1752. Founders Highball Drifter

It's been a long day of drinking, and now it's time for Jenna Ortega on SNL.

This beer was a gift from my buddy Garrett, when I was at his house last weekend.

It's a GOOD beer.

Sadly, I'm just exhausted from drinking all day and afternoon, that despite taking a nap before SNL, I'm just worn out.  I don't know if I'll finish the beer - because its STRONG.

The bourbon flavor is delicious.

The orange is present, and the cherry flavor lingers.

But it legit tastes like a old fashioned - I can definitely see why Garrett enjoys this beer.

They nailed the flavors, I just think it's a little too much for me tonight, we'll see how much I can finish during the show.

1751. Sun King The Flying Cupcake

John Petty told me about this beer a long time ago, and I'm FINALLY getting around to trying it.

And it is DELICIOUS.  It's like sweet frosting in my mouth.

It goes down light and smooth, and easy, and then leaves a wonderful sweet note on my tongue.

I drank a couple of them, and even Jason Maier got one - so, you know it's worth your time!

1750. Pax Verum Ruins of Mutiny (Joe's Beer)

A while ago, I got to go to Pax Verum with the Joe's Guys, and their beer was just released a few days ago (and a few days earlier than originally expected).

The beer good.  It's not my normal jam, but it's very drinkable.

It's not super-dry, but a little mild-dry.

It does have some citrusy-light-like flavors in the back end, but they're not too powerful.

I'll drink some to support my friends, but it's not my favorite beer.

1749. Taxman 1040EZ

Once upon a time, Taxman was my favorite Indiana brewery.

That has changed.  This beer sucks.  

I was over at the Miller house, watching Bayern and celebrating Mason's birthday (who shares his birthday with the founding day of FC Bayern Munich).  I found this beer in their fridge, and Garrett offered it to me.

And it sucks.  The flavor isn't good.  It's dry.

I'm not a fan.

1748. Destihl Hawaii Five Ale

Hm.

I should have known.

Wait, first things first.

Tonight Jason Maier, Jason Richardson and myself are recording our March episode of Shane Talks.

I'm opening the episode discussing this beer.

Back to the beer.

After the terrible taste of the Peanut Butter Cup over the weekend, I was scared to buy this beer.

And for good reason.

But it said "coconut" and you KNOW those are my magic words to get me to buy a beer.  

Or a drink.

Or a deodorant.

Or a body spray.

Or a body wash.

Or a candle.

Or a lotion.

It's just a magical word!

Destihl is NOT becoming a favorite brewery of mine.

My first clue, when I poured the beer, it sounded like I was pouring a fizzy soda.

My first drink had ZERO flavor to it - like it had less flavor than a Miller High Life.

However, some favor does sneak into the back, but it's not a nice blending of th flavors, it's like drinking a suicide from the gas station.  They are all just there, and don't work well together.

Major disappointment.

1747. Steven's Point PB Cup

DID I OPEN THE SAME BEER?

This crap tastes just as bad as the previous beer I threw out!

Ugh.  Tonight has turned into a huge disappointment.

One drink, and the taste was exactly like the previous crap beer.

So, I let this one sit for 30 minutes to warm up, and see if that chalky-taste would go away.

It did not.  It also got poured down the sink.

Years ago, I would refuse to pour beer down the sink.

Years ago, I would not "waste" beer the way I did tonight.

But now, I refuse to subject my mouth to beer that sucks.

1746. Destihl Peanut Butter Porter

Uh, this beer sucks.

This is not a good beer.

Their attempts at chocolate flavor obviously comes from cacao, because it's dry and chalky.

This beer lacks all peanut butter flavor, because all I can taste is dry powder.

Three drinks, and I poured out the rest of this beer.  

I wasn't willing to subject myself to any more of this terribleness.

Double Peanut Butter Cup Night

These two beers have been sitting in my fridge for a few weeks.

My original goal was to drink them on Valentine's Day, with some Reese's Hearts (my LEAST favorite Reese's holiday offering, as it has the worst PB:Chocolate ratio out of all of them), but I never got around to buying the hearts, and just didn't care about it enough on that day.

So, I was at the store and saw the Eggs, which are the BEST PB:Chocolate Ratio, and I figured I'd repurpose my purpose of buying those beers.

Now, here we are.  It's Saturday night, and I'm going to pair each beer with a Reese's Egg.

Delicious times.

Founders Green Zebra Rankings

Showed up at Joe's Fishers tonight to hang out with my buddy Ben.

My friend Durant was bartending, and was very happy to show off the Green Zebra Variety Pack that he ordered for the bar.  I saw this a perfect opportunity to try some tasty new beers for the website.

And now, I'm going to give my final rankings.

#1. Mango.  There's just something great about this one.  The mango flavor is powerful and sour, and I think it's really tasty.

#2. Watermelon.  The original, it's still delicious, and it's so refreshing.  Perfect flavor.

#3. Pineapple.  Not sour, not tart, just a powerful pineapple flavor that would be perfect for sitting on the beach on a hot summer day.  Very refreshing.

#4.  Peach.  Blah.  Not a fan.  Very powerful peach flavor, that's not sour or tart at all.  If you like peach, you should like this - I do not.

1745. Founders Green Zebra Pineapple

Green Zebra #4 - Pineapple!

This one is good, it's not great.  It does have the pineapple flavor down perfect, but it also lacks any sour or tart-ness to the beer.  It's still tasty, and I think it would be perfect for a hot summer day on the beach.  The pineapple flavor is very refreshing.

Easily the third best Green Zebra tonight.

1744. Founders Green Zebra Peach

Green Zebra #3 - Peach.

Blah.  I'm not a big peach fan, and this has serious peach flavor.

It's also the least sour or tart of any Green Zebras so far.

I'm not a fan of this at all.  I'm putting it into last place - yes, fourth place, I can't imagine the next one can be worse than this.

If you like peach, you should like this.

1743. Founder Green Zebra Mango

Green Zebra #2 - MANGO!

The original Green Zebra is very good, but the Mango is a step up.

I really enjoy the citrus flavor, and this one tastes a little more sour than tart.

Mango has moved into the #1 spot on the Green Zebra Charts.

1140 REVISITED: Founders Green Zebra (Watermelon)

The date was July 15th, 2018.

France and Croatia were playing in the World Cup.

It was the first official time that my family hung out with Garrett's family, and of course Ryan Miller was late to the party.  We tried to go to Chatham Tap, but two hours before the match, they were full.

So, we ended up down the street getting pizza, and I had this beer (Beer #1140) for the first time.

It was delicious.

It is still delicious.

Wonderful Gose, not super sour, but a nice tart.

I am still a fan.

AND.  Tonight, I get to try three variant for the first time! 

So, here we go!

1742. Metazoa Good Boy

Super Bowl Second Half!

Rihanna was a decent halftime show, I was disappointed that Eminem didn't show up to do either of their songs together.  But, her song selection was nice, and the dancing was interesting.  Kind of minimal, but nothing wrong with that.  Visually had some moments.

So, as the Chiefs kick off, I'm opening a beer from Metazoa, and it's fine.

It's a pilsner, and it tastes exactly how a pilsner should.

It's light and easy to drink, and the flavor is what I expect.

So, it's a fine beer, but there's nothing special or unique about it.

1741. Four Day Ray Mystic Ember

Super Bowl Beer #1!

My original plan was to find a Kansas City beer and a Philly Beer, and then drink whichever one of them won the Super Bowl.

Then I was thinking about getting those two beers and drinking one each half, based on whoever had the first possession in each half.

But then I would need one more from each city, so that I could drink to whoever the winner was.

And in typical Shane fashion, I completely talked myself out of even trying this, because I was giving myself so much anxiety over it.

Instead, I'm starting off the Super Bowl with the beer that was given to me by my buddy Ray.

A Four Day Ray from Ray.  That was cute.

It's  a good rauchbier.  I enjoy it, but I think I would honestly enjoy it more around the campfire.

I don't know exactly why, by the flavors of this beer, invoke the memories of a campfire, and I think this beer would be a good one for a chilly night, that's warmed up with a fire.  

The smokiness gives the beer a warm flavor, but it's also light enough that it's refreshing and doesn't leave my mouth dry.  So, I dig it.  But, also think I would only give it another go under the conditions I previously mentioned.

1740. Voodoo Love Child

It's "Dateline" time!  And it's a Keith Morrison episode.

The skeleton on this can, represents the murder being showcased on "Dateline" tonight.

Belgians and Tripels used to my jam.  I really loved them.  Do I still love them?

This is my second tripel tonight.  Another 9.5% ABV-er.

It's fruited.

But it's not fruity.

Very similar taste to the previous beer tonight.

Once again, it's not bad.  It's just not something I really enjoy.

Bummer.

1739. Victory Berry Monkey

It's a Pacers Friday Night!

And I had an amazing week at work, so I'm in the mood to celebrate all the good and amazing things that are going on in my work life.  I'm probably going to have a couple of beers tonight, and the first one is another Monkey from Victory.

BEER 812 was the Golden Monkey.

BEER 1082 was the Sour Monkey.

And tonight, it's the Berry Monkey.

Berry Monkey is okay.  

It's not very sour or tart, like it is  little bit, but I think the 9.5% ABV hurts the flavor.

The beer isn't bad, but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

This beer is kind of putting a damper on my celebratory mood...

Victory at work, not in my pint glass.

Hopefully my next choice is superior to this.

1738. Prairie Artisan Slush

It's another Saturday Night Live Beer!  This week I'm excited for both Pedro Pascal and Coldplay!

I'm a huge fan of Prairie Artisan, and I'm happy to find a new sour from them.

It is really tasty.  Mild tart, but it leaves a really nice lingering sour taste. 

Nice berry flavors mixed with citrus flavors.  I dig it.

1737. Hidden Springs Full Moon Party

Another sour from Hidden Springs.

Not as good as the other one - but again, it was also out of a can.

I would try it again, if glassware was involved, but it was barely sour, and I didn't care of the flavor.  It wasn't bad, but just nothing good.

1736 Hidden Springs Riot Juice

Went to a showing of "The Room" at the Kan Kan Theatre, it was my first time there, and I was happy to see some sours that I have never had.  The first one I tried was Riot Juice, and it was pretty good.  Nice tart, but hard to really enjoy out of the can.  The beer smelled good, but I got none of that aroma when I was drinking it.  So, not a lot of flavors came through, but it was a nice tart, and mildly sour berry taste.  I enjoyed it, and would like to try it again with glassware.  (They do have a full bar, and I probably could have asked for a glass from them, I bought this beer at their concession stand, and didn't think about the bar until I was already seated.)

1735. Pax Verum Indiana Pale Ale

Part TWO of today's Double Header.

The Bengal shocked the Bills (which I'm happy about, since Cincy is the sister city to Munich).

Now, I'm rooting for my friend, who is a huge Cowboys fan.

And for the second beer, the honest truth is that I've tried this before.

Back during the Pax Verum visit, this was one of the beer we taste-tested that day.

I liked my sample that day, so I wanted to make sure to get it on the website.

One thing I enjoy about this beer, is that all of the ingredients are from Indiana. (Hence the name)

I like this pale, because it's NOT bitter, and it's not hop heavy.

37 IBUs isn't bad, and it almost has a malty-ale flavor profile.

The aroma is appealing, and the beer doesn't let down.

Again, it's not a typical pale, and hop heads will be disappointed, but it's something I enjoy.

1734. Pax Verum Tidal Rift

It's a Pax Verum Double Header today!

First up, to go along with the Bills/Bengals match up, we have a Dry Hopped New Zealand Style Pilsner.

It's blah.

Not much flavor, and it is dry.

There is a little flavor, but not enough for me to know that I'm tasting, before my mouth is just dry and wants another drink.  Sadly, it's a vicious cycle, and I my tongue never feels refreshed.

I've had way worse than this, but it's nothing I will ever seek out.

1733. Mad Anthony Ruby Raspberry Wheat Ale

This is only my second beer from Mad Anthony, and I was not impressed with their IPA back in 2013.

Ten years later, my law firm does a lot of business from Ft. Wayne, so I picked up this beer last weekend when I realized they were from Ft. Wayne.

I know I've been saying I was going to knock out my Pax Verum beers, and because I have two left - I'm going to drink one during each of the NFL games tomorrow.

Tonight, I am going fruity and celebrating the return of "SNL" and the gorgeous Aubrey Plaza hosting tonight.  

This beer is okay.

It's not bad in any way, but it also doesn't stand out as amazing.

The wheat beer aspect of the beer is tasty, it's exactly what it should taste like.

The raspberry flavor is there, but it is really subtle.  It creeps in slowly, but it's there, and it's good.

This would be a good summer, outdoors, refreshing drink.

4.2% ABV makes it able to be drank for long sessions, and 8 IBUs means it's light and goes down super easy.

Time to enjoy it, and have some laughs.

1732. Big Lug Hans Grubeer

My original plan for this week, was to indulge in Pax Verum. 

I had three beers of theirs in my fridge, and planned Wed/Thu/Fri to be Pax beer nights.

Well, last night, I just wasn't feeling like a beer - but I did meet up with my buddy Peddie and we did a beer swap.  So, since I already broke my Pax-streak last night, I decided that tonight I would enjoy the beer Peddie gave me, and save the Pax beers for American football this weekend.

First, I wish I knew about this beer back in December.  I would have definitely paired this beer with a night of watching "Die Hard".

Second, like the villain of this beer's namesake, I don't like it.

Wait.  That doesn't really work.  I love Hans Gruber as a villain.  He's amazing, Rickman is amazing.

So, like, I do like Gruber as a villain, but he's a bad guy.  He's the antagonist.  So, Hans Grubeer is the antagonist of my taste buds - and they don't like Grubeer.

It's an IPA, I didn't expect to like it - but sometimes IPAs surprise me.

Like the recent Pax Verum IPAs - some were not bad, while others were.

The beer has a nice aroma, but from the first drink - it causes trauma in my mouth, that reverts my taste buds back to 2015's West Coast IPA surge.  It's not the driest beer I've ever drank, but it makes my mouth regret drinking it - with every sip I take.  If you're an IPA person, you should like this. 

It sounds like Peddie liked it more than me.

I love the can.

I don't like the beer. 

1731. Pax Verum Expand Your View

After last week's visit to Pax Verum, my weekend trip to Total Wine saw me seeking out some of their beers to add to the website.  I really enjoyed my chat with their owner and brewer, and wanted to make sure I showed them some love on the website.

First, I LOVE THIS CAN.  The eye.  The skull.  The alien.  I think it looks really cool.   The owner of Pax Verum talked a lot about his friend who draws their cans, and his work is dope.  I specifically enjoy this piece on this can.

The can reads: "Robust porter with bourbon barrel aged chocolate malt".

So, this might be the first time that I know of hearing about this version of brewing - aging the malts before brewing?  That's what I assume this statement means.  And since the beer comes in at only 6.8% ABV - I don't believe this aging is done after the beer is brewed, it sounds like the chocolate malts themselves are barrel aged.  I wish I would have known to ask about this when I was there.  I do plan to head out there again soon, and am excited to discuss this exact process.

So, the beer.  It's good.  I dig it.  The chocolate aroma is present, and the flavor is strong when drinking the beer.  There is a subtle hint of bourbon in the drinking, and it's really enjoyable.  It's just there enough to provide some good flavor, but does not overpower the flavor of the beer.  My lips are even a little sweet with a hint of the bourbon when I lick them.  There is a brief, dry flavor in the aftertaste, but it oddly doesn't stick around very long, which is cool.  

It's halftime of the Pacers game, and we aren't looking very good tonight.

Haliburton is obviously our MVP.  I still love this team this year, and have enjoyed watching them - even when we lose.  I didn't expect much this season, and these kids have surpassed all my wants for this season.  

1730. Grand Junction My Dirty Dancer

This is my first beer from Grand Junction, I've been meaning to go check them out, but I don't know how quickly I'll be doing that now.

I bought the beer because I like the name/font.

This beer falls into my "Glorified Miller Lite" category, and there is nothing more to say it.

Drinkable.

I meant to drink this beer last night, as a celebration of not dying in my first ever indoor soccer match. I’ve never played competitive soccer in my life, and the last time I played any competitive sport was in 2006.  So, I was happy to be involved in a team sport again, and after the match, I planned to celebrate with this beer - until I was so sore that I couldn’t get off the couch, and decided the beer wasn’t that important. So, tonight, it’s my late celebration. 

1729. Untitled Art Lemon Sherbet Fruited Sour

So, I love Untitled Art.

Most likely, I would consider them my favorite brewery, despite the single-brewing/collabs that they do.  I'm still always impressed by everything I drink from them.

This is one that I might have been a little TOO excited for.

It's good.  I do enjoy this beer  lot, but I don't know if it's one of my favorites from them - and it should be.

I think my disappointment comes from the fact that this beer is NOT sour in any way, like the can led me to believe.  It's tart, mildly tart - but nothing close to sour.

The lemon flavor is really good.

And the lactose and vanilla make it nice and creamy.  It definitely attempts to make the sherbet flavor, and it succeeds overall.  The beer is tasty, and does have great lemon flavor.  I just wish it was more sour.

I'm not mad, just a little sad that I expected too much - based on the can.

The lemon flavor does linger in the back of my mouth, and that does make me happy.

I made this evening, a Lemon Evening.

My current favorite soda I'm drinking is a Warheads Lemon Soda - and it's SOUR.  Like, legit SOUR.

Like my mouth is watering as I'm typing this, remembering drinking it thirty minutes ago.  That sour makes me happy, because it literally tastes like I just shoved a warhead candy into my mouth, and I'm enjoying that sour burst.  I almost wish I still had another can of the soda - because I would mixed the end of my beer, with an equal amount of soda, to see what that would taste like...  

1728. People's Boiler Gold

I know People's the best from the Brickyard Battalion IPAs that I've been forced to drink at Indy Eleven matches.  But, I've seen this beer around for a few years, and I always wanted to drink it with my ex-brother-in-law, because he graduated from Purdue.  They have this golden ale version, and their Boiler Black beer, which is a dark ale.  I always thought they would be perfect for making Black and Tans, but I never got that chance with him.

So, when another Purdue friend decided to host a poker night, I found it to be the perfect chance to bring this beer to share.  When I arrived, I asked Snow, "Have you tried this yet?"  His response was, "I think you brought it over one time before..."

Now, he got me thinking, and trying to remember if I did ever bring it over before? According to this website, the answer is no, as it has never been documented on here.  Is Snow trying to "Girl on the Train" me?  Nonetheless, if I have drank it with him before, then I am drinking and documenting it tonight.

The beer is fine.  It's okay.  It's kind of what I expected from People's - I'm learning I'm not really a fan of theirs.  Their stuff is fine, but never good.  And their decision to make Brickyard Battalion beers as IPAs, really has me questioning them in general.  Or, maybe I'm the only person on the planet who thinks IPAs in the hot sun, does NOT quench my thirst?

So, back to this golden ale.  It's fine.  I doubt I will ever buy it again, unless I'm doing those Black and Tans I mentioned with the Boiler Black beer.

UPDATE:  I ran my mouth a lot today, and I have some incredible luck to get TWO saves on the river, when I had gone all in.  But, in the end, I was the first person knocked out.  I went all-in pre-flop with pocket Aces, and got out drawn.  I can't be mad.  I don't blame Jeff for his call - suited runners, and he hit a straight.  We both made the right moves, the cards just fell in his favor.  Still an amazing evening with some great friends.  Now, back to dealing cards for everyone else.

1727. 18th Street Brewing The Shield

On Thursday, my buddy Jon was raving about this beer that he was about to tap on Friday.  I knew I was going to be up here today, so I made sure to swing in for brunch, so I could try it. 

It’s a very flavorful and tasty Porter. 

There’s not really any outstanding flavors to this beer, but it tastes exactly like it should, and the flavors are strong and delicious.  It’s very tasty, and I am really enjoying it. 

(Even though it’s in a Goose Island glass!)

I had to steal a picture from the internet because the can is really dope:

1726. Pax Verum Dark Matter

This week, I was honored to be invited to join a group of my good friends, in meeting with the owners and brewers of Pax Verum in Lapel, Indiana - as they begin a collaboration together.  Pax Verum is going to brew an IPA for the in house beer at my friend's bar.  And while everyone knows IPAs aren't my jam, I was invited to come along, do the taste testing, and discuss some ideas for the brew.

The guys (and gal) at Pax Verum have earned a new fan, after the time I spent with them.

Previously, I had only ever tried their Møtrboat (Beer #1537), which I only bought because of the can - and really enjoyed.

So, we tasted their Pale, and four of their IPA variations.  They picked one they thought would be the best base to start with, discussed some changes, and should have a solid recipe for a beer that's going to sell really well for them.  I am beyond excited to see how it turns out.

The crew at Pax Verum, were so cool, so chill, had absolutely zero ego, and just loved talking beers.

I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of brewers in my time in the beer world - and sadly, too many of them have an ego, think their shit is the only good stuff on Earth, and are dismissive of other brewers.  That's the exact opposite of the vibe I got the entire time I was hanging out with these guys.  We chatted about home brewing roots, the evolution of their beers over the past five years, the recipes they've tweeked, and some of the challenges they've faced.  The entire time, they were nothing but positive energy, and so much to chat with.  It's about a 30 minute drive for me, but I look forward to making a somewhat regular trip up to visit their brewpub.

Aside from the IPAs, they did give us some samples of their other styles - and I feel in love with Dark Matter.  To the point that I had to buy a four-pack of cans to bring home, so I could drink it some more.  It's a perfectly creamy milk stout that goes down like chocolate milk, and while the coconut flavor isn't as huge I prefer it - the lingering coconut flavor in the aftertaste is just enough to make this beer SO enjoyable.  As I'm watching the Pacers/Hawks, I'm letting it warm up, and the warmer it gets, the stronger that coconut lingering flavor is.  This is a delicious beer, especially at this time of the year.

(They also allowed us to taste a candied-stout, and it I swear there was some maple in there too - it was amazing, and too sweet for it's 11% ABV)

1725. Platform Midnight Martian

I ordered this beer based solely on the can - and luckily I wasn't disappointed when I learned it was a sour!  Woohoo!

A few of the guys from my Fantasy Football League got together to have some beers on the last regular season Sunday of the year.  I am in Ryan Miller's bar - rooting for his Packers - while he and Garrett are both in Green Bay, at Lambeau, watching it live.

So, the beer is good and fruity - with a very nice sour kick.  It's a solid 6/10 on the sour scale, nothing crazy, but good enough to make my mouth happy.  I would never turn this beer down.

1724. The Bruery Whole Lotta Colada

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's my first beer of 2023!

After the eleven months of HELL I went through in 2022, I've been blessed this last month, and I haven't been able to celebrate with anyone, so I'm celebrating with myself tonight.

I've had my eyes on this beer since September, but it's tough to justify $20 for a single 16oz can.

But last night, as I was sitting around and lamenting about this hellscape of 2022, I decided I wanted to treat myself, and finally celebrate this amazing last month that has given me a new lease on life.  So, I made the decision I was finally going to treat myself to this beer, and enjoy it as the ball drops.

I had already bought myself a bottle of Sparkling Grape Juice, because that's what I've done the past few years.  Last year, I wasn't drinking, and the year before Caitlin and I had Lily, so we shared a couple of bottles of Sparkling Grape Juice.  So, that was my plan for tonight, but that changed.

The Bruery.

Coconut.

Bourbon Barrel Aged.

I have a history of these three things together.  And this time, Mango and Vanilla are in the mix.

A History Lesson:

So, back in 2013, Ryan Miller introduced my to The Bruery with BEER #353 - Mischief.  

A few weeks later, I would find a coconut beer from The Bruery, and it became BEER #392.

Around Christmas of 2019, I would find a Bourbon Barrel Coconut beer from The Bruery, but I wasn't happy with the coconut flavor of BEER #1379.

At our "Independence Day" Party of 2020, Ryan Miller found what I consider to be the BEST coconut beer, ever.  And BEER #1445 was Bourbon Barrel Aged from The Bruery.

So, how does Beer 1724 stand up to the others?

It’s really tasty - but I don’t think it tops #1445.

The aroma is sweet-bourbon. It’s very appealing. 

The mango hits hard upfront. 

Followed by the bourbon flavor. 

Then it mellows out with the coconut, and I do enjoy that. 

The coconut doesn’t linger for very long, and honestly - there’s not much after that.  Some residual bourbon-like flavor is kind of there, but strangely, all flavor is gone quickly. 

Still really tasty, and for 10% ABV, I don’t feel it. 

This could be a sneaky one. 

1723. Sun King Chocolate Coconut Shadow Proof

I've done a few different versions of Shadow Proof over the years.

First was Beer #1413.  The Coconut Bourbon Barrel Version.  This Beer, 1723, is like the updated version of that first one I tried.

Then there was Beer #1488 - The Peanut Butter Cup version.

Then Beer #1497 was the plain Bourbon Barrel aged version.

Finally, I tried their "Son of Shadow Proof" variant that has chocolate, almond, and coconut.  That was Beer #1538.  And it was just okay.

This Chocolate Coconut version is really good and enjoyable.

The chocolate is creamy and not chalky.

There is a hint of coconut - never as much as I want, but still enough to make me happy.

The bourbon is subtle, and not as powerful as many beers like this - however, I was sipping on the beer, due to it's 11% ABV, and as the beer got warmer and warmer, the bourbon flavor got stronger and stronger.  This is a weird time where I will admit that I liked the beer the colder it was. 

(That doesn't happen often)

1382 RIVISITED?: BrewDog Hoppy Christmas?

Beer 1382 was BrewDog's Hoppy Xmas in 2019.

I have to assume this is the same beer, despite the change in spelling.

Reading the description, it's about how this tastes, so I'm just going to call this a re-visiting.

I drank one with the main course dinner we had at The Millers, where there were many variously prepared meats, and we got to cook them ourselves on skewers, and then dip them in an array of seasonings and sauces.

The beer was blah.  It's an IPA, it's not my favorite, but it's manageable.

Paulaner Weizen-Radler NA

Garrett, Ryan, and I have all been looking for Paulaner NA (It's advertised heavily during Bayern Munich matches) - and Ryan is going to start carrying it for me at Joe's Fishers, if we ever find it.

Garrett came really close.  He found Paulaner's NA Radler, and since I like lemon - I really love this beer.  

For Christmas Eve, the Millers didn't want me to be home alone, so they invited me over to their parent's house for an amazing afternoon of eating, drinking, and games.  And I enjoyed the entire six pack throughout the event.  One of my favorite drinks recently.  I will be buying more in the future.

1722. Sun King Momster Truck

Friday night, Pacers beer!

The raspberry aroma is strong when you smell this beer.

The raspberry flavor is prominent in this beer.

It's not very sour, but there is a little tart in the front of the beer.

It mellows out, and I'm assuming the passion fruit is what I taste in the back half of this beer, because it's not raspberry anymore.

The beer is tasty, and I like it.

It's nothing amazing, or that I'm in love with - but it's enjoyable.

I'm not disappointed.

1721. New Belgium Holiday Ale

The Pacers have a 5pm game today, so I'm going to celebrate with yet another holiday beer.

This time, it's a Holiday Ale from New Belgium.

I haven't drank a "new" New Belgium beer since 2018...

New Belgium has done a lot of holiday beers over the years.

In 2011, they did Snow Day (Beer #204)

In 2013, they did Accumulation (Beer #404)

Also in 2013, they did a re-issue of their 2005 beer: 2° Below (Beer #439)

I'm not sure how long they've been doing Holiday Ale, but it's not bad.

It's a full bodied ale, that feels heavy, but easy to drink.

There's not any really heavy "spice" to the beer, I think it's kind of there, and might become stronger as the beer warms up?

The cranberry flavor kicks in at the end, and is a really nice finish to this beer, after it feels like it warms up my body.  This is another one of those beers that would be awesome for sitting by the fireplace, cuddled up on a cold winter night, watching some good holiday specials (instead of a Pacers game).

1720. Lexington Brewing Kentucky Maple Barrel Stout

It's this week's SNL beer, and I'm really excited for it.

Over the years, the Lexington Brewing Company has released a lot of Bourbon Barrel options, and I've enjoyed a good number of them.

There is the standard Bourbon Barrel Ale.  (Beer #70 on the Original 152 post)

Pumpkin and spiced ale, aged in a Bourbon Barrel.  (Beer #332)

Brewed with Cherries and Oranges, then aged in an oak bourbon barrel, with bitters added. (Beer #818)

Brewed with Vanilla, and then aged in bourbon barrels.  (Beer #1125)

Finally, in 2020, Caitlin and I shared the Chocolate/Peppermint brewed, and aged in bourbon barrel version.  (Beer #1503)

Tonight.

Maple.

Bourbon.

Stout.

The bourbon smell is very strong.  It has me giving it multiple inhales, while I enjoyed and fear the beer.

It's a thick and tasty stout.

The maple hits upon the first drink, and then the bourbon flavor is really mellow in the backend - compared to how strong it's bourbon aroma is.

It's simple, and delicious at the same time, and the bourbon flavor is so subtle in the backend, that this beer could be tricky, hiding it's 12% ABV.

1719. Bier Brewing Christkindlmarkt

Christkindlmarkt is one of my favorite events that happens here in Indy (Carmel), and finding out that Bier had brewed a specific beer for this year was cool.

The can claims its an Orange and Chocolate Dunkelweizen.

Ok.  The orange wasn't very detectable - but it's possible because I drank it out of a can.

(Looking back, I had have my Christkindmarkt cup that I could have poured it into...)

I liked the beer, but I didn't love the beer - but again, I am thinking about going back, so that maybe I can let it warm up, and in a cup to try and see how different the flavor profile is with those tannins in my nose.

Still, this beer was very tasty, and was perfect for the chilly weather.

I got to share the night with my buddy Garrett and his family, and it was a very enjoyable time to feel like part of the family.