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: 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.

Christ Beheaded - "Open The Gates Of Hell" CDEP

The debut 5-song EP from an Indianapolis, Indiana black metal act, "Purgatory" begins things with in a blur of antagonism and an almost Napalm Death grindcore tempo and vibe. The title track is more typical tortured black metal with an old-school feel (dig the solo in the middle). "Decomposed" has elements of death metal within the confines of black metal. Production is solid, and this 5-song, 22-minute set more than satisfies the need for more metal.

But who's really counting? "Open The Gates Of Hell" is a strong showing from some skilled metallic warriors who take no prisoners. This EP (newly reissued) was recorded back in 2008, so it seems the band is on hiatus or split. Here's to a follow-up album. 

(Abyss Records)

Christ Beheadedspace

Maax - "Six Pack Witchcraft" CDEP

5 songs and 14 minutes of rolling black thrash metal thunder from an Indiana group. This EP was originally released in 2010, and the band have since realized a full-length LP, which I've not heard. Regardless, this is a solid piece of evil metal madness.

The opening cut, "Die By The Ax" is a beast of unbridled mayhem, with witchy vocals and a tough thrash exterior. Imagine if Motorhead careened headfirst into Darkthrone, and you'd be close to Maax's ferocious sound. The other cuts, including the blurry and subtle "Go Fuck Yourself", echo this sentiment. The title track is a pure drunken punk/black metal crossover that is as dirty and smelly as can be, which is a good thing. The only thing holding up this brief EP is the muddied mix, in which the lower end seems bottomed out. Nonetheless, these guys bring it in an authentic way.

(Abyss Records)

Maaxspace

Summer Craft Beer Roundup, Part 1

So, it's been a long, hot, dry, and record-breaking summer around the American Midwest. Luckily, there is plenty of craft beer to take the edge off the uncomfortable conditions. Remember to drink locally (when possible), drink independently (always), and prost!

Ratings are, as ever, from 1 being utter shite to 5 being nectar of the gods. Consider a 3 a fine beer, a 4 worth hunting down. 

GOOSE ISLAND - SUMMERTIME (Chicago, IL) - 3.5

Goose Island rarely disappoints, and this light golden kolsch-style beer is no exception. It pours with a massive head and with attractive lace, and summons an aroma of  slight citrus hops alongside the lagery grains. Taste is a bright melding of almost sweet malts with some citrus tones. Enjoyable.

TRITON BREWING - MAGNIFICENT AMBER (Indianapolis, IN) - 4.0

A new brewery here, and even semi-local! Really pleased by this one, being an attractive amber, despite having limited carbonation and lace on the glass. The flavor, though, is nicely rich -- definitely more flavorful than most amber ales. I get more brown ale notes -- a little roasty on the malts, a bit nutty, and a hint of hop sharpness at the finish, too. Well-done!

SCHLAFLY - SUMMER LAGER (St. Louis, MO) - 3.5

Schlafly's Summer seasonal is a clean golden lager with a thick foamy head and average lace. The taste is a sturdy malt base, with a slight hint of citrus. Finishes kinda sweet, but also quite pleasant and easy. Solid and session-worthy.

SHOCK TOP - SUMMER SHANDY (St. Louis, MO) - 2.0

Anheuser-Busch's entry into the "shandy wars" may be opportunistic, but it is tastier than their chief competitor's. This golden ale pours with an average head and no lace. The nose is subtle and lager-like, with only a tinge of lemon. The flavor is light and rather bland, but only teasing with the honey-lemon sweetness, rather than slapping it up front. Definitely lacking, but I've had worse.

Bluck - "Blucked Up!" cassette

Bluck was a small-time punk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana. And although they undoubtably had numerous shows around their home base of Indy, they played a single show in tiny Evansville, Indiana (where I was from) way back in 1988 or so, and were among the better skate/punk acts we'd seen, and some damned nice guys even! Consisting of Scott Courtney, Matt Price, Dave (aka Capt Chowder), and Matt Barton, these guys tore it up! I actually did a brief interview with Bluck way back when, for a local zine, Godsend, and their demotape has been in my collection ever since. It's really pretty good stuff, in a Descendents kinda pop-punk style. Since there's almost no way this will ever be in print again, I offer it here for your enjoyment. If anyone from the band wants it taken down, please let me know. It seems a couple of these songs ended up on a vinyl 7" compilation from Panx Vinyl Zine, which may've been a French mag, though I don't really have many details, and of course is quite rare and out of print. Enjoy le Indiana Punque!

Blucked Up! tape

A Bluck fanspace page!