Top 10 Posts of 2013

We had a fantastic time this year checking out new beer, new places to drink beer, new beer-related events, and new things to make the beer-drinking experience better. We do these things for you, and it seems like you're having at least a little bit of fun with us.

These were the most visited posts of 2013.

1. The Big Guy's Beer Gear introducing the new IPA glass created by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.

2. The Big Guy's Beer Gear about the Teku glass, the universal beer tasting glass

3. El Duque's Scene where we visited Savages Ale House in Muncie Indiana

4. O-Dawg's POURsuasion talking about craft beer vs crafty beer in our market

5. O-Dawg's POURsuasion where he enlightens us about the difference between beer and a shandy.

6. El Duque's tried to help us all use beer to shed a few extra ponds with Gator-Ale.

7. Professor Beer's review on the glory that is Union Brewing Company's Cannonball Doyle.

8. The Big Guy talks about the importance of drinking your IPA's right now while it's fresh

9. O-Dawg brings you in to a new and totally under loved festival with Oktobeerfest by Mad Anthony.

10. The Big Guy gives us the run down on all of the pumpkin beers with a Barron's blind taste test.

As our first full year as a blog comes to a close we wanted to make sure to thank you all for reading. Without you and the craft beer community there really is no reason for us to be writing. Through your love and attention we've grown pretty quickly this year and hope to bring you even more awesome content next year.

Cheers!

A Wish List to Beer Santa (The Ghost of Indy's beer future)

Dear Santa,

We here at the Beer Barons have been very good this year. We haven't been thrown out of many bars. We have always finished our beers. We've kept spills to a minimum, and we have always invited our friends to share in the splendor that is the Indiana craft beer scene. We're extremely appreciative of that scene, but like all kids (or kids at heart) we want more stuff! So we've put together a short list for Santa of the things that we'd all like to see happen in the Indy beer scene... we don't expect this to all happen by next Christmas, but maybe some will if we're extra good this coming year!

The BrewniBomber:
1. Realistically I would love to see Ballast Point (San Diego, CA) distribute here. Not so realistically- Alpine Brewing Co (just outside San Diego)

2.  For the west side of town (Avon, Plainfield, etc.) to get an actual real-life craft beer bar or high-quality production brewery. Cutter's is here and there's some hope with Cartel Brewing coming early 2014, but a beer bar? Nothing close. I live out here and it sucks having to drive 30 minutes plus to get a decent craft beer on tap. There's a lot of people out here and a lot of new retail popping-up… one could wish for one of those spots to be a decent bar and not another pizza joint (there's a lot of them out here for some reason).

3. For a "destination" brewery to establish itself in Indy in 2014. Don't get me wrong, there's some amazing breweries here in town, but I would like to see someone become a destination that beer geeks flock to. Think Stone, Russian River, Three Floyd's, Founder's, Cigar City, Hill Farmstead, etc. These types of breweries exist in towns large and small, so why not Indy?  I think there are some existing breweries that are on the verge and who knows what one of the 30-plus slated breweries will bring to the table.

The Big Guy:
1. I want world peace and good will towards men.. who am I kidding? Realistically, I would like to see either Jester King or Prairie start selling more of their limited one off beers here (I know I'm cheating a little bit but I'd love to see these guys bring all the amazing beers we have to trade for here with their regular line up). I'd also be giddy with some childlike excitement if Cigar City started distributing to Indy in any capacity. I LOVE Jai Alai.

2. I'd love to see some of the current breweries, like Bier and UBC start bottling, and guys like Flat 12, Fountain Square and Triton do more outside the box seasonal brews in four packs or bombers. There is some great beer being made in the breweries and brew pubs, I just wish it could get into a bottle so I could enjoy it at home.

3. I want Indy to get more notoriety! I want Santa to bring our great state the recognition it deserves as a great place to get craft beer.

El Duque:
1.  My X-mas dreams came true this year when Oskar Blues and Green Flash, my two favorite national breweries starting distributing here, so what else could I hope for?  As much as I would love to see beer flow in from the West even more with breweries like Russian River, Cascade, or Ballast Point, and my new favorite, Cigar City, what I want is more Midwestern beers distributing to the Midwest like Revolution or New Glarus.  Yeah, New Glarus.  Strawberry Rhubarb Lambic: WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.

2.  I want 2014 to be the year of the six pack for Indy breweries.  I realize that Indiana's liquor laws make growlers such a success, but I want to share and brag and not be forced to drink all that beer, or as I normally do, cook with it.  If Fountain Square Brewing could do a limited bottling of their 1221 stout, I would rip of my shirt and set my beard on fire; a conflagration of joy.

3.  I want a real brew pub.  Upland is trying.  Broad Ripple Brew Pub will always remain mediocre.  Brugge is a restaurant with an inconsistent list of beers.  My dream would be to see a Gastro-pub approach for a brewery's brew pub.  We're looking at you Sun King and Fountain Square.  Both have solid line ups.  Both are bottling.  Both have claustrophobic tasting rooms.  Sun King stands alone in its brand recognition, but the problem with Indy is that it doesn't really have a food or beer culture that is broad enough for a Gastro Brewpub to really take off, but I can dream about pairing pork belly and hops.

O-Dawg:
1.  I want Toppling Goliath and Surly to distribute in Indiana.  Ever since I heard that a month old pseudoSue blew a three day old Zombie Dust out of the water I have been interested in trying anything from this small self proclaimed stealth brewery.  Let's be Frank, and not Pete, on the second choice...  having regular access to Coffee Bender and Abrasive would make me a happy kid any day of the year!

2.  I know Joe and Josh will hate me for saying this (I empathize) but I would love to have Pinko and/or Big Black Dog 68  more often.  Make a big batch when you brew and store kegs away for release gradually through the year, bottle it, ANYTHING!  I would just love to enjoy it more often than I do currently.

3.  Third and final wish for the year... Competition.  I am tired of hearing about this brewery or that brewery "coming soon" to the Indy Craft Beer Scene.  Grow some balls and open for business already.  Competition breeds creativity.  When brewers and Breweries are creative it makes being a craft beer junkie a fun ride to be on in Indy!

The Little Lady:
1. I've been lucky enough to sample some really great beers over the past year at different events and with the trades the Big Guy has been getting. We've also had a chance to visit some of those breweries in person. The top two on my list- Revolution and TallGrass.

2. In 2014, I want to get more involved in the Big Guy's home-brewing. You'll notice that isn't on his list anywhere ;-). Now that my BJCP exam is complete, I really want to get a better idea for the process and the science involved. I'd like to experiment more with flavor combinations and what goes in to making the beer I like to drink. I totally admit that opening our own brewery is kind of a pipe dream- but this is a good first step.

3. I want to keep discovering new breweries next year. Maybe that will be some of the new breweries opening up in Indiana next year. Maybe that will be taking some more quick weekend trips to see new things. We're already going to Kentucky later this winter and you know that we'll be sampling some local favorites- beer and bourbon. Other trips we've talked about are Michigan and Chicago, and I'm sure we'll make it out to Ohio at least once. Maybe Pennsylvania? Yeah, those last two are really just excuses to go visit family. There's a lot of great beer out there, and I want to see more of it come to me, but until that happens I'll go where the beer is.

Combating the Ghost of Christmas Present: What to Buy for Christmas

It's close to the holidays...  You have a friend or significant other that you want to surprise with a little something to help show them you support their binge drink... I mean hobby.  To help make that happen, here's my list of the top 5 items an Indy Craft Beer individual would love to have:

Header from: http://secretbarrelsociety.wordpress.com/

1.  A membership to the Not so "Secret Barrel Society" from Upland Brewing ($250)

Yeah... I said it.  After the #ICBM riot/backlash on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, (you name it, it was flamed) there was a letter from Caleb Staton in a heartfelt "it's a little broken, we're fixing it". Just like you dear reader I stopped listening after that.  However, Caleb made good and they are constantly evolving the SBS.  What was once one ticket per event has turned into a Ticket, plus one!  No longer do you have to make your wife/girlfriend/best friend sit on the sidelines while you have all the fun!  Constant perks not even mentioned in the membership page: want two free professionally cellared Winter Warmers for showing up at an SBS only release event?  Done.  Want to try the new sours that are in process that no one has heard about?  Done.  Wasn't there a collab with New Belgium Brewing... Does it even taste good?  DONE and yes they do taste awesome...  It's a little pricey, but worth it.

Header from: http://www.greatfermentations.com/

2.   A Home Brewing Kit from our local and lovable guys'n gals at Great Firmentations ($75-553)

The Big Guy and friends have been trying to get me to home brew...  I am sure that more than one thing or the other has stopped you from buying your starter set.  It's tough buying things for yourself, but very easy to do it for others!  Want six hours to yourself once every two weeks?  Buy your man a starter set!  Be warned, if you don't spring for the (not included) Outdoor Gas Cooker your house will smell like boiled grains... 

#DatGlass

3.  Proper IPA glassware from Dogfish Head, Serra Nevada, and/or Spiegelau/Riedel ($9)

I don't think I can reiterate it more to all you aspiring Hop Heads out there.  Glassware makes a difference.  I can pontificate its merits and filibuster this post, but The Big Guys post from earlier this year says it best.  Sorry Brewnibomber, The Big Guy got to it fist!

4.  A Seasonal/Specialty release bomber/six pack/growler from a local brewery in a style your beer lover prefers. ($10-30)

One that springs to mind is Sanitarium from The Bier Brewery.  They just released it and might have a bottle or two left!  Barring that, Flat 12 is having their 12 beers of Christmas and they just released Lactomatic Milk Stout!  I would mention Sun King, but WeeMuckle and their Kings Reserve Series have already come and gone for the month.

From: http://thezythosproject.com/

5.  An indestructible Growler! ($50-75)

Never a toss up for me, but options for you.  The BRÄULER (Tin Man Brewing Online Store) and The Hydroflask (The Bier Brewery purchased at the brewery).  Another option: Portland Growler Company  Just know that because of Indiana State Law, you will have a growler sticker slapped onto your growler whether you like it or not.  Breweries have to keep it on the up and up!  I will take this minor inconvenience over a smashed growler any day of the week.  

As you're planning your gift giving for the beer lover in your life, I hope this list helps give you a good starting point. What have you found that should make it on the list for next year?

Pagan Pale Ale

Looks like Tin Man Brewing has a new competitor in the race for southern Indiana taste buds. Carson's Brewing (est. 2012) is a new outfit out of Evansville and the Barons and I got to taste a sneak peek of brews that might start being distributed up here in Indianapolis. So you may ask, "what's all the hype?"  The Barons reviewed Pagan, or as I like to call it Snow Meizer... or Panthro... or one of the Gargoyles from Saturday morning cartoons... what a great mascot! Tonight they're going to be at 20 Tap for a tap takeover. You should go check them out!

"Pagan perfects the pale ale. Yellow gold color, thick white head, crisp lemony and grapefruit citrus hop aroma, bready malts encircled by fresh American hop flavors, coming to a point of enchantment in the finish. Pagan will make a believer out of you" - Carson's Brewing

O-Dawg:  For those of you playing the home game, this brew was first introduced to the Indy scene at the 2013 Microbrewers Festival.  Acidic bitter nose with a medium body.  All I walked away from it with was malty lemon bitter.  It finished dry hop bitter with an ever so slight roasty note.  First sip caused the bad beer face...  Ended with a slight pucker that induced the bad beer face again.  This coming from the HopHead of the group who has a penchant for sours...  I give it what I gave it off tap at the fest.  A mellow and unenthusiastic... Meh  2.5

The Big Guy: I really think these guys are putting out a solid product. Despite the fact that our resident hop head didn't really like the hop combination on this one, I think it really packs a nice punch. When I'm looking for a really good pale ale, I look for a beer that has almost no malt character. It really needs to be nothing but the base malt, so the hops flavor should really shine through. This one was close, it had a little bit of biscuit, munich or other European malt. This  gave off a bread crusty flavor that I think is what O-Dawg picked up as roasty notes. The bitterness on this one was huge, but I thought it was huge in a good way. It really came off like a lighter, easier drinking, pale ale version of a Runiation. The hops were big with a ton of lemon and orange peel citrus flavor. It rolled into a super bitter finish that lingered long enough to make me really want to have another drink. If you don't like a big bitter hoppy beer, you may not like this one. The citrus is intense and full flavored. Carson's needs to work on their bottling a little bit, there was a lack of consistency and not enough head retention but I give it a solid 3.5. Can't wait to have a few more of these.

The BrewniBomber: Pours a honey-orange color with not much head or lacing. Lemon is the dominating note throughout the beer (bordering on cleaning product lemon), while grapefruit puts up a fight. There's also some toasted bread hanging out, but not enough to tone down the lemon. My biggest problem is the mouthfeel; too heavy for an APA, little carbonation, and an unpleasantly dry finish. Ultimately I was confused by this as it's labeled an APA, but is probably closer to an IPA with all that hop bite. Flavor-wise it's okay, but style-wise it's a bit off. I love hoppy beers (O-Dawg I'll fight you for that HopHead title), but they need to tone down the lemon and bring some balance to this. 3/5

The Little Lady: I'm closer to the Big Guy's opinion on this one. I geeked out and referred to my BJCP guidelines print out as I was reviewing this beer. I'm not a fan of overly aggressive hops by any stretch, but I really enjoyed the citrus aromoa and bitterness that came from the hops in this brew. The golden-amber color was spot on for what I expect in this style, but I would've like the head to linger a bit more. The flavor echoed the aroma with a lot of citrusy hops, definitely high, but not out of character for the style. I also got a nice bready malt flavor, but nothing roasty or unexpected. All in, I thought it was an easy drinking beer and one that I would definitely have again. Maybe it wasn't super amazing or brand new, but it was good! I gave it a solid 3.5 out of 5.

Giving Thanks

It's Thanksgiving today... What do families do before gorging themselves on turkey with all the trimmings?  They give thanks.We here at the Beer Barons wanted to make sure we took time out of our busy posting schedule to share what we're thankful for in our world, beyond just the craft beer we usually discuss.

O-Dawg: I am giving thanks for having the best wife, friends & family.  2013 has been a somewhat awkward and challenging year for me.  Through all of the tribulation my lovely wife has been my rock, my friends have kept me sane and my family has had my back on future job prospects. I love you all and hope nothing but the best for everyone this Thanksgiving Day!  Stay safe  and keep warm!

The Big Guy: Its been said that Indy doesn't have much of a craftbeer scene, but I'm thankful for the awesome craft beer scene we have. Here in Indy we are blessed with awesome brewers, great bar tenders and enthusiastic fans. The group is small enough that you can get to know just about everyone, but big enough that we have some exciting things happening. This is an awesome place and time to be when it comes to craft beer! Ohh yeah, and thanks for YEAST! Without it beer would kinda suck.

The Little Lady: There's a lot to be thankful for, so I'll try to keep my list focused. Friends and family are always at the top of that list, especially everyone who's been involved in the blog this year. We couldn't do it without everyone willing to go to events with us, put up with us taking pictures of beer and making tasting notes to use later, and share their opinions as we come up with ideas. We could drink alone, but it's much better to have people sharing in the adventure with us!

The BrewniBomber: First I'll say ditto to what The Big Guy said, because we really are in a "sweet spot"- lots of cool things going on, improvements being made, etc., but it's not overwhelming nor are the people in the scene greedy. I'm very thankful for the creative and kind people I've met working in the industry and for the awesome friends I've met that are always willing to share good times and the awesome beers they have; it's really nice not having to go to events alone!

The Scene: Flat as Hell

I have a confession to make.  I like pepper beers.  It all started with Hatch Blower Pepper IPA from Triton last October.  The Professor snagged a growler of it for my wedding rehearsal party.   My groomsmen appreciated the beer, I liked it so much I killed the growler...  It was a great "marriage" of green chili flavor up front while still having enough spicy kick at the end to keep my adventurous side amused.

Cut to this October 31st, 2013.  Flat 12 continued their reign as most inventive, fun, and very unique beer brewery with their Halloween event at the brewery: Flat as Hell.  This sinfully delightful event took Hello My Name is Amber (an amber beer) and flavored it nine different ways.  The run down:

9 Circles of Hell(O) My Name is Amber
Limbo:      Green Pepper                       0 Scoville
Lust:         Pablano                 1000-1500 Scoville
Gluttony:   Jalapeno              2500-10000 Scoville
Greed:      Serrano           15000 – 25000 Scoville
Anger:      Manzano                 50K/250K Scoville
Heresy:     Habanero                100/350K Scoville
Violence:   Scotch Bonnet        100/350K Scoville
Fraud:       Ghost                   350K/1MM Scoville
Treachery: Scorpion                       2MM Scoville

For a mere $12 dollars my fearless compatriots and I (just like Dante) were guided through the 9 Circles of Hell(O) My Name is Amber by Rob, Josh and Joe.  There were no poems from Virgil.  Nor were their any suffering souls... well there were some of those.

My descent into Hell(o) My Name is Amber started while watching one of my favorite Halloween movies "Hellraiser" being tossed up on the wall via projection.  Limbo was a nice way to introduce you (the drinker) into the pepper beer category.  Green pepper nose, nice amber body, and no spice to the finish.  Each level after started to ratchet up the spice in the body and finish.  Stand outs for myself were Anger and Treachery.

Anger was the first notable shift from flavor to heat.  I thought Flat 12 did a great job balancing the spicy heat with the amber qualities of the base beer.  Really well done!  The sad part was that this balance did not show up again until Treachery.  I am sure it had something to do with the Scoville's and the brewers trying to make it drinkable and not just face melting hot.  The high note from Treachery was the amount of heat that stuck around in the finish and continued to build as you sipped at the taster cup.  A great idea for a winter warmer?  I think so!

In Sum: Yes. I paid to be a guinea pig for Flat 12's pepper beer experiment. "But I got this nifty pint glass and a full pint pour of whatever I wanted!" said in a little kids high pitched voice.  I will make it a point to hit Flat 12 next Halloween for the festivities and beer.  Wonder what the Mad Fermentologists are going to cook up for next Halloween?!

Big thanks to all who follow the blog who showed up and hung out!  Other of note beers on tap for Halloween: Bloody Jack, Bloody Blonde, & Bleeding Heart.

Sources:
http://flat12.me/events/flat-as-hell-halloween-at-flat-12/
http://flat12.me/uncategorized/6502/

Beer Gear: Chillsner

Two events happened to me earlier this week: I celebrated my first anniversary with my lovely wife, and one of my good friends brought some awesome beer back with him from a vacation in California. You're probably wondering what those two things have in common. Allow me to explain.

I give you the Chillsner by Corkcicle.  Cue the boys in Marketing!

"Presenting the one and only in-bottle, drink-through beer chiller: Chillsner by Corkcicle. Just freeze, insert into any bottled beer and never suffer through another warm brew. Respect the beer. Chillsner is perfect for parties, tailgating and pretty much any occasion where beloved beers are enjoyed." - Corkcicle.com

After cleaning and freezing the Chillsner, and removing my chilled beer from the fridge I was ready to begin a particularly fun beer experiment!  

Note: I chose to bend the rules.  I swapped out the typical 12 oz. bottle you are supposed to use with the Chillsner and subbed in my usual craft bomber.  Since it is a nice hoppy Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point Brewing I chose to pour it into proper IPA glassware.  

Craft Beer Drinking Warning: Take a few sips to allow volumetric room for the beer to displace around the chilling device and still stay contained in the bottle.  If you do not heed this Craft Beer Drinking Warning you will displace beer all over your bottle, hand, table, carpet, floor, etc.  You've been warned!

 "Cool to the last sip"

Results:
After letting the bomber sit out for two hours before the first pour and waiting an additional hour before the second pour...  I can already hear you screaming at me through the computer/mobile phone screen...  #BeerScience  I can say that this little experiment with my new Chillsner went swimmingly!

My Sculpin IPA was kept chilled to the perfect temperature throughout my drinking experience!

An added bonus for those IPA drinkers out there is the mouthpiece of the chilling device.  Due to its construction it adds additional agitation to the beer when pouring into your glassware (or your face). Great little bonus to enhance your tasty IPA's aroma/flavor!

I am looking forward to using my Chillsner at the next Colts game I am watching/tailgating for! Only this time I'll use as directed... and maybe read the directions...  Oh, who am I kidding!


**A big heartfelt Thank You again to my lovely wife for getting me this great Beer Gear!  Happy 1 Year Anniversary #MSN!  Here's to many more! <3 U

Date Night: Triton's 2yr Anniversary & Hop Your Face Fest

Date night.  I know what you're asking yourself: how did I convince my wife to go to not one, but TWO beer festivals back to back this past Saturday, October 8th, 2013.  I think she was in a good mood due to just starting her vacation, or it may have been the promise of New Day Meadery drinking treats that finally did it.  I like to think she loves me that much!  First stop, Triton's 2nd Year Anniversary!

Yes, Joe was there too.  He is everywhere when there is beer involved.  Thanks again Dain & Mikey! 

Triton Brewery turned 2 years old this past Saturday.  What better way to do it than to have The Weirdy Cats over to play some live music, and have events for all ages throughout the day!  Slap Shot challenge with BIG E FOOT w/ the Indianapolis Ice, face panting, and live Irish Step Dancing.  Triton even had the brewery open to hang out in and take impromptu tours.  No cover charge, just great limited release beers on tap every hour.

Speaking of limited release beers.  They had a little bit of everything for anyone's taste.
Highlights being:

Sour Bin Oak Aged Sin Bin:  I loved it, my wife who isn't even a beer drinker loved it.  Need I say more?! 

Gingerbread Brown:  A great brown that has been demanded by the #TritonArmy to be bottled ever since it reared it's experimental head last year.  Guess what? Now it has!  Go grab a 4-pack!

Batch #1:  Best beer they had on tap hands down.  It has only graced the Indianapolis market two times before: once at the Microbrewers Festival earlier this year (Brewer Jon wants his keg back if you know where it went...) and the other being last years anniversary party.  It has been aging in barrels for 25 months.  I got to talk with Brewer Jon for a hot minute about it and he said it just keeps getting better and better the more it sits...  in Evil dark corners at the brewery and all!

Dain's Special:  I am not one to blend beers on my own.  This concoction was birthed late in the evening when I asked what Dain (one of the assistant brewers) had for me.  Mad Scientist thoughts ensued.  Oh you know... Let me take both the Sour Sin Bin and Batch #1 50/50.  It was just great!   

 Next Stop, Hop Your Face Fest at Fountain Square Brewing!

Hop Your Face Fest came about to celebrate the release of the same self titled DIPA by Fountain Square Brewing (FSB).  Just like Triton, this is the second year that FSB has done this fest.  The fun twist of the fest is to try a glass of some of their experimental hops and tell them what you thought.  Nothing like paying to be a guinea pig!  $7 cover charge for the great line up of bands and access to local craft vendors.  Did I mention that New Day Meadery was on site as well?!  Whoever thought of that needs a raise...  Seriously... My wife loves them!

FSB had the foresight to put up some (not a lot) of tents to help stave off the rain that was scheduled throughout the day.  Honestly the rain was a fun bit of chaos that spiced up the event for me!  Nothing like sitting through a rain storm drinking great and experimental IPA's listening to some awesome music!  Brought me back to my college days.

The Hybrid Hop Experiment was just great for a hop head like me!  The serial numbers at the top of the list are the crazy classified hops they used.  The bottom two are know hop brands in the industry.  My favorites were the Apollo and 06300.  

As I stated earlier, having New Day Meadery at the event was great!  My lovely wife got snookered on that while I got all the Hop Your Face and experimental IPA's I could want!  I wish every weekend had this many beer fests.

Best. Date Night. Period

#CANvitational #Volunteering

The historic start of Sun King's first annual CANvitational began this past Saturday, September 28th, 2013.  The inaugural run was a resounding success!  Thirty canning breweries up close and personal with 70 types of beers not available to the Indy market.  I heard several friends, and friends of friends, made the trek to Indy from surrounding states to check out the spread.  Let's start at the beginning. Like most events it all starts with setup and volunteers.

A lot of setup was done the day before.  Mostly tables, chairs, tents, and DJ stage.  Big thanks to all the volunteers who showed up to work like champs!  The real fun began at 8:30am the day of the event.  I would have some photos, but barriers, ice, coolers, canned beer goodness etc. don't move themselves!

Pro Tip: make sure to have your commercial drivers license when operating MACK trucks.

It was great to see Barnaby and crew out from 3Floyds rep'in their canned collaboration with Sun King.  Royal Brat is an ESB.  My first reaction to drinking it was Crazy Drinkable!  Just enough hops and malt to keep me interested.  By no means a Canoe Beer! 

The highlight of CANvitational for me was trying Tallgrass Brewing Co.'s offerings and meeting their Brewmaster, Andrew Hood.  Their lineup was four of their seven year-round brews: Ethos, 8-Bit, Velvet Rooster and Buffalo Sweat.  We even got to taste their newly released seasonal Zombie Monkie in their snazzy textured beer cans, and some in their prototype silver cans with signs... Oh those crazy guys in R&D!  Fun Fact: Andrew came up with the recipe for Velvet Rooster after hanging out all day at a competition/festival.  Beer inspiration strikes anywhere! 

#Zomkie

Top 5 Beers of the Fest

Ethos, Tallgrass Brewing Company Manhattan, KS (4.5)

    

On the Wings of Armageddon, DC Brau Washington, DC (4.5)

Anti-Hero, Revolution Brewing Chicago, IL (4.5)

Jai Alai, Cigar City Brewing Tampa, FL (4)

He Said, 21st Amendment Brewery San Francisco, CA (4)

One Final Note:  Well worth the price of admission.  Too expensive? Come #Volunteer with Jason and I!  You may just get paid in free beer, knowledge of the industry, and meeting great new people.  Cheers!

CANvitational was great!  It married a low key "Just hanging out" vibe with a ton of great breweries! To turn it all up to eleven head brewers were on hand to talk shop and promote their beer.  Great job Clay for executing such a great idea for a festival!  I for one can't wait for next year!  

 

Big Thanks to:

All the volunteers, brewery reps, and head brewers that made it out!
Hoosier Beer Geek

Sun King Brewery 

21st Amendment Brewery San Francisco, CA

Arcadia Brewing Company Battle Creek, MI

Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO

Baxter Brewing Co. Lewiston, ME

Blue Dog Mead Eugene, OR

Boston Beer Company Boston, MA

Brewery Vivant Grand Rapids, MI

Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn, NY

Cigar City Brewing Tampa, FL

DC Brau Washington, DC

Great Crescent Brewery Aurora, IN

Half Acre Beer Company Chicago, IL

Lexington Brewing & Distilling Lexington, KY

Marble Brewery Albuquerque, NM

Maui Brewing Lahaina, HI

Morgan Street Brewery St. Louis, MO

New Belgium Brewing Fort Collins, CO

Oskar Blues Brewery Lyons, CO

Revolution Brewing Chicago, IL

SanTan Brewing Company Chandler, AZ

Schlafly Beer St. Louis, MO

Sierra Nevada Chico, CA

Sixpoint Brewery Brooklyn, NY

Ska Brewing Durango, CO

Sockeye Brewing Boise, ID

Surly Brewing Company Minneapolis, MN

Tall Grass Brewing Company Manhattan, KS

Tin Man Brewing Co. Evansville, IN

Two Brothers Brewing Company Warrenville, IL

West 6th Brewing Company Lexington, KY

#OktoBEERfest Baron's Style

First things first, I didn't #Volunteer for this one. There I've said it... I was Press this time around, which was awesome!

If you recall in a previous post when I WAS volunteering, I ran into Blaine Stuckey with Mad Anthony Brewing.  His enthusiasm and attention to detail had him finished with his beer booth before anyone else had shown up to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival.  Guess what?  Hard work and attention to detail is what he does best because it showed at the organization and planning for SayOKtoBEERfest.  In my opinion, this event went off without a hitch.

On Saturday September 7th, 2013, thirty Indiana breweries showed up to this intimate event at the west side of Headwaters Park, just off S. Calhoun St.  The location was great.  Not only was forethought put into the location for rain (all the breweries were under a picnic pagoda area), but it was fenced in as well.  No muss, no fuss for security.  Two brick and mortar bathrooms were located in the pagoda area and were supplemented with a handful of port-a-potties at the entrance.  If I was still in Urban Planning I would have given myself a pat on the back for finding this gem to host the event.

I thought it was amazing that the first brewery to be seen at the event was our buddies from Union Brewing Company.  Tony met us with a grin, a tasting of Cannonball Doyle and a thumbs up.  Say "Hi" Tony!

The Big Guy and I got there about as early as most of the breweries and it was neat to see everyone setting up for the event.  Pro Tip: Always check your Jockey Box the day before you head to an event.  

It was great to see Tin Man Brewing Co. up from Evansville, IN bust out their Beer Gear!  See below for the diagram of shenanigans that is Bag Beer!  If you haven't tried their Over Lord DIPA I suggest you do. The latest batch is great!  Fred Hillenbrand talked me into trying it a second time.  I was underwhelmed the first time I had it at Indiana Microbrewers Festival, but it tastes as if they got the kinks out of the recipe! Thanks again Fred!

Speaking of Beer Gear!  You guys remember back in June I did that article on the Beer Pouch?  Cutters Brewing Co. had a few on hand they were serving out of and promoting/selling for their version of Growlers!  If you haven't had their beer please get out to Avon, IN and grab a pint of Floyd's Folly! \

Rock 104 was there to pump up the tunes to keep the party rocking all day long!  I think Joe pouring for Flat 12 was in seventh heaven when the second van pulled up.  All I heard was "THERE'S TWO VANS!?" the rest of the event.

O-Dawg's Best of the Fest:
Triple Smoked 12 Penny - Scotch Ale - Flat 12 Bierwerks
Great oaky/vanilla nose.  Real light.  Crisp malt and roast on the fin.  Hops closes it out.  GREAT!


John the One Eyed - Belgian Dubbel - Evil Czech Brewery
It's like a Tripel running around in Dubbels clothing!  Smooth as hell with spicy malt.  Loved it!

Black IPA - BIPA/Cascadian Dark Ale/American-Style Black Ale - Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Sweet malt nose.  Not roasty like you would think with this style.  Finishes with a bitter sweet chocolate.  Really good!

To close it all out...  A big thanks to all the Volunteers! OktoBEERfest would not have been an event with out all your selfless hard work in putting together and running the event!  I hope you all had as much fun as The Big Guy and I did!  Thanks again to Blaine and Brandi.  The Baron's can't wait for next years OktoBEERfest!  We'll see you then!

The Big Guy: This was an awesome festival and I can't wait to check it out again next year. It was well worth the two hour drive up north. The park that it was held in was beautiful. If my GPS hadn't had it out for me it would have been perfect. There were somewhere between twenty and thirty professional breweries. What really impressed me was the awesome contingent of homebrews by the MASH group out of Fort Wayne. They were showcasing some great homebrewed concoctions. Everything tasted professional. I had the BBQ from Shigs in Pit. The hot BBQ was totally legit. It was hot and smoky and mostly hot in a great way. The music was solid, and we were able to bring cigars for a grand finale before driving home. All in this was an excellent place to ring in Oktoberfest. 

My favorite beers were:

Triple Smoked 12 Penny by Flat 12 Bierwerks. It was a barrel aged session beer. That's right, low alcohol beer that was barrel aged. It had a great complex flavor. There were layers and layers of awesome that you never get from low ABV beer. I gave it a 4.5 because it was a session ale and it tasted so good. If you want to just go for overall flavor, its probably a solid 4.

Overlord by Tin Man Brewing was also outstanding. Nice big hops and sweet malt backbone. It was great, and I can't wait to start getting cans of their stuff in our market. I gave it a 4

White Reaper by Evil Czech was also great. Nice balance of hop blends on top of a very light and crisp malt backbone. It was clean and easy drinking, which made it perfect for the hot summer day. I gave it an enthusiastic 3.5

My only disappointment was the Pickled Cucumber Kolsch. I've been looking forward to this for months since Rob talked about it at the Brew Bracket. I loved the cucumber flavor from the kolsch. In general I love pickles. It seemed like it would be a match made in heaven. It wasn't... It wasn't terrible but I had hyped it up so much in my head and it just didn't live up to the dream.

A final note from O-Dawg: Just in case you are traveling up to Fort Wayne, IN to check this event out next year or any beer festival for that matter...  Don't trust your GPS, especially if it is Apple's.  Apple Maps had The Big Guy and I cruising through downtown Fort Wayne to end up at a parking garaged labeled on the map as Headwaters Park.  I was pretty sure it was the City Clerk's office...  Go Go Gadget Google MAPS!

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