There is a tourist attraction in Denver called Dinosaur Ridge. My family and I visited Dinosaur Ridge during our visit. At this site you can see fossilized dinosaur bones and hundreds of dinosaur tracks on the beach. Yes, the beach. The beach is an exposed portion of the current ridge that was a beach about 65 million years ago. This beach was at the edge of a vast sea that covered and formed much of the high plains of Kansas. These are the plains that my family and I had to drive to get to Topeka, KS.

Topeka, KS just happens to be about the furthest location I was willing to drive for an interim stop as we left from Denver. Turns out that Topeka also has a very nice award-winning brewery and restaurant named Blind Tiger. Amazing how these types of coincidences work out sometimes.

Blind Tiger offers an array of handcrafted ales, including GABF award winners.
Blind Tiger offers an array of handcrafted ales, including GABF award winners.

The Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant opened in May 1995 and was the first microbrewery in Topeka. At about 1000 barrels per year production, Blind Tiger is also the largest brewery in Kansas. Distribution is limited to the general region. Blind Tiger produces an array of handcrafted, award-winning ales and about 9 can be found on tap at any given time at the restaurant.

Blind Tiger has an impressive collection of brewing awards.
Blind Tiger has an impressive collection of brewing awards.

We were greeted the moment we walked in the door and quickly seated. The food menu offers a wide variety of choices. We discovered that the food at Blind Tiger is excellent.

A bar is located next to the restaurant area.
A bar is located next to the restaurant area.

The brewery is co-located at the large restaurant. Brewing takes place about 3 to 4 times per week. Unlike many other brewpubs, the tanks are not located behind glass doors, but are left in the open to encourage patrons to interact with the brewers.

Brewing is conducted in the open to encourage patrons to interact with the brewers.
Brewing is conducted in the open to encourage patrons to interact with the brewers.

I managed to sample eight beers (all on tap) during our visit. My tasting notes follow.

A samples flight includes 4 beers.
A samples flight includes 4 beers.

Blind Tiger Capital City Kolsch (4.6% ABV / 17 IBUs): Winner of a Gold Medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, Capital City pours a clear light straw color with white foam that leaves a nice lace. This beer has an aroma of light malt and is light-bodied with mild carbonation. Capital City has a tasty malt flavor that is slightly sweet. Hops presence is very mild and the beer has a crisp finish. This is a delicious session-style beer that will have you ordering more.

Blind Tiger Maibock (7.5% ABV / 16 IBUs): A Bock style beer is a strong lager of German origin. The Maibock substyle of Bock is a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals. Winner of a Gold Medal at the 2012 World Beer Cup, Blind Tiger Maibock pours a clear light gold color with white foam. This beer has a very mild caramel malt aroma. Blind Tiger Maibock is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. This beer has a nice caramel flavor with some toffee and a noticeable hop bitter finish that creates a great balance. Excellent flavors and a great beer!

Blind Tiger Ichabod English-style ESB (6.6% ABV / 26 IBUs): Ichabod ESB pours a clear dark amber color with off-white foam. The ale has a mild malt biscuit aroma. Ichabod ESB is medium-bodied and rich with mild carbonation. This ale has sweet malt and biscuit flavors. The overall emphasis is the malt flavor but a very mild hops finish is present that mostly just adds a floral character. I found this beer to be delicious but was surprised by the weak hops presence. Long live Fuller’s ESB!

Blind Tiger Holy Grail Pale Ale (6.0% ABV / 28 IBUs): Holy Grail Pale Ale pours a clear copper-amber color with off-white foam. This ale has a mild malt biscuit aroma with a hop floral bouquet. Holy Grail is light to medium-bodied with mild carbonation. This ale has a sweet malt caramel flavor followed by biscuit, a medium hops bitter back, and a dry finish. I truly enjoyed this beer. Overall there is a very nice balance of flavors, but the emphasis is more on malt than hops. Ni! Ni! ….. Say no more. Say no more.

Blind Tiger South Wind Rye IPA (7.3% ABV / 51 IBUs): One day the band Kansas strolled into Blind Tiger for food and beer. They left a nice autographed photo and spurred the master brewer to create South Wind Rye IPA in commemoration of the occasion. South Wind pours a clear dark amber color with off-white foam. This ale has a nice rye aroma followed by pine resin and floral hops. South Wind ismedium-bodied with mild carbonation. This ale tastes of malt biscuit, rye, and pine resin. The flavors are followed by a hops floral presence. A dry finish with lingering biscuit and hops bitterness remains. This is an excellent ale with wonderful integration of malt and hops flavors. South Wind Rye IPA makes me want to put “Carry on Wayward Son” on the stereo and drink the night away.

Blind Tiger Tiger Bite IPA (7.2% ABV / 48 IBUs): This midwest-style IPApours a clear dark amber color with off-white foam. I couldn’t find much in the way of aroma but I think there was a woody and fruit aroma hanging around. My daughter has a much better nose than me and she said the ale smelled like breadfruit. Tiger Bite is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. This ale tastes of sweet caramel malt and biscuit with a subtle hops bitterness. Overall I thought the beer was good and drinkable but it didn’t make me roar.

Blind Tiger Smokey the Beer German-style Rauchbier (6.0% ABV / 13 IBUs): This award-winning beer pours a dark brown color with beige foam. Smokey has a malt aroma with mild smoke. This beer is light-bodied with mild carbonation. Smokey the Beer has a delicious combination of flavors, including sweet malt, biscuit, and light smoke. Although not as smokey as some German versions I have tasted, this beer is outstanding and very drinkable. Break out the BBQ ribs and bring me a Smokey the Beer!

Blind Tiger Java Porter (5.7% ABV): This award-winning Imperial Porter is made with java beans. Java Porter pours a dark black with beige foam. As soon as your nose gets within a foot of the glass you smell dark, rich espresso coffee. Java Porter is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. This beer tastes of sweet malt and espresso coffee that is rich and delicious. There is a subtle but very complimentary hops bitterness at the end. Outstanding! Add vanilla ice cream and have a Java Porter float for dessert.

If you ever find yourself in Topeka, KS, then Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant is a must stop. You’ll love the food and the beer.

Stay tuned for my next post on Boulevard Brewery.