Andrew Castner (head brewer) and friends just opened up Indianapolis' newest brewery Mashcraft on the south side in Greenwood IN. A few of us stopped by for the opening this past Friday to check out the space and beer, one of which came home with me for a detailed look.
The space is nice and roomy with picnic tables spread out amongst the occasional bar top and old stadium seat. I'd say this is already one of the nicer breweries to hang out in around town. Parking is also easy as Mashcraft is in a shopping center off State Road 135. Despite the lack of natural light and acoustic dampening, future brewery owners should stop by and take some notes on the ample hang out space and layout.
Space bla bla bla, acoustic dampening, bla bla bla, beer, yay! That's what we're really here for. Initial offerings from Mashcraft are:
- • Mashcraft Gold
- • Mashcraft IPA
- • Scotts Ale
- • Hopjam Double IPA
Since I was using my ABV credits carefully, I went with my go to beers, the IPA and Double IPA. Both were fantastic, and the general consensus around our table of 6-7 was that these 2 are the best of the bunch. Battles raged over which was the best of the 2, but I sided with the IPA faction and took some home with me.
IPA Review
At home from the bullet/howler/prowler/32oz fill into a Mashcraft tulip-snifter the 6.4% ABV IPA pours a golden orange with a 1 finger white head. The beer gives off floral notes, but the big note is candied grapefruit. The taste is oranges, grapefruit, light caramel, and bitter citrus rind. The body is light to medium, with soft carbonation to buoy the beer. Some of the best features of the beer is it's slightly juicy mouthfeel and pleasantly dry finish. Off the bat this might be one of my favorite IPAs around town. It has a good citrus focus, the balance and bitterness you want from an IPA, and it won't destroy your palate. If this is any indication, I would love if Mashcraft offered multiple IPAs- Andrew please brew some more IPAs! 4.5/5
The Big Guy: I'm always excited to go check out a new brewery around town. Its great to see the craft beer community really growing up here in the Indy metro area, and guys like Andrew are a big part of our growth. He has such a great pedigree, I expected nothing but excellence when trying out his beers. Mashcraft IPA did not disappoint. I picked up a snifter of it at the brewery. It poured out a beautiful orange color with a nice thick white head. BOOM! Right from the aroma this beer packs a big punch. There are big floral and citrus aromatics that remind me of vacation. The taste follows the aroma nicely with a delicious citrus fruit sweetness with a nice bitter finish. I was also a huge fan of the Hopjam DIPA. It had a lot of the same awesome qualities as the IPA has with a big boozy finish. I give them both a 4/5
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