Broad Ripple Brew Pub - BRV 175

BRV 175

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: relatively low, not bitter at all and a bit sweet

SRM / coloring: Mid range

Guess what y’all? The Broad Ripple Village Association is turning 175, which is straight insane in my mind, especially since I’ve just been kicking it around the Ripple for twenty some years. Best way to celebrate that anny is Broad Ripple Brew Pub style with their new creation, the BRV 175.

The BRV 175 is a full-bodied amber with a bit of a twist to it. Instead of that characteristic tangy amber taste, this has more of a deep malty flavor with a sweet after taste. I guess I kind of picture ambers to be the perfect balance between browns, hefeweizens and pale ales, the lights and the darks. This is a unique take, the opposite end of the amber spectrum, instead of starting sweet and ending tangy / sour, this starts malty and ends sweet.

“(He curls his moustache tips) …intriguing.”

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - India Brown Ale

India Brown Ale

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: Mid range, probably around 60 or so
SRM / coloring: Cloudy and dark amber / brown

The Broad Ripple Brew Pub has really established themselves as innovators in the beer game, especially in Indianapolis.  You're typically going to see the regulars out and about at other places, porters, IPA's, pale ale's and the like, but rarely do you encounter such beers like the Bigger Boy Beer and Black Hearted Ale.  This is yet another one that really pushes the boundaries of beer genres.

Disclaimer - The Brew Pub's India Brown Ale is not going to be for everyone, and I would go so far as to say it might turn a few people off.  It's a unique twist on their classic IPA, but infused with chocolate malts and dry hopped yet again.  As a result, this beer has that popular IPA hoppy bitterness complimented with the sweet hit of chocolate.

Personally, I have always been a firm believer that if two things are good then together they're great.  Examples: peanut butter and chocolate, RUN DMC and Aerosmith, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, Sunny D and rum, the list goes on.  I found it completely unique and eye opening to have that hoppy taste with the sweet mixed in, kind of like getting a fusion restaurant in liquid form.  Medium bodied with that dry hoppy smell on the nose, but tasting nothing like I've ever had before which was pretty exciting.  However, my dad took one sip and turned away.

Essentially it boils down to this; if you know what you like then stick to it.  But, if your view is that variety is the spice of life, then take a dive into a India Brown Ale pint glass and check out this mold breaking combination.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - Black Heart Lager

Black Heart Lager

ABV: 5.9%
IBU: mid range
SRM / Coloring: Dark as the night

Bad news is this picture is horrible with the flash.  Good news is this beer is damn good.

I had to go out and do some celebrating with the dudes last night after such a good week.  I got a new job, my other projects were coming to a close, christmas is just around the corner, just solid on the whole.  I didn't get to make it to the Brewpub for Tuesday night trivia which kinda stunk, but I still had a hankerin for a buffalo burger and some new beer.  This is one of my favorites of theirs so far.

I guess I'd have to say my new favorite type of beer are black ales.  they have that roasted malty flavor, but are medium bodied and come off clean at the end, the perfect balance of flavor and depth.  I love the black ale at Brugge Brasserie, and this one is on it's level, if not surpassing it.

The Black Heart ale is what the brew pub refers to as a Kulmbacher style, which is a german style black lager.  It's a great blend of malty flavor and bittersweet chocolate.  Drinking it on a cold rainy night is ideal, and given the poopy weather in Indiana recently any day will do.

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.

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.

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.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - Monon Porter

Monon Porter
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: no idea, but it's pretty smooth, not too bitter
SRM / Coloring: malty rich brown





The Brew Pub's porter is a smooth and simple cask conditioned porter. For those of you who don't know, cask conditioned beers are unfiltered and unpasturized beers that are fermented twice in a separate tank, keg, or cask. As a result, they're naturally fermented and taste different than your traditional beer. If you ever go to a brewery and ask for one, you'll see the bartender pulling really hard on a large black handle, which literally uses pressure to suck the beer right our of the cask and into the glass. Pretty cool.

This porter is characteristically smooth for a cask conditioned beer, which could come from the lower amount of carbonation. It has a thick malty taste with subtle essences of coffee and chocolate, but it's a modest dark beer that would satisfy real lovers of malty beers as well as people just looking to try something new.