The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!
The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 141 - We Celebrate 1,000 Reviews By Tasting Our Way Through Christmas Beers And Surprising Flavor Twists
The snow hit early, the grill smoke curled over the pines, and we crossed a big milestone: our 1,000th beer review. To celebrate, we poured an ambitious holiday lineup that proves December beer can be more than cinnamon and nutmeg. Think cookie-inspired lagers, pastry stouts that smell like hot cocoa, a pistachio nut brown that actually tastes like pistachio, a polarizing cranberry sour, a hop-leaning winter warmer, and two heavy hitters that close the night with buttery praline comfort and smooth bourbon-barrel depth.
We start light with a Helles-style “cookie” lager that hints at spritz cookies without the sugar shock, then dive into Great Lakes’ Cookie Exchange series: Peanut Butter Blossom brings nostalgic aroma and dessert warmth, while Berry Jam Thumbprint goes big on raspberry jam. Along the way, we unpack why lactose anchors cookie beers and revisit the Viking roots of Christmas ale, from Yule traditions to King Hakon Ithr 1st's mandate to brew for the season.
Mid-show, Stevens Point’s Snowpilot surprises us with a real pistachio aftertaste and crowd-friendly balance. Boulevard’s Nutcracker promises molasses but leans more pine and grapefruit from Chinook hops—great for IPA fans, less so for those chasing winter-warm spice. Prairie’s Seasick Crocodile smells like holiday punch but drinks tart; ideal if you want a bright, sour contrast on the table. Then Southern Tier’s Chestnut Praline lands like a fireside treat—buttery, caramel, and cozy, best as a single-glass indulgence. We finish with Founders’ Cranfather, an 11.1% bourbon barrel ale that’s shockingly smooth: bourbon on the nose, cranberry up front, orange peel on the finish, and cherry whispering at the edges.
By the end, we’ve got picks for every palate and a practical game plan for your holiday cooler: start with a cookie lager, add a nut brown for depth, share a pastry stout after dinner, and pass around a gentle barrel-aged sipper to toast the night. Subscribe, share with a beer-loving friend, and tell us your favorite seasonal style—cookie, tart, hop, or barrel-aged? Your votes will shape our next holiday flight.
Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northbeerguy@gmail.com.
You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.
If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request.
Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.
Welcome to the North World Bear Guy Podcast. It is starting to look like that, uh, Jim. Yes, it is, buddy. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and today, as always, I am joined by Jim. Hey, buddy, how you doing? Doing good, man. How about yourself? I am enjoying the winter wonderland. Yeah, uh, we are also joined by Jim's better half Julie. So we know Jim's gonna be somewhat on his best behavior today. How's it going, Julie? It's going. That's good. Well, hey, we uh yeah, we got a bunch of snow this past weekend, and I'm trying to remember the last time we had snow, this much snow this early in the season, so to speak. I mean, how many times has it been Christmas and we either it's a brown Christmas or we barely had any snow? Right. Well, the snowmobilers are happy. Probably not yet, because I think the trails are all still closed.
SPEAKER_02:I've been hearing snowmobiles around here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'd say they're not probably on the trails at that. That's what I'm thinking because I did see a thing online. Now it was for another county, but they were like, hey, remember the trails are not open because all the signs aren't out, not all the crops are out, and it was hunting season. So they were like, if you're on the trails, you're trespassing, please respect the landowners and things like that. So that wasn't for our county, but it was one just north of us.
SPEAKER_00:So we need to have a lot more snow.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:They need a lot more because they have to pack it down and groom the trails before that's what Wilson's.
SPEAKER_01:Who needs that?
SPEAKER_00:No, otherwise you tear up the landowners.
SPEAKER_01:I will guarantee though, if they hadn't put that out, there would have been people just tearing through places because they haven't been able to you know these them up once, right? Once during the season, the last two years, around a week, you know, around here.
SPEAKER_00:So well, I believe the farmers almanac said we are supposed to have lots of snow this uh winter.
SPEAKER_01:I don't like the farmers almanac.
SPEAKER_02:I know. Well, speaking of almanacs, what what's special? And when you open up the page for today on the almanac, what did it say about the Northwoods beer guy?
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's kind of crazy that they knew this, but uh the first beer we do today will be our 1,000th beer that we reviewed on the podcast. Wow. 1,000. Yeah, you know, a grand, a grand, you know, stuff like that, a millennium. You know, Jim, stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00:I'm not saying, but you too might have a drinking problem. Yeah, but it's cool because it's craft beer. Well, it's not called a drinking problem when it's craft beer.
SPEAKER_01:No, craft beer made it seem like a cool hobby.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's not like drinking a big box of beer all the time.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. See? You can do that in the weekend. That's right.
SPEAKER_00:Well, congratulations.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. Thank you. So we are uh finally, you know, it is the season, I guess. We're getting into December. We are in December. Yep. And uh we're we're gonna start doing uh kind of some holiday type beers, Christmas themed beers. Uh, I know we're gonna have a at least a couple episodes, if not more. Yeah, that kind of stuff. I should be able to.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, and guess what, too?
SPEAKER_01:You know what these are? That is a thing saying you're not gonna ask questions anymore.
SPEAKER_02:I've I actually found a whole bunch of questions, which is gonna make today's episode that much better. Oh, great. I mean, yeah, that's awesome. Woohoo! So we try a beer first. I do have a little bit, a little bit of a write-up. Should we have our guest read the write-up on that one?
SPEAKER_01:We can if she is willing to.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay. The 2025 Sam's Christmas Cookie, cookie lager from Hop and Barrel, 5.2% ABV. It's a delightful holiday brew created with our friends at Sam's Christmas Village using a custom blend of malts. This crisp lager was inspired by your favorite Christmas treats with notes of almond and spritz cookies. Even Santa himself has approved.
SPEAKER_01:Well, there you go. Wow, what more can you say? Now I do believe that we had the 2024 version of this, so it'll be interesting.
SPEAKER_02:So, and I did do some looking on this. So, what is weird, because remember, I don't know if it's weird or not, we haven't like gotten anything specifically from Hoppin Bell, right? But I think they closed their tap room a few months ago. Right. But their brewery is still open. Okay. Because when I looked at it, there's no hours for it, so like you can't go there now and you know just buy beer there.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, gotcha. Because I had heard too that they were closing closing, and I was like, man, that's kind of crazy, you know.
SPEAKER_02:But I think it was just their tap room that closed.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay. From what I could gather. Okay. Well, that's not quite as much of a bummer.
SPEAKER_00:Is located where? In Hudson. It's Hudson, yep. Hudson, Wisconsin.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so we should get it. Smells smells like beer. Yeah. I don't know if I smell the other.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it has a definitely has a sweeter taste to it.
SPEAKER_00:I can taste almond. Is that what it tastes like? I feel like yes.
SPEAKER_01:You've had an almond before, right, Jim? I haven't. I don't know if that's that. That tastes like almost like butter. It's definitely has a well, I'm sure it's like a sugar cookie. Batter. Isn't that what they were talking? Spritz? Yes, yes, spritz cookies?
SPEAKER_00:Which is like butter and sugar.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so it's yeah, kind of kind of similar to like a sugar cookie. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:It's very uh light. It's got a dry finish that's drying out my mouth on the on the back end. But I don't taste hops. So I don't know. No, no. So I don't know what was drawing out, you know, what make was making that happen.
SPEAKER_01:That is uh it's not bad. Like you said, Julie, I I do think it it does kind of have that almond. Yeah, like you know, some of those um it's probably the spritz cookie. Yeah. Uh, but you know, when you had these those cookies you can get in a tin, you know, have that kind of an almondy buttery taste.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, butter cookies. My mom would buy them just tins and tins over Christmas and give them out a big bulk.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and I did find they actually labeled this as a cookie lager on the website. Okay, but on the can it says Hellas Lager. Okay. So I don't know, is there difference? Are they the same? I've well, I've never heard of a cookie lager before.
SPEAKER_01:I'll be honest.
SPEAKER_02:So that so that was on the website. That's what I edited, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and and I'm sure that's like you know, maybe that's kind of what they're calling because it has that kind of a cookie taste to it. But like a Hellas Lager, it definitely has like the color of like a Hellas very light.
SPEAKER_00:Very light looking and like it almost looks like a Miller Light.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, out of here. Just kidding. So it's only 5.2%. Yeah, you could drink a number of them. And like I said, the the taste, it's not I don't mind it. Yeah, see, sometimes they get that really sweet, you know what I mean? Or it's just kind of like okay, I'm kind of gonna get tired of that flavor. This one you could drink a few of them, I think, because it's not overpowering. Right. Oh, for sure. You know, I I was expecting, I hate to say it, a little bit more of a cookie flavor, but I don't mind this.
SPEAKER_02:The only thing that trips me up is that dry finish. At the end, at the at the end, I guess.
SPEAKER_00:It almost kind of reminds me of like when you drink like a dryer champagne or something, it's kind of got that at the end of it where you're kind of yeah, champagny. Champagne.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. So should we have our guest go first and see what so just to remind everybody again what since we did our thousandth beer on the podcast, how many have you done on Untapped?
SPEAKER_01:On Untapped, I I would have to double, but I think I'm like 23 away from 6,000. So that means for the layperson, 5,000.
SPEAKER_03:5,900.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:First average people that can't do math. Thank you, Mike.
SPEAKER_02:Sometimes it is so difficult.
SPEAKER_00:I know. I know, Mike.
SPEAKER_02:So then you got a pretty good range for your score. What's your median score?
SPEAKER_01:I think my median score is 2.9. Wow. 2.96.
SPEAKER_02:I drink five. I drink better beers. I'm just saying, I'm I'm a little bit harder on my grading scale. So some of them you are. I will give you that. I will give you that. So then so anywhere between zero from zero to five by a tenth of a point.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So what do you what do you think in there, Princess? Um, I think I'd give this a three. I didn't mind it. I mean, I drink, I'd be able to drink a few of these, I think.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Anything that you thought was good or bad that was no, I I I really liked it. So it's just easy drinking.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it's easy drinking. Um, it's a little sweeter, you know, it doesn't have that bittery taste to it. So I do kind of like it that way.
SPEAKER_01:All right, Mike. Yeah, I'm I'm I don't mind it. I like I said, I would you can get that kind of almondy, buttery flavor, like you guys had said. I was expecting a little bit more cookie flavor. Yep. You know, and like you said, Jim, that that dryness on the finish is a little different. I wasn't expecting that. You could drink a lot of them, honestly. Uh, I'm gonna go like a 2.7. I think it is a little better than average, and I do like the flavor, but like I said, there's I I was hoping for a little bit more.
SPEAKER_02:Yep. And I will have to say that I'm gonna have to give it a tenth of a point because it's the only beer today that actually has Santa Claus on.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So I'm giving it an extra tenth of a point just for that. Okay. So, you know, kudos to them. Yep. Bringing in the Christmas spirit, really helping us kick off this whole um podcast with that one. Yep. The flavor is not horrendous, and I mean, even now, after a few minutes after I finished drinking, the dryness has kind of gone away. Is it the best Christmas beer I've ever had? No, but it's definitely not the worst. So I think I'm writing the same, I'm gonna say the same exact number, I'm gonna go with 2.7. I think the only thing that caught me off guard was like that dryness, which reminded me of a hop, but I don't know if it was or not. So just a little uncertainty on my part. Not a problem, totally cool. Oh, so we're ready for our first one. Oh, darn. I was gonna try and get the next beer going. Yeah, so we couldn't. So it kind of ties into the next two beers. Okay. So I wanted to make sure I got this question out. So this is an easy one. I'm doing easy softball pitch to you right off the bat.
SPEAKER_01:What was the middle name of the daughter of the neighbor of the guy that started the next brewery? Oh, that's coming later.
SPEAKER_02:This is the easiest one. What ingredient is key to making beer taste like cookies? What ingredient? And the the part here is key because there's a whole bunch of ingredients that make beer, but it's the key one. Like this one really powdered sugar. I'd have to elaborate a little bit more, but you're you're close. Don't make them go to the judges because they're terrible.
SPEAKER_00:They're terrible.
SPEAKER_01:Terrible.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I okay. Yeah, all right. So when I'm thinking of two possibilities, but I don't know if either because the the the of course the obvious one you would think would be, well, cookies, you know, crushed cookies. Right.
SPEAKER_02:But the I'll give you a clarification. So cookies is actually a group of things. Okay. I'm just looking for one. And ingredient. So that's why when she said sugar, she's close.
SPEAKER_00:So I was gonna say like frosting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um this one I'm just gonna throw out there. I think it's wrong, but I'm gonna say like almond extract or almond flavoring, something like that. You were close.
SPEAKER_00:You cookie batter.
SPEAKER_02:Oh you're not as quite as close as Julie, but you're close. Lactose. Oh well, so like oh weird because well, lactose is milk sugar. Yes. So many cookie beers, like the cookie exchange stout from Great Lakes Brewing, are milk stouts that use lactose milk sugar. Standard brewer's yeast cannot ferment lactose, so the sugar remains in the finished beer, providing sweetness and a fuller mouthfeel that mimics a baked good. Interesting.
SPEAKER_00:Interesting.
SPEAKER_02:So says Julie got that one right. She gets a thousand points. And Mike, you got that one wrong. You're a minus thousands. You're not starting off very good, bud. The thing I've learned is I can get these questions right.
SPEAKER_01:And you're still right. And I still get them wrong.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, you were close, though. You had you have a good answer. Thank you. Thank you. You know, in the Christmas spirit, you'd think he'd be nicer to me. You wouldn't, but I did. I said I said you were close. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:I thought he is Scrooge, though.
SPEAKER_02:So on the next write-up, there was nothing. There was no write-up. Okay. So what I did is I looked up because I think Julie knows what it is, but I wasn't quite sure what a peanut butter blossom was. Oh, I do. So I actually that's what the this is just the definition of that. So when you read it, that's what that is underneath.
SPEAKER_00:A peanut butter cookie with like a Hershey kiss in the middle.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, yeah. So I didn't I didn't know that's what they called them, but I know exactly what everybody knows what that is. Right. So that's kind of okay. That so when you read it, that's what that write-up is for. So now, like you said, the next two beers are in the same family, so to speak, but they are different. I'm seeing the how close are they how close are they? About as close as what I apparently might identify. Oh, the can is identical.
SPEAKER_02:It's identical.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's kind of crazy that it's identical. So now the and it's two two years. Two years worth. So we have the first one we have is the 2024 cookie exchange. Yep, and that is by Great Lakes Brewing, and it is their peanut butter blossom pastry stout. Yep. And it is 5.5% ABV and 15 IBUs. Nice, nice easy. Now, the definition of that cookie that I'm learning is a peanut butter blossom cookie is a soft peanut butter cookie topped with a chocolate candy, typically a Hershey's Kiss. Hershey's if you want to sponsor, we're here, making it a popular treat, especially during the holidays. Everybody knows what that cookie is.
SPEAKER_00:Or if anybody would like to make some and send us some. And send us some, that would be great because they are one of my favorites. Well, there you go.
SPEAKER_02:So again, the even the outside container was exactly the same.
SPEAKER_01:So I hope I picked the right cans to put in the you know, I should have looked that up before I started pouring now that you put some ex some uh doubt in my head. It doesn't even say I'm gonna do it. No, they can't.
SPEAKER_02:Is it the is the right one? Okay. I would just take it because I'm like, because Julie had actually bought these last year, and then she bought another six-pack because she liked them so well. So this was actually here, and then I put the new ones with the old ones. I'm like, oh wait a minute.
SPEAKER_00:Can't tell them apart too much.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, oh yeah, you can smell that.
SPEAKER_00:It smells just the vanilla peanut butter.
SPEAKER_01:There's a peanut butter part to this.
SPEAKER_00:So I have had this obviously before, and it is literally one of my favorites.
SPEAKER_02:So is that the right? Did I get the right one?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Looking at the description of the next one, yeah, you got the right one on this one.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, this is delicious.
SPEAKER_02:So you like this one, Julie? Wow. So good. So I mean what I mean. Do you think it's exact does it mimic exactly what the cookie is, or is there anything that should be tweaked?
SPEAKER_00:I think it does. Um, I almost kind of it kind of has that malted milk ball type flavor to it. That's what's wondering.
SPEAKER_02:The chocolate to me doesn't taste exactly right. You get the chocolate. It's good chocolate, but just not maybe like it says Hershey's Kiss. I don't know if it's right.
SPEAKER_00:The smell or like hot cocoa, it smells like hot cocoa and peanut butter. It just it smells like love. It is delicious. Ooh.
SPEAKER_02:Wow. The Christmas season. All right. And I wish I knew the answer to of why the cans were exactly the same. Yeah, that is kind of crazy. But I do identical. Yeah. I think when I was trying to do some of the research, it sounds like volume. Each year they're gonna do a different version. Okay, but I don't know why they're using the same can.
SPEAKER_00:I I didn't at least put the year on it or something for after you've had a couple, and then you go to the fridge and you can't figure out which one you're grabbing.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's like a Christmas miracle, you don't know which one it is. True. So when you bought these, did you buy these at the same time, or you bought one before?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I bought the we have the ones last year, I mean, are probably a year old, but we had them, and then when we got more.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Okay. So you were thinking you were getting the same one.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, that because she saw 'em, and I said, Well, we might want to have a holiday version. Uh-huh. And she goes, Well, there's the cookie one, let's buy that. So I bought it, put it in the cart, not knowing that it was different. Then I looked on the my the phone and the website and it got a totally different flavor. So I'm like, huh, this is uh that's no big deal. We get to try too then. Right. But it wasn't a good explanation. So I don't I I wish I could tell the listeners more.
SPEAKER_01:Well, there's a lot of Christmas cookies out there, so right. So who wants to be the first one? I can go first on this one. All right. Uh I I think it was pretty good. I mean, it definitely had you had a chocolate flavor. Uh like you said, it wasn't like exactly like a Hershey's kiss, but I don't think it's gonna be difficult to even make something that tastes exactly like that. I thought the the peanut butter uh was more prominent on the aroma. Okay. I mean the taste you could get it, but it was kind of faint compared to I thought the chocolate. Uh a little bit sweet, not terrible though. Five and a half percent, you could drink a few of them. It might be after the second one, you're you're gonna be like, okay, I need a break from that flavor, I think. But I did enjoy it. I'm gonna go with 2.8. Nice.
SPEAKER_02:So I do think there is a beer that actually uses the Hershey chocolate. Okay. And I think it's the Yingling has They did. They did.
SPEAKER_01:But I don't know if I've heard rumor they're not making it anymore. Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Because that was really good as well.
SPEAKER_01:Not to cut you up, but the big announcement around the state of Wisconsin is Yingling is coming. Coming 2026. 2026 are gonna start distributing here, and it sounds like it's gonna be kind of a limited uh role distribution to start with, that it's mostly gonna be like on tap and not cans, which I'm not sure. And maybe their production, you know, if you get into Wisconsin, I don't know if you know this, but we drink here. So we're gonna have a lot of you know, cans and such.
SPEAKER_00:Notice to Yingling, maybe you should open a plant here. There you go. There you go.
SPEAKER_01:Because there must be, I think they're partnering with somebody, I think. It could be, it could be. But I know it's like you said January. I think January. Sometime in 2026, anyway.
SPEAKER_02:I think it was Moles and Coors they were gonna partner with. It was gonna start the brewing part for them.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:So maybe that's why maybe they're just doing kegs at first and then see how it goes and roll in the can from from there.
SPEAKER_00:Hope they make the chocolate because that one was really good.
SPEAKER_02:It's very good.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, Jen, back to your score.
SPEAKER_02:So I think that's the only thing that really I think I would give it a higher score if that chocolate would have mirrored it a little bit better. Because I mean, I think we've had some pretty good chocolates too. This one's okay, it's just not very prominent. I was expecting that. So I think I'm gonna say the same score. I'm gonna say 2.8 as well. It's good, it's not horrendous. I can drink a couple of them.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I love it, and this is actually probably one of the favorite beers I think I've ever tried, craft beer-wise, for me, because I don't like you know, a lot of the really heavy ones and the really super dark ones are a little bit too strong for me. So um, I will go with probably I'm gonna go with a four. Whoa! Yeah, I really gals, you will love it. You will love it. Man, it is so good.
SPEAKER_02:Blow the top off. The scoring is gonna be way skewed. Well, it's good. There you go. All right. Well, I got another easy question. Mike did so good on the last one. I'm gonna give another chance at an easy question. All right, all right. Here we go. The easy question. What ingredients used to make a cookie can negatively affect head retention or the foam on top of your beer? How many are there? You just have to get one. Yep, you just gotta get one. There's there's two butter. Okay, and Julie?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I am going to say flour. Close. You're the closest. It's butter.
SPEAKER_02:It's just butter oils, but we got it right.
SPEAKER_01:You know, Julie, you get 500 points for that one. You know, Santa's still watching.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I know that, right?
SPEAKER_02:You're getting, but I'm the only one to give him kudos for his picture.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, but that you're you're you've been on the naughty list for a long time.
SPEAKER_00:For many many moons.
SPEAKER_01:So you only lost 500 points on that one.
SPEAKER_00:I get it right, and I only lose 500.
SPEAKER_01:Perfect. Love it.
SPEAKER_02:I knew it was an easy one, so you guys had it. Okay. All right. Do you want to read the next one there?
SPEAKER_01:This yeah, so the the next one we have is this the same, yeah, but it's the 2025 cookie exchange, and this is their berry jam thumbprint, and it's a pastry stout and five and a half percent, 15 IBU, so same thing. Right.
SPEAKER_02:So now this one, the top sentence there is yep, all that was on the website. Okay. The bottom part is I tried to see what that is. I tried to find out what it was because I wasn't quite sure myself. Sure, I'd never heard of that.
SPEAKER_01:So all right, so what what the description of the beer is treat yourself to our seasonal milk stout brewed with a special rotating cookie-inspired flavor. 2025's flavor berry jam thumbprint. A berry jam thumbprint cookie is a delightful treat characterized by a buttery shortbread base filled with a burst of vibrant fruit jam. These cookies are typically filled with a variety of jams such as raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry, creating a rich and sweet contrast with the tender cookie dough. The filling is often set into a non-runny jam during baking, ensuring a perfect texture and appearance. The cookies are known for their nostalgic appeal, making them a popular choice for the holiday baking. And if I remember right, I think some of those are in those cookie tins as well, where it's got like the little tins do have the thumbprints actually.
SPEAKER_00:We saw some today when we were looking somewhere, and I said, Jim, this is what that looks like. Because I think you were kind of like, What is that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I never heard I didn't know the name of it either, but once you hear the description, it's like see it, had it. Yep.
SPEAKER_02:They don't have those descriptive titles on the cookie jar when you mountion in it to grab one. Yeah, see, there you go, cookie manufacturers.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe you should do that. See, yeah, man, is it that difficult? Well, we should say the first five we have today are all in cans. Yep, 12 ouncers, 12 ouncers.
SPEAKER_00:We haven't had a bad one yet, so no, no, so both uh the ones we're having right now, the two that are in the same identical can, like a blue can with Christmas cookies on the outside, and they are identical.
SPEAKER_02:Yep, there is nothing different on the can except on the very bottom of the date, the best used body date. That's that's the only difference different.
SPEAKER_00:Well, the first smell is fruit.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, you definitely get that raspberry aroma. And a lot of times, remember, Jim, we've had other beers, of course, normally they're barrel-aged stouts, but when you have that, the raspberry is either way too much or you are kind of not even really there. But the aroma is good.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it's it does smell like a thumbprint cookie.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, definitely tastes like jam, like you stick your finger right in the jam and looked it right off. That's yeah, that's got some power. Wow, that's kind of wild. You definitely get that jam flavor. I'm I'm like, okay, that's like what sticks through the most, I think.
SPEAKER_00:It's pretty good. I feel like it's like I don't know. It seems like it's like really carbonated for me, you know, like more so than not smooth, you know, smooth like the one we had before. Right. The one before was a little smoother.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. This one, it's almost like there's too much jam because it's like super sweet.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But I don't know, maybe that's the flavor they were going for too.
SPEAKER_01:I don't it could be. I mean, you definitely get that raspberry because it was good though. I like it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I wouldn't turn it down. No, me either. And I could probably drink a couple of these. Yeah, it's not bad.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I give them credit because they taste like what they say. Yep. It smells and tastes like what all right, Jim. Why don't you go first on? Or did you go first? Yeah, you're turn to go first.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, or is this yeah, yep, our third one? I'm just struggling, I guess, by description. It's it's not bad. It's not, it does not taste bad to me. That's not my description. It's more that I'm trying to describe, you know, it's it's supposed to be a pastry stout, so I understand now it's gonna be sweet and it's a stout, but really about the only thing I taste is that jam, that sweet jam. So I know that is what they're going for, and I know what we always say it's on the can, we want it in the can. Yep, and that's the flavor is definitely there. I just don't know. Maybe it could have toned it down, maybe just a little bit, maybe had a little bit more cookie flavor. I guess that's my only drawback to it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna say a 2.6. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it's it's not bad. Okay, Julie.
SPEAKER_00:Um, I think I'm gonna go a 2.9. I liked it. I just I don't know. I'm with you on the it could have had more cookie flavor than more fruit flavor, I think. But I but I do like it, and I could drink more than one.
SPEAKER_01:So I agree 100%. The the jam really overpowered everything else. It was still good. Yeah, you know, uh, it's not overpowering as far as oh my god, you know, we've had some beers, Jim, that it's really like that the dragon's milk raspberry one was just like whoa, you could almost couldn't drink it. It was so much raspberry. This one is not like that, but it's still that is the dominant. I don't get any cookie flavor at all. Right, right. I'm gonna go with 2.5 just because of that, because I think it really, especially and it, and this is I shouldn't, it's kind of a bad thing on my part because the last one really did kind of have that more of an all-around kind of flavor, multiple kind of flavors to it. And this one was just very much the raspberry. So there we go. Perfect, good answer.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so are you ready? Sure. Yeah, easy. That's another easy one. Oh, okay. Your third question. Okay. Where did Christmas ales originate? The North Pole, duh. Close. You are close.
SPEAKER_01:Belgium. Oh, you want more of a I'm a little bit more uh I'm gonna say, and it's I'm gonna just throw out like Norway. Okay. All right, until we get that one right again.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know how she's got it.
SPEAKER_03:Norway.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know if she's got it. So it has Viking or origins. So I know I lost 500 points on this one. See, the tradition of Christmas beer can be traced back to the ancient Viking jewel.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, or Yule season. I mean winter festival where strong multi beer was brewed to celebrate the winter solstice.
SPEAKER_01:You know what's funny? You can just see his face is getting redder and redder because he's getting mad that I'm getting them right.
SPEAKER_00:Mike's two for three. But it was actually for three. Two for three, yeah. Named after Julie, though. Oh, okay. Well, I don't think that's correct, but that's what it said.
SPEAKER_01:So, what's beer we got next? Well, now we're gonna go to Stevens Point.
SPEAKER_00:All right, so we have the guest read this one. Oh boy. All right, we are next going to try Snowpilot pistachio nut brown ale from Stevens Point Brewing. 6% ABV and 16 IBUs. Uh, Point Snowpilot is handcrafted using a blend of caramel malt, treat yourself, be your own snow pilot.
SPEAKER_01:Ooh, nice. That's cool. So pistachio. Now we've had a pistachio beer that was like that pistachio cream ale. Was it by um Indeed? Maybe I like that. Well, and I say that's the one that we always bring up about you can actually taste a nut flavor to it. Yeah, you know, because a lot of times, and I know we don't really know get it because yeah, they put nuts in it, and other than like peanut butter, which is you know, it's not a nut, it's peanuts, but you know what I'm saying? They're grown up, yeah. It's not just that, right? And it's just times you can't really taste it, you know what I mean? Right. And so that's been the only so this will be an interesting.
SPEAKER_00:The pistachio cream ale one was really good.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm assuming if you have a nut allergy and you drink a beer with that nuts in it, do you have an allergic reaction?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. That's a good question. Does anybody on any of our listeners know the answer to that question?
SPEAKER_00:Anybody got a nut allergy out there?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, have you had a nut allergy and you drink a nut beer and ended up swelling up? We'd like to know, yes or no, if that happens. I don't necessarily get a not a heavy aroma. I don't know what a pistachio aroma. I guess you can buy the bag of the pistachios and smell it and see what it smells like, but not a big aroma. No, exactly. It's pretty mild.
SPEAKER_00:I think it does smell like pistachios. Wow.
SPEAKER_01:I do get kind of it has a little hint of a sweetness. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I actually don't mind this.
SPEAKER_01:The aftertaste, I totally get pistachio in the aftertaste. There's like something on my tongue like really lingering there.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I think it's like when you eat both.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, when you eat, yes. That's the thing. Other thing I was gonna say is it's really smooth. Yep. But man, when you you know, like you eat a handful of pistachios and you get that aftertaste.
SPEAKER_00:Little like a little salt, a little salty, a little but this was exactly like that on the aftertaste to me anyway.
SPEAKER_01:It I get that pistachio flavor.
SPEAKER_00:Very pretty, like caramel color to the beer. Yeah, this is yeah, this is not bad. No, I really kind of like this. You already said that before. I could maybe drink more than a couple of these. There you go.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I could drink a few of these. Yeah, this is what did it say? It was five. No, six. Oh, six percent. Okay, it doesn't taste like that. We stepped it up. We stepped her up a bunch. You can pour more in there if you're interested in your glass if you want it. That is surprising. I'm I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_00:If there's anything interesting on the can.
SPEAKER_01:There's somebody like skiing or something, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00:There's like well, yeah, there's like a ski goggles and ski poles.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But nobody, nobody because the the hat's hanging on the end of the word smell.
SPEAKER_00:All right, so Who is credit? So give him credit. So Julie is first on her scoring. Well, I was first the last time, wasn't I? No, I was. Okay. All right. I'm gonna go with a 3.5 on this one just because I liked the finish. I like that it wasn't bittersweet, but not over sweet. And it was just very smooth. So I really enjoyed it. All right, very good.
SPEAKER_01:Mike? I liked it. I think it had uh a good pistachio flavor, actually. Yep. And I thought that was uh it was good. I wasn't expecting that because we've had other ones that you don't get that. So I'm going to go a I'll do the 2.9. 2.9. Yeah, I think that was that was good. I I could drink a few of those.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and I think pleasantly surprised. I mean, we've we've I know we've tried several point beers, and we've been to the brewery, and there's to me, there's not always a lot of variation in their beers, they're really closer to uh appealing to the masses. This one I would say is not one of those beers. I'd say this is actually has some good flavor, like Julie said, sweet but not too sweet, nice flavor. I'm actually gonna go with 3.0. Okay. Um, I think this so far today, I think this is one of the better beers we've had. Nice. So that leads me to my second question. Oh, I mean my fourth part. Yes. Uh second one on Christmas Hales, though.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:So we just talked about the tradition dating back to the Vikings. Yeah. Who and when was it mandated that that special beer for the holidays be made? So I want his name, and then you can give me a century, or you can give me the years. Yeah, okay. Either either or I'm simple, simple softball question.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Ragnar 1649. Wow, okay. Um I can't say yes or no because he might actually have it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm gonna say Eric the Red, and I'll say in the 1200s.
SPEAKER_00:I'm only saying that because I watched this series. Yeah, because you knew yeah.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so the answer is Norwegian King Hakon the first. Oh, he decreed this in the 10th century during 934-961. Oh, wow. So it was really early. Wow. Yep, that every household had to brew a jewel beer. Wow, wow, interesting, and the penalty for not doing so was severe. Oh, probably got blood eagled.
SPEAKER_00:I wonder why, like, maybe that like why doesn't our government declare that we have to brew something for and then have your name after too?
SPEAKER_01:That's a good question. I don't know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:The mayor of the mayor of our town will be like everybody. Yeah, I was gonna say because I brew some beer.
SPEAKER_01:Because then the the oh yeah, well, yeah, that would be a problem if it's just our town. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Huh. All right, good question, though. All right, so so this one I hope is a holiday beer. Oh, it is, and the only reason why I say that is because I looked at it, the can looks like it's a holiday beer. Oh, yeah, but the name of it does not have anything remotely close to holiday.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, it does. Where?
unknown:Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. If it's not on the military channel, Jim doesn't watch it. I forgot. A C-Sick Crocodile? Yeah, if you've ever watched The Grinch That Stole Christmas, that's the big song, one of the big songs that's in there when they're describing the Grinch.
SPEAKER_00:Like Jim Carrey Grinch?
SPEAKER_01:Any of them. The the like the first one where it was the cartoon.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, that's the song that I remember it from. Was there really?
SPEAKER_00:I must not pay attention to that very closely.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I don't have that extra time like Mike does.
SPEAKER_00:No Christmas movies.
SPEAKER_02:Grinch.
SPEAKER_01:All right, so what is it? What gives termites in your smile? Yeah, that song.
SPEAKER_00:I think that song was just on. We have uh little music on in the background, and I was gonna point that out that Jim, your song's on.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. Well, then you better read it then because you got some good good stuff on it.
SPEAKER_01:As far as the beer, it is by Prairie Artisan Ales, and we've had a number of their beers. Now, is this a collaboration, it looks like, with Krebs Brewing Company? Nope. No, it's just oh, that's what you wanted me to read. Yes, sorry. It is a sour ale with cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, and a nutmeg. Yes, it is 6.3% ABB. All right, so now you get to read the next part there. I just read the same two lines of it. No at the bottom. Yeah, you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. We have termites in your smile. You have all the tender, tender sweetness of a C-Sick crocodile. Oh, there we go, Mr. Grinch. Given the choice between you and the crocodile, is what the song is. I'd take the C-Sick crocodile. Nice.
SPEAKER_00:There you go. So yeah. So the can is super cute. Looks like a Christmas sweater. Oh, is that what it is? No, it's not it looks like a Christmas sweater with a crocodile chasing Santa Claus.
SPEAKER_01:Oh very cute can. Very cute can. Reading your notes, I skipped ahead. I never knew that Prairie Artisan Ales had been purchased by Krebs Brewing Company in 2016. Well, see, that's why I'm rather interested.
SPEAKER_02:I put a little bit of extra info on there for you.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, and now I guess we really don't have a description though of the beer itself. No, I didn't couldn't find other than it's a sour, so we know Jim is gonna love it. Yeah, this will not be in my wheelhouse.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, there is no nothing on the can that other than you said crocodile chasing Santa.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so that's interesting, you know.
SPEAKER_00:All right, very Christmassy.
SPEAKER_01:So we're gonna find out here just how much like a crocodile this tastes like, right?
SPEAKER_02:So it looks like you know they first started brewing in their bathtub in Oklahoma back in 1995. Nice. So it started out small. Oh my gosh, look at the color. Oh boy, ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.
SPEAKER_00:Jim's gonna be crying some crocodile tears, I feel like.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yes. After this, and everything for everybody we probably I don't know if we've done one on the podcast, but I think our first introduction to Prairie Artisan was when they did the bomb. Yep, we had the bomb deconstructed, and that looks like that was actually brewed in 2013.
SPEAKER_01:That's when they first came out with that. Yep. Nice. That smells sweet.
SPEAKER_00:It smells so it smells like everything I feel like it says is in there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I do get that aromatic.
SPEAKER_00:Cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I can smell it.
SPEAKER_01:Little tart on the end.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so it's like uh it looks like uh cranberry ape slushy punch. Oh, yeah, kind of for sure.
SPEAKER_01:That's a good way to describe the color. Yeah, it's a little bit too tart for me. That's interesting.
SPEAKER_00:It is tart. I think that it would be worse if without the cinnamon. The cinnamon kind of I think hones down the tartness of it right at the end.
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, I think they might have had something here for me if if they didn't make it a sour. I think they had all those same ingredients and just made it an ale, Christmas ale. For me, I think it would have been spot on, but boy, this is boy.
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:This could be a like heartburn in a can.
SPEAKER_01:This is not one of my favorites. No, I do get a few of I get the cranberry, but I think it almost overpowers the I don't, you know. I'm not picking up really the nutmeg or this really much of the cinnamon flavor either.
SPEAKER_02:There's a a a little faintness on the finish of those spices, yeah. But not there's not much. No, no, way at the end, you get kind of a little aroma.
SPEAKER_03:Boy, mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, and Mike is first. Boy, um, yeah, not not a not a favorite. Um, I wish we were we could see our cases right now. I think that's sums up my description, and I'm gonna go like a 2.0.
SPEAKER_02:I just it's very good for you on the sour. I was not surprised.
SPEAKER_01:I don't mind sours, and it's it's not just the tartness, but it's just I couldn't have guessed any of those other flavors that they said was gonna be in there. So I just again, if it's on the can, it should be in the can. And uh it probably is in the can, but I just I just don't get it. I just get that cranberry sour tartness.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that. I mean, and I know you know, just I guess I fall back to Barntown brewing, you know, none of their sours were sour, right? They were sweet. So I guess I just offered up that I understand the flavors that you you're trying to make, you know, and then put together, but maybe if you put a little made the sour sweet, I think that it would really it would have changed my opinion on it completely. But that tartness is just it's it is so prominent that it overpowers everything else. I'm gonna I'm gonna have to say a 2.0 as well. I'm just I'm not a big fan of it. I I mean I like what they're trying to do, I understand it, but I don't think it came through in the flavor. Right.
SPEAKER_00:See, I feel like I could smell everything that's they have on the can in there. Excuse me.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, now how's it taste? Oh boy, how's it tasting when I'm the second time?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, but I do agree, like it's just so tart. And for me, I just I'm like, you're drinking it and it's like, oh, acid. That's all I can think of is how that like more than one of them would probably give you a belly ache, I would think. I was not a big fan. I'm with you, Jim. I think if they would have made that into just like a regular beer, they might have had something, but so I'll give uh I'm gonna give a two as well. Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_01:All right, well, like I said, I think we're all in agreement, it's not terrible.
SPEAKER_00:It's no, it's but it's if you like tart beers, you probably would really like it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but like you I agree with you. I think you'd get heart, I'd get heartburn, I think, after one or so, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, for sure.
SPEAKER_02:All right, are we ready for our next easy questions? You betcha. Mike hasn't gotten any right yet, and who is gotten all right.
SPEAKER_00:All right, so Mike is like the master of what do we call that? Like useless knowledge.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh. So talking, we're still talking about beer, old beer, right? Older, older beer. Yep. What is the name of the beer that was a precursor to the modern Christmas ale? And what were some of its ingredients? Another easy question. I mean, I can't believe I found these easy ones for you guys.
SPEAKER_01:I need to start giving them less time to prepare for these things.
SPEAKER_00:You should just show up. Damn, bear for the show.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, just say, hey, get some beers, we're gonna do a podcast. He'd be like, no, no, I need I need stuff. What's the precursor of a Christmas ale? Like, what was it called? Yep. Easy question.
SPEAKER_00:Mary Mead.
SPEAKER_01:I'll I'll bet you anything it was like a Viking name.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you could actually know. Actually, no.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I don't mean a name of a person. No, no, it's actually from England. Huh. I have no idea. I'm not even gonna guess.
SPEAKER_00:Fezzi something. Sounds like old Fezzi wig. Old Fezzi wig. So Julie got this one ready. Yeah. Lamb's wool. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:She said the same thing I did. I said the same thing she did. A drink called lamb's wool, made with roasted apples, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar or honey. Because she said mead, so that's what the honey. Well, I'm gonna say that right.
SPEAKER_01:Probably honey because mead is like the oldest style. Yeah, right. So huh?
SPEAKER_02:See, so that's why Julie got it right again. Yeah, 5,000 points. She's doing great, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. I know so much about it.
SPEAKER_01:It's great. It's just great. Yeah, it's just great. So, what do we're going to a bottle now? All right, and now we've had this one before, but this is the 2025 version, and this is a winter warmer by Boulevard, and it is called Nutcracker. Ooh, 7.8% ADV. Stepped it up a little bit. Stepped it up, and 38 IBUs. Uh, nutcracker ale is Boulevard's holiday gift for real beer lovers, brewed since 1995. This hardy warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color with hints of molasses, balanced by the spiciness of Chinook hops.
SPEAKER_00:So, does this mean like a warming brew? Like, we're gonna drink it and our face is gonna get all red and you would think, but no.
SPEAKER_02:This is not like Chinook salmon, then, right? This isn't grown salmon. No, uh-uh. This isn't the ground salmon.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god. If we you ever have beer with salmon in it, I'm not drinking it.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you might we didn't know at the time until we took that first sip, and it uh yeah, was bad.
SPEAKER_00:Did it taste just like salmon?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, it's not it tasted like you ground up a salmon in a blender and put it in a bottle and let it age for a while. Oh yeah, she was just took the chunks out, and here's the juice. It was terrible. Nice. This almost has a kind of a hoppy aroma to it. And it was what 38 IBUs. This is the highest IBU one so far today. So far, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I don't get much molasses.
SPEAKER_01:I get a little more I get more hop. That's what I think the hop flavor is the predominant because even on the finish, just sitting here, I don't get a molasses, I get like the piney, grapefruity flavor of the hop.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I don't get the molasses either. What else is in there? Molasses and what?
SPEAKER_01:Just said molasses and chinook hops.
SPEAKER_02:The hops to me stick out more than are you feeling warmer?
SPEAKER_00:Not yet.
SPEAKER_01:But I've only had two sips, so boy, yeah, that's that's got a hop flavor.
SPEAKER_02:I I was looking forward to a little more molasses because there's not many beers that have molasses in it.
SPEAKER_01:So you know, with a name like Nutcracker, you'd have thought it would have been a pistachio or a walnut beer, you know what I mean? Right, right. But I don't get anything like that at all. Interesting. Yeah, so Mike is first. No, I went first on the last one. Oh, we can go again. All right. Uh I'm not a fan of it. It's I don't mind the flavor, but I don't get any molasses at all. So I'm gonna go like a 2.1. I just kind of you know, the the hops, it's and it it says there's hops in it, and so it's in the on the bottle in the bottle. But I again I don't get the molasses, and it's just to me, it it's really if you blind taste tested this, you just think it was another IPA, honestly. Yep. So that's why I'm gonna knock it down just because I know winter warmers, we've had other ones, and they have a little different taste to them typically, but this one reminds me more of a of an IPA. Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I'm spot on. I mean, I know I think I kind of know what they're going for with you know the hoppiness, winter time, but you talk about molasses, and it says molasses balanced with hops. I'm not sure my scale is calibrated that way. To me, this seems like it's all hops, right? So I'm I'm right in there with it. I'm gonna say like a 2.2. I guess I don't mind it, it's not horrendous, but again, I'm not a big hoppy guy, I'm not one that likes IPAs. I was when it said molasses, that's really what I was looking at because I like that aroma. Molasses aroma is really good and I like that. So that's why I'm not gonna love it.
SPEAKER_00:I think it's very, very hoppy for me. I just feel like I want more of the Christmas cookie type thing than what's happening here. So um, and it is really hoppy. The color is really pretty. I mean, it's got a nice like caramely color, but ooh geez, and I can't use the same thing that I did before.
SPEAKER_02:No, we'll try to separate them out. We try if you I mean if you have no other score.
SPEAKER_00:I well, I'll just do like a 2.1 then.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so just a little above the C the C-Sick crocodile.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I almost could flip those two, actually.
SPEAKER_02:I drink that before this. All right, so I flipped your score. So you got a 2.1 on the crocodile and 2.0 on the nut crocodile. Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, this one's this one's a little tough for me.
SPEAKER_01:Well, there we go. Did you run out of questions?
SPEAKER_02:I got a couple more here on some things I wasn't even aware of, didn't even know. Did you know? And I I probably you probably know this, but I didn't know this. But the ABV is set by the states, not by the federal government. Okay, so you know when we talk about limits, and that's more on remembering what the utopia. Yep, and it said it's banned in 15 states, yep, because the states are the ones that set what the what the max is threshold can be kind of thing, right?
SPEAKER_01:Interesting. I did not know that. Uh uh.
SPEAKER_02:So in this next beer, I think it's the next beer. Hope I got my info right here. This would have been banned before 2002. Really? Where? In the state of Wisconsin? In the state of Ohio. Oh the state of Wisconsin does not have an ABV limit. Okay. That's why we're tough. That's why utopia can be sold here.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:So um, I did not know that in 2002 there was this legislation that went across several states and they changed their ABV limits. Huh. Okay. I didn't know that either. See, so I'm giving you guys that question as a little easy question. Oh, great. I only lost 500 points on that one.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So the question then is what was it before 2002 and what did they change it to after 2002?
SPEAKER_01:So now this was for which in Ohio you're in Ohio.
SPEAKER_02:Just Ohio.
SPEAKER_01:Because this is where the next beer's from as Ohio. So before 2002, we'll say if it was 8%, is what I'm gonna say. And they probably raised it to like uh I just I'll say 15 because you know they were missing out on some other good beers. I'll just say that.
SPEAKER_00:So uh what's the one we're drinking now? I guess I wasn't we're gonna be doing the chestnut prelim. And it is what now? 8.6. I'm gonna say seven and fourteen.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so I misspoke. I was looking at two numbers. Oh, so apparently, again, back in the old days, alcohol went by alcohol by weight, okay, yeah, ABW and ABV. Okay. So it was the two numbers I was looking for was six percent alcohol by weight and seven point five percent alcohol by volume, were the max was the max max in Ohio in 2002. Okay, wow, okay. So then they unrestricted now.
SPEAKER_01:So I was closer than Julie was. So I she got it. So I should 800 points and I got minus. Yep, she got it right again. 700. Okay, what did it get raised to? Unlimited. Oh, okay. Yes, nice, all right, cool.
SPEAKER_00:Because now they're not Sally's anymore. Exactly. They're like the state of Wisconsin, I think.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, they were like, huh, okay. Because we're top here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we've got a good one come up now, I think.
SPEAKER_01:All right, so the next one we have is the chestnut praline. And this is an imperial ale from Southern Tier, 8.6% ABV and 12 IBUs. Jim, would you like to read one?
SPEAKER_02:All right, let me give it a whirl. As the holidays drew near, an excitement grows for the first snowfall, which we just had. We just had. Gather together with chestnut praline imperial ale. With each sip, the warm butter flavor of toasted chestnuts glazed with sweet caramel will transform any wintry day into a cozy celebration of the season. From our Southern Cheer family to yours, we wish you nothing but joy and sweetness this holiday season. Boy, that's got an aroma.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I'm like, wow. Wow.
SPEAKER_01:It's kind of like that's almost like melting butter, doesn't it? Kind of, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:It's everything that it says it was. Now, wow.
SPEAKER_01:I hate to say it because I I don't know what chestnuts actually taste like. I don't know if I actually ate a chestnut by itself before. Right. But uh that's pretty good.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, that's I feel like though in the smell of it, it is like a nutty there is a nutty smell.
SPEAKER_01:So yep, I agree.
SPEAKER_00:So now you can say you've had a chestnut.
SPEAKER_01:Or is it a praline? Well, isn't it praline like a walnut? No, praline? No, that's not just like a sugared nut kind of thing. Is it? Yeah, let's do let's do see what Mr. Google has to say.
SPEAKER_02:I'll ask him. But boy, that is there's no bad finish, it's so smooth. No, that's uh that's really good. And for 8.6%.
SPEAKER_01:I will say this. I wouldn't drink more than one bottle of this because I think the flavor on another bottle would be kind of like I'm getting a little, you know what I mean? Right, but it so but no for a holiday beer. Oh, yeah, no, it's it's got good flavor, it's really good flavor.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so Mr. Google says a praline is a confection that can refer to two different types of candy: a European-style praline, which is a caramelized nut like an almond, formed into a shell or a ground nut and sugar mixture for fillings, or southern U.S. praline, which is a flat, creamy, and buttery candy made from sugar, butter, milk, and pecans. The term is pronounced differently depending on the region and the type of confection.
SPEAKER_02:Huh, okay. So that gets that one wrong too. I'll take it. Thanks, Dude. I'll take extra points away from that one. Good.
SPEAKER_01:Great. No, this this is the aroma and the flavor on this. I mean, it's yeah, it's not bad.
SPEAKER_00:It smells like Boda.
SPEAKER_01:When I as soon as I opened it, I was like, Yeah, I'm sure you saw it. You're like, yeah, whoa, wait a minute. You know, you could smell that that aroma.
SPEAKER_02:This is really yeah. This is boy.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like for a Christmas, that's a great Christmas beer.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, this of the ones so far, this kind of has more of that Christmas feel. Yes, I think, than the other ones did. Other than like the the Christmas cookie ones, was they were good, and and such. I think the other ones were kind of really could have been for anything.
SPEAKER_02:So I think that you know that brings up a good point. Is I think what I was hoping was we could have beers that were holiday-ish, Christmas-ish, but I think then that also then opened it wide open the entire spectrum of the food flavors, right? So we're going from cookies to pralines, right, to pistachios.
SPEAKER_00:So I mean, so now you know that's I think the hard part too is well, Christmas to me might mean cookies, and it might mean molasses to you, and it might mean cranberries to you. Well, because I don't think so.
SPEAKER_01:For when we get into pumpkin beers, kind of around you know, Oktoberfest into Thanksgiving, you know, they all have that all spice. Yeah, nutmeg. You know, all those spices, they all kind of have that right. If they're like a common theme, yeah, there's a common theme where with this with this, that's really wide.
SPEAKER_02:And I think that's the hard part of so I was hoping so they all kind of embody holiday, but they don't have the same flavor, they're not the same style, right? So we're kind of judging each of these very distinctly because they're they're not all stouts, they're not all ales, they're not all the same flavor. So I think it's a little challenging.
SPEAKER_00:You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02:It's yeah, really rich for sure.
SPEAKER_00:It's super good, but I don't know if I could drink a lot of it because it's like rich.
SPEAKER_01:Yep, I agree.
SPEAKER_02:Jim, why don't you go first on the score on this one? I like I like this one. I like this one. I think this is the best one so far today. I'm gonna say a 3.1. Um, I liked it. I mean, does it mean that I can drink a six pack? No, but I could probably drink a whole bottle. I mean, it's really got a that buttery flavor, kind of just like to me, that kind of warms my stomach more than any of the other ones. Right. So I guess for a holiday beer, if you're looking for something like that, it has a good flavor, good finish, real smooth. I liked it. Okay, Julie?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I'm gonna do uh 3.6. Nice. Um, I liked it. Uh just like I said, I I'd like to drink it, but I don't know if I drink more than one just because it's like drinking butter. It's so good. It is so good though. Yeah. Um but it does give me the holiday vibes, uh, like a Christmassy vibe.
SPEAKER_02:So did you even talk about what's on the outside? It does have some good artwork on the oh, it does.
SPEAKER_00:Um, apparently those are pralines that are covered there. That's what I'm gonna go with. Or chestnuts. Or chestnuts or something, or something. It's got like it looks like Christmas wrapping paper on there. Um so there's a little holiday-ish. Yeah, holiday chocolate covered. It looks like pralines, chestnuts. I'm not sure what they are. But yeah, it was good, very good.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, all right, right. Yeah, I agree. I mean, it it really had a good flavor to it, an aroma was there. I again, I wouldn't drink probably more than one of them, uh, a bottle. Yep. Uh, just because I think it the flavor is a little bit more, how do you say it? It probably starts wearing on it after a while. Yeah, good yeah, intense is a good way to say it, but I do think it had a really good flavor, and I'm I'm gonna go with 3.0. All right, I think that's my highest one so far. It it definitely kind of puts you in that Christmas mood. So I yeah, good job. I I like that.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so we're getting close to the end. So we got um two questions for the end to end off the date. So, where did the cranberry get its name? From the Indians.
SPEAKER_01:Where did it get its name? Yes. Uh, I was gonna say from Wisconsin because that's where they're most of them come from.
SPEAKER_00:Um what's the Ojibwas? The what's our what's our Native American tribes in Wisconsin? We have Ojibwas, we've got uh let's see here.
SPEAKER_02:All right, I'll just give you hint. It has nothing to do with Indians. Oh, okay. It has nothing to do with Indians, uh, it has more to do with your ancestors and my ancestors.
SPEAKER_00:Oh so they're Norwegians, or it could be German.
SPEAKER_01:I'm guessing from cran Mr. Cran, he grew some berries on his farm back in the old country.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, he did.
SPEAKER_01:So that so you you're close to which trees. Uh um, I'm gonna I think it's from which which one do you go with?
SPEAKER_00:So you said Mr. Cran, who raises berries.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, from farmer cran found some berries on his farm, but and and his farm was in uh we're gonna say the north country, and we're gonna say uh, well, I'm I'm gonna say just to throw a curveball, we're gonna say from Sweden. And I'm gonna say Mrs.
SPEAKER_00:Cran grew some cranberries in the United States or in North America.
SPEAKER_02:So just as a point of reference, cranberries are native to North America. Yeah, it doesn't mean that so they're name so were they grown other places brought here? How was that our ancestry? So the cranberry gets its name from the German settlers in Santa Maria.
SPEAKER_00:They bought it.
SPEAKER_02:We saw them and they looked like a crane berry. What's a cranberry? Since the flowers on the cranberry resemble the head of a crane.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I guess I was in a flowery.
SPEAKER_01:So see, I did hit it with the German part.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you need to blew it out because you went to the water.
SPEAKER_01:And I blew it out because I went to Sweden.
SPEAKER_00:We were almost there, Mike, because I'm Mr. Google says indigenous peoples harvested the wild berries for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived.
SPEAKER_01:Right, because that's what I said they were in North America. So you got it right and I got it right. Yeah, so Julian a thousand points. It'd be interesting. We'll have to look up too what the the flower looks like because I've never seen it. I've never seen a flower either. So then part two.
SPEAKER_02:Oh boy. Oh, geez. Which state produces the most cranberries in the United States? Wisconsin.
SPEAKER_00:And it may not be who you think.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna go with New York. I'm gonna stick with Wisconsin. I think Julie's right again. Wisconsin has been the number one producer for over 20 years that produces half of the world's cranberries.
SPEAKER_00:You know what's weird, I wanted to say Wisconsin, but I was gonna make it so easy for us, Kitty. I got a really bad headache all of a sudden. I can't believe that she has that one right again.
SPEAKER_01:And it's sitting right across from me. I know.
SPEAKER_00:I would I would have to do it. It's almost like she has the answer.
SPEAKER_01:Well, yeah, not quite as obvious.
SPEAKER_00:But I didn't want to take the same answer as you, so I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_01:Interesting. So the last one that we have, and we've got less, we've had this one on the podcast before, but this is the 2025. Yep, this is the Cranfather from Founders Brewing. Okay, and this is an ale aged in bourbon barrels. Ooh, 11.1% ABV and 10 IBUs. So we stepped it up a little bit, bumped it up just a little. So this is our highest ABV one by almost no, I shouldn't say double because the last one was 8.6. So the first ones, the first ones, yeah. And this is an ale aged in bourbon barrels with cranberry, cherry, and orange peel. Oh, we've not had good luck in orange peel. The only thing that scares me is the orange peel because sometimes it is really a bitter flavor to it. We've had good luck, and then we've had some really not so good luck, yeah. So there's that one. Let's just hope we get a little bourbon aroma. There's that one. And it's darker color. I mean, it's still kind of uh it doesn't look like a cranberry. I mean, it's it's almost like a really dark amber.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's you can't see through it. No. I mean, it's but it's but it's not like uh motor oil.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, no, not like the one, the good ones, the nectar of the gods. That's got boy, that's got a bourbon aroma to it.
SPEAKER_00:Yosa. No, I'm scared. I'm watching your faces first. It's not bad.
SPEAKER_02:I do get a little hint of orange peel, but not bad. No, the the cranberry actually, I'd like this cranberry better than the other cranberry.
SPEAKER_00:It's not as tart, and it's smooth, it's not that like, oh god, this is like bourbon barrel kind of thing. Right. It's very doesn't have the burn. There's no burn. No, no burn whatsoever. For an 11.1. I'm trying to see if I can get it. Kind of, you know, like those bourbon barrels get a little higher, and I'm like, oh man, this is not bad. This is pretty good.
SPEAKER_01:I'm trying to see if I get a cherry flavor at all. I I definitely get the cranberry. Cranberry, I think, is kind of the the big flavor. Yep. On the finish, I do get that kind of that bitterness from the orange peel. Right. I I don't know if I get a lot of cherry, but it the aroma I think had more of a bourbon flavor to it than the taste.
SPEAKER_00:Oh no, oh man. Right. But it doesn't Don't let the smell fool you because it is really smooth.
SPEAKER_01:You know, again, I know we say say this all the time. If you've never had a barrel-aged beer, I wouldn't say try this one first, right? Just because I think a the aroma is gonna really be you know scare some people. Uh and then secondly, I don't think it's it's not so much the bourbon, it's kind of the cranberry has a little bit more of that, you know what I mean? It's more of that upfront flavor, right? And if a person thinks oh connects that with a bourbon barrel, they're gonna be you know, they could be turned off, right?
SPEAKER_02:I mean, this when I said this doesn't have as much tartness as the C crocodile, yep. It there is some tartness, I mean, but just a little bit, right? Not not as this is what I was hoping the other one would have. This is the kind of tartness, but this is not as sour, but it's you can definitely tell. I think that's the cranberry is a little bit tart, right? Oh, yeah, naturally.
SPEAKER_00:Carbonation-wise, I feel like it's not super carbonated, so it doesn't give you that burny feeling when you're drinking it. It's smoother.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, it does remind me of other double-digit beers that you know head-wise, there's not a huge amount, right? It is, it is like you said, it is kind of surprisingly smooth. It is, you know, I don't get like again on the initial smell, it was like, ooh, this there's some bourbon in that. I was scared, but but you don't get the flavor, really.
SPEAKER_02:You know, the only and the only other thing I guess I would say is I wish I knew what kind of bourbon barrels it was aged and for how long.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, they didn't say that at all. So yeah, I agree with you, Jim. That's that's not bad. So, Julie, you are first.
SPEAKER_00:Well, huh. I think I will probably go with a 2-8. Wow, all right, I don't mind it, and I am not a super huge fan of really strong beers, but for some reason, I don't know if it's a cranberry, to me, it doesn't taste super strong. Sure. Like some of the bourbon barrels I've had with you guys before, uh, where I've been like, oh my god, wow. This is like pretty mellow. Yes, pretty mellow for especially an 11%. Oh, yeah. So yeah, I don't mind it. As in Stephanie's words, I don't hate it.
SPEAKER_01:There you go. So saying the same thing, just different words. Yep, you know. Um what do you think, Mike? I yeah, I like it. Drinks very smooth. Like I said, the only knock is I don't really get a cherry flavor to it, but that's pretty minor, you know. But again, it's if it's on the bottle, it should be in the bottle. So, but I'm still gonna say that's probably my favorite of the day. I'm gonna go like a 3.3 on it. It it could be improved just a touch if maybe a little more of that cherry flavor came out, but I I think it's good. I really do enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm right in there with your score. Um this is a I mean, because I'm not a big cranberry guy anyway. I mean, like at the holidays, we don't even put cranberries out because there's not many people that like just a cranberry by itself. But I will have to say that this in a beer is actually decent. I'm gonna actually say the same thing, a 3.3. I like it. It's it's good. I just wish maybe even a touch more bourbon flavor, right?
SPEAKER_01:You know, maybe it'd come through. Yeah, I mean that aroma is there, you know, but the the flavor, I don't like I said, I and not that that's a bad thing, but you don't get the bourbon really at all.
SPEAKER_02:So so we're gonna wrap up there, Jalisa. What do you think of your top three then?
SPEAKER_01:So, first off, what did you think of the of this class?
SPEAKER_00:Well, when Jim asked if I would like to participate tonight, I was like, Oh gosh, what is it? Because I I did get an IPA one, and you know how I feel about those, but I will say it was probably one of my better ones. I said, Oh, Christmas cookie, I love those ones. So I was in. Um my best one is still my best one from last year, is the Christmas cookie exchange, the peanut butter blossom one. To me, that tastes like dessert, it tastes like a cookie. So that is my number one. The snow pilot kind of shocked from point, but I did really like that one. And then the chestnut praline is my top three.
SPEAKER_01:Yep, nice. I agree. So for me, I think this class really was pretty good. And Jim, you kind of summed it up really good before when you said it really, it doesn't have like limits on as far as here's the one category.
SPEAKER_00:You know, everything's gonna taste like cookies, right?
SPEAKER_01:Or like pumpkin beers. Everything's gonna, if it tastes like pumpkin or pumpkin pie, you know what I mean? It's it's all kind of in that little niche. Where here it's kind of really across the board. And again, I would say, you know, my favorite was the the cranfather. And I mean, I checked a lot of the boxes for you and I. Yeah, you know, it had the bourbon aroma. I wish it had a little bit more flavor to of that, but overall it was it was really good. Another one I that I did really like too was of course the the chestnut praline. I thought that was good. Uh, a couple of that surprised me, the snow pilot kind of surprised me. I mean, just how it honestly, it to me it really did taste like like uh pistachios, right? And that was surprising. And yeah, Julie, I agree with you that the the chocolate kiss cookie thing, uh, that first one was was really good. And you know, I don't necessarily think there was a terrible one. Again, I know the the the nutcracker kind of scored lower on on my end as well as the sour, but I think they could tweak it and get it, you know, get it higher.
SPEAKER_00:There wasn't there was no like, oh my god, this was horrible. Right. There was nothing like that. They were all drinkable for sure.
SPEAKER_02:Yep, yeah, and I think, and I guess that was the the hard part with trying to organize this. It was just trying to like, well, we wanted to make them holiday beers, but there's such a diverse, I mean, it isn't like Oktoberfest, we know it's gonna be a Mars on, and they're all gonna be just a little bit one off from that. This, I think we had almost 360 degrees of it, right? There wasn't one that really stood out more than the other. So I think in and of itself, each one of these beers were good in a in a way. So I think that was very positive. So if there's a correct beer drinker out there now that's going to the liquor store and they see, you know, I'd say try it. Try, you know, if you don't have to buy a six-pack, if you can just buy, you know, some of these I built on a built-your own six-pack, and I thought that was really good. Some of these I had to buy in a six-pack, and we'll end up probably having to save those till the summer.
SPEAKER_00:So or we maybe at or give them to Mike for Christmas. I was just gonna say, or you know, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we just take them with wherever we're going. Share it, share the love.
SPEAKER_02:There you go. So I hope the listeners kind of got you know a very wide spectrum of the we use the term holiday beers to kind of put them in the classification, but there's a lot of different variations, yep, for sure. And I think I I'm gonna echo exactly what Mike said. I love Cranfather, it's one of my favorite. I we like the bourbon ones that was. I just wish there was a little touch more bourbon flavor, I would give it a little bit higher. That chestnut praline, that butter flavor was really kind of putting me over the edge of that one. And then I also like the snow pilot. I mean, that was a big surprise to me because we I don't think we've ever really rated a Stevens Point beer that high, but they did a really good flavor with this, and this isn't one of their whole hog variations either. Yep, this is their normal ones, yeah. So that was very good. The cookie exchange ones were were good. I mean, I'm not a big different Christmas cookie guy, so I mean, I I couldn't pick up the flavors, but they were not bad. So I overall I think everything was really good.
SPEAKER_00:So, did you give your top three? What were they? I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02:My top number one, the grandfather, number two, chestnut praline, and number three the snow pilot.
SPEAKER_00:Oh nice. So what beer do you think you're most shocked at? Minus point that was so good.
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah, I mean, that one shocked me. Yeah, because I wasn't expecting that much of a uh pistachio flavor. Yeah, so yes, that was very shocking. The chestnut praline was kind of shocking too. That was the buttery flavor, and unfortunately, the prairie artisan ale was kind of shocking in the wrong direction. Because we've had extremely good beers from them. Yep, yeah, uh, and that one really kind of caught me off guard.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, I mean, but I mean they're all, and I guess the good thing is everybody's experimenting with something just a little bit different. Yep, they're not all falling into a stovepipe of all trying to do the same thing. Yep, which is nice.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, all these are different breweries, other than those two different breweries, different styles, different variations. So that so that is encouraging. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:Well, cool. Hey, Jim, thank you so much for providing these round of beers. Uh, we do have a couple, maybe at least one, maybe two more episodes coming that are kind of the Christmas beer type stuff. Yep, yep. Uh, we did do our annual Black Friday beer shopping extravaganza, and we picked up some very interesting beers that we're gonna try.
SPEAKER_02:Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, we've got a number of them that we'll try down the road. Yep. You know, let them age a little bit more. But uh yeah, there's gonna be some interesting things. We're coming close to the end of our third season. Well, we listened. Which is crazy. Yeah, I was gonna say, and and we had a we're over a thousand beers on the podcast now. So we're we're just waiting.
SPEAKER_00:I want to clarify a thousand beers on the podcast, but how many beers are you, Mike?
SPEAKER_01:Again, well, again, uh getting close to six thousand.
SPEAKER_00:That's craziness. Craziness.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, something everybody has to be good at something, and I'm apparently good at drinking beer.
SPEAKER_00:So pretty good at drinking beer. Maybe that should be a good thing. There's a song on all that. Like, it reminds me of a song.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. Well, hey, raise our glasses to the next thousand beers on the podcast. There you go. Cheers. Cheers.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. No problem. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening. Hopefully, you had a happy Thanksgiving. Uh, we're in between the holidays now. Hopefully, you're out there baking cookies and trying craft beer. Stay warm. Stay warm. So, hey, we hope your campfire's always warm. And your beers are always cold. See ya. See ya.
SPEAKER_00:Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER_01: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 gmail.com. 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.
