March 23, 2012 [ Updated March 24, 2012 ]
I’ve been follow 12 on Facebook for about a year now and finally made it into town again to give the a shot. Tried 3 regular offerings and 2 special offerings. All 3 beers were enjoyable and I dug the establishment. I think these guys are worth keeping an eye on, I suspect we are going to see some great stuff from them in the future.

February 24, 2012
I went there for the first time today after having some of their beers around town. The facade and main entranceway sets you up to be disappointed, but once you get inside the seating area, it’s very open and inviting. Wood beams and brick walls give this place a very rustic feel. Both servers I spoke with (I believe one was the head-brewer) were both friendly and knowledgable and were happy to dispense free samples for as long as I wanted. I was told me they would fill up unmarked growlers, too (score). They had many beers on tap; including many idiosyncratic beers I know I would have no chance getting elsewhere. I settled on the Rye Stout (you can see my review for that elsewhere). My only gripe is that $6 for a pint is pretty high. I know that they give out a lot of samples and that their profit margins still aren’t incredibly high, but that still seems like a lot. But disagreeing over paying an extra dollar or so is not a big deal whatsoever. On the bias, I was very happy with my experience here and would come back again.

February 12, 2012
Just east of downtown. Tasting room fairly small and seating is limited. However have a great selections of their beers and were very accommodating. Menu was very limited but what they had smelled and looked very good. Would like if they had glasses instead of plastic cups but understand why they don’t. Growler fill area separate from tasting area. Will be a regular stop for me as it’s pretty easy to get to off 65/70.

December 26, 2011
Easy to find location east of downtown Indy just off I-65. Street parking and some lot parking on weekend. Clean painted red building with growler fill station in first room and tasting to the right with tables and chairs. Samples always and pints when they a pizza food truck. Freindly people with all staff working the crowd to pormote. Interesting diverse selection of beer. Will go when in the area.

November 19, 2011 [ Updated May 24, 2012 ]
new, small microbrewery in an up-and-coming neighborhood. little atmosphere, not much seating inside, recently opened a pleasant beer garden outside, mostly carry out. good beers, nice variety, great people.

November 13, 2011
A wonderfully unassuming spot in a secluded-feeling business-residential hybrid area. An employee’s dog was trotting about the place, not sure if that means patrons’ dogs are welcome. Heat turned off on a cool autumn day, everybody had their coats on (take it as you will, but I see it as a positive.) All the servers seemed to be into the beer, and of course the patrons were as well, since there would be no other reason to find yourself in this neck of the woods. Nice music selection which included a couple songs from Cake’s debut album. Not a huge deal, but noteworthy as a Cake fan since it’s quite unusual to hear said album in public places. Though not overloaded with selections, they have a solid line-up of American-style brews, hop-forward, exquisitely brewed, and delectably fresh. Pizzas coming from a truck outside smelled luscious. A place I’d love to have next door.

November 13, 2011
A brewery just outside downtown Indy. As you enter there is an area for growler fills and pints (poured in plastic cups). There is a separate area on the right for samples (free, 4 oz.). This area also contains some wired metal (outdoor-esqe) tables. Oh, and shopping carts that have been converted into chairs. There is music playing. No TVs of course. There is an outdoor patio area. They have pizzas available which are made in a trailer outside (I think - I didn’t get one, but they sure smelled good!). They have 4 regular taps and a couple of seasonals/one-offs, all great stuff. I was very impressed with the quality of their beers. This is probably one of the better (or best) new breweries in Indy. A great place (certainly unique) to hang out and enjoy some great beer.

October 10, 2011
Easily the best brewery/brewpub in Indianapolis. The beer is excellent. If you’re ever in a bar that has a Flat 12 on tap, first consider yourself lucky because it’s hard to keep up and currently only available in Indiana, then order it. Like other Indy breweries, hours are limited so be sure to check before you visit. Also write down the directions because they’re very difficult to find, but they’re on Dorman in a red building. Also like other Indiana breweries (not brewpubs), samples are free and served in tiny plastic cups. Growler fills are also available but, at this brewery, you can actually buy a pint in a plastic cup. Flat 12 is smart in separating their growler/pint area with their sample area, as this keeps line build-ups down to a minimum. Growler fills are $8 for their more standard beers (like the excellent IPA and porter) and $14 for their rarer, specialty ones. The specialty ones are tapped roughly once per week and are likely to be available less than a week. You will not find these outside of the brewery. The "Flat 12" name is a reference to a type of engine, and a homage to Indy’s racing heritage. This was only recently explained to me because I know nothing about racing. Like all breweries, expansion is in the plans. Bottling is in the near future, but keeping up with demand is the first order of business. They have a list of places where you can find them on tap, but it’s actually not correct because businesses often aren’t able to keep them on tap as they often can’t get them. Food is available outside in a truck. It’s mostly pizza. There’s also a large projection TV for watching things like football while you hang out and drink. There are these interesting converted shopping carts to sit in as well as regular chairs and tables. This is a must-visit while in Indy or even in Indiana.

September 11, 2011
First brewery on my whirlwind tour through Indy. Hit 3 brewery/brewpubs. Great place to start. Samples were no charge and the staff was friendly as can be. They helped me with directions and had great suggestions on other places to hit on my trip. Beers are very up to date in style. They certainly like their hops. The amber, pale, and IPA are at 42.7, 43.2, and 104.1 IUBs respectively. That amber was hoppy and the best one I’ve had in a looong while. All eight beers rated above 3. I really really enjoyed 6 of the 8. The tasting room is a very accommodating in size. Good crowd but not crowded. Really fun. Wish I could have stayed longer but duty calls.

June 22, 2011
Lots of beers to sample. Great atmosphere with a very knowledgeable staff.