Friday, August 24, 2012

LaSalle Grill Beer Dinner Featuring Flat 12

LaSalle Grill (South Bend, IN) is at it again with another great Beer Dinner planned for August 30th. This seems to be a regular concept for them, and I've been hearing nothing but great things. This time around, they are teaming up with my friends at Flat 12 to pair with some delicious-sounding food. The cost is $65 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 574.288.1155.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Special Flat 12 Beer on tap at Fiddler's Hearth


As you may have noticed, we've been waiting to find out what the special beer from Flat 12 would be for "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" craft beer party on June 30th, to go along with their tasty Cuttlefish Cuvee and Mustache Ride. We all know what they are capable of, so the anticipation was like being a kid at Christmas and waiting to open the big present...

Have you heard of Joe Brahma, Flat 12's delicious coffee brown ale? It was on tap at the "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" party last November. People loved it, and I enjoyed it so much that despite knowing that it would be on tap at the party, I still picked up a growler of it at the brewery for myself. AV, my brother in beer, even wrote a review of it on this site, giving it an A.

So when we asked if they could provide something fun for our next party, they kindly obliged. This time however, they decided to up the ante by sending Fiddler's a keg of Haggard Jo. This whale of a beer is their tasty Joe Brahma, aged for 11 months in whiskey barrels. Here's the kicker - Haggard Jo has never been served outside of the brewery. That's right, google it - you won't find much, and there aren't any ratings on Beer Advocate, Untappd, or Rate Beer. Those attending the party get to be among a select group of individuals to experience this beer, and the first to rate it if they so choose. Since we just found out about this beer last night, I'm not sure what time it will be tapped yet. Get it while you can though, it will go quick!

If you've not experienced any beers from Flat 12, you're definitely missing out. Every single beer I've had from them has been interesting, well crafted and flavorful. Walkabout Pale, using the very trendy Galaxy hops, was the first beer I've had from them, and it hooked me right away. This pale ale hits you in the mouth with grapefruit, passion fruit and pineapple, while not being shy with the bitterness.

After Walkabout, I made sure to try every other Flat 12 beer I encountered, such as Half Cycle, Tangerine Porter, Joe Brahma, Big Black Dog, Winter Cycle, the famed Bleeding Heart IPA, and the list goes on. Their habit of coloring outside of the lines when it comes to brewing really shows through in the beers and their pursuit of having fun while doing so makes them one of the most exciting breweries around.

The Brewery and Tap room is located in downtown Indianapolis. Trust me, this place is worth a special trip. Location/Tap List/Hours

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Flat 12 at Fiddler's Hearth Recap

Flat 12 Bleeding Heart IPA Extravaganza

In case you missed it, there were some really great beers from Flat 12 on last night such as Winter Cycle, Big Black Dog, Walkabout, Super Bravo 46, and yes, Bleeding Heart.

Super Bravo 46, Winter Cycle and Big Black Dog were all new to me, so I made a point to sample each, while saving my B.A.C. for one of my top 10 favorites - Bleeding Heart. While I've never had a bad beer by Flat 12, I wasn't a fan of the English style Super Bravo, but that's likely due to the fact that I usually don't like English style ales. BBD and Winter Cycle however... extremely delicious! 

As you can see from the picture above, Bleeding Heart was VERY popular last night, with the keg blowing in 25 minutes and nearly non-stop pouring by the bartender.

For the first time while writing about beer, I can say that I had a hand in hyping a beer in our area with Bleeding Heart, purely by accident. When Jeremy (Bar Manager, Fiddler's Hearth) and I visited Flat 12 for some sampling prior to "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" party back in November, they poured us a glass of it while saying, "We have this IPA made with blood oranges and we think it's a lot of fun." From then on, Jeremy and I were hooked to the point that I even brought a growler back to South Bend to share with about 20 people, many of which also became immediate fans. When I found out that Jeremy had worked hard at getting a keg of it up here, I couldn't wait to spread the word (or steal the keg for myself, it was a tough decision).  

But I digress... Another successful evening of great craft beer from one of my favorite breweries at one of my favorite pubs. Thanks to all for coming out!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Tuesday Mashup

My schedule has been crazy lately, with lots of stuff going on, but I wanted to update you on a few things...



  • 3 Floyds Zombie Dust and Brian Boru has been on tap in the South Bend area lately, selling out in some places. Keep an eye out for it!



  • Tomorrow is Flat 12 nigh at Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend... try one or all of their tasty brews, it will be well worth it!


  • The Pub in Granger has some great beer on tap, such as...
  • Bell's 2 Hearted
  • Bell's Consecrator
  • Sun King Dominator
  • Sun King Zaius Oatmeal Stout
  • Sun King Wee Mac
  • Sun King Sunlight
  • 3 Floyds Gumballhead
  • 3 Floyds Jinx Proof
  • Flat 12 Pogues Run

  • The much anticipated 'Resin' from Sixpoint has hit Citywide downtown South Bend. They only received about 12 4-packs, so this one will move quick!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Special Flat 12 Beers on tap at Fiddler's Hearth (South Bend, IN)


For you fellow Flat 12 fans, and soon-to-be fans, there will be some really great special beers from this Indianapolis brewery on tap next Wednesday (3/14/12) at Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend. Below is the list that will be available, one of which is a huge favorite of mine - Bleeding Heart IPA. I believe some or all of them are 1/6 barrels, so supplies are definitely limited... get there while you can!

Winter Cycle (Double IPA, 9.3%)
Big Black Dog (Stout, 6.8%)
Super Bravo 46 (American Pale Ale, 5.2%)
Bleeding Heart IPA (IPA w/ Blood Oranges, 6%) (This one may not be tapped until 6pm)
Walkabout Pale Ale (I'm guessing they will have this) (American Pale, 5.3%)