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.
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The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 110 -The Northwoods Beer Guy discovers hidden gems at La Crosse's premier beer event
Step into the vibrant world of Wisconsin's craft beer scene as the Northwoods Beer Guy and friends explore the Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine and Cheese Festival in La Crosse. This on-location adventure captures the excitement of discovery as Mike and his crew of familiar podcast voices sample their way through dozens of unique offerings, delivering real-time reactions and expert ratings.
Wandering from booth to booth, the team encounters everything from pepper-infused pilsners that glow slightly green to dessert stouts garnished with marshmallows. They discover hidden gems like Skeleton Crew Brew's Salty Dog salted caramel porter and Marshon Cider's Snowed In Cinnamon that "tastes exactly like apple pie." Each encounter becomes a mini-masterclass in beer appreciation as they analyze flavor profiles, discuss brewing techniques, and rate each selection on their established scale.
The gang's excitement is palpable when they discover unexpected standouts like Turtle Stack's perfectly balanced Coconut Baltic Porter and North Pillar's surprisingly smooth double hazy IPA. Their candid reactions and friendly banter create an immersive experience that makes you feel like you're right there with them, sample glass in hand. Whether you're planning to attend next year's festival or simply looking to expand your craft beer knowledge, this episode provides both entertainment and education from true midwest beer enthusiasts who know how to appreciate everything from traditional styles to boundary-pushing experiments. Join the Northwoods Beer Guy for this festival tour and discover why Wisconsin's craft beer scene deserves your attention.
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Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Grab a beer and pull up a chair.
Speaker 2: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 today we are running around the Between the Bluffs Beer, wine and Cheese Fest in La Crosse, wisconsin. So we are actually I'm joined today by a lot of people that you've heard on the podcast. Bk is here, hello, jim is here, Toby's here, julie's here, my wife Susie's here who am I forgetting? My wife Noelle's here. We've got a number of people here, so we're running around there's. I don't know how many different beer vendors are here, but they all are set up and giving out samples. We've got, of course, beer, wine, which I probably will miss, and we've got cheese and meat and all that kind of stuff too. So the first booth that we stopped at this morning was Three Sheeps and we tried their Dark Matter, which is one of their Barrel Society beers. As you know, jim and I joined the Barrel Society this year with them to give it a whirl, so it was pretty decent. I mean definitely a higher ABV.
Speaker 3:There's not a handshake that you have to know for that or anything like that. Is there no?
Speaker 2:I don't think so. Then I just did try another variant of the Wolf and that's actually really good. So we're going to be running around today. When we find a beer that's really good, we'll tell you about it and we'll check back in after a while. So keep listening. Hey, ladies and gentlemen. So we are back. We just tried at Great Dane Brewing. We had a Tri-Pepper Pilsner and it's 5.5% AB abv, but it definitely has a pepper and in fact it's even a little green. A little bit green, and you can, it is, isn't it? When you look at it, that's kind of wild. So when you try it, it uh, I don't know if it's jalapeno or what, but it's pretty sure it's jalapeno because, yeah, it's got a, definitely has a burn to it and gets your attention.
Speaker 3:So you don't see too many pepper beers, no, so I guess like out of on our scale, what would it's got?
Speaker 2:a definitely has a burn to it, for sure, and it gets your attention. So you don't see too many pepper beers, no.
Speaker 3:So I guess, like on our scale, what would you give this one? Do you think? Oh, I'm right out of the three? It's past expectations. It's a little funny that it's a little green but I like it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's got like I said. It does have a little bit more heat than Hence the green. Yep, there you go. All right, so that was Tri Pepper Pills from the Great Dane Brew Pub out of Wisconsin. Hey, we just stopped at the Potosi booth and we had a. Was it a milk stout? It's a dessert stout, a dessert stout, and it was called Cow Pie and it was actually pretty enjoyable.
Speaker 3:I thought it definitely had a caramel kind of a flavor to it Lots of caramel that came through and it wasn't a nitro, but it kind of has that creamy nitro taste to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So I'm surrounded by Brian's, so it's kind of funny. So, Brian, my brewer brother, what did you think of the cow pie? I thought it was pretty good, Nice and smooth, Get a lot of caramel. I was going to say that's the one thing that BK and I were talking about that you definitely get that caramel-type flavor to it. I think it was pretty decent. You could definitely drink it. I mean, it wasn't like real high ABV no, not high but it definitely had a good flavor to it. So what do you think, Brian? Out of five, what would you give that one? I would probably give it a 3.4.
Speaker 3:3.4? Yeah, I was in the 3.3.
Speaker 2:I was going to say I'm in that 3.3, 3.4 as well. I think we're all in agreement. So if you're ever in the Potosi Wisconsin area, stop in and have a cow pie. Yep, absolutely, it's better than I thought. All right, we just stopped at the Skeleton Crew Brew booth. They're out of Onalaska, Wisconsin, and the first one I tried was their blueberry cream ale, which is pretty good. I mean, it'd be one for like a hot day, you know if you're on a boat or something. I think it'd be decent.
Speaker 3:But the one we wanted to talk about is their salty dog salted caramel porter and this is one that we had a couple years ago and I had it. I said it was great and everybody went over and had it and it wasn't great. It's like a weird keg mishap, we're not sure. Yeah, the beauty of this one is you get the caramel right away, but it still has that bitterness and a little bit of bitterness that a porter should have.
Speaker 2:Yep, I agree. The first thing I noticed was the caramel. Was the caramel? Yep, I mean, at times you see beers that list caramel in the ingredients and you don't really get that flavor. But boy, this one that was. The first thing I got was caramel and I thought it was decent. You know it's one of those. Would I drink a six-pack in one sitting? Maybe not, but you know what, for one of them and anybody could drink it From an ABV perspective it's not super strong.
Speaker 3:It Anybody could drink it. From an ABV perspective, it's not super strong. It's like 5%, so you can have a couple of them and it's no big deal.
Speaker 2:Oh, exactly, we just had my brother step in. Yes, oh, are you on air, anyway, but yeah. So the Salty Dog, salted Caramel Porter. What kind of score do you give that one? I'd probably in the 3.4 range, 3.5. I'd agree. I think it's like a 3.4. It was actually better than I was expecting. So I think, yeah, if you ever buy a skeleton crew in Onalaska, wisconsin, stop in and have some of their salty dog. Absolutely You'll like it. We just stopped at the new Glitterist booth and we're trying their Barley Wine 24. So I'm here with my brother.
Speaker 2:From a brewer's perspective, what did you think of this one? It's a little thin for me for barley wine, barley wine, I want a little bit more flavor. Right, that's the one thing I noticed was for barley wines. They usually have more of a bolder flavor, maybe something like that. And this it's not bad, and I don't know. I have to look it up and see what the ABV is on it, but it's kind of. It needs something, maybe. Yeah. So as far as score, what kind of a score do you think you'd give this? I would probably only do like a 2.9. 2.9, I would say okay, because I was thinking like a 2.7. I mean it's decent, I would drink a can of it. But I because I was thinking like a 2.7. I mean, it's decent, I would drink a can of it, but I think I was expecting more.
Speaker 3:I was expecting more. That's a good way to put it. Yeah, and the 24 is not how many you've had. That's the name, oh.
Speaker 2:So we should have done this 23 beers ago. Oh jeez, Dang it. Where were?
Speaker 3:you at Brian.
Speaker 2:I was having the amber, all right. Well, we will be back shortly. We just stopped at the Mershan's Cider booth and, wow, it's pretty crazy. We just got the what's the name of it? The Snowed In Cinnamon and it's 6% ABV and, oh my gosh, that is actually really good. It's like drinking apple pie. Yeah, 100% tastes like apple pie and that is really good. We were just talking about what if you warmed it up in the winter? You know, that might be an interesting. If we were, like you know, professional drinkers, we'd already know, but it seems normal to us. But no, this is actually really good, I'm impressed. So I mean, what are your thoughts, brian?
Speaker 2:I actually really like it and I'm not a cider drinker at all Normally ciders are. I don't get the burn. Oh, not peach. Right, I feel like I'm going to get heartburn from it. The peach are really good. Oh, they did a really good job. They did an awesome job. Yeah, they did really well, I think. What kind of score do you think on something like this? I would give it a 3-3. I was thinking 3-4, somewhere in there. This is really good because you get that it smells like apple pie.
Speaker 2:I hear you bragging about it. The flavor it is good. I'm not exactly sure where they're out of, but they did good on this one. They have three different versions here. They have an apple normal apple and the cinnamon, and then they have a peach one. So they do definitely have a difference. He just said they're out of Stoughton, wisconsin. So yeah, so.
Speaker 1:Marshawn Cider.
Speaker 2:Definitely try the Snowed In Cinnamon. All right, we just stopped at the Al Ringling. So yeah, so, marchand Cider, definitely try the Snowed In Cinnamon. All right, we just stopped at the Al Ringling Brewing Stand. They're out of Baraboo, wisconsin, which Baraboo is kind of the headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, correct, kind of weird, you know, being in Wisconsin and such, and that's actually a brewery that I have been to and they have a lot of kind of they.
Speaker 2:They got a pipe organ from like a circus there and a little old lady was playing it the first time we were there. It was pretty crazy. I was just telling my brother that the bar and all the tables in there they made out of the floor of a bowling alley, out of the lanes, because in the basement, the building they're in used to be an Elks Club and there was a bowling alley in the basement and they said it was too much To get it going again, it was too much money, so they used the wood and made tables and the bar and all that out of it. So, anyway, so we tried. What was the name of it? It's a porter, it's a Coco Caliente Porter, coco Caliente Porter. And the first question the guy asked was well, would you like a marshmallow in it? How can you say no to a marshmallow? I did, bk said no, but the rest of us said well, yeah, so yeah, it's actually. I think it's fairly decent 6.4%.
Speaker 3:I went back and asked it's very smooth for that. It lacks that porter bitterness.
Speaker 2:It doesn't have, like that toasted flavor.
Speaker 3:Roasted malty. Whatever it is, it's not there. It's very smooth, Very chocolatey.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think it's pretty good. I don't know if I'd drink more than one or two of them, because it might get a little bit much on the sweet side a little bit, but I think it's pretty good. What do you think, Brian? It's not bad For a porter.
Speaker 1:I still want that porter bite at the end Right, but it is smooth. It's a pretty good beer.
Speaker 2:It's definitely one of those that it's unique. I guess it just doesn't have that porter bitterness.
Speaker 3:Right Porters and Stouts should have the bitterness, I agree.
Speaker 2:That's kind of their signature and this doesn't really have that, but it is very good.
Speaker 1:Would I have another?
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's the marshmallow talking, but I'd have another. So for score, wise guys, what do you? What do you think I would get myself? I would give it like a 3-1 okay I'm in the probably the 3-1 3-2 range.
Speaker 3:It's way better than average, but again, I still want that roasted flavor. I want that bitterness at the end yeah, I was gonna say a 3.0.
Speaker 2:I do like it. I think it's definitely unique. It's a good beer. It's a very good beer. I just wish it had that bitterness on the end.
Speaker 2:Right, more of that signature porter finish, you know. But yeah, very good. So, once again, baraboo, wisconsin, al Ringling Brewing. All right, we just stopped at the Top Link Goliath booth and we have three different IPAs and they're all in their All of the Sioux variety, sioux variety. So the one I got was their King Sioux, which is a double IPA, but it almost reminds me more of like a hazy where it's not real hoppy per se or an imperial IP. Yeah, I mean, but it's very good. Bk, you got the Cyber Sue and my brother the mad scientist, he got the Summer Sue. So I guess let's start with the Summer one. What do you think? I mean it's almost more. It reminds me of a. You know, it's not hoppy at all has a little bit of a.
Speaker 3:I'm getting like a lemon type flavor, a little zest of some sort.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and just a little bit of piney.
Speaker 3:It's not super piney.
Speaker 2:That's the thing I noticed too was almost more of a lemony or some kind of a zest, you know, and it's not bad, but it's not like your normal IPA flavor it's very smooth. Not much of a hot bite yeah, no bite at all.
Speaker 3:So what would you say on a score? On that, guys? You know for what it is, I'd probably go 3-1, 3-2. I mean, I'm not a huge IPA fan, but that one surprised me.
Speaker 2:I was thinking 3-1. I was going to go with a 3.0. It was very good. Oh sure, now the band kicks in. Now the band kicks in. So now let's go. So, bk, you got the Cyber Zoo, and that one is Of the three. It's like licking a pine tree. It's definitely the happiest of the three, which kind of surprises me, and the cleanest as far as looking through it. Yeah, is the the you can't see through?
Speaker 3:it looks like a bad orange juice looks like a kind of a thing I was gonna say urinary tract infection. Yeah, this is the here you go, doc.
Speaker 2:You may want to look at that under a microscope. But so on the cyber suit, what are you guys thinking for a score?
Speaker 3:it's. It's exactly what I thought a double ipa would be. It's, it's, but it doesn't linger, which is good. So I'm in that.
Speaker 2:Three, probably three, two, category three one, three, two, it's a good three two, yeah, I agree with you guys, I'm right there, like I said, for a double it's. It's very good. Definitely, if you're looking for that hot flavor, to get that one, if you're an ipa person, this is where you go. Yep, so now we go to the king sue and, like I said to me, it really it's more like a hazy. It's very mellow flavor. I think I was expecting this to be the heaviest one of the three, but it really isn't. So I mean, is that what you guys would kind of say?
Speaker 3:Yes, I mean, you know, I'm still in that three range, right at a three three one. I expected it to be more happy, but it really isn't. It's smooth, it's the smoothest of the three really. And so yeah, 3.1, 3.2, right in that range. They're all good IPAs. Brian, what do you?
Speaker 2:think I'm gonna go like a 3.2 as well. Like I said, I think all of these were decent. If you like IPAs, that's kind of what Topland Goliath is known for is IPAs and sours and you know. And they do some other stuff. They've got some barrel-aged stuff, but they're really known for their IPAs of pseudo-sue and all that. I think they were all good.
Speaker 3:I think if you're an enthusiast, you want the cyber, if you want to get into it, then you're looking at the king or the, I think the summer.
Speaker 2:If you're just getting into an IPA, I'd do the summer Because it's very mellow to an IPA, I'd do the summer because it's very mellow, absolutely, and you're not going to get scared off by it. Well, awesome. So yeah, topping Goliath, and they are out of Decorah, iowa, which, the first time that you guys were going there and I got the text from our dad and he said we're going to Fedora, his phone changed it to Fedora, fedora, and I'm like where is Fedora Anyway? So yeah, topping Goliath, make sure to stop at the brewery. It's big, it's a nice brewery. Taproom is awesome. They have a huge pseudo-sue made out of Legos in there and it's pretty crazy. And they've got food and all that Very good.
Speaker 2:Elk Mounds, elk Mounds, elk Mounds yeah, it's very impressive. So if you get a chance, stop in and try it. Otherwise, go to your store and look up the Sue line S-U-E and it's got dinosaurs on it and it'll be good, absolutely. So we just stopped at the Turtle Stack Brewing booth and they're in La Crosse, wisconsin, and BK. You picked up their their Coconut Baltic Porter. Coconut Baltic Porter 7.3%. That's 7.3%. Wow. So that one. We've had a couple other coconut beers today and it seems like some of the times the coconut is really overpowering this one seems like it's actually pretty good when I first smelled it.
Speaker 3:I was really worried that it was going to be nothing but coconut, but they let that Balticic, that roasted bitterness, get through there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a really well blended beer. Oh for sure, I agree with you, like I said, it's. As far as for turtle stack, I think it's one of, probably one of their better, yeah, you know, and they're a smaller brewery and such, but I'll tell you what that's a good one in it for a Baltic Porter. Baltic, because we had we had a Baltic Porter earlier and it was kind of eh, there was no bitterness, it was all sweet, very thin, very sweet. This one is more what you would expect from a Baltic Porter.
Speaker 3:This one's got that nice dark head on it. As far as the carbonation, it's got that coconut which I thought was going to be overpowering, but not. It's more of an aromatic. It's still sweet, but it's got that bitterness at the end of it. I agree.
Speaker 2:So, score-wise, what kind of score are you thinking?
Speaker 3:I got to go probably about a 3.4, 3.5. I mean, as far as the Baltic Porter, this one's up there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going to go like a 3.2, 3.3, but I still think it's very drinkable. I really like that and it's got, like you said, it's got the characteristics of a Baltic porter, but then that coconut it just kind of enhances that and it's not where it's overpowering. So they did a good job. Well done, well done, turtle Stack. We just stopped at the North Pillar Brewing Company booth and I had got their Nightshade Dark Lager. I mean it was okay. But BK and Brian, you guys got their. What's the name of it? It's Haus Sauce, haus Sauce, german spelling of house. Yes, and it's a double hazy IPA, that beer is really good.
Speaker 3:They give the hops that are there, but I'm not a brewmaster, so there's three of them. I think it's Eldorado Citra. For a second I thought it said Sbarro's, but that's pizza. Then there's people in the way.
Speaker 2:But no, that is of the two that we tried. That beer is really good.
Speaker 3:For a double hazy. It is a little hazy. It's actually clearer than I thought it would be.
Speaker 2:I can't say. I remember very many double hazy IPAs 7.3%, very smooth for a higher alcohol. That is a good beer you could have no problem drinking beer Right very smooth.
Speaker 3:Jim would not like it, however.
Speaker 2:The rest of us are no hot plate at all. Right, right, that's impressive. That's right up there with kind of one of the more surprising beers of the day.
Speaker 3:So far it's kind of surprising that a double hazy is a little sweet. Yeah, that's on the oddity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, brian, score-wise, what are you thinking? I'm going to give it a 3-3. A 3-3?
Speaker 3:The exact two numbers I was going to put on either side of that decimal point too.
Speaker 2:This is a really good let's make it three for three. I'll go three, three as well. Like I said, I am impressed with that. They did a really good job. I'm not exactly sure how many North Pillar Brewing Company beers we've ever had before. That's the first time I've heard of them. I think this is the first year that they've been here and that is a very good beer. I'm impressed. Awesome, good job.
Speaker 1:North Pillar Nice, well-blended beer, very good. 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.
