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CREATURES OF HABIT BREWING – ANDERSON

On Friday afternoon Hoppy visited Creatures of Habit Brewing (COH) in Anderson. They began brewing under the Creatures of Habit name in 2017 and opened their taproom in April 2019. As well as a taproom and restaurant, they also have a bottle shop.

While there, Hoppy imbibed the following brews in a flight:

COH Brewing R2C2 American IPA– Described as a Malty IPA that brings balance to the hop force. Brewed with Centennial, Cascade and Magnum hops. 6.6% ABV, 58 IBU.

Guggman Haus Brewing Cosmic Horizon DDH American IPA– Brewed with loads of Galaxy, Simcoe and Mosaic hops, this DDH IPA offers big tangerine and citrus flavors and aromas, with notes of peach and tropical fruit. It finishes smooth and refreshing with subtle hints of pine. 7.5% ABV, 110 IBU.

Stone Brewing Sublimely Self-Righteous Black Imperial IPA – This is a rebirth of an ale first brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale. They claim that it was brought back as they loved it so damn much and that they felt that it was truly sublime, and that you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of theirs. 8.7% ABV, 90 IBU.

COH Brewing Meridian Medicine British Strong Ale – Creatures of Habit states the following: The Meridian system is a concept of traditional Chinese medicine. There is no solid proof that it works. The fact is that our brewery is located on Meridian St. in beautiful downtown Anderson, IN. Meridian Street at one time had many pharmacies. We are not claiming to be a pharmacy or that our Strong Ale has any medicinal properties whatsoever, but with its rich malt bill, spicy notes from Nugget hops and the warmth from the alcohol, this beer is sure to warm you up and make you feel better. 8% ABV, 40 IBU.

Hoppy finished his visit with a pint of the Creatures of Habit R2C2 American IPA.

Pictures from the visit follow:

ROCK THE JUNCTION – CRAFT BEER & MUSIC FESTIVAL – GRAND JUNCTION BREWING – WESTFIELD

Hoppy attended the Rock the Junction Festival last Saturday at Grand Junction Brewing. While there he sampled a number of beers from various Indiana breweries. These included the following:

Grand Junction Brewing – One with Nature IPA – Described as a malt forward Midwest IPA with notes of grapefruit peel, tangerine, and hints of pine that greet your nose as you sip, giving way to an assertive yet balanced bitterness with a light caramel finish. It will leave you daydreaming about becoming one with nature. 6.3% ABV, 75 IBU.

Taxman Brewing – Exemption Belgian Tripel – Described as an abbey-style tripel. This crisp golden ale unites lemon peel, orange peel and coriander spices with flavorful Belgian esters. White wheat, flaked oat and artisan malts contribute a round, balanced body, complemented by golden candi sugar. 8.5% ABV, 30 IBU.

Crasian Brewing Rickshaw Rye’d Rye IPA – Described as a beautifully balanced Rye IPA hopped with Mosaic hops. 5.7% ABV, 64 IBU.

Terre Haute Brewing – Wango Tango IPA – They state, from John Mellencamp to Axl Rose, it’s pretty clear that Indiana rocks! Wango Tango is a luscious India Pale Ale brewed with Apollo and Citra hops. This beer brings a soft and smooth body, amplified notes of citrus, and a tangy tangerine finish that is out of this world. Rock on with a Wango! 7.5% ABV, 23 IBU.

Science Project Brewing – Hop Rocket IPA – Hop Rocket is inspired by the first ever logo idea of Science Project. It now has a mural on the front of their building, its own shirt, and its own glass. Brewed using Brewers 2 Row malt and Pilsen Malt with a splash of Carapils. Bravo hops are used for the initial bittering charge and Citra and Mosaic hops are used throughout including a large dry hop. 6.3% ABV, 63 IBU.

Metal Works Brewing – American IPA – Described as a crisp and dry hop forward American IPA with a balance of malt and bitterness. 6.4% ABV, 62 IBU.

Bad Dad Brewing – Kiss the Cook Double IPA – This light bodied beer boasts a tropical bouquet with mild bitterness. The flavor lingers slightly, but dissipates enough to warrant another sip. 8.8% ABV.

Field Brewing – Reunion Citrus IPA – A refreshing IPA brewed with real tangerine and grapefruit, while moderately dry hopped with Ahtanum and Cascade hops. 6.3% ABV, 64IBU.

Black Dog Brewing – Good Vibrations Witbier – Belgian style witbier brewed with sweet orange peel, coriander, and chamomile. Easy citrus and bright flavors accompanied by a medium body and spritzy carbonation. 5.3% ABV, 12 IBU.

Creatures of Habit Brewing – R2C2 American IPA – A malty IPA that brings balance to the hop force. 6.6% ABV, 58 IBU.

Teays River Brewing – Trauma Llama Ding Dong Hazy IPA – This features big pineapple and melon hop notes while delivering low bitterness and a fluffy mouthfeel. 6.3% ABV, 16 IBU.

Pax Verum Brewing – Lythronax Double Oatmeal Stout Tinker Coffee + Vanilla Variant – Hailing from the depths with an unapologetic spirit, this heavy textured oatmeal stout series is bathed in the absence of light and emboldened with ferocious flavors. BREWED WITH TINKER COFFEE COMPANY’S ARK BLEND AND TATITIAN VANILLA BEANS. 8% ABV, 56 IBU.

Fontana Farms Brewing – Propagation New England IPA -Full bodied Hazy IPA featuring Citra, El Dorado, and Amarillo hops. 6.4% ABV, 43 IBU.

Guggman Haus Brewing – Clouds of Citra DDH Double New England IPA – Brewed with heaps of Citra and Cryo-Citra hops to create a beautifully bold citrus profile, this double hazy IPA stands out for its extremely smooth and balanced mouthfeel along with bright, refreshing notes of citrus in every sip. 8.7% ABV.

Pictures from the festival follow:

SCARLET LANE BREWING 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – MCCORDSVILLE

Hoppy attended the 10th anniversary celebration of Scarlet Lane Brewing on Sunday. While there, he enjoyed their 10 Year IPA. It is an Imperial IPA brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Chinook and Cascade hops and clocks in at 10% ABV, 100 IBU.

Pictures of Scarlet Lane’s horror theme and the brew enjoyed by Hoppy follow:

HERRMANN BREWTHERS BIERWERKS – INDIANAPOLIS

Hoppy paid his first visit to the Herrmann Brewthers Bierwerks and met the brewthers yesterday. They opened their facility in October of 2023 after having brewed as a home or nomadic brewery since 2017. Hoppy had enjoyed their ales at beer festivals previously.

While there he quaffed a Carbonite, an IPA with a 7.25% ABV.

He also sampled the following:

Gusto – American Pale Ale, 6.4% ABV

Fortnight – ESB, 6.3% ABV

Naptown – Irish Stout, 5.5% ABV

Raspberry Toupee – IPA with Raspberry, 7.5% ABV

Pictures from the visit follow:

TOTAL BEERCLIPSE OF THE SUN/

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 4/8/2024 – CENTRAL INDIANA

Central Indiana may not only have been the best place to view the Total Eclipse of the Sun on April 8th, but also to imbibe special beers that were released to celebrate this historic once in a lifetime event! Hoppy was fortunate enough to not only see the event, but also to quaff some of the excellent beers developed just for this occasion. This would include two limited edition beers developed by Sun King and Upland Breweries as part of the Simons Foundation In the Path of Totality initiative. These were:

Sun King – In the Path of Totality – A Blonde/Golden Ale infused with locally roasted coffee from SunBean Roasters. It is 5.3% ABV, 20 IBU.

Upland – Don’t Stare Into the Sun – An American IPA brewed exclusively with Eclipse hops, a new variety from Australia, described as a truly dazzling spectacle of the blindingly intense flavors of Mandarin orange, pineapple, and peach with a firm but balanced bitterness. Only available on draft. 7.3% ABV.

More information on the Simons Foundation In the Path of Totality brews can be found here.

Not to be outdone, Taxman Brewing released two beers in honor of the eclipse. Hoppy was also able to partake of these. Their description follows:

Totality – A limited release Imperial IPA brewed with the out-of-this-world combination of Galaxy and Comet hops. This hazy ale features juicy notes of grapefruit, tangerine and passion fruit. 8% ABV, 65 IBU.

In the Black – A special blend of their bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, Deadline, blended with their award winning Belgian-style quadrupel, Qualified, creating a complex and robust dark ale almost as stunning as the eclipse itself. A touch of vanilla is added to further embolden the deep stone fruit and toasted notes. 11.2% ABV, 40 IBU.

During his eclipse adventures, Hoppy was able to obtain a few souvenirs, a 4 pack of In the Path of Totality and a t-shirt commemorating the event from Sun King and a Silipint glass from Upland.

Images follow:

Upland Glow in the Dark Silipint Glass

Hoppy was lucky enough to have seen this once in lifetime event, the total solar eclipse, twice! He was also able to see one on August 21, 2017, at the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes’ Stadium in Oregon at a baseball game which was delayed for a 58-minute period, after its start, so that attendees and players could view the eclipse. Hoppy was especially happy because the Volcanoes lost the game 9-5 to some of his relatives with the Hillsboro Hops! A good description of the day can be found here.

BIER BREWERY GRAND OPENING – NOBLESVILLE

Hoppy attended the grand opening of Bier Brewery in Noblesville yesterday. The 6,000 square foot taproom is located on 4 acres of property. The site includes a dog park, children’s playground, covered outdoor seating, a private room, and a large outdoor biergarten with bike access to the Allisonville Road Trail.

While there, Hoppy quaffed his go-to ale from Bier, a Wizard Tears. It is a DDH West Coast IPA described as brewed deep in a black kettle by a gathering of elder wizards. They churn and churn until tears of magical wisdom drop their hex weathered eyes to complete this spell binding serum. It clocks in at 6.7% ABV, 88 IBU.