08 Jul Charlie’s Brew Tour: Trubble Brewing’s Grand Re-Opening
By Charlie Sasse
I have partied with a lot of brewers, and Trubble Brewing’s Chad and Keli Hankee are up there with the best of them. On June 25, 2016, Trubble Brewing celebrated their Grand Re-Opening. They never closed, but Trubble released six of their own beers in the taproom for the first time. Chad and Keli threw a big party to highlight the release of the beers. It was a ticketed event which included a VIP bag full of swag (I forgot mine, more on that later), a tent with live music, BBQ and sides, and of course beer. The taproom was open as well, and the event lasted well into the night.
The first thing I did was order a flight. This was going to be the first time I had beer brewed by Chad, and I wanted to taste all six available beers. The highlights for me were Alpha DogJaw Peanut Butter stout and Mindtrap IPA3. The DogJaw stout does not disappoint with the peanut butter, and anyone who knows me knows I am a PB addict! The nose is almost all PB with a bit of roastiness to round it out. The appearance of the stout is black with a thin khaki colored head. The PB is not as strong on the pallet as it is on as the nose, but there is no doubt PB is the star of this beer. The roastiness follows the PB, then a bitter chocolate finish from the cacao nibs rounds out the flavor. It is a well-balanced stout and comes in at 8.6% ABV. I liked it so much I took a growler home to share with my buddies.
Mindtrap IPA3 is a west coast style IPA, and my go to beer of the night. At 8.4% ABV hindsight would dictate I choose something else, but I didn’t and this explains why I left my swag bag behind. I am a fan of big bitter IPAs and Mindtrap sneaks in at 82 IBUs. The appearance was copper in color, with a near white lacing and head. The aroma was bitter hops through and through. The taste was similar to what you would expect from a double IPA, bitter with a slight malt sweetness to help balance the hop profile. There was no residual alcohol flavor, and this beer drank much lighter than its specifications would lead you to believe. Mindtrap pairs well with the Kimchi Fries on the taproom menu. I should know, I had them both two days in a row…brunch on Sunday was a must!
The music varied and I did not get to see much of it, but I did watch The Be Colony’s entire set. I was initially intrigued by the ever-changing psychedelic background. If you have seen video from an old Doors show, you understand what I am talking about. The music was funky and very well orchestrated. The instruments did not drown each other out, and the drummer did a great job keeping the beat as the music changed from funk to groove to psychedelia in each song. The Be Colony has only been together for a little over a year, but their sound tells a different story. Their music combines many different styles, and all of those styles were popular well before the young musicians were born. I have heard bands try this before and fail miserably, but there is something different going on here. The songs were well written and the band sounds like they have been together since the musicians were in diapers. I may not be into this style of music, but I enjoyed it enough that I would like to see them again.
After the event was over and Trubble closed, we partied into the morning drinking more of their beer and sharing a few I brought with me. It was great getting to know the owners and staff a little better. I am glad I live two hours away, though; it could be dangerous partying with these folks on a regular basis! The only issue I had that night was I lost my hat, which I believe I left in the UBER that I do not remember riding back to the hotel in. As I said earlier, Trubble Brewing knows how to party!
Thanks again to Chad, Keli, and the entire staff at Trubble Brewing for showing me a great time! Thanks for the beer and next time you come to the Indy area I will do my best to make sure you don’t remember your UBER ride!
Keep drinking great beer and talking about it; I know I will!
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