Brewer's Notes - Part 1: That Goddamned Dunkelweiss

The problem with having a craft beer hobby AND a habit of procrastinating, is that when I say I'll write a series of posts on a particular topic, it's quite possible I will drop the ball.

With that said, I mentioned that I would be writing a series of posts on my brewing experience at Four Horsemen Brewing Company. For those that aren't familiar with the back story, I was invited to put my palate and knowledge of beer to work at this downtown South Bend brewery, while learning from one of the most experienced brewers around, Stephen Foster. Having the leeway to brew whatever style, with whatever ingredients, whenever I have spare time, really is the opportunity of a lifetime.

So I'm going to attempt writing about this more often, for those interested in the brewing process, on top of the drinking process. It would have happened much sooner, but I realized all of my spare time was wrapped up in brewing, thinking about brewing, or hanging out at the brewery, and writing took a back seat.

I've written quite a bit this evening, and it just keeps getting longer, so instead of requiring people to read for a ridiculous amount of time, I've split this up into at least 3 parts, maybe 4, who knows. The intention of this series of posts is to be a summary of events, beers and experiences over the last 4 months, and what I would like to to do moving forward... After that, hopefully I can keep the updates flowing as I brew and continue to learn.

The first beer I did, while leaning heavily on Stephen for direction, was an American Pale Ale. You can read more about it here, but suffice it to say, my obsession with hops really shined on this one. I ended up brewing 3 batches of this one, mostly experimenting with mineral levels throughout, and much to my surprise, it was actually pretty good! This was quite a bit more hoppy and viscous than a typical pale ale, but when it went on tap at the brewery for those to try, it received great response. This would be the basis for the most recent version of Pale Ale that sold out at the brewery within two days.

Next up was a series of Dunkelweiss (German for Dark Wheat) beers that Stephen asked that I tinker with. This was my first great test of will in brewing. This damn Dunkelweiss did not want to be brewed, seemingly no matter what I did. The first version was WAY too salty, and while dumping it out, which is already painful enough, the air was filled with the smell of ultra-salty ocean water. I wasn't going to give up that easily though, so I brewed another. Still too salty! And another with the calcium chloride and sodium chloride turned down... again, salty!

By this time, frustration was building. 3 batches, and 3 days of brewing, down the drain. Maybe brewing wasn't for me? Maybe I should resign myself to enjoying the fruits of others labor. I'm ashamed to say I wanted to give up, and I said as much to Stephen. He could have just accepted that and moved along, but he didn't. He told me that if brewing was so easy, everyone would do it. According to him, I was doing fine, and even he has to dump a batch occasionally; his batches are far more expensive than mine. Lastly, he said that if I were going to throw in the towel, I would still be welcome back any time to brew and hang out. This support went a long way, and after a week of working through the string of bad batches in my head, I was right back at it. Could that be a defining moment in my career? I guess time will tell.

Back to this Goddamned Dunkelweiss. With greater resolve, I brewed two more, this time with the calcium chloride and sodium chloride brought waaaaay down. The result; one infected batch which tasted like band-aids, and another that actually turned out nicely. I finished this series batting .200, but the slump was busted, finally.

My favorite aspect of dark beers is a roasty, coffee-like quality, which the non-band-aid flavored version certainly had. This was my first beer to make a showing outside of the brewery, at the Blue Chip brewfest in Michigan City. Feedback was mixed, but mostly positive, with the best compliment coming from an American Serviceman who was accustomed to drinking German beers from being stationed there; he said it tasted authentic and that he really enjoyed it! The funny thing about this style - I've never had a Dunkelweiss, and to this day, I've never had one aside from mine.

Stay tuned in the next day or two for "Part 2: Getting Better"

The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth (Update)

Ever since the announcement here two months ago that we are doing another "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" craft beer party this summer, we've been working pretty hard at getting all of the pieces put in place. I just wanted to provide everyone with a reminder, and a few updates...

Where: Fiddler's Hearth (Main Street, South Bend)
When: June 30th, 11am-11pm
Price: No ticket required to get in, pay for only what you order

We are working on a really unique and special tap list for the day, consisting of constantly rotating taps. In addition to the Founders KBS that was originally announced, we will have the FIRST EVER sale of Bare Hands beer outside of the brewery, with a firkin of ThaiP.A! This is one of their most popular beers, and the first firkin of it ever made.

Alongside the great beers from Bare Hands will be two special Four Horsemen beers (Porter & American Wheat), personally crafted by your favorite (I hope) South Bend beer blogger - me! The Porter is an intensely roasty beer with hints of chocolate and coffee, smoothed out with caramel and rich mahogany. On a lighter side is a citrusy and hoppy American Wheat brewed exclusively with the immensely popular Citra hops. Both the Porter and American Wheat are great examples of fun beers coming from my experience with Four Horsemen. Stephen, Sam, Ben and John have been so great to work with and I'm learning so much about the craft beer business!

So when I originally sat down with Sean and Jeremy of Fiddler's Hearth, we all agreed that we wanted this event to be even BIGGER and BETTER than the already successful party back in November. So in addition to the ultra-limited Founders KBS and the specialty beers from Bare Hands, Four Horsemen, etc., we needed one more beer to really put this event over the top...

So without further ado, we would like to announce that an extremely rare keg of Black Note from Bell's will be on tap at some point during the day! If you haven't had the opportunity to try this highly sought after beer yet, you will not want to miss it!

So this is just a taste of what's to come, and the very long final tap list will include specialty beers from such favorites as 3 Floyds, Greenbush, Founders, etc. This party is exactly four weeks away, so look for updates and more info as we get closer!

Four Horsemen American Pale Ale Results

Rick James once said, "Cocaine is a hellova a drug." In my case, brewing beer is a hellova drug, and I've been obsessing over it ever since getting the opportunity to brew on a part-time basis with my friends at Four Horsemen Brewing Company about a month ago.

You may recall a post regarding my first day brewing a month ago here. As a quick recap, Stephen Foster (FHBC Master Brewer) tasked me with creating an American Pale Ale with only a few pointers, and instruction on how to use the Sabco Brew-Magic brewing system. From there, I dumped ingredients in with little regard to style and the resulting beer was so incredible, so amazing, that people flocked from all parts of the country just for a sip.

Ok.. in reality it was a good, solid beer, nothing more, nothing less... Not really an APA, probably closer to an AIPA. For my taste, it ended up just a tad too sweet and caramelly; a likely result of the intentionally high mashing temp, the dextrine malt, and 3 pounds of Crystal 50-60. The bitterness, as predicted, was able to cut through the sweetness quite well and the passion fruit/citrus aspect was a nice contrast to the the heavy malt backbone. The beer was well received from all accounts I've heard, so there is a chance it will continue to be brewed in the future.

The first batch sold rather quickly; in about a day or so. There were three more sixtels to be tapped, batch 2, 3 and a mixture of the two - one of which is currently being poured at FHBC for your drinking pleasure.

Just when I thought my craft beer hobby couldn't get any better, it has catapulted into awesomeness with this new venture. As you'll see in the next post about the last month of brewing, crafting beer is all about triumphs and setbacks, especially in the beginning. It's also teaching me a great deal of patience which doesn't come to me naturally. All of that aside, I'm looking forward many more brew days to come, and sharing with you all the results of my efforts!

Check out this beer, and other FHBC beers on tap Thursday through Sunday, with specific hours listed on their website here.

Brew Day at Four Horsemen: American Pale Ale

Some of you may already know that I've been invited to do some specialty/experimental batch brewing at Four Horsemen Brewing Company, with permission to brew what I think would be fun, interesting and tasty, all while learning from their Brewmaster, Stephen Foster, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Saturday, March 3rd, marked my first day arriving at the brewery to whip up a little somethin'. Talking with Stephen earlier in the week, we agreed that I would be starting with an American Pale Ale, with access to all of their brewing ingredients to do with what I wanted. Not only was the objective to make an APA, but it was also an opportunity to learn how to brew on their small-batch system, a SABCO Brew Magic v350.

The SABCO is a great little system that will brew between 5-14 gallons. As I was doing some research prior to my arrival Saturday, I learned that Sam Calagione, Founder/Owner of Dogfish Head, started the brewery on an older version of this system, and continues to use the most recent model for test/pilot batches. If it's good enough for Dogfish and FHBC, it's sure as hell good enough for me!

Knowing what I would be brewing on, and what type of beer I would be aiming for, I was on my way. Since there can be a bit of a wait for the liquor (hot water) to heat up, I started out by filling the mash tun with 5 gallons of water, and the liquor tun with 15 gallons. The reverse osmosis water source is about 30 feet away, so using a 5 gallon jug, I made 4 trips to get this started.

While the liquor was heating up to about 168 degrees, I went in search of the malt to use for this batch. I didn't really have a recipe in mind, and since this was just as much about learning how to use the SABCO as it was aiming to make a good beer... I winged it. Of course I measured ingredients and kept a log, but it really was all on the fly with some pointers from Stephen. I was aiming for 30lbs of malt to use in the mash, so I went with 18lbs of Pilsner, 9lbs of Dextrin, and 3lbs of Crystal. Now based on my subsequent research on Dextrin malt, that was possibly a bit on the high side since it produces a lot of non-fermentable sugars that get passed along to the finished product. From what I understand, maybe 10-20% of the grain bill would have been more fitting for the style, but we'll see how it turns out. Keep in mind, aside from making sure I don't do anything incredibly idiotic, Stephen is letting me run loose... he really is brave!

Once the grain was in the mash tun, I set the temp to 158 degrees and let it go until conversion stabled off at 15.5 degrees Plato. For my first go around with this system, Stephen recommended a single infusion, instead of a step infusion, so I took his advice. While this is fairly high gravity, a fraction of the sugars are from the Dextrin malt, and therefore will not ferment into alcohol. Since the mash tun is also a lauter tun, I let the wort drain into the brew kettle while running sparge water from the liquor tank over the mash to retrieve much of the leftover sugars, filtering through the grain bed and out into the boil kettle.

Once the wort filled about half of the boil kettle, I turned on the gas to let it start rising toward the boiling point, letting the kettle reach 14 gallons. Oh yeah, I suppose this needs some hops, right? Time to make a quick trip into the large cooler, look through the copious amounts of hops, of several varieties, and decide what, as well as how much, I want for this beer.

This is where things got a little crazy. I'm a huge fan of Flat 12 Walkabout Pale and its use of Galaxy hops. Since I prefer my APA/IPA/DIPA on the bitter side, I grabbed about 8oz of Galaxy hops, with 13% Alpha Acids (AA for short, the stuff that makes hops bitter). For only 14 gallons, this is probably a ridiculous amount in retrospect, especially for a APA. Once that was added to the boil, I went back for another 6.15oz of Cascade to be added with 15 minutes left in the 60 minute boil, along with 8oz of Cascade for flame-out. Again, in hindsight, this is probably far more than what was necessary, but may help cut through the high gravity, sugary side.

With about 15 minutes left in the boil, we started hooking up the wart chiller that quickly cools the very hot wort down to a ferment-able temperature before adding the yeast. Unfortunately for us, the chiller was not working properly, which required about 60-90 minutes of cleaning and sanitizing before it could be used. Although it's probably not ideal to let the wort sit that long before chilling it, this was a valuable lesson in equipment maintenance that will help me in the future.

Finally, the wort was chilled, and the fermentation tank filled, just one more ingredient to go - yeast. I added about 4 to 5oz of US-05 dry yeast to the tank, popped the top on it, connected the CO2 release hose and dropped it into a bucket of water. Until Monday afternoon, the young beer will sit in the brewery while the yeast starts doing its thing, after which I will move it to the cooler for the remainder of fermentation.

Just as important as the brewing is the cleanup work, which I did plenty of, but won't bore you with the details...

After an 8 hour brew day, I walked away with a beer fermenting, equipment clean, and a wealth of information learned. There were a few hiccups along the way that would likely have resulted in a much shorter day, but when spending time doing what I enjoy, time flies by quickly.

It's hard to say how this beer will turn out. My best guess is that it will be a high gravity, full bodied, bitter, hoppy monster with a sweet malt backbone. Whether it will taste good or not is really anyone's guess, but I'm looking forward to monitoring its progress. If it proves worthy, there's a possibility you'll see it on tap in Four Horsemen's tap room, so stay tuned for further info.

I can't begin to describe how rewarding it is to brew beer and have an opportunity like this. At the end of the day, I learned a lot from Stephen, had an incredible time, and cannot wait to get back in brewery for my next batch along with another opportunity to continue learning!

Cheers!

Four Horsemen Brewing Co. Hop Rush Party!

Stephen, the brewer for Four Horsemen dropped this note on my Facebook wall reminding me about the event tonight...

"This weekend is going to big in the tap room @ Four Horsemen Brewing Company and alot of people have been ready for us to make a beer like this one. This is a new direction for us (but was planned from the begining) so we are hitting a milestone thats sure to impress and surprise fans- especially the craft beer drinkers. All-in-all 60lbs of American hops were used in HOP RUSH giving it 95 IBU's (Bittering scale) and a massive amount of imported English and German malts to provide the malt foundation and mouth feel you would expect from a hearty IPA. At 9% ABV, 95 IBU's (hopped 7 times, including dry hopping) You can expect HOP RUSH to be full flavoured and rival any American or European IPA. When we launched the test batch in our tap room a couple of weeks ago on a friday night, it was gone saturday night. We took a keg of HOP RUSH to Indy's Winter Fest and blew that one. Like I said above, people are going to be surprised. Cheers!"

In addition to the beer tapping, Jason Sappen from Blammo will be playing live in the brewery from 6-10pm!

I have only had a small sample of this, not enough to give a full opinion, however it showed a lot of citrusy, hoppy promise. It also seems to be well received to those who try it, so get down there and try their latest addition to the lineup and support great local craft beer!

Evil Genius Beer Company Press Release

Evil Genius Beer Company – Evil EYE PA (AIPA) Press Release

Evil Genius Beer Company is pleased to announce the introduction of the first beer in its “EYE” series, Evil EYE PA, an American India Pale Ale.

At 6% ABV, this AIPA goes down easier than (insert dirty thought here). Brewed with two types of malts and four varieties of hops, including Australian Galaxy, pineapple, citrus, and passion fruit aromas and flavors wave through the pallet.

For those looking for a sessionable IPA, this one’s for you. Evil EYE PA pairs well with any entree, as its citrus flavors and tropical fruit aromas add a zest to any meal.

Stats:
ABV: 6%
IBU: 68
Malts: Two Row, Simpsons
Hops: Amarillo, Falconers Flight, Warrior, and Galaxy

About the Company
Evil Genius Beer Company is the brainchild of Luke Bowen, Trevor Hayward, and Mark Braunwarth. Founded in 2010, Evil Genius Beer currently contract brews its products through Four Horsemen Brewing Company in South Bend, Indiana. Evil Genius is committed to brewing full-flavored, yet sessionable craft beers which can be enjoyed by all.

Web: www.evilgeniusbeer.com
Twitter: @evilgeniusbeer
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvilGeniusBeerCompany
Contact: Luke Bowen (610) 563-8055
Email: Luke@evilgeniusbeer.com

An afternoon with Four Horsemen Brewing Company

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to drop by to see my friends at Four Horsemen Brewing, but yesterday was a perfect day for getting out, drinking down and chatting up.

So I've been hearing a lot about their "Winter Warmer" Wintertime Comfort and just had to give it a try. Wintertime Comfort (Strong Ale, 9.7%) is all spiced up with ginger, slightly boozy and described as "liquid gingerbread," which I certainly agree with. Originally brewed for the Indy Winterfest, they decided it would be nice to share in their taproom, and I'm glad they did. This was definitely my favorite beer they've brewed so far, and I applaud the fact that it comes in a pint glass, instead of a snifter.

While there I had a chance to hang out with Stephen Foster, Brewing wizard in charge of crafting their lineup, which is always a good time. He brought over samples of the Blonde and Pale, which he had tweaked the water on to give both a more flavorful experience. They say blondes have more fun, and that is definitely the case with FHBC's, as they have done a nice job of hopping it up. Although I typically reach for more hoppy versions of Pale Ales (Zombie Dust, Daisy Cutter, etc), I did enjoy the latest iteration of their Pale, due to it's crisp and refreshing qualities. Bottom line, they are doing their best to bridge the gap between Beer Geeks and the average drinker... so if it has been a while since you've stopped by, I think you'll find there is something for everyone's taste.

Another reason I wanted to stop by was based on their new 90-something IBU IPA they have been working on; Hop Rush. Come to find out, this must be a fairly popular new beer, as by the time I arrived, all they could eek out was an ounce or two of foam. Although it's hard to get a complete picture of a beer based on such a small amount, it did have a great citrusy hop aroma and taste. This small amount was enough to catch my interest though, and I'm looking forward to a much larger pour next time.

Thanks again to Stephen and Four Horsemen for their hospitality, I always have a great time visiting.

South Bend Brewfest Recap

After several days of cold and rain, the clouds finally parted, making way for the sun to shine down on hundreds of craft beer fans during yesterday's South Bend Brewfest at the Century Center. This highly anticipated festival included well over 100 beers to sample from over two dozen breweries from around the country and world.

Just a few of the local and regional breweries represented include Bell's, Founders, 3 Floyds, Four Horsemen, Bare Hands, Iechyd Da (kinda, but more on that later), Greenbush, Figure 8 and Backroad. On top of those great local favorites were many imported beers along with home-brew demonstrations and the Michiana Extract and Grain (MEGA) group talking all things beer.

Covering this event primarily from a blogger perspective, I only sampled a few select beers that I've not had the opportunity to try yet. First up was a silky smooth Chocolate Stout from Bare Hands that tasted exactly as the name suggested, chocolatey and thoroughly delicious. Although I've yet to come across a Pumpkin flavored beer that I like, I took a sip of their Pumpkin Ale... yep, still not a fan. In addition to enjoying the Chocolate Stout, people seemed to really like the Double IPA, Pale Ale and ThaI.P.A. Chris is a great guy that brews some fantastic beer, so look for Bare Hands to open in Granger before the end of the year!

Next up was a visit to another favorite local brewery, Greenbush. Although Scott (Brewer/Owner) was unable to attend, the rockstar women of Greenbush represented the brewery well. Their tap list included many of the same great beers from their Fiddler's Hearth invasion on October 12th such as Dungras, Anger, Pain and more. Dunegras IPA has evaded me since they opened over the summer, so this was my chance to savor every delicious hopped-up drop. If you haven't made it up to Sawyer, MI yet, what are you waiting for?  

Of course I couldn't pass up stopping by to see my friends Ben and Stephen at Four Horsemen. Having already sampled many of their offerings, I wanted to try the fabled Raspberry Ale that was rumored to be an accident turned success. Generally speaking, I'm not typically a fruity beer kind of guy, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Light, slightly tart and very refreshing, this "accident" would be an awesome way to cap a hot summer day. Ben mentioned that they are considering brewing this again in the future.

Finally after scheduling conflicts prevented a visit to new kids on the block (but certainly not new to brewing), Iechyd Da from Elkhart, it was great to stop by and talk to owners Chip and Summer Lewis. Unfortunately due to some ridiculous excise rule, Iechyd Da was unable to pour their beer for all to enjoy, but it was nice to spend time talking beer and plans to open their brewery/tasting room in Elkhart during the 2nd quarter of next year. Look for a post sometime in the next few weeks regarding an upcoming visit!

 

We could not have asked for a nicer day to sample beers from all over the country! Special thanks to Ben Amster of Indiana Beer, the Century Center and all involved for putting on such a great event. What was your favorite beer and/or brewery from Saturday?

The Week (Or So) In Labels

Several new labels in this update - A couple from old favorites and a handful from local newcomers...

Bell's Quinannan Falls - 6.4% pale lager - The former draft-only release was being sold at the Bell's General Store in 750ml bottles, but with this label approval it appears it will also be available... somewhere... in 12oz bottles as well.

Goose Island Bramble Rye Bourbon County Stout - 13% bourbon stout. As reported here earlier, Bramble Rye is coming and here's the 22oz label.

Greenbush Momento Mori - 6.1% Oktoberfest. The Sawyer, MI brewery is back again just in time for the fall season with this 12oz packaged ale.

Four Horsemen Brewing Company - This batch of labels are for FHBC's first 12oz bottled releases. If you've visited their tasting room, they may look familiar. (My apologies on the size and quality. Just working with what's available.) 4.8% Pale Ale, 5.2% Irish Lager, 4.2% Irish Red Ale, 4.2% Blonde Ale, and lastly Evil Genius', for whom FHBC is contract brewing, Good 'n Evil Golden Ale (4.5%).

Collaboration Brew with Four Horsemen Brewing Co.

And by collaboration I mean, Stephen and Ben from FHBC allowed Jeremy from Fiddler's Hearth and I to choose what to brew out of two style options, as well as perform most of the manual labor under Stephen's very thorough and detailed tutelage. Some of you know what I do for a living, and it has absolutely nothing to do with manual labor, but with that said, pouring malt into the liquor and stirring is probably the most fun I've had in a long time. Of course they didn't just invite us down to brew with them for any old reason, they did so because we plan to release this special, high gravity beer for all to try at "The Beer is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" event on November 5th.   

Think you have FHBC figured out? Think again...

While the liquor was heating up, Stephen, Ben, Jeremy and I all had a great opportunity to talk about their beer and where they fit into the regional craft beer scene. I think we all know what they aren't. FHBC isn't about huge, in-you-face hop explosions or motor-oil thick stouts aged in barrels that Merlin originally used to store potions. They are being different by not being extreme; brewing beers that are easy to drink and won't knock you on your ass after one or two. Don't like a particular beer they have on tap? Try again in a couple of weeks, because they are diligently tweaking the recipes to get them just the way they want them.

Amid the brewing, talking shop and watching ESPN, they also brought out some very special beers to sample from other breweries. I won't give away the styles or breweries we "researched" in case they want to keep what they are working on a surprise, but Jeremy and I had a lot of fun. Stephen's knowledge of the style, its history, how it's brewed and why was more in depth than I could have imagined.

When it comes to the beer geeks, well they aren't easy to please... I know because I'm a card carrying member of this club. If the session beers that FHBC is crafting now aren't your thing, look for their higher gravity brew they will be tinkering with soon. Overall, their goal is to perfect the styles they consider to be their flagship products, before going off on wild tangents.

I originally intended this piece to be about the special FHBC brew that Jeremy and I came to help out with, but it quickly turned into our entire experience with these guys. If you haven't stopped out to the tasting room, I highly recommend it. They are passionate and knowledgeable about beer, they have a vision for how they fit into the beer scene, and are extremely welcoming. Jeremy and I agreed, hanging out with these guys was one of the coolest experiences we've had during our journey through the craft beer world.

Make sure to stop by Fiddler's Hearth on November 5th to taste this latest creation, it's certain to not disappoint.

Four Horsemen Brewing Company Opens to the Public

3:00pm Thursday, August 18th - Let there once again be local, handcrafted beer in the Michiana area.

In my relatively short time as an of-age drinker, we haven't had many local choices for beer around these parts. In fact, for 16 years betwen 1992 and 2008, Mishawaka Brewing Company's Brew Pub on Main St. in Mishawaka was the only establishment of its type in my time that this area has been able to call "ours." Whatever actually lead to their demise, I like to think of it as simply: right place, wrong time. Michiana has been somewhat behind many other areas of the country in the desire for craft beer.

But now we're ready. Hungry. Clamoring!

Enter Four Horsemen Brewing Company. (FHBC for the sake of brevity here.)

I won't spend too much time on their background as Andy has already done an excellent job of previewing FHBC for this blog here, with additional pictures here. Suffice to say, the Roule brothers, Sam and Ben, and master brewer Stephen Foster have a passion to bring their brand of craft beer to South Bend. Yesterday, they collectively welcomed the public to their new tasting room. Here is the account of my wife and I's visit.

Unfortunately, real life interferes with beer drinking from time to time, so we didn't arrive at FHBC until about 6:00pm, well after the 3:00pm opening. As previously noted, the parking lot is small and at the time was full, but you can park on the street which ended up resulting in just a short walk to the building. Once inside, we were able to claim an empty bar table and a couple of bar stools. During the 90 or so minutes we were there, even with people coming and going, the average amount of people in the room was around 35. This in a room that seats about 50, so pretty good numbers.

The appearance of the tasting room is beautiful. It has both modern and rustic touches that make for a great combination. Music could be heard playing over the loudspeakers, but not too loud, which is appreciated, and you can never go wrong with ESPN on the flat screen. FHBC t-shirt samples adorned one wall/fence and additional merchandise - more t-shirts ($15), growlers ($6 empty, $15 filled on demand, or $10 for a refill), pint glasses ($3 empty, $4 filled), decals ($1), and snacks ($1) - filled the previously bare cabinets of the bar.

Sam, Ben, Stephen, and the other FHBC staff on hand were all very pleasant when interacting with patrons. The staff were equally friendly to strike up a random conversation with someone as they were knowledgeable about beer and helpful to those who weren't really sure of themselves and what they wanted to imbibe. Stephen could occasionally be seen checking his works in progress in the brewery and the guys gave tours every half hour or so to interested parties.

Within minutes, however, we did notice one drawback of the tasting room - It was hot. I'm not sure if their cooling system was inadequate or the temperature was directly related to the fact that the tasting room and brewery are separated in an open air fashion, but it could have been a little cooler for my wife.

On to the beer! As you can see in the picture above, FHBC ended up launching with a 4.8% Pale Ale, 4.2% Irish Stout, 4.2% Blonde Ale, 4.2% Brown Ale, 4.2% Black Lager, and a 4.8% IPA, as well as a 6.1% Pumpkin Ale from Evil Genius. Despite what the sign says, stating that the Black Lager, IPA, and Pumpkin Ale were samples only, we were given both samples and pints upon request. I believe this might have been only for the launch, but I could be wrong.

Speaking of the 2oz samples - they're free! This we took advantage of, trying out the Pale, Amber, Brown, and Pumpkin Ales. Of note, the Pale Ale is interesting in that it seemed to be an English Pale Ale; malty, yet almost cidery in nature towards the end. This would be no surprise given master brewer Stephen's background in German study. I also had pints of the IPA and Irish Stout. First up, the IPA, and it smelled wonderful. It tasted similar to the floral, hoppy smell up front and finished with a slight pungent flavor that I was unable to identify. The Irish Stout was next and again had a fantastic nose to it with roasty aromas, hints of chocolate and tobacco.

And the appearance! (Left.) Mostly very dark, a little light passing through around the edges and highly carbonated. Once it sat a bit, this subsided enough that I was able to sip. Again, as with the IPA, the taste throughout was very similar to the smell. This is not your granddad's stout though. Very mild and thin. For those shy of big stouts, you will not have any trouble choking down a rich, thick beer shake with this one.

Overall, Four Horsemen Brewing Company's initial offerings are all pretty mild brews. From our previous talks with Ben, we know their primary intention at launch was to make sessionable beers that are accessible to all types of people, whether it be the seasoned craft veteran or the craft newbie. In this aspect, they've certainly succeeded. You could find yourself very surprised at how many pints you've had given a little time spent at the tasting room. Their other aim was to not crush drinkers over the head with hops. We all know that is still currently trending in the craft beer arena, and I do think this is admirable of FHBC to not give into, however, I wouldn't be opposed to them hopping some of their beers a little more.

We here at TheBeerIsGood and many others we've spoke with in the Michiana area are excited to see what the future holds for Four Horsemen Brewing Company; if/how their initial brands mature or change, yet-to-be-announced specialty releases, and the introduction of their Horsepower Series, just to name some. Go down and check them out for yourself at 710 Fellows St., South Bend, IN, just southeast of downtown.

With that, we congratulate them and hope they become a staple of South Bend, so we say "Cheers!" and wish them the best of luck!

Labels!

Labels for new beers, or new labels for existing beers, are approved every day. With craft beer in its current boom state, new label approvals can reach into the hundreds each week. I plan to make this a feature likely focusing on local breweries, beers we're looking forward to, or those labels that are simply interesting in and of themselves.

Fresh on the heels of the label for the highly anticipated Zombie Dust, Three Floyds has also been busy with a number of other labels.

Three Floyds Jinx Proof - 5.10% ABV Dortmunder. While previously only available at the brewpub in 22oz bottles and with a different label, this approval was for 12oz bottles. At the time of writing this, it was unclear if it would now be distributed outside of the brewpub as well.

Brewdog & Three Floyds collaboration Bitch Please - 11.5% ABV Barleywine. As this has existed overseas for a while now, it appears this approval is finally for a stateside release in 350ml bottles (11.16oz).

Mikkeller & Three Floyds collaboration Boogoop - 10.4% ABV Buckwheat Wine. This 22oz bottled brew is the fourth in a line of collaborations between these two breweries, the others being Hvedegoop, Ruggoop and Oatgoop.

Sun King Oktoberfest - 5.8% Oktoberfest. While not a new beer in the Sun King repertoire, I believe this is a new 16oz can from them.

New Albanian Jaxon - 11% ABV Barleywine. Look for this offering in 22oz bombers from the New Albany, IN brewery. Alternately, just look for my dog on the label! (Note: Not actually my dog on the label.)

Clown Shoes Muffin Top - 10% ABV Belgian-style Tripel India Pale Ale. This is for the 22oz version. The 12oz was approved a couple of weeks ago if I understand correctly. Clown Shoes, based out of Ipswich, MA, generally supplies their own jokes and this is no exception.

Also, a special mention here to South Bend's own Four Horsemen Brewing Company who just had a truckload of various sized keg labels approved, as did Evil Genius for whom FHBC is contract brewing.

Four Horsemen Brewing Company Opening Date (South Bend, IN)

Just wanted to pass along a bit of news about the opening of Four Horsemen Brewing Company. I spoke with Ben Roule, part owner of the new South Bend area brewery, and he mentioned that they will be opening the tasting room on 8/18 at 3pm. There won't be a special grand opening event until October, he said.

Stop by and support our new local brewery, have a pint and take home a growler. Cheers!

And congratulations to everyone at Four Hoursemen. Opening a brewery is pretty much every beer geek's dream!

More Four Horesemen Brew Co Pics

Here are a few more pics from my trip to Four Horsemen the other day. I am definitely not a professional cameraist, but I have a great eye for beer.