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.
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The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 130 - Pumpkin Season Showdown
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Fall brings not just changing leaves but an exciting shift in the beer landscape. While Oktoberfest brews dominate shelves, we decided to explore the oft-maligned but increasingly sophisticated world of pumpkin beers.
Our journey began with Shipyard's approachable Pumpkin Head (4.5% ABV), which surprised us with its balanced pumpkin pie spices and crisp finish. This proved an excellent gateway pumpkin beer that even skeptics might enjoy. The contrast with Four Hands Brewing's Pumpkin Ale highlighted how differently breweries approach this seasonal style, with varying degrees of success.
The real revelation came from Southern Tier's impressive pumpkin portfolio. Their classic Pumpking (8.6% ABV) delivered a smooth imperial ale experience, while their Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout showcased how beautifully roasted malt character can complement pumpkin flavors. Few breweries attempt pumpkin stouts, making this a standout offering.
Southern Tier's flavor variations truly elevated our tasting. Their Caramel Pumpkin Imperial Ale featured pronounced but never cloying caramel notes that balanced perfectly with the pumpkin base. The undisputed champion, however, was their Maple Warlock Imperial Stout - a masterful 8.6% creation that layered maple sweetness over pumpkin, resulting in a dangerously smooth drinking experience despite its strength.
What began as a seasonal exploration revealed impressive craftsmanship and innovation within the pumpkin beer category. Southern Tier particularly demonstrated how this often-dismissed style can showcase complexity, balance, and creative flavor combinations. Whether you're a pumpkin beer skeptic or enthusiast, this fall's offerings deserve your attention. Try starting with Shipyard for an accessible introduction, then venture toward Southern Tier's more adventurous offerings for a new perspective on what pumpkin beers can achieve.
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Welcome to Pumpkin Beer Tasting
Speaker 1Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Are we back in the beer tents?
Speaker 2It does sound like it, doesn't it? It kind of sounds like it. I thought you were singing the song for a second there.
Speaker 1Well, I do, like you know, pride myself on my imitation of John Denver.
Speaker 2Where else would we be singing that song at, Actually?
Speaker 1they sing it in Munich at Oktoberfest.
Speaker 2So what does that mean then? I'm not sure. Does that mean we're going to be trying some more?
Speaker 1Well, this week we are actually not trying more Oktoberfests.
Speaker 2Oh, what are we trying?
Speaker 1But we are staying in the season and we're doing pumpkin beers.
Speaker 2Pumpkin beers.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2All right. Well, that's intriguing.
Speaker 1Well, before we get started, I have to remind you I hope they don't taste like that squash beer we had.
Speaker 2Oh, Remember that one Is a pumpkin in the squash family.
Speaker 1It's in the family, but it's vastly different.
Speaker 2It is different. It is different, so it tastes like heather it, could you?
Speaker 1never know maybe do we ever find out what heather tastes like we're not exactly sure so, and I do know that squish should not be in beers yeah, we didn't have a good experience no, we did not have a good experience with that. So, yeah, we've got uh six, uh pumpkin beers here. All right, well, that's different, it's different you we don't want to overload people on Oktoberfest beers too early, but these are in season.
Speaker 1This is getting to be that time of year and they're showing up. You know, the one thing I've noticed is they're showing up more, but not like the Oktoberfest beers, right I mean, you know, maybe closer to Thanksgiving we'll see more.
Speaker 2I don't know. Well, the one thing I will tell you is I've only found one barrel aged Oktoberfest beer. Oh, is it in this lineup? It is not. That's for a special, that's a special one.
Speaker 1Yeah, I remember last year they come out a little later, they come out later, but they were some good ones, yes, you know, and that too. And then, well, we've got to keep an eye out too, because remember, last year we had those barrel-aged Oktoberfests that were the one was extremely good, yes, and the other one, I mean, was good, but that one, ooh, that was really good.
Speaker 2So enough of that talk.
Speaker 1You can get in trouble with that, get in trouble with that. So, yeah, we're going to look at pumpkin, not squish, but pumpkin. So what's the first one? Well, now, these are the 2025. Yes, so we just want to let people know that, because a few of them we've had before, but that was 2024, 2023 versions. This is the 2025. So we're going to start off and this is the lowest ABV that we have, at 4.5.
Speaker 1Okay, this is by Shipyard Brewing and this is their Pumpkin Head Shipyard Shipyard and I'm trying to see to let the people know they're out of Utica, new York, new York, new York, and it says ale with natural flavors added. So I'm guessing, what are natural flavors? Pumpkin? I'm wondering. They must use they. You know, like when I've asked my brother about it before, you know they'll put puree or things like that. But I'm wondering if, with this, it's more just the flavoring, possibly I don't want to say, you know, tell that to the people, because I don't know with these guys, but that's what I'm guessing. It's pretty generic when you say natural flavors, exactly. So here we go on the shipyard, well, it's yellowish in color, it's not orange.
Speaker 1It's not orange like a pumpkin. No, it's not pumpkin colored by any means White head.
Speaker 2I can smell pumpkin in there. Yeah, there's a little pumpkin in there, pumpkin or pumpkin spice or whatever.
Shipyard Pumpkin Head Review
Speaker 1You can smell it, oh, you can taste it. That's not bad. That's not bad. That is not bad. Surprising.
Speaker 2Yes, surprisingly good.
Speaker 1Yes, I was going to say that definitely has a pumpkin pie flavor to it.
Speaker 2Right, I could drink a bottle of that.
Speaker 1I'm thinking, yeah, at 4.5% you could drink a couple of them.
Speaker 2Yeah that is not bad at all.
Speaker 1No, I, wow, Is that kind of caught you off guard there A little bit, a little bit I was thinking you know 4.5%, not that that should have said anything, but you often think, okay, it's going to be lighter in ABV, lighter in flavor, things like that. But no, you can taste it.
Speaker 2That's good and it's not. The finish is even smooth too. I mean, you do get a flavor, but it's not like a harsh flavor, right, or it doesn't stick with you.
Speaker 1It's really, honestly, I think this might be a terrible generalization, but I say, if a person's like I don't really like pumpkin pie, I think they could drink this.
Speaker 2Yeah, pie, I think they could drink this. Yeah, because I mean it does have that kind of a hint of flavor, but it's not like exactly right.
Speaker 1You know what I'm saying yeah, I mean, and it shouldn't scare you away if you've never even had a pumpkin beer.
Speaker 2No, no, I mean, if this is your pumpkin pie or pumpkin beer, you could try this and I could scare you.
Speaker 1that's I'm trying to think. Okay, it's got to have some cinnamon, it's got to have maybe nutmeg in there. That's good though, but they don't go over the top. No, no, and yeah, you're right, the flavor is pretty mellow. I mean it's not boom, hits you in the face, pumpkin, but yeah, I could drink a few of these. Well, you're on tap.
Speaker 2first, you're in the batter's box.
Speaker 1Let's see when can I put this that I'm going to kick myself for later. I'm going to go with 3.0. This, you like it? Huh, I think this is all around really good. The flavor, like I said, the flavor is not super strong. So if you're not, you know, really, you don't like pumpkin. You I still think you could drink it. What you had said about the finish is you're dead on, I mean it. It's not that it lingers, right. You know what I mean. It's pretty crisp, you know, refreshing kind of a thing, and yeah, it's good, I like it.
Speaker 2So I'm glad we started that one first and really started off with a bang. I mean it's smooth, it's got a flavor, but it doesn't have over-the-top flavor and I think with a pumpkin beer you don't want to go over-the-top because I think you could really lose the beer, could really just like put you out.
Speaker 1So I'm going to go right with you. I'm going to say a 3.0 as well. Okay, I, that's good. Yeah, and I know we had this before, but, like I said, it was the 2020. So we have had Shipyard before, we've had this beer before, but, like I said, I think it was 2023, possibly, that we had it, so it's been a little while since we've had this one, but it was good. I like it All right. So Do you have pumpkin questions, or?
Speaker 2I got some Oktoberfest questions. Oh, trying to get everybody in the mood. Okay, for everybody's information, I'm sure everybody knows that we're in the home or background of Oktoberfest, usa, right? Yes, yep, which is held in La Crosse, wisconsin. Okay, so your first question is what are the dates? Because we want to tell the listeners about it.
Speaker 1It's four days. Okay, it used to be two weekends, right weekends, a full week with two weekends, and people got in trouble. Okay, so it's four days, and I'm going to say the last Thursday, friday, saturday.
Speaker 2Sunday. However, that falls like the end of September, first of October. Am I close? So you've got the right month, September.
Speaker 1Right, what is it before that?
Speaker 2The 25th to the 28th? Oh, okay, well, I was close Right. So is it before that? The 25th to the 28th? Oh, okay, well, I was close Right. So you only got minus 400 for that one.
Speaker 1Oh, that's not bad I thought you were going to get that one spot on. I should have. You'd think I would know more about that. I've only been there one time.
Speaker 2I was just looking online today when I was checking this, getting some deets out, and it looks each have multiple different beers. Right, it's not just one beer. Pretend like Munich, correct, correct.
Speaker 1Yeah, one, the, the one year that that we went. Uh, it was the first year that they had their craft beer night and that was the I think it was whatever the first night, and that was when I learned that I can't remember how many let's say there was 30. And every one of them had an Oktoberfest and they all tasted vastly different, you know. So it was like you would think, with a style it would be somewhat similar, kind of like. Well, like when we did our German Oktoberfest beers they were similar, Very similar.
Speaker 2This not in the remotest way was any of them.
Speaker 1You know what I'm saying, right? So that was the first year that, the only year actually that I went to that, okay, so All right, so there was a lot of people there.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, yes, the weather brings them out. Yeah, correct?
Four Hands Pumpkin Ale Analysis
Speaker 1So, like I said, I kept hearing all the stories in the past when it was the whatever 10 days, whatever it is the weekend to weekend, and it was always like people got a little rowdy there towards the end, did they? Yeah, and that's why they cut it down to four days, all right, so what do we got next? Next, we have our only can, a can A can. The rest are all 12-ounce bottles. Yes, this is by Four Hands Brewing Company and I don't know if we've had many beers from these guys. I don't think, so I'll have to look it up. This is their pumpkin ale One pint Six percent ABV. Ooh, I'm trying to see. Well, that's the government warning.
Speaker 2We don't really want that they really don't have a whole lot of else on there, just ale brewed with.
Speaker 1What does that say? Again, I don't know why they write so small.
Speaker 2Blended it all in together. Yeah, it's got a nice Scary little pumpkin.
Speaker 1Scary little pumpkin, kind of jack-o'-lantern type thing on the can.
Speaker 2Let's hope the beer's not scary.
Speaker 1Yeah correct.
Speaker 2Let's hope it tastes good.
Speaker 1Oh, I think it will.
Speaker 2Oh, this one's a little darker in color.
Speaker 1Ooh, that one has a tint of a little bit of orange, that kind of has a little bit of a pumpkin-y kind of look, almost like what I would consider closer to, like a Marzon color.
Speaker 2Even the head is a little bit tannish, a little tannish.
Speaker 1It's not white, Not much of an aroma is it. No, I was going to say I thought there would have been more aroma. That's different.
Speaker 2It's not bad, it's different. It's different. Hmm, is it more spice than pumpkin? Is that what that is? I don't know. I was going to say, or is it?
Speaker 1just pumpkin and no spice. I don't know it's different than the first one. Oh yeah, this to me doesn't taste like pumpkin pie. No, the first one tastes like pumpkin pie. I'm going to try and see if I can see with that. I'm going to break out my phone here trying to magnify it, Flashlight to see. Well, come on, Uh-oh what happened?
Speaker 2Here we go, oh, all right.
Speaker 1Oh wait, then we have light. Oh, it has ale brewed with spices.
Speaker 2Oh, that narrowed it down for us. Yeah, that's all it says was spices.
Speaker 1It didn't say what kind of spice.
Speaker 2Yeah that's not helpful for us.
Speaker 1It just said spices Dang. It just said spices dang it all. Boy, I'm just. Did you have to buy this in a six pack too? Okay, well, you might be getting a, I might be getting a gift packet of that too.
Speaker 2And what do we call this? This is called the pumpkin.
Speaker 1This is our yeah, it's a pumpkin, ale by four hands brewing boy. I, oh, you get to go first. I can collect my thoughts while you're going through your the one thing that I am after.
Speaker 2I took a sip and let it settle a bit. The finish seems to linger a little bit and it's not. It is a pumpkin-y, but it's not a good pumpkin-y finish. That's the only thing that I got the knock on, so I'm going to say like a 2.7.
Speaker 1Okay, I'm going to 2.4.
Speaker 2I think there's a lot of these that are going to be better.
Speaker 1okay, um, that first one really put me in the mood for pumpkin, you know, and I don't really get much pumpkin and and it says, with spices I'm not tasting what, what I would consider to go with, like the pumpkin. You know, that pumpkin pie spice kind of thing. I just I'm not getting it. I do like the artwork on the can. It's really cool and, like I said, I got to look and see how many beers we've had from Four Hands Brewing. But I'm not saying it's bad, but it's just I don't know, the flavor is just it's different and I'm not really sold on it.
Speaker 1I guess, yeah, that one's a little tough if you go hey, dude, I got it. You want to get sure I'll have a can, but it wouldn't be my first choice of the two so far.
Speaker 2Yeah, this has been a little bit tough to choke down. It hasn't been smooth like all the other.
Speaker 1You know beers that we've tried no, I'm gonna really be upset if all of a sudden somebody goes well, you're supposed to roll that can, because I didn't really roll it that much like you do, like sours and stuff, to try and make sure it's all mixed up, right. So we'll, after we're done, we'll shake it up a little bit and we'll see if that helps. But I'm just I don't know. The first one was better.
Speaker 2All right. So since we're talking about Oktoberfest USA, when was the first Oktoberfest in La Crosse held?
Speaker 1I'm going to say oh, okay, nice, Does that help? So 2000. I'm going to say 1965.
Speaker 2I'm going to have to get the judges to check this. No, you're wrong. Oh, october 13th to the 15th 1961. Oh darn, so you got one, two, three, four, five wrong in that one.
Speaker 1How did I get five?
Speaker 2wrong Because you missed the month.
Speaker 1Oh you didn't say you wanted the month?
Speaker 2Yeah, when was the first Oktoberfest? Oh man, so that's minus 500. That's under protest, wow.
Speaker 1That's why the judge called. I was four years off, but that was still yeah. That's why I gave you.
Speaker 2I wasn't going to give you 1,000 off, but that's why I gave you 500 off. So this is the 60. You're the math.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, I wasn't 61, so 21 would have been 60 years.
Speaker 2So the 64th or 65th this year, depending on how they you know Almost as old as I am.
Speaker 1Almost, that's scary, oh, all right.
Speaker 2We got another beer sitting here, all right, so it looks like we're starting a trend now.
Speaker 1So now, we're starting a trend. This one is by Southern Tier, and we have had this before Yep, but again this is the 2025 version. Yes, these are all fresh and this is their Pumpking. Imperial Pumpkin Ale 8.6% ABV.
Speaker 2And look at, they got their king pumpkin guy.
Speaker 1that's kind of got that evil. Look on his face right on the bottle and let's see Roll on pumpkin. It says so I'm going to make sure to do a nice.
Speaker 2I was kind of looking forward to these last four. The first two, I was like throwing the dice. These four, hopefully, are better. Get us back in the ballpark. Well, we'll see, hopefully, hopefully. Yes, I don't want to lose all my street cred.
Southern Tier Pumpking Evaluation
Speaker 1And again, this is a 12-ounce bottle. Yep, now we're definitely higher in ABV too. 8.6, yes, okay. Now, yeah, 4.5 was the first one, and then 6, so 8.6. So, yeah, we stepped it up a couple notches again. Not a lot of aroma, nope, wow, that's got more pumpkin, especially more than the last one that is smooth, yeah, yeah, to me it's got a little different flavor than the first one.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Now, this is an Imperial and it's almost twice the ABV than the first one was, but that seems it's not sweet but it's like smooth, isn't it?
Speaker 2Yeah?
Speaker 1Yeah, it's almost got a. I don't know how to describe the flavor. It's got a pumpkin flavor, but I don't think it's got all the spices like that first one did, right, you know what I mean. I'm not really picking up a lot of cinnamon or nutmeg or that kind of flavor, right, but it's still good and good and 8.6.
Speaker 2It drinks smooth right, it does not taste like six.
Speaker 1No, definitely different flavor than the first two well, when it says an imperial that is the first thing for me is higher abv, probably a little stronger flavor. But this is, this is good. I don't mind that at all. Do I go first?
Speaker 1on this one, oh man so the 2025 pump king, pump king by southern I do like it. Like I said, I don't think there's as much in the spice category. There is some, don't get me wrong, and I don't know if maybe the higher ABV affects that a little bit or not. I don't know, but it's good. And what am I going to do for a score? I know because it's like I'm trying to think okay, the first one, I did like that because that had a little bit more of the pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie spice flavor to it, but this is still. I'm going to go. I'm going to go with 3.1. I'm going to give it a nod above that first one, because the ABV is almost double. And again, I think this one would I say hey, you've never had a craft beer here. Drink this. Maybe not because of that, right, because the flavor is a little bit stronger, but it's still I like it. So, yeah, there you go. Enough said.
Speaker 2So I think I echo everything you said, and I think I'd be cautious recommending this. If this is your first craft beer, maybe not. Maybe you've had a couple of other Oktoberfests that we've maybe had before. All right, then try this one. If you're stepping your way up in the flavor game, this might be a good one to go into. And especially, I think these are all seasonal too, so you won't see these all year, right? So this might be the time just to test it out. I'm going to stick with you. I'm going to go with 3.1. I like it.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2I'm going to go right with you.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah, like I said that last sip I had there, I think the flavor was a little bit better than I was giving it credit for initially. Yes, but yeah, that's good. I think they do a good job. So I see you've got your Oktoberfest.
Speaker 2La Crosse Oktoberfest. La Crosse Oktoberfest.
Speaker 1Are you ready? Yes, sir.
Speaker 2The very first Oktoberfest in La Crosse, yep, 1961. Was not called the Oktoberfest by everybody. What is the second name? It was called by most people.
Speaker 1So they didn't call it Oktoberfest and it was October 61.
Speaker 2Well, this is yeah wasn't called octoberfest, so it was probably called fall fest. Close was that it's called the farm show. Oh, because show? Because they had a cow chip throwing contest, catching a grease pig contest. Old-fashioned steam engines were there.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2Demos of early log cutting, train rides, a rodeo, we're all at the Oktoberfest. Wow, I thought you knew that. Nope, well, that's minus a thousand.
Speaker 1That's kind of interesting though, because now they've got a couple parades, yep. Do they do other stuff? Drink beer? Well, yeah right, and have some music. I was going to say, other than drinking beer and having some polka music. I'm not sure if they have other stuff.
Speaker 2No, I'm sure that you don't want to mix too many of that with beer.
Speaker 1What you can't throw cow chips and drink beer at the same time.
Speaker 2You might want to wash your hands between the two, or you could be throwing them at people. That would go stanky.
Speaker 1The sad part is that's probably what happened. Somebody probably whipped one in the crowd and ruined it for everybody.
Speaker 2Hit somebody in their lederhosen, yeah.
Speaker 1And just ruined it. We were having fun and they ruined it.
Speaker 2All right. So what do we got now? All right, so the next one.
Speaker 1We oh, whoa, all right, dude, yeah, this is another Southern tier. Okay, this, yeah, this is another southern tier. Okay, this is the warlock.
Speaker 2Warlock, now this is their imperial pumpkin stout, imperial pumpkin stout and look at the guy on the the bottle.
Speaker 1It's their normal, it's the pumpkin guy, but he's got a wizard costume on really that kind of looks like you when you wake up in the morning, oh yeah, kind of sort of How'd you know what my PJs looked like? Susie told me.
Speaker 2Oh, Well, I'm about to talk to her about that. She's got to get you some new ones.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, but I still want the wizard hat though.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's the dunce cap. Yo Wait a minute.
Speaker 1Sit in the corner. No wonder she laughed dark. Oh, look at darker, this is the darkest one we've had in a little while.
Speaker 2Yeah, we haven't had many octoberfest beers this dark.
Speaker 1No, of course, if you found some barrel age ones we may have, but well, I'm on the lookout, on the lookout. Okay, so this is the 2025 warlock imperial pumpkin stout. All right now. This will be interesting because the last one was the imperial pumpkin ale now we have. So now this is the first stout that we've had.
Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout
Speaker 2Right, not much of an aroma, not a lot of aroma, pretty muted Hmm.
Speaker 1That's not bad. No, it has that kind of that stout flavor. Right, the stout. That's the first thing. I'm not going to say. It's coffee, but it's kind of that roasted malt.
Speaker 2There you go, roasted malt, that's a very good flavor.
Speaker 1Some people would say burnt.
Speaker 2I say roasted malt.
Speaker 1But you do get that hint of pumpkin. There's a little bit.
Speaker 2It's not overpowering, no, nope, not at all. It's definitely not bad. I mean, this is pretty good Boy, yeah.
Speaker 1For a warlock. For a warlock. Yeah, no, that's Again. We've had one before, but again it was 2023. Well, we've tasted it pretty much every year, right, you know, but it's still good, but now it's good to taste against other pumpkins. Well, and to compare a pumpkin ale and a pumpkin stout back to back the fact that they do them both is cool.
Speaker 2Right, so I don't think there's many people that do pumpkin stouts.
Speaker 1I don't think so. I don't think there's many people that do pumpkin stouts?
Speaker 2I don't think so. I don't think we've had a whole lot of pumpkin stouts. I don't think many people are willing to step out of that limbo.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think it's more. This is just my uneducated guess, but I'll bet you it's easier to put pumpkin flavor in an ale.
Speaker 2Oh, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1Right, because it's not as much flavor. You can make a real generic ale and put pumpkin in it, where a stout is probably a little more difficult to get that balance. Yes, just my guess.
Speaker 2So I take it I'm first, I do like this one just a touch better than the.
Speaker 1Did we say sorry, it's 8.6% also, it's up there.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm going to go one step up, I'm going to go 3.2. Okay, I like it just a little bit better than the Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
Speaker 1I agree with you. Do I go 3.2 or 3.3? I'll go 3.2 as well. It is very good If somebody that's the only beer they had, I would definitely have it Again. Like you said, it's cool to taste them back to back, right, because it's. I think they're not. They got the same kind of looking guy on it, so it's got to be in the family, right. Quote, unquote. But it is really interesting because, like I said, I don't think we every year I don't see many pumpkin stouts and it's interesting, so I give them credit for doing it.
Speaker 2So yeah, they're doing good at it. Oh yeah exactly Back to Oktoberfest.
Speaker 1In La Crosse.
Speaker 2Well.
Speaker 1I'm stepping outside of La.
Speaker 2Crosse, so at the big one in Munich. There are some foods they like to eat there. I think we might have touched on this before.
Speaker 1I mentioned when we did the German business. They serve food.
Speaker 2Yep, so there are the three most popular types of food. Okay, and I got it both in English and German. Okay, so you can get credit for either, or Either or.
Speaker 1Initially it's got to be like a schnitzel, okay, of some kind. Okay, is that one? Nope, oh, great Chicken.
Speaker 2Beef Pork.
Speaker 1You did get chicken right.
Speaker 2They have chicken, and what's chicken called.
Speaker 1To get all the points Chicken.
Speaker 2Pendle yeah.
Speaker 1Oh well, hen makes sense.
Speaker 2So you lost the points on there.
Speaker 1All right, what's the next one?
Speaker 2Bratwurst? Nope, what?
Speaker 1No, brats, you're not going to get the next two? Okay, just tell me, I'll take the minuses.
Speaker 2Pork knuckles yeah, I wasn't, yeah, and that's called Schweinhachs, okay, like pork hocks, yep and oxen, really, and that's oshi Oshi, that's what they say when they find out.
Speaker 1So we got grilled chicken pork, knuckles and oxen.
Speaker 2Okay, so those are the three most popular foods.
Speaker 1So they might sell other things. Yeah, chicken, no problem. Pork knuckle, pork knuckle. I've had pork hocks before, not a problem, ox I'd try it, but I'm not exactly.
Speaker 2You're gonna have a ground oxen sandwich. Yeah, is it that, or is it like ox tail?
Speaker 1or what is it you know, interesting. So you did get one, I got one of the six possible so that's only no.
Speaker 2No, it was one of the three yeah, but remember german's part of it too, oh yeah so you only got a minus 2000 oh, that's not bad all right, so I shouldn't complain. I thought it was gonna be worse, yeah, so what do we got interesting? What is next on tap?
Speaker 1so the next one we have southern tier and we've had this before, but again, this is the 2025, okay, 2025. Okay, this is their Caramel Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale Caramel Caramel, 8.6% ABV. So this should be interesting to see.
Speaker 2All right, Because I kind of Can you remember, did we drink these against each other in previous years, or is this the first time we've done only pumpkin beers, I think we had some of the Southern Tier ones together before, but I don't remember for sure.
Speaker 1I'm going to have to look back. Ladies and gentlemen, you can email us and let us remind us as well.
Speaker 2So I did have a question from one of the listeners. Oh, they reached out to me, okay, and again it's coming from us less tech savvy people, sure. So if you don't have Spotify, how can you search back on old episodes to look up that?
Speaker 1to answer that question Well, it depends on where you're at. But you can go on YouTube, okay, because all the episodes are on there. Okay, we don't have video, but it's all the audio, like we're doing now, you can go there. You can go on Facebook Okay, on Northwood's Beer Guy, all right, facebook page they're all on there. Also Spotify, apple Music, iheartradio.
Speaker 2And they'll let you search.
Speaker 1Yes, if you look up the Northwood's Beer Guy podcast anywhere we're at and then you can click on that and it'll bring up the entire library all 120, I think we're up close to 130 episodes now. All right, that's pretty crazy, dude, when you think about it. We talked about doing this for quite a while and then we started doing it and now we didn't think one a week would be that difficult, but at times you're like, oh my word, we've got to get one recorded.
Caramel Pumpkin Imperial Ale
Speaker 2All right, so now we're on to the caramel here. Back to caramel, back to the episode.
Speaker 1Ooh, you can smell it, the episode. Ooh, you can smell it.
Speaker 2There's a sweet caramel aroma to that. Well, that's the only aroma I get is the caramel.
Speaker 1Ooh, boy, Wow, Wow, yeah that boy. That caramel I hate to say it, the only the knock might be that the caramel is a very caramelly flavor.
Speaker 2You know what I mean it drowns out all the other.
Speaker 1It kind of drowns it out, but I'm not saying that's bad.
Speaker 2No, but I'm not saying that's bad, no, I mean because this is an Imperial right yes, imperial pumpkin Yep.
Speaker 1Imperial pumpkin ale 8.6%.
Speaker 2Wow.
Speaker 1I wonder what that would taste like barrel-aged.
Speaker 2That could be interesting Southern tier, southern tier.
Speaker 1You heard that we brought up the idea, so that's good. We would like to be on the list if you send out a bottle or two, wow, out a bottle or two, wow, that is.
Speaker 1And you get to go first. Boy, that's good, that's good. Wow, like I said, it's not the caramel. I definitely get caramel, yes, aroma and flavor, aroma and flavor. I still do get the pumpkin, but it it's that caramel makes it. Just it's sweeter, not not avery sweet, and I know we bring that up all the time and we've it's been harder to find avery beers lately, but other companies do it too are super sweet. This is not like that. You it my teeth the time, and it's been harder to find aviary beers lately, but other companies do it too. Where it's super sweet, this is not like that. My teeth don't hurt.
Speaker 2Right, it's not sugary sweet.
Speaker 1Correct, correct. This is a good caramel, sweet yes yes, so I think I'm going to go with 3.3 on this one. I like it. I think if you said, hey, I got the Pumpkin or I have this, I'd take this. Oh yeah, you know, at least to begin with, right, I think I'm going to go with 3.4. Oh dang yeah.
Speaker 2I really like I mean, I hear what you're saying, you're not getting as much pumpkin flavor, but I think in a way that might help the other craft beer drinkers that are maybe afraid of pumpkin.
Speaker 1If you tried this you wouldn't even get, get, you'd taste more of the caramel. Yeah, so I mean, I like it, it's good. Yeah, this is one of those where you know we we always see beers, that list oh, we have caramel in there, we have. You know, whatever toffee is a big one, yeah, and it's like you never really taste it. This one, you taste caramel. Right, it's definitely car, but it's not over the top, right, you know, it's definitely, it is, I'd say, the predominant flavor, but it's not crazy like, oh, my word, you know that's what I think.
Speaker 2If they put one of these in a barrel and barrel aged it oh that'd be interesting.
Speaker 1That would be interesting. Who knows, maybe they've done it, maybe they are doing it, I don't know. These are already at 8.6 so that's 11 12 range, uh-huh you would think all right.
Speaker 2So my final question for you oh man okay, so this is like a generic statement. Oktoberfest beer is a little bit stronger than the box beers, right, because it's around around six percent, yeah, a little bit above, a little bit below, and this variety is called a marzon, right? When do they start brewing that marzon? During what?
Speaker 1time of year yeah what month? Um, because I know it takes longer, yep, to get it ready. Um, which is funny because I think when I talked to my brother before he said, yeah, I was running them behind, but they're going, but it's going to be, it was like a week or two later than he was hoping, I think. So if you want to get them ready, are you saying ready by October is what you're wanting? Okay, I'm going to say they should start brewing them in March or April, which is your age.
Speaker 1April, march Because it's Mars on March March.
Speaker 2Is it March? It's March, dang it. So they're allowed to age so that they're ready to drink by late summer. Okay.
Speaker 1So they want to brew them and get them aged, because I know it takes a long time man in that process? Dang it. You were so close, but if I got it right, you just gave me like one right I'll give you a point.
Speaker 2See, all right, so now we're on I think we're on to a new beer. Yes, I've never even heard of this one?
Speaker 1you haven't. It's my southern tier. Okay, this is their maple warlock imperial Stout. So now I'm confused, because it's maple is the big call out. Yeah, but it's their pumpkin stout 8.6%. And look at the dude on there, that's their warlock, but he's in red and he's got fire and all that.
Speaker 2Wow, he's looking scarier.
Speaker 1He's looking scarier.
Maple Warlock: The Grand Finale
Speaker 2That looks like when you got to really go to the bathroom when you're in PJs Get out of the way. Get out of the way, exactly. So this should be a good, really test for us. Now, right, this should be. We've never had.
Speaker 1No, I've never even heard of this one, so I don't know.
Speaker 2Oh, you haven't no.
Speaker 1Oh, it's a little darker.
Speaker 2So I'm bringing out some A-level.
Speaker 1Well, we haven't tasted it yet. Oh, that's right. So we can't say that it's A-level yet, but there's a distinct possibility. It'll be good. Let's hope so. Ooh Boy aroma-wise.
Speaker 2I'm not. It's like a muted maple-y, isn't it?
Speaker 1Yeah, I was going to say I get a faint hint of a maple, very dark. Oh, I taste maple. There's some maple, there's maple in that. Wow, but that is pretty good, that's not bad is it no? Boy. Wow. We've had a number of beers that say there's maple Right, and either they're super over-the-top maple or you can't even taste it Right. This is almost, almost the perfect amount of maple.
Speaker 2I think. And what's weird is there's pumpkin in there. Mm-hmm, who would have ever thought to put maple on pumpkin In a stout? Right, you know, that's the crazy part, that's good.
Speaker 1I do get the pumpkin on it as well. The maple, like I said, you can taste the maple, but it's not like oh my, that's all maple, you know. Oh yeah, that's crazy, that is not bad, uh-uh, did you have to buy that?
Speaker 2in a four, a six pack or four pack or something. Okay, so I may have already drank a couple. You may not get the I got.
Speaker 1I got some of the extra ones that might not be in my care package okay so I might have some other ones.
Speaker 2Boy, that's good. Dude, do you want?
Speaker 1to go first. You want me, I'll, I can go first, or did I go first? No, I'll go first. That's good. I'm gonna go with 3.6. I like that that. Like I said, this is almost the perfect level of maple, I think, and you can still get the kind of that pumpkin flavor and in the maple stands out the, the uh, you know, like with the warlock when I said that you have that, that kind of that roasted, the burnt flavor, you know what I mean. That's not here. No, you know that maple and the pumpkin really covers that up. And 8.6% you can't even tell.
Speaker 1It doesn't taste like that at all. So, yeah, I'm going to go with 3.6. This is really good.
Speaker 2So I'm going to say the same thing 3.6. I mean, no, this is not a beginner beer. Your Shipyard you probably start with that, but don't be afraid to try it. I mean, we've tried a few beers before. A couple beers, just a couple and I think these are Southern Tears are doing a really good job. I'm glad we tried all six of these together because we really get a good comparison of all pumpkin beers, because I don't know how many people out there would be afraid to try pumpkin beers.
Speaker 1But I would say don't be afraid, I think we've tried. I don't think we had a clunker. Did we none of these? No, not at all.
Speaker 2Even I had one was a little bit lower, lower, but that was still decent right, you know so, and all of, except for the one can't, all the rest of these have been in the threes, so for us they've been above average. Yep, which I would continue to say the same thing, but that maple one I like that. That's good, that's really good you know it's the.
Speaker 1The maple and the caramel were both very good. Yes, if there's a new person that was, I've never had a pumpkin beer, go do the shipyard. Yep, and you won't be. You won't be scared away, no, because that had really good flavor. You know, I would. I recommend it. But these, yeah, those last two for sure really good and, like I said, this one, I just really like how the, the pumpkin and the maple really kind of balance each other out. But you definitely get maple and then, if you concentrate on the pumpkin, you get the pumpkin you know what I mean.
Speaker 2I think even the pumpkin's more on the finish.
Speaker 1Yes, yes, the maple is on maple all day long in the beginning and then it goes to the pumpkin. So, yeah, they did a great job. So, it'll be interesting to see if we come across any more pumpkins. Like I said again, the pumpkin beers I do have a trailer for you.
Speaker 2What's that? I have found some more beers, some more pumpkin beers. I can't tell you. I want the listeners to listen in. Oh okay, so, I did find some more. Okay, the listeners to listen in this? Oh okay, so I do, I did find some more okay, perfect so, but it's going to be a contrast, so, to what we've had.
Speaker 1oh, all, right, so I'm intrigued now, so I hope that hopefully the listeners are intrigued too. Interesting yeah, these were all good, dude, and you know the, the southern tier, with the pumpkin and the warlock series and all, and it's kind of interesting that we had two of each yes, you know the regulars and then two flavored ones, so to speak. Very good, and, yeah, keep doing it. Southern Interior, because you guys, they know what they're doing on this stuff for sure. You know, and, like I said, all of all these were really good. New people do the shipyard, for sure, and yeah, we'll see what's what's coming up. For sure, and yeah, we'll see what's coming up, yeah, but at least we had it.
Speaker 2I was a little unsure of what these were going to bring, but I'm glad we tried them.
Speaker 1Yeah, I agree. And, like I said, that maple one, that's good. I've never had that one before and that's good, so awesome, cool dude. So I guess, yeah, we can, we'll just say ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening and go out and try some pumpkin beers.
Speaker 2Right, so these weren't the Oktoberfest, the questions weren't all Oktoberfest, but I think they're. With the season there's probably not that many pumpkin.
Speaker 2Well, I'm not going to say anything because you're probably going to dig up pumpkin questions, so I think the one beer that we didn't have that I think we've had before, is there's an Atomic Pumpkin. Oh, yes, by Voodoo Ranger. Yes, ranger, yes, that has like a pepper. Right, I see that out there. I did not buy that one because I was hoping I could try six different leaves. So, yeah, that one is out there. I don't know if we're gonna try that one alone or what we should do with that. Right, we'll figure that out right. But at least I'm glad we tried this and glad for inviting me over, because I'm glad we tried these out, definitely well thanks for bringing the beers, that's for sure.
Speaker 1and, like I said, you know it's it's Oktoberfest and it's pumpkin season, right.
Speaker 2So they're both going to go hand in hand. They go hand in hand so awesome.
Speaker 1Well, dude, thanks for bringing these beers. I think we kind of gave our wrap-ups, yep.
Speaker 2I think we did good. Everybody try them.
Speaker 1Try them, don't be afraid Get out and try them. Don't try a squish beer but do pumpkin, Exactly because that was not very good either.
Speaker 2Oh boy, we're going back in the tent. We're going back to the tent to drink some more Oktoberfest. We've got to find some more Oktoberfest beers.
Speaker 1Exactly. Well, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening to the pumpkin category here. We're going to go back in and see if we can find some more Oktoberfest. Possibly have they got leaders in there. Oh, that's probably all they got oh all right, you got me going.
Speaker 1There you go. Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, like we always say, I hope your campfire is always warm, your beers are always cold. See ya, prost, prost, yeah. Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. If you have a question, a comment 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.
