1371. Sun King Electric Reindeer

I was super hyped for this beer last holiday season, and by the time I tried to buy some - it was sold out at all the Sun King locations. 

Brown Ales are one of my favorite styles of beer, and I was really looking forward to this beer.  I came home tonight to learn that my sister-in-law happened to pick up a six pack for me (last year she went to Newfield’s and drank it there, and I told her how jealous I was - not sure if that’s where she picked it up today?)

Sadly, I don’t love this beer like I hoped.  The ginger and molasses just give it an odd duality of flavors.  It’s not bad, it’s just weird.  Like, it almost tries to make a cinnamon flavor, but it’s not.  It does do a good job of warming up the throat and body. 

So, I am super happy to have these beers, and will enjoy them in the holiday season.  

1370. Upland Teddy Bear Kisses - Coconut Variant

In 2013, the regular version of Teddy Bear Kisses was Beer #426, and I wasn't really a fan of it.

When I saw they did a Coconut Variant this year, I knew I wanted to try it.

I enjoyed the beer much more this time around, as I definitely let it sit for about 30 minutes to warm up before I drank it.  The cacao bitterness was far less, but the coconut flavor was still very subtle.  The beer was big, and the bourbon was powerful - perhaps it masked the coconut flavor.  I did like it much more than I remember from last time.

1369. BrewDog Jack Hammer

This beer is the epitome of Pale Ale.
I don't agree that it's "ruthless" - I have had pales that were more dry and more bitter - but this one does leave its own punch in your mouth.  Upfront, it has some really strong flavors hidden behind the dry slam of each drink.  The lingering flavor is a good one, despite how dry my mouth is.  It's drinkable, and I don't hate it - but it is very dry and bitter.

1368. Indiana City Ash & Elm Eastsider

A little while ago, Michael Maier and I went out to Ash & Elm for food/drinks.
I had really high hopes that I would be able to get this either on draft or in a can while I was there, but sadly, it was not available.  So, I found some of their ciders that I really enjoyed that day.

So, the Eastsiders beer is tasty.
There is a very good apple aroma in the smell.
Upfront it almost has a wheat-beer-like flavor quality to it.  A little thicker than I expected, and a also a little dryer.  The apple flavor pops through while drinking it and lingers in the aftertaste.  It goes down smooth, and even a little heavier than I expected from this beer.  Really enjoyable.

1367. Firestone Walker Coconut Merlin Stout

I haven't done very much from Firestone Walker, even thought I hear good things, and I see a number of their beers that I want to try.  I saw this one, and saw "coconut" - so I had to pick it up.

It's a really good stout, doesn't taste very "milky" to me, and there also is no coconut taste at all.  Despite those two things, it was still very good quality and I enjoyed the taste.

1366. Taxman Big Red Build-A-Beer

I saw an post on Taxman's Facebook page about a collaboration they did with Big Red, I guess it involved allowing the customers at Big Red voting on the ingredients they wanted in a beer - then Taxman took the results and brewed the beer those customers wanted.

And the beer sounded amazing to me - a Belgian-style Brown Ale with Vanilla!
Sadly, the beer was really blah.  It wasn't horrible or disgusting, it just didn't taste that great.

1365. Urban Artifact Photo Booth

Nice and tasty sour gose.
I'm not a huge grapefruit fan, and it's powerful - but the beer is still okay.

1364. Sun King Melo

Watermelon Tart Wheat Beer from Sun King.  Really light and refreshing and enjoyable.
It's nothing amazing, or praise-worthy, but its very tasty.  Much more a summer beer, in my opinion.

1363. New Glarus Kid Kölsch

A second gift from Garrett Miller.
It was a vert standard kölsch, nothing special. 
Simple and easy to drink.

1362. New Glarus Berliner Apfel

Light, crisp and refreshing.  This beer literally tastes like drinking alcoholic apple juice.
This beer was a gift from my friend, Garrett Miller from his recent trip to Wisconsin.

1361. ZwnazigZ The Ticket

This beer falls into the same category as Beer #656 Sonoran's White Chocolate and Beer #759 Evil Czech's Clayton Bigsby.  It's a really good, light beer with a great chocolate flavor in the backend.
Once again, it's looks are deceiving.

1360. ZwnazigZ Vanilla Cinnamon Porter

Really enjoyable porter.  The cinnamon seems to make it a little more dry and bitter, but the vanilla aftertaste is really good.

1359. ZwnazigZ May the Schwartz Be With You

Pretty decent black bier.  Good flavors, but nothing amazing.

1358. BrewDog Vermont Vampire

This beer boasts peach, pine, and coffee.
Three things I don't typically enjoy, and would never put together in a beer.
I wasn't really a fan of this beer.

1357. BrewDog Red & Dead IPA

Big and bold, lots of heavy flavors, but also pretty dry in the back end.
Not a bad IPA, it's drinkable.

1356. BrewDog Zombie Cake

This beer isn't bad - but it had the unfortunate luck of being drank while I was still on a high from Big Wood's Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle porter, which was far superior.  The addition of pralines also should have given the beer a sweet flavor, but it seemed to just bring out some real bitterness. 

1355. Big Woods Peanut Butter Busted Knuckle

This beer is amazing, possibly the best beer that I have ever had from Big Woods.  It's creamy, it's chocolaty.  It goes down really smooth, and a sweet peanut butter taste lingers for a while.  It's so enjoyable.

1354. Big Woods Coffee Coconut Fool's Russian Nitro

Strong coffee flavors, not much coconut.  The nitro makes it really smooth and easy to drink.

1353. BrewDog OverWorks Comsic Apricot

Pretty standard sour, not the best OverWorks has to offer - but it's really powerful in the apricot flavor.

1352. BrewDog What's Up Dog???

Really happy to see BrewDog do a brown ale.  It's really enjoyable, with great flavors.

1351. Sun King Batch 666: Sympathy For the Devil

Big and powerful flavors.  It's a little heavy, but the chocolate flavor is good, and the cherry is subtle.
It's a big boy, and I could probably only drink one.

1350. Redemption Dreamsicle

Really creamy and delicious.  They hit their goal with the flavors they were trying to capture.
Goes down like a melted creamsicle, orange and vanilla flavors are abundant.

1349. Bruery Goses Are Red

Absolutely delicious and enjoyable Gose.  Just the right sour, and goes down easy.

387 REVISITED: Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Originally drank on October 28th, 2013 as Beer #387.

169 REVISITED: Bell's Oktoberfest

Originally drank on September 11th, 2010 as Beer #169.

412 REVISITED: Schlafly Oktoberfest

Originally drank on November 8th, 2013 as Beer #412.

315 REVISITED: Upland Oktoberfest

Originally drank on September 28th, 2013 as Beer #315.

1151 REVISITED: Rhinegeist Franz

Originally drank last year, on August 11th, as Beer #1151.

1348. Revolution Oktoberfest

Very light and smooth up front, then the flavors kick, and there is quite a bit of dryness on the backend. 

1347. Yuengling Oktoberfest

I have probably had too many Märzens today...
I don't really like this one...
It just tastes very heavy.  Not light or refreshing at all.

1346. Rochester Mills Oktoberfest

Maybe I've had too many Märzens today?  This one just seems pretty blah.

1345. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen

A little thicker and heavier than other Märzens, but it also has a lot of good flavors in there.

1344. Warsteiner Oktoberfest

Very light and smooth Märzen.

1343. Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest

Pretty heavy Märzen with lots of flavors.

194 REVISITED: Spaten Oktoberfest

One of the earliest photos on  my website was from Oktoberfest of 2011.
This one is a staple every year, and one of my favorite Oktoberfest beers.
Much lighter than most Märzen-style beers.

1342. Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen

OKTOBERFEST 2019 has officially begun for me!
Drinking this Paulaner Oktoberfest during the Bayern Munich match - since Paulaner is the Offical Bier of FC Bayern.

It's a tasty Märzen!!!

Oktoberfest 2019

These are my Starting Thirteen Biers for Oktoberfest 2019!!!
I will be buying more over the next two weeks, but these are the individuals I found to give myself some delicious variety on the first weekend.

Also happy that a good number of these haven't been added to the website (even though I know I've had some of them before, I can't find them all on the website!)

1341. BrewDog ZooDog

Picked this beer up at the BrewDog Indy Equity Punk Opening Event.  It's one that I had seen on their website, and was happy it was available (it was the only canned beer they had that night that I hadn't already had - hopefully they start getting a lot more in). 

A very light pale ale, goes down smooth with just a small amount of bitterness.
The elderflower flavor isn't too bad, but nothing special.  It probably has a lot to do keeping the beer refreshing.

1340. Blind Owl Dedicduous Dunkelweiss

Very smooth and creamy dunkelweiss.
Powerful caramel flavor that goes down very quick and light with a lot of flavors.

1339. Breckenridge Strawberry Sky

Very light and fruity delicious. 

1338. North Coast Passionfruit Peach Berliner Weisse

DELICIOUS!!!!

Really perfect sour.  

Amazing flavors that blend so well together. 

1337. BrewDog Deep Slumber

Good beer.  Nice rye flavor.
Very nice aroma, just an okay beer overall.

1336. BrewDog OverWorks Cosmic Crush Boysenberry

Really solid sour.
Never had any idea boysenberry would be used in a sour - but it's delightful.

1335. BrewDog Blueberry Pulp Patriot

Five months ago, Beer #1241 was the regular version of Pulp Patriot.
I didn't like it very much.
Let me say this: Add some Blueberries, and this beer is delicious!!!
I don't know what the blueberries do with the hops, but it makes this beer completely different, and one that I really enjoy.

1334. BrewDog Homicidal Puppet Help Desk

Very good barleywine, with some deliciously powerful rye flavors to it.

1333. BrewDog Declassified Demi-God

This was another one of the off-menu options we were given tonight.

It was nice and creamy smooth.  Very enjoyable to drink.

1332. BrewDog Bird Brained Barracuda

Lots and lots flavors going on here, unfortunately, the coconut gets lost and overpowered by the molasses.