#HBGWeek | Hoosier Beer Geek's Favorite Things at Shoefly Public House - Wednesday, July 16

In the run-up to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival, we're celebrating HBG's Hoosier Beer Week. And we now have more details about one of the events for #HBGWeek.

When: Wednesday, July 16, 6:30pm

Where: Shoefly Public House, 122 East 22nd Street, 317.283.5007

What: Hoosier Beer Geek's Favorite Things - Come enjoy our hand-picked lineup of beers that would make the Von Trapp family envious.


Featured Beers | $4 for 4 oz. and $6 for 8 oz.:

Brasserie Cantillon's Iris Lambic (5% ABV)

Iris is a completely original beer which, contrary to the brewery's other beers, is not brewed with 35% wheat. Iris, which is made only with malt of the pale ale type (giving a more amber colour to the beer), conserves the typical flavor of the spontaneous fermentation, the complex aromas, and the vinous taste.

The hopping is different too. Lambic is usually made with 100% dried hops. But for Iris we use 50% dried hops and 50% fresh hops. The latter cause a superb acidity, and the former, due to their tannins, conserve the beer while preserving all its qualities.

After two years in the barrel, Iris undergoes a second fresh hopping two weeks before bottling. A linen bag filled with hops is soaked in the beer for two weeks. This technique, called "cold hopping," gives the beer a more intense flavor and makes the smell and the taste more bitter.

Bell's Brewery's Black Note Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout (11.5% ABV)

One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell's history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso and dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.


Featured Beers | $2 for 4 oz. and $4 for 8 oz.:

Boulevard Brewing Company's Ginger-Lemon Radler (4.05% ABV)

A zesty, refreshing take on the classic "cyclist," sessionable and full of character.

Founders Brewing Company's Rübæus (5.7% ABV)

Not another boring summer wheat beer or lemonade shandy—Rübæus is Founders’ way to celebrate the season’s warmest months. Optimizing the flavor of fresh raspberries added at multiple stages during fermentation, this stunning berry red masterpiece is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. No question about it, with a hefty malt bill and 5.7% ABV, this beer is 100% Founders.

Local Option Bierwerker's Kentucky Common (6.5% ABV)

Kentucky Common is a modern interpretation of an ale style native to pre-prohibition Louisville. Historically the beer was dark in color, creamy, and tart as a result of the introduction of lactobacillus bacteria by sour mashing. Local Option Bierkwerker took up the task of brewing this once familiar style – electing to use specialty grains rather than a large percentage of corn – yielding an adventurous taste profile befitting both conventional and courageous palates.

Three Floyds Brewing Company's Dreadnaught IPA (9.5% ABV)

An Imperial India Pale Ale with an intense citrus hop aroma, a huge malt body and a crisp finish.






We hope you'll join us! In the meantime, spread the word, and use #HBGWeek on social media. An overview of the #HBGWeek calendar is here.

KOTBR #123 | It's a Family Affair - Founders Nemesis 2010

We like Barley Island's Broad Ripple location for a variety of reasons. Obviously, the great tap list is one. Then there are the Wednesday night guest brewery tappings, such as the Founders tapping we attended a few weeks ago. And finally, we can bring the kids with us. When we have the kids along, a KOTBR roundtable truly becomes like one of those big holiday family gatherings--everyone is together dining, laughing, drinking, and watching the kids play. But you know, family gatherings also bring the inevitable squabble, and the KOTBR is no exception to this phenomenon. So, for example, Jason may say something snide about the St. Louis Cardinals, and all hell breaks loose as arguments ensue between the Cub and Cardinal factions of the family (and don't get us started on Chris, who for whatever reason is a fan of the Sons of Satan).

I haven't followed baseball since 1994 and don't really have a stake in such arguments. But my point about our roundtables being family-like is definitely true, even when the kids aren't around (though we love having them around). Roundtabling is our favorite HBG activity, often because it gives us an opportunity to catch up on one another's lives, which does not happen when we're running craft beer events because we're too busy. So here's an inside look at a KOTBR family gathering--

Perhaps the best thing about family is that each member has his or her own style. The same applies to the Nemesis family from Founders. The 2009 Nemesis was a Wheat Wine aged in Maple Bourbon barrels, and the 2010 Nemesis is a Black Barleywine.

In this case, we got acquainted with the 2010 version at Barley Island. Nemesis '10 has a sublimely sweet chocolate nose with a stinging heat. It has quite a bit of heat in the flavor along with some rich, dark fruit and caramel maltiness. Yet it remains smooth enough to drink. If this beer were a family member, it would be that trouble-making but really fun cousin who always has some inside information.

You know it's going to be trouble, but you can't help but indulge. 3.50 Mugs.

You might think that over the course of writing 100-some beer reviews, that eventually the process would get easier. Sometimes it is - some beers are immediately familiar, and the words put themselves down on the page. Founder's Nemesis isn't like that. I got a stinging sweetness - a grape tootsie pop sort of pop - right off the front. Gina got smooth caramel, as did I. But I also got a whole mouth bitterness that she didn't. Chocolate, caramel, bitter... they're all in there, but I don't think they sum up the beer.

What I do know is that I liked it, but I thought it could (still) use more age. I'm sure a little time would reveal even more complexity. 3.96 Mugs.

The biggest nemesis that I face these days is time. Between work, home, and play, I’m left with little time each day. That’s why I’m always happy to combine activities. For example: home and play. When it was suggested that HBG hit Barley Island’s Broad Ripple restaurant for the Founders tappings, I thought “Hey, Barley Island has family dining…I can hang with the Knights of the Beer Roundtable and bring my family! It’s a win/win!”

And no, I have no problem with drinking in front of my kids. Drinking isn’t evil (the naysayers are another nemesis) and I have the goal of demonstrating to my children that responsible drinking behaviors are very achievable.

Also, it was a Wednesday, which is a “kids eat free” day. A light wallet is another nemesis.

So it ended up being a great evening of family and friends, fine food (the spinach melt sandwich and deep fried mushrooms are fantastic), and a wonderful selection of beers for consumption (including Barley Island’s Whose Ear? and Three Floyds' Brian Boru).

But Founders is the guest brewery of the month, and a Founders beer is what we reviewed. If you haven’t guessed yet, we reviewed Nemesis's 2010 version. I like barleywines. And this one is no exception. Maybe it is because we have so much in common. Much like me, it is big and boozy (no explanation needed). Much like me, it has a hint of sweetness (brown sugar in the beer; I’m more of a white sugar). Much like me, it had a thin head (I’m with little hair on top). And much like me, there are hints of dark fruit (I guess I’m more nutty than fruity; I’m sure some will argue the point).

Where I differ from Nemesis: it has a hint of Belgium, and I’m mostly German and Danish; and it is dark bronze, where I alternate between sunburned and white-as-snow (what can I say, I have some strong redneck roots; yet another personal nemesis). 4.20 Mugs.

Take a deep breath and remember the facts.

You know these ginormous rare beers are put up on a pedestal. You know they're a mixed bag. You know that, at best, this will be a great beer that's probably too young and too hot. You know that none of these facts matter and, when something like this goes on tap at your favorite family-friendly brewpub in town, you'll be there.

Well whaddaya know, Nemesis nails it: a mixed-bag-ginormous-expectations-too-hot-DOES-NOT-MATTER-I-still-like-it beer. In a way, big rare beers like Nemesis are just like any great family gathering. It won't always be perfect, but you should expect the unexpected and you're damn sure gonna have a good time.

Everyone else has already gone over the flavors in the beer so I won't belabor that. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I've got a bottle of this to age at home because I think it's only going to get better with some time. 4.10 Mugs.

Founders Nemesis 2010
Jason: 4.20 Mugs | Jim: 3.90 Mugs | Mike: 3.96 Mugs | Gina: 3.50 Mugs | Chris: 4.10 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.93 Mugs

KOTBR #96 - Founders Porter at Shallos (a/k/a The Lost Roundtable)

Two Shallos Roundtables in a row? We kind of forgot we had done this one until I went digging through my notebook, hence the "Lost Roundtable" title.

As for the beer? We've done this before. Back in April of 2009 we sat down with every dark Founder's beer available and asked if they were up to expectations. Close to nine months later is a good time to re-review. Back then I gave Founder's Porter a 3.75 mug score and declined to add my thoughts. This time around I'll say the Founder's Porter has the cocoa powder nose, chocolaty front, and smooth and balanced flavors that make great porters great. In fact, apart from Broad Ripple Brewpub's porter, I can't think of one I'd rather have than Founder's. Watch what I do with that score now: 4.75 mugs


Look at the label of a bottle of Founders Porter and you'll find the following tagline: "Dark, Rich & Sexy." I don't know what Founders is thinking by calling the beer "sexy," but the dark and rich part I definitely get. In fact, between Founders Porter and the Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter (our Beer of the Year for 2009), the porter is fast becoming my favorite beer style. And as both of these beers show, when the style is done right, it's hard to beat.

So let's focus on Founders Porter, especially when it is served on draft. What you'll find is a beer that's nearly pitch black in color with the faintest remnant of a tan head. And the nose--well, the nose is simply amazing. If you've ever had a whiff of the dark chocolate truffles from Indy's fine chocolate shop, The Best Chocolate in Town, you'll know what I'm talking about. The flavor pretty much follows suit, conveying notes of the richest, darkest chocolate you've ever had, bolstered by a full, chewy mouthfeel. This is a definite bonus for a dark chocolate freak like me (I go through a bar of Endangered Species Extreme Dark Chocolate--another fine Indianapolis chocolatier--just about every week), and it's probably why I love Founders Porter.

Speaking of The Best Chocolate in Town and Endangered Species--Hey KOTBR, when are we going to get around to doing that chocolate and beer pairing roundtable? 4.80 Mugs.


My consumption of Founders Porter inspired me to bust out my Ouija board to contact a portly founder. Specifically, Benjamin Franklin. Here is what he had to say:

"Remember not only to drink the right beer in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave undrunk the wrong beer at the tempting moment."

I believe he means at heaven’s bar, only the best beers are served, not unlike Shallo’s. And Founders Porter is a heavenly choice. You would be wise to stay away from certain beers, even if they are the only ones available.

"Be slow in choosing a beer, slower in drinking."

Here he is saying that there are a lot of beers to choose from, so be sure to take your time. Which is why it took us a while before we selected Founders Porter for our roundtable beer. Ben is also suggesting that you take your time with beers like the porter, whose ABV is higher than some and whose flavors are best enjoyed without a Rocky Mountain chill.

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable beer drinker, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every time one has a mind to drink."

I may be wrong, but I believe he is speaking to the sessionability of this beer, that Ben could easily drink this beer day in and day out.

"Wish not so much to live long as to drink well."

Ben obviously is stating that life is to short to waste on beers that don’t have the roasty, chocolaty malts in flavor and aroma, and the full, creamy mouthfeel that is found in Founders Porter.

"I am in the prime of senility."

Um, I can only assume that he thinks I have lost my mind for pretending to talk to Ben Franklin about Founders Porter. But it was better than my Grand Rapids-themed “The Death of an Amway Salesman” write up that I was originally working on. 4.25 Mugs.


Most people know I am a big fan of Founders beers. I am not sure whether it was because of the cold evening, being in the company of good friends, or that the beer was on draft, but Founders Porter was drinking brilliantly the night we had it. The nose was brimming with wonderful dark chocolate scents and roasted grain. I find that many porters just don't have the heft in both the nose and flavor, but this one does. The flavor profile is rich and decadent with base flavors of roasted grain that lean towards chocolate and a bit of caramel. I let the beer warm a bit more and there was even a little touch of coffee in there as well. The mouthfeel is my favorite aspect of the beer. This beer is full-bodied and finishes silky smooth and coats the tongue really well. This is the type of beer I've come to expect from Founders. It is Founders doing Founders only the way they can. I've said it before, but I don't think anyone does dark beer better than Founders. 4.65 Mugs.

Founder's Porter (Draft, December 2009)
Mike: 4.75 Mugs | Jim: 4.8 Mugs | Jason: 4.25 Mugs | Matt: 4.65 Mugs | Chris: 4.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.55 Mugs

KOTBR #98 - Black Biscuit and Ranger IPA at Shallos

This roundtable marks the fourth time the Knights of the Beer Roundtable have settled in for a few pints at Shallos (8811 Hardegan Street, Indianapolis, (317) 882-7997) the southside bar recently named as one of Draft Magazine's Top 150. We reviewed two beers: Founders Brewing Company's Black Biscuit Old Ale and New Belgium Brewing Company's newest offering, Ranger IPA.

Because I'm a southsider, Shallos is a regular haunt for me. And I think it's time we talk about what makes it great.


First off, Shallos has about 40 taps. 90% of those taps pour something you'd be happy to drink, and ordering from the other 10% gets a sneer from the bartenders. Secondly, Shallos has a huge cooler filled with bottles from anyone you can think of. They work with all the distributors in town, so you get a chance at anything available in Indiana. Next up, they've got cabinets filled with all sort of bottles--far more bottles than you'd ever think they could possibly be selling. But stop in a few times and you'll notice that those bottles are rotating out. Who bought 12 bottles of Mikkeller Black? Hell if I know. I do know that they were there once, and now they're gone.


Shallos doesn't need to advertise when they've got a special beer on--sure, they recently started a twitter account--but for the most part they know that their audience is going to drink whatever they get. When we were lucky enough to stop in for a tapping of Upland's 23-Year-Old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel Aged Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout back in December, we learned that the keg ran out that night. With no advance warning, they went through the keg in something like 5 hours.


Admittedly, Shallos isn't perfect. The printed beer list is often wrong or out of date, and picking out a beer can be like Russian roulette--if you don't ask about the price you may be in for a surprise. The food menu is quickly exhausted if you visit often. They have three varieties of chicken sandwich, a very similar three varieties of hamburgers, really good chips and onion rings, wings, a few other random sandwiches... the fact that I could name everything on the menu if I thought about it might be a bad thing. But it's something I'm more than willing to overlook.


During the Colts' first playoff game, Gina and I stopped in at Shallos for some wings and beer. The bar was occupied by all sorts - folks drinking Stone's, folks drinking Bud Light - it's always a mixed crowd at Shallos. A fellow a few seats down from us switched from his domestic beer to something a little stronger: Thirsty Dog's Old Leghumper. As he started to drink from the bottle, the bartender started to chide him - "Put that in a glass! What's wrong with you?"

It's exactly that sort of thing that makes Shallos so endearing to us. Because it's the sort of thing we'd like to say, but can't and wouldn't say.

I bet it made his beer taste better.

Black Biscuit

I definitely enjoyed this beer. Indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I focused on enjoying the beer instead of taking many notes. I can fondly recall the chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon nose even though it's been a few days and I've been longing for that rich, bourbon flavor on these past few cold nights. We thank Shallos for having this extremely rare beer on tap, and we hope to see more small batch beers available from them in the future. 4.75 Mugs.


Ranger IPA

If you get a chance to meet a New Belgium Beer Ranger (the sales folks at New Belgium are called Beer Rangers), you'll probably find a pretty cool individual. This is definitely the case with Mike Emrie, Beer Ranger for Indiana, and he was nice enough to sit down with us to let us know about some exciting things coming soon from the brewery: Ranger IPA, packaging changes, and a line of bottles coming soon to Indiana.

First is Ranger IPA, made with 3 different hops (Cascade, Chinook, and Simcoe) for bittering and aroma. Ranger IPA is dry hopped with a heavy dose of Cascade. Traditionally, New Belgium has not been known to closely follow style guidelines in beer recipes, but when the Beer Rangers requested an IPA, the brewery obliged. We are pretty happy they did and we think this beer will be quite popular among beginners and hopheads alike.

Preferences for hop profiles among the Knights of the Beer Roundtable vary widely, but this beer seemed to please all of us. What I liked about this beer is how the hops are met with a sweetness to balance the flavor. I appreciated that the dryness in this beer led me to crave each sip. I would not hesitate to bring this to a party, and I look forward to sharing this at our summer cookouts. 4.00 Mugs.

Also, if you are looking for Ranger IPA in the traditional New Belgium packaging, you might miss it. New Belgium has broken their beer offerings into a different categories: Folly, Explore, Seasonal, Lips of Faith, and Collabeeration. The Ranger falls into the Explore series along with their Mothership Wit, Abbey, and Trippel. The packaging on these beers features two-color packaging in earth tones. The Seasonals follow a similar style to the Folly series and the Lips of Faith series is a mix of styles.

This group of beers is something we are really looking forward to seeing more of locally. We've been fortunate to try several Lips of Faith beers like La Folie, Biere de Mars, and the Transatlantique Kriek, and hope that some of the others make their way to our glasses very soon. We hear that distribution of this series is on the horizon. We'll keep you posted.


Black Biscuit

I was really excited to see this one on tap. I had a friend who tried this beer at the Festival of Wood Aged beers in Chicago and had some really good things to say about it. I honestly think that no one does dark beer better than Founders. I was surprised we got a pint glass of this, and as I went to take my first sip I was greeted with the scents of wood and maple syrup with just a touch of vanilla in it. I was trying hard to get this beer to warm up and the booze and roasted grain became the main focus. The flavor profile can be summed up in three words: oak, bourbon, and maple syrup. I thought this beer was really great for about 10 ounces, but after that it is was almost cloyingly sweet. I still really liked this beer though. 4.50 Mugs.

Ranger IPA

I will be honest about New Belgium. I didn't really care when they came to town, and I don't know if I would have ever tried this beer if I had not met Mike the Beer Ranger from New Belgium. I like their bigger beers, but I haven't really given much of their regular lineup a great deal of attention. This IPA poured a nice copper color with a fairly large white head that left good lacing on the glass. It has a very respectable nose of pine, grass, and lemon peel. The flavor profile is bright and hoppy with pine and citrus flavors from the hops and a solid balance of bready malt. We were told that this beer will be line priced with their other offerings, and this will be a really solid IPA for around $8 bucks a sixer. I am sure I will be at a few BBQ s this summer with this beer in tow. 3.95 Mugs.


Black Biscuit

Like the rest of the KOTBR, I was surprised and delighted to receive a full pint of Black Biscuit. I hadn't heard much about this beer besides what Doug, the friendly beer manager at Shallos, had told us the week before. Anything I've had from Founders in a maple barrel has been very good. The aroma of this beer is everything you would expect: vanilla, maple syrup, and light bourbon. This one started out thick and heavy, though not quite as heavy as I expected. The mouthfeel was very slick and slightly syrupy. Overall, it is a very smooth beer with a pleasant warm alcohol sensation that soothes instead of burns. Bourbon and maple syrup are probably the most prominent flavors, though hints of black licorice and molasses lace the back. This is a very sweet beer with big brown sugar notes and an interesting flavor combination that seemed to remind me of oatmeal raisin cookies. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and would like to have more. 4.65 Mugs.

Ranger IPA

I hadn't heard much about Ranger IPA, though I do hold a fairly high opinion of New Belgium beers thanks to the impressive Lips of Faith series and even seasonal surprises like 2 Below. Mike the Beer Ranger certainly set us up with high expectations as well, making claims that when New Belgium decided to take on the IPA style, they would do it in a way that the brewers would be proud to call their own. To be honest, my expectations were so high that I really expected to be disappointed by this beer. To my surprise, I wasn't. The nose was purely grassy hop pellets. It reminded me of opening up a bag of hops for homebrewing and just taking in the pleasant scents. The taste was summery with lemon, grapefruit, and a dry, grassy bitterness. Thanks to the unfiltered version of the beer we tried (the market version will be filtered), the mouthfeel was slightly wheat-like. It had a crisp, dry finish and a delicate tartness. This will make an incredible summer cookout beer. I guess the best description that comes to mind is Upland Wheat meets Stone Levitation: hops, citrus, and a dry finish that leaves you craving another drink. 4.01 Mugs.

Founders Black Biscuit
Mike: 4.00 Mugs | Jim: 4.6 Mugs | Gina: 4.75 Mugs | Jess: 4.60 Mugs | Rod: 4.65 Mugs | Matt: 3.80 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.40 Mugs

New Belgium Ranger IPA
Mike: 4.02 Mugs | Jim: 4.00 Mugs | Gina: 4.00 Mugs | Jess: 4.00 Mugs | Rod: 4.00 Mugs | Matt: 4.10 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.02 Mugs

Disclaimer: During this roundtable, Mike Emrie of New Belgium Brewing Company provided us with a round of Ranger IPA. We were under no obligation to review the beer if we so chose, nor were we under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the beer.

Winterfest #7 Update

The Brewers of Indiana Guild's Winterfest 2010 tickets are on sale now online. Ticket sales are also available at breweries across the state, including: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Brugge Brasserie, Barley Island (both locations), Upland (both locations), Rock Bottom (both locations), Ram (downtown), Alcatraz, Sun King, Oaken Barrel, Lafayette, Brickworks, Three Floyds, Back Road, Crown Brewing, Mishawaka, Half Moon, Mad Anthony (Ft. Wayne), Great Crescent, New Albanian, Turoni's Main Street, Power House, and Big Woods. They are also available at selected Crown Liquor stores. 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 (UPDATED - Will not be attending), Lafayette Brewing Company, Two Brothers, Rust Belt, Bell's Brewing Co. (UPDATED), and Atwater Block. Our third Winterfest update included Crown Brewing, Big Woods Brewing, Power House Brewing, and Rock Bottom Brewery North. Our fourth Winterfest update included Back Road Brewery, Mishawaka Brewing, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Sun King Brewing, Schlafly Beer, Goose Island Brewing Co. (UPDATED), North Coast Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co. Our fifth Winterfest update included Oaken Barrel, Rock Bottom Downtown (UPDATED), Turoni's Main Street, New Albanian, Three Floyds, Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Barley Island, Tyranena, Schmaltz, Bluegrass Brewing Company - Shelbyville Road, and New Belgium. Our sixth Winterfest update included a beer list for World Class Beverages' Malt Shoppe. This is our seventh update to the beer list...


Wilbur Brewing
Martinsville, Indiana
On draft in their booth:
Country Mellow

People's Brewing
Lafayette, Indiana
On draft in their booth:
Pilgrim Porter
AmberPA
First Edition IPA
Mr. Brown

Brickworks Brewing
Hobart, Indiana
On draft in their booth:
Wind Chill Factor
Solstice
Potawatomi Porter

In the beer garden:
Assimilation (replicale)

Alcatraz Brewing
Indianapolis, Indiana
On draft in their booth:
Sledgehammer Strong Pale
Rock Bock
Belgian Pale

Bluegrass Brewing Company - Main Street
Louisville, Kentucky
On draft in their booth:
American Pale Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Bourbon Barrel Stout
Barbarian Honey Ale

In the outdoor beer garden:
Scotch Ale

Founders Brewing
Grand Rapids, Michigan
On draft in their booth:
Double Trouble
Others TBA




Only nine more days!

Greetings From Michigan, A Great Beer State: Stop #4 - Founder's Brewing Company

This past week Gina and I took a couple days off to visit family in Michigan. Of course no vacation is ever complete without enjoying a beer or two, so we also visited a few of Michigan's finer craft beer establishments.



Our final stop on our one-day whirlwind Michigan beer tour found us in Grand Rapids, home of Founder's Brewing Company. After we deposited our bags in our hotel, we took a scenic one mile walk across the grand river and a found ourselves a seat at the Founders Tap Room.


The tap room is a huge, airy, space; A long barn-like building featuring an east side composed of windowed garage-type doors, which I'm sure are opened during good weather, expansive wooden floors, and what must be at least thirty tables. A pool table or two and a makeshift stage filled out the space. Of course I can't forget the bar - a gigantic curvy monster that took up most of the west wall. It was there we sat down for dinner, and a pint or three.


Founders Hand of Doom - A 10% Imperial IPA might not seem like the best way to easy yourself into a night of drinking, but keep in mind we had already visited Dark Horse, Arcadia, and Bells that day. Knowing that the car was safe back at the hotel meant that we had very little to worry about.

Hand of Doom is a super coconut IPA - at least that's what my notes say. Sweet, syrupy, thick and hoppy, with hints of coconut throughout - nose, front and finish. The creamy mouthfeel reminded me of something that it took me a little while to put my finger on. And then it hit me - Hand of Doom drinks like Apocalypse Cow. If there weren't so many other beers to try I certainly would have had another. And another.

I wonder if there was any lactose in there..


Founders Newago County Cherry - Imagine Cerise aged on oak. And there you are.


Founders Honey Wheat - 5.5% ABV, cloudy, with that regular gold wheat beer color. The nose is sweet and fruity, with an agreeable sweetness that goes through the whole beer. My notes say "Upland Wheat + heft in body + honey". Very tasty.


Founders Super Gold - Another 5.5% ABV beer, Gina's notes say "an easy to drink beer that tastes watery, and yet peppery". Super Gold is a pale lager, and was probably the least interesting beer of the night.


Founders Holé Molé - We split a 4oz a sample of this one, and actually we didn't finish it. This was by far the spiciest beer I've ever had. A stout with habenero pepper, it was pretty much like sipping on hot sauce. I appreciate the experimentation and the experience, but I can't imagine having a whole pint.


While this concludes this batch of Michigan coverage at HBG, it's worth noting that we left Founder's shortly after a band of hippies (one of which may have been Founders brewer Jeremy Kosmicki) took over the music stage (that's not really why we left - I love you, hippies!), and headed over to Grand Rapid's Hop Cat, where we had a fantastic experience. On our way over toward Detroit we stopped in at Jolly Pumpkin Ann Arbor, where we sampled a few beers that definitely stand out. In Warren we visited Kuhnhenn during their Octoberfest celebration, and rounded out the night with a stop at Dragonmead, where the extensive beer menu blew us away. We'd highly recommend all of these breweries and bars, and look forward to our next trip, where we'll dig in a little deeper.

KOTBR #70 - Founders Great Expectations

KOTBR #70 was a special occasion. Special in that we gathered up (perhaps) more beer than we've ever reviewed in one sitting before. Special because we were joined by Cari, the Kahn's Beer Queen. And special because we're all fans of Founders Brewing, the Michigan powerhouse of tasty brewed treats.

The question I put forth to my fellow Knights was this (in many many more words):

"Is Founder's KBS (formerly Kentucky Breakfast Stout) really Founders' best beer?"

What I was really getting at was the question of hype versus taste. Is KBS' reputation built on the fact that it's not an easily acquired beer? How often does an obsessed-over beer reward that obsession?

We're probably as guilty as anyone at overhyping how good a beer can be - so in this review we ask the question - Do these beers meet expectations? And we'll admit that might be a snobby question to ask.



Thomas Jefferson once wrote:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all beers are not created equal, that they are endowed by their Brewer with certain unalienable qualities, that among these are malt, hops and the possible infusion of coffee, chocolate, bourbon, and other flavors.

Yes, he wrote that. It was part of the Declaration of Beer Dependence that he wrote when he was part of Colonial Beer Geek. He later adapted the text for some statement that was sent to the King of England.

Jefferson was a polymath. And like many of his contemporaries, one of his interests was the production and consumption of beer. Don't believe me? Here's proof.

While little is known about what sort of beers were brewed at Monticello, I think it is a safe bet that none of them were like any of the Founders beers that we sampled.


Porter – Exceeds expectations: Sometimes, I find porters to be lacking. Often, the mouthfeel is too watery to fully carry the flavors. This is not the case. The fullness and creaminess of this porter easily carries the chocolate and coffee maltiness.

Backwoods Bastard – Exceeds expectations: Bourbon and stouts have always played well together. But Wee Heavy ales and bourbon may end up being BFF’s. The caramel and buttery components of bourbon and the roasted caramel malts of the Wee Heavy create a wonderful concoction that is best described as butterscotch candy in inebriating liquid form.

Double Trouble – Does not meet expectations: With a name like Double Trouble, you really expect to get the hop-shit slapped out of you. And based on the smell, I was preparing myself for a punch. While it had a sweet taste and a clean mouth, it was too light for a double IPA. The only trouble I found was in the enjoyable bit of spice left in the back of my throat.

Curmudgeon – Does not meet expectations: 9.3% ABV. Old Ale. The name. All reasons why I had high hopes for this beer. But, I found this to be a weak beer in comparison to the other Founders beers I have consumed. Not a bad beer by any means, but left me wanting more.

Breakfast Stout – Exceeds expectations: The mouthfeel of the Breakfast Stout was lighter than expected, but this coffee stout is very enjoyable with its big coffee flavor highlighted by hints of bitter chocolate. A mocha frappucino in beer form.

Imperial Stout – Exceeds expectations: The words chocolate and coffee and caramel and malty have been thrown around a lot when talking about stouts. This one exceeds them all. It is a big, sugary explosion of a stout. In short: fantastic!

Kentucky Breakfast Stout – Does not meet expectations: It’s funny to say that a beer I rated at 4.7 mugs was disappointing. I like bourbon. A lot. And I feel that the latest KBS is not as bourbon-infused as last year’s. It is still, however, extremely tasty.


PORTER - Exceeds Expectations: This porter is incredibly robust with huge chocolate flavor with hints of coffee, molasses, and toasted almonds. The kind of flavors you'd expect to find in an Imperial Stout but with the body and ABV of a Porter. I would gladly order this at any bar.

BACKWOODS BASTARD - Exceeds Expectations: When this was fresh, it fell a bit short. The flavors were all right but it had a lot of alcohol burn in the nose and the swallow. Now that it's six months old, the alcohol has mellowed and the bourbon flavor is even better. If you like bourbon you HAVE to try this. The nose of oak, vanilla, caramelized banana, and toasted coconut alone is enough to sell me on this.

DOUBLE TROUBLE - Does Not Meet Expectations: You know, I really liked this beer. They shouldn't call it a double IPA, though. Maybe an Extra IPA (that's a hot trend currently). Devil Dancer is a tough suit to follow, and even though it was dubbed a "triple" IPA, it did set a precedent for any "double" IPAs coming out of Founders. The lighter body on this was refreshing, and the grapefruit and lemon zest from the hops had a nice bitterness, but this was a really good IPA, not a double IPA.

CURMUDGEON - Does Not Meet Expectations: I had high expectations for this one. Founders is great at bold flavors and barleywines are a perfect match for this. For some reason, Old Curmudgeon came across fairly light in this department. Easily drinkable, tasty, but not the barleywine I wanted it to be. I did appreciate the coconut notes in the flavor, though.


BREAKFAST STOUT - Meets Expectations: This beer has a huge following and a tremendous amount of praise. It's hard to exceed that, but it certainly lives up to all the positive things that are said about it. The coffee flavors are balanced by a nice sweetness and there's even some chocolate and smoke in there. This is the stuff that sets the high standards for all of Founders' beers.

IMPERIAL STOUT - Does Not Meet Expectations: With how impressive the Breakfast Stout and Porter are, I had really high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it came across as a standard Imperial Stout. Cacao nibs, molasses, and lactose are in there, and it's well-balanced, but when you slap the "Imperial" brand on a Founders beer, I'm expecting something so strongly flavored that I'm going to have to sip it. If they called this Founders Stout I would probably be a lot happier with it.

KBS - Does Not Meet Expectations: But just for the 2009 batch. I don't know what they did to this, but it's much lighter than previous years. The whiskey flavor is incredibly faint with flavors of chocolate, caramel, and even raisins coming out more prominently. This is more chocolate than whiskey. And that's about as mean as I can be here because despite my disappointment in the 2009 batch, it's still a damn good beer and I'm glad I got some this year.

Overall - I think Founders is probably slightly over-hyped in the beer world, but then again, most good breweries are. Founders is easily one of the best breweries in the Midwest and we are incredibly lucky to be able to buy all of their stuff with relative ease (obviously with the exception of KBS). They are a world-class brewery and are doing exactly the kind of thing that makes American craft beer so great. I hope they continue along these lines for many years to come.



Porter - Did not meet. It was chocolate and cherry with a frothy, creamy head. I was expecting this to have a little less of the chocolate and coffee notes and to be more of a brown ale.

Backwoods Bastard - Extremely Exceeded Expectations. This was bourbon-barrel-aged beer at its finest with hints of cherry vanilla and vanilla sugar. It was mellow and easy to drink. I also appreciate the coconut notes on the finish.

Double Trouble - Exceeded Expectations. The nose is pure hoppy goodness. It's yellow and golden (quite light in color) with acetone, floral, and herbs. It's citrusy and piney all in one beer. It's not a true DIPA, but I enjoy it for being a bold IPA that could get me in a lot of trouble the next morning.

Curmudgeon - Met Expectations. It had a big malty taste with lots of barleywine flavor. It also has a hop flavor that enhances the beer and gives it a little something extra to set it apart. I enjoyed the lighter flavor and how it was less syrupy than other barleywines.

Breakfast Stout - Met Expectations. This was quite delicious and reminded me of the Peppy Grill in a bottle. It had hints of chocolate, tobacco, coffee, and cigarette smoke. The only letdown was the weak mouthfeel. It felt quite light on the tongue and didn't coat the glass. I would recommend this to someone who is looking for that diner experience and they don't want to come home smelling like smoke.

Imperial Stout - Exceeded Expectations. I had sampled this at Shallos on tap and wasn't really looking forward to the bottle version. I was pleasantly surprised when I was met with roasted malt, chocolate syrup, and coffee notes all in the first sip. It was followed with that creamy, sugary milky stout taste and had a great heavy mouthfeel. This is a very soothing beer that I would recommend picking up without hesitation.

KBS - Did Not Meet. Now while I wouldn't hesitate to have my fair share of this rare beverage, it wasn't quite as good as what I remembered. It was a chocolaty, woody experience that had too much hot alcohol burn. I wished that it had more of the whiskey barrel taste that I had grown to love with previous KBS years and this disappointed. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but it wasn't what I remembered. It was like waking up Christmas morning and finding out that there wasn't a Santa Claus but I still got presents. I do eagerly await next year's KBS - maybe they went back to the vanilla?


PORTER - Exceeds Expectations: One of my favorite examples of the style. It must be warmed to near cellar temp though because I always get a bit of a chalk flavor when this beer is too cold. Once it has warmed I get wonderful flavors of roasted coffee and chocolate with a silky smooth mouthfeel.

BACKWOODS BASTARD - Meets Expectations: I thought this beer was terrible when it first came out. The alcohol was very hot and the vanilla and bourbon flavors overtook everything, but put a little bit of age on this beer and it rounded itself out into a very nice beer. I get flavors of vanilla and pepper with a touch of oakiness and bourbon. I also get some sweet caramel coming in on the back of the palate.

DOUBLE TROUBLE - Meets Expectations: This is the clearest DIPA I've ever seen, but the flavor profile packs a big grapefruit punch with a a little bit of sticky pine as well. I would have liked more of a malt body on this beer, but there is a bit of malt that tries to compliment, but the hops are to powerful for it. I also don't think I would have more than one pint of this beer in a sitting.

CURMUDGEON - Neither Satisfied or Unsatisfied: Dark fruits and caramel render a flavor profile that is lacking of much of a "wow" factor. I am not offended by this beer, but I wouldn't seek it out either.


BREAKFAST STOUT - Exceeds Expectations: I just flat out love this beer, and am very happy that Indiana got what seems like a 1000% increase of it over last year. I get plenty of coffee, chocolate, and espresso in the flavor profile and a wonderful nose to match. The oatmeal in the grain bill also makes this have one of the most velvety smooth mouthfeels going down, but still has an thick and almost chewy mouthfeel.

IMPERIAL STOUT - Exceeds Expectations: I am always blown away with every bottle of this beer that I open, and I've been through at least six four-packs of this beer. I find it to be one of the best Russian Imperial stouts right out of the bottle. I hate that I have to age so many RIS's, but I don't have to with this beer. I love the blast of bitter hops upfront with an even stronger bitter roasted malt flavor that is filled with anise, smoke, dark fruit, and molasses. I also find this beer to have an amazing mouthfeel that coats the tongue and goes down very smoothly for a high ABV beer. Bless you Founders for making a RIS in a 12 oz. bottle!

KBS - Does Not Meet Expectations: I say that with a grain of salt. I was so looking forward to the 2009 KBS, but it didn't live up to how good previous versions were. They changed the recipe this year. The chocolate is very prominent in the flavor profile and takes away from the bourbon and vanilla flavors that I've loved so much in previous years. Having said that, I still really liked this beer. Had I never had any other year of this beer, I would have found it pretty amazing, but it was almost like an old friend wasn't there to greet me at the airport, but he sent a pretty good substitute instead.



Porter - Met expectations. Had one when Founders released it. Liked it then, and I like it now. Hint of berries and chocolate in the nose. Creamy mouthfeel, flavor full of chocolate and coffee and a touch of vanilla. An excellent representation of the Porter style, which is a style that I've grown to love over the last year.

Backwoods Bastard - Did not meet expectations. Bourbon nose, heavy bourbon flavor, watery mouthfeel. Bourbon is not my bag, yet I do enjoy many of the bourbon-barrel-aged beers that I've tried (e.g., BBC Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout). Still, I expected better from Founders with this beer. I prefer a hint of bourbon in the taste, not a full-on bourbon flavor like this beer had.

Double Trouble - Exceeded expectations. Very pale color for a DIPA. Looked like a lager. Pineapple nose, crisp and dry pineapple flavor. A nice, dry alternative to the malty sweet DIPAs offered by other brewers. You done good on this one, Founders.

Curmudgeon - Exceeded expectations. Old Ales and Barleywines don't trip my trigger, so I expected not to like this too much. Despite this, I appreciated what Founders is shooting for with this beer. Had a pleasant bready nose with a bit of bourbon in the back. Flavor followed suit, along with a touch of sweetness.

Breakfast Stout - Met expectations. Bought a four-pack when Founders released this year's batch, so I knew what I was getting into. This is a good coffee stout, but not my favorite (that honor belongs to Schlafly's Coffee Stout). What to say about it? Nose: coffee, coffee, coffee, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Taste: ultra-black coffee, along with a hint of sweetness and cream.

Imperial Stout - Exceeded expectations. Many Imperial Stouts are a little too heavy with the cherry profile in nose and flavor for my particular taste. This one was not in that category. Founders Imperial was tilted more toward the chocolate, vanilla, and cream realm. Some coffee character as well. On top of that, the mouthfeel on this beer was phenomenal.

KBS - Did not meet expectations. I expected this vaunted beer to completely blow away all of its Founders companions. It simply did not do that, primarily because I think it is too green at this point, as evidence by the alcohol burn it produced. Still, the bourbon, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate characteristics that you'd expect from a bourbon-barrel-aged stout were there in spades. An excellent bourbon-barrel-aged beer.


Porter - Met Expectations. A very nice porter. Probably would have rated this higher but just a little something odd was lingering in my mouth. Matt said "chalky" and I immediately knew that's what was hanging around.

Backwoods Bastard - Does Not Meet Expectations. I feel like I'm drinking bourbon. It burns. Bourbon, bourbon, bourbon. Either you like it or you don't. I don't.

Double Trouble - Exceeds Expectations. An absolutely amazing, crystal-clear DIPA. Had one bottle when this first came out, but it really GRABBED me this time. Surprisingly easy drinking, with a light body and great citrusy, grapefruity hopiness.

Curmudgeon - Does Not Meet Expectations. Actually, I'm not sure what my expectations were -- Old Ale is kind of an odd style. Very malty, but not dark and smokey like stout. Hopped, but not as much as barleywine. Lots of caramel sweetness and dark fruit with a touch of spice. I'd have it again, but I'm not running to the store.

Breakfast Stout - Exceeds Expectations. Creamy, chocolately, wonderful coating mouthfeel with huge coffee notes helping to provide some additional bitterness to balance out the malt. This is a great all-around stout.

Imperial Stout - Exceeds Expectations. Wow, I was not expecting to like this more than the Breakfast Stout. Very much exceeds expectations. Great chewy, slightly creamy mouthfeel with chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit notes. A relative bargain for the RIS style.

KBS - Does Not Meet Expectations. There is so much hype surrounding KBS that I'm not sure the beer could possibly live up to expectations. Compounding things, I think this is a little hot right now and needs to sit a while before it's really ready to drink. Still, it's an interesting, complex stout and one I'll look forward to trying again after some aging.


SCORES:
Founders Porter
Matt R 4.1 Mugs | Jess 3.0 Mugs | Jason 4.15 Mugs | Jim 4.1 Mugs | Rod 4.0 Mugs | Chris 4.1 Mugs | Mike 3.7 Mugs | Cari 3.9 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.88 Mugs

Founders Backwoods Bastard
Matt R 3.14 Mugs | Jess 4.8 Mugs | Jason 4.55 Mugs | Jim 3.25 Mugs | Rod 4.5 Mugs | Chris 2.9 Mugs | Mike 4.2 Mugs | Cari 4.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.92 Mugs

Founders Double Trouble
Matt R 4.05 Mugs | Jess 4.3 Mugs | Jason 4.4 Mugs | Jim 4.3 Mugs | Rod 3.8 Mugs | Chris 4.8 Mugs | Mike 3.5 Mugs | Cari 4.4 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.19 Mugs

Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
Matt R 3.0 Mugs | Jess 3.5 Mugs | Jason 3.7 Mugs | Jim 3.9 Mugs | Rod 3.2 Mugs | Chris 3.7 Mugs | Mike 4.2 Mugs | Cari 3.8 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.62 Mugs

Founder Breakfast Stout
Matt R 4.35 Mugs | Jess 3.75 Mugs | Jason 4.46 Mugs | Jim 4.0 Mugs | Rod 4.3 Mugs | Chris 4.2 Mugs | Mike 3.71 Mugs | Cari 3.9 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.08 Mugs

Founders Imperial Stout
Matt R 4.85 Mugs | Jess 4.5 Mugs | Jason 4.7 Mugs | Jim 4.65 Mugs | Rod 3.85 Mugs | Chris 4.5 Mugs | Mike 3.72 Mugs | Cari 4.7 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.43 Mugs

Founders KBS (2009)
Matt R 4.4 Mugs | Jess 4.4 Mugs | Jason 4.7 Mugs | Jim 4.4 Mugs | Rod 4.35 Mugs | Chris 4.0 Mugs | Mike 3.7 Mugs | Cari 4.2 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.26 Mugs