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

Winterfest 2010 Update #1

You may have seen over at Indiana Beer that 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. 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.

One thing that will make this year's Winterfest better than the inaugural Winterfest is the addition of an outdoor beer garden. Sounds crazy, right? Outside in January in Indiana. Well, there will be fire pits to keep you warm. Still crazy? How about big beers served from outdoor beer stands to keep you warm.

Yeah, now it is beginning to make sense!

Breweries are beginning to send in their Winterfest beer lists (subject to change), and as they are received, we'll share them with you. This is the first update to the beer list...

Upland Brewing
Bloomington, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Wheat
Dragonfly IPA
Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA
Rad Red Amber Ale

In the outdoor beer garden:
Badder Elmer's Porter (firkin)
Winter Warmer Barleywine (pin)

Great Crescent Brewing
Aurora, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
IPA
Stout
Coconut Porter

Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Good Karma IPA
Old Crippled Bastard Barley Wine
Snow Plowed Winter Ale
(Name TBD) Double Stout

Brugge Brasserie
Indianapolis, Indiana
On draft at their booth:
Tripel de Ripple
White
Thunder Monkey

In the outdoor beer garden:
Hibernal Black (pin)

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

Going mad in Fort Wayne: a roadtrip report

When giving the opportunity, I enjoy trying new places when traveling. And with my in-laws living just 30 minutes away from Fort Wayne, I thought it was time for a trip to Mad Anthony Brewing Company's Munchie Emporium. The trip occurred on Good Friday and I was joined on the journey by my sister-in-law Andi and her husband Dale.

First, a little background. The brewery is named after the city's namesake. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne is a Revolutionary War hero who fought many battles in the Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. He was referred to as "Mad Anthony" because he could lead an army into battle on little or no sleep. Sounds like he could have been an architecture major, but I digress.

The brewery has been around since 1995. The Munchie Emporium, apparently, has been around longer.

The Munchie is a large restaurant with separate bar and family rooms. The decor is eclectic, including a dead deer head above the bar.

Upon entering the bar, you will notice the beer list on the wall (unless the picture is too dark, then aren't noticing anything). Tonight they had 10 brews on tap: Auburn Lager, Blonde, Oatmeal Stout, Brown Ale, Spring Fling, Winter Ale, Irish Stout, Ol' Woody Pale Ale, Raspberry, and Blackberry Porter. The lager, blonde, ol' woody pale ale, and others can be found in six packs in liquor stores, including the Hop Shop.

They have a full bar at the Munchie, so if beers aren't your thing, you can get something else. Though I don't know why...

My favorite place to sit in a bar is at the bar. It is where the action is and it is the best place to converse with those who know beer best: the bartender. The bartender on this night was Kelly, a very fun and personable keeper. The beers run between 3.50 and 4 bucks. And there is a sampler set that you can order. Kelly was very kind in letting us try a couple of beer samples each on the house.

My sister-in-law Andi is a light beer drinker. Not in terms of consumption, but type. Domestic beers are her thing, with Budweiser being one of her favorites. She stuck with Blonde all night, a good starting point for those who aren't big into craft beers yet.

Her husband Dale sampled, and liked, the Raspberry wheat ale. About half way through the pint, he had about enough of that. He grew tired of the strong fruit flavor. He liked it, but it was too much of a good thing in this case. Thankfully, it did not go to waste. His lovely wife finished it for him.

After sampling a couple of beers, I elected to start with the Ol' Woody Pale Ale, an APA. It is light amber in color and pours with a small white head. The lace clings some to the glass. The aroma was close to non-existent, with very small hints of citrus and hops. When drinking it, I noticed some citrus and clove notes to the flavor. There is a hit of hops, though much milder than most IPA's. It leaves a dry feeling in the mouth with some aftertaste and a little burn in the throat. It's a fine beer that is a great starting point for those who want to start drinking IPA's. I would give Ol' Woody three and a half mugs.

For my next beer, I went with the curiously named Spring Fling, a German-style Amber Lager with a 6.0% ABV. Looks are deceiving with this beer. It has a dark amber color to it with lots of lace and a slight head. I wasn't able to pick up any aroma at all. It was smooth and syrupy in consistency. And it tasted like...well, sometimes beer just tastes like beer. I have a feeling that this was suppose to be Ft. Wayne's version of Bell's Oberon. It's a simple brew that would work well in warmer weather, but it lacks the yeasty complexities that Oberon possesses. Both Andi and Dale sampled this beer and enjoyed it. It's a good beer, but again, a starter beer in my opinion. I give it three mugs, making this an average (but not bad) beer.

At this point, it is about 5 til midnight. We had been there about an hour at that point. Then Kelly yells "Last Call". Last call? At midnight? On a Friday? You're kidding?

She wasn't. They close at midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11pm Monday through Thursday, and 10pm on Sundays. Early closing for a bar, so if you go, take notice: go early!

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to try one more beer. I decided to try one of the stouts, but which one. I sampled both and both the were good. I decided to go with the Irish Stout. And I'm glad I did.

As expected, it's a dark beer. A blackhole actually. Light does not penetrate. It's brown to black in color and pours with a nice, dark tan head that leaves lots and lots of lace on the glass. It has a pleasant aroma of roasted malts that carries over into the flavor. I think the easiest way to describe this beer is it's like Guinness, but better. More complexities, more malts, a better flavor. A very full and well balanced beer. Four mugs, all the way. I highly recommend to anyone who prefers maltier beers.

I also want to note that, since it was after midnight, my Lenten obligations were over. I elected to order Scotch Eggs from their late night munchies menu. And the Scotch Eggs match well with the Irish Stout.

As seen by the mugs hanging on the wall, there are many that enjoy the multiple beer offerings of Mad Anthony. I was impressed with the number of beers available (five mugs in that category) as well as with the quality of beers. I'd like to go again when the IPA is on tap. It was an enjoyable bar with enjoyable people. I just wish it could have lasted longer.