Beer: Indiana brews from Flat 12 Bierwerks, Fountain Square, and Cutters

Indiana, and most specifically Indianapolis, has become a hotbed of upstart craft breweries. Indy, specifically, has at least 10 I can count at this point, with others just starting up. The beers reviewed here are all from Indy, or not far from Indy (Cutters is based in Avon, IN near Bloomington). There are no dogs here, either, so if you find yourself within a fair distance, check these out. 

Keep in mind that my reviews are on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being awful, and 5 being awesome. A 3, therefore, is drinkable, whereas a 4 is superb. I don't give out any real 5's, so 4 is top-tier. Drink indie, drink local, and drink responsibly!

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS - NUNMOERE BLACK (Indianapolis, IN) - 4.0

Flat 12 has become a favorite of late, with all of their core lineup being above average. This black IPA is no exception.

Black with ruby highlights. Massive head of bone-toned foam. Attractive lace. Nose is rich, dark, bittersweet chocolate. I get a hint of hops, but it's pretty obscure. Taste is nicely hopped, followed by a roasty charred finish. A solid and enjoyable brew combining some usually disparate styles.

Also of note -- I love the stark, dark, and stylish bottle art.

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS - WALKABOUT PALE ALE (Indianapolis, IN) - 4.5

Also from Flat 12, this is my personal favorite "local" beer now, hands down. It's a pale ale that approaches IPA hoppiness/happiness. using only delicious tropical-citrus Australian Galaxy hops. Cool points to the rep from Flat 12 who poured this at the SWIRCA brewfest in Evansville in 2013. Love this beer!

Pours a fairly clear golden-amber. Average head of off-white suds. Attractive tree-line lacing. Nose is immediately recognizable -- aromatic Aussie hops with a spiky, sharp, and floral earthiness. Superb. Taste is also wonderfully brisk and sharp, with notes of bitter grapefruit and earth again. 

A superlative pale ale that could easily be classified as an IPA, I'd easily pick this up again!

FOUNTAIN SQUARE - WORKING MAN'S PILSNER (Indianapolis, IN) - 3.5

An easy-to-drink pilsner from a new brewery. Hmm.

Pours a cloudy golden, with a huge head of white carbonation. Not much lace, though, oddly. Nose is light grains and malts, yeast. Very mild. Taste is crisp and malty, with only a tinge of citrus hops at the finish. 

This is a smooth and easy-to-drink lager -- not overly memorable but solid and quite session-worthy. 

FOUNTAIN SQUARE - BACKYARD PORTER (Indianapolis, IN) - 3.0

Fointain Square's porter wasn't so successful, but it's certainly not bad, either.

Pours a dark ruby, with a small head of tan bubbles. Minimal lacing. Nose is roasty and fruity, and the body is light, even watery. Flavor is toffee up front, with some roasty chocolate in there as well. 

Maybe this isn't super unique or standout, but it does go down smoothly, and Backyard Porter is a faithful and flavorful English-style porter.

CUTTERS - HALF COURT INDIA PALE ALE (Avon, IN) - 3.25

I haven't been a big fan of the few Cutters beers I've had thus far, and this one just didn't "cut" it for me, either. I do give these guys points for their big pours at local brewfests, and for serving their massive Empire imperial stouts at said functions!

Pours a cloudy amber, with minimal carbonation. Lace is small and erratic. Aroma is mild -- definitely a pine and citrus hops vibe, but it's not overwhelming. Taste is sharp and bitter hops, very much in a citric vein with plenty of acidity. 

Not bad, but not a notable or unique IPA, either.

Beer: Flat 12 Bierwerks and Sun King Brewing

Here we have several brews from local Indiana brewers, and some fine work, indeed! Both Flat 12 Bierwerks and Sun King Brewing are based in Indianapolis, and though distribution seems limited on both counts, they can be found into Southern Indiana, for sure, and are all worthy of checking out. Remember that beer ratings run from 1 (awful) to 5 (awesome). Anything over a 3.5 is a winner, so taste and prost!

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS (Indianapolis, IN) - FLAT JACK PUMPKIN ALE - 3.5

Flat 12 has produced some solid beers, though this one didn't impress me much.

Pours all suds! Gradually, as it all subsides, lace is pretty spotty and erratic. Color is cloudy light amber. Nose is spicy, with plenty of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Inviting! When the overcarbonation settles down, the flavor is more of this spice and plenty of hoppy bitterness. The actual pumpkin is subdued and the body is light. Gets better as it warms, and more character is brought out. 

Still, as it is, not among my favorite pumpkin brews.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - SUNLIGHT CREAM ALE - 3.75

Sun King is a respected craft brewer, and their larger offerings aren't bottled, but canned in cool pint cans. Their "light" beer isn't a kolsch or lager, but a cream ale!

Pours a semi-cloudy golden from the pint can, with thick carbonation, but no lace.

Nose is pleasantly light, grainy, and malty, with a hint of buttered sweet corn. That's not to say it's bad, though. Actually it's pretty refreshing. Taste is, expectedly, light and creamy. This one is sooo smooth and malty, but very drinkable and, as the can imparts, approachable. Sunlight Cream Ale wouldn't turn away lifetime macro drinkers, but has plenty of easy-going flavor for craft nerds, too. 

A solid and totally session-worthy brew here, not too complex, but smooth and well-crafted to style.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - OKTOBERFEST LAGER - 3.5

Pours from the pint can a clean, clear amber, with substantial head. Thick 2-finger lace. Lovely! Nose is malty grains, even earthy. Nice. Flavor is malty and sweet up front, with a slowly-developing citrus hops accent toward the finish. 

Totally solid, but I still prefer their Osiris Pale Ale.

SUN KING BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - WEE MAC - 3.5

This Scottish-style ale pours from the pint can a ruby-amber in color. Virtually no lace here. Aroma is malty sweet. I get a toasty toffee kind of vibe here. Not bad. Taste is mild and sweetly malty, with more toffee tones and some nuttiness. 

Not a very compex flavor profile here, but very drinkable and session-worthy.

Beer: Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf and Calumet Queen

Munster, Indiana's Three Floyds is one of America's most coveted and respected craft breweries. Their "Dark Lord Day", in which their Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout is released, makes news headlines around the world, and their Gumballhead wheat ale is among the best anywhere. I recently had a chance to try some bombers of their lesser-known brews, and here are the results. Remember that I score beers on a scale of 1 (awful) to 5 (awesome). Prost!

THREE FLOYDS - ARCTIC PANZER WOLF - 4.25

Pours a cloudy amber, with lots of sediment. Seems to have been on the shelves for too long. No lace, either. Still, the aroma is wonderfully hoppy. I get big citrus and tropical fruit like mango and floral notes. Exquisite! Taste is quite hoppy, as expected, with more tropical fruit and tangy wet citrus. Malts are strong, too, and even if this wasn't too fresh, it's still a formidable beer.

THREE FLOYDS - CALUMET QUEEN - 3.0

Pours a heavy golden, with no lace. Aroma is grainy, malty. Nothing outstanding.

Flavor is toasty grains. Very malt-forward. There's a hint of citrus towards the finish, as well as some fruit. 

Overall, a solid kolsch, but unremarkable.

Three Floyds site

Beer: Tin Man - A Review of the Converter Series

Seemingly years in the making, Evansville, Indiana's first production brewery in decades, Tin Man Brewing, is finally open, and their canning line has finally bore fruit!

Goatsden and company visited the stunningly tasteful and stylish tasting room/restaurant a couple of times, and enjoyed beer samplers alongside some food (the salmon BLT was quite good). On tap, we sampled the limited Bourbon Rye Dry, which was rich with plenty of flavor. And the Gearbox Black Ale on tap was notably smooth and session-worthy.

So what of Tin Man's pint can brews? From a design standpoint, they are lovely and distinctive. Flavor-wise, though, it's a mixed bag. I gave the entire line some serious time and tastings, and these are my findings. As with all previous beer reviews, the ratings run from 1 (awful, drain-pour) to 5 (exceptional and otherworldly). Anything over a 3 is enjoyable and worthy, so as always, drink (wisely) and be merry!

TIN MAN - ALLOY IPA - 2.0

The India Pale Ale is a craft beer nerd's go-to brew, and Tin Man were wise to put one out initially with their first round of beers. Alloy pours from the pint can a cloudy amber, with a huge and frothy head. Beautiful and heavy lace. Nose is pleasingly grapefruit-lemon citrus hops. Yum! Taste is...mild. The hops are dialed way back here, subdued to well below normal American IPA levels. The body here is light, too, even bordering on watery. I get very little hop snap or bitterness here. I understand that this is meant to be a "gateway" or starter IPA (and not meant for serious hop-heads), but this is weak even for a standard pale ale. Disappointing.

TIN MAN - CIRCUIT - BOHEMIAN PILSNER - 2.0

A good German-style pilsner is a real challenge, even to the experienced brewmaster. Needing to be clean, crisp, and light, this is the nearest of Tin Man's offerings to a "mainstream" beer. It pours a clean, golden into my lager glass, with a huge head of lovely foam. Nice and thick lace, too. Nose is malty/grainy, even approaching an adjunct. I get sweet corn and a hint of sharp wheat. Very average. Taste is also grainy and sweetly malted up front, with a sweet corn-like funk up front, followed by a tinge of hops toward the finish. Leaves me with a metallic weirdness, too, which I can't forgive or forget. Not a favorite.

TIN MAN - RIVET - IRISH RED ALE - 3.0

Irish red ales are like red-headed step-children, and thus pretty well ignored by serious beer nerds. But this one pours from the pint can an attractive ruby-amber, with a fine head of off-white suds. Superb and thick spider-web lacing. Nice! Nose is caramel malts, biscuity, and toffee-like. Not bad. Taste is chewy toffee maltiness, with a little toasty caramel in there. This one is easy to drink, and probably my favorite of Tin Man's initial 3 canned offerings.

Note that these are so far only available at Liquor Locker in Evansville, and they are priced at around $11 or so per 4 pint cans. Hmm. When I can get 12 bottles of Sierra Nevada or New Belgium for a dollar or two more, this seems a wee bit steep. I am all in favor of local independent breweries, but the beer has to be of quality, still, and these canned offerings aren't quite there yet.

Final prognosis? Visit the pub/restaurant and enjoy some fresh pints (and try the food), but hold off on the canned offerings for now. I have faith that the brewery will rally and make amends for these lukewarm brews. I will be standing by...

Tin Man Brewing site

Hordes Of Nebulah - "...And Blasphemous Night Shall Fall" CD

This album collects several demotape releases from an unlikely Crawfordsville, Indiana band who take their name from a Darkthrone song. Originally recorded from 2003 to 2005, these 15 tracks are a little muddy, showcasing the band's intense but ultimately rather generic black metal sound.

The cuts on "...And Blasphemous Night" are pretty well interchangeable, with the trademark black metal blurry guitars, breakneck blastbeat rhythms, and hissed vocals. "A Dark Malediction" stands out a bit, with a clangy, trebly noise throughout the song that, either unwitting or intentional, somehow works. Otherwise, there's not much to say here. It's black metal like the hundreds of others out there. 

(Abyss Records)

Hordespace

Beer: Flat 12 Bierwerks & Sun King (Indies from Indy)

Here are some reviews of some new local (Indianapolis, Indiana) brews, from some rising craft brewers. As ever, the scale runs from 1 (terrible) to 5 (terrific). That said, a 3 or 3.5 are solid and enjoyable brews. Everything here is perfectly good, and I trust both of these brewers to continue making top-tier beer for years to come. If you're near Indy, check in and have some pints! Prost!

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS (Indianapolis, IN) - FLAT JACK PUMPKIN ALE - 3.5

Flat 12 Bierwerks are really new to bottling their beers, but they've produced nothing less than excellent so far. Here's a limited Fall seasonal.

Pours all suds! Gradually, as it all subsides, lace is pretty spotty and erratic. Color is cloudy light amber. Nose is spicy, with plenty of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Inviting! When the overcarbonation settles down, the flavor is more of this spice and plenty of hoppy bitterness. The actual pumpkin is subdued and the body is light. 

Gets better as it warms, and more character is brought out. 

Still, as it is, not among my favorite pumpkin brews.

SUN KING (Indianapolis, IN) - SUNLIGHT CREAM ALE - 3.5

Sun King has garnered serious accolades in recent years, and their pint cans are sort of a trademark. I've had their superb Osiris Pale Ale a few times, but here are their other main-line pints, sampled and reviewed.

Pours a semi-cloudy golden from the pint can, with thick carbonation, but no lace. Nose is pleasantly light, grainy, and malty, with a hint of buttered sweet corn. That's not to say it's bad, though. Actually it's pretty refreshing. Taste is, expectedly, light and creamy. This one is sooo smooth and malty, but very drinkable and, as the can imparts, approachable. Sunlight Cream Ale wouldn't turn away lifetime macro drinkers, but has plenty of easy-going flavor for craft nerds, too. 

A solid and totally session-worthy brew here, not too complex, but smooth and well-crafted to style.

SUN KING (Indianapolis, IN) - OKTOBERFEST - 3.5

Pours from the pint can a clean, clear amber, with substantial head. Thick 2-finger lace. Lovely! Nose is malty grains, even earthy. Nice. Flavor is malty and sweet up front, with a slowly-developing citrus hops accent toward the finish. 

Totally solid, but I still prefer their Osiris Pale Ale.

SUN KING (Indianapolis, IN) - WEE MAC BROWN - 3.5

This Scottish-style ale pours from the pint can a ruby-amber in color. Virtually no lace here. Aroma is malty sweet. I get a toasty toffee kind of vibe here. Not bad. Taste is mild and sweetly malty, with more toffee tones and some nuttiness. 

Not a very compex flavor profile here, but very drinkable and session-worthy.

Great Crescent Brewing & Indiana's First Beer

Almost 200 years have passed since Bavarian colonists settled what is now New Harmony, Indiana. This group, known as Harmonists, took great care to make their land prosperous and inviting. Unbeknownst to them, their brewery, which used techniques learned from their previous home in Swabia, Germany (which, by the way, is one of the richest beer-brewing cultures in the world), started a home-brewing revolution that is now being re-examined. Each year, the Brewers Guild of Indiana selects a historic local beer, and local brewers attempt to decipher/interpret the "recipe".

Great Crescent Brewing, of Aurora, Indiana, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Dan and Lani Valas, have done a dandy job creating a dark lager based on "Indiana's First Beer", as brewed in 1816 by Harmonist brewmaster George Bentel. This top-notch lager, called simply "Dark Lager", pours a murky brown/black, with a malty chocolate aroma. Although light in body, this dark beer tastes like a mildly smoked porter, with a hint of cocoa and a mellow roasty finish. Mild and session-worthy, this is a seriously delicious beer.

Also from Great Crescent, I was fortunate enough to sample the brewery's fine "Coconut Porter", which pours a sleek black with a nice and smoky nose. I don't get much coconut in the aroma, but its an appealing mix nonetheless, with hints of chocolate and roastiness. Again, this is thin-bodied (for a porter), but the taste is superb. Not as cocoa or coffee-oriented as some porters, this one's got a distinctive wood-smoke character. Fans of German rauchbier (smoke beer) may find this particularly attractive and enjoyable. I say, a fine and well-done porter, with a lot of flavor and a unique palate. Bravo to Great Crescent!

As of now, Great Crescent has begun to can their beers in pints, and has them available in limited 4-packs regionally (Central and Southern Indiana). I found some at a local store in Evansville, Indiana (Winetree Liquors). 

 Great Crescent Brewing website

Big Money And The Spare Change - "God Dammit, Danny!" EP

Big Money are a young Fort Wayne, Indiana indie rock trio, and if this free 6-song download EP is any indication, their forthcoming full-length album could be something quite special. Taking elements from punk-tinged 90s grunge (ala Nirvana or Foo Fighters) and mixing it up with a fine Midwestern alt.country/Americana vibe and tight musicianship, Big Money rock with a perfect amount of swagger and slack. The title track is the definite standout, but "Scar Stories (I Know)" is nearly as strong and anthemic, as well. "Friends Like Those" is a cello-accented piece that shows these guys aspire for more than simple rock. Good stuff! Grab this download from their facebook page. Big Money facebook