Broad Ripple Brew Pub - Bigger Boy's Beer

Bigger Boy's Beer

ABV: 8.4%
IBU: Up there, gotta be over 100
SRM / Coloring: red to amber

This is identified as a bigger boy's beer.  Let's go ahead and identify a little boy's characteristics.

First off, a little boy would be identified as a beer nubile, i.e. someone who has yet to embrace the tender loving touch from beer's philanthropic heart.  They go up to the bar and ask, "What are your specials," stop the bartender in mid sentence and ask for the low calorie vodka soda...extra limes.

In most circumstances, hard cider or wine would be the best option, sadly even when those circumstances are tailgating parties and beer pong tournaments; sad I know.  When and if they do choose beer, it's something with light in front of it and out of a can.  Sarah McLachlan should be sponsoring these poor souls instead of ratty alley cats, there are people in the world who could use pennies on the dollar to open their eyes to the tre world of Adult beverages.

If you're going to put on the man't pants and try a big boy beer, you might want to look elsewhere because this truly is a manly man's intense hoppy beer.  Created and named for the birth of their brewmaster's baby boy, The Bigger Boy's Beer's intense smell is rivaled only by it's intense flavor and alcohol content.  Originally brewed to be an intense ale with highlights of toffee (which is very prevalent on the nose), the mad scientists at the BrewPub dry hopped this sucker to the max, transforming it into a Double IPA Frankenstein that would scare off any non-beer lover.  Though it may be intimidating, this monster has got some dance moves and would surely woo the majority of hop heads.

Brugge Brasserie - Very Bad Kitty

Very Bad Kitty

ABV: 10%
IBU: as low as it can be, very sweet
SRM / Coloring: golden, yellow


This one's going to be short.  Very Bad Kitty is an American Wild Ale, which means it was brewed using a lot of yeast giving it a complex and distinctive flavor, much like an abbey style ale.  While most other beers will have a dry or subtle bitterness to them, Very Bad Kitty is a pop to the face with sweet, sour, and that yeasty tang characteristic to this style.  Smelling it, you get a big hit of fruit like apples, lemons, and apricots; take a sip though and it tastes like liquified sweet tarts.  You get a slap of sugary sweetness like a slushie suicide that comes off just a bit tart and sour.  They limit you to only having two of these, which they say is due to the high alcohol content, but I think it's to save you from the massive hangover you're likely to get the next morning.

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.

Brugge Brasserie - Cloutier's Farmhouse Ale

Cloutier's Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 6%
IBU: 22
SRM/Coloring: Light amber to golden orange

Well, it was another fine 70+ degree October day when RT and I decided (once again) to go visit a local brewery and try out their selection. We found ourselves sitting on the outside patio of Brugge Brasserie facing the setting sun in the late afternoon. It's located right in Broad Ripple and is right off of the Monon Trail, a great spot to stop for a beer while walking/biking along the trail.

Anyway, enough jabber let's get to the beer. I tried the Cloutier's Farmhouse Ale after a courtesy taste thanks to our server. Upon smelling the beer, I could immediately sense its tart apple smell without overpowering the malty beer aroma. The first sip surprised me with just how tart this beer was. It reminded of me initially of drinking a cider, but the aftertaste preserved the beery flavor we all know and love. Its acidic taste definitely makes you feel like it would be difficult to drink these one after the other, but it was a nice surprise from the typical ales, porters, and lagers we have already blogged on.

This, I would say, is one of the most Fall-y/October-y tasting beers, and goes along with the season perfectly. I look over to RT and say, "I could see myself going on a hayride, picking apples at an orchard, and enjoying this Cloutier's Farmhouse Ale." It's the fall drink, and even if you aren't a tart lover, I encourage you to at least taste this one. As microbreweries change their menu with the season, you better get the Cloutier's Farmhouse Ale while its on tap.

Thr3e Wise Men - Longfang Abbey Ale

Longfang Abbey Ale

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 36

SRM / Color: Deep amber

Thr3e Wise Men's seasonal beer, tapped on Oct. 17th, is the Longfang Abbey Ale, a classical Belgian style beer focusing more on the yeast and the malts in the beer than the hops. It's a simpler beer with only 3 different types of hops mixed together, though dominated by northern brewer and cascade hops. The beer has a clovey, flowery smell on the nose hinting to the yeast used in the process, providing for a more estery flavor.

The tapping party was pretty downplayed, but still exactly what I wanted; free food, a glass of free beer, and classic rock...what more could you want on a tuesday night? Omar, Thr3e Wise Men's Brewmaster, stood up and gave a brief description of the beer, and then offered a toast to the crowd, in which the mass gave an emphatic, "here here."

The taste is very similar to Hoegaarden or Thr3e Wise Men's Amber, clovey / flowery on the nose and tangy, light and crisp, but it differs in that its somewhat thicker / darker and has a fuller body. It's a nice addition to the cast of beers, but due to demand, will undoubtedly be gone soon.

Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co.

1021 Broad Ripple Ave.

www.thr3ewisemen.com