Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Pale Ales & IPAs

On January 28, the Brewers of Indiana Guild will stage the fourth annual Winterfest, which will of course feature offerings from Indiana's craft breweries. In honor of Winterfest, we've decided to focus most of our posts this month on Indiana beers.

As part of this focus, we thought it would be a good idea to shine the spotlight on Indiana beers that are overlooked or underrated--the unsung heroes of Indiana craft beer, if you will.

Admittedly, our methods in picking these beers were not scientific. Indeed, some of the beers that we'll talk about have won awards, so calling these beers "unsung heroes" might be a bit of a stretch. Moreover, our list is going to focus on only one beer from each Indiana brewery we discuss, and we may have omitted breweries who brew beers worthy of unsung hero status. So leave us a comment noting any beer that you think should have been included in the list.

In our second installment of this series, we reveal our picks from Indiana's pale ales and IPAs.

Broad Ripple Brewpub Lawnmower Pale Ale. Some craft beer aficionados tend to overlook English-style beers because of their mellow flavor profile. But sometimes, an in-your-face hop bomb simply doesn't suit the occasion. Brewed by the granddaddy of Indiana craft breweries, Broad Ripple Brewpub's Lawnmower Pale Ale is an easy-drinking brew that is admittedly tailor-made for those new to drinking craft beer. But if you're looking something sessionable, flavorful, and subtly citrusy, you cannot go wrong with this beer. Perfect for the pub's patio in the July and August heat.

Flat12 Bierwerks Walkabout Pale Ale. This beer originated at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival last summer as part of the ReplicAle program. Under this program, all participating breweries brewed a single-hop pale ale according to the same recipe, but each brewery chose a different hop. For its ReplicAle, Flat12 chose Galaxy hops, a high-alpha hop from Australia--hence, the name "Walkabout." Walkabout was so well-liked that Flat12 decided to brew it again after Winterfest. You'll undoubtedly be seeing more of it around town. We'll have a more detailed write-up on Walkabout soon because we recently reviewed it at a roundtable. For now, know that the citrus and passion fruit notes of this sessionable beer will leave you craving more. We wouldn't be surprised if this beer becomes a local favorite.

Three Floyds Pride & Joy. You may be wondering why a Three Floyds beer is on a list of underrated beers. Doesn't the brewery get enough attention already? Mike recently enjoyed a Pride & Joy on draft at the Tomlinson Tap Room. He explains why we've included this beer as an unsung hero of Indiana craft beer--

While Three Floyds certainly needs no hype, Pride and Joy seems to be an often overlooked selection from their stellar lineup. It's probably no surprise that if you stick your nose in the general vicinity of the beer, a pungent hop aroma jumps out at you. Despite being a "mild ale", the beer has all the big and bold characteristics you'd expect from Three Floyds, but like Gumballhead or Zombie Dust, it rewards the drinking sip after sip, providing full flavor without ever overwhelming the palate.

Pride and Joy slots in between Alpha King and Gumballhead on the IBU scale, and if you're a fan of Floyds in general, the beer won't let you down. I've heard that the bottled version isn't as great - probably due to traffic/freshness if anything - but on tap it's a beer with very few competitors. If Pride and Joy were the only Floyds beer you knew, it would still be worthy of the throne. It's odd to think that the recipe may be 14 years old, and yet the beer is still unique and sort of aggressively yet agreeably great.

While it's hard to call any Floyds beer underrated, Pride and Joy is surely often-forgotten, despite the fact that it's as good or better than many other breweries' flagship beers.

Mad Anthony IPA. When you think of IPAs from Indiana, Mad Anthony is probably not the first beer that comes to mind. Yet we like this beer quite a bit. We tend to think of Mad Anthony IPA as a "workhorse" IPA--steady, dependable, never disappointing. Indeed, it's probably one of the most well-balanced IPAs produced in the state; it toes the line between malty sweetness and citrusy, bitter hoppiness quite nicely. Take it from us: you should not turn your nose up at this beer.

Oaken Barrel Superfly IPA. A 100+ IBU explosion of citrus and pine hop character supported by a toasty and sweet malt backing. What's not to like about this beer? Along with the brewery's Snake Pit Porter (which also could easily be classified as an unsung craft beer hero), Superfly is our go-to beer when we visit Oaken Barrel. If you dig this beer as much as we do, make sure you get a growler before you leave the pub. We've never reviewed Superfly, but that's going to have to change soon.

Rock Bottom College Park Simcoe IPA. Unfortunately, chain brewpubs sometimes get a bad rap. People automatically assume that if it's corporate, it's not worth having. Definitely not so with Rock Bottom. Among the other beers she brews, Rock Bottom College Park's brewmaster Liz Laughlin has a gem with her Simcoe IPA. Yes, we realize that Simcoe IPA is an award-winning beer, so maybe we're cheating by calling it an "unsung hero." And yes, we realize that the beer is a seasonal beer, so its availability is limited and you probably can't get it right now. But we wanted to emphasize that just because it's corporate doesn't necessarily mean that it's not worth having. In other words, you should order this beer when it's on.

Here's what we had to say when we reviewed Simcoe IPA back in 2010:

Mike: A sweet nose with just a hint of candy grapefruit elements gives way to a middle that's lightly woody, piney, and perfectly balanced. The beer finishes chewy and bitter, but with a subtleness that begs for repeated drinking.

Rod: The first thing that jumps out in this IPA, as with most IPAs, is the strong hop bitterness. Strong bitterness, yet moderate for the style. Caramel and sugary sweetness round off the edges of the hops and a soft carbonation level gives it a creamy mouthfeel. Grapefruit and lemon zest are the most prominent, and probably most expected bitter flavors in this beer. Pine and juniper hints give it a pleasantly spicy compliment.

Gina: One whiff of this IPA and I was in heaven. The super strong nose of pine and grapefruit gave way to a sweet, chewy mouthfeel reminiscent of a Double IPA. This beer was big but the flavors playfully remained balanced. There is a line at which hop flavor goes from complex and flavorful to harsh and bitter and this beer seems to walk right up to that line without crossing it. By the time I finished my sip, I was already looking forward to the next.

Previously: Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Lagers

HBG5 featuring Broad Ripple Brewpub

The lineup for our fifth anniversary is a closely guarded secret. Why? Because we're bad salespeople. NO! Because we like to build anticipation. It's fun watching people freak out. And we think we've got a freak-out worthy lineup coming together.

Next up:




Broad Ripple Brewpub

The Broad Ripple Brewpub beer appearing at HBG5 is an either/or. We made two choices.. and we're still waiting to hear.

It will either be:

Wobbly Bob
Light copper in color, this pale ale has a great citrus aroma from generous cascade hopping.

or

Dual Citizenship Ale
With a cooperative blend of both English and American hops and English yeast this lightly-colored amber pale ale has high hop aroma and flavor.

In either case, here's something a little hoppy for you, to go along with the Naughty Girl (Belgian IPA), 12 Cycle (12 hop dryhoped IPA), Nunmoere Black (70 IBUs), Rad Red (Upland's hoppiest regular offering (apart from their DIPA)), and Osiris Pale Ale (an "assertively hopped west coast style pale ale").

Please remember that this list is tentative and subject to change based on availability. We will keep you updated if anything changes.

About HBG5:
It will be held Saturday, August 27th, starting at 6pm. Sun King Brewing will again be hosting us at their brewery at 135 N. College Avenue, Indianapolis. Tickets are $30 (plus $1.99 for online fees) for regular tickets and $15 (plus $1.99 for online fees) for designated drivers. Tickets are available online only and limited to just 150 paying customers. Like beer festivals? Don't like crowds? This is your event. And yes, the tickets are on sale now.

If you didn't attend last year, you can see what you missed here. But if you did attend last year, you'll find it to be similar. We can't promise that Jason will be performing from Cats (or will have a mustache). But here is what we have so far (please note that all of this is subject to change).

Regular attendees will receive a commemorative tasting glass that can be used to sample various quality beers from our favorite Indiana breweries as well as a few other breweries. Additionally, you'll be able to select a few larger pours of your favorite beers. Designated drivers will have a selection of non-alcoholic beverages such as soda, pop, cola... whatever regional term you like. And bottled water, of course.

All attendees will get to enjoy food from Papa Roux. Menu coming shortly. There will be vegetarian options.

And what's a party without gifts? And by gifts, I mean us giving stuff to you! That's right, prizes and giveaways and all sorts of stuff.

We're still filling in all the details, but if you've been to our events, you know it is a good time. And all tickets will be sold online. Tickets are not available at Sun King nor will they be available at the door. So don't miss out.

There are more details coming soon, but here's a reminder of the participating breweries/distributors to wet your whistle -

Barley Island Brewing Company - Barrel-Fermented Rust Belt Porter
Bee Creek Brewing Company - Alien Abduction Wheat
Bier Brewery
Broad Ripple Brewpub - Wobbly Bob OR Dual Citizenship
Brugge Brasserie - Superkitty Fantastico!
Cavalier Distributing
Crown Brewing Company
Flat12 Bierwerks - 12 Cycle IPA and Nunmoere Black
Lafayette Brewing Company
New Albanian Brewing Company - Naughty Girl (Struise Colab)
People's Brewing Company
RAM Brewery - Bjava Disorder Porter
The St. Louis Brewing Company aka Schlafly - Raspberry Coffee Stout
Sun King - House Lineup (Osiris, Bitter Druid, Cream, Wee Mac)
Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company - Hoosier Beer Geek Double Brown
Upland Brewing Company - Rad Red and Mother's Milk
World Class Beverages

We appreciate that you follow us for the latest and craziest in the Indiana craft beer world. And we hope you'll come out and celebrate with us our fifth and perhaps best year of better beer buffoonery.

Metromix 2010 Local Brewing Guide: Broad Ripple Brewpub

Hoosier Beer Geek worked with Metromix to create their 2010 Local Brewing Guide. It was published in the November 18th issue and we are going to republish the interviews we conducted over the next couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Broad Ripple Brewpub, est. 1990
842 E. 65th St., Indianapolis
Website: www.BroadRippleBrewpub.com
Ph: 317-253-2739

When Kevin Matalucci took over as head brewer at the Broad Ripple Brewpub, he had never brewed a beer in his life. He received a five day crash course from departing brewer Ted Miller (now owner and brewer of Brugge Brasserie) and then it was his brewing system to operate. “I have to credit [former Brewpub brewer and current Lafayette Brewing Company owner] Greg Emig,” says Matalucci. “He let me call him once a week with questions.”

It didn’t take long for the Brewpub and Matalucci to create a loyal following of regulars. “For the longest time, we couldn’t keep up with the beer that we were selling over the bar.” But adding more brewing equipment allowed them to keep up with demand. And over the period of a year, Matalucci will brew over 35 different beer styles.

There are six beers on draft at any given time at the Brewpub, and you will find varying styles of ales and lagers. But since it is an English pub, it is not surprising that the house beers are English in style. “The ESB, the IPA, and Porter would be the defining beers of English-style,” Matalucci said. For a more authentic pint of English beer, it is suggested that you try a cask beer.

Draft beer is pressurized, using a light carbon dioxide infusion to force the beer out of a keg or serving tank and through the beer tap. In contrast, a cask beer is served without additional gas pressurization. The Brewpub serves cask beer through two handpulls (also referred to handpumps or a “beer engine”). The handpull uses an airtight piston chamber to mechanically pull the beer from the serving tank through a “sparkler” (which creates a spray, like the end of a garden hose) and into the glass.

“On the handpulls, the sparklers release the aromatics. It gives [the beer] a creaminess from the agitation. We put on some of the dry hopped beers, porters, stouts. Regulars that come in here learn to appreciate [handpulled beers]. I absolutely love the handpulls.”

Regular Beers (styles in parenthesis): ESB (British Extra Special Bitter), IPA (India Pale Ale), Porter, Stout

Seasonals: Over two dozen season and specialty beers each year including Oktoberfest, Pumpkin, Nut Brown, Wee Heavy, Ankle Biter (barleywine), Light Lager, Kolsch, Pilsner, Hefeweizen, Belgian Wheat, a variety of bocks

Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack Interview Special Edition: Ted Miller on Broad Ripple Brewpub

It's an amazing fact: there have only been four brewers in the twenty year history of Broad Ripple Brewpub. Ted Miller, Brewing Business Unit Leader for Brugge Brasserie - Indiana Region, was Broad Ripple Brewpub's third brewmaster. As we approach BRBP's 20th Anniversary Party on Sunday, we are happy to present a six pack interview with him.

1.) During what time period were you at BRBP and what positions did you hold?

From their opening through 1994. I served as waiter, bartender, and, eventually, brewer.

2.) Prior to BRBP, what sort of jobs did you do? What brought you to BRBP?

I was a collegiate soccer goalkeeper. I was drawn to BRBP by the heavens...

3.) What did you do/where did you go after BRBP? How did your time at BRBP affect your career path/choices?

I ended up in Seattle with Thomas Kemper where I was recruited to go to Hong Kong. The rest is history.

Working at BRBP had everything to do with who I am today. I had no idea walking into that place 20 years ago that I would make a career out of this stuff. When I became friends with Gil, I thought "this guy is a genius. He's made a career out of making beer."

4.) Tell us about the challenges of a new brewpub specializing in English beers blazing the craft beer trail in Indiana.

I really didn't know shit about beer when I started there. I knew I was very fond of it and I knew that there was this magical beer factory on the other side of the glass. In retrospect, it made perfect sense. At the time, all of the decent beer at the pubs were all English. Bass, Newcastle, etc.. It was a sellable model. Apparenty it has worked out quite well.

5.) What are your favorite things about BRBP, past and present, when it came to beer, food, people, etc.?

Family / beer / nutburger with Swiss and mushrooms / scotch eggs / the chance of a lifetime

6.) I know that you have John Hill stories. Please share one. Or two. Or ten.

Before I tell stories, I think it would be appropriate to use this forum to thank John Hill. John is responsible for making me who I am to an extent. I grew up without a father and he has been very much a father figure to me and I owe him a lifetime of gratitude for giving me some much needed guidance as a young adult. He also gave me an opportunity to become the brewer that I am and for that I am also eternally grateful. Thank you a thousand times Lord Hill. I don't know where I would be were it not for your crazy ass, hair-brained idea to open a brewpub in the early 90's in Indiana.

So, this dude shows up at BRBP in 1993 or so to kick my ass because I had apparently taken his girlfriend home. He was larger and meaner than me. As I'm trying to talk my way out of it - and it's not working at all - John comes out of the brewery dressed in the most hilarious bright yellow waterproof overall things (his keg washing gear) and tackles the guy. Then I start getting all lippy. John didn't like that. "You shut your mouth. I'm out here defending you because you disrespected somebody else. Go wash kegs!" Yes sir.

Myself, Kevin, Jenny Cotter and John are at GABF 92 or so. Having fun and all behind the booth somebody says something that a valley girl would have replied "gag me with a spoon" John Hill says "swipe me with a fork" thinking this was the hip vernacular. We all peed our pants laughing.

There are more, but more appropriately told with a pint and friends.

Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack Interview Special Edition: Gil Alberding on Broad Ripple Brewpub

It's an amazing fact: there have only been four brewers in the twenty year history of Broad Ripple Brewpub. Gil Alberding, Brewing Business Unit Leader for MillerCoors in Eden, North Carolina, was Broad Ripple Brewpub's first brewmaster. As we approach BRBP's 20th Anniversary Party on Sunday, we are happy to present a six pack interview with him.

1.) During what time period were you at BRBP and what positions did you hold?

From 1990 to late 1991. In 1990 I met John through a home brew meeting he held at the Corner Wine Bar. John liked the beer that I had brewed. I knew I wanted to brew for a living, so I asked him if I could work at the brewery he was planning on opening. A couple weeks later, John called and invited me to go to Portland and Seattle to visit the Hood River Brewing Company. We also went to other brewpubs in the area. We had a great time and learned a lot during our stay. When we got back, John offered me the job of head brewer. Things just took off from there.

2.) Prior to BRBP, what sort of jobs did you do? What brought you to BRBP?

BRBP was my first real job.

3.) What did you do/where did you go after BRBP? How did your time at BRBP affect your career path/choices?

I went to back to school at Weihenstephan-Technical University of Munich. After I earned a Diplom-Braumeister degree in 1994, I went to Stroh and worked there 5 years. When I left Stroh, I joined Anheuser-Busch and was there for 10 years. I’ve been with MillerCoors now for almost 3 years. Positions with those companies have taken me to Tampa, St. Paul, Portland, Fort Collins, St. Louis, Williamsburg, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, and now Greensboro.

The BRBP gave me the confidence that I could brew a good glass of beer. The BRBP gave me my start.

4.) Tell us about the challenges of a new brewpub specializing in English beers blazing the craft beer trail in Indiana.

We just brewed beers that we liked to drink. I like most beer styles and John definitely wanted English beers. I would typically brew 5 gallons batches in Bloomington and bring them up to John to try on the weekends. I remember when John liked a batch, he would become excited because he knew we could scale it up to 7 bbls. The first one we made was the porter. The Red Bird Mild, ESB and Pale Ale were next. When we won the gold medal the Great American Beer Festival in 1990, we were proud and glad that we had been recognized for all our work.

5.) What are your favorite things about BRBP, past and present, when it came to beer, food, people, etc.?

I enjoyed working with John and the people the best. It was a great atmosphere because we were truly doing something that hadn’t been done in Indiana yet. It was all genuine and John was really pragmatic about doing things the right way. I admired that.

6.) I know that you have John Hill stories. Please share one. Or two. Or ten.

John and I worked well together. I remember once when I was filtering a batch on our new filter, the beer was much darker coming out of the filter than we expected it to be. Then about a third of way through filtering, the fermenter emptied. John and I didn’t know what had happened. It emptied too soon. When I opened the fermenter we figured out what had happened. There was a huge block of ice in the cone of the fermenter because the beer had frozen. John tasted the beer that had been filtered. His face lit up. John really liked the beer he had just tried. Instead of being a problem, John immediately saw it as an opportunity. The beer was exceeding strong because it had gone through a reverse distillation! John purchased a set of small beer glasses and sold the new creation as “Wee Heavy” beer. The limit was two glasses to any customer, given its strength. Wee Heavy was an instant success, and it no time we sold it all.

Another time, a glycol valve stuck open. This time the fermentation had not yet completed. Given we were using ale yeast, the fermentation stopped too soon. This time, John was worried he had lost a batch of beer. I had an idea and called the Indianapolis Brewing Company. They were brewing lager beers at the time. I asked them if I could borrow a carboy of lager yeast. They were hesitant, but once I explained the situation and assured them I didn’t plan on brewing any lagers, they supplied us their yeast.

The lager yeast was added to the stuck fermentation and the beer started to ferment again at the colder temperatures. When the beer finished fermenting, John coined it his “Cream Ale”. It tasted good and the customers liked it.

Those were some of the fun challenges you can only have in a smaller brewery.

Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack Interview Special Edition: Greg Emig on Broad Ripple Brewpub

It's an amazing fact: there have only been four brewers in the twenty year history of Broad Ripple Brewpub. Greg Emig, owner of Lafayette Brewing Company, was Broad Ripple Brewpub's second brewmaster. As we approach BRBP's 20th Anniversary Party on Sunday, we are happy to present a six pack interview with him.

1.) During what time period were you at BRBP and what positions did you hold?

I worked at BRBP from October of 1990 thru February of 1991 as a laborer during construction, then as a shift manager and bartender once the restaurant opened. I returned in September of 1991 as the brewer and stayed thru December of 1992.

2.) Prior to BRBP, what sort of jobs did you do? What brought you to BRBP?

A bit of everything- tended bar; sold real estate; worked as a shop office manager in a steel fabrication facility. I'd been homebrewing all that time and headed to Indy to talk to John the day after I heard he was opening.

3a.) Previous brewers: What did you do/where did you go after BRBP? How did your time at BRBP affect your career path/choices?

The wife and I moved to Lafayettte to open LBC. The short time I had spent at BRBP showed me that we wanted to pursue our own brewpub. The return stint as a brewer provided me with the brewing background to actually make our own project happen.

3b.) Current brewer: Why are the other three suckers for not staying at BRBP?

The big money & hot babes. Oh wait, I'm not Kevin.

4.) Tell us about the challenges of a new brewpub specializing in English beers blazing the craft beer trail in Indiana.

While there was certainly novelty that attracted people to the first brewpub in Indiana, it was pretty much about the same things then as it is now: good beer & good food. We probably spent a bit more time educating our customers on beers styles back then, but I was also focused on just learning the system and producing the best beers we could. Winning the GABF gold for the bitter also helped bring in the media attention to BRBP and the small brewing revolution that was just starting in Indiana.

5.) What are your favorite things about BRBP, past and present, when it came to beer, food, people, etc.?

Without question, my favorite thing is the foundation that John laid when he opened Broad Ripple. The early staff was a fun and beer-enthused bunch! It's kind of amazing when you consider 3 of those original staff members are commercial brewers 20 years later with a combined brewing experience of about 60 years! In addition, the three former brewers from LBC are now all brewery owners themselves, so the foundation that John laid continues to seed new breweries across the country. Then, of course, there's the scotch eggs, wet fries and Thai peanut anything.

6.) I know that you have John Hill stories. Please share one. Or two. Or ten.

I'm not much of a story teller, and what happens at beer festival stays at beer festival. So I'll stick with the things that made my time at BRBP such a great experience. Not only did John give me the opportunity to brew, to represent BRBP at beer festivals, to visit a great number (at least for the time) of small breweries and talk to the owners and brewers about all things beer and brewing, but we also spent time on some interesting non-beer related excursions. From touring a Chicago neighborhood to check out Frank Lloyd Wright-built homes to catching a ballgame at Fenway Park to a visit to a local museum, we took the time to experience more than just beer and brewing related attractions in our travels. A good reminder for a 20-something brewer that there is more to life than just beer.

Broad Ripple Brewpub: Cheers!

On Sunday, November 14th, Broad Ripple Brewpub will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary. While there are other craft breweries and brewpubs in America that are older, in Indiana, BRBP was blazing trails. And we at Hoosier Beer Geek want to lift a toast to owners John and Nancy Hill, to brewmaster Kevin Matalucci, to manager Billy Hannon, and everybody at Broad Ripple Brewpub. After 20 years, you still continue to amaze Hoosier Beer Geek and all Hoosier beer geeks.

Here are some highlights of the visits that the Knights of the Beer Roundtable have made to BRBP over the years:


KOTBR #11 – Wee Alec Heavy Ale
January 12, 2007

Wee Alec is a very dark, virtually opaque beer (think Optimator - and now you can probably guess where my review is going). If you don't like dark beer - and I love it - this beer probably isn't for you.

While the nose isn't strong and overpowering, I could definitely discern hints of chocolate, coffee, and caramel. But the smells blend well together.

As with cask ales, the Wee Alec has very little carbonation. Kevin explained most of his beers are that way, and people think its an error. But as Kevin likes to point out, the brewmaster gets to make beers that the brewmaster likes, and in this case, the brewmaster doesn't like much carbonation.

This was a very smooth, medium-bodied beer. There isn't much of a bite, and I didn't think much of an aftertaste was left, either. The caramel and heavy malt flavors blend very well together, producing a well-balanced beer.

Final Score: 4.16 Mugs

Read the full write up here.

KOTBR #64 - Forgotten Landmarks
Jan. 13, 2009

Broad Ripple Brewpub is a place we tend to take for granted but shouldn't. Case in point: the Brewpub's Monon Porter is undoubtedly one of the best beers we've reviewed. It is so good, in fact, that I had to make a return visit with my wife three days after our review just to get some more (along with some of the Brewpub's excellent vegetarian offerings--I had the delicious garden tacos). The Monon Porter has a luscious, creamy mouthfeel. The creaminess is enhanced by its low carbonation, thanks to the fact that it's a cask ale. And how to describe the flavor? Well, if there were a way to make a milk chocolate cookie, I imagine that it would taste like the Monon Porter. Heavenly...

Final Score: 4.78 Mugs

Read the full write up here.


The 2009 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year - Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter
Jan. 12, 2010

To arrive at our candidates for the 2009 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year, we took a look back at all the beers reviewed during our roundtables over the past year. In some cases, not all the Knights attended, but their familiarity with a reviewed beer allowed them to place it in their rankings.

This isn't science; this is Hoosier Beer Geek. And it's possible that we may have decided that we like a beer more or less since the roundtable has happened. In any case, looking back, we've decided that these beers left us with the fondest of memories.

And our fondest memory of them all?

Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter (on cask)

Read the full write up here.


KOTBR #94: 2001: A Stout Odyessey
Jan. 19, 2010

As you probably know, we're great admirers of the Broad Ripple Brewpub's award-winning beer auteur, Kevin Matalucci. Therefore, as a tribute to Kevin and all that the BRBP has to offer, we present to you Kevin's latest cinematic masterpiece: "2001: A Stout Odyssey."

KOTBR Score: 4.06 Mugs

Read the full write up here.


More BRBP related shenanigans can be found here.

HBG4 featuring... Broad Ripple Brewpub

The lineup of beers at Hoosier Beer Geek's Fourth Anniversary Party continues. The next brewery we are announcing at HBG4 is...


Broad Ripple Brewpub
Indianapolis, Indiana

Monon Porter
We are celebrating four years of craft beer nonsense. The Broad Ripple Brewpub is celebrating 20 years of craft beer seriousness. And we are very happy to have their Monon Porter at our anniversary party. On cask, it rated 4.78 mugs and received our highly coveted HBG Beer of the Year (2009).

From the brewery's website: Deep and dark with mahogany highlights, the Monon Porter has a rich coffee-like flavor with malty, chocolate undertones. ABV 6.0%.

Tickets aren't sold out yet - they are available here and at Sun King Brewery (in limited quantities). Here's that beer list again.

Draft:
Sun King Wee Mac Scottish Ale
Sun King Bitter Druid ESB
Sun King Osiris Pale Ale
Sun King Sunlight Creme Ale
Upland Wheat
Ram Big Horn Oktoberfest
Rock Bottom Downtown The Hammer Baltic Porter
Brugge Pooka
Brugge Spider
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Rock Bottom College Park Happy Pils
Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter

Bottles:
Lafayette Brewing Co. Tippecanoe Common Ale
Great Divide Double Wit
Stone Brewdog Bashah
Heavy Seas Smoke on the Water
Tyranena La Femme Amere
Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Ale
Schlafly Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Anchor Humming Ale
Lindemans Faro
Avery Maharaja

Firkin:
Upland Dragonfly (Dry Hopped)

Tamales:
-beef in red sauce tamales (mild)
-chicken in green sauce tamales (mild)
-black beans & cheese in green sauce tamales (vegetarian)
-veggie tamales (potatoes,
zucchini, mushrooms, corn, peas,
onion, tomato, garlic, light jalapenos)
-spicy chipotle beef tamales (hot)
-spicy chicken in green sauce tamales (hot)
-poblano chili and cheese tamales (vegetarian, sometimes hot)
-hot & spicy pork tamales (hot)

Homemade chips, salsa, and guacamole

About HBG4:
It will be held Saturday, August 28th, starting at 6pm. Sun King Brewing will again be hosting us at their brewery at 135 N. College Avenue, Indianapolis. Tickets are $30 (plus $1.99 for online fees) for regular tickets and $20 (plus $1.99 for online fees) for designated drivers. Tickets are available online and at Sun King Brewery and are in limited supply. And yes, the tickets are on sale now.

If you didn't attend last year, you can see what you missed here. But if you did attend last year, you'll find it to be similar. Here is what we have so far (please note that all of this is subject to change).

Regular attendees will receive a commemorative tasting glass that can be used to sample various quality beers from our favorite Indiana breweries as well as a few other breweries. Additionally, you'll be able to select a few larger pours of your favorite beers. Designated drivers will have a selection of non-alcoholic beverages such as soda, pop, cola... whatever regional term you like. And bottled water, of course.

All attendees will get to enjoy food from The Tamale Place. Those of you who have been know how good their food is. And those of you who have not been are in for a treat. There will be a variety of tamale flavors to sample, including vegetarian friendly options.

There will also be chips and salsa and such for your enjoyment all night as well.

And what's a party without gifts? And by gifts, I mean us giving stuff to you! That's right, prizes and giveaways and all sorts of stuff.

We're still filling in all the details, but if you've been to our events, you know it is a good time. And all tickets will be sold online. Tickets are not available at Sun King nor will they be available at the door. So don't miss out.

We appreciate that you follow us for the latest and craziest in the Indiana craft beer world. And we hope you'll come out and celebrate with us our fourth year of tomfoolery.

KOTBR #94 | 2001: A Stout Odyssey

As you probably know, we're great admirers of the Broad Ripple Brewpub's award-winning beer auteur, Kevin Matalucci. Therefore, as a tribute to Kevin and all that the BRBP has to offer, we present to you Kevin's latest cinematic masterpiece: "2001: A Stout Odyssey."

The house lights dim, the opening credits roll, and we come to the opening chapter of the film...


Chapter 1: The Dawn of Craft Beer Man

Over images of an African desert, a caption reads, "The Dawn of Craft Beer Man." Near a primitive watering hole in the desert, a group of apes Bud Light drinkers are foraging for food. One of them is attacked and killed by a leopard. They are driven from the watering hole by another tribe of swill drinkers. Defeated, they sleep overnight in a small exposed rock crater. Waking at sunrise, they find that a barrel of deep, dark-black stout from the Broad Ripple Brewpub has appeared in front of their shelter. They approach it shrieking and jumping, amazed at its chocolate-syrup-like nose. They take a drink, first noticing the light, watery front, but also the way the oaky/woody flavors and the chocolate-milk-like flavors meld. Soon after that, one of the apes Bud Light drinkers realizes that beer as tasty as this is not only art, but also a tool and a weapon. After drinking this beer, the tribe of Bud Light drinkers has now evolved in some way and are seen eating meat in a subsequent scene. The next morning, they wrest control of the watering hole from the other tribe of swill drinkers, killing the other tribe's barkeep in the process. Triumphant, the ape leader leader of the former Bud Light drinkers throws a Bud Light tap handle into the air, which switches via match cut from a close-up of the tap handle to a long shot of an orbital satellite millions of years in the future. 3.76 Mugs.



Chapter 2: 2ASO

An IndyGo space plane flies Dr. Heywood R. Floyd to Space Station 842 in an elaborate rendezvous and docking sequence, which include iconic and stylish representations of life on a space station (including a view of the station's pub, which is appointed with gleaming white furniture, fixtures, and tap handles). After clearing voice print identification, Dr. Floyd makes a videophone call to his daughter to wish her a happy birthday and to remind her to remind her mother (Floyd's wife, Susie) to send him a pin of his favorite beer, Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter. Later, strolling down the main corridor of Space Station 842, he joins a group of brewers, telling them that he is on his way to Hopcicle Base, a U.S. base on the moon. One of the brewers, Dr. Theodore Miller, queries him about what has been going on there, but Floyd declines to answer any more questions when they press him about the rumor that an epidemic has broken out at the U.S. base.

Floyd travels to Hopcicle Base in a moon shuttle. There he heads a debriefing session, apologizing for the epidemic cover story. Floyd’s actual mission is to investigate an artifact dug up on the moon, initially detected by its heavy, port-wine-like odor and named "2ASO" ("2001: A Stout Odyssey"). Geological evidence shows that the artifact was deliberately buried near the crater Tycho four million years ago. Floyd rides in a moonbus to the site. In a large pit dug around it, the artifact is an intact barrel of beer identical to the one encountered by the apes former Bud Light drinkers. The visitors examine and taste the beer, finding it to have a purple-black color and pleasing flavors of molasses, dark fruit, and coffee. They then pose for a photo in front of the barrel. As they do, the sun rises over the top of the barrel, which emits an overpowering odor of dark chocolate. 3.95 Mugs.



Chapter 3: Jupiter Beer Mission

A title caption reads "Jupiter Beer Mission: Eighteen Months Later." On board the spaceship Fermentation One, bound for Jupiter, are two mission pilots, astronauts Dr. David "Dave" Bowman and Dr. Francis "Frank" Poole, and three scientists in cryogenic hibernation. Also along for the trip is the ship’s computer, HAL 9000, which Dave and Frank address as "Hal." Hal runs most of the ship’s operations.

The following is an excerpt from Dave's mission log, which is documented in the film:

We've been on the mission for 18 months now. Freeze-dried space beer is not very good. I've been trying to explain to Hal why humans enjoy beer so much but he doesn't seem to understand why maltose water would be enjoyable. Yesterday Hal sent me out in an IndyGo spacepod to replace the AE-35 unit but when I reached the unit it was in perfect operational condition. While I returned the new unit to storage I happened upon a large wooden barrel full of liquid. When we opened it we were greeted by aromas of fortified wine, dark chocolate, coffee, and raisins. Could this be real beer? Real Earth stout aged in a real Earth barrel? Hal insisted this was a human error and that the barrel was garbage.

I spent all day today trying to explain to Hal why this beer was important. I tried to explain the port and brandy complexity, what malted milk feels like in my mouth, and how the beer's flavor reminded me not of cherries, but of cherry cordial. He seemed to understand that this beer would have coffee and chocolate flavors, but the notion of plums in beer were beyond his definitions. Frank pulled me aside into a spacepod and told me that he didn't trust Hal with the barrel, that Hal couldn't understand how wonderful it was, and that if Hal destroyed the barrel he would have to be deactivated permanently. I definitely agreed; this beer is too important. 3.90 Mugs.

Unbeknownst to Dave and Frank, Hal was reading their lips through the window of the spacepod...



***Intermission***
As the film resumes, we see Frank as he attempts to conceal the barrel of beer in an IndyGo spacepod outside of Fermentation One. The pod, which is controlled by Hal, turns and accelerates towards Frank, severing his oxygen hose and setting him adrift into space.

As a result, Dave goes out in another spacepod to recover Frank's body. While Dave is gone, Hal terminates the life functions of the crew members who are in hibernation. When Dave returns to the ship, he asks Hal to open the pod bay doors to let him inside. Hal refuses to do so, stating that Dave’s plan to disconnect him jeopardizes the mission, saying, "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that." Consequently, Dave enters the ship manually through the emergency air lock. Dave makes his way to Hal's logic memory center to disconnect Hal. Hal tries to reassure Dave that everything will be all right and that there's plenty of the luscious beer from the barrel to go around, but Dave ignores him.

As Dave disconnects one memory module after another from Hal’s circuitry, Hal continues to protest. Eventually he ends up repeating, “My beer is going.” Hal regresses to his earliest memories, singing the song "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," which is the song his instructor taught him on his first operational day. When Dave finally disconnects Hal, a monitor displays a prerecorded message from Dr. Heywood Floyd:

Good day, gentlemen. This is a prerecorded briefing made prior to your departure and which for security reasons of the highest importance has been known on board during the mission only by your HAL 9000 computer. Now that you are in Jupiter's space, and the entire crew is revived, it can be told to you. Eighteen months ago, the first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth was discovered. It was buried 40 feet below the lunar surface, near the crater Tycho. The origin and purpose of this artifact--a four-million-old barrel of beer--is still a total mystery to us. The only clue available to us is a single, very powerful odor of chocolate and dark fruit that the barrel emitted toward Jupiter. That is why we have sent you there--to discover the true purpose of this barrel of heavenly ale.

Chapter 4: Jupiter and Beyond the Beer Infinite

Dave leaves Fermentation One in an IndyGo spacepod and encounters another barrel of stout in orbit around Jupiter. Approaching it, Dave finds himself suddenly traveling through a tunnel of colored light, racing at great speed across vast distances, viewing strange astronomical phenomena along the way, including rubies dancing around the edges of a pint of chocolate and toffee stout and concluding with landscapes containing altered colors.

He eventually finds himself in a bedroom in Broad Ripple containing stylized English decor and smelling of cherries, grapes, and oatmeal. He repeatedly sees older versions of himself, with the film's points of view each time switching to the older Dave, all while tasting port flavors, oak, and chocolate. Finally an elderly and dying David Bowman is lying on the bed. At its foot a barrel of stout appears. It transforms him into a god-like being enclosed in a transparent firkin of light. The final shot shows the “Beer-Child” floating in space next to the Earth in a pod of chocolaty goodness. 4.30 Mugs.

Broad Ripple Brewpub's 2001 - A Stout Odyssey
Mike: 3.76 Mugs | Jim: 3.95 Mugs | Gina: 4.40 Mugs | Jess: 4.30 Mugs | Rod: 3.90 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.06 Mugs

P.S.: Thanks, Wikipedia.

The 2009 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year - Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter

To arrive at our candidates for the 2009 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year, we took a look back at all the beers reviewed during our roundtables over the past year. In some cases, not all the Knights attended, but their familiarity with a reviewed beer allowed them to place it in their rankings.

This isn't science; this is Hoosier Beer Geek. And it's possible that we may have decided that we like a beer more or less since the roundtable has happened. In any case, looking back, we've decided that these beers left us with the fondest of memories.

And our fondest memory of them all?

Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter (on cask)


When we stopped in at the brewpub back in January 2009, we figured for an evening of smooth, sessionable pints and good conversation. We sat down with brewer Kevin Matalucci, stuck our noses into the beer, and immediately knew that we had something quite a bit better than that on our hands.

"A perfectly balanced mix of nose, flavor and mouthfeel."

"If there were a way to make a milk chocolate cookie, I imagine that it would taste like the Monon Porter. Heavenly..."

"This beer was made for cask conditioning. Its smooth, creamy mouthfeel coats your tongue with coffee, chocolate and toffee notes. It leaves you with just a hint of nuttiness on the finish and makes you wish you had just one more."

"[A] beer that you could drink the rest of your life and be perfectly happy."

Our congratulations to Kevin Matalucci and the folks at the Broad Ripple Brewpub for a their continued commitment to great beer.

* * * * *
And here's how the vote came together. We awarded 3 points for a first place vote, 2 points for second, 1 for third, and 0.5 points for an honorable mention:

MIKE:

1. Brugge Bad Kitty (3 pts.) - You can make a sour, but can you make me want to drink pint after pint of it? Because I could to that with Bad Kitty. I think it lives perfectly on the line of sour and repeatably drinkable (mistake or not).

2. Broad Ripple Brewpub Cask Monon Porter (2 pts.) - If this beer always tasted like it did when we reviewed it, it might be my favorite beer ever. But every time I've had it since, it's just been really good, but not amazingly great. So...

3. Lafayette Brewing Tippecanoe Common (1 pt.) - Because when I reached for a beer out of the fridge at home (which is actually a pretty rare occurrence), this was the one that never disappointed me.

I could have voted for the New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart, but I feel like those beers are always gonna be what they are and that giving them an award is like giving the Cubs a medal for being bad--everyone knows it already. So that was my logic.

JIM:

I agree somewhat with Mike about the New Glarus beers, but that doesn't mean I won't vote for either of them. I'm a lemming following others off the cliff when it comes to Wisconsin Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart.

My top three:

1. Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter (3 pts.) - I agree with Mike on the batch variation (sometimes it's drier and smokier and sometimes it's sweeter and creamier), though I had it two weeks ago and it was pretty close to the cask version that we all raved about back in January. It's my go-to beer whenever I'm at the pub. I could drink it until I exploded.

2. New Glarus Raspberry Tart (2 pts.) - Yes, this is an unoriginal pick, but I am nutzo-crazy for this beer. I want to cry every time I think about the fact that it's not available in Indiana.

3. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2009) (1 pt.) - Best bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout I've ever had. That's saying a lot.

Honorable mention: Brugge Bad Kitty, for exactly the same reasons that Mike mentioned. If there ever was a sessionable sour beer, Bad Kitty has to be it.

JESS:

1. Broad Ripple Brew Pub Monon Porter (3 pts.). This was the one beer from Indiana that totally knocked my socks off this year. I could drink this all the time because it wasn't too heavy and had a nice chocolate sweetness that went well with lots of food pairings.

2. Firestone Walker Double Barrel Pale Ale (2 pts.). This was at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival and is my favorite pale ale of all time. It is well balanced and sessionable. It also has loads of hop flavor and goes well with spicy foods.

3. Boulevard Smokestack Series Double Wide IPA (1 pt.). I'm a hop-head and it takes a quality IPA to wow me anymore. This one blew me away and made me fall in love with this ode to the trailer park.

RODNEY:

1. Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter (3 pts.) - When beers are cask conditioned they change every day. They can improve or degrade or create new flavors entirely. We happened to try the Monon Porter at what I would consider the peak of its development. I've had it since and it's still good, but not as great as that magical night. And I wasn't even drunk.

2. Tyranena The Devil Made Me Do It Imperial Stout (2 pts.)- This was my first beer from Tyranena and I really enjoyed it. Great coffee and chocolate notes without being imbalanced or overly boozy. A really great first impression.

3. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2008 (1 pt.) - We reviewed this in 2009 so it counts. Every time I had this I thought it had an incredible balance of flavors and was deceivingly drinkable. 2009 is running a tad hot right now but in time it will definitely live up to its brother. If I can't do a 2008 beer then I'll go with Three Floyds 2009 Dark Lord which is deserving of the exact same praises.

GINA:

1. Three Floyds Alpha King (3 pts.) - I am never disappointed by this beer and as long as this is on tap I will always have something to go to. Extremely hoppy, yet easily drinkable.

2. Sun King Java Mac (2 pts.)- Another beer I could drink anywhere, anytime. I love when the rich coffee flavor dominates the malty Scottish brown base.

3. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2009 (1 pt.)- This beer completely blew me away. I'll be honest when I say that I wasn't expecting the beer to be so damned delicious, but it was! There were layers of chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. Like drinking an incredibly rich and decadent cake. My biggest surprise, and one of my favorites of the year.

Honorable mentions to BRBP Cask Monon Porter, Brugge Bad Kitty, and Three Floyds Dark Lord.

Man, Indiana beer was was awesome this year!

CHRIS:

1. Bell's Two Hearted Ale (3 pts.) - My desert island beer. A perfect balance of malt and citrusy hops.

2. Founders Double Trouble (2 pts.) - A rare, highly drinkable double IPA.

3. Upland Wheat (1 pt.) - As shocking as it sounds, I don't think I had EVER tried Upland Wheat until this year. I fell head-over-heels in love with this witbier over the summer and regularly had a six pack in my fridge. Light and crisp with a refreshing zip of lemon, I could drink this beer all night.

Honorable Mention - Sun King Java Mac and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (give me any aged bottle as my "last beer before I die")

JASON:

1. BRBP's Cask Anything (3 pts.): Whether it be the highly rated Monon Porter or the recently lusted after 2001-A Stout Odyssey, I can blindly order from BRBP's hand pulls and know that I will be extremely happy. Honorable mentions in hand pulls: Anything from Lafayette Brewing Company's hand pull, including the Weeping Hog IPA.

2. Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout (2 pts.): I could have filled my top beers list with nothing but barrel-aged beers. But the top barrel-aged beer of the year for me was GI's BC Stout. Plenty of bourbon without being too hot, this beer had a beautiful balance of flavors. Honorable mentions in barrel-aged beers: Barley Island Oak Aged Barfly ($3.50 for a goblet makes this one of the very best values), Founders KBS, and Founders Backwoods Bastard.

3. Sun King Osiris Pale Ale (1 pt.): This newcomer has quickly become a favorite go-to beer for me. You will find a growler of this in my beer fridge on most weekends. It's wonderfully tasty, beautifully hopped, and on Fridays, $5 refills. I'm looking forward to seeing Osiris in tall boys this summer. Honorable mentions in sessionable beers: Upland Preservation Pilsner (an extremely underrated beer...more places should be putting this on instead of Miller or Coors) and Three Floyd's Gumballhead (it is a wheat and, therefore, very sessionable in my mind).

4. Brugge Thunder Monkey (0.5 pts.): This spiced Belgian has become a quick favorite of mine. This oddly named seasonal beer comes around just in time to satisfy my seasonal beer needs. Honorable mentions in seasonal beers: Bell's Hopslam (when I'm tired of winter, this gives tastebuds a hoppy wakeup call), Schlafly Irish Stout, and Schlafly Pumpkin Ale.

MATT

1. Founders Imperial Stout (3 pts.) - I love this beer for several reasons beyond the flavor of the beer. I like that Founders is still bucking the rest of the beer world by selling a big beer in 12 oz. bottles. This is also one of the imperial stouts that I've had that is ready-to-go fresh from the brewery into my snifter, but it also improves with age. I like my malty beers but this one has a great balance between roasted grain, coffee, dark chocolate, and a nice alcohol twinge as well.

2. Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow (2 pts.) - I love Dreadnaught from 3F and this beer tasted like Dreadnaught with a thick and full body on it that helped accentuate those great mango and passion fruit flavors. I hope they make this an annual release.

3. Brugge Diamond Kings of Heaven (1 pt.) - I wasn't in the DKoH Mafia from years past who have all told me what an amazing beer I've missed out on, so my bar was set pretty high when I finally was able to try this beer and it did not disappoint. I normally think that sours are not very good after about 8 ounces, but I could drink many pints of this and still keep wanting more.

Final Standings:

1. Broad Ripple Brewpub Monon Porter 11.5
2. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 5.5
3. Brugge Bad Kitty 3.5
Bell's Two Hearted Ale 3
Broad Ripple Brewpub Cask Anything 3
Founders Imperial Stout 3
Three Floyds Alpha King 3
Sun King Java Mac 2.5
Firestone Walker Double Barrel Pale Ale 2
Founders Double Trouble 2
New Glarus Raspberry Tart 2
Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow 2
Tyranena The Devil Made Me Do It Imperial Stout 2
Boulevard Smokestack Series Double Wide IPA 1
Brugge Diamond Kings of Heaven 1
Lafayette Brewing Company Tippecanoe Common 1
Sun King Osiris Pale Ale 1
Upland Wheat 1
Bell's Hopslam 0.5
Brugge Thunder Monkey 0.5
Schlafly Irish Stout 0.5
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale 0.5
Three Floyds Dark Lord (2009) 0.5

Winterfest 2010 Update #4

The Brewers of Indiana Guild's Winterfest 2010 tickets are on sale now online and will soon be available at breweries across the entire state (hopefully starting next week). Winterfest will be held in the Ag/Hort building of the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 from 3pm to 7pm. Tickets are $30.

As we receive information from the breweries as to what they are bringing, we will let you know. Our first Winterfest update provided the beer lists for Upland, Great Crescent, Mad Anthony, and Brugge. Our second Winterfest update included Bee Creek Brewery, Lafayette Brewing Company, Two Brothers, Rust Belt, Bell's Brewing Co., and Atwater Block. Our third Winterfest update included Crown Brewing, Big Woods Brewing, Power House Brewing, and Rock Bottom Brewery North. This is our forth update to the beer list...


Back Road Brewery
LaPorte, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Maple City Gold
Millennium Lager
Polt Shift Pale Ale
Small Beer Barleywine

In the outdoor beer garden:
2012 IPA (firkin)
TBD (pin)

Broad Ripple Brewpub
Indianapolis, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Winter Wheat
Hopcicle

In the outdoor beer garden:
2001 “A Stout Odyssey” (firkin)

Mishawaka Brewing
Mishawaka, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Four Horsemen Irish Style Red Ale
Replicale (Coffee-Oatmeal Stout)
Lake Effect Pale Ale (American Pale Ale)

Sun King Brewing
Indianapolis, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Sunlight Cream Ale
Wee Mac Scottish Ale
Bitter Druid ESB
Osiris Pale Ale
Winter Replicale: Coffee Oatmeal Stout w/ coffee from B•Java
Amarillo the Princess Warrior Imperial IPA
Crab Apple Wit
Chile Cream Ale

In the outdoor beer garden:
Firkin TBA

Schlafly Beer
St. Louis, Missouri
On draft at their booth:
Dry-Hopped APA
Coffee Stout
C1 Oak Aged Dry Hopped Smoked Rye Pal Ale (Schlafly/NABC/O’Fallon)

Bottles at their booth:
Quadrupel
Grand Cru

In the outdoor beer garden:
Smoked Porter (firkin)
2009 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (bottle)
2009 Oak-Aged Barleywine (bottle)

Goose Island Brewing Co.
Chicago, Illinois
On draft at their booth:
Bourbon County Stout
Pere Jacques
Matilda
UPDATED: Mild Winter

In bottles at their booth:
Sofie

North Coast Brewing Co.
Fort Bragg, California
Bottles at their booth:
Red Seal Ale
Old #38 Stout
Scrimshaw pilsner
Acme IPA
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Brother Thelonius Belgian Abby Ale
Prangster Golden Belgian Style Ale

Left Hand Brewing Co.
Longmont, Colorado
On draft at their booth:
Milk Stout
Sawtooth ESB
400# Monkey English IPA
Polestar Pilsner

Look for more updates in the coming weeks. Plus, we'll be giving away two tickets to Winterfest 2010, so stay tuned!

HBG3 Details: Guest Beer #4 - Broad Ripple Brewing Company's Relegator Black IPA

You've been giving your F5 a healthy workout just waiting to see what's next on the menu for our party.

This is:


Many of the HBG KOTBR spent their time at this year's Indiana Microbrewers Festival under the firkin tent, where we poured quite a few tasty brews. A highlight for many of us was Broad Ripple Brewpub's Relegator Black IPA.

Relegator was specially brewed to commiserate with Middlesbrough FC, who were relegated (sent down from the English Premiership to the Championship league) in the 2008-2009 EPL season. It's an extra black bitter IPA. Black to represent the dark fear of Middlesbrough not being promoted back to the EPL in the 2009-2010 season, and extra bitter to represent how Middlesbrough supporters feel about the relegation. ABV 7.2%

We'll have it for you at the Hoosier Beer Geek Third Anniversary Roundtable at Sun King Brewing on August 22nd at 6PM.

There will be no day-of tickets. Click here to purchase tickets now.

Cheers! and Prost!

Water makes up 55 to 60 percent of the human body. In me, at least half of that water is in the form of German beer.

Like so many others, my ethnic heritage is made up of bratwurst and sauerkraut, polka bands, and invading France. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Rathskeller in downtown Indianapolis became my first better beer bar of choice with Warsteiner Isenbeck in big frickin' mugs being my first better beer of choice.

Over time, my tastes have diversified. Beers from Belgium, England, and Ireland, plus plenty of American craft brews, take up plenty of beer fridge space. The number of "pubs" in Indianapolis have grown, providing English, Irish, and Scottish themed foods and booze.

During the past couple of months, I have re-discovered Broad Ripple Brew Pub. I have made five different trips to this granddaddy of Indiana microbreweries in the past six weeks. And I don't even live in Broad Ripple. I love the beers that come out of here. And the food is great. The Scottish egg pizza is my new favorite pizza.


But what I love the most is the pub snug, a small area near the bar that warm and cozy and exactly what you imagine when you think of English pub. The wood panels and trim, the dark paints, the metal ceiling, the booths. It is intimate and communal and a wonderful experience. It had become my favorite place to be when I'm drinking.

Or so I thought.

This week, I met up with some college buddies at the Rathskeller's Kellerbar. I dined on German sausages and Ochsenschwanz Suppe. I drank beers with names like Warsteiner, Weihenstephaner, Spaten, Schneider, and Klosterbrauerei. And despite the 70's music channel being pumped in through the speakers, Johann Strauss and son were ringing in my ear.


My German blood was flowing. Even though I really enjoy the quaint and quiet style of an English pub, my heart belongs to a long room with high ceilings where the wooden beams soar and hunting trophies stare at you begging for a drink as you clink your steins together. And the recent stretch of warm weather is making me itch for the biergarten's spring opening.

Where does your soul desire to drink?

KOTBR #64 - Forgotten Landmarks

A book I once read¹ contained a sentiment I'll now do a poor job of conveying: There's very rarely excitement in visiting your own monuments. I'll consider a few vacations I've made; I've been to Devil's Tower in Wyoming, and the Parthenon in Nashville, but I've never been in the State Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in the middle of Monument Circle in Indianapolis. It's a rare thing to appreciate what's right in front of you.

Consider Broad Ripple Brew Pub (840 E 65th St, Indianapolis, (317) 253-2739, indoors smoke-free, smoking section on outdoor patio) - a true monument to craft beer in Indiana. Very few would consider it a "sexy" location, but perhaps it's only because of familiarity. It's cozy, inviting, and everything a brewpub should be. Despite all that, it's rarely our first choice when looking for a place to get a drink.

But it should be. A beer lineup that touches on most styles, a brewer who's been at it longer than most, and a menu with enough variety to keep even a Jewish vegetarian lawyer² happy mean that Broad Ripple Brew Pub is the perfect kind of place for a rolling group of beer fans like ourselves.

But lets talk about the now on cask Monon Porter ($4.50/pint), the best reason to visit BRBP right now. A cloudy brown beer that laces the glass nicely, a sweet chocolately nose (with a hint of root beer?), a sweet pretzel-like taste, and a perfectly balanced mix of nose, flavor and mouthfeel meant that I knew immediately that this beer deserved a score with numbers I don't throw around lightly. 4.86 Mugs.

I agree with Mike's sentiment that the Broad Ripple Brewpub is a place we tend to take for granted but shouldn't. Case in point: the Brewpub's Monon Porter is undoubtedly one of the best beers we've reviewed. It is so good, in fact, that I had to make a return visit with my wife three days after our review just to get some more (along with some of the Brewpub's excellent vegetarian offerings--I had the delicious garden tacos). The Monon Porter has a luscious, creamy mouthfeel. The creaminess is enhanced by its low carbonation, thanks to the fact that it's a cask ale. And how to describe the flavor? Well, if there were a way to make a milk chocolate cookie, I imagine that it would taste like the Monon Porter. Heavenly...

I wish the Brewpub would have this beer on tap as a year-round offering. But since that's not the case, I'm simply happy to get it when I can. So, good readers, get yourselves to the Brewpub to drink some while it lasts. My rating: 4.90 mugs.


Sometimes when you're really into beer, you get stuck in a rut. You keep going bigger and bolder, more hops, more malt and more alcohol and especially more rare. You forget to enjoy the simple things in beer. Beers that you could drink the rest of your life and be perfectly happy. Personally, I would say those are the kinds of beers Broad Ripple Brewpub brews. Their Monon Porter is a perfect example of one of those beers.

The cask conditioning makes this beer perfectly smooth. Served at just the right temperature (the mountains would NOT be blue), this beer goes down easily. You might have to strain to pick up the coffee notes in the nose, but they are definitely present when you take your first sip. Those coffee flavors blend nicely with dark chocolate, vanilla and a creamy milk-like flavor. A nice dryness follows and keeps this beer from overpowering your tongue.

If you like Founder's Breakfast Stout, you're going to like this. The more relaxed alcohol content and more balanced flavors make me somewhat prefer this beer. If I'm just going to have one, I'd go for Breakfast Stout, but any more than that and the Monon Porter is where it's at. 4.6 mugs.

I've been craving balance lately (sometimes you just want a sessionable beer with a lot of flavor) and with watching the NFL Playoffs I find myself craving a beer with drinkability. Maybe I've just been watching too much TV, or maybe it says something about the state of the advertising industry, either way this beer is what the drinkability concept should be.

The Monon Porter starts out with a creamy, pillowy head leading to a dark brown beer with hints of ruby where the light is able to escape. When you lean in to take a sip you notice the roasted malt, hints of chocolate and a bit of a coffee scent. This is only the beginning of what draws you in, begging for more. Monon Porter is on cask, so it is supposed to have a slightly higher temperature and a slightly smoother finish. This beer was made for cask conditioning, it's smooth creamy mouthfeel coats your tongue with coffee, chocolate and toffee notes. It leaves you with just a hint of nuttiness on the finish and makes you wish you had just one more.

I think Kevin hit the nail on the head with this amazing beer, and it's a shame that it's only seasonal. I highly recommend you get there before it's gone. 4.7 Mugs.

All Scores
Mike: 4.86 Jim: 4.90 Rodney: 4.60 Jess: 4.70 Matt E: 4.80 Gina: 4.40

Final Score: 4.78 Mugs
Currently at fourth place in our all time rankings

* * * * *

¹If this seems familiar to you and you've read the book, leave a comment with the title. It's driving me crazy.

²KOBTR Jim is the Jewish vegetarian lawyer I refer to.

KOTBR #55 - Beer and Progress with the Urbanophile

We might as well call KOTBR #55 "Evel Knievel wannabes take over Broad Ripple Avenue." For those of you who are unaware, last Thursday night saw Broad Ripple Avenue between College and Guilford get shut down for some freestyle motocross. Dudes on bikes flying off ramps. Rad. While that might have been visually stimulating, this event also made the already difficult parking situation in Broad Ripple even worse. Your friendly HBG curmudgeon here got lucky, however, and snagged a parking place next to Brugge Brasserie (a good strategic move, as you'll see shortly).

For our last roundtable, Chris, Mike, and I ended up at Chumley's Beer House (838 Broad Ripple Ave, Indianapolis, (317) 466-1555) to check out what has become a formidable draft beer selection. We were joined by the Urbanophile, who writes one of Indianapolis's most popular urban affairs blogs. Since almost all of the KOTBR live in or spend a lot of time in downtown Indy, we enjoyed chatting with the Urbanophile on his views about Naptown's growth and progress.


As for Chumley's, the place isn't much on atmosphere. If you're in your twenties and enjoy drinking a few Buds while taking in the big game on television, this is your sort of bar. That's not a knock on the place; it's just that this sort of establishment is about 15 years past its sell-by date for someone in my age bracket.

As for the beer list, it is fairly impressive. There are a good number of quality craft beer selections on tap, including Bell's, Left Hand, Magic Hat, Brugge, Victory, and Founders brands. We opted for Two Brothers Oh Brother!, which is a Belgian tripel style ale. This beer pours with a cloudy orange/amber color and very little head. While you expect a tripel to be served in a tulip glass, Chumley's opts for pint glasses, which is fine if you're used to drinking this type of beer but not so great if you want to get a good impression of the nose and if you don't know that you should sip instead of gulp (this is an 8.5% ABV beer). The nose is not unusual for a Belgian--musty and slightly malty. The mouthfeel is pleasantly creamy, and the taste bears notes of cloves, candi sugar sweetness, and malt. For a tripel, it's also very smooth and hides its alcohol content well. The smoothness of the Oh Brother! makes the beer easy to drink very quickly. A solidly made and well-balanced tripel - 3.50 mugs from me.

We left Chumley's after finishing our feature beer and headed to Brugge for one more round, courtesy of the Urbanophile. Ted has two seasonals on tap at the moment--a Helles and a Strong Dark Ale. Mike went with the Helles; Chris and I went with the Strong Dark Ale. The Dark was just as described: strong and dark. A lot of malt and kick in this one. If we were officially reviewing this beer, it would garner at least a 3.25 mug rating if not more.

LEAPING MOTORCYCLES!
IMPASSABLE SIDEWALKS!
HAIRLESS MONKEYS!

It was quite the show last Thursday for the Red Bull TNT Freestyle Motocross on Broad Ripple Ave. On this particular night, though, these were not things I was looking for. Well, I might have been interested in hairless monkeys, but I just made that one up. That would have been awesome, though. Who wouldn't like watching hairless monkeys performing daring motorcycle jumps?!



I digress. This evening was about beer and we were drinking at Chumley's. In college, Chumley's would have been my kind of bar. My friends and I played a LOT of pool and darts. And who knows, the wide and impressive selection of beer on tap might have advanced my love of good beer a little faster. These days places like Chumley's get on my nerves. I much prefer to hear the chatter of my companions over the noise of jukebox selections, especially when we've got someone as interesting as The Urbanophile sitting in on this roundtable.

As for the beer? I love tripel. Probably my second favorite style after IPA -- I even attempted a homebrew tripel that turned out drinkable. Two Brothers Oh Brother! is a well done version of the style with a creamier/slicker mouthfeel than many I have tasted. I had a hard time smelling much from the beer but there was at least a hint of banana. That showed up more prominently in the taste, where it linked up with clove, familiar friends in tripels and other Belgian styles. For drinkability, I'd describe this as dangerous. So dangerous that I got ahead of the table and decided to also get a pint of Double DeBockEl, a brand-new beer out of Sierra Nevada. It's an interesting take on dopplebock, with a hoppier bite than many mellower, maltier versions I've had.

I enjoy tripels so much that in my exuberance at trying a new one, I wanted to give Oh Brother! 4.1 mugs. Thinking about it more, I think 4+ scores need to be reserved for the best of the best tripels and this is definitely not one of them. I still think it's interesting and worth ordering again but I'm revising my score down to 3.8 mugs.

Since motorcycles and motocross are my brother's scene and bicycles and two wheeled transportation are my scene, I wasn't as bothered with the motocross explosion happening on Broad Ripple Avenue as Jim was. As it turns out, I saved my lack of enthusiasm for the review.

It wasn't the beer or company that set me off. Those were both quite lovely. First off, the Two Brothers Oh Brother, a beer from Two Brothers' "Artisan Series". Their words:

The artisan beer series is an outlet for our creative/artistic side. These are beers we have been itching to brew but have a hard time getting to while brewing all our regular beers. Most of them are unique in one way or another. We may or may not brew them again at some point, but these limited run beers are all are [sic] fun and fantastic.

Fun and fantastic? Sign me up.

The beer: Sweet (what Belgian tripel isn't?) and bit peppery on the lips and front of tongue. The usual tripel elements of banana and clove come through, and the beer finishes tight on the tongue, dry, and slightly bitter. Not bad. Not good.

I can easily think of two tripels - Brugge's Tripel de Ripple and Victory's Golden Monkey - that are able-bodied competitors, and more likely to end up in front of me the next time around. All told, Oh Brother wasn't bad... I just wasn't memorable. 2.95 Mugs.



I haven't mentioned the bar, have I? Chumley's the every(college)bar. Girls, pool tables, horrible reggae cover versions of police songs coming from the overloud stereo, dudes in baseball caps, a girl drinking alone and texting, 800 televisions, and the added bonus of a clueless waitress. And I quote "do we have that on draft?" Yes. Yes you do.

In her defense, she was new. In our defense, so were we.

This place is as advertised, and I think most people know what they're in for in any Broad Ripple Avenue bar. If you're in college, of legal age, looking to pick up girls and get them drunk, there are plenty of big and tasty beers on draft that your special lady might never suspect are 6 to 9 percent alcohol by volume. Or if you're just looking for somewhere to play pool, and actually have the option of decent beer, this just might be your place.

It isn't mine.

Jim: 3.5 Chris: 3.8 Mike: 2.95
Total Avg Score: 3.41 Mugs

Indiana Beer Week Closing Ceremonies - Replicale Faceoff

What's the story behind the Indiana Replicale Faceoff? Scientists may never know. Legend has it that brewers Dave Colt and Clay Robinson from Ram provided a common recipe for 70 Shilling Scottish that the contestants then prepared in their own special way in a contest of brewing brawn and brainpower. Are there prizes? Who's judging? Who knows? At Hoosier Beer Geek, we don't sweat the small stuff. We just drink.

In case you missed it, there's ten of us now. Nine of us showed up at Spencer's Stadium Tavern (802 South West St. Indianapolis 317-916-8888) last Wednesday and sampled selections from five breweries. We had an added bonus - a flight of five samples only cost $2. Or you could have a full pint of any for that same $2 - and I suspect they'll remain that way until the beer runs out. Perhaps it's run out already? If you've stopped in to Spencer's lately, let us know.

Here's what we thought, complete with beer rankings:

Gina

1. RAM - sweet
2. Oaken Barrel - creamy
3. Alcatraz - hot
4. Rock Bottom - smoky
5. Broad Ripple Brewpub - feet

Jim

Gina's going with one word reviews. I'm going with two. My rankings and notes, with the clarification that all of these were good beers.

1. Broad Ripple Brewpub. Berries, herbs.
2. Oaken Barrel. Hops, caramel.
3. Rock Bottom. Sweet, drinkable.
4. (tie) Ram and Alcatraz. Balanced, mellow.

New Chris

Agreed that all were definitely drinkable.

4 words (mostly)

1. BRBP - hoppier, chocolate, lightly bitter
2. 'Traz - bitter, creamy (lactose?), balanced
3. Oak B - chocolate nose, marshmallow taste (s'mores!)
4. Ram - toasty malt, whitewash sweet
5. Rock B - passable dirty stinky feet

Matt

...and with a personal record turnaround time, I'm submitting my two word reviews.

1. Broad Ripple Brew Pub - pleasant lavender
2. Oaken Barrel - cloudy malt
3. Rock Bottom - pruny nose
4. Alcatraz - yay hops
5. Ram - malt light

Other Matt

1. Ram: Exactly what I wanted.
2. Rock Bottom: toffee and caramel
3. Oaken Barrel: Down in Fuggle hops?
4. Alcatraz - Orville Redenbacher Butter
5. BRBP - Fruity Esters

I was doing some more research on the style as well, and I found that the butter flavor I was tasting in the Alcatraz could have some from malt and might not be diacetyl. I am now really curious if it was from the malt or actually diacetyl.

Rod

1. Alcatraz: Dark Chocolate Baby Powder
2. Rock Bottom: Malty Brown Greek Cheese
3. Broad Ripple: Watery Roasted Hazelnut Bitter
4. Oaken Barrel: Blackberry Caramel Light Beer
5. Ram: Nutty Slight Malt Liquor

Jess

1. Alcatraz: chocolate
2. Oaken Barrel: berry
3. Rock Bottom: feta
4. Broad Ripple: dishsoap
5. Ram: blah.

Mike

1. Broad Ripple: Raspberry, Vanilla.
2. Ram: Grape bubblegum, A hint footy.
3. Rock Bottom: Bitter, Peppery.
4. Alcatraz: Caramel, Soap.
5. Oaken Barrel: Sulfury, Cardboard.

And so by combining all rankings and haphazardly doing some of that math stuff, we come up with final combined rankings that looks like this:

First Place: Broad Ripple Brew Pub
Second Place: Oaken Barrel
Third Place: Alcatraz
Fourth Place: Rock Bottom
Fifth Place: Ram

Of course, we're not judges. But if anyone's asking, that's how our legend of Indiana Beer Week 2008 ends.