Drowning in One Ounce Pours of Ultra-rare Beer

It starts like this: a post on the RateBeer Calendar and Beer Advocate
forums:

Hello everyone! I thought I would go ahead and start a thread since I am leaving for my honeymoon and I just submitted this tasting for approval. Lots of great brews in the lineup already, BA Speedway, Black Albert, Cuvee De Castleton and much more. Cheers! Mike

Last night Gina, Chris, Claire and myself were lucky enough to join around 30+ other folks downtown for the latest Beer Advocate/Rate Beer tasting, hosted by Crown Liquors' Mike Sprinkle. This was the first BA/RB meeting for all of us, and to say the experience was a great one would be an understatement.


The beer lineup (50 Beers for those keeping count):

• Boulevard Smokestack Series Saison
  
• Lost Abbey Inferno
  
• Russian River Damnation
  
• Drie Fonteinen Doesjel
  
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Cuvee De Castleton
  
• Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale
  
• New Belgium La Folie Wood Aged Beer^*
  
• Mikkeller It's Alive!
  
• Firestone Pale Ale
  
• Russian River Blind Pig
  
• Russian River Piny the Elder

• Marin Brewing Co White Knuckle Double IPA
  
• Boulevard Smokestack Series Double Wide IPA
  
• Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA
  
• Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree^*
  
• Alesmith Yulesmith Holiday Ale (Summer)
  
• Southern Tier Unearthly
  
• New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red^*
  
• Unibroue Quelque Chose
  
• Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

• New Glarus Raspberry Tart^*
• Founders Blushing Monk
  
• Brother Adam's Bragget Honey Ale
  
• Boulevard Smokestack Series Long Strange Tripel
  
• Microbrasserie Charlevoix Lupulus Dominus Vobiscum (2007)
  
• Springfield Brewing Company Muller Barrel Reserved 10th Anniversary
  
• Boulevard Smokestack Series Sixth Glass
  
• George Gale & Company Gales Prize Old Ale (1999)
  
• George Gale $ Company Gales Prize Old Ale (1997)
  
• Dark Horse 3 Guys Off The Scale Barleywine (2005)^*
  
• Alesmith Wee Heavy
  
• Alesmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy (2006)^*

• Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme
  
• Alesmith Old Numbskull
  
• Alesmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull (2006, #128 of 208)
  
• Alesmith Decadence English Old Ale (2005)
  
• Alesmith Barrel Aged Decadence English Old Ale (2005, #215 of 280)
  
• Brouwerij De Molen Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (#327)
  
• De Struise Black Albert Belgian Royal Stout (RIS)
  
• Three Floyds DarkLord (2007)
  
• Alesmith Speedway Stout
  
• Alesmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout (2006, #193 of 235)

• Southern Tier Creme Broulee Imperial Milk Stout
  
• Coast Brewing Co. Blackbeerd Imperial Stout
  
• Bare Tree Weiss Wine (2005)^*
  
• Weyerbacher Heresy
  
• St. Bernardus Prior 8
  
• Duck Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout^*
  
• Bar Harbor Cadillac Mtn. Stout
  
• Eugene City Brewery 100 Meter Ale

At 30ish people and bomber-sized bottles (for the most part), that meant a roughly one ounce pour each. That worked out pretty well, I thought, though a crowd any larger would probably mean not enough beer to go around. I wouldn't be surprised if veterans of these events already thought the crowd was too large - I'd be interested to hear what those of you who attended and are reading thought. And while we're at it, what were your favorites? Any surprises? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Lastly, I'd like to thank Mike Sprinkle for doing a fantastic job of guiding us through, our event hosts, and everyone else who attended for their great company. What an event!



* * * * *

*Beers marked with an asterisk stood out as my personal favorites

Because the beer never stops flowing at Hoosier Beer Geek

Our next B+ART at BIG CAR Gallery is coming up this Friday, August 15th at 8pm. An international selection of brews will be offered for sampling in honor of the ongoing 29th modern Olympics. You will see beers representing the nations of Canada, England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Greece, and India.

We will discuss the beers and their countries of origin. It will be followed by a viewing of John Cage's film "Variations VII". And as if that weren't enough, Judith G. Levy's art show "How We Remember: Images Found and Made" will be all around the gallery. And it's all free!

"B+ART" is short for Beer and Art, and is an event meant to highlight creative crafts and bring together art people (to introduce them to craft beer) and beer people (to introduce them to art). It is surprising the number of parallels that there are between the audiences. B+ART is presented by Hoosier Beer Geek, World Class Beverages, and BIG CAR artists collaborative.

The BIG CAR Gallery is located in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Fountain Square at the Murphy Art Center, 1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215.

Going for the gold

Haven't you heard? Hoosier Beer Geek is turning two! And to celebrate, there will be a two week international sporting event called the Olympics preceding our 2nd anniversary party at Brugge Brasserie on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 8pm. It is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

In case you don't know, Brugge Brasserie is located in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Broad Ripple at 1011a East Westfield Blvd. Their phone number is 317-255-0978. We'll have Brugge's selection of fine, hand crafted Belgians on tap along with a guest beer or two. More details to come.

During the middle of the international sporting event, we will also have our next B+ART at BIG CAR Gallery. B+ART is short to Beer and Art, and is an event meant to highlight creative crafts and bring together art people (to introduce them to craft beer) and beer people (to introduce them to art). It is surprising the number of parallels that there are between the audiences.

Be sure to stop by on Friday, August 15th at 8pm for a free tasting of an international selection of beers (we'll hopefully have a line up for you soon), a viewing of a John Cage film ("Variations VII"), and viewing of art by Judith G. Levy (the show is called "How We Remember: Images Found and Made"). BIG CAR is located in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Fountain Square at the Murphy Art Center, 1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215.

B+ART Friday night: join the funeral procession

There are a ton of Indiana Beer Week events, so having our first B+ART (Beer and Art) event at Big Car this Friday may be challenging. But we're doing it anyway. A Requiem for American Beer (or at least as we know it) is the title for the free beer tasting and eulogy. Look for Indiana beers at the tasting (no, way, Indiana beers during Indiana Beer Week?!?). It will be followed by the documentary "Henry Darger: In the Realms of the Unreal".

If you can't make it this month, we won't hold it against you, but mark your calendars:

3rd Fridays at Big Car Gallery
B+ART
1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215
In the Murphy Art Center in Fountain Square

Johann Gottlieb Heileman is probably looking down at me in a scornful manner

Appearance.

Smell.

Taste.

Mouthfeel.

Drinkability.

These are things that many beer geeks judge a beer by. It seems straightforward. Based on these criteria, you should be able to judge beers in a consistent manner. But then come the intangibles.

Location.

Company.

Event.

Season.

Time.

Where you are drinking the beer ...and with whom ...and at what time of day ...and what time of year... all of these have an impact on your senses and your attitude. So how you feel about a beer after you mowed the lawn will differ from the same beer at a football tailgate or at a bar with friends.

That has to be the reason why in a blind taste test, I ranked Hamm's much higher than Old Style, a beer that is near and dear to my heart (yes, I'm a Cubs fan), that I described for Indy.com as having a "funky aftertaste". Compared to the other five beers, I said it has "less nose, but funkier".

I'll probably be ranked with Steve Bartman as all time worst Cubs fans for this Old Style faux pas. They'll never let me into Wrigley again.

----

Also, be sure to check out Indy.com's writing on Mat Gerdenich and Brian Snider of Cavalier Distributing.

Phil saw his shadow, no free beer for six weeks

Don't blame us, blame it on the man! We just want to give away good beer!

Okay, you can blame it on us. A misunderstanding of the law put us in a position where we would have been dispensing alcoholic beverages without a proper permit. Could we have gotten away with it? Perhaps. But on the off chance that excise were to bust our party (I haven't said that since college), we are postponing tonight's beer tasting at Big Car.

Stay tuned for more free beer events that we will then cancel. Because we like to tease you like that.

Christmas is coming early

I just talked with World Class Beverages, and here is our lineup for Friday's tasting:

Avery Jubilation
Bell's Winter White
Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale
Sam Smith Winter Welcome
Brooklyn Chocolate

So I think it is safe to say that beer won't be a disappointment. Here are the details for the event:
Big Car Gallery at the Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square
1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215
Indianapolis , IN 46203
Friday, December 7th, 7pm-9pm

So come out into the cold, enjoy some tasty beverages, check out the "Under the Weather" art exhibit, and cheer up man, cuz Christmas came early!

Come out and vote for beer!

The ballot has been set. The candidates for beer this year are:
Barley Island's Brass Knuckles
Bells Kalamazoo Stout
Bell's Double Cream Stout
Duvel
Unibroue Trois Pistoles

So come out and try a Stout or a Belgian. We'll be at Big Car Gallery, which is located in the Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square at 1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215 , Indianapolis , IN 46203.

The beer tasting is officially scheduled from 7pm to 10pm. We may start a little early. We may run a little late. Who knows. Come out and vote anyway!

Free Beer is Good!

Everybody wants free beer, and for the past two months, Hoosier Beer Geek has worked with World Class Beverage and Big Car Gallery to provide it to you, our loyal readers.

We won't be having a free tasting this month. Something about a free beer tasting at a children's art show not being exactly appropriate. But mark your calendar for November 2nd when our free beer giveaway returns. More details to come...

Bier! Bier! Bier! tasting update

Some more info as sent out in a press release:

“Bier! Bier! Bier!” - a free beer tasting presented by Hoosier Beer Geek and World Class Beverages

September 7th, 2007, 6pm-9pm
at Big Car Gallery located in the Murphy Arts Center in Fountain Square
1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 215 , Indianapolis , IN 46203

Members of the beer appreciation blog “Hoosier Beer Geek” will host a free beer tasting of Oktoberfest and Pumpkin ales distributed by World Class Beverages. The tasting is titled “Bier! Bier! Bier!” and will be held at Big Car Gallery in the Fountain Square neighborhood in Indianapolis from 6pm to 9pm. The event will coincide with the opening of “Who Knows, Micah?" featuring the art work of Anna Rae Landsman and Robyn Engel. The art opening is also a free event.

Oktoberfest beers are traditionally tapped in September at Oktoberfest, a 16 day festival held in Munich , Germany that concludes on the first Sunday of October. The event is also duplicated world wide from late August through late October. Oktoberfest beers are usually brewed in the Märzen style, making a dark copper-colored full bodied beer with a mild hop profile. Beers likely to be sampled on September 7th include some from Germany (Spaten, Paulaner, and Ayinger), as well as several from American craft breweries (Brooklyn, Harpoon, Flying Dog, and Bell 's).

Along with the Oktoberfest beers, some pumpkin ales will also be sampled. Pumpkin ales are usually produced in the fall, coinciding with the harvest, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. This beer type varies greatly from one brewery to another but typically is mild in bitterness and sometimes contains spices often found in pumpkin pie. American craft breweries Buffalo Bill's, New Holland, and Dogfish will likely be sampled.

For information, visit http://www.hoosierbeergeek.com or email hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com

Football, women, and beer

While the Indianapolis Colts season kicks off in another two weeks, the Indiana Speed season has already begun and they are 1-0! The Speed are members of the Women's Professional Football League and they play their home games at Broad Ripple High School.

BadaBOOMz at 15 E. Maryland in Downtown Indy is hosting a beer tasting with a food buffet to benefit the Indiana Speed. It will be held on Thursday, August 30th at 7pm and tickets are $25. You can purchase tickets in advance and find more info on the event here. I hope everybody can make it. I'm sure Mike at BadaBOOMz has a great event planned.

And be sure to see the Indiana Speed in action. Their next home game is September 15th against the Wisconsin Wolves. Good luck Speed!

Hoosier Beer Geek at Big Car - Details

Hoosier Beer Geek, in association with World Class Beverages, will be hosting a free beer tasting at the August 3rd First Friday event at Big Car in Fountain Square.

The First Friday event, featuring artworks from Visionaries & Voices, the Cincinnati, Ohio studio for artists with disabilities, runs from 6pm to Midnight. The beer tasting, featuring beers from Barley Island, Bell's Brewery, Lindemans, BBC, and Ommegang, will run from 7pm to 9pm.

We at Hoosier Beer Geek are extremely excited for the opportunity to work with Big Car and World Class Beverages, and hope to see you there.

Hoosier Beer Geek at Big Car

Things are moving fast and details are still a bit sketchy, but we can safely announce that Hoosier Beer Geek and World Class Beverages will be making an appearance at the August 3rd edition of First Friday for Outsiders Unite! at Big Car in Fountain Square.

What brought this on? Our interview with Jim Walker of INtake/Big Car:

I'm working on making a really big and fun event out of our First Friday art opening on aug. 3 at Big Car in Fountain Square and thought it would be cool to make it a beer opening where people can learn about better beers and your group. I've just been so into beer since working on the story and hanging out with you guys that I want to spread the word to others.

Jim's beer-related excitement is exactly the sort of attitude we're trying to foster at Hoosier Beer Geek - and we couldn't be more thrilled about the event at Big Car.

More details about the event will be forthcoming next week. We hope to see you there.

Ales @ the Chatterbox | 7/25, 6:00 p.m.

One of my favorite Mass Ave bars, the Chatterbox, is having a wheat beer and IPA tasting on Wednesday, July 25 at 6:00 p.m. The event will cost you $17.00, but that gets you five different craft brews and some fresh grub off the grill. RSVP for the event at the Chatterbox's website.

Clipper City Brewing Co. Tasting at The Hop Shop

If you're not making it out to the Brew-Ha-Ha, and perhaps even if you are, you've got an opportunity to get some Northside daytime drinking in on Saturday. From 11am - 1pm, representatives from the Clipper City Brewing Co. will be at The Hop Shop to sample some of their fine brews and answer any questions you may have.

The Knights of the Beer Roundtable reviewed Clipper City's Red Sky at Night for our session with INTake, and we all liked it, so this tasting comes recommended. Tell Courtney that Hoosier Beer Geek sent you for absolutely no discount whatsoever.

Auf Wiedersehen!

From our new friend, Michael Deweese, who we're hanging out with Thursday night:

DON'T MISS THE LAST BEER TASTING

IN BUFFALO WILD WINGS
DOWNTOWN HISTORY
WE KNOW THE NEXT FRANCHISEE WON'T BOTHER

SAT. MAY 19 8PM

INCLUDES DINNER AND AT LEAST
12 SAMPLES INCLUDING
4 VINTAGE BEERS

$25

RESERVE BY EMAIL OR CALLING 916-9464

In case you didn't know, Michael is closing down is BW-3s location and re-opening this summer as BadaBoomz Ale House & Grill in his current location downtown at 15 W. Maryland St., as well as opening a store at 4930 Lafayette Rd.

This will be our first and last review in BW-3s, but we're eagerly looking forward to future reviews at BadaBoomz.