Chalkies has New Albanian Brewing's Bush Hog. now a 7.7% bright gold almost-trippel. The first and lasting taste is bitterness very localized in the center of the tongue. NAB calls it a "lawnmower beer for serious weed whacking". A previous batch was 7.2% so they've continued to do everything they can to strengthen the outcome. Lots of adjuncts - corn, sugar lighten the body and add food for the ninja Chico yeast. Then it's Hallertauer, Saaz & Spalt hops to get that tongue excitement.

Oh, and also Wychwood Hobgoblin. Wander down this page to 11/21's picture of the Hobgoblin itself, Lagerboy. It's nice and nutty but thin. A bit disappointing (but that was after that Bush Hog)

Upland's Chocolate Stout will follow the Pilsener currently on tap. The CS will be on CO₂ and nitrogen dispense.

This year's Winter Warmer on tap in January - it's going into secondary fermentation now.

BUT next week Ed and Marc will celebrate their Silver GABF medal by having specials on the Pale Ale, dishes cooked with the Pale Ale, and $1.50 pints of Pale Ale on party-day, December 4.

Andrew St. Lawrence writes in the Upland weekly gazette "The common question is: 'Will Upland brew a low carb beer?' The Answer is somewhere between not at all likely and definitely not."

Celis White will be back. The Michigan Brewing Company has the original recipe from Austin, TX and evidently the rights to the Celis name. Their version won a gold medal for Belgian Wit at the 2003 GABF and they hope to expand their distribution next year.

MBC is located in Webberville, east of Lansing. Also in Michigan, the Frankenmuth Brewery has re-opened.

We have a few cases of DeuS Brut de Flanders in Indiana but you're going to have to play treasure hunt to find it. There are some bottles at Kahn's, RichO's, and at the Heorot in Muncie. This is a methode champagne beer - fermented and carbonated in the bottle with the yeast frozen and removed from the neck. 11.5% ABV. $25 per bottle. Brewed in Belgium and bottled in France. All About Beer did a review:

• Fred Echardt says "REALLY full-bodied. I don't think I've ever tasted a better beer."
• Garrett Oliver says "It's so light and airy, it's difficult to grasp. Stop whining and pony up - it's worth every penny.
• Michael Jackson says "It's just a divine drink made from barley."

Mitsubishi researchers in Cambridge, MA have developed a coating that can be put on a glass surface to determine whether the glass contains no liquid. Eventually they hope to incorporate some wireless electronics that will signal the wait staff. Heck, why not just walk up to the bar and order another?

• Modelo beers will go up drastically in price in January. The Mexican company is raising prices despite their importer's advice not to. They won't raise prices in Mexico where sales are slow, just the U.S. where sales are doing well on the heels of Corona advertising and a continuing Mexican beer chic.
• Guinness wants a $2 per case marketing fee on the new Shiner Light beer. This is the same fee they are getting on Smirnoff Ice.
• Anheuser Busch won the right to use the name Bud in Tajikistan.
• The Hops Chain "unveiled a multi-million dollar brand positioning strategy". But "brand formulations have not changed". This means the 29 cities with Hops breweries will be subjected to "we're new" advertising but the same bland beers. Sigh.
• Pabst is for sale - contact Merrill Lynch. Evidently it must be sold by 2005 to meet the tax laws of the charitable foundation that owns it. There are no breweries left in the Pabst/Schlitz/Strohs empire - it's all contract brewed by places like F.X. Matts.

Currently in the state:

• Rouge Yellow Snow - and ESB quite like Younger Special Bitter.
• MacTarnahan's Mac Frost - A clean bitter with Kent Goldings.
• Summit Winter - Dark roasted malts but less spicy/hoppy than last year.
• Pyramid Snow Cap - More Kent Goldings in this 7%ABV beer. A bit of wet dog in the nose in our sample.
• Rogue Chocolate Stout - Thick bittersweet (or maybe unsweetened) chocolate.
• Arcadia London Porter (Coming in December) - Fuggles and Goldings and some smoked malt. Bottle conditioned. Massive coffee nose overwhelms any smokiness. A new favorite.
• Great Lakes Anniversary Ale - A Belgian Tripple - Malty with Belgian sour notes. Complex and intriguing. 9.5%. Tangy. Savory. Suitable for laying down. Our pick of this crop.
• Red Hook BlackHook Porter. Thick black. Thick black. Strong endges.

Adnams Suffolk Special Bitter and Broadside are in town. SSB is a light-for style 4.7% and hoppy. Broadside is a more robust bitter that was Best Strong Bitter at the 2003 Great British Beer Festival.

More favorite English Ales are hitting town: Camerons Strongarm, Bath Ales Gem (bottle conditioned), Hop Back Entire Stout (from Salisbury - again, bottle conditioned), Coniston Old Man Ale.

These are new offerings from Cavalier Distributors. They didn't ignore the Belgians in their new list: Jopen Adriaan and Bokbier, Bink Bloesem, Achel Trappist, Loterbol Bruin and Blonde. Belgian Christmas beers include La Choulette Biere de Noel, Blaugies La Moneuse Speciale Noel, De Ranke Pere Noel, Kerkom Winterkoninkske (winter king), Fantome de Noel. It's a good life.

From Bamburg, Germany, they have Spezial Rauchbier - a smoked beer created by dropping a hot rock into the mash. Reportedly less smokey than Rauchfils. We really need to try this beer soon.

Left Hand Milk Stout is in town in kegs. Shallos, RichO's, and Indy's downtown BW3 will get it next week. Don't know about when it will go on tap though.

Also in town are Shipyard Winter Ale, Great Divide Hibernation Ale, Rockies Never Summer Ale and Single Track Cooper Ale.

Hazed and Infused is on tap at Scotty's in Bloomington.

Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout is in town in kegs and bottles (it was bottled last Monday). Been seen in South Bend but not yet in Indy.

RichO's just got some interesting keg (to be put on soon): Spezial Rauchbier, Bad Elf, Mahrs Christmas Bock, Kulmbacher Eisbock. Eisbock is made by slushy-freezing and removing the water-ice to concentrate the flavors and alcohol.

New bottles: Jopen Adriaan, Jopen Bokbier, La Choulette Noël, La Moneuse Speciale Noël. Also Inveralmond Blackfriar - the 2002 Champion beer of Scotland - a wee heavy at 7%.

This will join Rolling Rock's Green Light, Mich Ultra, and Saranac's Accel (not in Indiana)..Martens of Belgium is also making a low-carb that may come into Indiana by spring.

Last night, Larry Bell, owner of Kalamazoo Brewing, spent the evening at the Jungle Room talking to adoring fans. OK, how about "appreciative beer drinkers"?

7 Bells were on tap: Winter White, Oberon, Two Hearted, Amber, Third Coast, K-Stout, and Double Cream Stout.

There's lots of beer almost ready at Bloomington Brewing but right now they're down to the Canadian, Pale, and IPA. All 7 slots should be full again by next week.

The Pale is being served under CO₂, nitrogen, and cask conditioned where it's biscuity smooth - good balance with a noticable bitterness. Served with a tight sparkler which causes an rocky head similar to Albert Einstein's hair. There's Cascade hops in there but they're not sharp or grapefruity.

Next week a cask conditioned Pale that has been aging a month in a spiled firkin will go on.

Owner/brewer Floyd Rosenbaum tells us he increases the hop rates as he kegs the the Pale ale so as a brew goes out the tap it grows more hoppy, keg by keg.

Upland's seasonal at the tap room is also a Pilsener - yellow orange and nicely hopped. In fact, really hoppy as it soaks into your soft tissue. Good carbonation enhances the crisp edges but there is lots of mouthfeel.

6-packs of last year's Winter Warmer barleywine are available at the tap room for $9. Also the Oktoberfest and the new Pilsener.

• Good ol' Sam Adams is doing another over-the-top beer this year. Utopia is 25% ABV brewed with their special "ninja" yeast. They call the beer rounded with a "meaty, savory flavor the Japanese call umami".
• Czechvar, if you ever see one, is Budweiser Budvar with a U.S. label. It's only available in 11 states right now  - including Illinois.
• Scottish Courage (Newcastle) has invented a self-cooling beer keg. It will keep 20 liters cold for up to 12 hours using a built-in "device". The reusable device will add at least $75 to the cost of each keg.
• There are a few small breweries that a re canning beer now. Canning lines run from $9k (manual) to over $40k (automatic 6-head system that will do 30 cans per minute).
• Goose Island will re-launch it's FOAM series (from 1997) to combat the big, big beers of Stone, Dogfish Head, etc. Look for Demolition 1800, Pere Jacques abbey, Bourbon County Stout, and and Imperial IPA as seasonal releases.

• "According to the Centers for Disease Control, a beer tax increase of 20 cents per six-pack would reduce gonorrhea rates by 8.9 percent and syphilis rates by 32.7 percent."
• "We are hopeful that legislators and the public will see this proposed increase not as just another tax increase, but as a 'user fee'"
• Since Icrud's inception "the percentage of monthly underage drinkers in Indiana has dropped from 35 percent to about 31 percent."

News from Northern Indiana courtesy of Jim Herter and the Great Lakes Brewing News:

• Aberdeen Brewing - Oatmeal Stout will be out later this month. Braveheart Barleywine is aging for a December showing. After the barleywine will be second batch of Foggy Loggy Lager (Aberdeen's first lager).
• Back Road Brewery - No. 9 Barleywine (9.5%) is out in 6-packs and, in NW Indiana, in party pigs. The Christmas special this year is a Russian Imperial Stout (8.5%).
• Three Floyds will have Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter - Alpha King's cousin with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar, and American hops. Look for 22oz bottles.
• You'll need to go to the 3 Floyds brewery to try the Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout (13.5%) or their Special Bitter (4.5%).
• Legends of Notre Dame has already kicked out draft Budmillercoors to make room for stuff like Back Road's Imperial Stout, the Alpha Klaus, and Two Brothers' North Winds Imperial.

The Sprecher Double Bock is out in bottles along with a new Winter Brew. And Shipyard's Winter Ale will hit the streets this week.

Kahn's has SN Celebration for $7. Mad Anthony, Three Floyds, Upland, and Barley Island six-packs are $7.50 - $29 a case.

Also in stock: Stone Double Bastard, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, Two Brothers ("Brasserie de Deux Freres") Domaine Dupage French Country Ale (From Chicagoland), Rogue Chocolate Stout and Santa's Private Reserve, Bell's Batch 6000. My poor credit card.

Barley Island's latest seasonal beer is Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout. It's on tap now and will be in bottles in the usual stores next week through March.

"Jon Lang also filled one whiskey barrel with the Oatmeal Stout. I retrieved the charred white oak bourbon whiskey barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort KY. Our Bourbon Oatmeal Stout will be available on the beer engine at the pub in late December."
Cheers, 
Jeff Eaton 

Broad Ripple Brewpub hosted the Duneland Homebrewers Association last Saturday when Mt. Baldy Pale Ale went on tap. This is Dan McBride's winning beer at the 2003 Indiana State Fair. He came down from Westville to guest-brew it at BRBP.

That's Dan on the right with BRBP Head Brewer Kevin Matalucci. And the rosy cheeks are not a photoshop touch-up.

Mt. Baldy is a Belgian Pale Ale that is soft with wheat, candy sugar, and spicy notes and is about 6% ABV.

Broad Ripple Brewpub has a Dunkel Lager on tap. It's deep dark cherry in the dim incandescent light at the bar. Soft palate enhanced by a slightly sweet maltiness.

Following are an APA (American Pale Ale), Wee Heavy, and a birthday-celebration Barley Wine.

We finally have a picture of Tim Marshall's Woodford Reserve bourbon cask at Rock Bottom.

This keg is giving it's flavors to an Imperial Stout that will be unleashed near Christmas.

Shallos has Rogue's new Morimoto Hazelnut (yep, the Iron Chef Morimoto).

The winter lineup is in including Delirium Noel, SN Celebration and Big Foot, AV Winter Solstice, Young's Winter Warmer in bottles and on tap: Winterhook and Bells White Winter Ale - a strong Belgian Wit, lemony with coriander, properly tart and cloudy and served with little fermentation.

Ken at Oaken Barrel has found a new assistant. Chris Armstrong's official title is Resident Keg Bitch. He's also the head bartender at the Scholar's Inn.

Their down to their last two kegs of the Pilsner and the Apple Buzz. Yum. Get the Apple Buzz while the weather is crisp.

Freshly brewed for later: OB's first IPA and a Porter.

Bell's Batch 6000 will hit the streets next week. It's a barley wine to celebrate their 6000th batch of beer.

Also new is Rolling Rock's entry into the low carb field - Rock Green Light.

JR Holiers at Emerson and County Line Rds opened in July and is doing well. The draft Kirin Ichiban and Goose Island Hexnut are two of the favorites. Yep, that picture is of a bar, not a liquor store.

They open the beer/wine/martini bar at 5pm but he pub behind the restaurant is open more normal hours including a killer home-like lunch menu. Their grilled cheese and bacon sandwich  and veggy soup are just like my wife's.

Upland will have a Chocolate Stout on tap in about a week. Later this week they'll brew a Winter Warmer to be on tap much later.

Right now if you hurry. Bohemian Pilsener and Oktoberfest are available in bottles and there will also be plenty of last year's Winter Warmer and later this month they may release some of the Chocolate Stout in bottles. You will only be able to get these creations at Upland's tap room on 11th St.

Oh, and a case of Upland Amber is only $22 right now at the tap room.

Andrew St. Lawrence writes: "Tuesday and Friday we are brewing (Dragonfly IPA and the aforementioned Winter Warmer, respectively). Tuesday and/or Wednesday we are bottling the previous batch of Dragonfly IPA, which has been conditioning (as always) in the cold (about two Celsius) on 25 pounds of hops for two weeks to give it that wonderful hoppy aroma. Later in the week we are going to be kegging and bottling the Chocolate Stout. I personally cannot wait for that beer."

Mishawaka Brewing's Anniversary Porter and Jack `O Lager Pumpkin Ale won't last much longer 

Coming up is Beer Garden Ale brewed with hops from the walls of their outdoor seating area. "This years crop is about average and will allow us to brew an ale with relatively high hop rates. It was brewed as an I.P.A. using four malts and the two hop varieties that we grow." 6%ABV.

Bloomington Brewing's winter seasonals went on line over the weekend.

• Brewer's Choice IPA - an English IPA.
• Canadian Ale - lightly hopped and medium bodied.
• The Java Porter will be available all winter.

Thanks for the mention of our medal win on the website. I appreciate it. I'll also start a rumor right now wherein I say that it is quite possible that the beer that garnered the gold for us will be on tap at a nice place in Indianapolis. I can't say what the name of the establishment is, but it sounds like "Chalkies".

David Chichura
Brewer
Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery

Barley Island six-packs may include the coupon attached to the one in this picture.

Cavalier Distributors sent their four kegs of Double Bastard to: Chalkies (tapped), BW3, Lafayette Brewing Company, and RichO's (where it will be held for Gravity Head in March).

Bottles have been sent to Castleton Wine & Liquor, Parti-Pak, and Shallos.

Sprecher Dopple Bock, Winter Brew, and Abbey Triple (which will be at the Beer Sellar who also has Sprecher's Black Bavarian). BW3 downtown also has Abbey Triple. The BW3 in Castleton has the Dopple Bock.

More winter beers on the way: Shipyard Winter Brew, Never Summer Ale from Rockies Brewing, Hibernation Ale (03 GABF Silver Medal) from the Great Divide Brewing, Sailer Juble in special Santa bottles, De Ranke Pere Noel, Kulmbacher Eisbock, Mahrs Christmas Bock, La Choulette Noel, La Moneuse Speciale Noel, Fantome de Noel and Bad Elf.

Some tasting notes:

• Pierre Celis Signature Selection Grotten Brown (St Bernardus, Belgium) - Creamy and nicely malty. Michael Jackson's Beer of the Year. "Cave Aged". A rich lager with no hard edges. 750ml found at Kahn's.
• BluCreek Herbal Ale (Wisconsin) - "Contains a refreshing blend of real ginseng, gingko biloba, and guarana". Crisp and refreshing but no distinct hint that these herbs are in there - probably because they blend well.
• Martens Low Carbohydrate (Bocholt, Belgium) - Basically a bad Heineken. You won't find this in Indiana yet (and probably won't in the future).
• North Coast Old #38 Stout (California) - Thick an roasty very close to the burnt level - especially in the nose. Not objectionably burnt - in fact your mouth will thank you.
• Anderson Valley Winter Solstice. A spiced ale. You think of winter beers as being thick and chewy but this is a refreshingly (and strongly) spiced. Maybe vanilla and some nutmeg. No hop presence.

BW3 has Sierra Nevada Celebration and Bigfoot both on tap. No, they aren't the SNs that have just hit the store shelves; they're 2 kegs of 2002 vintage that have been laid back for a year of aging.

The Celebration is big winter IPA with Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial hops for that big grapefruit taste. The real treat was the 2002 Bigfoot on the hand pull. It's a massive barley wine that is ripe for drinking - it's also 9.6% ABV. No raisin or winey notes that you often find in "fresh" barley wine. There's a hardness but not a harshness on the tongue.

There's also a full selection of Dogfish Head beers from their 60-minute IPA to their World Wide Stout. Next week, Stone's Double Bastard goes on tap. The handpull will see another cask of Dreadnaught then a succession of JW Lees barrel-aged ales.

Rock Bottom's Mug Club tasted Tim Marshall's Saison last night. It's fresh with a hay/grass presence. It's thick and rich but not sweet - probably richer than the style calls for. About 6.6% ABV.

Tim also had a cask conditioned version primed with Belgian candy sugar and cracked pepper. This cask is thinner due to the extra fermentation but the pepper is noticeable only in the background. A second cask will go upstairs and early tastings reveal a more pronounced spiciness - it will be interesting to try them again.

The Racoon Red dry hopped with Goldings is on the hand pull upstairs  Beautiful creamy head.

Pabst is now based in San Antonio TX and won 5 medals at this year's GABF

Old Milwaukee	Gold	American-Style Lager
Ranier	Silver	American-Style Lager
Old Style Light	Gold	American-Style Light Lager
Old Milwaukee Light	Silver	American-Style Light Lager
Old Style	Bronze	Americna Lager/Ale or Cream Ale