5-9pm, #Clustertruck at Triton
Thursday, December 19, 5pm, Midnight Rail Black IPA Tapping with KG’s Slider Station 
Tuesday, December 24, Triton Brewing will be open for Holiday Growler fills, 3-7pm!

Wednesday, December 25, Triton Brewing Company will be closed! Merry Christmas! 
Thursday, December 26 (Canadian Boxing Day), 5pm, Alt Lang Syne with KG’s Slider Station


From Oaken Barrel Brewing Company:

PumKwan Ale is gone! We have a new seasonal beer, the “Undead Red Ale”.
It is a first beer of its kind we have brewed. We have collaborated with
Dill Hero of the Strange Brew Coffee, and made a red ale infused with
roasted coffee. This red ale has a malty characteristics with hint of
coffee flavor. Yes, this beer does contain caffeine.

Bars, Restaurants, Carryout, & Distributors


From Eric at Zink Distributing:
Zink Distributing is proud to introduce a new player in the Indiana beer scene: Carson’s Brewery out of Evansville, IN. The folks at Carson’s have been hard at work perfecting their unique style of brewing. They tend to stray from the ordinary and put a full flavored twist on the standard beer styles. Be among the first to try these hand crafted wonders. 
E’ville American Wheat: This is a hop-forward American style wheat beer. It hits you up front with hints of grapefruit and citrus from the heavy handed use of American hops but finishes light and refreshing. This well rounded beer makes a great go to option all year long. 
Pagan Pale Ale: Carson’s take on the classic American Pale Ale. Pagan leads with citrusy American hops with notes of pineapple and grapefruit, while still maintaining a solid, bready, malt backbone. The crisp, dry finish on this beer leaves you craving another sip. 
Brown Cow Brown Ale: A nutty, malt-forward brown ale with hints of caramel and chocolate. Carson’s uses a small amount of hops to keep Brown Cow from being overly sweet. Back in Head Brewer John Mills home-brewing days, he took best in show at the Indiana Brewer’s Cup with this recipe!

RIPA Red IPA: A truly Midwestern style IPA with an amber hue. Balance is the keyword here. RIPA has big citrusy American hops that sit atop a dry, malty backbone. The caramel hints that come from the delicate use of crystal malt help showcase the hops without overwhelming your palate.
From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen & Drinks in Zionsville:
At Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks we are enjoying pouring the following draft beers: Sun King Moonlight Stout,and their El Gallo Negro IPA, Lexington's Bourbon Barrel Ale, Bier's Tripple, and their 80 Schillings Ale..Gaffel Kolsch, La Trappe Quad, Bloomington Brewing Company Ruby Bloom Amber, and People's Hop Killa, and Triton's Railsplitter IPA!
In the wings we have waiting to be tapped a keg of Bier's Pumpkin Porter, Flat-12's Walkabout Pale, BBC's award winning Rooftop IPA, and Daredevil's Carnival...
From Mike at Yogi's:
 Visit www.yogis.com and check out our updated draft list on the homepage