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 117 - Taste Testing Virginia's Craft Beer Scene
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Unwrapping a care package of Virginia beers ignites an unexpected journey through the Commonwealth's craft brewing scene. When BK's son Wes—stationed with the Navy in Virginia—ships home a thoughtfully curated collection of regional brews, we seize the opportunity to explore these East Coast offerings from our Northwoods setting.
This tasting adventure leads us through strikingly diverse styles: a rainbow sherbet sour that challenges our expectations, a pineapple wheat beer that puzzles our palates with its subtle fruit notes, an orange creamsicle IPA that perfectly captures nostalgic flavors, an exceptionally drinkable American lager with a playful name, and a maple-infused brown ale reminiscent of breakfast. Each beer tells a story about Virginia's brewing philosophy and regional character.
What emerges from our session is a fascinating conversation about truth in advertising—when beers live up to their creative names and when they fall short. Commonwealth Brewing becomes our unexpected hero, delivering two standout offerings that demonstrate their mastery of both traditional and creative brewing. Their Pool Noodle lager proves that sometimes the most unassuming beers deliver the most satisfying experience, while their Creamsicle IPA showcases how flavor innovation can still respect traditional style boundaries.
Beyond just tasting notes, our conversation weaves in reflections on military service, regional brewing differences, and how shared beer experiences connect families across distances. We celebrate the creativity of Virginia's brewing scene while offering honest assessments of where these beers succeed and where they might improve.
Whether you're curious about Virginia's craft beer landscape, enjoy vicarious beer tourism, or simply appreciate thoughtful discussions about brewing philosophy, this episode offers a flavorful escape to the East Coast without leaving your favorite drinking spot. Grab a cold one and join us for this special exploration—and perhaps discover which Virginia brewery deserves a spot in your own beer fridge.
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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 I don't know if you can hear in the background, but we are back in the Northwoods, so you know what that means. That means I am here with BK, Absolutely so dude. This is our first episode from the Northwoods this season.
Speaker 2This season, absolutely. It's more like it's not even summer. I think we're back to spring.
Speaker 1It's been out of order the entire year now, so we're sitting outside, as you can probably hear, but we're in sweatshirts and pants because it's like 50 degrees 55 degrees out.
Speaker 1Something like that and it's, which is good for beer, but not for us, yeah, yeah. So I hope everybody out there, all you guys, had a happy Father's Day last Sunday, and I know we did, so hopefully it'll be a good summer the rest of the time and have some more beers Absolutely so awesome. Well, you brought an interesting selection of beers here, so I'm going to let you kind of give the background on what.
Speaker 2What we have where they came from, how they got here, Uh, and, and we'll kind of go from there, if that's all right, Absolutely so. So Wes, my son, who's been on a few podcasts, uh, is in the Navy and he's stationed out in Virginia. So for his birthday his mother went out and visited him and probably made him clean his apartment and all that kind of stuff that moms do, and he decided to send back five different beers from Virginia. One of them is his go-to, that he likes. But I think there are what? Three different breweries. I believe One, two, three, four different breweries.
Speaker 1Four yeah.
Speaker 2And just a selection. Now he's a little more on the. He likes the fruited sours and he likes the fruited beers more than you and I typically do. But yeah, it's an interesting selection. I was impressed with what he did. Now I know also that he's right beside a Kroger. He can walk to this Kroger. And his mother was a little disappointed that they didn't shop at Kroger. They went to Walmart. First of all, walmart's cheaper, but second, she didn't know that you could drink while you shop in Kroger. They have a little bar there.
Speaker 1Hold on a second. You can drink and shop while you Kroger is like a grocery store, right, correct, correct.
Speaker 2So their carts actually have cup holders on them.
Speaker 1So kudos to Kroger for the love of everything that's only we need to get a Kroger close to us, then we need it several right yeah, or you know it doesn't have be a.
Speaker 2I would be okay as long as it's not a Target or Walmart or if they just put craft beer on tap.
Speaker 1You know, it's always funny, because when I go to the grocery store I'm sure you have done this before but you eat that one grape to see if it's, and then I'm paranoid, thinking that they thought I stole it.
Speaker 2They're following you.
Speaker 1I can't believe what they'd do if I cracked open a six pack.
Speaker 2No, no kidding, and have the evidence. Yeah, have a glass while you're wandering through the store. So, uh, so yeah, she was a little disappointed. They didn't shop there, they went to walmart, but uh, he has a really nice. They have aisles of craft beer in that particular kroger interesting and the few times I've been in kroger's down towards the south, um, they've always had a pretty good beer selection, so, uh, this would be interesting.
Speaker 1Yep, yep, for sure. And, ladies and gentlemen, if you remember, when we were in Florida, wes was on, I think, three podcasts.
Speaker 2Two or three for sure. Two or three for sure.
Virginia Beer Selection Background
Speaker 1So yeah, we were down there last year with him and went to some places in Florida that I had never heard of or been to. I know you had been to them before, but here again. He moved to Virginia, Virginia and now we get to try beers that, like I said, I don't think I've ever heard any of these breweries.
Speaker 2So it's going to really be interesting. We know the state that's about it, yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, now we do. We also talked earlier that if we like these, we'll be like hey, you know, our palates are it shows how our palates are changing, and developing and how we like any kind of beer. If we don't like them, then we're going to ask Wes, how can you drink this?
Speaker 2stuff. It's entirely his fault. That's exactly how it's going to be so.
Speaker 1yeah, you know best of both worlds for us Absolutely.
Speaker 2We're going to win either way, exactly.
Speaker 1Well, hey, we might as well get going. So I guess the first one we have is from, is it Ballad? I think it's called rainbow sherbet or sherbet, however you want to say it. It's a sour, it says fruited sour and it says a classic treat with a little tartness. We took our house sour and added rainbow sherbet and a touch of lactose for a creamy, fruit-forward dessert sour. This should be interesting. Like you said, I know Wes kind of likes the fruited beers and such.
Speaker 2So we'll see, this is an absolute rainbow of a can.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2We'll have to pull this one off and stick it on the bar. For those that don't know, we pull the labels off and stick them on the bar at Mike's place. Yeah, if they're a cool label. Now I'm curious is it going to be orange? Is it going to be pink?
Speaker 1Yeah, is it going to be green? Is it going to be? Yeah, that should be interesting. I don't of muddled color, it's hard to say. That's kind of just turns out, it's just beer, beer color what man?
Speaker 2we had our hopes up and just beer. If we wait long enough, maybe it'll change.
Speaker 1It might change, yeah it definitely cannot see through it. It is cloudy it is cloudy and there's floaters boy. The aroma is tart. That's very smart. Uh, I smelled it and my mouth started to water from like the tart reaction you know, yeah, it's not sour, that's.
Speaker 2We've talked a lot about that.
Speaker 1but I thought it would be a little sweeter.
Speaker 2You know what I mean.
Speaker 1Listening to that description and kind of the trend in sours nowadays. They're real sweet, but this is like you said, it's tart, it's not sour.
Speaker 2No, there's a difference. Sour beers I don't like necessarily, but yeah, I'm starting to get hints of other stuff. It's pretty cold yet.
Speaker 1Yeah, I don't know what the it's probably not going to warm up a whole lot yeah probably not.
Speaker 2We're almost ambient, I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 1Boy. I wish it would have said a little bit more. Well, if it's rainbow, then typically that rainbow sherbet is.
Speaker 2Berries. There's berries in there of some sort of you know, something like that. It doesn't have a bad flavor, no, and the tartness goes away.
Speaker 1Yeah it doesn't make your jaws clench too bad. Right, you have that initial kind of tart on the swallow and then it kind of goes away real quick. So it's not not bad, no, it's interesting.
Speaker 2It's, um, it's kind of basic. I don't want to say it's bad, it's basic, it's tart. I get some fruit, I get some citrus and then that's about it. Like I don, I don't the lactose, I'm lacking. Like I don't, I don't believe I get the sweetness from the lactose, and maybe they just have a little bit in there.
Speaker 1Yeah, and typically like a milk stout or things like that, it makes it kind of a smoother mouthfeel. I don't really pick that up on this one either.
Speaker 2This one's tart enough that it still it might eat it away. It still eats away at it a little bit yeah.
Speaker 1I guess I can see how Wes could drink it. You know, it's not, it's not terrible at all. Um, I don't know if I could drink a full pint. Can I might start, or, dan, you might get a little. This is liquid heartburn. Heartburn, right, if it were hot out.
Speaker 2Wes and and Noel and Wes both said he had not had any of these except for the for one of his go-to. One of these is his go-to beer. We'll talk about it in a minute. But they tried all of them cause they came in four packs or six packs, but he yeah, he hadn't had any of these except for one, uh, previously.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2He was doing kind of, he was doing a tasting as well. Well, there you go.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's. I guess I could have saw if they had maybe had a little bit more of a fruit flavor, I think. Just my personal opinion. It's almost like they. I'm not going to say they missed the boat, but I think there was a definite potential for a little bit more fruity flavor to it. Yep, it's basic.
Speaker 2Yeah, I will bet their basic sour is pretty tart, pretty tart.
Speaker 1I bet you're right, because if they, you know, added lactose to this and and fruit. And fruit, yeah, and whatever else they put in there, it'd be really tart, Really tart.
Speaker 2Yeah, that would make your jaws clench right and honestly it gets. I get a little bit of an IPA or a citra hops, Like there's almost an IPA smell to it.
Speaker 1Yeah, like I said, like the grapefruity smell. Yeah, see, the first thing I noticed, just that tart smell. So you knew it was going to be tart but, like you said perfectly, it goes away instantly.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean it lingers a little, very little. Some of those were. Some of those that are super, super tart, Like when you were a kid and had too many sweet tarts in the movies and you like the Diet Coke won't make it go away. Yeah.
Speaker 1There you go. That's a good representation or a good comparison.
Speaker 2And it is cloudy as can be, as cloudy as our skies are right now. It is cloudy. It's not a filtered beer at all.
Speaker 1Boy that is that is interesting. It's interesting, like I said. I just I think it would be liquid heartburn eventually you know, yeah, if you had four of these four pack or whatever I'd be like. Oh yeah, no, I don't. You'd be right in the I have two beers and two Mephrizol. Where's?
Speaker 2the Tums at. I'm going to pour just a little more and see if I get more. Yeah, I'll take a little bit more too, if you would, and see if.
Speaker 1It's like I said, it's not bad, but I just I wish they had a little bit more.
Speaker 2Yeah, I did turn the can several times to.
Speaker 1I just think that part they might've missed it just a little bit, I think so. They had a lot of potential there, Cause I know you've had it and I've had rainbow sherbet, yeah, sherbet, Uh before and there's so many different flavors in it and it's just like I said I, I I feel like the, the sourness or tartness I should say I'm sorry, the tartness kind of overpowers or overshines everything, you, everything, you know you don't get like a flavor like I was expecting there's no defining flavor to it.
Speaker 2It's it's very citrusy yeah um, which is not disappointing, but it's I. I expected more sweetness if it's going to be, if it's going to be, the sherbet yeah and those of you that think we're being silly, if you actually look at the word that you've pronounced sherbert, your whole life there's.
Speaker 1no, it's not a silent, it's an invisible one, exactly.
Speaker 2I would say on this one, if we're going to start talking numbers, I can't go with three on it. I'm thinking probably around a two, seven, two, eight. It's not bad Right.
Speaker 1Yeah, oh, I'm sorry, keep going.
Speaker 2I expected a little more. When I'm looking on the can and there's ice cream on it and I'm thinking lactose and a little sweetness. I didn't get any of that. So it's not a bad sour. It's more tart than sour, which I'm happy about, but I felt like they oversold, underdelivered, right.
Speaker 1Yep, I agree 100% with you because, like I said earlier, I think they had a real opportunity where they could have really had some flavors, kind of brought that sherbet flavor to the forefront a little bit and still had the tartness, um. But like you had said, brian it's I get the tartness, but I just I really don't get anything that reminds me of a of that flavor.
Speaker 2No, it's all citrus, maybe they they, they uh lacked in the lactose department.
Speaker 1That or they didn't actually try the rainbow one, they just did like the lemon one or whatever it is.
Speaker 2There is, like I said, it's all citrus in there. It just lacked a little. They had a palette and they didn't use it.
Speaker 1Yep, I agree, so you went a 2.7?.
Speaker 2I went 2.7.
Speaker 1I think I'm going to go like a 2.5, to be honest, it's not bad, but I really wish it had more flavor. Yeah, so I agree it's cool.
Speaker 2This is the first beer from Ballad Brewing I've ever had, so it's not a bad one, and we looked at their website. They had a bunch of other ones too, so hopefully I'll get out to visit my son at some point.
Speaker 1So now where? What part of Virginia is he in? So Wesley's in Suffolk, virginia, suffolk. Okay, yep.
Speaker 2And again, they spent some time in Norfolk and they spent some time they went to Virginia Beach. They did not a carrier tour, but they were on a. I'm not sure he gave me the designation, but it's a helicopter, boat, basically.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, so they do search and rescue. From that it goes with the carrier battle group out and it's actually it's not as big as the hospital ship, but they also take wounded and stuff. So Noel got to geek out medically on on the ship too. So they had a lot of fun while we were there.
Speaker 1So how does he like it compared to Florida? Cause I know when we were down there he said he really kind of didn't like the heat.
Speaker 2He said he bleeping hates Florida. He, he enjoys. I think he enjoys it now. He, you know he's got a job now he's not in training, the stress of that is not there. Just got promoted, Congratulations.
Speaker 1Congratulations, Wes and he's E5 now.
Speaker 2He golfs, he goes climbing. I think he's just kind of turning into a human. He doesn't have a job on a ship, right, so he works in an office or he does cybersecurity and that kind of stuff. So a little different scenario than a lot of people. But you know what? He's still serving his country, oh yeah.
Speaker 2And whether you're behind a keyboard or behind a monitor, and or if you're on a ship. God bless all those men and women that do that, and especially in today's climate right, there's some nasty stuff going on, and my nephew is also. He's in Germany in the army and and I worry about him more for sure than my son. But God bless you all that are out there doing it. It's it's it's great that people are still signing up to do that, because in the in today's climate right, it's kind of a it's kind of a mess, and that's just the way to yeah, you got that right.
Speaker 2On that note.
Speaker 1I think we should look at another beer that we sent back.
Speaker 2I think we probably should, as I'm looking, there's a bottle of water here and I'm like you know what?
Speaker 1We should probably maybe try to get rid of the sherbet.
Speaker 2The sherbet needs to get out of there.
Speaker 1I guess that's the one good thing about sitting outside we can just kind of a cool looking can too. This is Pineapple Grenade. It's a pineapple wheat beer and there's kind of a funny looking army, a pineapple dressed up like an army guy. And this is from Young Veterans Brewing Company and they're out of Virginia Beach, yep.
Speaker 2So this is a Weedale brewed with pineapple puree.
Speaker 1Yep, and on untapped. Here's what they said. It said this is our refreshing take on a classic German style. This pineapple Hefeweizen explodes with sweet and tangy fruit flavors, backed by fragments of spicy clove and banana. Go ahead, pull the pin.
Speaker 2Well, I didn't see banana on here.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2It says a rich mouthfeel. Well, we'll find out. This is a little different. On the can here yeah, this one says Frag out our fruited wheat ale boasts a rich mouthfeel, full body and shards I don't know about shards, shards of juicy pineapple, pull the pin and toss one back. Experience the explosive wheat character, tangy fruit flavors and notes of tropical, tropical bliss so shards and bliss we're getting, I guess, okay, perfect, I'm in what could go wrong.
Speaker 1I'm gonna guess that this is gonna be maybe pineapple color, so I'm wondering, because now they have another one in here, so I may have read the wrong one, brian, because that one said it was till through 2020. Oh, so now this one new 2023 recipe, this might, this, could. This is now okay. Now, with quadruple the amount of pineapple, frag out our fruited wheat ale boasts a rich mouthfeel, full body and shards of juicy pineapple.
Speaker 1Pull the pin and toss one back, experience the explosive wheat character, tangy fruit flavors and notes of tropical bliss. So this is the one we have. Yeah, this is the one we've got. So they just updated it, but quadruple the amount of pineapple it is definitely a wheat beer colored yes, it's, definitely it's. It's not quite as cloudy as that first one no, but it's still cloudy.
Speaker 2You can't see through it.
Speaker 1I smell the pineapple the aroma is. To me it's kind of fairly faint. It's not real in your face. Okay, that's different. I don't know, I'm not getting a whole lot of pineapple.
Speaker 2No, but there's a weird mouthfeel, yeah.
Speaker 1Yes, I don't know.
Speaker 2I don't know how to say it there, Cause it says there's a. Is it a different mouthfeel? A rich mouthfeel? There's something kind of odd. Maybe it's the clove. It's gotta be, it has to be.
Speaker 1I'm sitting here going okay, I faintly get the Hefeweizen.
Speaker 2Yeah, I get a little wheat.
Speaker 1I think it's the clove, that, and it's not overpowering because we've had other clove beers that are overpowering. It's a weird. It's a weird, weird mouthfeel. But considering they said that there's four times the pineapple, I'm not getting the pineapple.
Speaker 2I just I'm not getting it and I was hoping.
Speaker 1well, remember we were talking earlier. I'm like it's either going to be like we're drinking the juice out of a can of sliced pineapple. That's not really it.
Speaker 2No, it's pretty. It's laid back in that regard, it's not. It's not very in your face, pineapple-y Compared to the I mean the can. Right, those of you who look at the picture you should like. It may be a pina colada with wheat in it, right?
Speaker 1yeah, I mean it's not bad and I know I like hefeweizen, if you like hefeweizen, but it's like you said, it's that it's it's got to be the clove it has got to be.
Speaker 2It's got to be.
Speaker 1It's not the shards, yeah no, or the bliss, or the bliss. Yeah, I think we've tasted bliss before. Yeah, well, that's not it. That's not it at all.
Speaker 2Yeah that's different, said I've been both of these.
Speaker 1Because it talks about so much fruit in it, I went ahead and rolled the cans good to make sure We'll have to find out from Wes what he thought of this one, because, like I said, I was expecting pineapple, you know.
Speaker 2He might be your friend on Untappable. He might have rated them. We'll have to see.
Speaker 1We'll have to look, let me look. Oh, a friend did. Nope, it wasn't him, it was another guy, somebody else.
Speaker 2Somebody else rated it I don't even know how to pronounce things now the mouthfeel, which is the first time I think I've ever seen that on a label. There's just a weird, again a weird feeling when you first sip it. And I think it's the clove I really do. The good thing is the clove isn't super powerful, but it's mixed in with the wheat. Yeah, I'm not flashing back to days in the dentist chair and getting my wisdom teeth pulled right.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2I think anybody who, as old as we, are, right and had their wisdom teeth out probably all of us hate clove. Oh yeah, Because that was what all those things tasted, like that packing, or whatever they used. Yeah, yeah, there's a subtle something up front front and I don't get much pineapple at all.
Speaker 1I can smell it. I know we've said this before, jim has said it, you know a hundred thousand times. But when in my thing is when that is the first word on your label, it should be prominent. If it's on the label, it should be in the can Yep and label. It should be prominent. If it's on the label, it should be in the can Yep. And when it's the number one word in big letters pineapple you should be able to taste pineapple and not immediately.
Speaker 2And myself I don't get any. Thankfully we're not tasting grenade.
Speaker 1Correct, correct, yeah, yeah, that would be a whole different thing.
Speaker 2The weed is there. The other thing that I just, that was the other one 2015 to 2020.
Speaker 1Right, this one does not say anything about banana.
Speaker 2Because that can give you your mouth feel different.
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 2Like it's a different smoothness right.
Speaker 1Yep and see, we've had a few banana beers and they're always. It's almost like they're I don't want to say slicker, you know what I mean. It sort of feels like when you drink it Right. It's like whoa. It's weird. I'm kind of bummed on it, just because I was expecting a lot of pineapple, especially when it said quadruple the amount of pineapple.
Speaker 2Well, again there's a pineapple marching with a military hat on right. You expect it to be bursting with pineapple. It should be very.
Speaker 1My thought was very pineapple forward.
Speaker 2No, it's not, it smells. You can get the aroma. Yeah, a pineapple yeah, but it's very faint but it's faint, but it's.
Speaker 1It's more pronounced than the flavor.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm I. It tastes more like a half wise, and then it does a pineapple or a fruited.
Speaker 1I agree 100 with you uh, score wise I'm honestly I'm going like a 2.3, yeah on this, just because that is the, the, the focus and the, the big push is the pineapple. Right you said the character on there, the huge pineapple word and I I just get a very faint aroma and no taste.
Speaker 2It's lacking the pineapple, for sure I'm. I'm with you. Two, three, two, four somewhere right in there. It's not even I'm disappointed by it. I was kind of excited about that and we talked about it before we got the mics out. Which ones are you kind of interested in? And this was one of them, because I like pineapple beers, I like pineapple in general. Right but yeah, that's a little disappointing. Actually, the Heffwisen portion of it tastes really good.
Speaker 2It's a well-blended Heffwisen Yep. It doesn't taste gritty or grainy and maybe some of the pineapple mellowed that out. I'm not sure, but I, I like I always told you, you know, growing up in kansas, wheat all around us and wheat harvest time it, it tastes. It tastes, uh, dusty yeah right? Yeah, this one does not, so I'd I'd be interested just to have their hefeweizen.
Speaker 1Right, that was actually the wheat portion of that's really good. I agree, because you know any wheat beer has that flavor. Once you, if you hand you or myself a beer and it's blind taste test if you, you can tell it's a wheat beer, just like that Immediately. This one isn't quite as noticeable, you know, and, like you said, I'd love to try just the regular Hefeweizen, and maybe that's you're right. It could be that the pineapple kind of balances that out maybe.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't know, man. I just, if you blind tasted this, we'd know it was a hefeweizen, but we couldn't have guessed any of the other ingredients. I wouldn't have guessed a pineapple at all. All right.
Speaker 1Well, west picked that one out so far.
Speaker 2He's not bad. He's not bad the greatest he's.
Speaker 1No, it's like I said before. It's not terrible by any means, but it's just. I wish there was more yeah, you know. So the next one, and this is one I think we both are really kind of interested in. This is by Commonwealth Brewing and they are out of Virginia Beach as well, and this is they have their description. It is Kooks Orange Creamsicle India Pale Ale. Their description is IPA with orange and vanilla.
Pineapple Grenade Wheat Beer Review
Speaker 2Well, obviously they're people of few words. This is actually 6.5%, so this one's getting up there.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, what was the? The first one was 4.4 and this was the Pineapple Wheat Bears 5.5.
Speaker 25.5. So this is 6. 6.5.
Speaker 16.5. Coming up.
Speaker 2Yeah, okay, which for an IPA is fairly yeah.
Speaker 1Now, I don't know if you listened to last week's episode I have not yet but Jim and Julie were on there and we did an entire episode on the different levels of IPA. So we started off the first beer we had was a pale ale, just a pale ale, right. Then it went to an APA American Pale Ale, an IPA, a double, a triple and a quadruple.
Speaker 2Well, now they have West Coast IPAs too.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, we didn't go to West Coast or Hazy, because we've done other episodes where we had a lot of those on there too, but I know they had never had a whole lot of the different levels, so to speak.
Speaker 1And it was kind of crazy because, honestly, jim and Julie both kind of liked them and the only thing that really went up was the abv. I mean the none of them were. I see I figured every step we went up higher it was going to get hoppier and hoppier. Were they all the same brand? I didn't again the same same company.
Speaker 2So boulevard boulevard makes them all yes, um, and I remember the first time I ever had a pale ale. I think it was probably Boulevard Pale Ale.
Speaker 1Or it was.
Speaker 2Boulevard. I'm trying to remember Boulevard is.
Speaker 1Sierra Nevada has the all-day IPA. Kansas City, though Boulevard's out of Kansas City yes.
Speaker 2It was the first one and Boulevard Pale Ale. That was a good beer. It still is a good beer, it's still a good one. It's kind of an everyday all-.
Speaker 1Exactly so.
Speaker 2This is their Creamsicle, so I have to expect this to be a little bit orange. We'll find out. We'll find out it's a little foamy.
Speaker 1I know we've had a couple other beers that are orange Creamsicle and actually they've been one of them tasted just like a Creamsicle, so I'm kind of hoping we get at least somewhat of that. It actually looks like orange juice. Yeah, it's definitely a more orange color than what your normal pale ale is. And again, you can't see through it.
Speaker 2You can't see through it. Nope, so we're getting some actual nutrients with it. Smells like an IPA. Yep, smells like an IPA. There's a little sweetness to it in the smell.
Speaker 1Ooh, that's there's a little bit that's smooth. There's a little bit of a weirdness on the finish, but other than that that's good.
Speaker 2But that's a real orange. Oh yeah, Taste right, Right. You know, it's like a rind, almost like they're making some peel in there.
Speaker 1That's actually pretty damn good. That's pretty good. I don't mind that. It's a good thing we picked that one.
Speaker 2That's right. Yeah, that's. I don't get a whole lot of vanilla, but I think, no, the end is the vanilla hanging on. It could be no, and that's again. That is. It looks like if you've ever been to a diner and or no, not a diner. If you've ever been to a hotel and you go down and get orange juice off the um, the complimentary breakfast, yeah, that's the color of the orange juice that usually comes out of the machine that's a good yeah, good, a good comparison, because it looks like, yeah, where it's that it's orange juice, but it's kind of on the verge of not Of tainted water.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, there's something they mixed in there.
Speaker 2That's just the color, not the taste.
Speaker 1No, no, this is actually a pretty good beer. Of the three, this is my favorite so far.
Speaker 2It's not hoppy. This is not bad, it's not hoppy at all.
Speaker 1No, the aroma is more hop, and that's got to be the vanilla.
Speaker 2At the end, I would sure think there is. For sure you can taste the raw orange, yes, which I enjoy oranges, just you know, I usually throw one in my bag before I go to work. What's the one? We had Kentucky. The Kentucky one that has a tangerine.
Speaker 1That's super, super orangey tart Like tangerine cream ale or whatever it was. Yeah, the tangerine cream in the barrel.
Speaker 2In the barrel, yeah, and that one was too much In Lexington yeah, this is a well-balanced yeah. I don't get any IPA, except for smell.
Speaker 1Yeah, I say the aroma is the only thing I get that really tells you it's an IPA. The aroma smells like an IPA, but boy, the flavor is definitely orange.
Speaker 2And, like you said, it's got to be that vanilla on the end. This is actually more sour than the sour we had to me because oranges get a little bit sour.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would agree they're not. It's not tart, right? Yeah?
Speaker 2um, no, that's a. That's an interesting one.
Speaker 1I like that yeah, so commonwealth brewing commonwealth brewing.
Speaker 2Which kind of I'm. When I first thought of it, he told me it was commonwealth brewing on the. The next one is is the one that is go-to, that he always has a few in the fridge. I was thinking penn, thinking Pennsylvania, because I used to manage telecommunications equipment and it was always the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania right, oh sure, so I was thinking I go. Is it a Pennsylvania? No, it's Virginia, dad.
Speaker 1Why would I have Pennsylvania? That's exactly what he said.
Speaker 2Well, I didn't know I go. It's still Virginia's a Commonwealth dad. Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And eighth grade social studies had to come back, you know your mind is full of other stuff. That's, yeah, I got stuff going on.
Speaker 1I don't mind this at all. No, you know, and, like I said, we you and I all drink IPAs. I know there's a like we talked about on the last episode, jim and Julian and myself, that you know IPAs are really. They're kind of one of those styles that you love them or hate them. Yeah, they're polarizing, they're very polarizing, and this is a good. I think a person that has never had an IPA could drink this and not be offended at all, other than the aroma. The aroma. They're going to instantly think, oh, this is going to be super hoppy. Not at all. No, it's not, you know.
Speaker 2And if you were ever going to try to branch into a fruited beer Right, this would another one. Wouldn't be a bad one to start with. It's not overpowering. It tastes like actual fruit it's not the fake like weed, doesn't taste like Tang Right, and vanilla. Um, it tastes like oranges and and I get a little bit of bitterness, like like, maybe there's some orange peel in it too.
Speaker 1It could very well be Um no, that's a well-balanced beer.
Speaker 2That's that. It's blended well, it tastes what it says.
Speaker 1Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2Truth in advertising. What it says on the can is in the can. Now we can't say that about the next one coming up, because that would put us in a weird situation. This is a really good beer If I was going to go.
Speaker 1Wow.
Speaker 2If I were going to go numbers on this, this is right up about a 3.2, 3.3 for me, I think.
Speaker 1Yep, I was going to say this is for sure a 3.1. I'd go 3.1. Yeah, I'd go 3.1. Yeah, I agree with you. I knew this was definitely it was over a 3. Because this is what it says it tastes like and again, like I had said before, I got the aroma of the IPA, but you didn't get the bite or the hop type flavor, you know.
Speaker 2And there was zero hop. Yeah, I really enjoyed it and again, I do think that kind of weirdness at the end is the vanilla wearing itself off right, it's got to be, but.
Speaker 1I'm sure that helped kill some of the hop flavor too. Yeah, it has to be, because, like I said, the vanilla wasn't super pronounced, but I guarantee that's what it was. Yeah, no doubt, because after you said it it's like I can see that that's the vanilla.
Speaker 2That's another ingredient that can be overpowering. It can be wonderful, it can be weird. Vanilla is one of those, those oddities that, depending on what it's with, can really change the character and the the smoothness.
Speaker 1it can affect everything on a beer and we've had some really bad ones, um, and we've had some really good ones and they I think they used a lot more in dark beers and high abv to kind of hide that alcohol right yep, I would agree with you 100, because we've had some that are super vanilla forward, you know, and you're like oh, that first flavor, the first taste, is pretty good, and then after that you're like I'm kind of getting vanilla doubt a little bit, you know.
Speaker 2That's right. No, it's, it's. Uh, that was. That was a good beer, for sure, All right. So this next one is is my son's go-to and the one, the one that we're going to do next, the one we're doing next, okay, so this again truth in advertising. The name of this beer is Pool Noodle, so I hope it doesn't taste like a pool noodle. Is it going to be the green one or the blue one? Not that I've had a pool noodle before.
Speaker 1I'm pretty sure we've all been hit with a pool noodle before and I have zero.
Speaker 2this is just an American lager.
Speaker 1Well, here I'll look up on untapped. I shirked my duty, Brian. I apologize, I was too busy spacing off there, I think.
Speaker 2I was worried you were looking up questions. You're going to quiz me about something, no, no.
Speaker 1Okay, this one is by Commonwealth, as well, this is Commonwealth Boring as well. And this is 5.3% Yep, and they have absolutely no description on Untapped.
Speaker 2It's an American Merca.
Speaker 1It's an.
Speaker 2American lager and he says this is his go-to so let's give it a whirl, let's give it a shot. I expect this to be a little darker than our last three beers. It's a lager and it is lighter than all of them.
Speaker 1I was going to say the color is. I expect it to be a little darker than that, that I expected it to be a little darker than that. That is kind of crazy, dude. I thought it was going to be because you know your classic lager is almost. It's not amber, but it's closer to that than like a clear pilsner yellow.
Speaker 2This is pilsner or wheat colored.
Speaker 1Or wheat, yeah, or like a lemon shandy color almost that smells like a lager, oh yeah.
Speaker 2That smells good. Oh yeah, that's a good beer, boy, that's almost got a, he's not wrong.
Speaker 1Almost a little bit of a fruit hint, almost, I mean, it's a little bit of a sweetness there.
Speaker 2Way up front. And then it's got that I've talked about before. That brood taste Like iced tea, like sun tea. It's got that kind of tartness at the end. It's not bitterness. That's interesting. That is a really good beer. Kudos, son, for picking that one. I'll give you credit on that one. That one is a I could drink way too many.
Speaker 1I could drink too many of those. Yeah, yeah, at 5.3,. Yeah, but I mean flavor-wise, it's one of those that, oh yeah, you could drink three four, five of them. You know what I mean. And yeah, you wouldn't get burned out from the flavor. Yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2That is as far as just a basic lager that is really well blended and and, like you said, a little bit of sweetness up front. Yep, no bitterness in the head at all, no weird aftertaste. That is just. That is a fantastic beer.
Speaker 1It says on the label too, it's family owned and operated the brewery. So that's cool, that is awesome. I give them credit. Their labels are are. They're kind of out there I mean, it's not like like the some of the sours and ips, where you got the wizards and dragons and stuff, but this is just like kind of a design. Whatever you'll see the pictures, um, but I give them credit, this is pretty good. And then they got the band with the here's the beer, you know no, that is a, that is a fantastic I still can't believe the color though.
Speaker 1I can't either. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2I'm really, you know, I was thinking well, Budweiser. That was a darker beer when I was growing up right Sure it was a darker color. This is absolutely a Pilsner, like a light colored Pilsner.
Speaker 1Yes, a light Pilsner almost. Yes, a Hefeweizen kind of color. That is wild, you, that's that is. Yeah, that's a good flavor.
Speaker 2I do enjoy that, that is uh, yeah, and that's an again an everyday drinker. Yep, you wouldn't, you wouldn't seek that out to have a special beer after a big dinner or something.
Kooks Orange Creamsicle IPA Analysis
Speaker 1But you could have three of them while you're making dinner. Yep, exactly maybe not so much at 5.3, but that is for a beer, where you you come home after work you're like I'm just gonna get a, grab a beer.
Speaker 2This would be easy drinking. Plop in the lawn chair and relax Sit there and, yeah, this would be totally good.
Speaker 1That is a really good beer. So, score-wise, what do you think?
Speaker 2I'm really impressed with this one. I was given, I mean my son, and he told me this is his go-to beer. So I was really wanting to try this one and now I'm glad he sent one. This is a really really well blended and smooth lager. Sometimes lagers can get a little bit up front in your face, right a little a little too malty, or, you know, barley or whatever it is up front they get a little grainy. This one is not. Uh, it's got a. It's a sweet start, it's got a smooth finish. There's no aftertaste. Oh man, this is a tough one. This is, I gotta go, probably a three, two, two, three, one, three, two on this. It is a really good lager. I don't know that I've ever had a lager of this type better, honestly.
Speaker 1Right, yeah, I was going to say I, I'm going to go with 3.0, just for the simple fact that I think I like that IPA just one notch better for just I hate to say it for a plain lager, you know you know, I hate to say it that way, but this is really good. It is and it's really good.
Speaker 2I don't know the difference between uh well, I'm sure it's all hops and whatever a german lager, an american lager? I'm sure, I don't know, that canada has one, but I'm sure there's other loggers out there. Yep, whatever they did with this one, it is really good.
Speaker 1Oh, I agree and, like I said, I am not knocking this one at all because I would. This is one, like I said before, you could come home on a hot day. Just grab one, go sit outside and have a nice cold beer.
Speaker 2And not even think about mowing the grass. Exactly, just stare at the grass.
Speaker 1Yep, so I really like it. Like I said, the only reason I put it one notch down is I really did like that creamsicle. I did too that flavor was really good.
Speaker 2That's the only reason. Well, but they're two different beers, right.
Speaker 1One's a pale, ale one's a blogger.
Speaker 2So you're not really. It's apples, good beer. So, wes, when you come home you should probably bring some more of that. Hint, hint, hint, hint, nudge, nudge.
Speaker 1Okay, there, I found the next one already, so boy, yeah, that's good, I was impressed, man.
Speaker 2That one impressed me so far.
Speaker 1The last two have been very good.
Speaker 2So Commonwealth Brewing they seem like they're. I mean both of their beers that we had. That's a top two right now. Yeah for sure, and it's a toss-up Some days I would like the lager, and some days I'd probably like to have the creamsicle. Yep, exactly.
Speaker 1Well, I suppose we can try this last one here, and this is from Virginia Beer Company, the, the Virginia Beer Company, and they're out of Williamsburg, and this is their Short Stack Imperial Maple Brown Ale 8% ABV. This one is one I've been really waiting to see.
Speaker 2We've been eyeing it.
Speaker 1We've been eyeing it and I'm hoping is it going to be like you're eating a stack of pancakes with maple syrup, or is it going to be just it's not like you get a lot of pancake flavor out of any beer?
Speaker 2So it's going to be. How high is that maple flavor? Well, and brown ales are typically not flavorful, Right, and the description on here says ale with maple syrup.
Speaker 1All right, they have more untapped here. It says brewed with in quotes pretty much all the maple syrup. Then it says a breakfast beer, if ever there was one. It says then it says a breakfast beer, if ever there was one. This Imperial Brown Ale perfectly stacks a robust multi-backbone with gallons upon gallons of pure Vermont maple syrup, sticky, sweet, warming. So good, we made it a double order because we know you'll be back for more Interesting that they went to Vermont to get it.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Of course, I guess you think of vermont being more maple syrup than right virginia, but this, this is going to be interesting. I'm looking forward to this one. I'm thinking it could be. I'm hoping it's not like so, mapley, that you're like, oh yeah that can be another polarizing ingredient right yep, some sometimes it has been. Now this one is slightly darker than all the other ones that we've had.
Speaker 2Pretty much like midnight and noon. Yeah, it is For a brown, ale it's actually pretty dark.
Speaker 1Yeah, you can definitely tell it's brown, though you know it's not like they're really dark like a stout or porters and such. So it's a brown ale, it's a light-colored porter and a dark brown ale Yep. Brown ale, yep, all at the same time the head is kind of that lighter, kind of a tannish. I don't get much in the smell, I don't get in Roma.
Speaker 2Unfortunately, I pour mine first and I get a little more head on it and I let it down there.
Speaker 1Well, let's see. Oh yeah, there's maple syrup, but it's not over the top, nope. And there's man that almost reminds me of oh, you know which one I'm talking about? I do, because it I mean it tastes very similar, very similar. There's a lot that I'll keep thinking about.
Speaker 2I'll say but this isn't bad. No, it's really maple up front. And I don't mind maple. This wouldn't be one, I'd drink two or three of.
Speaker 1You know the aftertaste kind of a you get almost that burnt coffee taste. It's the brown ale portion of it, yeah.
Speaker 2If you think of uh, what's the one up here that is everywhere. It's a nut brown ale Um not Sam Smith, is it's?
Speaker 1um? It's not an anger minnow either. No, I know what you're talking about. Yeah, it's, it's the most common one. As soon as we get down Ale Smith, there you go. Ale Smith, yep.
Speaker 2Extra maple syrup, but at 8%.
Speaker 1That's pretty I wouldn't have guessed it was 8%.
Speaker 2No, I'd have been right at that. Five and a half, maybe six, you know.
Speaker 1and it's funny because I know, ladies and gentlemen, that you've heard me say that a hundred times, but there's beers that are 8% or higher, that you can tell are yeah, this is higher alcohol. And then there's the ones that they, whatever they do, some of it is flavoring, some of it is other stuff, but you can't even tell. I mean this one this didn't taste any stronger than any of those other ones.
Speaker 2No, you know what was the one that we had? That was monkey bar. Monkey bar, yep, that was like 9% or 10% or whatever. It was 9.5% or something, and you couldn't tell at all. It was fantastic.
Speaker 1Like on last week's episode we had the quadruple IPA was 12 and a half Right, you couldn't tell at all, and even Julie Jim's wife was like I never would have thought that it was that high.
Speaker 2Well, those have to get. They have to again.
Speaker 1You've got to feed the yeast right, right, to get it that high Yep.
Speaker 2So you've got to figure they're putting a lot of sugar in there.
Speaker 1Well, and when I talked to my brother about it, because he's working on, he's trying to get like an imperial, he's trying to get a beer that's up around that 12, 14% and he said, man, he struggles because the vast majority of yeast will die out at like eight to nine. So he's been trying a bunch of different things and so, yeah, it's interesting to see he had said on one of the episodes kind of what they have to do to kind of re-get it going again.
Speaker 2The other thing too is most of the time when you see a high abb beer almost any time anymore it's barrel age, right, right. So the barrel itself has already has a lot of sugar and char and all that stuff. So I think when they do that and from what I was reading not too long ago, that also helps with that that yeast is is processing what's in the barrel, so you don't have to add as much to do it. But yep, this is the for a for a maple for brown ale.
Speaker 1It's pretty smooth yeah, it's not bad um it's.
Speaker 2It's a little maple heavy up front little man for my taste.
Speaker 1And then you do get. Like I said, you get that. At first it reminded me of like a burnt coffee, coffee ground kind flavor.
Speaker 2but that is the nut brown. It's the start of a porter. That's how I like to refer to it. There you go it's a watered down porter.
Speaker 1It's a porter.
Speaker 2that didn't finish, that's right, it's an underachieving porter. Yeah, there you go, yeah.
Speaker 1It's not bad, though I don't mind it. No, you know was in a pint can, so I mean you're pot committed when you open it.
Speaker 2Exactly, Thankfully we have help to drink. The rest. Yeah, I said, well, we'll finish them. We ain't going to deny that There'll be no dumping.
Speaker 1But I don't know. I think towards the end of the can. If you drank it all myself, I might start to kind of get burnt out of that finishing flavor.
Speaker 2I agree, I absolutely agree. Right, I agree, I absolutely agree. And it's almost if you were to take that flavor and go a step further. You're at a stouter porter, right.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2And then we're happy. Yes, this was like when you hear a melody and you know the song, and they leave the last note Right.
Speaker 1You know what?
Speaker 2I mean it's like uh, uh.
Speaker 1There's more. There's one more note, one more note one more note. Well, and it's like if, if you remember when jim and I did the non-alcoholic. Every one of those was the same way where it was like you're waiting for that finish and it's just not there. Yeah, it's just not there, you know. So I'm like it's flavored water yeah, it's like I think I just rather drink the beer than this non-alcoholic stuff. So so, score wise, I think I'm gonna go like a 2.7 I was gonna say 2.8, it's yeah it's better than average yeah, it's interesting it's.
Speaker 2I give them credit for the abv and then it's up there. The brown ale probably itself is pretty darn good, yeah, um, they could have laid off a little bit of the maple and from, just for my taste, uh, but other than that it's a good beer. I mean, it's not, it's not bad.
Speaker 1This reminds me of the vanilla porter by uh, kentucky no no, you know the one. Uh, it's the one that I gotta look it up, because it's the beer that they're known for. Um, hang on, not, bro, brow brothers no, no, no.
Speaker 2uh, let's see, I know which one you're talking about too, I know.
Speaker 1As soon as I say it, you're going to be like duh.
Speaker 2Vanilla Porter is. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, I'm so upset A couple of old guys that can't remember stuff. I'm so upset Well, we've tried.
Speaker 1So many beers. It's hard to remember exactly, but it tastes like the Breckenridge Breckenridge Breckenridge Breckenridge, breckenridge, vanilla Porter.
Speaker 2That's what it reminds me of it, does the brown part of it anyway, yeah.
Speaker 1Because once the maple's gone, it has kind of that flavor to it. Yep, you know? Yep, absolutely so. And yeah, I apologize for, like I said, I was spacing off.
Speaker 2As soon as you got the B out, I was with you. I was with you, yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1So yeah, so, boy, I guess overall, brian, what are you thinking? How would you? What were your two favorites or, I guess, overall, first off overall? What did you think of Virginia beers, this little tour of Virginia? And then what would you say were your top?
Speaker 2Oh it makes me want to go to Commonwealth Brewing for sure.
Speaker 1Yeah, I agree.
Pool Noodle American Lager Experience
Speaker 2If they can put a lager and a creamsicle pale, india pale, an IPA like that, it makes me want to go to their tap room. Right, I was really impressed with the pool noodle. It's just a lager, but I was really impressed. The ipa was good. The other the two, the pineapple and the and the fruit is sour were a little disappointing. They weren't bad beers but they, to your point, they didn't taste like the advertised. And pool noodle, being with the asterisk, it doesn't taste like it advertises either. But, um, we're not going to eat any glue and we're not going to eat pool noodles, it's like styrofoam.
Speaker 2The short stack we just had, uh, again, it's pretty good. So I would. It's a toss up between, uh, I'm going to say whether the sun's out, I'm on a boat or sitting in a lawn chair where I'm going to have the lager, the pale ale, right, Um, those two are both really good beers. And then probably the short stack were just a little disappointing. Hopefully we didn't get a bad can, and we're not. They weren't bad beers and I don't want to, I don't want to bad mouth anybody from from Danville or from from Virginia beach. As far as, uh, the brewing, it just weren't. They just didn't stack up to what I thought they should taste like. Um, but again, kudos to to Commonwealth brewing. Both of those beers were really good.
Speaker 1Yeah, I agree. Uh, the only difference I had is, I think, as of right now, my one. I put it this way my number one was the IPA, my 1A was the lager and then the next one was a short stack. Yeah, I think overall it was really cool because, like I said, I've never even heard of these breweries and I'm almost positive, I've never had a beer from any of these.
Speaker 2And so almost positive. I've never had a beer from any of these, and so that's really cool, so thank you so much, wes, for sending them back, absolutely, uh.
Speaker 1And and again, those first two two out of three, two out of five wasn't bad. Yeah, yeah, you're learning. Yeah, uh. But those last two again, I just think they had so much potential that if they had a little bit more flavor. And and that second one, if you're the name's a pineapple and your logo is a pineapple guy, it's's got to taste like pineapple.
Speaker 2It's got to taste like pineapple, or call it a half-wisened with a touch of pineapple right, then it would have been a whole different situation. Yeah, if there'd have been a head of wheat with army boots on running across the can we'd have been.
Speaker 1oh, this is not too bad, not bad, but the fact that we just didn't taste it and, like you said, it's up front and then at the end, the back side, it's like the, almost like breckenridge yeah, which is still a good beer, yeah, but uh you know, it's just a little on the vanilla side, yeah, yeah it could have had a touch more maple flavor, that kind of hung on just a little bit
Speaker 1so yeah no other than that. I think they were all good. I'm glad that we got to try them and hopefully we'll get to try some more. Maybe Wes will find some more Absolutely Hint, hint.
Speaker 2Yeah, hint, hint, nudge, nudge. You know, bring them back with you.
Speaker 1I can send you my birthday, so you can send some back.
Speaker 2Absolutely.
Speaker 1Absolutely so awesome. Well, brian, I guess we can wrap this up for the today. But yeah, this is our first episode from the up in the North woods and, like I said, it isn't going to be our last, and in fact I think we're going to go to a local little bottle shop here and just check out what they got. So you never know, we may be coming back at some point.
Speaker 1Could be another one this weekend, another one, you never know but we're going to go check it out, we're not scared, no, no no, we did not get burned out by these five beers, so Wes once again, like we said thank you so much, man.
Speaker 2And thank you for your service.
Speaker 1Yes, Thank you for your service, Thank everybody in the military and you know, the first responders, firefighters, police, everything I mean. Thank you so much for what you guys and gals do for all of us, so so we can sit here and drink beer and talk like we know what we're talking about Be merry.
Speaker 1Yeah, there you go. Well, awesome. Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for listening. Like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm and the beer is always cold. See ya. Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. 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.
