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 119 - The Quest for the Perfect Roast: Exploring Stout Varieties
As the warmth of 4th of July celebrations fills the air, Mike (the Northwoods Beer Guy) and Jim settle in for what should be an exciting exploration through the diverse world of stouts. Armed with eight distinctive dark brews and one surprising barley wine, they embark on a flavor journey that steadily climbs from 6.5% to a formidable 14.8% ABV.
What unfolds is a masterclass in expectation versus reality. With each can and bottle promising complex flavor symphonies—maple syrup, vanilla beans, chocolate notes, ginger snap cookies, tropical spices—our hosts discover a consistent and surprising truth: very few of these beers actually deliver the flavors advertised on their elegant packaging.
From Black Stack's refreshingly honest "no bells and whistles" approach to Revolution Brewing's powerhouse "Deth's Tar" imperial oatmeal stout, Mike and Jim thoughtfully evaluate each offering against both its own promises and the broader spectrum of what makes a stout truly memorable. Their candid reactions capture the growing disconnect between marketing language and actual taste experience in today's craft beer landscape.
The conversation takes particularly interesting turns when examining unconventional offerings—a 7.5 ounce can containing a 12.5% ABV anniversary stout, a "tropical stout" conceptually hailing from Barbados, and a surprising detour into a barrel-aged barleywine that actually delivers on its spice promises where many of its darker counterparts fall short.
By the session's end, they've crafted not just a tasting guide but a meditation on authenticity in craft brewing. Is a straightforward, traditional stout that delivers exactly what it promises ultimately more satisfying than a bourbon-soaked barrel-aged behemoth that talks a bigger game than it delivers?
Whether you're a stout aficionado or just beer-curious, this episode offers valuable insights into navigating the increasingly complex world of craft beer marketing versus reality. What stout will you try next, and will you believe what's written on the label?
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Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and once again I am joined by Jim. Hey, buddy, how you doing.
Speaker 2:Doing good. How about yourself? Another day in paradise? There you go. I didn't have to float in on the ark, so we're doing good. Well, that's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we had quite a bit of rain this past week. Well, first off, we should say happy 4th of July to everybody. Since today is the 4th of July, I don't have any fireworks. No, we haven't heard that yet, so that's good.
Speaker 2:Well, it's not going to burn anything up, so that's a good thing. Yeah, we shouldn't have to worry about a fire, because it's definitely wet enough.
Speaker 1:It's soggy, yeah, anyway getting back to Another Day in Paradise. Yeah, it kind of feels like hot and humid and all that good stuff so great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the one thing we didn't need is the hot weather to go with all the wet weather. So now it's like super humid out there. Well, you know, some people say, hey, it's drying everything out, yeah kind of Hopefully it'll dry out and hopefully it won't be so blazing hot for us. Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1:We've decided to get back together and we're trying to figure out what we're going to talk about this week. As far as beer drinks go, and well, what do you know, we just happen to have some, uh, some stouts that we got to look at. Some stouts, yeah, well, that sounds like a good thing. I know now we do have one that isn't a stout uh, it's a oh geez, they're made.
Speaker 1:Oh, I hear some fireworks out there is that the neighbors letting some, I say it sounds like the people are getting restless oh, you hear those things.
Speaker 2:Is it dark yet? No, I can't even see. Can you hear those things? Is it dark yet?
Speaker 1:No, not yet. I can't even see them, can you? Yeah, they should save those for later. Uh-oh oh well Dang it. I guess we just got to drink through it Power on Power on.
Speaker 1:All right, so back to the. So back to the beers. So we've got three, four, five, six, eight beers. We're gonna try today. Uh, seven are stouts and we have kind of a a lot of different sizes of containers here. We got two pint cans, we got three regular 12 ounce cans, we got two bottles that are both, I'm guessing, the 12 ounce. And then we got one can and I'm not exactly sure what it is that looks like what? Eight ounce or 10 ounce at the most, probably eight. No, what is it? 7.5, 7.5, why would you make a 7.5 ounce can?
Speaker 2:are you scared somebody might get drunk, could be, you never know. And it is down on this end of the table, yes, down farther from the yeah towards the end.
Speaker 1:So that, so it might be normally if it's that way it's, we rank them by ab to start with, so that means it's a little bit higher. There's a chance. There's a distinct possibility.
Speaker 2:Interesting, hmm, all right, well, and I think the other good part is all these stouts. I think the styles are a little bit different.
Speaker 1:right, that's what it sounded like and it's kind of interesting because you think, you know, I know stout, you know you get the Imperial, you get Birnberg. I didn't realize that there was quite this many options.
Speaker 2:Let's hope they all taste good, like just the basic stout, yeah exactly.
Speaker 1:Hopefully, we aren't going to be disappointed. So I'm thinking these should be a little more palatable for us than last week, when we had the super sweet whatever that WWE syn synchro synchro stuff was. That was. Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what in the heck that actually I even slept.
Speaker 2:Since we did that I've been wired now so sugary I was like exactly that's.
Speaker 1:That was a lot of sugar, that was definitely a lot of sugar. Well, I guess we can.
Speaker 2:Let's kick it off.
Speaker 1:We tried to see what we got, see what happens. So the first can that we have is a pint can and it is by blackstack brewing. It is their routine straight stout. And let's see, on the can it says just some good old fashioned stout, without any bells and whistles.
Speaker 2:Smooth and roasty toasty is what it says on the can all right, and I got it's 6.5.5 percent apv and it says a couple sentences we zig when they zag. No tricks or treats about it. Tonight at the door we thought we'd break routine and hand out our first non-adjunct stout in ages. No sweet tooth necessary, just some good old-fashioned stout without any bells or whistles Smooth, roasty, toasty and timeless.
Speaker 1:So yeah, they're saying they didn't add any extra flavorings Anything or anything. So this is just your old-fashioned stout.
Speaker 2:Well, it looks, it is definitely dark. It's dark, dark in appearance, boy, it smells roasty yeah, you can smell.
Speaker 1:It, Wow Well let's see how it is.
Speaker 2:First one of the day. That's not bad. No, I mean, it's definitely just a. It's a straight up stout. Yeah, there's no bells or whistles with that one.
Speaker 1:There's no bells or whistles with that one, no, which is not bad. It's been quite a while since we've had it's getting harder to find a regular stout without any other flavoring in it. So, yeah, I don't mind that. I mean, it's not bad at all. You know, is it one of those that you would drink two, three of them? Well, of course, honestly, many of these would we drink two or three of them.
Speaker 2:I wonder again what it would taste like if they did barrel age it, Because this seems pretty good, so I mean it would probably mix good with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it would be a good base to do something with it. Barrel age yeah, Now do we know where Black Stack is located. The cities? Oh, in the cities.
Speaker 2:Okay, nice.
Speaker 1:And I believe.
Speaker 2:I could be wrong, but the black stack is because there's a huge smokestack right outside the brewery.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, when you look on the, that would make sense then, because on the can it's like a building with a big smokestack, so it's like it must be in a warehouse district.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a lot of warehouses there. I'm guessing what?
Speaker 1:the overhead picture looked like Okay Well, that's interesting. Yeah, the overhead picture looked like Okay Well, that's interesting, yeah. So we've had a number of Blackstack beers before and, like I said, that Quadruple IPA. We had that episode that was from them. We've had other Stouts and IPAs and they make a lot of different beers.
Speaker 2:Right, and it seems like this is good, I mean, but it's probably right up there with Surly, so I sure they get don't get as much attention as what surly does up right I think you're right on that because I mean, it's this is not bad.
Speaker 1:I, like you said, for for just a kind of a normal old-fashioned type stout, it's not bad. It's got pretty good flavor. It's not like over the top malty roasted, you know, like that burnt flavor I used to call it. Uh, it's not that strong that way, you know, 6.5%. You could definitely drink a pint can that way, but then after that I think that maltiness might be a little, you know, kind of get to you, get to you. But yeah, I guess, score-wise, I think for this one I'm going to put that at like a 2.8. Ooh, I like it and, like I said, I think it definitely has things that they could do with it, I think, to really make it even more interesting. But, like I said, I think it's a good example of what stouts used to be Right and it gets harder to find them. So I'm going to go with a 2.8.
Speaker 2:All right, so I can echo everything you said. I mean, and I definitely would recommend, if you've never had a stout, this is probably one you could try if you're a beginning craft beer drinker. The other ones we're going to find out, but this one is a good representation of stout and I think a beginner wouldn't get scared away. I mean, would you want to drink a six-pack? Maybe not, but I think if you want to try one, this would be a good one to try. I think I'm going to say the same score 2.8. I mean, it's not, the flavor is just like bland. I think that's only if it had a little bit more flavor I think we could raise the score, but I mean it's just kind of a stout right it's not a bad stout, but it's just like it's just.
Speaker 1:There's not anything to really talk about for flavor that that's funny, because I was thinking the exact same thing when you were talking that if it just had a little bit of something more, then I could have went up to like a three. But it's just, that's what it is.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's a good representation, but it's just kind of. It's definitely no nonsense, yep, if you've never had a stout.
Speaker 1:This would be a good one you could start with If you wanted to see what stouts started out as Right. Yes, and then try some other ones and see where they've progressed.
Speaker 2:Because they've progressed.
Speaker 1:A long way from there.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Crazy, all right. Well, the next one that we have, and this one is very interesting. Yes, I'm not exactly sure what we're in for. To be honest with you, should we blame you if it's? Probably? Yeah, because I had it. Okay, this is by Bent Brewstillery Mm-hmmery. Now, is that part of? Is this different than like bent paddle? It must be. Yes, so it's bent brew stillery and this is their power swank. How do you pronounce this? It's b-a-j-a-n. I don't know if it's whatever. That is style tropical stout, yes, and it says it has flavors of espresso. What is that? T-r-e-a-c-l-e? Did you say? Testicle? No, but it's close. I don't know what that is Dark fruit and spice.
Speaker 2:Well, it even says more on. I got a little bit more on my phone online. Okay, oh, it did say 7.6%.
Speaker 1:ABV.
Speaker 2:Oh yes yes, and 25 IBUs. 25 IBUs, okay, conceptually hailing from Barbados.
Speaker 1:Oh, I've been to Barbados, have you? Yeah, did not know this. I didn't see one of these there.
Speaker 2:All right, Well, I wonder what conceptually means Didn't. Or Well, I wonder what conceptually means it didn't. Or he thought about it as he's flying over.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't understand that this stout is on the drier end of the tropical stouts. I didn't know there was even a spectrum. Yeah, I had a couple, but I didn't think there was that many Right, all right, loads of roast and black strap molasses, lend notes of espresso Testicle, whoa, whoa, whoa Tree.
Speaker 1:Tree Treacle.
Speaker 2:Tracheotomy.
Speaker 1:Tree Treacle. Whatever that is Fig, is that the dark fruit I'm?
Speaker 2:guessing, yep, and dried plum fishing. Finishing, oh, finishing, with a solid whack of booze. Okay, and spicy orangey hops. Best drink at room temperature for the full hot experience, and it's lactose-free Hot experience. Now, has this got some kind of pepper in it?
Speaker 1:I don't know, should be interesting. Huh, well, and it's going to be interesting to see. See first off, when it's talking about an orange hop flavor. I've yet to have anything a hop that is anything other than grapefruit or pine, right? So the whack of booze and spicy, so that okay. So is it barrel aged or is it uh?
Speaker 2:I don't know if it ever said.
Speaker 1:It didn't say anything on the can about that at all. It didn't say anything that I found. And then spicy is probably well and whatever the treaky old thing is Well, it is dark like a stout. I mean the color is definitely dark, it's dark.
Speaker 2:The head is brown.
Speaker 1:It's got a little different aroma to it. Is that hot? It almost smells like it a little bit. It is that hot, almost smells like it a little bit. What, if that's the I don't know? It kind of has a dry finish on it. You know what I mean. You're like I was expecting a lot more flavor. Yeah, it was not. I don't get not much, not much like if there's blackstrap molasses and such, that's usually a really a dark flavor, right, really heavy. This vaguely, very vaguely but vaguely, reminds me a little bit of guinness, as far as when you get that kind of that initial how would you describe it? Almost that it almost has that dryness when you first take that sip and then when you swallow it, then it really kind of dries a little bit. That's where I'm getting at. It kind of reminds me of that type of a drink to it.
Speaker 2:I mean, with the way that it had the big write-up and all the different things, I was expecting a lot more flavors, a lot more burst, yeah, and there's not much to it.
Speaker 1:I can't say that I taste orange at all.
Speaker 2:I don't know what's spicy.
Speaker 1:I don't get a spice, I don't get full hot experience. Well, this is actually. Yeah. Now we're complaining because it's not room temperature. We'll have to come back to it when we get done and see because it is colder. But man, I don't get a boozy flavor either. You know, that's when I was talking about that. I thought, man, is this barrel aged or is it? You know what am I missing? You know, is there more? It must be more to it.
Speaker 1:I'm missing some flavor on mine. I was going to say, yeah, it's kind of it's missing.
Speaker 2:But I mean, like on the very, very, very, very end of the finish there's a little bit of flavor. I mean I can't pick out what it is, though.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's just different than an initial swig, I'm getting that too.
Speaker 1:I see what you're. You know I can taste what you're talking about. I can't tell what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's just not a lot of flavor there, no, no, and the other stouts that I've had from the Caribbean and honestly I think I've only had two I have had. They had one, it was Mackelson XXX, and then they had a Dragon Stout. That one was in Dragon's Milk, jamaica. No, it was called just Dragon Stout. Oh, and that one was really good. And the Mackelson, we've had it here. I mean it's good. I think that one's better than this one, but this is definitely of the three this is the driest of the three that I've tried that are from that area. I don't, I, yeah, just looking at your notes, you know, and I don't know, can you taste espresso? I don't know, can you taste espresso?
Speaker 2:I don't know and that's usually something that's a really heavy coffee flavor it comes through. I don't taste that at all. Yeah, we'll have to come back to that at the end, just to taste it again, to see Circle back around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you want to go first as far?
Speaker 2:as the score.
Speaker 2:Initially on our not room temperature swank stout. What are you thinking? I mean, I was kind of looking forward to this because I don't think I've ever had a tropical stout. So I was kind of looking forward to this. And the way that it was talked up I was like, wow, this might actually be good. I mean, I've got a lot of things going together here and then it just kind of fell flat, right. So I mean, it was a huge buildup to a lot of anticipation but nothing there, but it's not bad. I mean there's nothing bad about it. It's just what they said on the can is not in the glass. So I guess for me I'm just gonna go 2.5 when we keep it right in the middle, it's not. It's not bad, but it's just. I was looking for a lot more, right, I was expecting a lot more yep, I'm going the exact same and for the exact same reasons.
Speaker 1:I thought, uh, boy is this gonna be? You know, a lot of flavor. And even though it said it was going to be drier uh, a drier taste or whatever you still could have had flavor. You know, when I was talking about figs and plum and espresso and whatever, that and spicy and yeah, and it just really didn't deliver on that. So, um, again, it's not bad. You know, I it wouldn't be my first choice, right? Uh, at this point you know. But uh, it's okay. I mean it's not a terrible.
Speaker 2:We've had worse right better, disappointed in there, yeah, and the build-up was like so we thought it was the anticipation, maybe hurt it you know right. So I guess that kind of little disappointing there a little bit.
Speaker 1:well, I suppose we could, we could keep, are we going to? Keep powering through we can keep powering through unless you've got.
Speaker 2:Oh no, it looks like well the brewery for that. I just read on here. They're in Roseville, minnesota. Wow.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that is different than you know, because before the only bent I've known really was Bent Paddle, but that's in Duluth. I have known really it was Bent Paddle, but that's in Duluth, Right? So yeah, so this is a whole different place. And if it's a brewstillery, so they have a brewery and a distillery. I'm guessing, Right, I think?
Speaker 2:from what I read, you can have them both under the same roof, but they have to be separated by a wall. Oh, okay, and then one can lease things to the other, even though it's owned by the same person, because apparently the tax issue the spirits are taxed one way and the bears taxed another. So they have to have that separation. So when they file taxes, that's what I read. I'm not an accountant. I have to get my daughter in there.
Speaker 1:That sounds way too confusing.
Speaker 2:So maybe because apparently you might want to just have two separate buildings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was going to say it's like okay, but yeah, I mean it sounded good at the time.
Speaker 2:Now, Roseville, that's by the cities, Is it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's one of the suburbs.
Speaker 2:It's next to Grumpy's, Roseville oh well, there you go.
Speaker 1:Whoever?
Speaker 2:Grumpy is yeah, I don't know, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1:Now the Twin Cities are like pretty much any large metropolitan area. There's a lot of breweries.
Speaker 2:Oh, is there, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it'd be interesting to see. Right, it'd be kind of interesting to see this place, because if they have both a brewery- and a distillery.
Speaker 2:it'd be kind of interesting If you made a trip up. You could go to Blackstab, yeah. And then this guy.
Speaker 1:And that one and yeah, who knows who else we got might be up there.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, all right well, well, we're going.
Speaker 1:The next one we have is actually uh by a brewery that we know. Uh knows what they're doing, right? Uh, this is not one of their uh barrel aged. I don't believe, uh, I don't think so, think so, don't think so. This is by Central Waters out of. Amherst. This is their Ginger Snap Stout, and I don't know if I've ever even heard of this one. No, I don't.
Speaker 2:10 and a half. Oh, we stepped it up. We're double digits now. We're three in and we're already into the double digits, uh-oh.
Speaker 1:So this is 10 and a half percent ABV. What?
Speaker 2:did you find out? I got like a couple of sentences on the website. It says as we grow older, we find that, even though our tastes change, we still long for some of the flavors from our youth. So we made a beer to bridge the gap in our lives. This beer has all the comfort and decadence of ginger snap cookies, with enough warmth to get you through the holiday, family reunions, cheers to us all.
Speaker 1:And on the can it says it's an imperial stout with molasses.
Speaker 2:So we're kind of going to see if they're, you know molasses, brown sugar, ginger root and natural flavors.
Speaker 1:So this should be interesting, because we haven't had a super amount of beers with ginger Right.
Speaker 2:And I don't really know for sure what the ginger flavor is.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I opened the can and it's got aroma.
Speaker 2:Does it have a ginger aroma? It's got aroma, all right, well, that's good.
Speaker 1:That's what we're looking for. I'm thinking this one might be a little bit what we were hoping to get here All right.
Speaker 2:Well, that's a good sign. It's dark. It's darker than the first. I mean, I can't even see my fingers.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, Smells like gingerbread.
Speaker 2:Gingerbread cookie, yeah, and I can smell the alcohol on it, ooh.
Speaker 1:Ooh, wow, Boy. Now this one, I get the molasses big time. The finish is the brown sugar. Yeah, that's that sweetness that's coming through. And the finish I get there is ginger, but I think overpowered a little bit this one I could feel it's going. There's a little bit of warmer chili.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a little warmth going all the way through my body right now. Wow, wow, that's, that's pretty good.
Speaker 1:That's different, that's, it's definitely different. But, boy, I get, totally get the molasses and the brown sugar. Yeah, because we've had other other beers that have brown sugar. Remember some of it were like, but there's been some have been very good, but this one I, I totally get that. And then just that ginger.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to see if it comes out a little bit here because like now on the finish, like on my tongue it just seems dry. Yeah, yep, I noticed that too what is that? From what is that? Not sure I'm like I'm gonna need a bottle of water after this is like he's like I'm thirsty, Got a hairball or something, but it's not bad, it's just. It's like there's a lot of flavor in this one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there is a lot there. I could see where I'm guessing this is more of like a holiday type or that time frame I would guess and I can't remember how long I've had this Right.
Speaker 2:I didn't just recently buy it right, so I've had it for a few months, so maybe it was a more of a winter.
Speaker 1:It could have been, but it's still good. Still got a lot of flavor to it.
Speaker 2:Wow, this is interesting, but I think for me the hard part is it's ginger snap. I don't know if I'm getting the ginger or the whatever that right that darkness is. That's drying out my palate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see the dark. I think that would be the molasses, Is that? The molasses, I would think, boy, I don't know, it's not bad. Yeah, it's not bad.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I could drink a 12-pack of them Well 10 and a half, probably not.
Speaker 1:Well, you could try, but I think you may have bad results. Yeah, so, yeah, so, yeah. So you're first Boy. This definitely has more flavor than the first two, yes, but there is that little bit of that dryness, unknown, unknown. Then there's the other thing, like I said, that I don't really. I'm not picking up the ginger, right, and it could be there, but I just think that the molasses must knock it down where it's really, in the faint, faint, if I'm getting it at all. So 10.5, it doesn't taste to me like a 10.5.
Speaker 1:It drinks really pretty smooth Score-wise. Because of those two things I brought up, I'm going to go like a 3.4. I do like it. I could see around holidays, around the holidays time drinking one kind of gets you in that festive spirit and such. But I do think that whatever that dryness is, like I said, I'm guessing it's the molasses that we're getting it from. Yeah, I like it. I wouldn't drink more than one, I don't think.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's good and I think I got the same thing and that's what you know. We didn't get a lot of detail on what is inside it. We're kind of assuming a lot of it. So that's the hard part of trying to decipher what our palate is telling us. But I'm echoing the same thing. I mean that dryness is what's a little bit taking me back. I guess lower my score a little bit. If they didn't have that and there was maybe a little more ginger flavor, like the gingerbread cookie, then I think I could raise my score. I think I'm going to go like a 3.1. Okay, I mean my mouth is still dry and it's been a couple of minutes since I've had my drink and we still don't know exactly. I mean it definitely is probably the molasses, but there's something that's lingering on that finish. Yeah, that's a little bit hard to overcome.
Speaker 1:I agree with you. I mean, you're just sitting here and I'm going, you know. Like I said, it had more flavor than the first two, but some of it is not the greatest flavor that we've expected from them, but I still do like it. I think it's a good beer, yes, but I kind of wish we got just a hint more of the ginger. Yes, no doubt Awesome.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, so we're almost halfway through.
Speaker 1:This one here will put us at halfway. All right, what is that one? This is from hinterland and that's in green bay, wisconsin. 10.7 percent abv and 70 ibus yes, that seems extremely high for a stuff I know, I don't know what would cause now we got to remember I think the ibus is not really a exact science, right?
Speaker 1:so that should be interesting to see what this is and what it does. This is their Sticky Stacks Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout All right, and I'm trying to see if it says nope, that's all it says on the can, so I found just a little bit again, not much An update to our traditional Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout series.
Speaker 2:Sticky Stacks features intense flavors of baker's chocolate, complex maltiness with bold notes of vanilla and oaky caramel. The barrel-aged beer is both balanced and dessert-worthy.
Speaker 1:Interesting. Now, when you look at the can, I guess when I heard the name, I was expecting like maple syrup or something like that. But the can doesn't even. It's got bourbon barrels and, like I, don't know if it's leaking or if it's supposed to be syrup type stuff or what I don't know, but being that, it's going to have it said vanilla, yep. And what else was it? Caramel, oaky caramel and baker's chocolate. See, the baker's chocolate should make it really a dark kind of a taste.
Speaker 2:Almost bitter, too right. Maybe that's where the 70 IBUs comes from, could be.
Speaker 1:So let's give this a whirl and see what we. And this is a 12-ounce can and you got the 10.7% ABV 10.7 and 70 IBUs.
Speaker 2:Which that's?
Speaker 1:still just kind of blowing my mind.
Speaker 2:Let's hope it's not that bitter.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, We'll find out. Without it being an IPA Boy that's got a dark tan head, I mean a very dark head on it. Ooh, that smells kind of boozy. Yeah, doesn't it you?
Speaker 2:can smell the booze on that baby. You can smell it.
Speaker 1:It's like whoa interesting. I, you can smell it. It's like whoa interesting. I'm a little confused. The aroma is stronger than the boozy flavor. Yeah.
Speaker 2:To me Now. I'm starting to get a little burn coming.
Speaker 1:But I got to try it again because I don't know if I'm getting a whole lot of other stuff, though I'm not picking up the chocolate, uh-uh, or vanilla, or oaky caramel. More of just the alcohol aroma, just Kind of the barrel. Yeah, the oak and the boozy is about all I get.
Speaker 2:Right man, I tell you.
Speaker 1:You had high expectations for this one, didn't you? I totally thought this was going to be when I bought it. I thought it was going to be like maple. I didn't even read it. I just saw sticky stacks and I thought it was going to be like barrel-aged maple syrupy kind of and you know the way they got the barrels stacked on the label.
Speaker 2:It's almost like they're stacking up pancakes, yeah. You know, so you're thinking maple syrup, blueberries?
Speaker 1:And they've got the stuff underneath them. I was like, oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Sticky like maple syrup or even molasses. Yeah, oh, here's even more. I found some Brewmaster notes. Okay, smooth nutty base with a complex blend of dark roast and caramel malt Aged for nine months in bourbon barrels. Yeah, I'm just not. I think they aged it long enough because that's coming through. Oh yeah, but the other flavors are just not.
Speaker 1:Like I said, the aroma is totally like the bourbon. You know what I mean. That's what I'm smelling there. I don't get any other kind of an aroma and it is smooth. I'll give them that it's smooth.
Speaker 2:You don't get like a oh you know from the bourbon, but it warms you a little bit when you swallow. You can feel it when it goes down.
Speaker 1:But still, it's just kind of like they had really good intentions, you know, and when they started it. Conceptually thought it was going to be maple syrupy right so I had a whole different.
Speaker 2:I think that would even give it a little bit better flavor too, right that little girl could have yeah with a just a touch of maple syrup.
Speaker 1:Man, what, uh, what are you thinking?
Speaker 2:on it. Well, the the hard part is it's very deceiving you. You know what the marketing, what they got for on the can, what you expect it's going to be. I mean, I was really looking forward to that too, because I mean we didn't have any of our other ones have anything that flavor. So I was like kind of looking forward to this one too, but really about the only thing I'm tasting is the bourbon and the bourbon burn. That's unfortunate, because I mean mean I was looking forward to this and it was, you know, double digit, I'm gonna say a 3.0 okay, gosh, you know, I, I was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm just in the 70 ibus. I don't pick up, I really don't pick up, any kind of hoppy bitterness, bitterness or anything like that. You know what I mean. So that 70 is again way out of okay yeah, that's way high, I think yeah yeah, I, I'm going to do a 3.0 as well.
Speaker 1:It is good. I give him credit for the 10.7. The boozy flavor is not over the top but, like you said, you can feel it when you do the swallow. But I just don't get any caramel, I don't get any vanilla, I'm not, you know, baker's chocolate, baker's chocolate. I'm really not getting a lot of that either. It's just kind of bourbon barrel, yes, and that's not a bad thing, right.
Speaker 2:I mean, I just don't know how many you could drink of that, right, I mean you could probably finish a can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but then it would probably be I better go to something a little lower, because otherwise my night will be done, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean because, like you said, I mean it looks the marketing did really good on it. Yeah, they get A+.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they totally. I guess I need to even look more closely at the labels Because, like I said, I just that's what I thought it was going to be. You know what I mean and I was wrong, right, you know. And not again Hinterland, it's a good beer, beer, but I just wish some of those other flavors maybe came out a little more. Yes, 100, agree. Well, the first four are done and we're at 10.7, so we're at halfway. Halfway, we're at 10.7, so I guess we're usually. The only time this really happens is when we're hitting, like the, you know, central waters or right goose island or things like that, where so this means we're down.
Speaker 1:We're down, sloping it uh well, some people may think that, but knowing us, no, okay, we're stepping up. I think from here there's only one place to go or one way to go, and that's up, and that's up, okay. So I guess, let's, what do we got?
Speaker 2:we got our first bottle, all right, and I think we've had a few from there too.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we've had a number of them from here. This is by lexington brewing and this is their Kentucky Bourbon Barrel. Imperial Milk Stout, nice, and this one is 12%, 12%.
Speaker 2:All I got was our Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout is 100% barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout with notes of chocolate and coffee. Hints of molasses round out the dark roasted notes and bring out a sweet finish. Okay, well, a lot of good talk, but we haven't had good luck so far today.
Speaker 1:I was going to say they haven't been bad, but they haven't lived up to what we thought they were going to be Right. Let's put it that way.
Speaker 2:We've had some pretty good luck with Kentucky bourbon.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I'm still wondering have we ever had a beer from these guys that hasn't been barrel aged? Do you know for sure?
Speaker 2:I don't think so, because I think they also have a distillery that's close by there too that they distill a lot of their stuff Okay.
Speaker 1:Because I'm just trying to think. I know that probably at least 99% of the beers we've had from them have been barrel aged, some kind of a barrel, right. So this is their Milk Stout. Smells good. Yeah, it's got a good aroma to it. No, I don't smell alcohol Still dark, but when you look at it it's a little bit lighter. Well, it's lighter than the last one, for sure. Yes, last couple Yep, and the head on it is a little lighter in color.
Speaker 2:Smells good so here we go A little different. I don't know if I Coffee and chocolate. I mean it is smooth. Like you know, the milk stuff would make it smooth. It tastes smooth. You, can't.
Speaker 1:Here's my knock. I hate to say it like this, but did they put so much lactose in it that it kind of killed the bourbon barrel effect? Yeah, because there's not even a burn. No, I mean very smooth for 12%, very smooth. I'm not knocking it for that, but it just seems like I was expecting it to have at least a little bit of either a boozy flavor or a little hint of a burn possibly. But I mean, do you pick up the chocolate or coffee? If I do, it's super faint. Yeah, I don't pick that up. This would be boy. Would a new person enjoy this one?
Speaker 2:Probably not their first beer.
Speaker 1:Probably not their first beer, probably not their first beer, but I'm trying to, because I don't get a boozy flavor really at all. No, 12%, it doesn't burn at all, but I'm not getting those flavors. Right.
Speaker 2:Since it's a milk stout, I mean it's supposed to be a little bit smoother to the palate, right?
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean that I definitely pick up. They nailed that. Yes, that I totally get. But boy, it's just kind of, but the flavors aren't there.
Speaker 2:Uh-uh, gosh, I was because we've had good luck with these, this brewery, so I was like, well, this is going to be the ace in the hole here. Yeah, and they've had well that Blackberry Porter.
Speaker 1:They've had that Tangerine, I mean they've had Good.
Speaker 2:Cream Ale.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they've had that horrible honey one that's really good, I don't know. They've always at least they had like a really impressive flavor and not that the barrel like it's super boozy or anything. But you at least you got picked up on it Right. This one I'm just not picking up on.
Speaker 2:And I think too this is one of their higher ABV beers too. I think so. The other ones, I mean, they're probably in the 9, 10 range, but that's not saying why they shouldn't have the flavor.
Speaker 1:No, like I said, I don't know if it's because it's a milk stout that that kind of knocks down the effect. Maybe I don't know, but it's just kind of. It's not offensive at all. But this one I think this is the first one after you drink a bottle you'd be like okay.
Speaker 1:I'm going to switch anyway because it's 12%, but honestly, I think, because more of the flavor, I'd be kind of like, yeah, I'll get something different, right, right, you know, man, I know we're kind of striking out, you're not doing that well. Score-wise, I'm going to go a 2.9. Oh, you're going below a three. Yeah, I just I don't pick any of that stuff up, you know, and and I, I get that it's a milk stout, so I, I get that part of it and I do appreciate the fact that it is an easy drinking 12, but I just I'm not picking up on those flavors and I think that's important so I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 2:It's okay to disagree, and I so. For me, on the ones we've had today, I this one because a lot of them are lacking a lot of the flavor. So for this one it's the smoothest and that's the least alcohol tasting. So I'm going to go with 3.2. Okay, my highest one so far today, sure, which I mean I was definitely hoping for a lot more because I mean we've had some good ones from Kentucky, very much so yeah.
Speaker 1:And this one just doesn't live up to what they've done in the past. Yeah, I, I just don't. I'm like I said, I'm almost banking on the fact that it's got to be, because it's a milk stout, right, you know, and that kind of does something a lot in the process, so to speak, right when they they put it in the barrel.
Speaker 1:So, uh, it's still. It's not a bad beer. I, I'd still drink another one. Right, you know, somebody offered it to me. I'm like, yeah, sure, I'll have some, but I think they've definitely kind of spoiled us with some of their other stuff. Yes, 100% Nail on the head Awesome. Well, dude, we're up to that little bitty, can? Yes?
Speaker 2:The big 7.5-ounce 7.5.
Speaker 1:It's. We have two taster glasses. You can't fill them both, man. So this is uh. Who's it by? It is from fair state brewing cooperative. Yep, and this is their anniversary, imperial stout and is this must be their 10th anniversary. Yep celebrate cheers to 10 years. Yep, 12 and a half percent abv. So did uh. Let's see tasting notes. I see maple vanilla and 10 years of memories. I wonder what those taste like.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll find out If you want to know what a memory tastes like. It's in a 7.5 ounce, can? There you go. Let's see this anniversary. Beer is the stout of all stouts. Oh, with lessons learned from the last decade of brewing, we made 100 gallons of the finest Wisconsin maple syrup, four types of choice, vanilla beans and more boiling time than a month's worth of IPAs. Okay, this Imperial Stout is the perfect beverage to raise in celebration of the next decade of fair state. All right, well, here goes another one. Don't spill it. Yeah, we don't have a lot fair state. All right, well, here goes another one.
Speaker 2:Don't spill it, yeah, we don't have a lot to spare Process notes, A long boiled stout of epic details. Ooh, this is Period. This is pretty dark. Just wondering what the epic details are.
Speaker 1:Ah, that I couldn't tell you. All right, so if you've ever wondered what a memory tastes like.
Speaker 2:All right there.
Speaker 1:So if you've ever wondered what a memory tastes like, there it is in your glass. Well, it's definitely dark.
Speaker 2:So you have dark memories. Dark in color, I mean the aroma's, not Now this is not barrel-aged. Okay Right, I don't Just an imperial stout.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, it didn't say anything on here about barrel-aging. No Multi-roasting.
Speaker 2:They did something to get it up to 12.5 percent without barrel aging it yep, aroma wise, it honestly kind of smells like a stout. Yeah, I was with all those different vanilla beans, I thought I have a little more vanilla aroma is there maple syrup?
Speaker 1:I get a sweetness, but I don't specifically taste maple, right. I don't know if I taste vanilla, I don't taste either one. I taste this. There's a sweet flavor to it, right, it's got a little sweetness, but but I don't know. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:You can't really pick up on what that really is, and the four types of vanilla beans I can't pick out one.
Speaker 1:It almost has a. When you take that, you take your taste when you first swallow it. It kind of has. It goes from that sweetness to almost a. I was going to say almost a bit, a little bit of a bitter or a tangy kind of a thing. Have you noticed that?
Speaker 2:yeah, I don't know how really hard, really hard, to describe what yeah because everything that they've we read is not in the glass, right right. So we're trying to pick out things that are. Maybe it's the memories are tasting.
Speaker 1:It could be because I don't know what they taste like, but well, it's something that's got a little sweetness to it, but then there, there's nothing else. I don't know, I don't know. Let me see if I can wait for just a minute on what I got in the glass here yet, just to see if it warms up a little bit, to see if any of that other flavor comes through, because right now I don't know.
Speaker 2:I mean there's a sweetness, but it's not like a maple syrup sweetness.
Speaker 1:No, and they said they had used was it 100 gallons? 100 gallons of Wisconsin maple syrup Made with 100 gallons. Yeah. So you wonder how much? How big of a batch was it? It must have been a lot of beer, but then why did you put it in a 7.5 ounce can?
Speaker 2:Right, unless they wanted to make sure as many people as possible could try it. It could be it could be.
Speaker 1:But oh, boy, dude, we're, we're not doing very good on this Today has been kind of not the greatest stout day that we've ever had.
Speaker 2:I was really looking forward to this one. Still not there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just Like I said, there's that sweetness, but again it doesn't taste like maple syrup at all.
Speaker 2:And I'm not really getting a vanilla, I'm getting, I mean, there's some good taste, oh you taste vanilla and I think that would really enhance this, Because whatever that sweetness is and a little bit of vanilla bean would really I think that'd be perfect. Yeah, I agree with you, Boy, I just don't taste the vanilla.
Speaker 1:I don't know. It's confusing. Like I said, it's just confusing Because it does have a sweetness, but it doesn't taste like maple syrup, it doesn't taste like vanilla.
Speaker 2:No, I wish I knew, I wish I could tell you what it is, but I don't know. I wish I did too, boy. What do you think on a score, dude? And this is a 12.5%? Yeah, gosh, I want to give it a higher score, but I'm trying to think what I could do, because it's gosh, quite the conund. I'm gonna. I'm gonna say a 2.9, okay, um, and I don't know if I've ever given a double digit beer below a three, but for this one I just can't. I mean, great, I don't. There's no burn, right, you know that's a positive thing, uh, but the flavors just don't come through for me like I wish. And it's a, and even if I liked it, I couldn, couldn't drink it unless it was only 7.5. Right, so I don't know why. I mean, if you're going to spend that time to make the beer, give the drinker a little bit more to taste of it, exactly, just unfortunate.
Speaker 1:I guess. Yeah, I agree with you. Well, score-wise, I think I've got to do like a 3.1. Yeah, I'll go with 3.1. Just because I do. It's very smooth for 12.5%. I don't mind that there's that little bit of sweetness in there, but it's not really maple syrup and I don't pick up the vanilla at all. And then the third thing yeah, 7.5-ounce can. It makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2:Right, I think I'd drank a V8. That's what it reminds me of, like those old V8 little cans, or whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 1:I know I've got a couple other ones in the fridge that is from that Bear State Brewing. No, no, it's Hoppin' Frog, oh, but they're bigger than that. Oh, you know what I mean, but they're not a whole lot bigger but they're probably a 9 or 10 ounce whatever, maybe Right, but it reminded me of that, but this was even littler than that. So, it just didn't make any sense. So I'm going to go with 3.1 reluctantly, because I know you don't like duplicates and I didn't want to. But we're kind of separating it out.
Speaker 2:So we're letting the listeners know what we really like and what we don't. Yep, exactly.
Speaker 1:All right, well, we've got two to go, two to go. The next one we have is actually not a stout, but the reason I put this one in here is because this is also a ginger-spiced beer. Okay, well, that's good. So we could at least kind of compare a little bit somewhat with the Central Waters. One, right, and this is by another really good brewery. This is by Founders, nice, that's good. We have a track record with them and we know they know what they're doing. Yep, so this is the Founders, ginger Spiced Barreled, and Nice is the name of it. All, right, and this is in a regular 12-ounce bottle. Yep, just like all the founders are, yep, all the founders. On the label it has the gingerbread man on there.
Speaker 1:Okay, and this is 12.8%. We stepped it up. So we stepped it up a little bit and let's see, this is a barrel-aged barley wine ale with ginger cinnamon and clove.
Speaker 2:Cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon and clove, cinnamon and clove, cinnamon. All right, and that's all it said too, yes, yeah, it didn't say anything more, so I can't even try to add anything more.
Speaker 1:So this is our last bottle. Yeah, we have a can left.
Speaker 2:We've had some good barley wines before, yeah, but I think this is their first stab at it.
Speaker 1:Right, I cannot say that this is their first stab at it or not, but this is definitely more of a unique one, I think, than what we've ever tried before. Yes, you know we've had elderberry, or that was a scotch ale. I apologize, but you know we've had barley wines with other flavors, but not ginger and cinnamon and clove. I'm a little concerned about the clove, but there's no heather, though, right?
Speaker 2:no, no heather because we still don't know what she's still?
Speaker 1:yeah, don't still.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't know what she tastes like.
Speaker 1:No, we just had the one place that had that, and then they're gone, they're gone. So Well, this is definitely a later.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not a stout Kind of a, it's a caramel-type color. There you go, that's golden kind of hue.
Speaker 1:That's got a different aroma.
Speaker 2:That's a little stronger. A little stronger. I don't know if that's ginger, it's a spice, maybe aroma Boy.
Speaker 1:I get the cinnamon. Oh boy, there's cinnamon in there. Boy, that tastes closer to, I think, to gingerbread than what the ginger snap stout was. Well, there's a lot of cinnamon, whatever that spice is. Yeah, well, you got ginger, which again. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I thought that I still had a dark and stormy, and that, I believe, is by central waters, but apparently we drank it at some point and that was had ginger in it, but that was an in your face, ginger flavor and it was like really strong, you know, it's like. So this I can't even taste the barley one on this, boy, I, I get I'm getting the cinnamon very faint clove yep, you know kind of an undertone of clove.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's not bad I mean, honestly, I don't mind it's like, but it is. You gotta be ready for.
Speaker 1:You gotta be sitting down when you take a drink of this one oh yeah, this would be another one of those that I'm sure I got it around the holidays. But again, I just thought at least we can compare to that. Say they're like gingerbread kind of thing, because I, as far as I know, a ginger snap is like a gingerbread cookie kind of thing, I believe so there is a little bit on the back is there okay just a little bit.
Speaker 2:Let's see here it says uh, there's nothing better than sweet treats during the holidays, unless it's a delicious festive beer Ginger, spice, barreled and nice is a barrel-aged gingerbread ale that delivers all the holiday spice you're craving. Expect notes of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oak and vanilla. Oh, geez, okay, it's a bourbon, barrel aged holiday flavor explosion. Well, there you go. Wow, there you go.
Speaker 1:What more could you ask for?
Speaker 2:Right. So I mean, I'm not a big barley wine guy and I don't even taste the barley wine, no, and I like barley wines personally, but I don't taste the barley wine guy, and I don't even taste the barley wine.
Speaker 1:No, and I, I like barley wines personally, but I don't taste the barley wine flavor. What you normally used to right, totally get cinnamon. Now that you said nutmeg, I do get a nutmeg. I get that clove again. I don't really pick up on the. I think they use ginger very sparingly because I, I know, you know, um, I don't know if you've ever had sushi or not, but when you get, but that's like pickled ginger.
Speaker 2:I think in Wisconsin we call that bait. It's raw fish, isn't it? Yeah, see, so yeah, we don't eat that. Well, I cannot say that.
Speaker 1:No, not from how they prepare it, but that ginger is very strong flavor. Yeah, so that's what I always expect when I hear ginger, but I think they use it very sparingly because I think it's one of those you put. You know one. I'm just going to say drop it's a. You know one drop in, you're good. Two drops is too much. You know what I mean. I think that might be the case.
Speaker 2:So you err on the side of less Less is better.
Speaker 1:That, that's what I think is what a lot of breweries are going to do is err on the side of being conservative on the ginger.
Speaker 2:Well, and what's weird is I mean it's a barley wine ale aged in bourbon barrels.
Speaker 1:So you've got a lot of stuff going on just with, but I don't really taste much bourbon. No, like I said, I pick up cinnamon. Nutmeg, clove is what I pick up and cinnamon is almost more of the. I'm not, and I don't mean to say that cinnamon is like the predominant flavor, like, uh, let's say, like a fireball or something like that.
Speaker 2:It's not like that.
Speaker 1:But I definitely get that flavor right. You know, I don't mind that, I I like I kind of like that one.
Speaker 2:All right, you want to shoot away? Since you got the, yeah, I'll shoot away.
Speaker 1:Um, like I said, well, I've pretty much said all the description I'm going to give. I think I'm going like a 3.5.
Speaker 2:Wow, you're right up there.
Speaker 1:Right now, that's my top one, I just think more so, probably because I was expecting unbelievably great things from some of the ones that I brought Right and they just didn't live up to it yet, right.
Speaker 2:I mean, and for me it's good. But I mean it's got a lot of flavor that's. You're not used to those flavors and if you're not a big barley wine person it might put you back. But I mean, for me it still is good. I'm going to go with 3.4. Wow.
Speaker 1:Right up there with you. I didn't think you were going to go that high.
Speaker 2:I mean it's not bad. I mean for barley wine. Maybe that's where the good part is Barley wine age in bourbon barrels. Maybe it counterbalanced that wine flavor.
Speaker 1:It's kind of funny because we know some guys that barley wine is another one of those styles. That's kind of divisive a little bit, because I know some guys that they really don't like barley wines at all. Right, you know, if you say barley wine, ugh, you know they just hate them. And then I know other guys that, oh, these are great, you know. So it's just kind of interesting and, like I said, this one I kind of like it a little more because you don't have that usual barley wine flavor.
Speaker 2:It's different. I mean, it's not a bad different, but it's just different, it's different.
Speaker 1:There you go, and spice is the flavor of life, or whatever they say yes, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, are we on the last one.
Speaker 1:We are on our last one. All right, what a bummer. This hour has flown by. There you go.
Speaker 2:What do we got.
Speaker 1:Well, this one is by Revolution Brewing, all right. And this is their Death's Tar, not Death Star, correct, okay, not trademark, yeah, because of trademark reasons, I'm sure it is D-E-T-H apostrophe S, okay, death's. And then Tar T-A-R. Imperial Oatmeal Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels, all right, 14.8% ABV. Say that again. 14.8% ABV. Say that again. 14.8%.
Speaker 2:ABV.
Speaker 1:It's been a while since we've had one that high, hasn't it? Check out the artwork on that.
Speaker 2:Well, that gets a tenth of a point right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's got kind of like a skeleton and like robes with a big war hammer, and this is part of their Deep Wood series, so that must be their barrel aged okay series, I'm guessing. Uh, did you were able to find any kind of?
Speaker 2:only got. You said it was an imperial oatmeal style, right? So yes, this is another different kind that we've had today yeah, and it just says. A prolonged repose in bourbon, soaked american oak barrels adorns a dark chocolate profile with notes of toasted coconut and vanilla. A rich, supple texture belies the unholy power of our imperial oatmeal stout.
Speaker 1:Well, there's a lot of talk. There's a lot of talk.
Speaker 2:We'll see if we pick up on the coconut coconut and we in vanilla, we haven't none of them so far have lived up to that. This. This would be a good way to finish the podcast. This would be a good way to end her out. End the podcast. This has all those things in it, if this delivers what it said.
Speaker 1:Now, yeah, I don't know how many. I don't think we've had many bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stouts.
Speaker 2:Right. So it's definitely dark, very dark. You can't see through it. I smelled booze.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I smelled booze. I smelled booze A lot of heavy alcohol aroma. And it was bourbon. Right, it was in bourbon barrels. Yes, yes, okay, didn't say what kind, but it's Bourbon-soaked American oak barrels. Okay, I don't get coconut, I don't taste the vanilla, I get a little burn. I get a little burn. It's again. It drinks pretty smooth, pretty mellow for a 14.8.
Speaker 2:Right, but the predominant flavor is the bourbon Right and it's not, like you know, one of those Avery where it's really sweet. There's no sweetness with it, nope.
Speaker 1:I mean, you're getting a punch right in the stomach with some bourbon on this one. This would be one you would bring to share with some friends. Yeah, you know what I mean, and pretty much the vast majority of these, I think, is what you would do Bring a bottle to have people sample.
Speaker 2:Right, you'd drink a six-pack of this by yourself. You sure could try, you might want to bring a blanket yeah. I don't know for sure if you'd get through them all or if it would stay in your body. At that point, the dude with the Warhammer may come to look for you. If you did, you're right square in the forehead. Yeah, wow, but I mean, it's not bad, it's just the vanilla and the chocolate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the chocolate, I just. It does have a little hint of a sweetness to it, but it's faint.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:It's not Right on the initial.
Speaker 2:When you swallow it, then it's Because like, what's interesting is like the finish, I mean the burn it goes to. I taste it and then the burn is like later, but it's not a really strong burn and the finish is not it's really smooth. Yes, for 14.8.
Speaker 1:For 14.8. Like I said, the chocolate and the vanilla is overshadowed by the barrel, yep, but again, all of these have been, for the most part, other than that barley one, because I whatever different, different style, but not bad.
Speaker 2:No, it's not not, and it's out of the can too. You know, yes, isn't it?
Speaker 1:sometimes we find that bottles do give a better flavor yes, yeah, typically, because sometimes the, the can seems to put a little bit of a metallic right kind of taste it but this doesn't have that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's no. None of these actually had a metallic taste to them, which is good, right, the flavors that they had came through. So, boy yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, score-wise, what are you going to do, boy? I'm trying to, I think. Now it comes to your heart, bart, I know, because it's like you painted yourself into a corner. I kind of did because I'm like okay, do I like it better than this one, or is it?
Speaker 1:You want to switch a couple numbers. No, I'll leave the numbers where they're at, but I'm going to go with 3.6. I'll make it my top one, Kind of a reluctant 3.6, but I you know what I mean To try and keep the scores unique. Again, I do enjoy the fact that it it it is a very easy drinking 14, eight. I like the artwork on the can, the flavor, overall it's good, but it just doesn't. I don't pick up the vanilla, or you know, or the, not the vanilla, yeah, the vanilla. Or the coconut. I don't taste coconut at all. There's no coconut. I don't smell coconut, I don't taste coconut. So unfortunately, I say that and then I give it the top score. But it still is a very good beer.
Speaker 2:Right, and I mean I think that echoed the same thing. But I mean we haven't had a 14.8. That's not super sweet. So I mean, so for me that's good. I mean, even the burnt, it doesn't linger. Yep, like you know, if you're just drinking a straight bourbon, like you said, I wish there was just a little bit more flavor I'm going to go the same score you did. I'm going to say a 3.6. I'd, like you know, for me, the best one of the day. I mean, I liked a few of these, but this one, I mean 14.8.
Speaker 1:We don the fact that it's an oatmeal, a barrel-aged oatmeal, stout Right Was different as well, you know. So, yeah, I give them credit. They picked a new kind, of new style and ran with it, and then they found a very unique way not to do copyright infringement.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I got to give them credit for that, and even the guy that they painted on the can does not look anything like that movie.
Speaker 1:No, not, the can does not look anything like that movie. No, not like what you would expect, right, so it's, uh, it was good. So, yeah, I guess overall. Yeah, my number one was the death's tar number. My number two was the, the ginger bread, the founders, yep, uh, barrel aged ginger, uh, barley wine, uh, other than that, I did enjoy the, the central waters, the ginger snap I thought was good again, the only knock was I just didn't pick up on the ginger.
Speaker 1:But I do think and that's something I'll ask my brother, I don't think he's made anything a ginger beer at this point, but I think that brewers do go a little conservative on it because they don't want a ginger beer, because we've had, you know, like in a Moscow Mule or whatever, they have the ginger beer in it and that has a strong taste ginger beer in it, and that has a strong taste, right? So yeah, I don't think any of them were terrible. The the barbados one, which I'm gonna go. When we get done here I'm gonna try it again and just see.
Speaker 1:you know what it was that one warmed up and yeah, if anything came through, you know, uh, but otherwise all the rest of them were, I think were basically pretty close to each other, I think, uh, and again, I think most of these would be ones that you'd bring a bottle and share, right, you know. So I have no problem with any of them and I think mine almost mere years.
Speaker 2:I liked the Destar and that Barley Wine. Those were kind of out there, nip and tuck at the top, Yep, and they were the highest ABV ones we had today. And then my number three was the Kentucky Bourbon. I thought it was kind of smooth, but I think overall, for me the one thing that really came through was not a single one of these really had the flavors that they were talking about. It wasn't anything I could taste Out of every single one of these, the ones we tried.
Speaker 2:I was looking for a lot more flavors and none of them really had the flavor that we were anticipating, which is a little bit of a uh downer, because I'm like man, if everything that it says is supposed to be in the can actually the flavors come through, we're gonna really have a good class and it's gonna be a good podcast. And all of a sudden, now we're talking about, every single one of them is lacking that, even just a little bit of different flavor. Yeah, so I don't know. Like, I guess that's kind of what stands out for me so I just took some more of the Bent Power Schwank.
Speaker 1:Yeah, after drinking the Death Star it got worse, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just kind of.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I think I'm good with that one. You're kind of on the bottom.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately. I apologize, bent. Yeah, that was actually the lowest one too. Yeah, so it didn't get any better, even with the can warmed up, and it didn't help it. It didn't help it. Well, you still got some barley wine left. Okay, good, you can wash it away later.
Speaker 1:Well, awesome, well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, before we go, since this is the 4th of July, we would definitely like to say and Jimim, you're in this group I'd like to thank all of the active and retired military for their service, for everything they've done, they've made it so so we can sit here and taste these beers and say they're lacking, you know, uh, but it was worth trying them, exactly. Yes, you know, and, like I said, jim was is, uh, retired military, so I thank you so much for everything you did, everything you still do, uh, and and uh, yeah, so we're going to uh, well, we'll see if we finish some more of these and then when, once the fireworks start, we're gonna have to go down and ooh and ah yeah, it looks like they might be starting again somewhere.
Speaker 2:I can't, I can't. Well, that's the natives. Again, they're getting restless they always got us out I know they they keep.
Speaker 1:They start early so then they just hear the noise. I think.
Speaker 2:They're going to scare away the deer. Now Exactly.
Speaker 1:Well, what are you going to do? It's one time a year and hey, let's have their fun. There you go. I think we've got some other beers in the cooler, so we're going to go and check that out too. We've got to finish these.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got to finish these so awesome.
Speaker 1:Jim, thanks for sitting down and trying these. Well, you brought three of them, so we both contributed.
Speaker 2:Yes, nobody hit a home run.
Speaker 1:You ended up with the top one. Barely, barely, yeah, but yeah, it was good. So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much. We hope you have a great Fourth of July and, like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm and your beers are always cold, see, ya Be safe, see ya.
Speaker 1: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.
