Upland’s Ard Ri is an Imperial Red that has a strong ABV of 9.3%. That’s about all their bottle is willing to tell me. From a previous review though we know that Ard Ri means High King and it’s obvious this Upland seasonal was brewed in time for Saint Patrick’s day.  If you are anywhere near where this is serverd stop reading this and go grab a pint with friends on this fine Saint Patrick’s day.

Appearance: Deep deep red bordering on brown. I over poured this, my second over pour of the night! The head dissipated into a nice off white frothy head.

Smell: Carmel and vanilla notes hit you right away.  Sweetness and alcohol are very present in the nose of this Ard Ri.

Taste: Vanilla is up front on this one.  Very tasty and immediately makes me wonder what this aged in oak barrels or even on cask would taste like.  A little bit of bitter but not much but some great sweet carmel flavour is present.  The alcohol is very present in this one.  Just to let you know, alcohol to me is a sweet flavour in my beers.  This isn’t true for everyone though.

Mouthfeel:  Smooth and creamy what else did you expect?  Perhaps a little bit of bitterness on the back end but balanced all the same.

Drinkability:  At 9.3% I don’t know how much you really want to drink.  This one is great to split with a friend(s) and enjoy.  For an imperial red ale Upland really out did themselves.  I’m disappointed I only have one as I’d love to taste this after getting some age on it.  If you can find it pick it up as you won’t be disappointed.

I picked up this Brian Boru by Three Floyds a few weeks ago anticipating we would make it to Saint Patrick’s day, and luckily for me we did!  Three Floyds describes this as an Old Irish Red Ale.   The Three Floyds Brian Boru weighs in a 5.9% ABV.   The side of the bottle informs us that Brian Boru was the last Ard Ri or High King of the entire Gaelic race.  The whole description from the side of the bottle reads:

Ireland’s first and last Ard Ri (high king) of the whole Gaelic race, Brian Boru was born in Munster Ireland around 940. His mother was killed by Vikings when he was a child. He spent his life uniting the Irish tribes to become the first king of Ireland, only to be killed at Clontarf on Good Friday, 1014 putting down a rebellion by the King of the province of Leinster. Brian Boru Irish Brand Red Ale is a very rich caramelly ale with toffee, citrus, and pineapple aroma. Brian Boru is brewed with several malts and Amarillo hops. Slainte!

(Note the location of FFF and the Ard Ri’s birthplace)

Appearance: Very nice carmel red color.  I over poured this one a bit unfortunately so it had a massive head on it but died to to around a fingers worth of some nice thick and creamy foam.

Smell: You can pick up some nice citrus flavor among the carmels and the malts.  Smells a little hoppy for what I would expect but I’m hoping that it is a little on the hoppy side.  I dig it but I also dig the way red ales smell.

Taste:  They weren’t kidding when they said pineapple.  I can pick that out almost immediately although it’s not the bulk of what you’re going to taste in this but you will get the sweet and citrusy tones from that.  There is also some great carmel flavour in here.  The more I sip the more I realize the sweet flavor of tropical fruits staying with me long after I’ve drank it.  Before tht you can expect the dark burnt carmel taste with some nice bitterness.

Mouthfeel:  Great feel.  Very balanced.  Slightly bitter working that tongue into a lather ut also ery smooth and creamy.  Love it!

Drinkability:  If I could get Brian Boru in a six pack I would.  This is very sessionable and would be nice to sip on as the night passes me by.

Tom Spalding over at the IndyStar is reporting that Walgreens wants to sell alcohol.  Their reasoning is obvious.  Nearly every CVS, Kroger, Marsh, Meijer, Walmart, and many gas stations already sell alcohol in the Indy area, add to that the Crown, 21st Amendment, Community Spirits and United Package liquor stores and that’s a lot of booze.  Walgreens however, for the moment, does not  sell any alcohol in their stores.

I know for a fact not selling alcohol hurts their business because I’ve heard people talk about how they don’t shop there simply because they can’t pick up some beer or a bottle of wine.  At the same time though I’ve talked to people who say they shop at Walgreens because they don’t allow liquor sales which would seem to give them an edge over their biggest competitor, CVS.  In reality though those people aren’t going to stop shopping at Walgreens if they sell beer

What I really don’t get is why there are groups against this.  Their claim is that there are plenty of licenses to sell alcohol already in Indiana so why do we need to issue any more?  This argument doesn’t hold water (or beer for that matter) however, because you can’t tell CVS they can sell beer and then tell Walgreens they can not.  It’s not fair to business and it would only hurt competition if Marion Superior Court Judge Theodore Sosin were to agree with the state beverage retailers who filed a lawsuit stopping Walgreens from obtaining their licenses.  Although he did not agree and denied them, they are appealing the decision.

From the article it seems Walgreens plans on moving back into this market very responsibly and claims that it will be a drug store first and foremost always and never a liquor store. What we’d really like to see though is Walgreens working with local distributors to sell craft brew in their stores. A great way to do this is to just ask them.  If enough people do it someone is sure to at least consider it.  Use this form to contact Walgreens and tell them to consider selling microbrew from Indiana breweries like Three Floyds, Upland, Sun King, Barely Island, etc..

The battle to control liquor sales seems almost never ending and this is just another page in the saga.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out but it’s hard to imagine Walgreens being denied liquor sales if that’s what they really want to do.

It’s Thursday and that can mean only one thing!  Ok so it can mean a bunch of things, but for some of us on the south side it’s our chance to pick up some $5 growlers of the fine brews at Oaken Barrel.  The Superfly is one of my favorites from Oaken Barrel and a beer that no hop lover should ever pass up.

• ABV: 7.5%
• IBU: 100+
• SRM 8.0

Appearance: Nice light amber color, quite  orange-like.  Actually, they describe it as “Scarlet orange.”  You can just tell this one is sticky as you’re pouring it.  This starts out with a thick white frothy head; one that I probably caused to be too large as I let it out of the growler too fast.  It died down over time but persevered enough to leave a nice lacing on my glass.

Smell: Strong floral hops in the nose.  The smell of the Super Fly let’s you know you’re in for a sweet, sticky treat.  Many people tell me they get a grainy malty smell out of this more than hops but I disagree.  I can pick out the floral, citrusy hop as being the predominant aroma rising out of this.

Taste: Very bitter up front with a nice mellow sweetness following.  The finish is even more bitterness.  You can tell they packed the tank with hops on this one.  If you’re a hop head with an urge for some extreme bitterness you will not be disappointed.  If you don’t like hops then you should steer clear!  The sweetness that comes through is the malt that they have in there although it almost seems like there should be a little more to balance the massive amounts of hops.  But then again it wouldn’t be a hop head’s dream if they did that!  To be transparent with you I’ve had this beer before… many times.  It’s my typical Thursday $5 growler refill choice at the Oaken Barrel and one I enjoy several times a month.  When I share this with friends who have before claimed themselves as hop heads they thought this beer was way too hoppy and way too offensive to their palate.  Don’t let that steer you away though!  Stop in for a pint today!

Mouth feel: Thick and sticky.  A sticky lingering actually hangs out around your mouth as if you just ate some hop pancakes with hop syrup on them.  Cold hop syrup at that   This is the exact kind of mouthfeel a hop head would enjoy.

Drinkability: It’s pretty easy to sit back and knock down a half gallon of this.  The 7.5% ABV however may have you second guessing that choice.  “May”   Just know that after one or two of these you probably shouldn’t drive.  Other than that drink up, not your typical session beer but one that you can have several pints of before going to bed being ready to move on to the next beer.

Oaken Barrel - Superfly

New Belgium is a brewery that is fairly new to Indy’s neck of the woods coming to us in April of 2009. Since then everyone in Indy has been raving about their brews and they are keeping us interested with new ones periodically. They are known all over as one of the most earth friendly breweries deriving most of their energy from the wind among other things.

The Ranger IPA is part of their ‘Explore Series’ along with their Mothership Wit, Abbey, and Trippel brews. While it may not be a traditional fit for their style of beers I am very thankful to them for finally releasing an American style IPA. This Ranger clocks in at a very healthy 6.5% ABV. Plenty of punch if you ask me. The 70 IBU’s are made up of Simcoe, Cascade, and Chinook hops.

Appearance: Decent amber color. A little bit of haze that is probably attributed to the dry hopping. Very little head poured out on this one but there is a small film on the top of it.

Smell: Hops up front. Very grassy and perhaps even floral smelling hops. Earthy as I’d expect to come out of New Belgium.

Taste: Much more of the floral from the hops hits you as you begin to sip this. The malt is absolutely evident in this one as well as there is a definite sweetness underneath. Perhaps it’s just in my head, but many of the New Belgium beers have the same malt characteristics because this reminds me a bit of their 2 degrees below. The finish is bitter and spicy. It leaves a feeling that I would describe as peppery. Not that it tastes like pepper but that’s how I’m reminded.

Mouthfeel: I’m always looking for a good balance of bitter spicy feel and creaminess in my IPA’s and this brew isn’t too far off. I’d be interested in trying this on draft. Still, as far as IPA’s go this one is about normal when it comes to this category.

Drinkability: The malt throws me off on this one as I’m not a fan but the blend of hops makes up for it. I could, and will, drink several of these. If you’re a hop head you can count on this one to satisfy you.

Founders is known for many awesome brews.  The Backwoods Bastard does not disappoint!  This Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels is in your face and makes no apologies.

• Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels.
• 10.5% ABV
• 50 IBU’s

Appearance: This pours a light black color, caramel like.  A little bit of head but not really.  Also a little muddy.

Smell: Bourbon.  That’s all I can pick up.  There is a nice sweetness to it but that may be attributed to the bourbon.  There is also some vanilla in there if you look for it. And that’s probably from that bourbon barrel too!

Taste: Very complex.  Many flavors want to jump out at you to begin with and it’s impossible to pick just one.  Obviously that bourbon barrel is there but it’s not the first thing that you taste.  It’s kind of crazy how much alcohol you taste in this one.  Many beers try hard to hide the fact that you’re drinking alcohol but this one kind of flaunts it.  Of course it is bourbon barrel aged so what do you expect?  I’d be remiss not saying there is no oak in there but you can sense it.  The sweetness of this beer is also deceiving.  It reminds me (someone who doesn’t like whiskey and coke) of the best whiskey and coke I’ve ever had.  And perhaps that’s my epiphany.  This is the whiskey and coke of beer for the people that think all they need is to shoot some shots all night and don’t need beer.  Tell them to settle down with this.  Sip on it.  And feel all right without opening up that second bottle of Jack.

You’ll probably also notice some hints of nut flavors in there.

Mouth feel: Warm. Toasty. Delicious.  It’s everything you like about whiskey mixed with brown sugar.  Don’t know what I’m talking about?  Try it.  And the creaminess puts it over the top!

Drinkability: Slow down there partner.  This one definitely has some alcohol and some heat to it.  One is probably enough, but if you like it go ahead for two.  This is a sipping beer though and if you try to down it you’ll be pullin a granger before the nights over.  Don’t know what that is?  Me either! But that’s what you type after having a few…

I may not be able to get my hands on this elusive brew just yet but many a folk have. I turned to twitter to see what people had to say.  The excitement over this one has been getting people hyped up!

@mattworldclass: Bell‘s Batch 9000 hitting Indy this week!

@craftbrew: Bell‘s batch 9000 made it’s way to Charlottesville today. Great brew! Should age very well: http://twitpic.com/12ngc5

@Crown_Liquors: Bell‘s Batch 9000 has arrived!!!!! Check your local Crown for availability. http://fb.me/5hMMgOP

@nickmanes1: On another note, The Meanwhile now has Bell‘s Batch 9000 on tap. 12.5% “malt beverage”. Its intense, boozy, and delicious. Recommend. #beer

@mattworldclass: Just had first sample of Bell‘s 9000…all I can say….OMG…Unreal…beer just can’t be this good…

Rate Beer has this one at a 97 which is more than exceptional in my book.  It’s being described there as a Cola brown color almost black with a nice brown head.  Nose has chocolates and molasses scents. arminjewell describes the taste as “… huge, thick chocolate, molasses, caramel like sweetness moving into dark fruit and a bit of smoke with some soy sauce and a bit of alcohol burn.”  Really?  Soy Sauce?

I’m looking forward to this one!  Have you had it?  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments!

Today is the day everyone here in Indianapolis has been waiting on! BrewIndy would like to extend the best of luck to our team, The Indianapolis Colts. You’ve had a super season and an amazing decade of football. We can’t wait to see you cap it off with your second Super Bowl win in 4 years with Peyton Manning, the winningest QB of the decade, and his laser rocket arm throwing some bullets tonight.  Go Blue, Go Horse, and GO COLTS!!!

Speaking of a laser rocket arm

Just like the back of the bottle says “With a name like Hopslam, what did you expect?” Holy cow this is one amazing beer. And since it is limited release I’d stop reading this right now and go get a six pack. Be prepared to spend upwards of $20 though as this one doesn’t come cheap.  But worth it?  Every penny

Hopslam also wins my award for best beer label.  Sure, there are a lot of really awesome ones out there, but considering how much I love hops I love the idea of being knocked out by a huge hop bud!  See the end of the post for some great scans of the artwork.

On an interesting note, The Captain’s Chair: A Twin Cities Craft Beer and Homebrewing Site, reports that this beer clocks in at 280 calories.  For some points on America’s fascination with calories in their beer I’d suggest heading over to his site and checking out his review.

Appearance:  This is one beautiful beer!  Crystal clear, orange coloring.  Almost like the color of the honey this beer is brewed with.  Has a small amount of head on top and leaves some great lacing.  If only all beers could look like this.  A piece of art really.

Smell: Piney, and citrusy hops right up front.  Perhaps it’s because it says it on the bottle but I can also smell the honey leaving a pleasurable sticky feeling in the old nostrils.

Taste: Bam!  This one is definitely hoppy!  At least up front.  The great thing about this though is it is very balanced.  Someone that would say they don’t normally like hoppy beers should at least pick up a single of Hopslam because it is great.  The malt and honeys sweeten this beer up nicely leaving the finish to be more sticky sweet than bitter like you get with most hoppy beers.  Of course with an ABV of 10% you’d expect it to be somewhat sweet.  This beer is pretty complex too.  Throughout the glass I got different tastes and flavors between being super bitter to being super sweet and everything in between.  As an advocate for non-hopheads, the Mrs. says this beer is pretty good.  And deer readers, anytime my wife’s discerning palate says a beer is good then it is good.  The same goes for me of course but I’m a lot less picky

Mouthfeel: Smooth and sticky!  Up front this beer makes your mouth feel refreshed with the bitter hops cleaning (or stripping away) your palate and then it leaves you with the sticky sweet feeling.

Drinkability: Who cares about the 10% ABV?! I say the drinkability on Bell’s Hopslam is way above par, or below I suppose.  In other words, this is one you can sit and sip and enjoy all night long.  At $18 for a six pack it might get a bit expensive but heck, you only get to do it once a year right?  Seriously, if you haven’t had this yet … go out and get some right now!

Bells Hopslam Front Cover Art

Bells Hopslam Back Cover Art