Brugge Brasserie - Cerne Pivo

Cerne Pivo

ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 5, low and smooth
SRM / Coloring: Deep red / mahogany


I'm doing some work at the local coffee shop in Broad Ripple on a dreary and rainy afternoon, when all of a sudden the temperature drops and I'm talkin it hits the floor.  I turn around to look outside the window and there is a snow storm going on outside of me, a thick wet snow coming down hard and just blanketing cars.  It's the first snow of the season, so I wrap up my booboo and go for a beer at Brugge.

I run into Ted, Brugge's owner and brewmaster, and we get to talking about what I had and he filled me in about what what Cerne Pivo actually met.  As with German beers where Bock means strong beer, Pils means light lager, and Dunkel means dark lager, the same classifications exist in other countries.  The Cerne Pivo is a Belgian style beer, which literally translates to dark beer.

This is a dark lager with a medium body, which is loaded with taste and flavor but still easy to drink and refreshing.  It has a nice hoppy touch which is very prevalent in both smell and taste, but what always impresses me about Brugge's beer is how they can somehow manage to balance their darker bitter beers on the back end.  Similarly to their Black, the Cerne Pivo has a full taste but then comes clean and a bit sweet.   This is a good enough beer to be featured year round, as it's easy drinkability and dark mixture of flavors would work in a bunch of different settings and please a wide range of beer drinkers, casual and connoisseurs.

Flat 12 Bierwerks - Nunmoere Black ABA

Nunmoere Black ABA

ABV: dunno
IBU: ugh
SRM / Coloring: Jet Black

I was kind of disappointed in myself on this one.  I got a tweet from Flat 12 about the tapping of their bourbon barrel Nunmoere Black ABA on the tuesday before Thanksgiving, and without reading the tweet fully (which in itself is monumentally idiotic since it's less than 150 characters) I assumed that the tapping was for Black Wednesday.  For those of you who are socially inept, Black Wednesday is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and one of the biggest drinking days of the year.  Everyone comes back in town and wants to go turbo max with old friends before being tied down with the family.

I thought, "Oh what a grand idea, tapping the American Black Ale on black Wednesday," only it wasn't on Wednesday.  The tapping was for black Friday, so I show up at the Brewery for an unveiling and it ain't happening.  No sweat though, there's still beer to be had, and on tap is the original Nunmoere Black so I decided to go at it and give it a review.

I wish I had made it downtown for the bourbon barrel Black tapping because it would undoubtedly be fantastic.  Bourbon barrel aged beers tend to have an oaky / smokey flavor added to the beer which would have complimented the hops and bitter taste of the Nunmoere, just like being next to a bonfire.  However, the regular Nunmoere was somewhat lacking that extra edge and just came off as being dark and bitter with little other character.  This would be a beer to sample alongside the bourbon barrel cousin so you can really notice the difference the barrel adds.

Upland Brewery - Winter Warmer Barley Wine

Upland Brewery - Winter Warmer Barley Wine

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: 46.7

SRM / Coloring: 18.5, medium brown to red

Helios pale ale and some Floribbean Flair was awesome, excellent combination, add some sun on my back and sand between my toes and it would be damn near perfect. After that though I wanted to try one of the seasonal's that Upland had going on, so I went up to chat with the lovely young woman standing behind the counter.

"Good tidings fair vendor of beers and enjoyment," I sexily proclaimed. "I would like to inquire about your most recent addition to the list of artisian alcoholic beverages."

"Indeed gov'nor," the handsome woman replied. She was a vibrant breath of alternative style and feminine allure that draws in the usual customer with smiles and quirky acts of intrigue and childhood sweetness. She wore a mottled green satin gentleman's jacket with a ruffled collar, over black knickerbockers complimented with a worn top hat.

"What'd my lord be interested in this evening?" She was also a street urchin character actor circa sixteenth century England.

"I've recently tried your Helios Pale Ale, to my utter enjoyment, but I must confess that currently my mood has changed. I'm looking for a drink much darker to warm my spirits on this windy Autumn's night."

"Too right you are suh, might I be reccomendin the Winter Warmer barley wine? It'll put you in a good spot it would, even when you'd be out on the cobblestones makin your way back to the mrs. you'd be feelin top notch you would yes suh."

"Pour me a tankard then," I proclaimed as I threw her a sixpence. Naturally she bit it to see if it was real, since she's a sixteenth century street urchin.

A beer couldn't have been named better. The winter warmer is a barley wine variation, thicker than most other beers and stronger to boot, but also has a greater emphasis on the grains and spices added into the mix. As a result is has more of an earthy flavor to it, and you can really taste the malts and grains mixing around in it. It's got a full body and maxed out flavor and aromas. Where as the Helios lager is more prone to cool you off on a hot summer day, this baby will bring out the color in your cheeks and your face as well, heating you up from your head all the way down.

Floribbean Flair Island Food

So I don't typically do food reviews (I like to stick with I know best ya feel me?), but I've been noticing that all of these awesome food trucks have been parking around Broad Ripple and downtown, specifically around breweries and places where you can get craft beer. I've seen the Scratch Truck and West Coast tacos everywhere in Broad Ripple, Byrnes, grilled pizza, downtown a lot, and most recently the Floribbean Flair Island Food truck. Most of these vendors have amazing food and I've been blown away by every single one, so I decided to jump in head first on this one. And, I got to talking with the guys who ran the truck, both owners and head chefs, and they sold me on the product.

I gotta say, I made fun of the Florribbean Flair truck at first. Most other food trucks look pretty professional; fancy paint jobs or full body wraps, colorful menus, QR codes and information, reviews, the works like any other restaurant. This is a small little guy that looks like it could be pulled around by a Prius; the size of a small Uhaul with a dry erase board menu with four items, and a tiki light hanging out front. If there wasn't someone sitting inside of it, you'd think that people were moving kitchen supplies to another location. My dad and I were examining the truck from inside Upland, trying to figure out what the hell it was, when one of the guys standing beside it came in to see what was up.

As it turns out, the man was actually the head Chef of the company, as well as the Italian restaurant Iozzo's downtown, and they had just started their food truck business several months ago. With renowned crab cakes and fish tacos that are shipped all over the country, we all decided that we had to bag our previous dinner plans and try this shit out.

Damn, Floribbean Flair follows suit with it's food truck brethren and makes some damn good caribbean food. It's very hard to make a niche for yourself in the food industry, especially one centered around street food and catering to either walking or drunk, but Floribbean Flari does this effortlessly making seafood classics as well as others that are both portable, accessible, and scrumtrulescent. The crab cakes were fabulous and had a nice mixture of meat and vegetables mixed in. Fish tacos were great and made with Basa, a light white fish similar to grouper but firmer and less "fishy," which is typically a big problem for my mom. They also had an Island burger that old man Neff went for, complete with a slice of pineapple on a Hawaiian bun, and a cuban sandwich which was quite the treat. Throw in some horseradish dipping sauce, some sriracha, and some coleslaw and you got a dope dinner to accompany some dope beer. Their truck is small, their menu is small, but in this case they take what they make and really warp it into a piece of culinary art.

Upland Brewery - Helios Pale Ale

Helios Pale Ale

ABV: 4.9%

IBU: 21.7

SRM / Coloring: 6.2, light gold as you can see

It's Thanksgiving Weekend, my sister is back in town and my parents are looking to spend some time together. My first thought, let's go have a few drinks and really unbutton the collar a little bit, eh? Ol pops totally agrees and we head out to grab some cocktails, but I'm thinking about getting some good beer in the process, so I grab the reins and navigate the family mini van over to the Upland Tasting Room to see whats going on.

It's starting to cool off a little outside, naturally being November in Indiana, but any of you who live in them Midwest or more specifically Indiana will know that the weather here has a better turn radius than my car; this weekend alone has gone from mid 30's and rainy to mid 60's a gorgeous. Typically I'd go for a darker beer to warm me up on the inside, something spicy and full bodied, but I was feeling a bit saucy and wanted to go for a lighter drink, refreshing and all, so I bit on the Helios Pale Ale.

When I think of lagers and pale ale's I typically think of your standard American beers, Budweiser, Coors and the like, clean tasting but with a heavy emphasis on the grains in the beer. The Helios is quite a different story. Though your typical grainy, hoppy flavors are still present, it is nicely complimented but a citrus aroma and flavor giving it an extra edge / leg up over those other run of the mill variations. Perfect for a hot day or a thirst quencher, and for those trying to find something beyond the king / banquet / triple hops brewed. This beer is served year round, so need to sprint out your door, but a great place to grab it in a growler, especially with Upland's unique carbonating growler filling machines. Tubular.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - India Pale Ale

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: Unknown, at least above 60

SRM / Coloring: Cloudy Gold

It's hard to argue with the IPA; pretty much a go to for beer drinkers, especially those who are just breaking into the unique realm of beer, exploring micro brew options. Typically characterized by a slightly bitter flavor and and overwhelming taste of hops, IPA's are what really get most people, and admittedly myself into the different types of beers that are out there.

IPA's actually have a very interesting origin. Great Britain had recently added the area that is now India to it's vast empire, and was sending various business men, troops, and people over to occupy and run the country. However, at that time, the only way to get to the other side of the globe was by boat, so travelers had to brave months of sea travel to get over to the new territory. In order to send certain foods and provisions, great Britain had to take certain steps to ensure that the supplies would last the extensive journey. In the case of beer, they increased the hops so that the beer would stay fresh for as long as possible. Thus the India Pale Ale was born, and so aptly named.

It's kind of funny having the Brew Pub's IPA, which is simply named IPA. I guess I'm just used to crazy names like Komodo Dragonfly and Centennial Martyr, but sometimes the simple things are the best. This IPA is a solid variation that isn't like to upset, shock, or amaze many people, but it's a solid go to for many beer drinkers and people looking for the next step up from a lager or a pilsner. Great to pair with fried foods like their nachos or scotch eggs, or something spicy like their Herdsman's Chili.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub

For the most part, microbreweries in Indianapolis double as restaurants to cover their overall costs. While still touting the title of brewery, they serve food as well and are family restaurants where anyone and everyone can sit down and have a bite or a brew. Unfortunately though, the average place like this is unable to to work well in both fields; they either have great beer and shitty / no food, or fantastic food and the beer is only sub par. And, as Indiana laws stand, in order to serve beers to drink in the facility, the company has to provide some kind of food, limiting some companies to only providing growler and bullet carryout. Quite the unfortunate situation. One of the few place that is able to transcend these issues and provide fantastic food, beer, and an OG tavern atmosphere is the Broad Ripple Brew Pub, which is most likely why they have been a staple in the Indy brewing scene for over two decades.

When you walk into a sports bar, there are certain criteria that you want met; fast and deep fried food, televisions everywhere, rock or some kind of pick me up music, cheap beer and maybe some golden tee in the corner. With the Tavern, you are instantly taken to the chillest of chill spots, surrounded by a tight knit atmosphere, wooden cabinets and ceiling beams, intricate inlay and stained glass looking in on the brewing tanks, and the sound of conversation around you giving you a true neighborhood tavern feel of an english pub; a great change of pace from Applebees and Outback Steakhouse.

And how else might they differ from these large chain bars and restaurants? By offering a unique english style menu with loads of vegetarian options and a world class beer selection, packed with their award winning brews along with some select others. Add in some super serious trivia on Tuesdays and you undoubtedly have a winner. Head on over to the Brew Pub for some herdsman's chili, craft beer, and some darts for a more personal take on the broad ripple beer scene.

Triton Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel Deadeye Stout

Triton Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel Deadeye Stout

ABV: 8.0 %

IBU: 28

SRM / Coloring: 51 light to dark brown

This beer comes with a story. So I was speaking with both brewmasters and owners Jon and David about which beer I should choose for my first taste of Triton Brewery, and of course they recommended their standard and most popular beers, the Railsplitter IPA and their Wheat Beer, but you all know me I'm the dark beer man. I requested something with some girth on it, and they said that I had to try their Bourbon Barrel Stout before it ran out.

Triton brewed this beer a while ago, but a few weeks later they learned that there was a stout beer competition that was accepting applicants. After entering this beer at the last minute, they ended up coming in second place, which is a fantastic rank considering the other breweries involved, such as Sun King, Flat 12, and Bier Brewery.

This is their Deadeye stout that has been fermented and slightly aged in whiskey bourbon barrels, and after talking with Jon I learned that fermenting in bourbon barrels is always a unique experience. Each barrel has it's own unique properties, and so you just have to judge the aging and brewing of the beer based on the personality of that individual barrel. Clearly, Triton figured out what this barrel's deal was and said, "Yo MoFo, you're gonna make us a beer and you're gonna make it a doozie."

As a result, the beer is given an oaky, almost smokey flavor and aroma which adds to the beers already malty flavor. With a toasty smell on the nose, sweet toffee and coffee undertones, and a creamy finish, this beer is a nice stout that isn't too tick or full bodied, but is an array of melding flavors and ingredients that won't disappoint. If you want to try this one though you better get to it son, it's running out fast and will be gone before you know it.

Triton Brewing Company

After taking a week off and going on a bodacious vacation in the Caribbean, I decided that I needed to get back into the beer game and try something new. I live in Broad Ripple and so far have tried and reviewed most of the microbreweries in the area, but I wanted to stretch my wings and go somewhere different, so RR and I went on a little field trip to Triton Brewery off of 56th street and Post Road.

From Indianapolis, it's kind of a hassle to get to the actual brewery; it's in a newer development off of Post Rd near Fort Ben and the large park there, and you have to wind your way around to find the actual building. Once up close though it's hard to miss the massive grain silo out front of the building with the Triton logo on it. There are a few other places in town that serve Triton's beers though, including Fat Dan's and the Pepsi Coliseum, so you can enjoy some good craft beer closer to the city while watching an Ice hockey game or a Naptown Roller girls bout. Yet, for the real feel of the brewery you have to go and check the place out; full brewery view from the bar and tours several days of the week, complete with beer and free giveaways. What more could you want?

Surprisingly the building is set up more like a restaurant than bar despite not serving any food (besides the food truck parked outside). Still the ambiance is just what you want; classic rock playing in the background with the owners, brewmaster, and seasoned beer professionals surrounding you helping you out with the menu and getting you in to the spirit of beer. It's perfect for the surrounding area which is predominantly young families and people looking for a fun place that is far from the packed bustle of a city bar. And with the restaurant set up, you can bring the kids and the family to grab a few beers and a walking taco from the truck outside.

We sat down at the bar and were immediately greeted by both the brewmaster Jon and one of the owners David, who offered their take on the brewery business, the beers they liked and how each of them were made and matched up to other beers like them. It was a welcoming experience and a nice change from the standard push through the crowds and get a beer as fast a possible routine. If you're looking for an oasis just outside of the city and want some award winning beer, then do yourself a favor and check out Triton Brewery, and ask about the bourbon barrel stout. Trust me.

Triton Brewing Company

Fort Benjamin Harrison

5764 Wheeler Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46216

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - Sparky's Chocolate Milk Stout

Sparky's Chocolate Milk Stout

ABV: 5.6%

IBU: No idea

SRM / Coloring - Deep brown

As a kid I always went for the chocolate milk. For whatever reason, my parents had a constant supply of Ovaltine, which was alright if I really needed to get my fix, but the real pros got actual chocolate milk or mixed in some chocolate syrup. Twas the best way to enjoy a sweet, thick treat at lunchtime to go with my PB&J sandwich and chips and salsa. My friends, this is how an adult should enjoy a chocolate milk.

The Brew Pub's Chocolate Milk Stout is brewed with fifty pounds of dark belgian chocolate and a bag a milk sugar, and there's no mistaking it when you take a whiff or a taste. Seriously, it tastes just like a tall glass of chocolate milk, which was incredibly surprising to me when I took my first taste of it last night. Most of the time porters and stouts will be infused with chocolate, so you know it's there but other flavors compliment or overpower it. Not here, you get all beery-chocolate.

It's a fantastic autumn / winter drink; cold outside on a November evening whilst RR and myself sip on chocolate beer, surrounded by wooden cabinets playing an impossibly hard round of trivia.

Upland Brewery - Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA

Komodo Dragon Black IPA

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 65.5

SRM / Coloring: 49.6, jet black

Here we go baby. Having worked in a brewery before I've gotten to try a black double IPA which was fantastic, so seeing this on the chalkboard at the Upland tasting room I had to see what was up.

As a black IPA, or also referred to as an Imperial IPA, it has the initial properties of an IPA, but then is infused with the malts to add more flavor. This can draw away from the hoppiness of the beer, but at the same time it makes it more bitter.

The Komodo black IPA is pretty good, but I wonder if it would be better if they simply focused on one major aspect of the beer; the malt or the hops. Whether that is an issue with Upland's take on the beer or just the nature of the beer itself, who knows. You can definitely notice both aspects, but they're subdued due to one another's presence. I will say it is much smoother than most imperial stouts I've had, but the malt simply overpowers the normal kick of hops that a standard IPA is known for. At any rate, it's a unique and complicated beer with subtle flavorings that push the boundaries of how beers are made a classified.

Upland Brewery Tasting Room

When people think Broad Ripple they think of it in the classic sense; Broad Ripple Avenue lined with bars, restaurants and boutique shops. Head south on College though past the flashing lights of the Vogue and you'll encounter a much different place, one that's even more engrained with the neighborhood feel of Borad Ripple, which has aptly been named SoBro. With local, like immediate vicinity local bars, unique restaurants like Yats and the Jazz Kitchen, and some other unique record shops and places of interest, SoBro is booming as fast, if not faster than Broad Ripple itself. Down in the heart of South Broad Ripple is the Upland Brewery Tasting Room, at the corner of 49th and College.

Upland Brewery hails from Bloomington Indiana, and has brewing beers since 1998. With Upland Wheat as their flagship beer, the brewery has begun to expand into newer territories, the closest one to me being just south of where I live, and they honestly could not have picked a better spot.

Inside the walls are lined with chiq-y trinkets and new bohemian style art to go along with furniture and the Phish jamming in the background; seriously a good neighborhood place to bro out, drink a beer, and play star wars monopoly. Yes, you can just sit down and enjoy this cozy little spot to drink your Upland Wheat or any other variety of beers on tap.

One of the coolest things about the tasting room though is the way in which they fill your growlers. Instead of simply taking beer from the tap, they fill it through a pressurized system that makes the carbonation last longer and seem fresher from your container; dope. Top it all off with a food truck parked outside and you have quite the winning combination. Official status; turbo chill.

Flat 12 Bierwerks- Half Cycle IPA

Half Cycle IPA
ABV: 6%
IBU: 104
Color- Amber/Gold

When it comes to beer, as I've said before... I'm an IPA drinker.  I enjoy that hoppy bitter flavor in beer, and this Half Cycle IPA certainly has that going for it.  As RT and I were at the Bloody Blonde tapping party, I certainly couldn't settle for just one beer and one review.  Here I tried the Half Cycle IPA and think I found one of my new favorites. No doubt.

This beer is hoppy and bitter, which is exactly what you would guess when looking at its IBU over 100.  It was initially easy to smell the aroma of hoppy IPA flavor, and was reassured of the hop and malt flavor upon my first taste.  The thing about this beer, though, is it doesn't leave that dry bitter aftertaste every sip.  Its got a clean, refreshing aftertaste, which is what I look for in a hoppy IPA.  Making a bitter beer like the rest is easy, but pulling off a clean aftertaste certainly calls for praise.  This is the kind of beer that makes you wonder, "How did I finish this already?" and, "Why haven't I gotten another one yet?"

If you are ever in the downtown area, and feel like you need to try something new... I encourage you to drop by Flat 12 brewery and grab a pint.  With temperatures in the 70s all the way up to November, this has been quite the fall season for brewery visits.

Flat 12 Bierwerks- Bloody Blonde (Tapping Party)

Bloody Blonde
ABV:5.5%
IBU: 25
Coloring: Golden orange

Our visit to Flat 12 came on their tapping party for their new beer called the Bloody Blonde.  And, as far as beer and tapping parties go, RT and I rarely miss the opportunity to try something new.  This wheat beer is brewed with blood oranges, which is a very tart (almost like grapefruit) flavor.  The brewing process yields a very golden orange color as evidenced in the above picture.

This beer yields a decent citrus flavor without having a very wheat-y taste too it.  You can certainly detect the blood oranges in its aroma and flavor.  It is not very bitter at all, and in fact has a very crisp taste to it.  It wasn't nearly as sweet as I initially thought it would be, but definitely leaves a sweet aftertaste.  If you are a wheat beer drinker, this would certainly be a great new concoction to try out.  Grab a pint, fill a growler, or just taste a sample... you really can't go wrong with this new Bloody Blonde.