Charlie’s Choice: Flight Of The Board

A discussion with a coworker recently had me thinking about my favorite beer styles and what I enjoy trying when I visit a new brewery.  When I first started drinking craft beer I didn’t experiment with much outside of beers on the hoppy side of the spectrum.  I would go to a bar or brewery and order the hoppiest beers they had over and over.  I had tried some different styles here and there but I just thought all beers in different styles were the same and I didn’t want to spend money on something I “knew” I wouldn’t like.  As time went, on friends would order beers and force me to try them, and I began to open my mind to new styles and to trying beers I would never have tried before.

A flight of the board typically consists of 3 ounce to 5 ounce samples of every beer available.  A flight allows me to get a sense of what a brewery does well and what I can look forward to during my next visit.  A brewery can make stouts and porters that I love but brew IPAs and Pales that are too malty for my taste.  The brewery down the street may have a great scotch ale but may use a yeast strain which turns me off to their other beers.  Everyone has their own taste and prefers different styles and this is why I love the idea of so many new breweries opening up in central Indiana.  

Central State Brewing is a newer brewery that is unlike any other in the area.  Their barrel and brett program reminds me of a wildly popular brewery in Colorado named Crooked Stave, but the beers they brew are definitely their own.  Barrels and infections can change a beer each time it is brewed making each experience different.  This is one of the biggest reasons why I look forward to flights at Central State.  Deviate Brewing is another brewery with a plan which includes something our market has been missing: brewing one off beers with combinations of ingredients not common to beer on a constantly rotating tap list will make it an exciting place to visit when they open on August 29th.  Deviate recently tweeted a picture of their tap list which included a malty concoction with banana and coffee flavors called The Main Monkey Business.  Once flights are available, ordering one will become a common occurrence assuming they continue the one off and rotating tap list.  There will always be a reason to order a flight of the board at breweries like these and I look forward to doing so again and again.

A flight of the board is the best way to really dig into what a brewery can do.  I love experiencing a brewery and its offerings through a flight.  It allows me to try everything and still order pints of my favorite brews.  We have all been to a place and wanted to try several beers but had to order pints or snifters instead of samples.  This can lead to issues like paying for a pint then finding out you don’t like the beer or ordering too many beers and losing your phone.  Phones are expensive, especially when it’s too early to renew your contract…  This may not be your go to selection at a brewery but it is mine.  That is why this series is called Charlie’s Choice and not Drew’s Brews or Greg’s Kegs.  Until next month, enjoy beer however you prefer, but make sure you try something new.