The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!
The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 98 - We Dive Into Some Russian Imperial Stouts
Embark on a flavorful journey with us as we uncover the secrets behind barrel-aged beers in this episode of the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. From the robust Privyet Russian Imperial Stout to the exclusive 15th Anniversary Brewer's Choice blend, we promise you'll learn all about the craftsmanship that makes these brews exceptional. Join Mike and Jim as they recount the memorable Dosvidanya Day at DESTIHL Brewery and discuss the importance of choosing the right glassware for those high-octane sips.
We explore DESTIHL Brewery's remarkable 2022 lineup, diving into the intricacies of their barrel-aged beers. The episode sparks curiosity as we taste various creations and discuss their unique flavors, complexities, and the artistry that goes into crafting them.
• Tasting Privyet, the base Imperial Stout
• Rye Barrel Aged Imperial Stout highlights
• Exploring Cherry Cordial Rye flavors
• S'mores Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout reflection
• The 15th Anniversary Brewer’s Choice appreciation
• Tasting Double Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
• Coffee Vanilla Imperial Stout experience
You won't want to miss our upcoming episodes as we continue to delve into outstanding craft beers!
With rich narratives and tasting notes, this episode is perfect for both seasoned connoisseurs and curious newcomers. Join us for a sensory adventure that might just redefine your beer appreciation.
Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northbeerguy@gmail.com.
You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.
If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request.
Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.
Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and, as always, I am once again joined by my co-host, jim. Hello Mike, how are you doing? Doing good man? How about yourself?
Jim:I couldn't complain that's good, can't complain, because I wouldn't listen anyway if you're complaining just kidding. See how you are. I know I was just. I had some good things I was going to say about you, but I said that because of what I have laid out in front of you money.
Mike:I know no bars, no even better, even better than that, really, barrel aged, barrel-aged beers.
Jim:Oh, all, right, now you pique my attention. I have your attention, don't I? Yes, what kind of.
Mike:We have another and we actually did a podcast from this brewery once before we did a bar. If you remember, but this is their 2022 lineup, okay.
Jim:Of their barrel aged beer, and this was by distal. Oh, we did it on location. On location, I remember, yes, and that was probably 21.
Mike:Yes, I built 20 or 20, 21, I think, 2021, and so now this is their 2022 lineup and this was the year that I I didn't know this before, but they have because this is their all of them but one are their dasvidaniya okay series and they have a dasvidaniya day okay, and you buy tickets and basically we were there anyway because our daughter had a basketball game, okay, and unfortunately it was the same time as because at this Dasvidanya Day, you buy a ticket, they actually you get served a meal in their barrel room, oh, and you get to try samples of every one of these. Plus, you got a bottle or can of every one of them. Really, yep, wow. I saw the notice online. You know that they were doing it and I talked to my wife. She's like well, we got a basketball game.
Mike:I said if, if they say that they'll hold the beers for me, she goes, then just buy it, you know, get the ticket and then we'll. I'm like okay. So I got a hold of them and they were generous enough to to do that. Oh to say that yes, we will hang on to you know, box them up for you and wait for you. I'm like, okay, perfect, so we did that, went down, and then they gave me this glorious box full of these.
Jim:Nice and we get to taste them.
Mike:And we get to taste. We're going to taste them all right now Nice. So yeah, it was interesting, but we've been there. It's really an impressive brewery.
Jim:Yep State of the art.
Mike:If you're ever in the normal Illinois area, bloomington normal, but it's in normal, unlike Mike, unlike, but it's in normal, uh, unlike mike, unlike me uh, make sure to stop because it is a cool place and they've got a beer for everybody. I mean they're they got just a sheer volume of the different beers they make is incredible because I believe.
Jim:Correct me if I'm wrong, but the dasvidaniya is their barrel age series correct and they have a whole nother sours and ipa, their ipa.
Mike:One member has like a grateful dead looking guy on it and it I can't remember, is it Deadhead series or something like that, but they have all these different and then they have, like you said, sours and all this other stuff. They got something for everybody, really Right. But I personally I think they're known for Dasvidaniya, right, they're really good at their barrel aging process. Yeah, they've done it for a while in their barrel room, because that's the part that really was a bummer. If I could have had whatever their meal was or lunch in the barrel room, I thought that would have been really Just to get that aroma Exactly All that bourbon in the air.
Mike:Yeah, so it might be one of those that one of these years we'll have to make a special trip down there just to attend that. Yes, because it was on a Saturday, you know, and I think that would be pretty cool, well, cool, I guess. Well, we've got how many do we have.
Mike:We've got one, two, three, four, five, six. We have eight, eight, eight, eight, eight beers in front of us here, so we might as well just get started and once again, we're going to just try little bits of each of them, and I'm sure we're going to revisit some of these afterwards.
Jim:All right.
Mike:So the first one that they have is actually and I didn't realize this, but I think this is like their base, because this is their Russian style Imperial Stout, yes, and I think this is what they use in Dasvidaniya. Okay, but this is before it's barrel aged, I believe. All right, and I apologize, I'm gonna probably butch, but this is is it privyet privyet? P-r-i-v-y-e-t. All right, and what's that mean? Uh, russian Stahok? Oh, you got that? Hi or hey, hey. See, I should look at the notes that Jim gives me beforehand. So, privyet Privyet, which is Russian for hi or hey, is the base beer for our award-winning bourbon barrel aged Dasvidaniya. Even though this beer isn't aged in oak barrels, it greets you with a color as dark as night, a thick tan head and characters of dark chocolate and roasted malts with abundant fruity esters. Generous hop additions balance the maltiness of this beer, along with a mouthfeel that is rich, creamy, full and smooth. Wow, and then yippa, nice.
Jim:So 11.4%, 11.4% on their base Right, and this is the lowest ABV one for this episode Of the eight.
Mike:this is our lowest, so we're starting a little and working our way up. So this will be interesting since this is not barrel age to compare them to these other ones to see how that affects it. Oh, that's pretty dark and definitely has a dark tan head on it.
Jim:Yes, look at that. Yeah, that smells good. We're going to go to up there. Put that can back. Ooh.
Mike:That's it is. It's really, when something like that and you smell it, you're expecting to smell the booziness of a barrel and it's not there because it's not barrel aged. It smells good, smells good. Well, here we go. Mm, hmm, that's not bad. Nope, that is not bad at all. Wow, I definitely get the roasted malts for sure. Yes, at all. Wow, I definitely get the roasted malts for sure. Yes, you know, you get that dark chocolate kind of a you know deep flavor Fruit esters. I guess I'm not. I do pick up something, but I didn't know if it was a little bit of a hop, like on the finish, on the finish.
Jim:right, I'm trying to decipher that. It's not the dark chocolate, is it? I don't know, you know, because sometimes that heavier chocolate has that it does have kind of that it could be that aftertaste too.
Mike:Yeah, I mean, it's that's not bad. This is for a non-barrel-aged russian imperial stout. That's, that's pretty decent.
Jim:Yeah, wow and this is how we're starting out.
Mike:This is how we're starting out at a measly. You know. I say 11.4%. I was going to say, if you know, somebody hasn't ever had a Russian Imperial Stout, this is a good one. Oh yeah, and I think a lot of people might be scared off because of the 11.4% Right, and I don't think they should be.
Jim:No, I mean this is the flavor spot on. I mean, I mean this is the flavor spot on. I mean I guess the other part too is Imperial Stout, so you might get scared by. It's going to be stronger or heavier but it's not.
Mike:And if you remember, Russian Imperial Stout did not originate in Russia, Remember you told me that that's right.
Jim:Remember that. So you're learning.
Mike:Yeah, it's sinking in yeah, and you're retaining. I retained it. That's kind of crazy. That's a good thing. It started in Britain. Yes, it did, because they were shipping it to Russia, or?
Jim:something you remember. So what do you think? So we should maybe go back how many beers now have you?
Mike:scored. It's getting real close to we're going to be real close to 5,500.
Jim:Okay, You're still an amateur, then Yep, all right, and then what's your average?
Mike:score Average is still. It's like 2.97. Wow Is where? But you know our average on the scale is a 2.5.
Jim:Right, but your average is way high, so you're over-inflating all the beers you drink. No, I think what it is. I'm more grounded than I am.
Mike:I think what it is is. We've tried so many barrel-aged beers that it kind of brings up, you think so I think, some of it.
Jim:All right, well, I'll let you.
Mike:The thing that's kind of interesting with untapped is you can see I can look and see how many we've by a tenth of a point, how many beers we've rated at that number. Oh right, you know, and I think the most common is like a 3.0., is it? I believe so. When you get up into the upper fours it gets a lot less. The air is thinner. Yes, air is thinner from four and up. Four and a half up, for sure is way thinner.
Jim:So what are you thinking on the score for this first?
Mike:one. Hmm, I like that. I think on the base model I'm gonna go with three and a half. I could drink that can for sure. Very good flavor. I wouldn't want to drink too many because it's so high alcohol?
Mike:yes, it is, but to share with friends and such perfect beer. I mean, I think the flavor is really good, like you said. I'm trying to figure out that aftertaste as far as if it's the dark chocolate or if it is a little bit of the hop type thing with it, but it's probably as closer to that, that dark chocolate and uh. But I definitely get the roasted malts and all that stuff. I think it's really good.
Jim:I like it so I like it too. I'm gonna go maybe just a tick lower, not saying it's bad they're not in any way but it's gonna give me some more flexibility as we go through the rest of these beers, oh yeah wait a minute I gotta count, so'm going to go with 3.3. Okay, still way above average for me. So I'm thinking that we might be in that four territory again here really soon. So that one is really I mean for the way for us to start off our tasting. That's a good way.
Mike:Yeah, and, like I said, I did not realize that. You know, you look at the artwork on the can, so I should let everybody know we have four cans and this is the only 12-ounce can. Yes, the other three cans are all 16-ounce. And then we have four bottles and those are Are they 20-ouncer? They've got to be. I don't think they're 22. One pint .9, so it's 500 milliliters. Okay, so basically another pint, but then those four are in bottles. Uh, but you look on all the artwork is all like those. The russian nesting dolls, yeah, and I apologize, I don't remember the name of that, but that's what?
Jim:oh boy, oh um, since you brought it up but hold on a second.
Mike:But this first one you know, the artwork on that is a group of those, yes, but I never put two and two together that this was actually somewhat part of this Dasvidanya series. So there you go.
Jim:Okay, so I think we kind of touched on it, but Privyet means hi, hi, and Dasvidanya means Goodbye. Okay, yep, so the name of the doll, the nesting doll, because they fit inside they break in half, you open it up, and then there's another one and another one.
Mike:And what are those called? That's what I just said. I don't remember the name of them. So that's your first question.
Jim:Well, and it's worth a million points. Yeah, I don't know. All right, it is here. I'll spell it, and then you've got to pronounce it correctly.
Mike:Okay.
Jim:M-A-T-R-Y-O-S-H-A.
Mike:Can I see it, since I just have to Matrosha, matrosha? Huh, yeah, we're probably off on that too, but Our pronunciation is wrong.
Jim:Nesting doll yes the nesting doll. Yeah, so then that brings me up to our next question for you. We're doing some very good craft beer today, so for best flavor, craft beer should never be tasted. In what type of glasses? In what type?
Mike:of glasses, right, like a material or just a style of glass. You know what's funny? I saw a story one time where somebody was talking to I don't remember if it was a bartender or a brewery or what they were talking to, but it was some kind of beer expert, okay, and he said the worst thing that ever happened to beer was the pint glass well, I'm like, I'm like really and he, and you know, because he's like, yeah, because it's just the shape and all that, it does not help to bring out anything in the beer and all that.
Jim:So that is one of them. But what kind of glass? What is that style called? To get you a million points? Oh, geez.
Mike:So it's that glass, but I don't know the actual technical. Yeah, that's what you need to know. I just always had heard it called a pint glass. I don't. What is the actual name of it?
Jim:Shaker A shaker name of it Shaker, a shaker, and what's the second kind of glass? That's bad.
Mike:I'm just going to say tulip glass, I don't know Tiku Tiku.
Jim:Dang it. The Tiku and the shaker are the worst ones for tasting craft beer, really.
Mike:Did it? No, like I said, I've heard, like the Pilsner, that shaker glass. I've heard that one before. Yes, but so the Tiku? I guess I don't know.
Jim:So the cons are it's expensive, it's shadowy and a little more challenging to manage. Oh, okay, I don't know. But and this is like my crack research team spent hours and they went hey here.
Mike:Huh. Well, that's interesting because, like I said, I had saw. That's funny, though, because it almost looks like a wine glass.
Jim:Yeah. Yep, that Tiku does Right so you probably don't want to be drinking good craft beer like this on a wine glass. No.
Mike:And I should say that, ladies and gentlemen, and now, granted, we have, ours are like taster size, but they are a snifter glass yes, you know what you think of for like brandy or bourbon snifter type Made just for craft beer. Just for craft beer, and these are the smaller version and typically when you go to a brewery and you order like if you go to Distal, you're going to get a 10 ounce pour.
Mike:Yes, you know, and most places, if it's a brewery or a craft beer bar, if it's a barrel age, high octane, you're going to get a 10 ounce pour instead of 12.
Jim:Yes, you know. So, yeah, all right, so that I'm really going to give you one question, because we, since we have so many beers, yeah, we got to get back into this, we got to roll into this Stuff here.
Mike:So what's number two? So the number two, the first Dasvidaniya that we're going to try. Okay, this is their Rye Barrel R Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. Okay, and this one is 13.6% ABV. Oh, so we went two percentage points, yeah, 2.2 percentage points up, and the description on this one, and they do have a little more on the oh, this is talking about the doll and such on the can. Okay, what we had also is this oak rye whiskey barrel aged stout is rich and robust, with roasty maltiness that finishes dry, with pleasant spiciness from the barrel and added rye wow.
Jim:So it should have that little bit of a peppery kind of a peppery, because typically the rye has that, yeah, well, and the other good part too for listeners is we've left these out for a little while too, to let them get up to room temperature.
Mike:Try and get a little closer too, because these things we always say you should try and drink them between 50 to 54 degrees or in that ballpark, because that's where the flavor is going to come from. Did you stick your thumb in it? I just did, oh, and not on purpose. Oh.
Jim:Now you can smell there's, there's a barrel and there's something. There's something good going on.
Mike:Wow, that, that smells good, that's pretty good now, it did not it did not say what brand or anything of barrel right, so we don't know, unfortunately which company?
Jim:what company?
Mike:it came from.
Jim:But that is pretty darn good, yeah, I mean I'm not getting a burned on my throat even like that one of those episodes where we had the pepper ones on there. There's no burn yeah.
Mike:It doesn't burn like that habanero no Central. Not even close, not that this said, there was pepper, but typically rye has a little peppery flavor to it. But no, this is smooth, this is really smooth.
Jim:Wow. I mean, and we have one of our local distilleries has a lot of oak barrels in their distilling. This oak is much different than that we have around here. I think this is a much better flavor.
Mike:Yeah, this is, wow, really good. I would not if you ask and I know I've said this a lot on some of these beers, but if you ask me, I would never guess that this was 13.6. No, you know, because it doesn't drink like that. You know, this is really. This is good. I mean, it is amazing when you try a barrel-aged beer from a brewery that knows what they're doing. Yes, with barrel-aging, because they're amazing. I mean, you know.
Jim:Right Now. Did we I don't remember did we talk about? Are we still in barrel-aged January or do we have to extend it?
Mike:No, this is February now but remember we had, the first episode wasn't barrel age, and then we did have our year in review, which we had barrel age beers that we tried, but there was only a few, so technically it's still barrel age season.
Jim:All right. Well, I just wanted to make sure so the listeners know.
Mike:Yes. So yeah, good question, good question, and you know we'll have to see we may continue it again. We probably should, because I'm sure we've got some other.
Jim:Well, we've hit two of the big companies now and I think later on this year we're going to have from another Wisconsin brewery.
Mike:Oh, yes, we will. I guess we could tease it a little bit. It'll probably be later in the season, unless we go over twice and pick up what we have. But we did go in together and joined the Barrel Society for three sheeps.
Jim:Yes.
Mike:And it's always interesting. It was really cool when you get an email saying, oh, here's your first two beers you get and I was like what we already got some in, so we got.
Jim:They're on reserve for us.
Mike:We're sitting there waiting, yeah, and then we did order a couple because they're yeah, well, we'll get into that when we get to them, but it's gonna really be a cool thing to try all these. I think we're gonna have to break those up into a couple episodes at least, yeah, but uh, I think that'll be really neat, all right, so, let so, let's get focused back here. All right Back to the rye whiskey.
Jim:Rye barrel. So I will try to do my best to come up with a score. Okay, wow, this is going to be a challenge because we're going to have, I think, some upper echelon scores here. So I think we may need to make a rule that says we might have, or able to, double.
Mike:We might have or able to double. We can have ties. Okay, we can tie.
Jim:I think that might be just because I think this is going to really impress us.
Mike:Looking back on it, I'm thinking three and a half, yeah, I may have already painted myself into a corner because it's like ugh.
Jim:Yeah, so this one I like. It's so hard because it's so good to differentiate just some of the flavors, I'm going to say a 3.9. Wow, okay, nice, I like it. I'm like right now I still don't have any bourbon burn on my throat.
Mike:Flavors are good. I like it. I agree a hundred percent with you and I think I'm going to go a 3.8. Okay, just one step down from you, but it's really good, I think for a rye. We've had a number of rye whiskey, barrel beers. I think this is way up there. Yeah, this is very good.
Jim:Yeah, you know, and I think we might have to revisit that one later.
Mike:I think so yeah, because that is smooth and just yeah good, very good.
Jim:Very good, that's a good one.
Mike:Yeah, so that was their rye whiskey barrel and that was in a pint. Can the next one we have is in one of their liter bottles? Yes, is it a liter?
Jim:was a pint, I'm sorry you said a little over a pint right one pint, yeah, 0.9 fluid ounces.
Mike:So just over a pint in these bottles, all right did you have a? Question, or should you want to just break into this next one right away and well, here's a dumb, here's a good question.
Jim:Okay, you should have this one. Okay, which four american presidents?
Mike:were home brewers. George washington was one, okay, if I remember right yep so um, can I ask a question? Yep, I mean are.
Jim:Are they like spread out throughout the all the way from george washington to present.
Mike:Okay, okay, so it narrows it down to 40 to 40 set. Well, 40 something, because there's a couple duplicates in there, boy. So Washington, I'm thinking there might have been more early on. Okay, oh boy, who else is going to be? Thomas Jefferson Ding?
Jim:ding, that's correct. Oh, that was a total guess. Total guess, all right.
Mike:See, I don't see any more modern day myself. I'm thinking, and I'm probably way wrong, but I just don't, because I know. You know, jimmy Carter's brother had Billy Beard out there. I don't know if they ever brewed, though I think I'm going to stick with like the older. How about Andrew Jackson?
Jim:Close James Madison.
Mike:Oh, and then you have one left Is it an old Nope? No, nope. A Nope, a newer one Yep. So I was totally wrong.
Jim:There are three older ones and one newer one, and it's not.
Mike:Carter. Right Correct, was it Carter? It's not Carter. It's not A home brewer, that's newer Dude, this is difficult.
Jim:See, this is difficult. I thought this was the easy one for you. You no. Who is going to be a home brewer? Should I give you a hint?
Mike:yeah, if I could, yeah the only president to brew inside the white house. He brewed inside the white house. That didn't help me at all, didn't it?
Jim:no, the first three brewed at their own houses okay in the white house.
Mike:Who would have been man enough to brew inside the white house?
Jim:probably some deep dark corner somewhere. Yeah, I was gonna say probably not in the main level, probably not right out in the rotunda or anything but boy, I don't know, I don't know how new you're thinking either.
Mike:20th century, teddy Roosevelt, barack Obama.
Jim:Really yeah.
Mike:I had no idea. Huh.
Jim:Yeah, I never would have guessed I guess I didn't.
Mike:Well, I thought would have guessed I didn't, I guess, I didn't.
Jim:Well, I thought you knew that, knew Nope, I had no idea. I thought you were holding out on me.
Mike:Nope, I totally had no idea on that, because I thought, okay, I'm sure it's not President Trump, and I thought the Bushes don't seem like they were really beer, I think it would be brewing and Ronald Reagan, I don't think, would have brewed.
Jim:Who in the world. I don't think, clint, you know and I didn't.
Mike:Yeah, so I totally, I didn't even. Oh, I thought that was a gimme for you. Never even would have guessed him. All right, so what is next? All right, so the next one we have is their Dasvidanya Cherry Cordial Rye.
Jim:Ooh, Rye whiskey, barrel aged imperial stout with cherry chocolate and vanilla. That's a good combination.
Mike:13.6 abv that almost sounds like a, like a float or a sundae or something exactly, and what their their description said was this stout brings flavors of tart cherries, dark chocolate and vanilla, with a dry finish and pleasant spiciness from the barrel and added rye. All right Well, so similar. The last one was their rye barrel, but this is their cherry cordial rye barrel. And this is the first one that we've had today from them in a bottle.
Jim:Yes, it's a bigger bottle too. It's a bigger bottle. It's not a 12-ounce bottle.
Mike:That comes out pretty dark too there you go, it looks good. Yeah, it smells pretty good. Ooh boy, that smells good the aroma. I was like man, wow, you know. Really good, and our two little glasses don't take a whole lot out of that bottle. So we're going to have to revisit some of these. Yeah, you don't, I still. I smell the rye. You know the barrel itself.
Mike:You do get a little bit of a sweeter kind of smell, but it's not over the top. Ooh, that has a sweet, definitely sweeter than just the rye barrel. Is that the vanilla On the finish? It's the vanilla for sure. Wow, totally get the vanilla. You get that little bit of tart up front, which is not really strong.
Jim:It's really that vanilla is really a different flavor vanilla.
Mike:Yeah.
Jim:It's not like the madagascar vanilla that's in captain. No, no, nope, not.
Mike:This is really good yeah, wow, boy, that is chocolate, I guess. I think the vanilla maybe covers up some of the chocolate flavor. Yeah, but boy that. That chocolate finish or, I'm sorry, the vanilla finish, is like wow, yeah, and I mean the cher.
Jim:I mean I have a little bit of a tart, but nothing but not over the top.
Mike:No, not really, like some of them we've had.
Jim:Yeah, not a sour tart, I mean, but that's a good combination, those are good. Yeah, and this is 13.6. So this is Wow. So the first, last two have been 13.6, which is we're getting up there, we're stepping up our game.
Mike:The next one goes up. Oh, it does, yeah, just to let you know, Thanks for the warning. Yes, not as big of a step as what the between the first one and the next one, but, wow, I like that. That is like I said that vanilla finish. It's not. I still think one of the all-time best vanilla beers we had was that, wasn't it, was it? Uh, we talked about it for the beer.
Jim:It was an absolute or absurd.
Mike:No, um absolute vanilla, or whatever you know what I'm talking about? I don't, yeah, so that was a good vanilla yeah, I apologize, I'm drawing a blank for the the beer name, but oh my gosh, that was probably almost the most perfect vanilla flavor in a beer that I've had, but this, the finish is really. You know, vanilla is very good.
Jim:I would almost like it a touch more vanilla.
Mike:Yeah.
Jim:Just a touch, not a lot, just a little bit more. It's still because there's no burn, it's still very smooth. Oh yeah.
Mike:And when you said about the tartness of the cherries, up front, I agree I think they did that extremely well. Right, and if a little bit more vanilla, yeah, I think then you'd be skirting with some of the high. Yeah, the highest of the high, the higher type stuff, but this is good.
Jim:Yeah, I'm thinking I might put this one one touch below the rye barrel. Okay, I'm going to go with 3.8.
Mike:I'm going to actually I think I'm going to go one touch higher.
Jim:I'm going to go with 3.9. You like this one.
Mike:I like this one. I think that tartness and then the vanilla finish really added something to it, so I think I like it a little bit better. Yeah, I mean, and again we're splitting hairs.
Jim:Yeah yeah, this is some rarefied air. Yep, because everything we've had so far has been way above average.
Mike:But yeah, you know we've had, because there's a couple episodes we had where everything was pretty low.
Jim:So these are especially for barrel-aged beers.
Mike:I mean these are really really good. Yeah, this is very good. Wow, I'm impressed.
Jim:We might have to revisit this bottle.
Mike:We can do that. Anything is possible right Anything is possible, so I'm running out of questions, but I do have another one for you.
Jim:Okay, it looks like so.
Mike:Do you have any pets? Yeah, Dog and a cat. Dog and a cat, I guess you could if you count our COVID chickens too. I got them, but All right, Because the college wouldn't let Callie bring them with. Oh well, I tried to tell them it was her support animals.
Jim:They didn't buy it, Darn it. So true or false Okay.
Mike:Are hops. You know what's poisonous to dogs? Ooh, that's a good question. I'm going to say fact. You are correct, it is true. Yeah, I knew it was part of. I can't remember if it's like nightshade family or some genus of plant that it's yeah, I did not know it until I read it.
Jim:I was like really I'm like most dogs I know will eat anything.
Mike:Yeah, yeah. So don't let your pets eat just raw hops, If you're growing them out there.
Jim:So yeah. Huh. So what do we got next for a beer?
Mike:All right, we got something that's going to be good? I think so. So now remember.
Mike:I told you this one we step up this one we go up to. So we're stepping it up. Yep, and this is their Dasvidanya S'mores, s'mores, bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with toasted cacao nibs, cinnamon and natural flavors. Cinnamon-n-n-n-n, cinnamon-n-n-n-n. This imperial stout brings familiar notes of the campfire treat, along with hints of bourbon and oak, together with a dry finish. All right, well, you've piqued my interest again. Okay, here's one thing, and I think we talked about it once before. Okay, and they have a sign in the brewery too. But on the can it has support flavor boycott, bland, oh nice.
Jim:I think we talked about that too. Yeah, like we like flavor.
Mike:Yes, don't be afraid of flavor. Yep, because we've talked about when we've went to some other breweries before or tried some, and they're like, let's say, close to a college or in a touristy area and they're more trying to just brew beer for the masses, so to speak. So their flavors are really muted and you and I are definitely big on the flavor side.
Jim:Right, especially if you put it on your can. Yeah, if Right, give us, especially if you put it on your can. Yeah, if you put it on the can, let us taste it. Yep, if it's on the can, it should be in the can, because the reason why we're buying the beer is to taste that flavor, exactly.
Mike:We don't want to taste something else. Yeah, so I think that's cool. Boycott Bland Couldn't have said it any better. No, no, so does say anything about, but I don't know if that's like, maybe with the natural flavors, possibly because it says it has familiar notes of the campfire treat. So I don't know. That's the one thing I was looking at to see if it said anything about graham cracker, but it doesn't so what are natural flavors? Uh, the opposite of artificial, oh gotcha okay narrow it right down for me.
Jim:Yep, all right well, here we go.
Mike:Aroma's good, aroma's good yeah, boy, I get the cinnamon, I get almost like a muted cinnamon.
Jim:Is that what that is? I was almost thinking it might have been like a marshmallow. That could be too.
Mike:But not really powerful sweet. No, that's almost. It tastes more like a marshmallow than cinnamon.
Jim:Yeah, but I mean, there is a little bit of a cinnamon touch to it. Yeah, like a cinnamon marshmallow almost. Yeah, I don't, is that?
Mike:possible could be wow, but that definitely I don't really get. Like you said, a graham cracker, no right. But when, as soon as you said marshmallow, it just like that's it. I can taste that, but it didn't say anything about it in the. You know the description, right, but that's really interesting.
Jim:I mean this, that's another good.
Mike:I'm like, wow, that's good definitely different from the cherry cordial.
Jim:Yes, but in a good way. I mean, it's like again laterally good, yes, it's not. Yes, it's still good, it's right on that same plane.
Mike:I still like you said too I kind of wish you had a little bit more of a distinct s'mores flavor. Yes, but boy, I wouldn't turn it down, you wouldn't push it away. I wouldn't turn if somebody goes you. Like you said too, I kind of wish you had a little bit more of a distinct s'mores flavor. Yes, but boy, I wouldn't turn it down, you wouldn't push it away. I wouldn't turn it If somebody goes. You want some yeah.
Jim:Yeah, I'll take some.
Mike:Really twist my arm hard Right. Wow, that is really good, you know.
Jim:but the one thing I'll have to say, I don't even, not saying even a beer, but like at a campfire.
Mike:I was going to say, well, unless you had like the cinnamon and sugar graham cracker. But I don't think I've even had one like that with. That's a good take on it.
Mike:I mean, I think it's not overpowering cinnamon, it's just like no, it's like your taste buds are like on, that's, that's really good. Yeah, I agree, and, like I said when you said marshmallow, I think it has more of a marshmallow flavor to it. That's good. That's boy. Um, what are you thinking? Um, I gotta look at. Oh yeah, well, this may have to be one that I tie. Okay, I think I'm gonna go with three nine on this one as well.
Mike:You're gonna tie them up yeah, I just I think it's really good flavor. I don't, I don't necessarily know if it's a four, but it's real close and it's different than the Cherry Cordial, but it's, like you said, almost like a lateral type difference. So, yeah, I'm going with a 3.9.
Jim:Yeah, I mean I'm going to say exact same score and I guess I mean I wish that there was a way because you know, not being a brewmaster, not knowing how hard it is, but I mean that flavor is just like amazing. Again, no burn from the bourbon barrel.
Mike:Right right.
Jim:Very smooth. We haven't had a burn yet on these. None of these, I mean, have all been super smooth and you can smell it. And it's 13.6 on this one.
Mike:No 14 on this one. So this is a 14.
Jim:Yep Does not taste like a 14. We, so this is a 14. Yep Does not taste like a 14. We are really, I think, blessed by these flavors right now. This is each one is a little bit different, but a little bit different good. Yep 3.9 for me. I think we're pushing up on getting. If these last four now are as good, We'll find out, won't we? Wow, so that's good. I'm really happy with that.
Mike:That's a good flavor and, like I said, we've had some s'mores beers that taste just like a s'more. We've had some that don't really taste like it. I mean, this is kind of in between. Yes for the flavor but boy everything else is just like wow, you know that's crazy all right, so you're ready for another question.
Jim:Sure, all right, so this is a multi-part. Okay, so there's four countries in the world where a fast food restaurant has beer on its menu. So the first question is what's the name of that restaurant? Very common restaurant, fast food restaurant, mcdonald's, you got?
Mike:it right, they have beer on the menu. Okay, and now to get points. And now what?
Jim:countries.
Mike:Now to get points you gotta tell me which. Yeah, I should get at least a point for.
Jim:McDonald's You'll get like here we go, you get a tick mark Okay, which four countries have beer on its McDonald's menu?
Mike:So you can get a McBeer, this is an easy one. Germany yes, there's a half a point, okay. Czech, no, no, minus 100. No, whoa when else. I'm trying to think where else. Three of these are in Europe and one is in Asia. I was going to say they're not here. Three in Europe, so I had Germany, scotland, england.
Jim:Close France, france, oh geez, and one more in.
Mike:Europe. How about Spain? Oh it's, oh geez. And one more in Europe. How about Spain? Oh its neighbor Portugal.
Jim:Portugal and the last one In.
Mike:Asia, japan.
Jim:South Korea.
Mike:South.
Jim:Korea Wow, minus 10 million points.
Mike:I deserve that. Well, you tried Good effort, though that's crazy, though I had no idea that.
Jim:You didn't know that A McBeer. Nice Good call, yeah, all right, so what?
Mike:do? We got now this next one. Honestly, I've been really waiting to try, and this is their 15th Anniversary Brewer's Choice, nice, and it's a blended barrel-aged Imperial Stout 14%. This limited-release 15th Anniversary variant variant is a custom brewer's choice blend of barrel-aged beers Bourbon Barrel, dasvidaniya, okay, okay.
Jim:You're going to want to listen All right.
Mike:Bourbon Barrel Dasvidaniya Rye Barrel Dasvidaniya. Bourbon Barrel Triton Barley Wine. Bourbon Barrel Antiquity Rye Wine Wow. Aromas of chocolate, toffee and dark fruit greet you, followed by complex flavors of bourbon, vanilla and oak. The spiciness from rye malt and rye whiskey barrels rounds out a dry finish. So they blended four different beers, one, two, three For their 15th anniversary. Four Yep for their 15th anniversary. Four Yep for their 15th anniversary, and this one has the gold label on it. Oh, look at that baby?
Jim:Yeah, the presentation lets us hope. What's on the inside is just as good.
Mike:It fits as good as what's on the outside.
Jim:Man.
Mike:Well, that's cool. There we go. I was going to say I have, like, an antique bottle opener and it was not cooperating. So All right Well.
Jim:All right, so here we go. Look at that it's definitely dark, yet it's definitely dark.
Mike:It has that tan little bit of head on it Because once again it's 14%. Wow, it's got a good aroma, ooh, 18%. Wow, it's got a good aroma, ooh, ooh.
Jim:Yeah, that smells pretty good. It smells like bourbon barrels right there.
Mike:The bourbon barrel, the rye barrel, the bourbon barrel triton, their barley wine, and then an antiquity rye wine. So four different barrels. Four different barrels. All right, that's pretty good. Wow, wow, I really don't. I guess I was going to say I don't get a dry finish, but I kind of do A little bit, a little bit, but it's not terrible. It's not like you're going ah.
Jim:Yeah, not like it was in a wine, cask, correct.
Mike:Boy, that's pretty.
Jim:I think it's just the right touch of dryness. Yep, that's smooth, that's really smooth, no burn.
Mike:No burn at all. I can't believe last 14%. Well, the other ones are 14, but they're 14.6. Oh, so we're even stepping it up another six-tenths of a percent.
Jim:Wow, that is really good.
Mike:This does not taste like a 14% at all.
Jim:This is one of those. This is scary.
Mike:Somebody would drink that bottle and get messed up, and then you wouldn't even see it coming.
Jim:You drink that bottle, you get up to go to the bathroom. You're like it coming. You drink that bottle, you get up to go to the bathroom.
Mike:you're like whoa, I'm on a ship, I'm going to sit down.
Jim:Let me grab a hold of something that is good. Wow, this might be the best one so far today. Yeah, this is good. Wow, this is really good. I might dare say could be on my list for beer of the year this could be.
Mike:I think you're right. I think this. Yes, we will definitely put it on the list for being talked about, because this is super smooth, very good flavor. I'm impressed.
Jim:I think we sometimes talk about it. But I mean, how you know, like for a new craft beer maker or brewer, anybody that's in this position where you go, I got a really good beer, all right, and now I'm going to take this really, really good beer, I'm going to put it in another barrel, and I'm going to put it in another barrel, well, and then I'm going to put it in another barrel and then another. So how do you?
Mike:But this is different. This is not like that. This they blended.
Jim:Oh, so they had it and then just poured it together Four different beers.
Mike:Yeah, they, you know, because we've had somewhere. The last barrel is what you tasted, right?
Jim:You know, and I mean they get a good product. I mean it's like, are you like playing with fire? Right when you know you got a good beer. Well, I'm going to try one more thing. Or it's like where is your finish line for putting them in different barrels? And you're like these are all good, man Boy.
Mike:So do you want to go first? No, but I will All right, because I'm sitting here going geez, this is good. Yeah, like I said, this would be scary drinking. Yes, super good flavor I'm going to go a.
Jim:I'm going to 4.4.
Mike:Honestly, I think this is really good. I think they did an amazing job on this one.
Jim:Yeah, I mean I don't see anything bad about this. I mean I guess I wish I could explain to the listener more of what the different barrels taste like. Yeah, I can't, only because it all just kind of melds together perfectly. Yeah.
Mike:Yes, yeah, because I say you know, you look at it. So the rye barrel we just had, yep. The bourbon barrel comes up next Yep, this one, okay. The barley wine I've never heard of, no, their bourbon barrel. Triton barley wine I've never heard of that. And I've never heard of their bourbon barrel antiquity rye wine. I don't know what those are.
Jim:Right. So I mean for me, kudos. I mean I'm going to go with 4.5. I really like it. I mean this is wow. I mean, Mike, I think this might be your first top-shelf beer that you've actually given me.
Mike:Well, I don't just. You know, I've got to save them.
Jim:You did really good on this one buddy.
Mike:Yeah, that's good.
Jim:I'm impressed.
Mike:Wow, that is crazy. And, like I said, when I got it and I pulled, you know, looking at the bottles when I got the box from them. And I saw that and I was like I got to figure out what that is, you know, and.
Mike:I put it downstairs when we got home and then just you know, oh, got home, and then just you know, because, as the listeners have have probably noticed by now when, when we do these series like this, we're taking a year at a time, so to speak, and we let them sit for right, try and let them sit for a year or two. And how do you let them age?
Jim:I have them up upright out of the direct sunlight in a room temperature, you know perfect, perfect, see yeah, or basement temperature, but still, yes, that is awesome, I mean, and this I mean that is a good beer.
Mike:That's good, that's really good. They did a good job.
Jim:All right. Well, I'm going to give you an easy question, since you brought me a good beer. Thank you, easy question.
Mike:If I knew you did that, I'd bring more good beers. Then Well, here's your question Are you ready? I'm ready.
Jim:Easiest one. Which country in the world serves beer in its elementary schools?
Mike:Germany, no oh, belgium, wisconsin oh.
Jim:Belgium, belgium, really. They began serving low alcohol content beer as a healthier option to traditional soda, which is more sugary, you didn't know that Somehow. I don't think that would fly here, not in the United States, right, so they serve a.
Mike:Radler instead of a. Well then it probably kicks all the kids mellow. I bet you're right, probably not.
Jim:Not during school, maybe after school. Well then, you've got to wake them up and send them home, but interesting.
Mike:I get that, they got to wake them up and send them home. But interesting, I mean I get that they don't want them to have the soda, I get that, but I guess I didn't think having them drink and it's like the Czech Republic, where the beer is actually cheaper to make than bottled water, yeah, than bottled water.
Jim:See, we're learning all sorts of stuff. That research staff I'm hiring more and more Because you said I keep getting the emails. Yeah, seeing how good I am with it, I know I've got to give some of the credit back to that research staff, exactly.
Mike:They're helping me out. I'm glad that you helped share the wealth, so to speak, of knowledge, of knowledge, and the kudos, your crack staff. Anything I do to help Help the show, there you go. I Anything I do to help help the show, there you go. I appreciate it because it needs help.
Jim:So what do we got next? Awesome.
Mike:Well, now we're stepping it up again to 14.6% and we're finally to their Bourbon Barrel Aged Bourbon Barrel. So we hadn't been to the.
Jim:Bourbon Barrel, yet we haven't went out that way, no.
Mike:So this is their Bourbon Barrel Ag aged Imperial Stout, and what their description was? It said, the hidden soul of this oak bourbon barrel aged beer that we said dasvidaniya farewell to several months before revealing, is its rich flavors like dark chocolate, toffee, black cherries and coffee, along with robust and roasty maltiness that finishes dry. Okay, this should be interesting, and again, we don't know what, what distillery, right, right, we don't know that. So it would be interesting sometime if we go back down there to ask right, you know, and see if they would.
Mike:I'm sure they would tell you looks like it's a. It's definitely dark.
Jim:Definitely looks like an imperial stout. Oh yes, that smells good too, gosh, still nothing bad.
Mike:Ooh, yeah, like I said, the smell is stronger, I think, than the boozy aroma is more than the boozy taste. Yes, it has been on the other ones, right, so now, well, let's see. So this is their Bourbon Barrel Bourbon Barrel 14.6. 14.6. 14.6%.
Jim:That's smooth Smooth. I have a little more bourbon flavor.
Mike:Yeah, I don't get the burn at all.
Jim:No, you know, the bourbon flavor comes through more than any of the other barrel ages, yep Barrel flavors.
Mike:Definitely a stronger flavor in that than in like the rye barrel.
Jim:Yes, for sure.
Mike:That one's got a little bit more of a bite.
Jim:Yep, little bit more of a bite, yep, but for 14 it's still. I wouldn't have guessed it was 14.6. No, I mean, it doesn't have near any of the burn that you would if you're gonna have like straight bourbon, right, right, correct, yep, this is, I guess. Now my taste buds are like kind of from that last one we just had. They're like they're used to that last one, which was super good. So now everything's like trying to elevate up to that higher level yeah, and this, like I said, this one.
Mike:It has a sharper flavor. Yes, you know what I mean. I don't know if you want to call it that, but you know I'm saying it's definitely a uh, somewhat of a bite to it I guess right.
Jim:I mean it's because, like the other, and again, this is out of a can, so we had yes, and the last right last one was a bottle so the other canned ones were the rye barrel and the s'mores. So this is the bourbon barrel. Yep, so I mean the flavor. I mean it doesn't have near the flavor, probably like the s'mores does. Right, it's a different flavor though.
Mike:Yes.
Jim:Yep, not bad. It's, like you said, difficult to describe.
Mike:Correct, you know. And then, since you brought that up, it's kind of like I wonder why they decided to put this in a can and some of the others in a bottle Right Now, the 15th anniversary. I totally get, because that's more of a limited type thing.
Jim:Oh, yeah, for sure, they could almost put that probably in a .22-ounce thing he could have.
Mike:Yeah, but you just kind of wonder. You know why they picked the way. They did be a reason for it, but and I know, like the, the bourbon barrel that's available pretty much all year right, that's on, tap on tap there. Yeah, when you go there you can get a flight, because that's what we did. Remember, we got a flight of dust vidania.
Jim:Well, at the brewery, and I think the other part that's unique is I believe I could be wrong, but in your bottling process you got to set it up for three different ways of bottling to a 12 ounce, 12-ounce can, a 16-ounce can and these glass bottles. Oh yeah, it's not like most craft beers, it's the same can for all their styles, all the way across Right yep. So I mean that's got to tell you that they've put a lot of money.
Mike:They've put a lot of effort into it.
Jim:yeah Right just into their bottling process, exactly.
Mike:Huh. Well, what do you think of this one dude? Well, I like the last one better. I have to say that for sure.
Jim:And then I'm looking at the s'mores in a rye barrel. I don't think it's up to that level. I'm going to have to say a 3.7.
Mike:That's exactly what I was going to say. I just I like the flavors on those other ones a little bit better, I know, and this is good, this is very good. But when you compare them to the other ones, I'm not going to say a little harsher flavor, but it's a little stronger flavor maybe.
Jim:I don't know. I don't know how to describe it. It's not easy to describe because it's not a bad flavor, but we're just trying to split the hairs, so everybody knows. I mean, I wish I could explain exactly what it tastes like.
Mike:It's still good, yes, but we've had other bourbon barrel Imperial Stouts. Yes, that are definitely better, I think. Just on the flavor, right, but this is still. I would not turn that can down.
Jim:No, that is good, that is really good.
Mike:Boy, we got two beers left, two beers left?
Jim:Yeah, all right. So my next question when did the owner of Distal, who is Matt Potts?
Mike:Okay.
Jim:When did he first start brewing beer in his garage? His first five gallon batch of beer.
Mike:Does it start with a one or a two? A one, a one, okay, 19.
Jim:Yep, okay, good, I got the first two numbers right 19.
Mike:Yep, I wonder how old he is. I'm going to say he's been doing it for a while. I'm going to say like 1989.
Jim:Oh, you were close. This is the 30th year 1995. Oh dang it, so it wasn't quite that far, you were close.
Mike:So I was like huh, I thought well, you never know. Because I thought okay, was never know you know. Because I thought okay, was he. You know, like my brother, I mean, he homebrewed for quite a while, right Before he started actually you know brewing for a brewery, so, yeah, it makes sense, you know own your craft.
Jim:Yeah, so the next after we finish this next beer. I got some questions for you about the new facility there. Oh geez.
Mike:Oh yeah.
Jim:I know, I've seen it, I've been there I don't know trivia, but I know we're gonna do square feet. Oh geez, yeah, right in the wheelhouse, all right so what do we got now?
Mike:so the next one oh, this has potential as well. Okay, potential. This is their black band. Double barrel, wow, double bear, double bourbon barrel, aged Imperial stout with vanilla. Say that three times. Exactly 14.6% ABV. All right, and here's what it says. We aged this beer in heaven Hill bourbon barrels, so they named, they named it.
Mike:That's a good, that's a good brand to heaven Hill bourbon barrels for several months, before transferring it to bourbon barrels from Black Band Distillery, which is in Peoria, nice, to age further, finally revealing its rich flavors like dark chocolate, toffee, black cherries and coffee, along with a robust and roasty maltiness that finishes dry.
Jim:Wow, that's a lot going on.
Mike:Yeah, so Heaven Hill, and then they put it into the local Black Band distillery. Have you had any liquor from Black Band? I don't think so. Okay, I've seen it. When we would go down there. I saw it listed, but we never went there, sampled any of their stuff.
Jim:Right, correct, all right. Well, it's definitely a dark beer.
Mike:Definitely a dark beer in 14.6. And again when you start in Heaven Hill Barrels yes, it can't all be bad. Yeah, smells good. Ooh, that definitely does have a pretty nice smell to it, boy that smells pretty.
Mike:That smells good, smells inviting. Boy, that's got a smoother flavor than just the last one. Right, that has a really smooth flavor. That is not bad. So you wonder, is that the Heaven Hill or is it? I'm sure it's a combination of both, because I'm sure the Black Band. Now it raises a question with you to say, okay, I wonder what Black Band bourbon tastes like. Right, huh, that is smooth, that's not bad, wow tastes like you know.
Mike:That is smooth, that's not bad. Wow, oh, you remember when we were talking about because a few weeks ago, when you had got the bottle of Angel's Envy right and we tried that along with the Goose Island, okay, yep, bourbon County, when I was downstairs, when I was getting these beers ready, I did notice that I had one of those. I had the Eagle Rare.
Jim:I had the Old.
Mike:Forester, and what's the other one that they?
Jim:had, I still got all those oh. So that could be an episode right there If you got the bourbon to go with it, if we had the bourbon to go with them.
Mike:Wow yeah, so we'll have to talk to our friend John. Have him buy all the other bourbons. I think I still got one one of the. Well, you may too, and I know Toby does the Pappy Van Winkle Central Waters, so you can buy that bottle. No, I was going to have John buy that one too.
Jim:Oh okay, he can just bring them all.
Mike:Just bring them all. Yeah, we'll bring the beer. You bring all the bourbons, Wow.
Jim:Yeah, that's a good very good idea.
Mike:Yeah, but that's what I was thinking. I was like you know, if we have barrel-aged January into February farther, because we've still got Goose Island, we haven't even got to Goose Island. Yeah, we did one episode. Oh, yeah, we did the one. Yes, we did. I'm sorry, but I got those other.
Jim:We still got more bottles of those too.
Mike:Yeah, we got more years of those, and then I've got those other ones too, so anyway.
Jim:So we've got stash upon stash that we haven't even tapped into yet.
Mike:Yep, we sure do, boy. That's pretty good so what are you?
Mike:thinking I'm going to go a 4.0 on this one. I think it's definitely very smooth. I think no way I'd have thought it was 14.6. I think, compared to just the bourbon barrel, I think it's way smoother than that one. And again, when you start with Heaven Hill barrels and then you go to the Black Band barrels, it seems to work really well and, yeah, I think it's good. I think it's another one of those that could sneak up on you. It's not going to sneak up on you quite as much as the 15th anniversary one would, but it's still a very good beer. I think they did a good job.
Jim:Yes, I will echo your same exact comments. I like this one too. I mean, it's hard to come up with different superlatives.
Mike:I think it's one of their beers because they're really all so good.
Jim:Yep, I mean I'm going to stick with you on the same number, 4.0. I like it. It's just wow. I wish I could describe it even better for the listeners, just so they would understand, but we've not had anything that's been bad from distal I mean any one of these.
Mike:One thing I should tell the people too these bottles were all coated in wax the tops. So before we started this, I cut all the wax off because we talked about that mirror before where, before you start drinking, you want to cut the wax. And that's what I did, because I was like, yeah, I don't want to try and do it when we've been.
Jim:Right, you know Well, and that's the hard part too. I mean, that's not the best thing for any of these, because you know you're going to be drinking beer and then you're going to have a knife to like kind of pop. These tops off. Right so yes, we're under our last set of questions.
Mike:Okay.
Jim:So in 2016.
Mike:2016, okay.
Jim:They began construction on that new building that you and I went to that. We've been to yeah, okay, the brewery and beer hall. Beer hall, yeah, how many square feet is that baby? Oh man, it's a big building. Yeah, yeah, it's. Only Could you put your house inside it.
Mike:Oh yeah, yeah, maybe not your house, but my house, you could.
Jim:I think you could put both houses in it Side by side.
Mike:Yeah, in front of your parents' house, 100,000 square feet Close, you were so close 47,000. I was way off.
Jim:And how much did it cost to?
Mike:build 2016. It's not as bad as if they built it today, yep, but still, man, because there's a lot of glass and a lot of I love when you walk in and they got that big fireplace going.
Jim:Oh, looking over a pond, looking over that pond, Yep.
Mike:Boy $5 million oh close again $15 million.
Jim:Only off by one number. Yeah, but it's a big number $15 million Only off by one number. Yeah, but it's a big number.
Mike:So they completed it in March of 2017. That place is like I said before, if you get a chance to go there, you've got to go there, because I remember Susie and I had went a number, probably two or three times, and then when you and Julie came with us we were like we've got to go and I'm pretty sure you were just like whoa.
Jim:That's like I mean. It's on the scale of the one in Iowa.
Mike:Toppling Goliath. Toppling Goliath, yes.
Jim:It's on the same scale. I think that the distal brewery is probably a little bit bigger.
Mike:Oh, yeah, I think so. So it's Boy and they've got that their barrel room is gigantic.
Jim:Yes, Temperature control Temperature, oh yeah.
Mike:We've only peaked in there. Like I said, if we did the Dust with Annie day, we could eat a meal in there. But we'd look in there and it's like, oh my gosh, You'd see all these barrels just sitting in the racks full of beer. And they do it every year. Yes, you know. So yeah, Wow, that's crazy $15 million.
Jim:Yes, it's kind of like your money, yeah, yeah.
Mike:Yeah, you're only one number off.
Jim:The zero.
Mike:No, actually you're like eight numbers off. Oh.
Jim:So what do we got for the last one? Our?
Mike:last one. This is their Fritzson Coffee Vanilla. Fritzson Vanilla. Fritzson Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with coffee 14.6% ABV once again.
Jim:Okay.
Mike:And their description says in memory of Steve Fritzson and I apologize, I don't know who that is Okay, this stout features Red Dog House blend coffee locally roasted by Serious Coffee Roasters in Bloomington, illinois. Okay, enjoy, smooth, bright coffee notes, subtle sweetness from the vanilla and a dry finish. Cheers, steve, all right, so I'm guessing this is going to be more coffee forward, I would guess. But again, this is one I've never You've never had this one either Never had one of these with really a coffee-type note, so to speak. Well, it's dark. It's dark like the rest of them, so nothing's changed there?
Jim:No, they're all right in the same area.
Mike:Okay, smells good, smells good, they've all smelled really good.
Jim:Did I miss the type of barrel it was aged in?
Mike:It did not say. Okay, it did not say on our notes here, but it is barrel 8.
Jim:It's bourbon barrel yes, it is bourbon. Okay, ooh, you can taste the coffee. As one of our friends would say, there's coffee and cigarettes.
Mike:So when I first tasted it, my initial thing was ooh. But then the coffee kind of got really strong, but then it faded and then it's the vanilla Right On. The aftertaste is vanilla.
Jim:But, initially I was like oh, that coffee's ooh, that got ooh, now it's gone you know the way the taste buds are just like being like tricked. Oh yeah, and all the difference that's definitely not.
Mike:That's not bad Because it's not over-the-top coffee, mm-mm, mm-mm and the finish is definitely vanilla. Yes, did it say? Yeah, it doesn't say you know whatever vanilla, whatever type of it. So it must be just vanilla, because normally if they have some exotic vanilla somebody will point it out.
Jim:Yeah, that's still smooth though Very smooth. But I do get that dry finish. My tongue is a little bit dry. I don't know what that's caused from or what flavor is bringing out the dryness Boy that's good, that's good yeah. Wow, we've definitely had some very good ones.
Mike:We've had some good ones again today, which we expected, Just like when we do Central Waters, just like when we do Goose Island.
Jim:you know you're going to be splitting hairs At the very top end of the spectrum.
Mike:Yeah, really really good beers. Yeah, what are you thinking?
Jim:So I think for me very good beer, there's no doubt. So the only things that I'm talking about are probably just like really really tiny or minute little things. The dryness is a little bit different for me. I guess. I don't think it changes the flavor, it's just a little different. So that's about the only thing I can. I can't pick up a lot of the because, like now after like the second or third sip now I can't taste the vanilla like that very first taste, that first one, that vanilla is very you could taste all three things like you said yes yeah, which which was very cool.
Jim:So I think I'm gonna double up like that black band. I'm going to go with 3.8.
Mike:Okay.
Jim:I wish I can't even like hardly separate some of these because they're so close.
Mike:I know that's the sad part it is. It's like ugh.
Jim:And this is probably one of the few episodes where we've actually had to double up a lot of these scores because they're so close.
Mike:I mean, I don't think you them. No, I'm gonna go with 4.0 on this one as well. All right, well I thought you liked that last black band was better.
Jim:So yeah, uh, geez let me, let me look at my scores again, because I like that I can't, I can't triple it up.
Mike:I'm gonna go with a 3.8 as well. Okay, because three, three of them at 3.9 would have been too much for a coffee stout. It's not bad, no, no, it's super. And, like I said, that initial taste when you got all three flavors was amazing. Yes, the more you drink it and you're right the vanilla kind of gets pushed to the back a little bit and you get a little more of that coffee. Yes, but still very good. Oh, very good, 100% agree. So, yeah, I'm going to finish this one and another day. These were good. Yeah, these were very good.
Jim:Boy. So I guess you know, overall this is a really really tough category. Oh, extremely.
Mike:Number one for me. Well, for me and for you were both the 15th anniversary, and I'm saying it now we're putting it in consideration for beer of the year.
Jim:Yes, I second that motion.
Mike:You know, and there's other ones here that could have been, but I think that one was so far ahead, right.
Jim:I think what? I think that the listeners are probably looking for us to separate it out, correct?
Mike:And I would, Of this group that was by far the best one.
Jim:I'll second. I mean there's no. I don't think you can go wrong by nominating no, because we're not saying it's the best now, we're just saying we're going to think about the other ones. Now you have to beat this. This is the king on the mountain right now, right Knocked it.
Mike:Well, it's put into the same group, as you know the other ones, Because we've actually been doing it the right way. This year Instead of like last year where you had to go back through and listen to a whole bunch of podcasts. We're learning, we're learning where we're trying to nominate beers to be in there and, yeah, this group, because this group, again, when it comes to the barrel aging which you know, again, I think we're more I'm not going to say expert, but we're more familiar with Right.
Jim:You know distal, we're not afraid of them. No.
Mike:Distal is one of the preeminent ones that we and I'm sure there's around the country. I'd love to get a chance to try some barrel aged beers from other states, yeah.
Jim:I mean, and especially like the listers out there, let us know what.
Mike:Yeah, if there's ones in your area that you know of. Let us know, Cause we want to try them. We might do a road trip. Yeah Well, you never know.
Jim:We'll be doing a road trip.
Mike:We may be going to another state, yeah uh, but anyway.
Jim:So that 15th anniversary, I think, was by far number one hands down hands down, and then the black band, I think was number two, okay, you know.
Mike:And then we had others, you know, of course, like the cherry cordial, the s'mores were very close, the coffee was close. You know that rye whiskey was was close, I mean, but while you look at them, uh, for for me it went from a 3.5 to a 4.4, you were 3.3 to 4.5.
Jim:Right, so all within a point.
Mike:Yeah, you know, and it's, it's. Yeah, they were very good. You know, I knew that distal wouldn't let us down, and they sure didn't, you know. And, and we do have next year we'll do another one, because I've got 2023s downstairs too.
Jim:So, and you did actually learn some russian? Yes, you did. You know hello, hello and goodbye. Goodbye, dasvidaniya, yep, and what kind of nesting doll it is yep, I can't pronounce it, but I know what it says how it's spelled, but this is one of those I'd have to put up there with the same echelon um, with the central waters, with the bourbon county. Oh yeah, they're, they're right up there at least for the upper midwest yeah they're in the top three.
Mike:Oh, you know them central waters, goose island, they're, they're, they're the preeminent bear laging right?
Jim:well, he's in our area right.
Mike:And then the um goose. Uh, three sheeps, they're up there michigan dragons Dragon's Milk oh. New Holland, yes, new Holland. Yeah, dragon's Milk. Dragon's Milk, yes, I think they're up there. They're up there too. Yes, yes.
Jim:Got a very good process Very good, and so we have not been steered wrong by any of these. No, but this is like you know. I don't even know if we could split.
Mike:I mean, they're all got very good products, very good, and that's one of those.
Jim:Yeah.
Mike:How do you pick? Because they all know what they're doing and they do it well.
Jim:Yes, and here's the other thing that we didn't talk about.
Mike:How long were these aged? They did not really specify Any months, any length of time, because one, like the coffee one it just said, you know several months. Right, we don't know if it's at two months or 30 months, who knows.
Jim:Because, like Central Waters, they say exactly, they point it out Right, they point it out, but they also are doing stuff for up to six years in a barrel. You know what I mean, right.
Mike:Where these, they do it every year. Yes, so you know it's under a year, right, but it could be 10 months, it could be 11 months, it could be eight months, who knows?
Jim:Because I mean that I think has a lot to do with the flavors that come through Right, exactly, and they're doing it right.
Mike:They're doing it right. Yep, I agree. Well, awesome dude. Thank you so much for struggling through the Dasvidaniya with me, me and uh. There just happens to look like there's a bunch of stuff left in these bottles and cans, so we're gonna have to revisit some of these.
Jim:I think, when we get done here. But yes, uh, yeah, thank you. So thanks for inviting me, thanks for finally bringing your top shelf off from I'm trying, wow, I'm trying one time in like several years, in almost 100 episodes in 90, some episodes.
Mike:I finally brought a good, a good badge. Kudos to you. Yes, thank you. And uh, yeah, we'll, we'll keep plugging away. We're getting closer to our 100th anniversary 100th episode there you go. So yeah, we got some stuff cooked up for that and hopefully it'll be working out. There you go, but yeah, Keep listening.
Jim:We're trying to tease everybody for what's going to happen.
Mike:Yep, and we do have options where we could continue to do some more barrel-laid stuff for a little while yet. Well, we could do it a long time if we wanted to Darn it, but we'll probably do it for a little while yet, and then we're going to go back to some other stuff. So awesome, well cool, jim. Thank you so much. Man and ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening in and by all means, like we, because you're not going to regret it, try some of these Dasvidanias. Yes, you're not going to regret it.
Jim:And they have other stuff and take some home.
Mike:And the food there is amazing too.
Mike:So that's one of those breweries that their food is as good as the beer is, so awesome. Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm and your beers are always cold. See ya, Bye. Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. If you have a question, a comment or a beer you'd like us to review, please feel free to send us a message at northwoodsbeerguy at gmailcom. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you're on untapped, look up Northwoods Beer Guy and send a friend request. Until next week, I hope all your campfires are warm and all your beer is cold.
