Beer: Triton Brewing and New Albanian bottle tastings....

Here are some Indiana-based small brewers, all of whom are producing some fine bottled brews. Distribution for these may be small and regional, but if you end up near Indianapolis, Indiana (Triton) or New Albany, Indiana (near Louisville, Kentucky, for New Albanian), do not hesitate to stop in and enjoy a pint! 

Reviews, again, range from 1 (terrible) to 5 (world-class). Ain't no bad beers here, so enjoy!

TRITON BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - FOUR BARREL BROWN - 4.0

Triton is a new Indy brewery now producing bottled 6-packs. I love their graphic style -- stark, colorful, and distinctive. And their beers are pretty damned good, too.

Pours a deep ruby in color, with a pleasant head of off-white foam and loopy 2-finger lace. Nose - sweet & malty, with touches of toffee, maple and roasted nuttiness. Very in tune with Fall. Flavor is caramel-nutty malts, with a slight hint of citrus hops to round off the finish. 

This brown ale is nicely balanced and quite enjoyable. 

TRITON BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - DEADEYE STOUT - 4.0

Pitch-black and opaque black upon pouring, with a deep tan head. Not much lace to speak of. Nose is creamy bittersweet chocolate, with an underlying caramel vibe. Unusual and appealing! Taste is plenty of the bittersweet chocolate, burnt coffee, and more of the caramelized sugar. I also get a good sense of the oat infusion, as this one is smooth, and almost milky/lactic in texture. Surprisingly different with the sweet/sourness. Enjoyable.

TRITON BREWING (Indianapolis, IN) - SIN BIN ALE - 3.0

This Belgian-style pours a clean amber, with medium head. I get slight lace, but not very showy in presentation.

Nose is mildly spiced. I don't get a lot to go on here. Taste is, as before, spicy and warm, with a bit of hoppiness complementing the malty character. Hints of fruit are here, too, and this one's a cool amalgamation of a Belgian and a pale ale. Not bad, but not one I'd revisit.

NEW ALBANIAN (New Albany, IN) - ELSA VON HORIZON - 4.0

New Albanian has distributed locally for a few years, but unfortunately it's all in larger (somewhat overpriced) bombers. Here's a friendly nudge for them to make some of their killer brews in smaller 6-packs for those of us without much disposable income.

This Imperial Pilsner pours from the bomber semi-cloudy golden, with a thick and sudsy head. Stunning and boldly detailed lace cascading down the glass. Beautiful. Nose is grainy and lagery, with a hint of floral hops. Nice.

Taste is malty and lagery an first, followed by a nice, heavy dose of floral hops. Faintly bitter upon tongue at finish. The heavy alcohol presence (a whopping 10%) is masked quite well by this delicious and well-hopped pilsner. Delicious and well-done.

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.