Lend Hot Shotz a helping hand

As we recently reported, Hot Shotz Gastropub, one of our favorite places to enjoy craft beer and home of bartender par excellence Hans, suffered a kitchen fire last Saturday morning. They're now looking for a little help to speed them on their way to reopening. If you go to the bar's website, you can give Hot Shotz a donation. In return, you'll receive double the value of your donation in food and drinks upon the pub's reopening. So break out your change jars and give Hot Shotz a helping hand. Help us to repair the beer world, okay?

It was fun, but I'm glad that's over with

Saturday, 10:35 AM, Somewhere on Interstate 465:

A phone rings.

"Did you hear the news?"

"No, Chris... what?"

"Hot Shotz burned down last night."

"Oh come on."

"..."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, Bob Mack called me this morning."

"Okaaaay.... see you there."

"I'm at the storage shed, we'll be there shortly."

11:40 AM, Outlots of the burned out Hot Shotz, 96th and Gray Road

A few Knights of the Beer Roundtable stand under a tent, setting up tables.

"Go figure he tells us to get here at 11 and Chris isn't here yet."

I dial Chris up on his phone.

"Hey, I've got some good news."

"What?"

"I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance. Where are you?"

"I'll be there in a minute."

"I'm getting lunch."

3:00 PM

Six men are standing in a circle, holding vinyl signs, some rope, duct tape, and a knife

"I think we can just tape it to the rope."

3:30 PM

"Our power just went out."

"Maybe we shouldn't have everything plugged in right next to the water spout?"

4:00 PM

"Now what?"

"I'm drinking."

6:00 PM

"Buy a raffle ticket. That bottle of beer is like $70 on Ebay. But if you sell it there I'm going to kill you."

"..."

7:00 PM

"Chris, I'm surprised you were able to pull off this many brewers this late. Especially with Brew Ha Ha last week..."

"Well, I dropped Hoosier Beer Geek a lot. I think that helped."

"Well I hope they're happy.."

8:30 PM

"Can I have some of that beer?"

"You know what? We've been closed for a half hour, you won a trip to Great American Beer Fest... I think you did well enough today. We're done serving."

"Ok, I'll just drink the bottle in my pocket."

8:45 PM

"Chris, you need anything?"

"I think we're good."

"Bye."

* * * * *

I was lazy all day Sunday, so pictures we'll have pictures here tomorrow. Bob Ostrander from Indiana Beer has a few, including some of the fire damage at Hot Shotz.

For those of you that attended, thank you. We'd love to hear whatever comments or suggestions you have.

KOTBR #43 - Pop Quiz

Mike, Jim, and Gina met up at Hot Shotz last Saturday for a few drinks.

Jim:

Struise Pannepøt Old Fisherman's Ale (Danish version)

For our first beer at Hot Shotz, we went big guns with the highly-touted Struise Pannepøt, a brand from Belgian brewery De Struise Brouwers. I first learned about this beer when Jeffrey T. and his crew reviewed it on the Good Beer Show and raved about it. When we arrived at Hot Shotz, I spotted a few bottles of the Pannepøt in the back of the bar's fridge. I wasn't surprised to see it given that Hans, who is quickly becoming our favorite bartender, is probably more of a hardcore beer geek than we are.

Without question, Pannepøt is the most complex beer we've reviewed. It is a chameleon of a beer, and I mean that in the best sense. The only thing that didn't change about this beer was its color, which was a dark, chocolaty brown. Every other attribute of the Pannepøt seemed to change with every sniff and sip. The nose began as a spice festival but morphed into an odor that reminded me of dark fruit drizzled with chocolate. The mouthfeel ranged from a medium slickness to a heavy chewiness. And the taste, like the nose, was all spice at the beginning but mellowed into a flavor reminiscent of raisins and caramel.

About halfway through this beer, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Its changing character threw me for a loop. Yet when I got to the last three or four sips, I found myself really savoring this beer. My final verdict: This is a beer not to be missed for its absolutely unique character. It's an awesome beer (and I'm using the term "awesome" in its original sense, not its hot dog sense). 4.75 mugs.

Struise Mikkeller

For our second beer, we reviewed Struise Mikkeller, which is another unique ale. Brewed in collaboration by De Struise Brouwers and Danish craft brewery Mikkeller, Struise Mikkeller is their take on the Imperial IPA style. But to make this beer different, it is brewed using Belgian yeasts and candi sugar. The result was quite enjoyable but somewhat bizarre to my palate. It poured with a hazy orange color. The nose was, as one might expect from an IPA, very floral and citrusy, but there was a different note in the background: yeast. The mouthfeel was crisp and carried a lot of fizz. As for the taste, the Struise Mikkeller packed a full-on hop wallop, but finished with a yeasty flavor that is not present in most IPAs. Mike and Gina didn't seem to like this beer as much as I. I found it, like the Struise Pannepot, to be one of a kind. 4.10 mugs.

Gina:

I agree with Jim that the Pannepøt was awesome, indeed. In the Venn diagram of beer, it would be on the far left (the window side). Just a few things I got from the nose were licorice, sweet mint, apples and nutmeg. The simply luxurious mouthfeel reminded me of a piece of melted dark chocolate. This beer was amazing and I am looking forward to the opportunity to try the Belgian version. 4.98 mugs.

As far as the Struise-Mikkeller, I really did like it, but not nearly as much as the Pannepøt. I really had a hard time deciphering the mix of flavors and I think the mix of Belgian and IPA qualities threw my taste buds off. However, the flavors did balance into an interesting combination. 4.0 mugs.

Other highlights for me were Kasteel Rouge on tap (SPECTACULAR), and Hans' offering of Autumnal Fire, a Dopplebock from Capitol Brewing Co. (Wisconsin). A good time had by all, as usual.

***As a note, Jim and I will continue to quote Eddie Izzard and generally annoy the rest of you at least until his show on May 10. Then we may have a whole new batch of quotes to dish out.

Mike:

If you've been reading this site for a while, you already know Hans is the special breed of bartender. You already know that Hot Shotz has a nice variety of rare beer in bottles or on tap. You know that I like the BBQ pork sandwich. What you don't know is that their chairs are sort of wobbly.

Perhaps I'm easy to please, but that's the only thing I can think to complain about. But when you gaze into the cooler and find beer as rare as the two we had, everything seems a little better. These beers weren't cheap ($10 each), so if you're interested but frugal, use the buddy system. We split our samples three ways.

Struise Pannepøt 2006 - We knew from our past experience with Struise that this was a highly regarded beer - a Ratebeer 100, and a BeerAdvocate "A" in fact. But the problem with beers hyped so much is that the expectations are so unusually high that disappointment is a common occurrence. I'm happy to say that wasn't the case this time.

A dark tea-colored body supported a thin bit of ghostly lacing. The beer had an extremely tempting and strong nose of strong sweet sugary apple which lead to a similar taste. The beer had a similar nose feel to nail polish, but was smooth and warming on the pallet, and not overly strong. Tart but not tart. Typically Belgian, and yet the beer had something more - hints of fruit and fig, a little punch on the tongue - every sip revealed something new. This is the kind of beer that leads a guy to inventing new words ("nose feel?") and contradicting himself all in one paragraph (tart but not tart, smooth and yet "a punch on the tongue").

The label reads as follows:

"Pronounciation is a bit difficult, but sounds like pannepeut but is totally different than pannepot."

This seemed to confuse both Jim and Gina, but for some reason I thought it fit the beer exactly. Exactly What. 4.89 Mugs

Struise Mikkeller - When brewers and websites get together, it usually leads to great things. Example number one would be Brugge Beer's Sint Sylvester Vooranvond - A HBG Commemorative Ale. For another example, you can check out Struise Mikkeller, whose bottle reads as follows:

"Behold the second of RateBeer.com’s Worldwide Masters Series! This request edition ale is the crafted alchemy of a party of some of Europe’s finest brewers, Mikkel Bjergsø and Kristian Keller of Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Urbain Coutteau, Carlo Grootaert, Phil Driessens, and Peter Braem of De Struise Brouwers (Woesten-Vleteren, Belgium).

Both breweries have attracted considerable international attention for their artful interpretations of traditional ale styles enlived by a rich sense of invention. And both are also very highly esteemed by the RateBeer.com international community of beer tasters. We hope you enjoy this unique little treasure.

Struise Mikkeller -- the product of master brewing and friendship. Celebrate this sense of camaraderie by sharing this bottle with your good friends!
- Joe Tucker, RateBeer.com"

What's the result? A cloudy copper colored beer with light lacing, a nose of flat (think old flowers) hops, glue, and the medicine they use on cavities (I've been to the dentist lately), a hint of apple, and feet. Surprisingly enough, none of those elements were off putting; instead they led to a sort of wonderment. A floral and tight hop bite front lead to absolutely no middle and a lingering bitterness on the finish. Chewy. Tasty. Different. 3.62 Mugs

* * * * *

Jason was highly jealous of our Pannepøt experience and decided to review it later by himself, which altered the overall score slightly. You can check out Jason's review here.

KOTBR #41 | Hot Shotz, Part Deux

Editor's note - The title of this review comes from a somewhat dreadful film released in the early 1990s starring Charlie Sheen, and from the fact that this was our second visit to Hot Shotz. Our apologies for this lame attempt at humor, but the title just seemed to fit.

And so, to the reviews--

Mike -

In tribute to the excessive use of the letter Z in Indianapolis bars and restaurants - including two bar/restaurants I'm quite fond of - I will be using the letter Z in the place of the letter S in my review. Let me know if that gets annoying really quick.

I'm not zure whoze idea it waz to revizit Hot Shotz - but I'm zure that it waz a good one. Our bartender, the highly regarded Hanz, treated uz very well once again.

Firzt came a zample of Tröegs Nugget Nectar - a beer Hanz pulled from zomewhere behind the bar. Thiz one waz by no meanz bad - but it zeemed like a more watery verzion of Bell's Hopslam - all of the bitter hop bite without the creamy full balance the Hopslam providez. Next up from the zecret zelection waz Highland Tasgall Ale, a beer whoze flavorz were obzcured by the fantaztic BBQ zauce that came with a really great pulled pork zandwich. I don't know what I mizzed here, but that zandwich waz worth it.

Tröegs Nugget Nectar

Highland Tasgall Ale

Finally from beer geek friend Tamre came New Holland's Night Tripper Imperial Stout - with a zweet and punchy noze with notez of pine and rubbing alcohol, and a dead black color, thiz beer provided an aromatic warning that it wazn't to be toyed with. A ton of alcohol on the front faded to pine - with the obviouz coffee and chocolate notez that ztoutz generally provide. Thiz beer reminded me of hard alcohol ztolen from my parentz' ztazh when I waz much younger - overpowering, and not the experience I expected with that firzt zip.

New Holland's Night Tripper Imperial Stout

Alright enough with the Z's already.

And now, finally, we're at the beers for review.

Stone Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine

Stone Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine - A pumpkin-orange colored body supports half a finger of head. A bitter hop bite on the front of the tongue sticks with you in a way that makes the beer seem almost chewy. A hint of apple comes in on the back - but this one is hard to pin down. My notes say "I just don't know". But I did give it a score. 2.5 mugs. I've had other barleywines that I've enjoyed more.

Cantillon Brouscella 1900 Grand Cru

Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru - As I put my nose to the glass something hit me immediately - the smell of Herr's Heinz Ketchup flavored potato chips. The body had an apple cider look with a bit of oil slick for a head. Taking a sip, the ketchup chip element went away, leaving a taste not unlike a sour sweet tart - but without the sweet. Mouthfeel was watery, but upon taking a drink the tongue collapses upon itself. This is a sour black hole of a beer that has it's own gravitational pull and sucks your face in through your mouth.

The last thing I noted was "taste like a doctor's office smells." Looking at my handy wheel o' beer, I'd say this one has a very high astringency.

The question I like to use in ratings is, "Would I buy this again?" - and I think I would as a one-off. I liked it for no particular reason at all - perhaps it was just that it was so different than the usual selections. 3.34 Mugs.

Despite what I suspect may be fairly average scores from the rest of the Knights, before we left Hot Shotz we all noted that we needed to visit more often - once a year isn't nearly enough. We know the beer selection is on point, but the food was really the star of the evening for me.

Gina -

It's always a treat to go to Hot Shotz. The beer selection is always great, the food is delicious, and they have one of the best bartenders in the city to boot (the beloved Hans). The last roundtable was, of course, no exception.

My night started with Jim's current favorite, Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout. The last time the Knights were at Hot Shotz, so long ago, I had the very same beer. I liked it then and I like it now. The intense blueberry aroma is not replicated in the flavor; instead, it is mellow and tres drinkable.

To our surprise and delight, we sampled a couple brews that were brought in by our friends Hans and Tamre. The Tröegs Nugget Nectar was a smooth, highly drinkable IPA and was followed by a Tasgall Scotch Ale from Highland Brewing Company, also good. Tamre brought us some New Holland Night Tripper, an Imperial Stout that was warming and chewy.

For our reviewed beers, the Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru reminded me of apple cider vinegar. The taste was sour at first, but that sourness dissipated and turned dry. I think this would benefit from a pairing of food, fruit or cheese perhaps, yet there was something I couldn’t quite identify that made me return repeatedly to the glass. 3.15 mugs

Stone Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine – This had a complex aroma that initially reminded me of the mango soap in my shower. As it warmed, though, I got bubble gum and fruit in the nose. I can’t say I am a huge fan of barleywines in general and the ones I do like have been aged, so I may like this in a year or so. 2.5 mugs

Jason-

Being in the midst of the season of Lent and quickly approaching Easter, a word comes to mind:

Sacrifice.

And believe it or not, beer geeks have a calling to sacrifice themselves for the common good, probably because we have a deep philosophical connection with the centuries of monks, Trappist and otherwise, whose practice of self-denial and sacrifice went hand-in-hand with the production and consumption of those delicious suds we all enjoy.

That is why, for your entertainment and education, we at Hoosier Beer Geek sacrifice our livers and credit scores by consuming as much beer as possible. That’s right: we do it for you, our loyal readers.

In the benevolent brother(and sister)hood of beer geeks, we also tend to sacrifice our stash in order to further spread our gospel of beergeekdom. That is why people like Hans and Tamre share their beers with us, and in some ways, with you as well. As we write about these beers, you get to taste them with your eyes and your mind.

Certainly, this isn’t the best way to “consume” beer. If you want to fully experience the balanced hoppiness of the Tröegs Nugget Nectar (an Amber Ale that pretends to be an IPA), the deep, earthy tones of Highland’s Tasgall Ale (a Scotch ale that is more than a wee heavy), or the schizophrenic flavor profile and Sammy Terry-like label design of New Holland’s Night Tripper Imperial Stout (chocolate, coffee, malt…all the flavors are invited to this party), you’ll need to procure some bottles for yourself…or really buddy up with some beer geeks.

For me, the sacrifice continues as I sacrificed my taste buds in order to review Cantillon Brouscella 1900 Grand Cru for you. Why I feel the need to continuously taste these lambics, I don’t know. Maybe I’m hoping that someday I’ll magically enjoy these sour concoctions. I had high hopes as the nose was very apple ciderish, but I couldn’t get past the Lemonheads-like reaction that I had to this with each taste. Here is how hard of a time I had with it: I couldn’t finish it. So obviously I didn’t sacrifice myself that much. Perhaps it is the fact that these lambics I’ve tried have been unblended. That Frank Boon Gueuze I had last week was definitely better for me. I will give this beer a 1.0, as I would probably drink this over Chelada. But what kind of personal hell would that be if those were my only two options?

In comparison, the Stone Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine seemed like heaven to me. If lambics are the real champagne of beers, what would that make barleywines? Some sort of red wine, I’d guess. I like red wines. And I am growing very fond of barleywines. Much like red wines, barleywines seem to improve with age. The 2008 has a lot of floral notes that overpower the malty notes. So I’m giving this a 2.75 mug rating right now, with the understanding that this will certainly go up if allowed to age a year or more. If you buy a bottle now, I’d sacrifice time and let it sit in a cellar for a while. You will be rewarded, I am sure.

Matt-

Ah, the Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru. I thought when I first stuck my nose in the glass that I was in for a sour cider-y brew. What I got when I tasted it was like vinegar. It had a wine-like finish, and I know there's more to this one, but I just couldn't get past the sourness. It reminds me of A-1 in that I couldn't taste it without the lymph nodes in my neck shrieking for mercy. I gave up after wincing through two thirds of it and moved on to the next beer. If you could see me now you'd see me sporting two downward pointed thumbs and blowing a raspberry. Maybe some day I'll appreciate this style, but there are plenty of other styles to explore in the meantime. ¼ mug

Stone's Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine. This I can get excited about. I think that the barleywine style might be growing on me now that I've had a chance to sample a range of them. This one in particular had an interesting blend of hops and caramel. It was bite-y enough (if you'll pardon the stretch I'm going to for this reference) that reminded me of the largest of Homer's opossums who had taken up residence in the monorail. I wasn't as sensitive to the alcohol flavor that some folks mentioned (perhaps due to the super-sour lambic reviewed above), but I certainly felt it, even from this one sample. Of course, I had participated in a ritual bloodletting earlier in the day, which might have something to do with that. 3.3 mugs

Jim-

As the aggregator of our reviews, I bring up the rear and have very little left to say that hasn't already been said by my compatriots. Consequently, I'll simply supply my ratings--

Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout. We're not officially reviewing this beer, but if we were, I'd give it 4.25 mugs.

Cantillon Broucsella 1900 Grand Cru - 2.5 mugs. I have a feeling that this beer would be fantastic with the right food pairing.

Stone Old Guardian 2008 Barleywine - 2.5 mugs. This sucker needs at least a year of cellaring, if not more.

Info on the First Annual Indy Craft Beer Festival at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill

The beer calendar is quickly filling up with tonight's Craft Beer and Food Symposium, next week's Ale Fest Indy, and DarkLord Day all on the horizon. In addition, we've got news from Brian Graham at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill:

The First Annual Indy Craft Beer Festival

Saturday May 3 - 2pm to 6pm
Hot Shotz Ale & Grill parking lot
4705 E 96th St, Indianapolis, IN 46240

Benefiting Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation

Admission: $35 day of $40 at the door

Competition: Home Brewers vs. Home Brewers and Professionals vs Professionals in a peoples' choice award contest.

Each attendee gets 3 Home Brewer votes and 3 Professional votes. Ballots will be handed at the door with tasting glasses. Attendees will leave their ballot at monitored designated locations in the tent. Attendees will be rank their top three beers. Each ranking will have a point value: 1st - 3pts, 2nd - 2pts, 3rd - 1 pt. The top three Home Brew and top three Professional brewers will be awarded 1st 2nd and 3rd place.

Each entrant has to submit a full 5 gallon keg, ale or lager. The beer may be naturally or forced carbonated. It can be dry hopped. No style guidelines will be enforced. Brew your best beer. May the best beer win.

Entry form available here (Microsoft Word Document).

Prizes:

Home Brewers

1st prize – Beer Showcased on tap @ Hot Shotz, $1,600 Kinetico RO system, Great Fermentation Gift Certificates, Hop Shop Gift Certificates and other prizes to be determined

2nd prize – Beer Showcased on tap @ Hot Shotz, $350 Kinetico in line water filter, Great Fermentation Gift Certificates, Hop Shop Gift Certificates and other prizes to be determined

3rd prize - Beer Showcased on tap @ Hot Shotz, Kinetico bottled water for a year, Great Fermentation Gift Certs, Hop Shop Gift Certificates and other prizes to be determined

Professionals - Beer Dinner in their honor, 1/2 page ad in Nuvo as the winner, Channel 8 is covering the event and more to come.

Looks enticing! It'll be interesting to see what our homebrewing friends can cook up.

News of brews from around the world

- Going to watch that anti-climactic football game this Sunday? Here are some craft beer suggestions for the game from finance website TheStreet.com. Brian Graham of Indy's own Hot Shotz Ale & Grill is quoted in the article. I've had only one beer mentioned in the article (Stone's Arrogant Bastard). Anyone tried the others?

- From the heartland of Canada: the Great Western Brewing Company seeks the answer to the age old question, "How long can beer sit outside in winter before freezing?"

- Chicagoist recommends Unibroue's vintage brew Quelque Chose, which is best consumed when heated (yes, you read that correctly).

- We at HBG encourage you to drink your beer from a glass to better appreciate the beer's appearance, aroma, and flavor. Miss Manners, on the other hand, thinks it's just a matter of good table manners.

If this is for breakfast, imagine what's for lunch!

I’m not easily overwhelmed when I sample a good beer. My favorite brews are typically pretty complex, especially since I’ve been pulled along for the KOTBR “We Love Hops, Yes We Do!” ride. But the Founders Brewery Kentucky Breakfast Stout that we sampled recently at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill knocked me for one hell of a loop…and I still don’t think my taste buds have recovered.

As the other Beer Geeks have noted the beer pours thick, somewhere in between really strong coffee and motor oil, with just a tiny hint of a beige-ish smudge at the top of the glass. I could smell the roasted vanilla coffee before I even picked up the bottle to pour, and sipping it cold was like sipping the iced espresso that is my daily lifeblood. Good, but a little, well, overwhelming.

Flash forward to about 20 minutes later, and the espresso had given way to a smooth, incredibly rich caramel coffee flavor, with the spicy sweetness of the bourbon starting to come through. Oh, how lovely this beer is at the perfect temperature! Beautiful! Perfect! I think I was grinning into my glass. But wait…

Jason mentioned how fascinated he was with the complexities of the beer, and I’m in total agreement. Especially since just ten minutes after I loved the beer…I haaaaaaated it! I let it get just a little too warm, and the last few sips of the beer were like chugging straight Kentucky bourbon. I think my eyes might have rolled back in my head a little.

Now, I don’t know if it was the food (excellent, spicy and plentiful), the service (attentive and helpful), the conversation (I think at one point we went from talking about kosher meat preparation to David Beckham in one sentence) or the beer itself (an amazing transformation), but by the end of the evening, my head was spinning like a top—in a good way, of course.

I give the beer four solid mugs and a couple of aspirin for good measure.

This is not a public service announcement | Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout @ Hot Shotz

I like to think that Hoosier Beer Geek performs a public service. After all, we tell you about beers that we think are worth trying and buying.

But I'm not sure we that performed a public service with this review. As HBG reader Rodney noted, Founders Brewery's Kentucky Breakfast Stout is almost impossible to get a hold of. We drank the last six of them at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill, and I don't know of any other establishments in town that currently carry it. A search on World Class Beverage's handy dandy beer finder yielded no results for Indiana. Therefore, in the end, we reviewed a beer that you won't be able to drink if you live in Indiana. So much for public service. And my apologies to Chris for reviewing, in his absence, a beer that I know he would love.

Like my cohorts, I left with a very favorable impression of Hot Shotz. I didn't try any of the grub, so I can't give you my thoughts on that. But barkeep Hans and owner Brian Graham really know their beer. So if you're looking to leap into the craft beer thing, these two gentlemen would be fantastic guides. Plus, any bar that's willing to turn on a soccer game for me on the television (as Brian did) deserves extra praise. In short, give the place a visit, especially if you're a Northsider. You won't be disappointed.

As for the Kentucky Breakfast Stout, if this is the typical day-opening beverage for Kentuckians, then I'm moving to Louisville (or would that be to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Founders Brewery is located?). I'm on precisely the same page as Jason with this beer. I would add only that, as the beer warmed, I detected some hazelnut notes in the flavor.

Kentucky Breakfast Stout was a thoroughly delicious beer. I give it the Hoosier Beer Geek seal of special approval: 5 mugs.

This ain't the the breakfast of champions

Last evening the Beer Geeks convened at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill, and were fortunate enough to get to sample Founders Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout. Our bartender Hans explained that the Breakfast Stout was a limited production beer, acquired on a road trip to the Founders Brewery - definitely a beer brought to Indy based on dedication to the craft, and right up our alley.

The KBBA Stout is 10% Alcohol by Volume (ABV), and ran $10 a bottle - a high enough price to scare me away from it if I were drinking without the rest of the geeks. But when we're doing a roundtable, we generally don't look at prices until afterwards.

The stout poured like cough syrup, and had the same dark color as motor oil. Despite having no head, it left a slight film on the glass when swirled. The nose gave off a smell of used coffee grounds, with a sweet sort of sting - no real "beer smell" at all, and a tiny hint of bourbon. Once in the mouth, the bourbon sting comes out a little bit more, but the overwhelming characteristic is the dark coffee taste - a taste that stays in your mouth long after you've swallowed your beer.

As the beer warmed up, the 10% ABV became more apparent - slowly at first. Given a minute or two more, the alcohol taste almost explosively jumped out to a level that was almost overwhelming. The coffee taste, which was so prevalent to begin, faded completely, leaving only the taste of bourbon.

Hans (our bartender) had warned us that this stout was unlike others in that it was better a little colder, and I'd agree with him. But then again, I much prefer the taste of coffee to bourbon. Because this was such an interesting and transformative beer, I'd give the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Bourbon Aged Stout a 3.5 mug rating. Was it worth $10? I'm not so sure. Luckily I had split the bottle with Gina.

As for Hot Shotz, I'd definitely recommend the place. They feature an extensive but not overwhelming beer menu, foods created with recipes based in beer, and a dedication to bringing unusual beers to Indy. In addition, they were showing the Tour de France when we arrived, which automatically earns them bonus points in my book. It's a prime location for Northside Beer-loving Colts fans - because as owner Brian Graham explained - you don't have to sacrifice on any detail of the experience at at Hot Shotz. They've got plenty of TVs, a great beer list, and a nice menu.

As much as I enjoy my experiences at Shallos on the southside, after 4 weekend visits I've pretty much explored the entire menu. Although Shallos offers 4 types of chicken sandwich, they're all just chicken sandwiches. Hot Shotz' does a better job by offering a menu has a lot of variety - everything from teriyaki kabobs to elephant ears. It's the type of restaurant any beer loving Hoosier should embrace, especially with ownership so dedicated to the cause.

* * * * *

I often wonder if some of our readers read my reviews and think "what a waste of fantastic beer!". I know that the Breakfast Stout is highly rated by pretty much everyone... and I hate that I didn't find it to be the fantastic treat that most do. All I can say is that I know what I like; this wasn't it.

Roundtable #22 @ Hot Shotz | Thursday, July 12

Just a reminder that the Knights of the Beer Roundtable's 22nd review will take place this Thursday, July 12, at Hot Shotz Ale & Grill. We will convene at 8:00 p.m.

As always, you, the beer-drinking public, are welcome to join us. If you'd like to come, drop us a line at our MySpace page or at jddfire1871@hotmail.com so we know to save you a seat. We're not sure what we're going to review at this point. We'll figure it out when we get there.

Hot Shotz is located at East 96th Street and North Gray Road. Directions are available here.