Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Pale Ales & IPAs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previously: Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Lagers

KOTBR #126 - It's Stranger on the Southside

So we roundtabled, and then suddenly a very different sort of review email from Jason appears, and - because I'm now inspired myself - the following happens.

We often wonder if this sort of oddity is appealing to the folks reading, but I'll always contend that the best part about HBG is when this sort of thing happens.



So, a little known fact about our group and the types of reviews we do is that the format we go with is generally based on who is first to turn in a review. Imagine how exciting it is for someone who can't draw to do a review in comic format. Lucky for you, I won't be doing that.

Instead, I will just try and talk about the beers a little bit.

Note about the GAK: Membership is required if you will be drinking there ($10/yr)

König Ludwig Weiss - First of all, when you order a Medium beer at German American Klub, expect the second biggest glass you have ever seen (the Large is an entire liter of beer). Think fast food medium size, like "I shoulda got the small" medium. They are huge!

The website of the brand management for this beer says:

Our wheat beer, König Ludwig Weißbier, is brewed using traditional methods and is bottle fermented (the “méthode champenoise”). This produces a lively, refreshing beer with a tight head and flavour notes of apple and bananas, which is highly accepted in many parts of the world. In its home market, König Ludwig Weißbier is among the top 6 wheat beer brands and is widely recognized as a Bavarian specialty.

I'm pretty sure those folks know a little something about the Hefeweizen style as they've been doing it for, oh I don't know, centuries.

The weather was just nice enough for the four of us to sit on the outdoor patio at the GAK, allowing us to not only soak up some sun, but also to wear our new scarves (Oh hey, we have scarves now! Perfectly appropriate for the summertime). We sipped on beers and shared some good old fashioned German cuisine. The beer appeared to be typical of a hefeweizen: yellow, slightly cloudy, bright white frothy head. All of the typical flavors were present as well, bananas and clove in particular. This also had a slightly metallic element to it, which I will chalk up to the temperature as it dissipated as the beer warmed. The creamy but refreshing mouthfeel led to a little mustiness in the finish. That didn't bother me though; it was almost like you could taste the history of the brewery. And remember that HUGE beer? Did I mention that I finished it? 2.84 Mugs.

Continuing on our southside adventure, we stopped in at Oaken Barrel to see what has been happening there. The sun was beginning to fade, but we still decided to sit outside. It was a bit chillier than at GAK, but still well within our comfort limits. We were delighted to see the Uberweizen on draft, a specialty that is not on regularly, and even more so upon learning about the pitcher special. We happily ordered.

The style of beer seems to be a hybrid of a Wheat and Pale Ale. It seems to take some of best elements of both styles. A deep whiff encourages a soapy aroma to appear, but that changes to something a little more floral as the glass empties. The cloudy appearance and the banana and clove characteristics from the wheat beer are met with a citrusy punch from the hops portion of the Pale Ale. The marriage of these two styles makes for one great glass of beer. 3.25 Mugs.

Things are often funnier after I drink. And some funny thoughts came to me as we drank our beers. I doodled them down and realized that no amount of written word would make for a better review from me. So here is my roundtable review in doodle form.







Bier frisch und gut, schafft frohen Mut.

As the spring and summer approach, I being to start leaning towards the hoppy beers, wheat and weiss beers, and during grilling season, I really love multiple Würste and multiple German Hefeweiss beers. I've always been drawn to their lower alcohol, but still big on flavor. I am also hard pressed to think of a lawnmower beer better than a tall glass of cool and refreshing hefe. This was my first trip to the Biergarten at the Edelweiss Restaurant this season. Sitting outside in one of the only spring days we've had this year and drinking some good beer with good friends was really nice. This beer wasn't one of the best German hefes I've had, but it wasn't terrible. It has the markers of a great beer with notes of clove, banana, oranges, and wheat. It was very refreshing, but it was missing that big flavor punch I've come to expect from my favorites in the style including Weihenstephaner and Paulaner. This beer was just missing the Dude's rug. If it had that it would have really tied the room together. Overall though I was pretty happy with the beer, and I would certainly order it again. The German saying at the top roughly translates to, "A refreshing brew creates a happy state of mind." I would certainly agree. 3.5 Mugs.

Oaken Barrel's newest seasonal is another anticipated beer for me. As a south-sider, Oaken Barrel is always one of my go-to beers spots, and you can always find me there on a Thursday for $5 dollar growler fills of Superfly IPA. The Uberweizen was also spicy and refreshing with some great citrus and wheat notes. This is a solid beer for sure, but if you are looking for a traditional German Hefe this is more of a solid American take on a pale ale and wheat hybrid. 3.25 Mugs.

König Ludwig Weiss
Mike: 2.9 Mugs | Gina: 2.84 Mugs | Jason: 3.75 Mugs | Matt: 3.75 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.31 Mugs

Oaken Barrel Uberweizen
Mike: 2.85 Mugs | Gina: 3.25 Mugs | Jason: 3.25 Mugs | Matt: 3.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.16 Mugs

Metromix 2010 Local Brewing Guide: Oaken Barrel Brewing Company

Hoosier Beer Geek worked with Metromix to create their 2010 Local Brewing Guide. It was published in the November 18th issue and we are republishing the interviews we conducted. Enjoy!

Oaken Barrel Brewing Company, est. 1996
50 North Airport Parkway, Greenwood
Website: www.OakenBarrel.com
Ph: 317-887-2287

Mark Havens’ professional brewing career began as a trial by fire. After spending just under a year as an assistant brewer at Greenwood’s Oaken Barrel Brewing Company, he was handed the head brewer’s position on a trial basis. “[Oaken Barrel owner Kwang Casey] didn’t think I was ready so he was looking for other people,” said Havens. “I said, ‘Give me a chance,’ and he put me in.” A year later, Casey’s gamble paid off. “When I won Brewer of the Year at the State Fair, he’s like, ‘Alright, I think this guy’s got it’”, said Havens. It was just the first of three consecutive Indiana State Fair Brewer’s Cup Brewer of the Year wins for Havens.

Like many of Indiana’s professional brewers, Havens started out as a homebrewer. His love of craft beer and his wife’s encouragement drove him to homebrew. “We were [regularly] buying a six-pack of something craft. It was starting to get pretty expensive. So she was like, ‘How about you try this on your own?’” he said. Not much later, he received a homebrewing kit as a 25th birthday present.

Havens’ philosophy of brewing is based on making “the best beer possible” first, but he admits that making “bigger” beers pleases him the most. “I probably push the envelope a little bit more so than the general Greenwood public would like,” he said, “but I think they’re starting to come around. Some of our beers that are a little over the top are starting to become some of our best sellers here.”

Oaken Barrel is one of the many Indianapolis-area breweries that have expanded sales through the use of bottling and outside distribution. Bottles are labeled one at a time with the help of a labeling machine, then filled and capped four at a time on a capping machine. Cardboard six-pack containers are unfolded from flat pack and filled by hand. “It’s labor intensive. It’s ridiculous,” said Havens.

Regular Beers: Indiana Amber, Razz-Wheat (fruit beer), Gnaw Bone (pale ale), Alabaster (Belgian witbier), Snake Pit (porter), Superfly (IPA)

Seasonal Beers: Small Batch Series (stouts), Uberweizen (hefeweizen), Epiphany Christmas Ale (tripel), Speciale Saison, Apple Buzz (beer/cider hybrid), Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Ale, World of Wheat

Events: Oaktoberfest (October), Pork of July (anniversary party on July 4th), Brewer’s Cup Celebration (summer)

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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

Oaken Barrel Apple Buzz
Jess: 3.9 Mugs | Rodney: 3.5 Mugs | Gina: 3.96 Mugs | Mike: 3.99 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.83 Mugs

Winterfest 2010 Update #5 and Ticket Giveaway

The Brewers of Indiana Guild's Winterfest 2010 tickets are on sale now online. Ticket sales will also begin at breweries soon (hopefully...printer issues). We will inform you as soon as that is available. 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. Our fourth Winterfest update included Back Road Brewery, Mishawaka Brewing, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Sun King Brewing, Schlafly Beer, Goose Island Brewing Co., North Coast Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co. This is our fifth update to the beer list...


Oaken Barrel
Greenwood, IN
On draft at their booth:
Razz-Wheat
Indiana Amber
Superfly IPA
Snake Pit Porter

Rock Bottom Downtown
Indianapolis, IN
On draft at their booth:
The Hammer Baltic Porter
Hop Bomb IPA
Naughty Scot Wee Heavy

In the outdoor beer garden:
The Hammer Baltic Porter (firkin)

Turoni’s Main Street Brewery
Evansville, IN
On draft at their booth:
Rudolph’s Revenge Strong Dark
Pumpkin Ale
Vinny’s Lager

In the outdoor beer garden:
Barrel Aged Rudolph’s Revenge (firkin)

New Albanian Brewing Co.
New Albany, IN
On draft at their booth:
Elsa Von Horizon Imperial Pils
Solidarity Baltic Porter
ThunderFoot
Hoptimus
WinterFest 2010 Replicale

Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Munster, IN
On draft at their booth:
Ham on Rye
Robert the Bruce
Admiral Lord Nelson

In the outdoor beer garden:
Behemoth Barleywine (pin)

Ram Restaurant and Brewery
Indianapolis, IN
On draft at their booth:
Buttface Amber Ale
Big Red IPA
Indy Blonde Ale
Winterfest Replicale

Barley Island Brewing Co.
Noblesville, IN
On draft at their booth:
Sheet Metal Blonde
Dirty Helen Brown
BarFly IPA
Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout
Java Stout
Dirty "Old" Helen Flanders Brown
Barrel Aged BarFly IPA
Beastie Barrel Stout

In the outdoor beer garden:
Belgian-style Black IPA (pin)

Tyranena Brewing Co.
Lake Mills, Wisconsin
On draft at their booth:
Bitter Woman IPA
Rocky's Revenge American Brown Ale (barrel-aged)
Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter aged in Rye Barrels

Schmaltz Brewing Co.
Brooklyn, NY
In bottles at their booth:
Coney Island Human Blockhead
Coney Island Lager
He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA
He’brew Origin
He’brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah 13th Anniversary
He’brew Rejewvenator

Bluegrass Brewing Company - Shelbyville Road
Louisville, KY
On draft at their booth:
4 drafts TBA

In the outdoor beer garden:
ESB (firkin)
Bearded Pats Barley Wine (pin)

New Belgium Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO
On draft at their booth:
Fat Tire
Might Arrow Pale Ale
Ranger IPA


Here it is, the ticket giveaway...
We have two tickets to give away. How do you get in on the fun? It is this simple. Leave a comment on this post that includes your name, either an email address or your twitter ID so that we can reach you if you win, and just for fun, what beer listed over the past five weeks you are most looking forward to trying at Winterfest. You must post a comment by Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. We will draw a name and announce the winner in the Winterfest 2010 Update #6. Thanks for playing.

Beer Diary #17 - Mike (with a little help from Gina) - Saturday Ramble

Here at HBG we consider it our duty to bring you the latest and greatest in beer news and notes, and that's why this past Saturday we set our eyes south, on a mission to investigate Nashville, Indiana's newest beer hotspot, Big Woods Brewing Company.

But along the way we visited some other friends: Oaken Barrel, Bloomington Brewing Company, and Upland. Remember, we did this for you.


Oaken Barrel, Greenwood, IN - We've been here before. A lot of times, actually. Since we live on the southside, it's almost our home brewery. We're pretty happy with that.


Oaken Barrel Gnaw Bone Pale Ale - For the past two weeks I've had a craving for a beer flavor that I couldn't put my finger on, but I suspected I'd be able to fill that need at Oaken Barrel.

The flavor I was looking for? The sweet malty note that comes from a well-balance pale ale. More bready than fruity, OB's Gnaw Bone still finishes bitter like a pale should. Great mouthfeel on this beer as well, which is a trademark of Oaken Barrel's beer.


Oaken Barrel Surprise Series Cherry Porter - When brewers Mark and Andrew aren't out winning Brewery of the Year awards, they are brewing some beers. Some of them are regulars and some are like this Cherry Porter, a surprise. This nose on this beer is like chocolate covered cherries. If you were blindfolded you may think there is a jar a maraschino cherries under your nose. The medium mouthfeel has a nice malty finish. The cherry flavor lingers long after you've finished the sip.

If you don't get south very often, Oaken Barrel's beer is worth the drive.


Big Woods Brewing Company, Nashville, IN - The scene: Seating for 40ish, rustic Brown County cabin, log furniture, wood floors, feels clubhousey and comfortable. Wood ceilings, a nice stop after a hard mountain bike ride (or shopping for arsty/crafsty trinkets). The building is basically a two car garage (the kitchen) with a restaurant built on front (but much nicer than that sounds. A lot nicer). The place is hidden in an alley, kinda. Be sure to check out the directions on their site first.


The problem: They've run out of beer. Victims of their own success, they only thing they have to offer is some unfinished wheat samples. We tried them, but reviewing an unfinished beer isn't something we're in the business of doing.


The chili was nice, though. The beer is back on now, according to my sources. They're working on a backup plan should this ever happen again.


Lennies/Bloomington Brewing Company, Bloomington - As we're not a Hoosier State natives, we haven't spent all that much time in Bloomington. As a result, this was our first stop and Lennies/Bloomington Brewing Company. After our GPS attempted to get us to drive down an IU campus walking path, we figured out the correct way to find the brewery/restaurant.


Bloomington Brewing Co. Stout - Campfire marshmallow is the first thing that came to mind. Nose is smokey meat, front is ashy campfire, a sweet liquid camping trip, a different approach than most, more smoke than chocolate or coffee, burping up burnt plastic, I didn't finish the pint.


Perhaps it was just me - I know they're better than this - they've got a wall full of medals to prove it. We should have tried something else but we were driving, and had another stop to make.

Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN - It took us forever to finally make a trip to Bloomington to visit Upland, and now I feel a craving for the fine vegetarian food about once a month. I'm not a vegetarian - the food is just that good.


Upland's Imperial Stout (Teddy Bear Kisses) is a fitting intro to colder months. A nose of syrupy dark chocolate and then a deep, sweet, rich, full-bodied chocolate flavor dominates the palate. Finishes bitter and chewy (a little bit hoppy, really), rich and creamy.

I was thinking "Dark Lord" when I passed the glass to Gina to get her thoughts, and she immediately said "Dark Lord". Not quite as deep or sweet as Indiana's most famous beer, and finishes a bit drier, and a little more sessionable - if any 11.5% ABV beer is sessionable.

Indeed, I thought the front of the beer was very reminiscent of Dark Lord. It bit the front of the tongue with flavors of dark fruit and alcohol heat. The finish was deceptively mellow considering the amount of alcohol.

Good news - if you're in Indy, Teddy Bear Kisses is coming very soon to the new Upland Tap Room. It won't be cheap, but I think you'll find it worth the price.

KOTBR #83 - Oaken Barrel's Award Winning Lineup

Oaken Barrel did quite well for themselves at the Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup held earlier this year. They won 7 awards, including a Best of Show for their Pumpkin Ale, and the Brewers of Indiana Guild Champion Brewery.

It wasn't long ago that the following message showed up in our mailbox:

We are having a dinner with award winning beers and our brewers who won the Brewery of the Year. We’ll have “the best of show” Pumpkin Ale, Java Stout, Munich Helles, Oatmeal Stout, Uberweizen, Kolsch, and Uncle Jack’s Barrel Stout. Beers will be available in pints only, and only in the Brewhouse. When these beers are gone, they are gone until we brew again next year. Please come join us, and share the story of how we won the Brewery of the Year at State Fair Competition.

In the quest to provide the best Indiana beer news available, we decided to investigate.

Since coming aboard at Oaken Barrel, Brewers Mark Havens and Andrew Castner have really done a spectacular job with the beer, expanding the lineup and experimenting with new styles and flavors. Of the award winning beers available, we selected three to review: Java Stout, Jack Barrel Stout, and Pumpkin Ale.


Oaken Barrel Pumpkin Ale - A nice blend of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and coriander in the nose and a taste that stands up equally well. I wonder how this would have done in our pumpkin beer showdown. I think it would have done very well! 3.8 Mugs

Oaken Barrel Pumpkin Ale
Gina: 3.8 Mugs | Matt: 3.75 Mugs | Mike: 3.55 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.55 Mugs



Oaken Barrel Java Stout - The first thing you notice is the very strong coffee nose on this beer, and I'm not talking freeze dried Taster's Choice. I'm talking serious gourmet shit. Aside from my Pulp Fiction reference, the nose is a heavy mix of coffee, espresso, and a touch of licorice. The flavor profile didn't quite match up to the nose, but had the same flavors on the palate, but just more muted than the nose with the classic roasted grain flavors of a stout combined with bitter coffee notes. The mouthfeel was very nice and matched their best beer, Snake Pit Porter, and I would have happily had another one of these beers. This was a very tasty beer if you like coffee. 4.1 Mugs

Oaken Barrel Java Stout
Matt: 4.1 Mugs | Mike: 3.65 Mugs | Gina: 4.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.91 Mugs



Oaken Barrel Uncle Jack's Barrel Stout - I think there's a trick to making a bourbon barrel stout; a lack of bourbon flavor can only lead your audience to disappointment. But I'm an equal opportunity drinker, and I try to not to put too much stock into a beer's name. OB's Jack's Barrel stout looks exactly like their Java Stout, with an opaque black color that poured dead and headless. The nose hinted at dark chocolate and malt. I didn't find any bourbon. The front was all Hershey's Syrup and milk, and the flavor followed through to a chocolate milk shake finish. As the beer warmed the bourbon finally came out, though I'd say that it was a minor flavor in the mix. My only complaint with the beer is that I'd like a little more life and mouthfeel, but considering that Oaken Barrel had been sitting on this a while, I think those tiny flaws are excusable. 4.17 Mugs

Oaken Barrel Uncle Jack's Barrel Stout
Mike: 4.17 Mugs | Gina: 3.9 Mugs | Matt: 3.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.77 Mugs

Six Pack interview with Oaken Barrel's Andrew Castner

Before the explosive Indiana Beer Week had our undivided attention, we had visited Oaken Barrel and had the pleasure of talking to assistant brewmaster Andrew Castner and his lovely fiancee Brittney. Both are huge beer geeks. In fact, it was Brittney that first got Andrew interested in craft beers. What a woman!

Between rounds of beer, we took the opportunity to do another Six Pack interview...



1) How did you get into the beer brewing profession?

Well, I didn't do home brewing before working at Oaken Barrel. I actually had my own home business and decided to pick up some part time hours at Oaken Barrel waiting tables, etc. One day I told then brewmaster Ken Price that I would love to learn what's going on. That's how I got started.

I learned on the job and very quickly discovered that 95% of brewing is cleaning. The tanks, the lines, the bottles, the kegs. Cleaning and sanitizing. I never took any brewing classes. I learn best by trial and error, by making mistakes. But someday I would like to learn the classroom side of the profession. There is a lot of technical items to learn. The finer sides of the business.

2) What are your favorite beers at Oaken Barrel? And not at Oaken Barrel?

Snake Pit is my favorite, followed closely by Gnaw Bone. My other favorites go in cycles. Right now, I'm digging Breckenridge 471 IPA and Lost Abbey's Abbey Ale with the raisin puree.

3) If you could brew any style, what would it be?

Barley wine. In fact, we put a five year aged barleywine in the State Fair.

4) What are the challenges of working for a brew pub versus for production?

The toughest thing is balance between the two. You can never run out of beer at the restaurant. But you can never run out at the distributor either. If given my choice, I would focus on in-house beers. In the brew pub, with the customers, you get direct feedback. But what's great about sending packaged beer out is that most people know us coming in to the restaurant. Having to deal with both sides has it benefits, in that I get to do something different every day. It never gets boring.

5) What is in the future for Oaken Barrel?

Well, I'd like to put together a system to do 22oz. bottles so that we can ship the Superfly IPA. I'd also like to do a series of bottle conditioned "monster beers", like Imperial IPA's and Barleywines.

Also, Oaken Barrel is the old kid on the block. We're so well known that some might see us as stale compared to others. I'm trying to freshen things up, like packaging, tap handles, and the website. Our relationship with Victory Field has been great and should continue. We are also in the midst of changing the types of kegs we use, so our tap market should be expanding soon.

6) Congrats on your upcoming nuptials to Brittney. Will you be going to Belgium or some other beer centric destinations for your honeymoon?

No, unfortunately. The lil' lady wants to go to Hawai'i. Though, they do have Kona Brewing there...

Indiana Beer Week Closing Ceremonies - Replicale Faceoff

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

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

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

Gina

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

Jim

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

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

New Chris

Agreed that all were definitely drinkable.

4 words (mostly)

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

Matt

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

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

Other Matt

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

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

Rod

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

Jess

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

Mike

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

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

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

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

Indiana Beer Week Bar Hop - Day Three - In Rainbows

Mike, Gina, and the Electric Boogaloo Crew descended upon Greenwood's Oaken Barrel for day three of our latest excuse to drink - Indiana Beer week.

Tonight's beer of honor was none other than Oaken Barrel's Berliner Weise - a sour beer that allows you, the customer, in on the fun by giving you a choice of syrups to add to the beer.

This is certainly an odd choice of beer to brew - only two commercially known version of the beer are available, and the process of brewing this particular style can be hazardous to a brewery's equipment. "Skull and Crossbones!" were the words used by assistant brewer Andrew Castner.

So why brew the style? The choice was inspired by head brewer Mark Havens' trip to Europe. After discussing the style, the two brewers headed to Shallos to give the available examples a whirl. Oaken Barrel is trying to introduce small batch beers throughout the year, in an effort to liven up their reputation. I'd say this is an excellent example of that effort.

The beer comes out without any syrup added, and looks like this:


But with a mix of sweet syrups soon looks like this:


From left to right: Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Kiwi

The taste without syrup: A malty, sort of ashy thing, with just a hint of sourness. Despite our initial concerns, this wasn't an overly sour beer, and goes quite well by itself.

The taste with syrup: Same sort of nose, but the taste is something different - the syrups add a tart and punchy sort of slushpuppy element. Really tasty. And pretty fun, actually.

This style won't last long - Mark thought it might last a week - so if you're interested, head on down soon. It's a beer experience you won't soon replicate.

KOTBR #50 - Five Knights at the Indiana Brewery of the Year

Indiana Beer Week was kicked into gear Friday and Saturday, with the judging of the Brewer's Cup Competition at the Indiana State Fair. It seems that we know how to pick 'em - this year's Indiana Brewery of the Year was none other than Greenwood's Oaken Barrel - a brewery we visited just last Wednesday.


But we're no beer judges - just fans. There's quite a selection available at Oaken Barrel: Alabaster Belgian Wit, Uber Weizen, Redemption Belgian Pale, Razz-Wheat, Indiana Amber Ale, Snake Pit Porter, Gnaw Bone Pale Ale, and Superfly IPA. Some of us had reviewed the Snake Pit Porter before - and as a result did not review it again here. But that didn't stop us from sampling the rest of OB's tasty treats.

Without further ado, the reviews:

Jason with the Oaken Barrel Polka

There's a brewery, what a brewery
Only happy faces drink there
And there's never any room there
For Bud, Coors, or Miller there.

Oh there are wheats, and more wheat,
And some are tasting sweet,
Like when you drink a Razz-Wheat
It’s a childhood Kool-Aid-like treat.

Their Belgians have a oompahpah
Drinking it feels so tralala:
The lemon of the Alabaster Wit;
Redemption has bitters to it.

The Uberweizen is still on tap
More clove than banana, I’m down wit dat.
Indiana or Victory: it’s all the same
Amber’s buttery malts, I am game.


Snakepit porter
And their porter, it’s good for drinking.
Snake Pit’s smokiness got me thinking
That I’m in the mood
For some good old Barbeque.

Gnaw Bone may bring to mind
Tenderloins but you’ll also find
Floral hops and spicey flavs.
In Greenwood, Gnaw Bone’s an APA.

For hop and malt balance you should try
An IPA known as Superfly
With its strong hop nose and great hop bite
You hear them singing into the night:

Go to Oaken Barrel, a drink up a barrel of beer
Go to Oaken Barrel, their drinks are nothing to fear
Zing, boom, tararrel, sing out a song of good cheer
Now's the time for Oaken Barrel, for the gang's all here!

Ratings: Alabaster 3.33, Uberweizen 3.5, Redemption 3.5, Razz-wheat 3.0, Indiana Amber 3.875, Gnaw Bone 4.0, Superfly 4.25



Gina was also bitten by the Polka Bug: At Oaken Barrel There is Beer

At Oaken Barrel, there is beer
And you'll find it's clear
That when you drink their beer
It's certain you'll be filled w/ lots of cheer.

First, the Alabaster Witbier
The lightest, but not quite clear
Coriander, Chamomile, and
Orange peel added to the boil late here.

Uberweizen won best in show
Brewers Cup two years ago
At the pub the beer does flow
Hopefully they won't soon run low.


Uberweizen
Redemption, followed by the Razz Wheat
A nose of flowers, and then quite sweet,
The Belgian Pale reminded me of meat?
And the Razz would be great out in the heat.

The Brewery then was toured
And the Amber we moved toward
Well balanced across the board
Victory Field is a place this beer is poured.

One of my favorites of the night
Snake Pit Porter, it showed no light
And the Gnaw Bone, a floral bite
Was the penultimate of the flight.

The end brought the Superfly
You'll only get it if you stop by
An IPA that's bold, not shy
Now it is time to say goodbye.

Ratings: Alabaster 3.75, Uberweizen 3.37, Redemption 3.25, Razz-wheat 3.05, Indiana Amber 3.27, Gnaw Bone 3.1, Superfly 3.25

Jim

Jason and Gina have polka. I've got klezmer. Unfortunately, there are no famous klezmer songs unless you count a klezmer version of that indispensable tune, "Hava Nagila." But that song doesn't work here because it repeats the same words over and over. Oy.

So, to make things short and sweet, I'll go with Installment Three of the Four-Word Review, but with a new theme--Yiddish words beginning with "sh". Blame it all on Jason and Gina. Du bist a yid? You are if you can understand the following--

Alabaster Belgian Wit. Shtern of the show. 4.00 mugs

Uber Weizen. Like freshly fallen shney. 3.60 mugs

Redemption Belgian Pale. Like a sheyne meydl. 3.80 mugs

Razz-Wheat. Just a bit shvach. 3.12 mugs

Indiana Amber Ale. Serve it up, shoyn! 3.72 mugs

Gnaw Bone Pale Ale. Shveyg! I'm drinking here! 3.33 mugs

Superfly IPA. Shikers, careful with this. 3.48 mugs

Mike

Everyone else is getting back to their roots with this review, and I wanted to join them in paying tribute to my ancestry. Unfortunately ODB lyrics are really hard to adapt to beer review format. Fortunately, my mother is Icelandic - so between the ODB influence and my family's love of the music of Sigur Ros, I was able to come up with a little something.

Alabaster White: Funky bready nose, bready taste, clean, a hint of spice. Nice. Brewed with orange, camomile, and coriander. A GABF silver medal winner. Best Seller in house.ODB lyrical equivalent: Hoeeeee! Yah ha heh 3.5 mugs.

Uberwiezen: Banana nose, a hint of bubblegum, nice moderate mouthfeel. Sigur Ros lyrical equivalent: Allur rennvotur (rennblautur). 3.4 Mugs.

Redemption Belgian Pale: Sweet flowery nose, a hint of ash, flowery/perfume front, drying finish. ODB lyrical equivalent: Hoe, ohhaowwohh! 2.93 Mugs

Razz-Wheat: Framboise nose, a tiny hint of malt, seltzer body, salty? My review is probably tainted by my love of Founder's Rubeaus. This is Oaken Barrel's best selling bottled beer, and second best selling in-house beer. Sigur Ros lyrical equivalent: Bjartar vonir rætast, er við göngum bæinn 2.75 Mugs

Indiana Amber Ale: A hint of bread in the nose, carmelly and sweet, slick but not watery mouthfeel, hoppy but not overpowering fishing. ODB lyrical equivalent: Haaaaaaaah He hawww, heahh 3.0 Mugs

Gnaw Bone Pale Ale: Diggin' the nose - a sweet hint of cookie, bitter on the back, more cream cookie flavor, a bitter and chewy finish. Sigur Ros lyrical equivalent: Blá nótt yfir himininn, blá nótt yfir mér 3.15 Mugs

Superfly IPA: Less hop in the nose than the Gnaw Bone Pale - but a sweet hoppy nose, transformative in the mouth - starts footy (tasting of feet), then meaty, then peppery. Lingering top of mouth bitterness, finishes dry and hot, with a hint of grapefruit. OBD lyrical equivalent: Hoeeeee! Yeah, heyyyy, de haaaaa Ahahaahaaah 3.31 Mugs


Superfly IPA
Matt

I'm separated from my real roots by many generations of obfuscation and charlatanry, so I went with some generic corny rhyming nonsense. Maybe I should have made it a huckster-themed review. Too late. This one's already written and as regular readers know, I'm quite lazy. Perhaps another time.

If you'd like a cloudy wit,
a beer to finish faster,
Oaken Barrel's where you'll sit,
and taste some Alabaster.
3.25 Mugs

Banana creme is what you're cravin'?
Some clove and some vanilla?
The Uberweizen's not misbehavin'.
You'd better drink you fill-a.
3.3 Mugs

Another Belgian brew to try,
if full body's your intention.
Hops so flow'ry and so dry.
You'll prolly want Redemption.
2.8 Mugs

A tart tooth will direct you
to OB's famed Razz Wheat.
Just look for the pinkinsh hue.
Raspberries…such a treat.
2.51 Mugs

A balanced brew is on this list.
Vict'ry Amber nicely malted
It's also just a bit hop kissed
For these reasons it's exalted.
3.88 Mugs

If you'd like a carmel nose
and foral hoppy bite
Gnawbone is the one I chose
as my fav-o-rite.
4.16 Mugs

Superfly will kick your ass
and stick with you for hours.
Hops that reach a critical mass,
the wisp of malt surrenders.
3.4 Mugs

(Since I wasn't around for the original Snakepit review, and since it was my favorite stanza to write, I'm going to include it anyway.)

Oaken Barrel has a Snakepit.
The Speedway now does not.
Less likely to be flashed a (insert the word of your choice that rhymes with "pit").
It tastes like smoky chocolate.
3.89 Mugs


* * * * *

KOTBR Totals:
Alabaster Belgian Wit: 3.54 Mugs
Uber Weizen: 3.43 Mugs
Redemption Belgian Pale: 3.25 Mugs
Razz-Wheat: 2.88 Mugs
Indiana Amber Ale: 3.54 Mugs
Gnaw Bone Pale Ale: 3.54 Mugs
Superfly IPA: 3.63 Mugs