The 2012 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year - Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner

Every December since 2008, we've looked back at all the beers we reviewed during the year so we can pick our top beer of the year. This year, we used the same basic ranking system that we've used in previous years, under which we've ranked our top five beers with the option of also listing beers under "honorable mention." To decide our beer of the year, we awarded 5 points to a first place vote, 4 points for a second, 3 for a third, 4 for a fourth, 1 for a fifth, and 0.5 for an honorable mention.

But this year, we changed the system a bit by opening up our rankings to beers that we didn't review. So as you might expect, the result was quite unscientific and a bit chaotic. Indeed, because we have very different tastes, only seven beers received multiple votes.

And what was the beer that ended up in the top spot? Well, we initially jumped the gun and forgot to include Chris's rankings, so our first result was Goose Island's King Henry Barleywine. Because this is an InBev beer, we expected some eye rolling, gnashing of teeth, and airing of grievances.

But with the inclusion of Chris's rankings, King Henry now moves down to number two on our list. This means that we have a new winner, and a local winner to boot:

Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner

We reviewed Workingman's Pilsner when we visited the brewery back in October. Most of us had tried Workingman's Pilsner before the roundtable, so we knew what we were in for. Not surprisingly, the beer won accolades from us:

"Everything about this beer rings true to the Pilsner style. The light, lightly toasted malt aroma. The slightly sweet flavor that can't be reproduced with corn. The crisp body and soft mouthfeel that make it simultaneously easy to drink and refreshing. It is a beer that evokes thoughts of fresh Helles or Pilsner in Europe. This is the Pilsner that I compare all other American Pilsners to."

"I can honestly say this is one of my favorite beers brewed here in Indianapolis. It is well brewed, really delicious, and very conducive to conversation with friends. I can't think of much more that I'm looking for out of a beer."

"[Workingman's Pilsner] is crisp, with a touch of bready sweetness and finished with a classic bite of noble hops.... In a city where far too many breweries select their year-round beers from a stock set of ales, it's great to see Fountain Square focus their attention on a first-class lager that Indy can be proud of. They've got a hit with Workingman's Pilsner, a beer that's tailor-made for this brewery's neighborhood but one that will satisfy any time and any place."

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

Other beers from Indiana received votes from us. Specifically, beers from Black Acre, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Brugge Brasserie, Flat12, Sun King, Three Floyds, Triton, and Upland also pleased our palates this year.

So without further ado, here's our (admittedly messy) list of all beers that received votes, ranked in order of points received.

1. Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner
2. Goose Island King Henry Barleywine
3. Brasserie des Franche-Montagne Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien (2011)
4. Flat12 Walkabout Pale Ale
5. Schlafly Tasmanian IPA
8. (tie) New Albanian Naughty Claus, Sun King Velvet Fog (Batch 333), Three Floyds Alpha King
11. (tie) The Bruery Oud Tart, Perennial Blueberry Flanders, Triton Fieldhouse Wheat
18. (tie) Black Acre Oktoberfest, Boulevard Love Child #2, Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA, Perennial Abraxas, Sun King Bitchin' Camero, Three Floyds Alpha Klaus, Upland Batch 2 Sour Reserve American Wild Ale
25. (tie) Black Acre Chai Guy Chai Tea Milk Stout, Black Acre Hop Pun, Broad Ripple Brewpub Wobbly Bob, He'Brew Jewbelation 15, Logsdon Farmhouse Seizoen Bretta, Sun King Cream Dream V: I Thought We Were Buddies, Three Floyds Lawless ESB
26. Brugge Brasserie Pooka
29. (tie) Against the Grain/De Molen Bo & Luke, Founders Better Half, Trader Joe's Mission Street Pale Ale (brewed by Firestone Walker)
37. (tie) Amnesia Copacetic IPA, Cascade Barrel House, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Grumpy Troll Smoky Troll Gratzer, Hilliard Saison, Sun King Java Mac, Three Floyds Gumballhead, Three Floyds Zombie Dust

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

Matt

What a great year for beer. My list could probably be filled with just beers that I had at Great Taste of the Midwest. We have so many amazing breweries that have opened or have been operating for a number of years that are producing some amazing beers for our enjoyment.

I'm also cautious with these lists as well. Does my top beer mean that I scored it the highest or should the beer that I consumed the most of this year probably be on this list? In that case it would Alpha King from Three Floyds followed by Gumballhead from Three Floyds. Those have been staples for me for a very long time, but Alpha is easier to get your hands on. I'm going to stick with that reasoning for my rankings.

1. Alpha King
2. Perennial Blueberry Flanders
3. Upland Batch 2 Sour Reserve American Wild
4. Perennial Abraxas
5. Goose Island King Henry

Honorable mention: A Polish Gratzer beer from Grumpy Troll Brewpub in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. It was called Smoky Troll. For the Great Taste their version of Replicale was a near dead beer style from Poland. It is a smoked wheat beer. I love smoke beers and I tried every single one I could get my hands on that weekend, but none matched how good this one was. One of those moments I won't ever have again most likely.

Jim

1. BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien '11. For me, there's no parallel for a well-crafted sour beer, and Brasserie des Franche-Montagne's Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien is among the best sours in the world. Bon-Chien's sour cherry and oak notes rest on a sweet, malty foundation, making this beer extraordinary. Bon-Chien is admittedly pricey, but anyone who is fond of sours will find it worth the cost.

2. Flat12 Walkabout Pale Ale. The single-hop pale ale has become one of my favorite beer styles. For last year's Beer of the Year, I picked Three Floyds' Zombie Dust, which is a single-hop pale. This year, I've ranked Flat12's Walkabout Pale Ale at number 2. Walkabout is an exemplary single-hop beer, brewed with Galaxy hops from Australia. At 5.3% ABV, this beer is one that I reach for as often as I can to experience its citrusy aroma and flavor. Many would agree that Walkabout is one of Indianapolis' best craft beers. It's definitely my favorite regular beer from Flat12. Please put this one in bottles, Flat12.

3. Schlafly Tasmanian IPA. Another single-hop beer brewed with the hop from Down Under slots in at number 3. Tasmanian IPA was on cask at Schlafly's tap takeover at the Beer Sellar in October, and its hoppy, mouth-numbing flavor (in a weird, good way) was unforgettable to me.

4. Sun King Cream Dream V: I Thought We Were Buddies. The best way I can describe Sun King's Cream Dream V is that it's the sweeter cousin of Three Floyds' Alpha King Pale Ale. Because I prefer the pairing of sweet and hoppy flavors, I made several trips this summer to Bluebeard to get Cream Dream V while it was on tap there.

5. He'Brew Jewbelation 15. A beer brewed with as many hop and malt varieties as He'Brew's Jewbelation beers are should turn out to be a huge mess. But the brewers at Shmaltz always manage to make Jewbelation work. I like to put a year of age on Jewbelation before I drink it, and 2011's Jewbelation 15 turned out to be a beauty of a beer this year. Loaded with notes that range from raisins to cherries to sweet caramel to roasted malt, Jewbelation 15 is a fitting choice for the holiday season. I look forward to seeing how Jewbelation 16 tastes during Hanukkah/Christmas 2013.

Megan

1. Velvet Fog (Batch 333) - Belgian Quad, Sun King Brewing
2. Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien - Sour, Brasserie des Franche-Montagne
3. Deviant Dale's - IPA, Oskar Blues
4. Lawless - ESB, Three Floyds
5. Pooka - Sour/Wild Ale, Brugge Brasserie

Rod

1. Goose Island King Henry - I didn't have incredibly high expectations of this beer. American barleywines tend to be pretty formulaic - I like them, but they usually don't wow me. Toss that in a bourbon barrel and I'm incredibly skeptical that it's going to be one-dimensional. That was my impression going in to King Henry, but I couldn't have been more wrong. One of the best bourbon barrel beers I have ever had, this was a beautiful example of the style and further verified the incredible barrel program at Goose Island.

2. The Bruery Oude Tart - Perhaps following a similar situation as King Henry, I was ready to be extremely judgmental of this beer. The Bruery sours are kind of hit and miss for me, usually good but not typically deserving of the high price point. Oude Tart was the king of them all, commanding $20-25 a bottle. The first taste made me a believer, with a depth of flavor to the malt and a sourness more reminiscent of Belgian sours than some of the vinegar I've had from a few American breweries. I would buy this one again, despite the high price.

3. Three Floyds Alpha Klaus - After a few years of this beer being hard to find, Indianapolis was hit with a flood of bombers this year, plus many encore experiences on draft. This one is probably my favorite Christmas beer, with a wonderful spicyness, accented by hops, and a big heavy stout body. It's not super sweet as you might expect from a 10% Three Floyds beer, but it certainly drinks like it's 5%. Merry Christmas indeed.

4. Logsdon Farmhouse Seizoen Bretta - Not available in Indiana (unless you order it online), this was one of the best saisons I have tried, and certainly the best of the year. Dry and spicy from the brett, but not harsh from added spices. A bit of wine-like sweetness balances it out into an incredibly drinkable saison. Sort of like Boulevard's but with a better balance. Also it foamed all over my kitchen but I still have nice things to say about it.

5. Founders Better Half - Following suit with King Henry, Founders did a nice job with the barreling on this one. Old Curmudgeon is already one of my preferred barleywines (or I guess it's an Old Ale), but the addition of maple was not only complementary, but actually improved what I already liked about the beer. Unlike CBS, which I have my complaints about, I thought this one was good enough to be produced in much larger batches.

Honorable Mention - Cascade Barrel House. Pretty much every sour I tried there was awesome, but that was in Portland and it's not really fair for me to unload praise on it when it's not readily available in this state (without expensive shipping fees).

Jason

In a year where I could have used many, many, MANY drinks, I didn't drink as much as I would have liked. My New Year's resolution for 2013: drink more beer.

But I did have a few new beers that keep coming back into my mind. Beers that I think to myself "damn, I'd like to have another"...

1. Goose Island King Henry: I'm a fan of barleywines and bourbon barrel aged beers. So I figured it would be good. I don't remember what I paid for the bottle, but I do remember hesitating at the price. But I bought it, drank it, and bought another. The quality of this beer rocked the credit card right out of my wallet. Please sir, may I have another?

2. Flat12 Walkabout Pale Ale: I do not keep a regular beer in my fridge. There are too many options out there. Too many beers to try. But if I did, Walkabout would likely be one (if it were available in bottles). Citrusy hops make me happy.

3.) Black Acre Oktoberfest: My German heritage requires that I mention an Oktoberfest. Okay, that's not true, but I do love Oktoberfest beers and Black Acre nailed it with a big, malty version.

4.) Black Acre Chai Guy Chai Tea Milk Stout: Can you tell where I did most of my drinking this year? The guys at Black Acre are having fun with beer and the Chai Guy Chai Tea Milk Stout was late fall/early winter in a glass.

5.) He'Brew Jewbelation 15: Only circumcised drinkers allowed. This big beer was like a religious experience. I almost gave up bacon cheeseburgers. Almost.

Honorable Mention: Every other Indiana beer out there. I didn't get to hit as many breweries in Indiana as I have in previous years. I'm hoping to change that in 2013. I know that there are a lot of great Hoosier brews that didn't make any of our lists. I pour out a 40 in their honor.

Gina

My favorite 5, plus a few others:

1. Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner - I love the lightness and balance of flavors. I think this beer is simply delicious.

2. Schlafly Tasmanian IPA - I absolutely love the citrusy hops in this beer. It's bold and bitter, with some sweetness. I love this series and I am looking forward to the upcoming AIPA release from them.

3. Boulevard Love Child #2 - I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed this beer. Yet, I still can't bring myself to pull the trigger on the price tag again.

4. Black Acre Hop Pun - Black Acre is kicking all kinds of ass with their lineup. I think about the Hop Pun a lot.

5. Perennial Abraxas - How I feel about this beer can best be summed up the last time I was in St. Louis and I asked the bartender what was on draft. She named off a few and then said the name of this beer. Before I even knew it the words "Holy shit, I want that please" came out of my mouth. Any immediately strong reaction like that is worth note.

Honorable Mentions:

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - No matter what, I am always glad to see this beer. It is nice that it is easier to get now than the past few years, and I'm especially glad to see it on tap around town here and there. I look forward to this beer every year and I haven't been disappointed by it yet.

Sun King Java Mac - One of my favorites. I look forward to every time it comes out.

Three Floyds Zombie Dust / Gumballhead - Ok, so I cheated a little bit here, but I wanted to list them both. I get both of these at about the same frequency (read: not very) so I thought it may be appropriate to put them together.

Chris

2012 was the year that I finally, seriously gave up on looking out for crazy, rare, exotic beer.  Not that I didn't buy any, mind you, I just gave up all the extra effort.  If I walked into a liquor store and something was there, I bought it.  Otherwise, I was in an out-of-sight-out-of-mind fog.  I'm sure I missed some interesting things, but I drank plenty of great beer too.  In 2012, my fridge was mostly stocked with bottles and growlers I drink a lot of, so in that spirit, here is my best-of list:

1. Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner - A growler of this wonderfully balanced pilsner is rarely missing from my fridge these days.  Perfect in the summer and equally perfect for the fall football season.

2. Triton Fieldhouse Wheat - Is it just me, or does Indy have a dearth of year-round wheat beers?  Luckily we've got a great one in Fieldhouse Wheat, with crisp balance and a subtle apricot note that lingers in the aftertaste.

3. Founders Centennial IPA - An old friend that saw significant playing time this year.

4. Flat 12 Pogue's Run Porter - Too often, I think dark beers get pigeon-holed as only appropriate for cold weather.  Do you shun chocolate ice cream during the summer because it has a dark color?  Of course not!  So why deny yourself a cold glass of porter while sitting on your porch during the summer?  Trust me, Pogue's Run Porter is perfect for any season.

5. Mission St. Pale Ale - This Trader Joe's exclusive (reportedly brewed by Firestone Walker) might seem like an odd addition to my list.  I include it because it's my default last beer of the night and it carries a lean price tag of $6.99 per six-pack.  At 4.7%, you can pretty easily tack it onto the end of a session and they definitely don't skimp on the citrus hops.

Kristin

1. Naughty Claus from New Albanian. The cinnamon, nutmeg and orange flavors in this beer totally brought on the holiday cheer without being completely overwhelming.

2. Workingman's Pilsner from Fountain Square. This beer is fantastic, and I'm not even a huge pilsner fan. So well balanced - great flavor - it's hard for me not to order this beer.

3. Bitchin' Camaro from Sun King. Danger, danger...this was definitely my favorite danger beer of the year. 8.7% Imperial Rye IPA that went down crazy smooth.

4. Wobbly Bob from Broad Ripple Brewpub. This is a great go-to beer - always great flavor. It's one of my favorites in the summer, but I have no problem enjoying this APA during any season.

5. Bo & Luke from Against the Grain & De Molen. So I realize these aren't Indiana breweries, but ATG is so stinking close. This Russian Imperial Stout was aged in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels, and it was incredible. Cheers to this bourbon and beer collaboration!

Honorable mentions...

Saison from Hilliard's Beer in Seattle. It was a Saison in a can, and it was delicious. And I loved the can design...bonus.

Pooka from Brugge. A great, simple sour that always hits the spot. I enjoyed quite a few Pookas in 2012, and I look forward to doing the same in 2013. And a hat tip to the Black, which I always enjoy.

Copacetic IPA from Amnesia Brewing in Portland, Oregon. Stellar IPA. Easy drinking, clean flavors, and the brewery is the perfect place to hang out when it's raining cats and dogs.

Past winners of the Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year Award:

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

Commentary/Conversation | Is Goose Island As We Know It Dead?

Jake: Not sure if all of you have seen the press release in the Chicago Tribune, but John Laffler [one of Goose Island's barrel-aging brewers] is leaving Goose Island to start his own deal with the former cellarman [Dave Bleitner] from Two Brothers.

Simple question up for debate: Even with [brewer] Tom Korder left at Goose Island, does the news of John Laffler leaving finalize the death nell for Goose Island?

In my mind, it does. As we all know, each person has a different palate and in my mind, only experience can help get a palate where it needs to be to determine when a beer is ready from barrels. I am sure Laffler passed on some of the secrets to those he trusted, but the wealth of knowledge he takes with him, plus the change in [Goose Island founder] John Hall's role, is the final nail in the coffin for what we once knew as Goose Island. I am sure the next few releases will be on par, but I doubt the quality exists in two years.

Rod: To be perfectly honest, I'm curious how much longer Tom Korder stays. Any time key staff leaves a brewery, you have to ask yourself this question. I don't think it definitively means that Goose Island, brewer of one of the finest imperial stouts in the world, is dead. But it does certainly stack the cards against them. When it comes down to it, brewing is both an art and a science. A lot of the "art" side of Goose Island is leaving. I just hope that their successors are equally as creative. Speaking of, does anyone know who is filling Laffler's role and what that person's credentials are?

Also, haven't the Halls been out of Goose Island pretty much since they were purchased (but perhaps unofficially)?

In brighter news, I am very excited for Laffler's new venture.

Jason: I don't like to count someone out until the quality suffers, so I won't carve a gravestone for them. They wouldn't be the first brewery to lose a brewer yet survive.

Of course, I can think of breweries that did not survive or have struggled in the wake of a brewer departure. So what the fuck do I know?

Jake: Rod - Sounds like Laffler just officially announced it last week, so I do not know what the succession plan is. Greg Hall [former Goose Island brewmaster] has been gone since right around the purchase to focus on Virtue Cider (also awesome), but I think John stayed more hands on. I doubt any of us will ever know what level of influence he had though.

Jason - You make a valid point as always. I just know personally some of the luster is lost with the "art" side leaving as Rod said.

Matt: The issue for me is always going to be about quality. Bourbon Country Stout is one of the finest beers that is available in the beer world. If that quality goes away, then rip BCS. I really want to believe though that the very special beers from Goose Island will be continue to be impressive. Some of my beer highlights this year were King Henry, Bramble, BCS, and the individual staves of BCS at the Great Taste of the Midwest. The Goose Island truffle beer I had at The Great American Beer fest remains one of the best things I've ever consumed. It comes down to quality for me, and this supersedes the local movement. I'm sure that pisses some people off, but no one else locally is making a barrel aged stout that is semi-easily-available at a reasonable price or on par with that type of quality. We have great beer here, don't get me wrong, and I think Indiana breweries really excel at brewing wonderfully approachable beer. In due time perhaps someone here will also make a beer on par with BCS and then we can have our cake and eat it too.

I remember being at the Rathskeller shortly after InBev bought Goose Island. A guy sitting at the table next to us was saying how he could never support Goose Island again since they were now owned by InBev. He then bought a pint of Franziskaner Hefeweiss, an InBev product. I find it hypocritical to cherry pick where people are taking their "beer" stand without really knowing the full scope of ultimate parent companies. The Goose Island situation is just easy to hate. I don't enjoy that fact that InBev bought Goose Island, but I know people that work for Goose Island and they are employed in Chicago. I still feel pretty good about supporting them. Simply because my funds are not going to one individual local owner doesn't make me a bad person, and I'm not going to feel bad for buying Goose Island products as long the quality is still world class. If BCS is terrible, I won't be buying anymore.

People are freaking about what this means for the world of better beer, but I don't think big beer buying up smaller breweries is the issue. I truly think we will see big beer growing vertically and not horizontally any longer. InBev is entering the world of the three-tier system, and that is how they will snuff out selection of better beer, not by buying better beer brewers.

Wish to offer your opinion? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Commentary/Conversation: Goose Island BCS and the Growth of Mid-Major Breweries

Some of the best Hoosier Beer Geek content never makes it to the site, as we regularly have very lengthy email conversations about any number of topics going on in the world of beer. Here is one such example.

So Goose Island is saying that they'll be making bourbon county stout year-round.

That got me to thinking about Matt's theory that the big guys will ultimately be the winners of the craft beer explosion. What happens when the big guys figure out how to make better beer than everyone else at a cheaper price?

Is it possible that the increased production of BCS is a bad thing?

I think the increased production of BCS is a great thing, an amazing thing. There are a lot of economics behind why smaller brewers create such limited batches of things like Dark Lord, Kate the Great and KBS, but they favor the brewery and not the consumer. I'd love to have a barrel-aged imperial stout (and one of the best ones, at that) available year-round. Complaining about Goose Island doing that is like complaining that Russian River releases barrel-aged beer year-round. It's not going to drop the market out for 3 Floyds or Founders or anyone else. 3 years ago you could pretty much buy BCS year-round anyway. Beer snobs are going to decide that BCS has "changed" and is of lower quality and move on to praising the harder to obtain things like they always do. Everyone wins.

Although to be fair, Goose Island has been producing BCS year round for the past few years. Coffee, Vanilla, Rare and other one-offs make their way into the market throughout the year. Goose Island is always brewing/aging the stuff, it just gets released in batches. I realize that by doubling their production they can afford to stop releasing in batches, but again, I think that's a good thing.

I'm with Rod here. There will be lots of carping about this, particularly given AB/InBev's stake in the whole thing. But I look forward to having more frequent access to BCS, particularly because GI has the barrel-aged imperial stout style down so well.

As to Matt's contention that the big guys will ultimately be the winners of the craft beer revolution -- I don't know about this. I think it all depends on how you define "big." While I don't have any facts to back this up, it seems to me that it's extremely difficult to do a truly artisanal product on a national scale, albeit perhaps not so difficult on a regional scale. Of course, this doesn't prohibit an InBev or a MillerCoors from purchasing several regional brewers to ensure that the company has a national reach, but with different "craft" brands, so maybe that's what we'll see more of. I wouldn't be surprised to see the big beer conglomerates increase their efforts to buy smaller, good quality brewers.

All in all, it'll be interesting to see how the craft beer industry will develop over the next decade. The whole thing reminds me of how indie rock fans react when their favorite band gets "too big." They all sit around talking about how the band was great back in the day but has now sold out, even when some of the bands they criticize continue to make good music.

I just finished the entire article and it's an excellent read. I think the most shocking thing to me is that the AB buyout allowed them to double their capacity. To 230,000 barrels. 3 independent craft breweries have announced expansions this year that are twice the size of Goose Island's entire operation, post-expansion. Stone, Dogfish Head and Bell's are all way bigger. I guess it's just an intriguing contradiction - AB is the largest in the world, but Goose Island isn't even in the same ballpark as the largest craft breweries.

My favorite part of the article is Laffler's attitude, and it's what I believe is the correct attitude to have. If AB screws up Goose Island and ruins the beer, there's no reason to be loyal to them and pretend like everything's ok. But it hasn't happened yet, so keep drinking the beer.

I think there's already a form of "big guys undercutting little guys" happening in the market but it doesn't seem to hurt the little guys much unless they suck. I mean, who's selling quality six packs under $10? Just big craft guys like New Belgium, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada, etc. Are we worried that AB/InBev is going to start selling a quality product for $7 per sixpack and no one will buy Sun King anymore? Seems unlikely to me.

As for BCS, I'll be ecstatic if they make that available year round. I haven't had it -- other than an aged bottle here or there -- in two years because of scroungers/hoarders.

I still strongly feel that the craft beer revolution will benefit the largest brewers in the long run. Economies of scale and consumer demand long term is always the same. People want what they want, when they want it, at least cost. Craft beer is at a golden opportunity right now where demand outpaces supply. This won't always be the case. Companies will either be major regional players or major national players. I harp on cost often (sorry everyone) but it matters when perceived products have the same intrinsic value but different cost points. I think you already see it with places that can't keep cans of Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, or Sixpoint on the shelves - high quality product at a lower price point. Local bottling breweries are up against stiff competition. Liquour stores put it next to Bells and people see a $3 dollar per sixer price difference and won't support it.

The Goose Island buyout really shows you that beer geeks will still strongly support a place as long as quality doesn't suffer even if owned by the evil empire.

Over the next decade I think a brewery is going to have to be something special to truly survive and support their bloated payrolls.

Just my two cents.

I'm was waiting for Matt to weigh in (and he did right before I hit the send button), but did you see that the guy from Cigar City is worried about availability of raw supplies? (See the last question in the link)

I think that's going to be another 'big vs little' issue. We can already see that certain varieties of hops are hard to come by, but what happens when it's barley? Or bourbon barrels? Obviously it makes more sense to sell all your barley or barrels to one big guy instead of twenty little guys. Just because you're not big compared to Budweiser doesn't mean you're not big compared to Black Acre (for example).

If anything, I think mega-craft breweries will actually prevent a shortage of raw supplies. Now if you just have a bunch of small breweries requesting ingredients, it takes a clever business person to put the numbers together and realize and overall growth in the market - which is realized eventually, but more slowly. When Sierra Nevada steps in and needs enough barley to brew 500k more barrels of beer, the industry takes notice and reacts immediately. Farmers will grow enough barley and hops to support the market. If there's money to be made, people will make it. If guacamole becomes popular, there isn't an avocado shortage - they just grow more avocados.

What Cigar City's brewer should really be worried about is the price of raw ingredients going up - that is a very real concern and will happen soon. The only hops that are in limited supply are the ones that are being grown in limited quantities and small brewers are buying up. Once they catch on, there will be plenty of them. CTZs are the prime example. When it comes to Bourbon barrels, we're a long way away from a shortage on those. Alcohol is a pretty huge industry, and barrels can only be used once. Jim Beam alone goes through hundreds of thousands of barrels every year.

I think Matt is spot on with his assessment that the larger brewers will profit more from the craft beer growth. The more beer you make, the more you can sell, and the lower price you can sell it at, which sells your product faster. I think the craft beer market is going to split into small and large craft. Essentially $7-9 six packs and $10-14 six packs. Small will be assumed to be of higher quality and artisan workmanship and large will be the mass market alternative to macro. Lower cost will sell more, but both will see growth. Liquor stores need to be smarter with their marketing and put all the Indiana beer together instead of pitching local stuff against Bell's if they really want to sell it. All Indiana brewers are selling at a pretty similar price point.

That certainly doesn't mean that you're going to see $12 4-packs of BCS. Barrel-aged beer takes a lot more labor, space and time to create, so it will continue to carry a higher price tag.

We also need to keep in mind the distinction between production breweries and brewpubs. While the big guys will probably benefit from the craft beer boom, I think that brewpub-brewed beers will continue to be in high demand locally, particularly when the beers brewed by local brewpubs and the general atmosphere and experience provided by local brewpubs are unique to their particular locality (did I say "local" enough there?). Brugge is a great example of this. No one else in Central Indiana--hell, no one else in Indiana period--is brewing many of the beers that Brugge is brewing, and people will continue to visit the brasserie just to get those beers.

It may come as a surprise to most of you, but I don't drink beer that frequently. Honestly, I may drink one or two days a week. I don't generally drink beer at home unless I have guests. And then I'm opening up bombers or a bottle from a mixed six pack. I don't have a regular, everyday beer. I keep Miller High Life around for boiling bratwurst, but absent that, I do not have a go-to beer at home. So the discussions of six pack pricing doesn't really concern me. I'm interested in trying a variety of beers and satisfying my beer-drinking desires which change direction with the wind.

So having GI BCS available anytime I'm in the mood for a barrel-aged stout is a win for me. Will it ruin other breweries? Doubtful. How many geeks keep barrel-aged stout in the house as their "go-to" beers.

Otherwise, I rarely buy the same beer twice for home, so the $8 vs. $12 six pack argument does not really impact me. But I am be the exception.

KOTBR #140 | Back to the Basics

We decided to dedicate this roundtable to the classic American craft beers. As part of my mourning process, I have decided to dedicate my review to the classic Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Anchor Steam is cool shit. It is an easy drinking beer that burps with a mild hop flavor, which really should be a characteristic that all beers are reviewed upon. When it comes to classics, Anchor Steam is the king kong of classics. It literally is in a category of its own. It is the Peyton Manning of beers... redefining the category, elevating its games, a beacon for others to strive towards. Peyton's Colts locker and Anchor Steam bottles...It is sad when they are empty.

Bell's Amber is a less hop/more malt beer. It is a sweet, creamy, tasty beer that makes your tastebuds ring like the bells of St. John's Church after one of Peyton Manning's victories during the 2006 Super Bowl winning season and post-season when the Indianapolis Colts were undefeated at home.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager is a smooth and tasty lager with a hop profile that will please most craft beer drinkers. I enjoy finishing off one of these Boston favorites in Indianapolis just like I enjoyed watching Peyton Manning finishing off Boston's favorite football team in the AFC Championship in Indianapolis. I still keep my ticket stub from that game in my wallet.

For me, Goose Island Honker's Ale is a middle of the road beer. It is not bad, there is nothing that is off-putting, but there is nothing that is over the top exciting about it. It is still a winner though. It makes me think of Peyton's performance in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears. Not bad, nothing off-putting, nothing over the top. But still a winner.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a clean, crisp beer with just enough malt to support the respectable hop profile. While Sierra Nevada is the name given to a geographic area of California and Nevada, it is Spanish for "snow covered mountain range..." Which can be found around the Mile High city of Denver where Peyton will now call home. It's a bit of a stretch making that connection, but we didn't review Oskar Blues. And I'm certainly not toasting Peyton's memory with a fuckin' Coors Light or Blue Moon. But I will toast my QB with a Sierra Nevada.

Peyton Manning: 5.0 mugs.

As you may have noted - and perhaps only if you read the site through traditional internet browsers - last month we attempted a craft beer classics theme. Now as we approach the end of another month, we're finally following up with a roundtable in that vein.

Maybe you've had Anchor Steam. Maybe you've even had Steam and forgotten how good it is. I'd say it's the very definition of bready. It's a light and chewy beer, an easy drinker, with a sweet hint reminiscent of Hawaiian sweet rolls. If I'm out on a bender (it happens quite a bit), and I've found my palate destroyed by bigger beers, I can always count on Anchor Steam to reset everything. Light enough to keep things mellow, tasty enough to compete with much bigger beers. Steam is my go-to everyday drinker. That's my definition of perfect. 5.0 mugs.

I was recently asked by a friend what better beers I might recommend for an upcoming wedding. In a situation where you'd like a little something for everyone, Bell's Amber would be a fine selection. Sweetness was the first thing I noticed, but this beer has a little bit of everything for everyone. Sweetness up front, a slight soapiness in the middle, and a little hoppy finish. 3.0 mugs.


Sam Adams Boston Lager is an easy beer for craft beer drinkers to pick on. It's available everywhere, it's not particularly distinctive, and it's sort of beer that serves as a gateway for folks looking to make that first step into better tasting beer. But it's also a brand that many folks never move away from. There's something weird about a brand-dedicated better beer drinker; it's like having the just enough of the cataracts removed from your eyes to see the next car, instead of the whole road in front of you. I think it's important to remember that most of us have happily drunk Sam Adams before, even if we've moved on. Revisiting the beer, the first thing I picked up was what I thought was a hint of raspberry. Digging deeper, I don't think it was that distinct. But there is a lively fruit flavor there, like an ale yeast sort of thing, hoppy, lively, and the beer reminds me of Anchor Steam - against each other, Sam is fruity, Anchor is bready, but body and finish seem close. But if anything, Sam Adams might have too much of that fruity flavor. If you're wondering how that makes a 1.5 mug difference, shut up. 3.5 mugs.

Next up was Goose Island Honkers Ale, a beer with that sort of (what I'd call) dirty or earthy hoppy flavor, followed up with a sweet and lightly fruity finish. This beer has the least character of the lineup so far, but maybe it's sort of "what's your character of choice?" Because I have no history with this beer, I don't have any reason to consider it much further. Not my thing. 2.9 mugs.


Last up, we revisited Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The beer features a flowery hop flavor, with a slight hint of soap and a (not overpoweringly so) sweetness. Balance is key here, as the beer has a strong enough hop presence for hop-heads, but doesn't overpower. The Oxford Companion to Beer notes "an early devotee was Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, whose fans in turn started to enjoy the brew". Damn you, hippies! 4.0 mugs.


Anchor Steam is the wise man of craft beer. It is over 100 years old and yet it doesn't throw a fit every time someone says that the first American craft breweries opened in the 70s. In fact, it seems that everyone forgets how much this beer is a part of American brewing history. Anchor Steam is a beer that I never fully appreciated when I was first getting in to craft beer. Perhaps I wrote it off as a light beer, unworthy of my adventure for more hops and alcohol. Maybe I just never really ordered it for lack of knowing what it was. Whatever the case may be, I can certifiably say that today I very much enjoy this beer. It rides an enjoyable line between wheat and pilsner, combining the yeasty aroma of a wheat with the delicate yet perceivable crisp, hop bite of a pilsner. A bit of lemon peel keeps the wheat flavor in the picture. Not only is this a great summer beer, it's also a great year-round beer. Very refreshing. 3.5 mugs.

On the day I turned 21, a visit to Chumley's in Lafayette landed me at my first craft beer. Bell's Amber stuck out as something that would be a good middle-ground upon which to launch my craft beer future. In that first Bell's Amber, I was not disappointed. Both hops and malt were present and I knew that I had set foot in a glorious new world of craft beer. Unfortunately, the Bell's Amber I tried in this round did not taste like the same beer. Or maybe it was the same beer but my memory captured a much different flavor experience. Instead of being greeted with a delightful balance of bitter hops and sweet malt, the beer I took a drink of could be better described as Bell's Not-Quite-Best Brown. Maybe the crane of the old packaging took the hops with him, I don't know. It really has been a number of years since I've tried this beer. The new Bell's Brown has a sweet aroma that is backed up by the flavor of brown sugar, toasted bread, walnuts and almonds. Kind of like a Newcastle but better. I feel I ruined a childhood memory. 3.0 mugs.


Sam Adams Boston Lager is a beer that I am constantly surprised by. My apologies for Jim Koch for always thinking his beer is going to be sub-par. It's not that I don't drink much Sam Adams, it's that whenever I drink it I tend to be in a bar that offers around 4 varieties of beer; Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light and Sam Adams. Clearly being placed in that cast of characters would decrease one's desirability. Naturally I always order the Sam Adams, and am pleasantly surprised by the friendly burst of German hops and balancing malt sweetness. It's as if each time I seem to forget that this really is a good beer. Grapefruit and honey in the nose immediately reminds me that I'm about to be greeted by a strong presence of hops and malt. Ruby red grapefruit, toasted malt and caramel round out the flavors and I'm left satisfied with my beer choice. Cheers to your undeniable place in craft beer history, Jim. 3.75 mugs.

Honkers Ale, much like Bell's Amber, is another beer that I remember being hoppier. I blame everyone who makes a 100+ IBU beer for ruining my perception of hoppy. Everyone is to blame but myself. Nonetheless, Honkers Ale does still have a noticeable hop presence. One of my favorite things about Goose Island as a company is that they chose the ESB style for their flagship beer. If you've engaged me in deep beer discussion, you likely know that ESB is my favorite style. The delicate balance of hops and malt with a body that is friendly to the palate is something that is difficult to master. Honkers Ale has a sweet aroma, reminiscent of oranges and honey, but the flavor doesn't quite match the Blue Moon label that the aroma describes. An orange-like sweetness is paired with lemon bitters, toffee and caramel. This is a well-balance ESB that would make a fine gateway beer for anyone newly introduced to craft beer. 4.0 mugs.


Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is practically unfair in this review. Since the dawn of craft beer time, Ken Grossman has been throwing hops in our faces like it has always been 2009. This is the beer that defined American Pale Ale. The beer that made us all realize that in America, we do everything bigger and better. Fuck yeah. This beer drew a line in the sand and told everyone that if you're going to brew a Pale Ale in America, you have to bring the hop thunder. First brewed in 1980, this beer changed craft beer forever, and it continues to be the benchmark for American Pale Ales. The grapefruit and lemon zest aroma is huge, matched only by the grapefruit and orange bitter flavors. Toasted grain and caramel balance out what would otherwise be a hop smack to the face. This isn't the big IPA and DIPA monster that today's craft beer drinkers are used to, but it should be compared to the English Pale Ales that previously defined the style. From this point forward, America made the craft beer rules. Fuck yeah. 4.0 mugs.

Do you like classic rock?  Sure you do -- who doesn't start belting out "CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON!" whenever it comes on the radio?  That's the same way I feel about the craft beer classics.  There's a hearty comfort in these beers that I've had a hundred times and something about them makes me want to do manual labor.  They never seem to get old.


If you're like me, however, listening to classic rock radio for two or three days has you asking yourself more and more often, "Didn't I just hear that?" and you need go throw on some Mars Volta to mix it up.  The craft beer classics are like that in a way.  If all you drank was Honker's Ale for 3 days straight, you'd get pretty goddamn bored with it.  You need to throw a nice Hopslam or Bourbon County Stout in there to keep your palate interested.  The classics will always be the bedrock you return to, but you need to venture out and discover new things all the time.

You want more beer notes?  Of course not, but fuck it, here are 10 words or less about each:

Anchor Steam: Why don't I buy this more? 3.3 mugs.
Bell's Amber: Never pick it first but always like it. 3.6 mugs.
Boston Lager: Can't go wrong and it's available EVERYWHERE.  3.1 mugs.
Goose Island Honkers Ale: A classic of the midwest. 3.5 mugs.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: The get-it-everywhere choice for your hops fix. 4.2 mugs.


Anchor Steam Jason: 3.75 Mugs | Chris: 3.3 Mugs | Rodney: 3.5 Mugs | Mike: 5.0 Mugs | Gina: 4.00 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.91 Mugs

Bell's Amber
Jason: 3.33 Mugs | Chris: 3.6 Mugs | Rodney: 3.0 Mugs | Mike: 3.0 Mugs | Gina: 3.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.24 Mugs

Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Jason: 3.85 Mugs | Chris: 3.1 Mugs | Rodney: 3.75 Mugs | Mike: 3.5 Mugs | Gina: 3.6 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.56 Mugs

Goose Island Honkers Ale
Jason: 2.8 Mugs | Chris: 3.5 Mugs | Rodney: 4.0 Mugs | Mike: 2.9 Mugs | Gina: 2.95 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.23 Mugs

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Jason: 4.0 Mugs | Chris: 4.2 Mugs | Rodney: 4.0 Mugs | Mike: 4.0 Mugs | Gina: 4.00 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.04 Mugs

Seasonal Beer Overload

This time of year is the best for seasonal beers hitting the store shelves. It is my favorite time of the year for many reasons and great seasonal beer is just another thing to look forward to this season. The problem is that they are beers I want to stock up on, but they separate me and my money in an accelerated fashion.  I would say that November and December are my most expensive beer spending months of the year.  Too much awesome beer hits the shelves this time of the year.

Here are some of the beers I always look forward to each year:

Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter - I love porter and this combines the wonder hop profile that is Three Floyds calling card with a delicious porter base. They do an outstanding job with dark beer and I would love to see a dark beer from them in six pack year round format (i.e. Hells Black Intelligencer).  This beer just hit town last week and will move pretty quickly.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - It isn't the holiday season unless I've bought  a six pack of this tasty seasonal IPA.  It just hit Indy a few weeks ago and for the price is an outstanding six pack for the season.

Deschutes - The Abyss Imperial Stout - I traded for a bottle of this beer several years ago and now it is the only beer I buy an entire case of bombers per year.  You can buy it online if you are fast enough, but trading for it is much easier.  It is not available to purchase in Indiana.

The Bruery's Four Calling Birds - I've enjoy this series based on the 12 Day of Christmas.  I usually buy two and drink one now and save one for the vertical.  This just hit Indy as well.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - I don't think there is a better bourbon barrel aged beer out there for the money.  This is usually easy to find but last year it was tough to find, and I hope it will stick around a bit this year.  The coffee bourbon county stout should be out soon as well.  This should hopefully hit town in the next few weeks.

Boston Beer Company's (Sam Adams) - Old Fezziwig Winter Warmer - It only comes in the holiday sampler pack, but I buy the 12 pack just for this beer. It isn't really a winter warmer to me, but however you want to categorize it the beer is delicious.  This is out around town right now.

Bell's Expedition Stout - This was the first beer I ever put in my beer cellar.  I don't like this beer fresh, but getting a new sixer of it each year when it comes out is a tradition.  Expedition turns into one of the finest imperial stouts available after a year of age on it.  This is one of the best beers you can buy without any type of shit show associated with trying to find some of it.  Last years batch is still out on the shelves right now and this years batch will be along soon.

Wild Card -

Goose Island King Henry Barleywine - I had this at the festival of barrel aged beers a few weeks ago and thought it was outstanding. Goose Island is having a black Friday event to begin selling the beer, but I hope we see some distribution to Indy.

What seasonal beers do you look forward to drinking?

Cheers!
Matt

KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade

Don Pardo: Live from the crossroads of America... It's the 4th annual Craft Beer Pride Parade! Featuring performances by Lady Gaga, the TOTS Rocky-ettes, the cast of the hit show Cougartown, Ted Miller with his pants on the ground, and a visit from Santa Claus!

Reporting from the street, Midwest Professional Mud Wrestling champion Jason "The Beer Gut"...

Reporting from the Scotty's Brewhouse blimp high above Massachusetts Avenue, award winning photographer and artist M'Kale.

And in the booth, he hosts the popular radio show "Mornings with the Mohel" and she presently holds court at the Clay County Coffee Beer Festival, it's Rabbi Jim and Queen Gina...

Gina: Thanks Jason and hello Rabbi Jim! And welcome, everyone, to this year's parade. It's shaping up to be a hot one, so make sure you stay hydrated. Jim, I know when you think hot summer day, you don't really think coffee stout, right? I wouldn't normally think so either, but I think Bee Creek has really done a nice job here on this first float. Oh and speaking of float, would this coffee stout make a perfect ice cream float or what?


M'Kale: Um guys, it's really scary up here. Scary scary. Is this thing supposed to hiss?

Jason: Sorry to interrupt everybody, but they are giving samples of the Clay County Coffee Stout down here and I rue the buffoon who doesn't get any of this. It's better than a Bigbucks iced coffee. I'll body slam anybody that tries to take it away from me.

Ah! Bees!

Back to you Jim and Gina.

Jim: Thank you, Jason. And I don't think I'll try to take away your sample. After all, I'm a lover, not a fighter. When you're a mohel, you have to be a lover; you can't be making enemies with anyone when you're going to be circumcising their sons.

Speaking of circumcisions, I have to say that there's nothing that I like better after performing a bris than a Clay County Coffee Stout. Malty, chocolaty, and full of java boldness, it's perfect for taking the edge off after the ceremony is over. Indeed, I got so wrapped up in drinking my last post-bris Coffee Stout that I almost sat in Elijah's chair! Oy vey! I could've made such a shmendrik of myself!


You know, every so often, my cousin Moishe and I head down to the Mass Ave Pub to have a few drinks on Tuesday nights after Moishe closes up his shtreimel shop. What a great place that Mass Ave Pub is! You can't beat the Tuesday night deals there -- $3.75 for craft beers! It would be a shonda to miss a Tuesday night there.

And now I see the Mass Ave Pub's float coming up right behind the Bee Creek float. M'Kale, how are things looking from up there?

M'Kale: Well we've figured out the hissing, anyway - the blimpist is also a snakehandler! Ha ha ha ha!

As for that float - I think the use of a giant recliner might be in reference to the Mass Ave Pub's cozy and familiar confines? The red brick is certainly are a reference to the pub's rebuilt walls - you may remember that the pub closed for a couple years back in 2005 when a next-door construction project went awry. I just love the use of reds and greens. What I think they're trying to say here is we are all citizens of the world - a world in which wars are fought and lost, people live and die, money is made and spent, and love is all around you if you just look... excuse me folks, the hissing has returned. I don't think it's snakes. Is this supposed to be hot?


Gina: Ok, good luck up there. What I think he was getting at is that the Mass Ave Pub is a comfortable place to share a good beer. An interesting fact about the Mass Ave Pub is that it is owned by the same family as MacNiven's, another popular bar in the area. The bar is also a favorite to the local firemen who work down the street.

Jason, how's it going down there on the street?

Jason: Sorry to interrupt again but we have trouble down here. As we passed the corporate coffee chain location on Mass Ave, the swarm of barista bees on the Bee Creek float are becoming very agitated. I sympathize with the sap that gets in their way. I hope the firefighters on the Mass Ave Pub float whip out their hoses and cool them off in a hurry. Don't you agree, Queen Gina?

Gina: Yes, yes I do! That would be a sight. Now the coffee they use is called "Brazil Santos" and it is from Jameson Coffee in Greencastle, just about a half hour from the brewery in Brazil, Indiana. I'll tell you what, even in this heat wave, this coffee stout tastes great! Jim, your thoughts?

Jim: Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Gina. It's just that I was a bit distracted by the next float heading up the parade route here. I think this is . . . yes, it is. This is the float from Sun King Brewing. Ah, Sun King -- who would have thought a year ago that these guys would become the big machers on the Indianapolis beer scene? And who is that I see standing at the head of the float? That has to be . . . yes, that's Clay Robinson. You know, the first time I saw that young man, I mistook him for a Lubavitcher, what with that beard and all. A nice young man he is. That kid is a major league kibitzer and can schmooze with the best of 'em. So M'Kale, how are you and those reptiles doing up there?


M'Kale: ...no I don't think that's supposed to be smoking... Oh hey, Jim. Yes, Sun King - would you believe that Clay and I share the same hairdresser? Speaking of hair, Sun King's Osiris Pale Ale is certainly a highlight of their lineup, and I suppose that's why their float has the same familiar silver sheen as its classy can-tainer. Rumor has it that Osiris is made with so many hops that the hops police called and said, "Stop using all the hops!" Oh boy that's funny. Something up here is definitely on fire.

Jason: I see the Sun King float now. The float has hops frolicking and playing. I think they are putting on a circus. Yes.. yes, it is a circus. Hops are balancing themselves on the high wire. An obvious inference that the Osiris has a great hop balance.

It appears that Clay is throwing cans of his Osiris Pale Ale into the crowd. Unfortunately, the crowd is distracted by the irate barista bees and the blimp above. So the cans are hitting the people in the head. There is blood everywhere. People on the ground, wailing. I haven't seen this much gore since I was in Wrestlepalooza XIV when I took on the Squirreling Dervishes in a group cage match. Thankfully, the Chatterbox float is coming in behind the Sun King float. And there is some excellent free-form jazz fusion being played. And people are forgetting about their injuries and instead enjoying the funky beat.

I rue the foo' who doesn't enjoy that sound. Am I right?

By the way, does anybody else smell barbeque?


Jim: Jason, I don't think that's barbecue. I think that's bacon I smell. I'd recognize that smell anywhere. I'm looking on my monitor here -- yes, it looks like Clay has brought a barrel of Sun King's world famous Baconator Doppelbock and is sharing it with the crowd to make amends for his errant can-throwing. Boy, the crowd is loving it! Of course, I wouldn't know much about bacon beer, it being treyf and all. I do, however, know a lot about Osiris Pale Ale. The can says that it's brewed by their brewers for their brewers. I can see why -- with the refreshing, citrusy hopiness of this beer, it's got to be a favored beer of any serious Hoosier State hophead.

I'll tell you, I always keep a four-pack of Osiris Pale Ale in my refrigerator. It's my go-to beer. It beats He'Brew Genesis Ale by a mile. Shhhh--don't tell my wife Rivka that I said that. She'll never forgive me. So to Sun King, I say "Kol Hakavod" for putting out such a fantastic beer!

Gina, I now see the Chatterbox Jazz Club's float coming along behind the Sun King float. Quite an interesting design. What do you think of it?


Gina: Well Jim, they did a real nice job replicating the bar. Check out the giant foil ball! I wonder if it is the same one from the bar! If it is, it was what was left of the foil used in the 2008 Jury Award winner from the 48 Hour Film Festival. The movie was even called "Foil." Oh! Did you see the flags along the side? They even got the age old dust along the edges! That is definitely an authentic touch!

Do I see vendors handing out those Patties of Jamaica patties along side of the float? Can I get some of those up here? I love those spicy little things! They would go great with the delicious Osiris I'm having. I'm lucky I saw that flying up here or that tall can may have knocked me out.

M'Kale, can you hear the band from where you are?

M'Kale: Band? What? We are going down! I repeat, we are going down!

Who put the parachutes in with the snakes?

Jason: Well that's a first... an artist type without enough hot air to fill a blimp. Don't worry, M'Kale, a flock of geese are flying your way. Maybe you can jump on one and ride it down to safety.

Speaking of geese, the Goose Island float is up next. It looks like it is filled with hot chicks pillow fighting. Am I seeing that right? Gina... Rabbi... what do you see?

Um, it looks like the blimp is headed straight for the booth. Gina and the Rabbi, any last words about Goose Island and the Ball and Biscuit before M'Kale's fireball of a blimp crashes into you?


Gina: Pillow fight? Did I miss the floats? Sorry, I was trying to see where M'Kale and the snakes were going to land.

Well, you already know I love Ball and Biscuit, and I enjoy Matilda very much; it has an interesting mix of spice and citrus in the nose that follows through to the flavor. It drinks like a sessionable pint, but at 7% ABV, I'm afraid it would have to be a very short session. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get the hell out of here before that crazy blimp gets here. Ball and Biscuit anyone?

Thanks everybody, see you next time!

Jason: Rabbi? Concluding thoughts before your ultimate demise?


Jim: Gina, I'm right behind you. I'm going to need a visit to the Ball & Biscuit for some of that lovely Matilda to calm my nerves after all of this mishegas.

Good news, though -- I can confirm that M'Kale has been able to successfully bail out of the blimp with a Scotty's Brewhouse(TM) parachute. Yes . . . he has just deployed the chute and is now floating in the direction of Sun King headquarters over on College Avenue. I'm not surprised to see him headed in that direction.

So until next year's parade, this is Rabbi Jim signing off. And don't forget to tune in to the next edition of "Mornings with the Mohel" as we welcome special guests Barry Manilow, Jackie Mason, and former WWE Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg.

Bee Creek Clay County Coffee Stout
Gina: 4.4 Mugs | Mike: 3.5 Mugs | Jason: 3.85 Mugs | Jim: 3.98 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.93 Mugs

Sun King Osiris Pale Ale
Gina: 4.4 Mugs | Mike: 4.17 Mugs | Jason: 4.25 Mugs | Jim: 4.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.28 Mugs

Goose Island Matilda
Gina: 3.62 Mugs | Mike: 3.29 Mugs | Jason: 3.55 Mugs | Jim: 3.89 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.58 Mugs

Mass Avenue Pub
745 Massachusetts Avenue
317.974.0745
Website
Mass Avenue Pub on Facebook

The Chatterbox Jazz Club
435 Massachusetts Avenue
317.636.0584
Website
The Chatterbox on Facebook

The Ball & Biscuit
331 Massachusetts Avenue
317.636.0539
Website
The Ball & Biscuit on Facebook

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!

KOTBR #91 - A Second Helping of BCS

Lately, the Knights of the Beer Roundtable have been very busy. We have a fairly long "to-do list" that we've slowly been whittling away at (Mike never lets us forget about the list). But just when we've crossed several things off of the list, more beer events pop up, so the list gets longer again. It's a never-ending process, but one that we're happily stuck in.

In keeping with this theme, we found ourselves occupied with a beer event every night last week. Because we all have lives outside of the beer world, not all of us could attend every event. Therefore, we decided to spread out the responsibility. On Wednesday, Gina, Matt E., and I hit MacNiven's (339 Massachusetts Ave., Indy, (317) 632-7268) for a special tapping of Goose Island's 2009 Bourbon County Stout (13% ABV). Even though we reviewed the 2008 BCS back in June, we felt that it was too good to pass up the opportunity to get a fresh pour of the 2009 vintage ($10.00 a snifter at MacNiven's).

First, a little history, courtesy of the Goose Island folks in attendance at the tapping--

Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall came up with the recipe for BCS and brewed the first batch at Goose Island's Clybourne Avenue brewpub back in 1992. Originally, the beer was aged in Jim Beam barrels, but the brewery has been using 12- to 14-year-aged bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries since 2006. This year's BCS was brewed in honor of the 1000th batch brewed at the brewery's Clybourne Avenue location.

I find some bourbon-barrel-aged stouts to be too heavy with the bourbon notes. To my palate, these sorts of beers taste like an imperial stout spiked with a shot or two of bourbon, so the bourbon barrel aging ends up overwhelming the beer rather than enhancing it. The 2009 BCS, however, has a noticeable yet nicely subdued bourbon character and is quite smooth for a bourbon-barrel-aged stout. Indeed, the alcohol is hidden well in a beer that ought to be pretty hot. Moreover, the nose and flavor contain a sumptuous mix of vanilla, chocolate, and cherries. The cherry and vanilla notes are front and center, blending together in a wonderful sweetness that lingers on the tongue. This beer is exemplary and merits the rare perfect mug rating. Get down to MacNiven's while the keg lasts (if it hasn't already blown). 5.00 Mugs.

Goose Island has really outdone themselves with this year's release of Bourbon County Stout. From the new packaging to the remarkably drinkable beer, the BCS really exceeded my expectations. The nose is of chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. The flavor is like a liquored up and velvety chocolate truffle. 4.25 Mugs.


As of press time, Matt was too busy working on his latest H.P. Lovecraft-ish novel to get his review completed. Fortunately, we do have his mug score: 4.30 Mugs.



Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2009)
Jim: 5.00 Mugs | Gina: 4.25 Mugs | Matt E.: 4.30 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.52 Mugs

KOTBR #73: Bourbon Barrel Aged Beers

In hopes of scoring big before the Kentucky Derby, amateur VooDoo priest (and Knight of the Beer Roundtable) Jason tried to read chicken bones in hopes of discovering which horse would win the race. The chicken bones, however, were leftover from a KFC bucket. So he unintentionally called upon the spirits of Kentucky Colonels (both living and dead) and the spirits inhabited the bodies of those around him. Coincidentally, those around him were drinking Bourbon Barrel Aged Beers.

Thus the reason why the reviews below were written not by the Knights themselves, but instead by those who have been honored as Kentucky Colonels. And let this be a lesson to the rest of you: VooDoo, Bourbon Barrel Aged Beers, Fried Chicken, and gambling addictions can be a dangerous combination. Do not try this at home.


Rodney was the first one to channel a KY Colonel spirit. Actually, he channeled a rerun of a TV broadcast hosted by a KY Colonel (probably because, much like the host, women frequently come running up to Rod, kiss him, and then reach into his pocket hoping for money). On the show, they were reviewing Barley Island's Beastie Barrel Stout and Porter...

Bob Barker: Welcome back! We have Henry and Amanda here ready to bid on our two fabulous showcases. Henry, you were able to land on exactly one dollar in our Showcase Showdown, so you'll be the first contestant to bid on the showcase. Or you can always pass the first showcase to Amanda, for Amanda to bid on and take whatever is in our second showcase. The choice is yours. Henry, imagine yourself in front of a nice fireplace in a cabin, sipping on BARLEY ISLAND'S BEASTIE BARREL STOUT! (applause) This barrel-aged stout will have characteristic aromas of chocolate, vanilla, oak, maple and of course bourbon. A bit of sweet milk will bring to mind a milk stout. The bourbon notes shy away more than you would expect and bring forward flavors vanilla bean, honey and chocolate milk. A nice, sessionable stout, especially if you're not wild about bourbon. So what will it be, Henry?

Henry: I think I'll pass this one to Amanda

Amanda: It sounds good, but not mind-blowing good. I'm just so excited to be here. I'm going to give it 3.25 mugs.

BB: 3.25 mugs, you say? Alright then. Henry, you passed on the Beastie Barrel Stout, so let's see what the second showcase is. It's BARLEY ISLAND'S BEASTIE BARREL PORTER! (applause) Strong aromas of sweet bourbon accompanied by vanilla and apple notes round out a slightly fruity introduction. Not as milky as the Stout, flavors of creamy chocolate, caramel and the sweetness of white grape juice create a slightly different presentation of the bourbon-aged category. So Henry, how many mugs would you give the Beastie Barrel Porter?

Henry: That's the same thing!

Bob Barker: No it's not Henry, it's a Porter. This one is sort of fruity, the last one was sort of milky.

Henry: Fine, 3.3 mugs

Bob Barker: Alright so Amanda, you're going with 3.25 mugs and Henry you're going with 3.3 mugs. Too bad this is all subjective and there is no right answer. You both win! (applause) Thanks for tuning in folks, and remember to spay and neuter your pets.

BI Beastie Barrel Stout no longer in production
Gina 3.0 Mugs Chris 3.1 Mugs Rod 3.25 Mugs Jess 2.7 Mugs Jason 3.2 Mugs Mike 3.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.09 Mugs

BI Beastie Barrel Porter 11.00/4 pack at Kahn's
Gina 3.19 Mugs Chris 3.7 Mugs Rod 3.3 Mugs Jess 3.55 Mugs Jason 4.0 Mugs Mike 3.42 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.52 Mugs

As a young girl growing up in Oklahoma, Gina spent most of her days as a yodeling cowgirl, herding kittens on her father's ranch. Unfortunately, the ranch went belly up and they had to relocate to Illinois. But this would explain why Will Rogers' spirit selected Gina as his conduit as he reviewed Bluegrass Brewing Company's Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

You know, I never yet met a bourbon barrel stout that I didn't like. I've enjoyed this beer in the past, so I thought this one would be a no-brainer. And, although it was decent, it just didn't stand up to the other bourbon beers of the evening. It seemed to take on more of a roasted, burnt character and the bourbon notes disappeared quickly, something I don't remember happening with this beer in previous tries.Well, I guess they can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by. 3.0 Mugs

BBC Jefferson Reserve (bottle) 11.99/4 pack at Kahn's
Gina 3.0 Mugs Chris 3.2 Mugs Rod 3.2 Mugs Jess 4.1 Mugs Jason 3.5 Mugs Mike 3.2 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.37 Mugs


Next, Jason brings in the spirit of racing great Mario Andretti. And what beer does Mario talk about? The Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel from America's Brewing Company at Walter Payton Roundhouse. Yeah, say that 10 times fast.

Not many people realize the connection between "Sweetness" and auto racing. But Walter used to be a co-owner of an Indy Car racing team.

Seriously, that's the closest connection that the so-called "VooDoo Priest" could come up with between Water Payton and Kentucky Colonels. How lame is that?

Anyway...about the beer. It's nice.

You want more? FINE. There is a promising bourbon nose. The mouthfeel is really light. It makes me think of butter for some reason. Not butterscotch, but butter. And there is plenty of bourbon flavor present as well.

You want more still? Too bad. That's all I've got. I'm slowing down...

ABC/WP Roundhouse Imp Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged around $24/4 pack
Gina 3.4 Mugs Chris 3.336 Mugs Rod 3.7 Mugs Jess 3.8 Mugs Jason 3.6 Mugs Mike 3.58 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.57 Mugs


Mike, loving all things St. Louis, ofter talks about "St. Louis Blues great" Wayne Gretzky, even though he only played a half a season there. Anyway, Mike pulls in the audio feed from a press conference that Gretzky was holding. What was he talking about at the press conference? Why, New Glarus Bourbon Barrel Bock, of course!

(Wayne steps to the podium) Hello everyone, and thanks for being here. It's great to be here today to accept this award - you know, I've never been to Kentucky before. Not once. But today, I consider myself the luckiest Hoosier in all the state. What's that? Oh, that's Indiana. Sorry... I've had a few. No, that's not my normal behaviour... have you had this? It's a... what is this? It's a New Glarus Bourbon Barrel Bock - Hey! Bourbon! That's from here, right? You should make bourbon a colonel... This is some beer. It's a beer, right? Taste like an orange... You know, Janet and I had a wine called a barleywine once at a friend's house. This is kinda like that. Nice and sweet, oaky, a little vanilla, a little warming, you know? I grew up in Canada, we can use a beer like this. Anyway... where was I? Oh yeah.. Today, I consider myself the luckiest.. well what are you here, anyway? I consider myself lucky. Thank you. 4.7 Mugs

New Glarus Bourbon Barrel Bock around $10/4 pack
Gina 4.18 Mugs Chris 4.3 Mugs Rod 4.0 Mugs Jess 4.6 Mugs Jason 4.2 Mugs Mike 4.7 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.33 Mugs


Not many people know this, but Chris is the drummer of the HBG house band. His musical talent must have been the reason why Stephen Foster used him to debut his new song Oh! Bourbon Barrel (which is like Oh! Susanna, but not), an ode to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout

I come from Illinois, with a hint of cherry in me
I'm coming to Indiana, my true love for to see
They mashed me with grains and cooked for an hour
then left me in a barrel
Loads of choc'lat, slight alcohol burns
but don't you get in a quarrel.
Oh, Bourbon Barrel, don't you cry for me,
I come from Illinois,with a hint of cherry in me.

GI Bourbon Co. Stout 18.99/4 pack at Kahn's
Gina 4.5 Mugs Chris 5.0 Mugs Rod 4.7 Mugs Jess 4.8 Mugs Jason 4.71 Mugs Mike 3.8 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.59 Mugs


Jess is known as the wife of Rod, who for some reason is the "sexy one" at Hoosier Beer Geek. While all the women (and some of the men) swoon for him, Jess secretly longs for someone else. Someone who is not only a lover but a fighter. Which is why she was thrilled to have Muhammad Ali come into her. Wait, that's not how I meant it...

Anyway, here is the greatest with his thoughts on Brooklyn Brewery's Black Ops

Brooklyn Brewery claims that this beer never existed by the label, much like my fighting style - Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see. This dark and stormy brew is a killa... and a chilla... and a thrilla...and reminds me of a gorilla from Manila. The nose floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee with hints of dried tobacco, vanilla and big ol' Kentucky bourbon. Much like my hometown of Louisville the taste is dry like fine champagne and tastes like the big ugly bear that is chocolate. Much like my inspiring 1975 Thrilla in Manila fight, this beer is like death. Closest thing to dyin' that I know of and so I give it 4.75 mugs.

Brooklyn Black Ops around $13
Gina 4.75 Mugs Chris 4.5 Mugs Rod 4.3 Mugs Jess 4.75 Mugs Jason 3.6 Mugs Mike 3.8 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 4.28 Mugs


Leave it to Jason to screw things up. Not only did he start this whole VooDoo mess, he then destroyed the theme by channeling former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill to review an English beer aged on English whiskey barrels. What the hell, man? Well, he's here, so let's have it. Here is Churchill's view on Harviestoun’s Ola Dubh Special Reserve.

Not many people know that my mother was born in America . So I’ve always felt a strong connection to the United States . That’s why I’m proud to have been named the first honorary citizen of your country.

I’m even more proud of being named a Kentucky Colonel. The Commonwealth has made its name in horse racing, tobacco, and whisky. What’s not to love about this place? And the Kentucky Fried Chicken…all I can say is that is some chicken!

I was asked to speak about Bourbon Aged Beers and to be non-partisan when comparing them to Harviestoun’s Ola Dubh Special Reserve beers. And if I can’t, I should retire gracefully soon after.

Well Hoosier Beer Geek, I fight for my corner. And I leave when the pub closes.

I have not journeyed across the century, across the ocean, across the mountain, across the prairie, because I am some sort of candy ass who will do whatever you say! I will never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never.

So let me tell you: Harviestoun is a great brewery. And Highland Park is a great distillery. And putting that Ola Dubh/Black Oil into Highland Parks single malt scotch casks is a great achievement. Never in the field of alcoholic consumption was so much owed by so many to so few.

And they don’t just stop at one, but are offering three different version. The Ola Dubh Special 12 Reserve (11 ounce, $8.99 at Kahn’s) provides a black-to-dark brown ale with a tan head. It has a thin, creamy mouthfeel, which you wouldn’t expect looking at it. But this beverage has tastes of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee with a nose to match. The Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve (11 ounce, $9.99 at Kahn’s) is an improvement on the 12 by having a stronger alcohol bite. The earthiness of the single malt scotch really comes out in this version. And the Ola Dubh Special 30 Reserve (11 ounce, 15.99 at Kahn’s) is a smooth, mellow treat, as you would expect from a beer aged in 30 year old single malt casks.

I should be failing in my duty if I were not to convey the true impression, that a great nation is getting into its beer stride. We may say aloud before an awe-struck world, “We are still masters of whisky. We still are captain of beers.” Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if Harviestoun last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest beer.”

Harviestoun 12 8.99/bottle at Kahn's
Gina 3.4 Mugs Chris 3.3 Mugs Rod 3.7 Mugs Jess 3.2 Mugs Jason 3.65 Mugs Mike 3.41 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.44 Mugs

Harviestoun 16 9.99/bottle at Kahn's
Gina 3.1 Mugs Chris 3.4 Mugs Rod 4.1 Mugs Jess 3.6 Mugs Jason 4.05 Mugs Mike 3.31 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.59 Mugs

Harviestoun 30 15.99/bottle at Kahn's
Gina 3.1 Mugs Chris 3.1 Mugs Jason 3.6 Mugs Mike 3.32 Mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.28 Mugs


And that concludes this Twilight Zone-esque roundtable review. And let me tell you they are exhausting. I promise, no more chicken bone readings at roundtables.