The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
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The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 143 - Winter Dark Beers That Actually Warm You Up
A cold night. Six dark beers. Zero mercy for labels that overpromise. We open with a “Mexican hot chocolate” milk stout that whispers cinnamon but forgets the heat, then pivot to a peanut butter chocolate porter that finally smells like the real thing. From there, the lineup swings through a maple pecan brown that plays it safe, a silky peanut butter chocolate milk stout with dessert-like glide, and two heavyweights that split the room: Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout with baker’s-chocolate bite, and a barrel-aged imperial that brings spirit warmth without the harsh burn.
Along the way, we get candid about why some flavors vanish in the glass, what makes milk sugar such a winter workhorse, and how roast can tip from cozy to fatiguing. We unpack barrel-aging basics in plain English—what time in wood can do for sweetness and structure—and share quick pairing ideas that tame bitterness or elevate sweetness. When the peppers arrive in a 14.1% monster, we talk balance over bravado: gentle heat, cinnamon lift, and a finish that actually feels like Mexican hot chocolate done right. If you’ve ever wondered why some “maple” beers taste like plain brown ale, or why peanut butter is so hard to nail without going fake, this tasting cuts through the noise.
Expect a few holiday detours—favorite Christmas movies, “easy” trivia that isn’t, and friendly scorekeeping—plus clear winners you can hunt down now. If you’re stocking a holiday table, reach for the silky peanut butter milk stout for dessert, the salted-caramel mocha stout for coffee-cake moments, and the spiced imperial for late-night fireside warmth. Subscribe to the show, share this episode with your beer crew, and drop your winter stout picks in the comments—we’ll add the best to our next lineup.
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Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Hey, hey, ladies and gentlemen. Merry Christmas in a few days. Welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy. And as always, I am joined by Jim. Hey, buddy, how you doing? Doing good. I guess you could say I'm kind of like Santa Claus, and Jim's kind of like my somewhat grumpy elf.
SPEAKER_01:Agreed.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, what's up with that? Well, the way your questions have been going.
SPEAKER_02:It's the easiest one. I mean, if a if a kindergartner gave me the question, you guys should come up with the answer.
SPEAKER_03:You would think, but those kindergartners are they lied. They're not pretty smart. They're not in kindergarten.
SPEAKER_02:They must go to Sparta school. They're pretty smart. Must be. Must be. See?
SPEAKER_03:Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, we are back with Julie. She was nice enough to sit in once again.
SPEAKER_01:Hello, everyone.
SPEAKER_03:So, Jim, this week, uh, well, it's the 19th. We've uh got six days till Christmas. Uh, hopefully, you bought me my Christmas gift already.
SPEAKER_02:I think Santa's got a lump of coal ready for you, buddy. You are not the nicest person when it comes to answering the question. So I think he's got you on the naughty list. Just because I get them wrong doesn't mean I'm not nice.
SPEAKER_03:I think I think Jim is naughtier than I am. I got good questions, though. No, you no, you don't. They're terrible. Thought provoking. Yeah, there you go. See, yeah, exactly. Is that what we call it? Thought provoking. That's what he calls it anyway. I got a whole different thing, but I can't say it on here. So family channel? Yes. All right. Well, awesome. Well, hey, we uh, you know, last couple weeks we had Christmas beers and such, and so we're kind of stepping out on that. A little bit on the fringe. Yeah, on the fringe. Yeah. Uh, I think these should be uh have one thing in common. I think they're all dark beers. Okay, all right, I believe. Kind of got a Christmas y feel. Well, I suppose maybe because they're gonna warm you up on the inside, right? They're well, I was gonna say because but once we go through the names and such, maybe I guess you could possibly with the coldness outside, these should warm you up, right? Some of them should, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, I'd associate like darker beers with winter, fall.
SPEAKER_03:There you go. So yeah, we'll see what uh how it goes. I'll go from there.
SPEAKER_02:So let's hope we got some nice easy ones, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, because your questions or the beers.
SPEAKER_02:Well, Julie said she didn't like the heavy duty ones, so these this should help her pallet them.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, the last the last one we did was a little rough.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, but well, hopefully these taste better than that. Yeah, the last one because those Christmas ones we had last week were a little sketch, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So somewhere a little dicey.
SPEAKER_03:All right. Well, hey, we might as well start this off right with the beer.
SPEAKER_02:Well, because I think Julie actually has a couple of this style that she's had that isn't the is it the bouncing beaver or what you go, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's one of my favorites.
SPEAKER_02:They do have a good Mexican hot chocolate, I think.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's really good. Yeah. So the first one that we have is a Mexican hot chocolate milk stout from left hand brewing, not right hand, but left hand. And that's out of Longmont, Colorado. Longmont. And this is six percent ABV. And you want to read it, Julie? I can read this one. That's not a problem. So the first one, we like I said, is from Left Hand Brewing. It says left hands Mexican hot chocolate starts with our creamy milk stout base, infusing it with rich cocoa and sweet vanilla to create a decadently layered drinking experience. A subtle hint of chili adds a gentle warmth. There we go. You were saying it should warm you up. Yeah, are you? Gentle warmth, enhancing the depth of flavors without overwhelming the senses and perfectly complementing the beer's velvety texture and roasted malt character. This is a lot to read. This brew captures the essence of a classic Mexican hot chocolate, offering a complex, inviting flavor that's both comforting and enticing with each sip.
SPEAKER_01:I'm excited.
SPEAKER_03:Wow, it should be interesting.
SPEAKER_01:The can is I hope it's as good as it sounds.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, exactly. So, like I said, I don't technically know if this would be considered a Christmas beer, but you could it could be chocolate. Yeah, it's a winter type. There we go. So we'll crack it.
SPEAKER_02:And plus you bought it, so it's gonna be your fault if it doesn't taste good. Exactly. More than likely.
SPEAKER_01:So when it says like Mexican hot chocolate, or is that mean that there is like some kind of spiciness in it?
SPEAKER_03:Typically, well, the thing we've ran into is there's other like Mexican style, whatever, but they don't have them. But a lot of times, like these typically have like chili peppers type things in it. So there's a little bit of spice to it, typically.
SPEAKER_01:Smell that because like the belching beaver, they do have a Mexican one as well, but it's not like spicy spicy, right?
SPEAKER_03:No, that's yeah, that's like their peanut butter. It's like La Vida Oh the La Viva, La Vida Loca, something kind of something, and that one does have some pepper in it, but it's not like oh my god. And this shouldn't be super spicy or anything, but it'll have a hint of it. You can smell it a little bit. There is a little bit of a spice going on a little spice, almost a little uh cinnamon kind of aroma to it. Oh yeah, I like that. That's good. We're starting off better than we did last week.
SPEAKER_02:I feel like for sure, on that not a very good one.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I like it.
SPEAKER_02:It's almost like it's got a powdery flavor to it for me. Like the chocolate's powdery, right? It's not a smooth, it doesn't like a hot cocoa powder mix, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it doesn't have a real strong chocolate flavor.
SPEAKER_02:Right. I taste some of the spice is coming through.
SPEAKER_03:I I get a little bit of a cinnamon type flavor. Yeah, I the pepper is is it's present, but it's really weak. Yeah, you know what I mean? It's not like you get any kind of heat out of it.
SPEAKER_01:But I feel like you don't need pepper with chocolate, right? That's just meat. Right. But but it it's smooth, very drinkable. It tastes kind of like cardboard. Oh I don't think so. I don't mind it.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I can safely say I haven't really ate a lot of cardboard. I don't mind it. It has that same aroma.
SPEAKER_01:Well, compared to the first three last week, I'm gonna go with I'm okay with this.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, you can start it off then, big shooter.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I'm gonna go, I'll do like a 2.7. I don't mind it. I could drink it.
SPEAKER_03:Uh for myself, uh, I think I'm gonna go like a 2.5 just because I do wish it had a little more flavor of like the chocolate. Uh I do get, like I said, that's a little bit of a cinnamon. The pe it could be the pepper, but I I don't get much chili.
SPEAKER_04:There's really heat to it at all.
SPEAKER_03:Which I know a lot of people don't like. So that's not a big deal, but you know, when you're you're calling out that you have chili peppers in it, I'd I'd expect a just a little bit of not a lot of heat, but a little bit. And I don't really get that. But I guess the biggest drawback for me is just that that chocolate, I wish it was a little smoother flavor to it. So I'll do two and a half.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and I guess to echo right with it, I mean it does say it's supposed to have sweet vanilla. I I didn't get any vanilla flavor at all. I mean, because we have had some very good Mexican hot chocolate. Oh yeah. And unfortunately, this is not up to that standard. There is a little bit of that spice. I don't like you said, I don't know if it's the chili, if it's like a different kind of spice. Yeah, I'm not sold on it. I'm gonna go 2.2. Okay. Wow. I think I could we've had some better ones. Right. Oh, yeah. And I think I guess I'm just kind of thinking back to what they tasted like. This does not give the right smoothness. It's a little too much powdery for me.
SPEAKER_03:Too powdery. You know, the aroma was pretty good. Yeah, I thought so too. I I think the aroma is better. The flavor ended up being, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:The aroma was what it's got in the like on the can.
SPEAKER_03:All right, so we're gonna go to the next beer now.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, oh guess who has some questions?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, and guess what our theme is this week? Uh uh, Mexican hot chocolate. I don't, I don't know what is it. It's gotta be Christmas, something Chris.
SPEAKER_02:Christmas movie trivia.
SPEAKER_03:Oh I might have a chance here because I am full of worthless movie knowledge at time at times. So here's the first one. I'm not putting any money on it though.
SPEAKER_02:So this is remember, after last week when the bus was still going by, kids they even knew more about movies than they did about the other stuff. Exactly. They gave me some easy questions. I said, hey, let's let's dumb them down a little bit. Mike, you guys, you guys heard the podcast, right? You got to make this easy or even Mike can get them right. So let's bring it down a couple notches. So these are the questions they gave me.
SPEAKER_03:Good. Okay. They use that old school stuff, not the new school stuff.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so the very first question, the easiest question of the day. Okay. The first artificial Christmas tree was made from what? You said this was Christmas movies.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, it's tied to a movie. It is not. Yeah. When was the first artificial Christmas tree made?
SPEAKER_02:No, the first artificial Christmas tree was made from what? Oh, from what? Plastic.
SPEAKER_01:Recycled Walmart bags.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Uh remember, this is one of the easy questions. I mean, the the pre-K kids got the four-year-olds got aid from.
SPEAKER_03:I'm gonna say like recycled rubber tires. Wow.
SPEAKER_02:You guys don't know much Christmas trivia.
SPEAKER_03:Not what they're made out of.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, but goose feathers.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah. I could have guessed who would not know that.
SPEAKER_03:Wow, yeah. You guys got the I will guarantee Jim didn't know that either. You guys didn't know that? That is weird. I I could have guessed a hundred times I never would have come up with goose feathers. Did it go into any detail as far as oh that's a later question?
SPEAKER_02:Of course it is.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, so that whole Christmas movie thing was a lie.
SPEAKER_02:Apparently, no, that was part of a Christmas movie. That's what we're gonna tie that in. I think you're lying. We're gonna tie it in later.
SPEAKER_03:Man, Santa. Now you know Jim. It's Santa is watching. Santa is actually I got him on here, he's listening. Oh, so he's on the speed down. Oh, he's listening to Jim right now.
SPEAKER_02:And I gave he said, Look at Jim has given you guys easy questions. No, I can't believe you guys blew it out of your that's not what he said at all.
SPEAKER_03:He said Jim is way on the naughty list. All right, so we have our guest. Yep. So the second one. The next, yeah. I'll say the next one we have is by Shells, which is out of Minnesota, and this is their peanut butter chocolate porter.
SPEAKER_01:So the peanut butter chocolate porter from Shells is six percent ABV and 25 IBUs from New Ulm, Minnesota. Yep. So nine different malts give this beer a it's chocolatey caramel based. Pouring a clear dark brown color with amber hues. Peanut butter chocolate porter lives up to its name with rich and creamy chocolatey flavors. Dark roasted malts, slight bitterness. We shall see. We'll see. And a mellow sweetness round out this deceivingly gentle and velvety seasonal brew. Nice.
SPEAKER_03:Slight. Boy, I'm hoping this tastes like peanut butter.
SPEAKER_01:I'm hoping this tastes like a little bit of love here.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. All right. Oh, you can smell peanut butter in there.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it smells smells delicious. Real peanut butter or we'll find out.
SPEAKER_03:Powdered peanut butter. But boy, that you can smell the peanut butter. Heavy aroma. Heavy. Yeah, very nice aroma.
SPEAKER_01:Heavy peanut butter aroma. It smells great. Ooh, it's pretty good. Definitely tastes like peanut butter.
SPEAKER_03:I don't know. It doesn't really taste like the powdered peanut butter jam. No, it doesn't. I mean, it tastes like it could be but there's a little bit more chocolate.
SPEAKER_02:A little more chocolate on the flavor, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:It's not like Arisa's pieces, but it's no. When you brought up like the Belching Beaver one, it's somewhat similar. It's on that track. On that track. It's not there, but it is on that track. But it's it's pretty close.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's that's not bad.
SPEAKER_03:No, I don't mind that. We may have actually grabbed one that was decent.
SPEAKER_02:Um, are you trying to pull me in on this?
SPEAKER_03:Yes, because you were with me on Black Friday when we bought this and the first one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Oh, all of them. See, see what happens. Oh, except for this one. I bought that one separate, or no, this one before.
SPEAKER_02:So, yes, this is a what I'm trying to figure out. Is there's something going on with my tongue. I don't the the mouthfeel is something there's different. I don't know what that is.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:It does have a little bit of different bitterness, a little bit, not bad.
SPEAKER_03:Not not much, but there could be a little bit, and you might be right, Jim. Maybe it's all the different malts because they said they used was it nine different malts or something like that. Yeah, wasn't that what it said?
SPEAKER_02:Well, she just threw that number in there. No, no, right here. Nine whatever you put on the sheet.
SPEAKER_03:See, the whole thing is is it was wrote out and he didn't see like the number nine. Oh so ergo yeah, ergo who exactly it's a movie, yeah. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:It's not a Christmas movie. I like that one, not like diehard or anything like that.
SPEAKER_03:They don't make fun of diehard. We actually just watched it last week. That's not a Christmas movie. Because that's a Christmas movie. Yes, it is you know, you take that back, or you're out of here. It's not as good as actually. I'm thinking tonight I saw uh on the streaming service that we have that they have gremlins.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I may have to watch Gremlins tonight because that's I I I also watched diehard the other day because it is Christmas time and stuff. Yeah, you got to start with diehard.
SPEAKER_03:All right. So is it I go first? Mike is first on the I like this, I think it had very good flavor.
SPEAKER_02:Uh is I don't again I compared it to interrupt one second. I should have asked this sooner, but what is the total number that you've been able to um rate? What your number is? Uh because you're reaching up close to I'm getting close to six thousand.
SPEAKER_03:And I know that um let me look. Hang on. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic and then you guys I was just gonna tell you.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, it is. Let's vote it.
SPEAKER_03:How many did we have last week? Because I haven't entered eight. Okay, and then we got uh after this, I will be at five thousand nine hundred and ninety-four. Wow. After this podcast, so you you're gonna need to get six more. I'll be six away from six thousand. All right, so impressive there. That was not to interrupt, but I just wanted to make sure we okay back to that.
SPEAKER_02:And you always overinflate your score, so that's why your center line is a little close to three. And that's why mine are more towards middle. Remember Santa Claus with my own. Who's got the best baseline? Yeah, yeah. Watashi.
SPEAKER_03:That's for you. Yeah, all right. Okay, so now you are first on your what I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. Uh I had mentioned, you know, when you mentioned belching beaver, I'm not saying this is not up to that level, okay, but I think it's close, closer than what we've had in a while. I did like the flavor. I don't it didn't taste like that fake peanut butter, like we've talked about before. And uh, like you said, Julia, it did have a little bit of a like an aftertaste or uh just a little bit of a I don't know if you want to call it bitter. There you go. Yeah, I was gonna say tart, but it's not tart. It was kind of a little just a hint of a bitterness. Uh-huh. I'm gonna go like a 2.7 on it. I I liked I could drink a couple of those. I think it was really good. Uh the peanut butter really stood out. I mean, it almost overpowered the chocolate, yeah, in my opinion. But I could I could drink a couple of them.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, um, I'm with there, I'm with you on the peanut butter aroma and flavor. That's it's close. It's it's good. It's not up there, but it is definitely good. I was really looking forward to the chocolate. It just somehow the chocolate doesn't mix with it very good. That's the my only downfall with it. I'm gonna say a 2.5. I think I could drink a can of it, but that chocolate just I mean, of all the different chocolates we've tried, I mean, we've tried a lot of beers have been flavored with chocolate. We've had some really, really good ones that are not overly sweet.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_02:And I think one of those would have been perfect, or just even add a little bit more of that chocolate with this. And I think they'd be they'd be right in there in the 3.5 or above range.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. Like I said before, the chocolate just the peanut butter overpowered it, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:So I am a big fan of the belching beaver one, and I I do like that beer a lot. This one was not bad. I would probably go with I would say a 2.8. I didn't mind it, and I could drink, I could probably drink a couple of them. The only thing that for me was that just like that bitter aftertaste that just kind of hung in there a little bit, but other than that, I I liked it, it was good.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, nice, nice, and that leads me to another question. Question number two, not an easy one. Okay, head hurt so bad right now. I can't believe it. You know, it's something I sometimes really like amaze myself at how easy these questions are. I'm sure you do.
SPEAKER_01:Wait until we come up with the questions and you have to answer.
SPEAKER_03:Then he'll be oh, I I I can't do questions today.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, all right.
SPEAKER_03:So you guys ready for this easy one? We're ready. Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? Another easy question.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna go with Norway. Oh, good question. A good good one.
SPEAKER_03:This probably goes back farther than what we're thinking, but it probably doesn't go all the way back. I'm just gonna go with the good old US of A.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, you guys are so close. Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_03:Germany.
SPEAKER_02:Germany's the answer. Is that a good thing you didn't? I was gonna say Germany too, and I was like, no, minus 5,000 on that one, then Mike. Good try, though.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, that just makes me mad because I was gonna say Germany.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, quit second guessing yourself. I know. I talked myself right out of it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, I see that.
SPEAKER_02:The world's smallest violin play. So sad man.
SPEAKER_03:Well, this next beer is gonna be terrible. Look at the name of it. Oh, yeah, James. So you know it's gonna be very bitter, very and very angry, yeah, sweet, gonna give us a bad stomach ache. Leave a bad taste in our mouths for sure.
SPEAKER_01:So sweet, just like honey.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, well, no, all right. So this is James. Oh, he's not even giving us the option. Oh brown ale from Invictus, maple pecan brown, nut brown ale, yeah. Six percent ABV, and they're from Blaine, Minnesota. I'm not sure where Blaine is. By the cities. Is by the cities, okay. Suburb. This is our most important and best beer that we've ever made. Wow. Because of the name we had to place on it. Oh okay.
SPEAKER_00:I think this might be ad living a little bit right now.
SPEAKER_02:Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is our annual fall seasonal brew. So sit down like you are, strap in, and get ready to flavor ride. Wow. Flavor ride. Because James is coming to town.
SPEAKER_00:Tonight we ride.
SPEAKER_02:Tonight we ride. Starting with 200 pounds of pecan butter that adds a slight dryness, kind of like Mike's jokes, on the palate and topped with a bit of sweetness like Jim from the 10 gallons of local maple syrup added at the end. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
SPEAKER_01:My arteries are hardening right now as we're talking about it.
SPEAKER_02:Man, I can't interesting. It's gotta be good enough as name James. You would think.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. Santa's take note, it's a little bit lighter brown.
SPEAKER_03:Well, it's a nut brown. That's another one. Yeah. Santa's watching you guys, so better be careful. All right, there you go. So Invictus. And it's James. I can smell some butter.
SPEAKER_01:Invictus, you can get you you may want to reconsider naming your beer something else.
SPEAKER_03:That is the aroma is not bad. You can tell it's a nut brown ale. Yes, definitely. Because they typically they don't have a whole lot of flavor. Right. It's very smooth. I do get a little maply on the finish.
SPEAKER_02:Right. I was I was kind of a when they said butter and maple, I was expecting those to be these prominent flavors.
SPEAKER_03:Right. Well, pecan butter, yeah. I I was expecting it to be. I don't I guess I don't know what I was expecting it to be. But this is that you can definitely tell this is a nut brown. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, that's the flavor that comes through. But it's it is smooth.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. It's very drinkable. Like oh yeah, I agree. I agree.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, we've had some nut. This is probably one of our better nut brown ales. I would agree with you there. But it doesn't hit the flavors though the difference. Right.
SPEAKER_03:I was that's the only one I was expecting more maple. Yes. You know what I mean? Honestly. And I don't know when they said about 10 gallons, but I don't know how big of a batch. You know what I mean? So if it was a huge batch, I wish it had more. Yeah, I think maple a little bit. But it's not bad. I mean, like you said, uh, it's a good nut brown.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I mean, that's the only thing that comes through, but I mean that that's that pecan butter and that maple syrup are what kind of drew us to get that beer. Yeah. When there's not oh yeah, the flavor is not there.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's not bad. Not bad at all.
SPEAKER_02:I don't mind that.
SPEAKER_03:Like I said, I I wish it did have a little bit more, but all right, Ebenezer, do you want to go first?
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, for today, I would say this is probably the best beer we've had so far. Um, I'm gonna go with 2.7 for as for as a nut brown ale, it's very good. However, comma, I was really looking forward to that buttery pecan and the maple syrup, just even though just a hint of it. I just don't pick up those flavors. So that's not a reason why I'm down a little bit lower. I would have I would have definitely put it up higher if it had those good flavors. Okay, Julie.
SPEAKER_01:Um, I I don't want to say it's like nondescript, but there's nothing that like really totally stands out. It's good. I drink it, you know, but there's nothing like, oh wow, this tastes like butter or this tastes like um maple or anything. Um, it is good, it's smooth. Uh I would go with probably oh, let's see here. Uh I'm gonna go with uh 2.6, I guess. On that.
SPEAKER_02:So you're gonna say this is the worst one so far today.
SPEAKER_01:No, then I would like to switch that in the first one, maybe. All right. So yeah, put this 2.6, this 2.7. Yes. Okay. But gotcha. You know, I could drink a couple cans of it. I feel like, you know, it's smooth. It's it's only six percent, too. Yeah, yeah. But it didn't have that wow that I was hoping for.
SPEAKER_03:So for me, I'm gonna go with 2.6 as well. I'm gonna put it in the middle between those first two. Like I agree with you 100%. It you can tell it's a nut brown, and and typically the nut brown ales don't have a lot of flavor, so you kind of rely on a lot of other things, right? And when when it has pecan and maple syrup on the label, I was ex I was really expecting the maple. Right. Because I thought, okay, the pecan probably won't stand out much better. I thought maybe the maple would, uh, but it kind of didn't. Right. I could drink it, I could drink that can. It's in a pint can. You could drink it, it's very smooth, six percent. It's it's a good beer. You know, but again, if it's on the can, it needs to be in the can. And I I I really wish it had more of that maple flavor. So yes. All right, are we ready? Are we gonna get into questions on movies yet? Or what's the deal?
SPEAKER_02:You said there's you haven't said a single one on a movie. So many movies questions here, so okay. Question number three. All right, ready? Yes, all right. How many gifts in total were given in the 12 days of Christmas?
SPEAKER_03:I've heard this one before and I don't remember the answer because it's a stupid amount.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because it's like three turtle doves. Right. So that's three, right?
SPEAKER_03:Right. Um, but each time you say it is that, man.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Oh so and there's 12 days. Right.
SPEAKER_01:My fine fine master.
SPEAKER_03:It is yeah, yeah. It's an easy number. It's easy round number. I'm sure before you looked at it, if I asked you, you would uh I would have this what I thought to begin with. Sure you did. Um oh lord, you first say geez, and I know we've had this one before, and I can't remember the I'm gonna say 350.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna say 502.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, Mike was close. At a boy, what was it? 364. Wow, used to get it wrong though, buddy.
SPEAKER_03:I got it wrong, but I was close.
SPEAKER_02:You were really close.
SPEAKER_03:Not really, but but see, that's the thing. People don't stop and realize that every day you got yes three, two, one, you know, all those. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so as long as we're talking here about Christmas movies, if you had to pick your favorite Christmas movie, yeah. That's another question.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I know. What would it be?
SPEAKER_01:And and I hope our the listeners put your favorite Christmas movie in there. Yep. But what is yours?
SPEAKER_03:My favorite Christmas movie, and it's actually probably my overall, probably my favorite favorite movie of all times, and it's black and white, is it's a wonderful life.
SPEAKER_01:One of my favorites too, yeah, which I had on the other night, and Jim said, for real, this is in black and white. Yeah. And my kids used to say that too.
SPEAKER_03:They do have it where they colorized it, and it's not as not as good.
SPEAKER_01:No, yeah. My kids were like, Mom, is is the whole thing in black and white?
SPEAKER_03:It's not like it's not like uh Wizard of Oz.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, that is also a great movie. One of the but yeah, that's one that we watch it every Christmas morning. We watch it at my house. Okay, Jim, what is your favorite Christmas movie?
SPEAKER_02:It's I got a it's a tie. Okay. Rambo and First Blood and Patton. I was gonna say, I got his first one too, basically.
SPEAKER_01:It's a tie. Okay, those are not Christmas movies.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, they technically they are. If you would have said because they went over Christmas period of time.
SPEAKER_03:If you'd have said diehard, I'd have gave you that one. Yeah, well, diehard's on a Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_01:Somehow that does not surprise me that those were your choices. Uh-huh. And funny thing is, like, every time like Patton's on, or and Jim will be like, Oh, look, Patton's on. Have you ever seen this? And I'm like, Yeah, only like only 5,000 times. Like last week. Yeah. Mine would be, well, I have so many. I love White Christmas, it's a wonderful life. We're talking Christmas movies. Yeah, those are Christmas movies. Not technically. White Christmas is one of my favorites. And not a Christmas movie, so to speak, but they just had it on was uh Sound of Music. Love that.
SPEAKER_03:I'm not a big Sound of Music guy.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I loved I love it, man. That is like a classic as well. But my kids did not like that one either.
SPEAKER_03:So well, there's the hills, right? They didn't think the hills were alive with the sound of music. Well, no, I bet they do now, though. All right. Well, what do we got? So the next one. Now, this this one is a little different. It's got some kind of a critter on the that's kind of hot.
SPEAKER_01:That's kind of Christmas. Oh, what is that? It's like uh not really sure Dragon something.
SPEAKER_03:Is it dragon's milk? No. Oh, so this is by Four Hands Brewing, once again, that we had last week. Right. Yeah. And this is their absence of light. This is a peanut butter chocolate milk stout. So we should hopefully be able to compare it to the shells. There we go. See how it is. So what this one says, and they're out of St. Louis, by the way. All right. Uh, did I say 7.1% ABV? That's it. So Shells was six. So this was just a little bit higher. And uh, let's see, the description says the perfect mashup of Coke cacao nibs and peanut butter supported by caramel, chocolate, and roasted malts, absence of light, opens with huge aromas reminiscent of creamy peanut butter cups, and transitions into a silky milk stout with rich chocolate and coffee notes, tapering to a slightly sweet finish provided by an addition of milk sugar. Par with par pear with spicy barbecue, creme brulee, espresso crusted steak. Do you do you have any of those down here for us?
SPEAKER_01:Espresso crusted steak.
SPEAKER_03:I would just be happy with the creme brulee if you have some of that. Yeah, that sounds great to me. Or the spicy barbecue. See, Jim, if you were a good host, you'd had all those sitting there. I came up with the questions. I can't do all the work here. Okay. Shiza.
SPEAKER_00:Shiza.
SPEAKER_03:Wow.
SPEAKER_02:So this is in a pint can as well. You know the amps, you know what the absence of light refers to? Uh darkness, which is night.
SPEAKER_03:Another beer from Surly. Yeah. Darkness. Surly darkness.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, there you go. Ding ding ding. You finally got a question right. Oh, geez. I'm almost mad. Oh, I'm starting to see. This one's got a brown head on it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Smell maple. Yeah.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:All of a sudden, this one's got a maple. I don't smell as much peanut butter on this one, like we did the shells. The shells had a way more peanut butter smell. I like it. Well, that's a little sweeter. Again, getting closer to the belching beaver type. Yeah, this one's a one.
SPEAKER_02:One of the better ones so far. Yes. This one's not bad. I might actually not have to limp out of here. Nice. We might not trip you going up the stairs. Okay, nice. I like that.
SPEAKER_01:So it says on, I don't know. I because obviously I wasn't listening. Oh it says on the side, like you should pair it with chocolate cake.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, it didn't say on untapped, it was the spicy barbecue, the creme brulee, and then the espresso crusted steak.
SPEAKER_01:Chocolate cake. I'm like how do you encrust steak with espresso?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, how do you do that? Probably with the coffee grounds. Ooh. Yeah, that might ruin the steak. Yeah, I don't think I want that.
SPEAKER_01:I'm like the can the can makes it look like it's it's gonna be scary, but it's actually really, really sweet. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02:And it's a milk stout. So I mean the milk stout may uh maybe makes it a little bit smoother. I mean, it is definitely one of the better ones so far.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, I agreed. Now the shells, that was a porter, the peanut butter chocolate porter, and this is a milk stout. You can definitely kind of feel that milky, the more silky type mouthfeel to it. Yeah, definitely better than yep. I agree 100% with that. Then Julie's first.
SPEAKER_00:Well, let me look at my previous scores.
SPEAKER_02:You've already changed twice.
unknown:I know.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I can't we're strategic when we do ours, so we know how to use it. But then every time we're like, uh myself in a corner. See, Mike didn't leave any space between his scores. See my scores, I leave a space.
SPEAKER_01:So well, I'm gonna go with a three because I like this. And wow, I feel like I could drink a couple of these. Yeah, um, very smooth and silky. That was a good word for it. That um milks out. It was good so far. I feel like this is the best one. I like I know we have a few left, so I might have to change my scores again, but right now I'm gonna go with the three.
SPEAKER_03:I like this one. Like I said, I think it's getting closer to that belching beaver type flavor to it. I'm gonna totally blow Jim's mind. I'm going a 3.3. I think this is good. I could I could drink probably a couple cans of it. After the second pint can, though, I'd be getting tired of that sweet, kind of that sweet taste. But I like it. I I it's very smooth. You do get the peanut butter, it doesn't taste like fake peanut butter, you know. I think it's it's good.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I'm gonna have to bust your bubble everybody. Um, is it smooth? Yes. The drawbacks that I the for my flavor, I don't get as much peanut butter or as much chocolate as uh you know that we've had on some other of the better ones that we've had. Is it smooth? Yes. I'm just I guess I'm looking for a little bit more flavor to come through because it you know it it's the the can has got the nice artwork on it where it's gonna be scaring you, but I don't get the I mean there is there a peanut butter flavor, yes. Is there chocolate? Yes. Are they very pronounced? Not really. I mean, I I think the shells actually has more of a peanut butter flavor than this one. Yeah, I would agree. Yeah, so I agree as well. So that's where I can't go too high. I'm gonna go, uh I'm gonna go a 2.9, not quite 3.0, but I think it could be. I mean, because there's nothing that's really negative about it, it's just it's not a lot of flavor, right? If there's a little bit more flavor, it'd be way up there in the threes, no doubt.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. I like I said, I I think it's it's pretty good. So overall, we thought it was good. All right, are you guys got your thinking caps? You got the dunce caps on, which is some kind of cap on.
SPEAKER_02:All right, my rally cap. There we go. Yes, our rally caps are another easy one here. Okay, uh-huh. This is a movie one. Okay. What was the real name of the character Tim Allen plays in the Santa Claus before he turned into Santa?
SPEAKER_03:Yes, I think I know it. I have no idea. So you go, boy. I believe I don't know if it's right or not. I think it was like Scott Calvin.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna I'm gonna have to defer to Mike on this one. So what's your answer? Scott Kelvin.
SPEAKER_02:Julie got it right. Look at that. Holy awesome, Julie. Oh, sorry, Mike.
SPEAKER_01:I should have rethought that.
SPEAKER_02:And Mike got it wrong. How is that possible?
SPEAKER_03:You see, isn't it even because his initials were SC also? That's why I was like, I know it's Scott, I think it was Scott Kelvin. I mean, Julie, wasn't it Scott Kelvin or something like that? It was glad I could help you out. Thank you. Thank you for helping me correcting me on that one.
SPEAKER_02:See, and you said there was no movie questions.
SPEAKER_03:No, I agree, I understand. I take it all back now. See, nice.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I for the listeners, I had absolutely no idea on that one. But you got it right, which is weird that you got it right. I'm gonna shout out to the Northwoods beer guy for helping me out on that one. Well, I got it wrong.
SPEAKER_03:I got it wrong. Next time, there's always next time, Mike. Yes, I get more questions. Maybe the next one I'll get right. I should let Julie answer first than the next one.
SPEAKER_01:No way, she'd get it right, and I'd still get it wrong if I said I was like, I don't know if you want me to answer.
SPEAKER_03:No, we've always got good beer from we've had good beers from these guys. Yes. So this is Untitled Arts, nice salted caramel mocha stout. Oh, nice. Interesting. So this is 8% ABV, and uh, they're out of Wanakkee, Wisconsin. Owned by Madison. Yep. All right. Their description said that diet can wait until February, right? Make a New Year's resolution to treat yourself and celebrate. Stoutzen. Whatever that is, with our take on this decadent coffee house favorite. Ribbons of rich salted caramel swirl with bittersweet chocolate and roasty espresso for a luxurious brew to warm you up on a cold winter's night.
SPEAKER_01:I'm excited because Untitled Art always has some of the best tasting beers.
SPEAKER_03:I was gonna say we've had a lot of their beers and they've had it.
SPEAKER_01:And they are what they say on the can is usually what it tastes like.
SPEAKER_03:Now I will say there's times that they start to approach that little too sweet at times on some of them, but eight percent, this one could be pretty decent. So we will uh is it dark? It is dark, yeah. It's uh not bad. And for some.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna give a shout out to one of my friends, Joe, who absolutely loves untitled art beer. I think anything she's ever had from them, she loves. And I'm texting her and just told her that's what we were trying. And she said, I love love me some untitled art.
SPEAKER_03:So that smells sweet.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my goodness, that smells like the caramel, caramely mocha. It smells like you're gonna like a breakfast roll, cinnamon roll, caramel roll. Your salt.
SPEAKER_03:Salted caramel is kind of finished. I get the salt, I get that coffee up front. It's the coffee, and then you know what it tastes like?
SPEAKER_01:Uh, like a cappuccino, like a caramel macchiato, whatever those fancy ones are.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, that you buy all the time. No.
SPEAKER_01:Well, your daughter, Jim, does like to have some of these, and that's what it tastes like. It tastes like uh like an iced caramel latte or something.
SPEAKER_03:I was gonna say it's I totally get like that coffee up front, and then it totally is salted caramel. Yeah, this like on the finish is like, whoa, the small comes through. Oh, yeah, yeah. Wow, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Isn't it amazing how the you get a different flavor at the beginning, then the finish changes? Totally different flavor.
SPEAKER_03:That's wild. That's that's good. That is wild.
SPEAKER_01:That is very good.
SPEAKER_03:They do a good job, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know, and um see that's and that's what we always talk about is you know, some group brewers are able to crack the code on how to do that, yeah. Right. And other ones are just I don't know if they're just throwing stuff.
SPEAKER_03:The thing I like about it, about them too is they don't they don't overs. It's sweet, don't get me wrong, but it's not like I'm gonna go into a diabetic coma suite, yeah. Like some of them, you know, like Avery. Yeah, I mean they're that's they're on that verge, but they're not there. And like I said, maybe it's with this one, it's because that you get that coffee up front, so it it's not quite as sweet, but then you do I totally get the salted caramel on the finish.
SPEAKER_01:It doesn't even taste honest to God, and I don't what is the alcohol percentage in this? Eight percent you would never know it drinking it. It like literally is like going and getting yourself uh iced coffee somewhere. It tastes so good.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's kind of wild. There is a little bit of a weird that transition between the two. There's just a slight thing in the middle there. You're kind of like, but then it gets to that salted caramel. You're like, oh, you know. Well, you are you are up on tap. Oh man. Um, this is very good. I I do like this.
SPEAKER_02:So you put yourself in a corner, so you can uh that's why I left myself some space.
SPEAKER_03:Uh I'm gonna go with 3.2 just because of that little that transition thing is a little weird, but the rest of it is really good.
SPEAKER_02:So you like the absence of the light.
SPEAKER_03:I do like the absent a little that just the one tick better just because of that. Okay, but overall, I mean, this is a very solid beer. I I do enjoy this.
SPEAKER_02:Delicious. Well, I think you're wrong. I think you're way off. I'm going to 3.5.
SPEAKER_03:Boy, that's a shock that is that I'm wrong.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. You're way off. So you went what? 3.5. Wow.
SPEAKER_01:That's that's big for you.
SPEAKER_02:This is a I like this beer. This is so, I mean, especially with the flavors change. At the very beginning. It was probably more in the very first sip where that mocha and then it switched right to the the salted caramel. I mean, it was really, really you know, after a couple more sips, it doesn't, it's not as pronounced, but that very first sip was like, wow, this is like spot on. If you if somebody wouldn't have told me what it was, I think I could have picked the flavors out.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:By just the flavor, I mean, they were that good.
SPEAKER_03:So this is one of the best salted caramel flavors, I think, that I can remember.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so uh, I have a question from one of our listeners. Uh, they wanted to know if you bought more than one. That would be a negatory. Oh, this was on the build your own six pack at Total.
SPEAKER_00:Sad face.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So you can somehow break it to the listener. Yeah. We did not get more than one because we didn't know. We didn't know.
SPEAKER_02:We didn't know what they tasted like.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so we might have to make a run at some point this week and see if we can get some.
SPEAKER_02:If that listener, maybe they had somebody that was with us that could have bought one.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I'm pretty sure somebody that they know very well was with us.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, well, I feel like you know, we'll send Johnny John out and uh go to Rochester. Yep. Send him on a little road cruise and see if he can come up with uh a couple more cans of this because it was delicious. Very good.
SPEAKER_02:So what's your score then?
SPEAKER_01:I am gonna go with a I'm gonna go three point, I would do a three point five. I really like this. It was good. Mike must be wrong again. Must be wrong. It's it's kind of in my wheelhouse because it's sweet, it's not dark and bitter and tasting like I'm drinking like a shot of bourbon or anything like that. It's just very good. Yeah, love it.
SPEAKER_02:Good. All right, are we ready for the next easy question since Mike is getting cl he's getting closer and closer, but Julie just seems to eke him out every time. Exactly. So the next question. Yep. This hot spiced cider is a popular Yule tide tradition. What is it? It's not a beer. I don't know. It'll be like apple cider, but is it like a drink? Yes, the name of the drink. This is one of those easy ones. I tried to keep them as easy as possible.
SPEAKER_01:I don't think I know the name of it, but the only reason I think feel like I've heard it is they are having it at the Kindle Mart, which is uh uh the Chris Kindlemart, which is Kindlemart. Yeah, Chris Kindle martin Sparta, Wisconsin. It's magical if you've not been here. But they have uh that spice cider, and I've seen it called though like a couple different mold, well, they call it like mold wine, mold wine, yeah. And then there's something it starts with like a g like glue.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, that's glug.
SPEAKER_01:No, it no, it's longer. Glue something, something.
SPEAKER_03:But that uh I'm gonna go with the mold wine.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna go with the g thing.
SPEAKER_03:You guys are both so close. Oh it's a wasail. Oh so close. Yeah, I had no idea.
SPEAKER_01:Well, then I then that's not what they have in Sparta. They have something.
SPEAKER_03:Again, I could have guessed a hundred times and not come up with uh that kind of word.
SPEAKER_01:Whatever they have in in it. I thought that was the easy one because Chris Kindlemart, it smells like um cloves and right. Uh cloves. Cloves. Is it like heather? No, no, and it's not it's not like star anus either.
SPEAKER_02:It's all right. So I even got a little definition here for you. Okay. It's a traditional English spiced hot cider, also the name of an ancient custom of drinking it while going door to door or visiting orchards, singing carols and toasting to good health, except for Mike, on in a good wow, stemming from the old English phrase was heal. Be healthy, huh? Does it say what's in the I think it's like because they were telling it was often made with apple cider, orange juice, sugar, mulling spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and sometimes added with spirits like Tito's. Yes!
SPEAKER_03:I didn't know Tito's was that old.
unknown:Wow, wow.
SPEAKER_03:Interesting. They they were underground, must have been for a while. CI gave me that one. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01:Well, all I know is when last night we were um in our hometown here when they have this market, and you could smell that wine. Like people were drinking it, it was hot, you know, they're walking through all these booths and things outside. It was beautiful, it was like magical, snowing Christmas, whatever. And uh you can smell it. It is like super spicy, almost like burnt marshmallows. Nope, not even close to burnt marshmallows. Um, but uh, but they I think they call it like glue. I don't know. I'll have to look on the little flare. See what that is.
SPEAKER_03:It's probably similar to what that is, you know, maybe just a different name or something.
SPEAKER_01:But and every year they have like a different little mug, and you this year it looks like a little boot.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, really?
SPEAKER_01:Like a little German boot, and you can get your wine out of there. And interesting. Yeah, and you get to keep the boot then, you get to keep the boot collector's item. I did not know that. Yeah, and then they also have you know, um, different kinds of crafts craft beers and stuff down there.
SPEAKER_03:So nice at the Chris Kringle Martin Sparta. Yes. All right, you ready for another beer there, Jim? Let's kick it off. All right, so this one is another one we bought on our Black Friday shopping extravaganza, right? And this is by Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. Okay. This is their black chocolate stout. This is a Russian imperial stout. They have they have me. My my interest has peaked. Yes, all right. 10% ABV and 51 IBUs. Ooh, a little bit higher on the little bit higher on the hoppiness, but we'll see. Most of the Russian Imperials are they say they're hoppy, but they're, you know. Right. All right. So brewed since 1994, our black chocolate stout has itself become a modern classic. Like Mike. See, when people start their stuff with that, they're setting it up to fail.
SPEAKER_02:Right, they're setting themselves way up on high.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so we'll see. Hopefully, it's it's good. Heralded uh uh heralded the world over. It achieves its dark chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six malts and three distinct mashes. Originally, our brew mastered Garrett Oliver's resume beer, black chocolate stout is now a wintertime favorite among beer fans worldwide. Rich roasted malts come together to create an unmistakably dark chocolate flavor, perfect for special occasions and late nights by the fire. Wow, well, and this is our first one in a bottle this week. So it should be interesting because I don't I think we've had some beers from Brooklyn. Have we? I think before I'd have to look it up to make sure. I thought this might have been our first one, but that's sure. We'll have to look. I don't remember, but black chocolate that makes me wonder. That's dark. Oh, yeah. That looks glorious. That is a dark beer. Well, it's a Russian Imperial. So and so when they're talking about dark chocolate, you know, is it I'm hoping it's like they mean dark chocolate. I've never can't safely say that I've had black chocolate before.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Yeah, I don't know what it does say in the cheese a dark chocolate aroma.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah. That reminds me, and do you remember the one? And I I can I wish I could remember who made it, but it had that dark chocolate flavor, like baker's chocolate almost that, but it was it was like the the special, you know, talking like the Hershey's special dark, you know.
SPEAKER_02:It may have been an entitled art because they usually have a good flavor. It could have been. They usually have a good chocolate flavor too.
SPEAKER_03:Because remember, we we we'd find it, and it had like kind of an artsy looking, like a dude on the can and such, and that was kind of reminiscent a little bit of the aroma, at least, right? Of this. Boy, it does have like a dark chocolate aroma to it. That's it's interesting. That's different than wow. That would be the chair.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, yeah, I believe that. You're the you're the only one that actually like loses their hinder. There's like a not a burnt, but like a dark.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_01:You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03:Not burnt molds, some darker it it almost has like a baker's chocolate taste to me, like real like you wouldn't want to eat that on the edge of bitterness. You wouldn't want to eat that chocolate.
SPEAKER_01:The flavor, though, I feel like is that charred flavor.
SPEAKER_03:Well, like I said, to me, it almost has like that, like you said, that bitter like baker's chocolate flavor to it. You know what I mean? Where it's like that burnt like that baker's chocolate.
SPEAKER_02:You know, and it has 51 IBUs. So this one for me, it's not hoppy, but it's bitter.
SPEAKER_03:It's bitter, right?
SPEAKER_02:It has a bitterness to it for sure. But it's not it, you know, because sometimes they always say hoppiness. Right. But this one is not the hoppiness part.
SPEAKER_01:There's no, I don't have hoppiness, but the smell is like kind of deceiving because I wouldn't expect it. And then after drinking it, I'm like, ooh, geez, that's well.
SPEAKER_03:Like I said, the aroma to me was oh, it's got like a dark chocolate, right? The flavor. And we've had a lot of Russian Imperial stouts, and this doesn't taste like most of those. This definitely, I think, leaned on that bitter chocolate flavor.
SPEAKER_02:A little too much. I think I mean it says artful blending of the six malts and three mashes.
SPEAKER_01:I don't know who it has that bark taste to me, and I I I I'm I guess I'm not a fan of that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I hear you on that. So you're would you like some more, Jim? You're first, buddy. Me? Ugh. Uh just gonna do it. Yeah, the aroma was good. The flavor slightly less than the aroma was. Um boy, I'm gonna I hate to do this because it was 10 10. 10%. And I do, you know, we like Russian Imperial Stouts, but and it's double digit. It is, but I'll give it a tenth of a point for that, so I'm gonna go with 2.4, you know, or it might have been lower, huh? Might have been lower. Uh I just that kind of real bitter flavor to it. And I I definitely can say I would not drink that whole bottle.
SPEAKER_02:And I think not to echo on what you said, not only is it a bitter flavor, but it the finish is bitter and it lingers. Yeah, and it stays with it, it doesn't like go away. It's it stays there, which I think I could overlook the bitterness if it went away right away, but it's hanging on. Does it hang on for you guys too? Oh, yeah, it's hanging out. It's still there. So I I'm right in there with you. The scoring.
SPEAKER_03:See, I told you they set themselves way too high on that description.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm trying to come up with a good score for it because it is 10%.
SPEAKER_01:So I know like, do you give them points for being so high alcohol?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I think, but we are our own internal processing is that once you get in a double digit, it's a little bit harder to make that type of beer. Okay, yeah, drinkable. It's not like super sweet or super. So we kind of lean or give them the benefit of the doubt. There you go. Is that is that a good way to say it? Yeah, um, so that's I don't want to be too harsh, too critical. Because I mean, I know it is difficult to make a 10% beer. Right. That's drinkable, that's that you can sell. Yep. But that bitterness for me just like it's still hings. I'm trying to overcome that. That's so I'm gonna I'm gonna say a 2.6.
SPEAKER_03:I know how you can do that. Take another hit off of that unentitled arts one.
SPEAKER_02:I mean there you go. That's my my only I mean I just I want to give it more, I'm just struggling with it.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. So what'd you go with? I want a two point six point six, okay. A little bit above average. Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I feel like since I'm kind of like the novice, you know, I have not tasted nearly as many beers remotely close as you two. And I don't look at alcohol content. I guess I look at just for me, it's just flavor. And if I could drink that, and I I don't think I could drink much of that. Um, I'm gonna just I'm gonna go with like a 1.9. Whoa. Just because it's super bitter. Yeah, and the aftertaste the aftertaste, and it's not like it's not horrible, it's just the aftertaste is like just stays with you. Like I feel like I'm gonna be tasting this for three days.
SPEAKER_03:I was gonna say maybe if it was like the the dark chocolate that lingered, it'd be better, but it's not, it's that bitterness that has yeah, that yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Like I said, it wasn't horrible, it's just the aftertaste was oh gosh.
SPEAKER_02:Um, we're getting down there on questions. We only got a couple left.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, two beers left.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, two beers left, two questions left. Okay, here's the next one for a movie. Movie's a category. Okay. What is the name of George Bailey's Guardian Angel? I know this one. And it's a wonderful life. Now, don't blurt it out if you know it. Let's give a couple seconds. Yep. Now, who wants to be first?
SPEAKER_01:On the count of three, Mike will say it. One, two, three. Clarence.
SPEAKER_02:Um, still listening.
SPEAKER_03:Clarence.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:We both said it just now. Clarence.
SPEAKER_02:I need the last name too. For pop.
SPEAKER_03:It didn't. No.
SPEAKER_02:No. No.
SPEAKER_00:In the movie, it never said it never says a last name.
SPEAKER_02:I have a last name. Oh, and what's that?
SPEAKER_03:Old body. You guys wrong. I could safely say they never say that in the movie. And Clarence.
SPEAKER_01:The only thing, did they go to Clarence's grave in the movie? I can't remember.
SPEAKER_03:No, they went to George Bailey's. Or his brothers. His brothers.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Because when they called him, it was just get Clarence. And then he always said in the sign when he signed it, yeah. The book at the end was Clarence.
SPEAKER_01:I'm sure, Jim, we won't watch it again because you're gonna watch it tonight, Jim.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, no, and then you're gonna call me or text me and say, You were right. It's Clarence Old Body.
SPEAKER_01:No, it was just Clarence.
SPEAKER_03:We can we got it right, so it doesn't matter. All right, so what do we got next? All right, we got now. We can up our game. I'm hoping. So the next one we have is the 2025 Lost Moon. And this is by uh I I I always I don't know how to pronounce this. Is it prize? It's P-R-Y-E-S. Prize Piers, Piers Brewing, Prize Brewing out of Minneapolis. It is a bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. Okay, nice. 11.2% ABV and 23 IBUs. So it should not be bitter. It shouldn't be better. Voyage to the Sea of Tranquility by tasting 2025 Lost Moon. This annual specialty beer glows with rich cocoa, velvety vanilla, and toffee flavors. Experience the magic of the fleeting Lost Moon while it lasts. Prize, and I hope I'm saying that right. Prize 2025 Lost Moon Russian Imperial Stout is here, aged for many months in bourbon barrels. It's made to savor on chilly winter moonlit nights, glowing with the flavors of rich cocoa, vanilla, and toffee. So now they don't say what the barrel, you know, what brand or how long.
SPEAKER_01:Sounds delicious.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Well, so do we know where the Sea of Tranquility is located in space?
SPEAKER_01:I was just going with the brewery. It's located along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
SPEAKER_03:Uh my wife and I have actually been there before. Oh, Sea of Tranquility? No.
SPEAKER_01:It's got a vibrant camp room experience featuring craft award-winning craft beers and wood-fired pizza.
SPEAKER_03:And they also have a bocce ball court inside. Oh, nice. Also, which is kind of interesting.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay. This is weird. Okay. It says open daily from 11. The spacious venue includes a riverside patio, spacious indoor seating, and a unique feather bowling lane. So that yeah, I guess I called it bocce ball, but yeah, one of only a few in the United States. Whether you're a beer enthusiast or seeking a distinctive outing, they provide a welcoming atmosphere.
SPEAKER_02:Smell that one, Jim. Well, and just I'm trying to echo in here. So see a tranquility is a large dark ball sack plane.
SPEAKER_01:No, I'm on the surgeon. Ball sack. Nobody says ball sack except for you.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_03:That's his favorite vinegar, too, by the way. Balsack.
SPEAKER_01:No, that's all.
SPEAKER_00:No, that does. How does B-A-S? B-A-S-A-L-T-I-C. Ball sack.
SPEAKER_01:No, you're off. It says ball sack. You need to learn to read. Ooh, that's oh my lord, that smells like I'm afraid.
SPEAKER_03:That's got some bourbon taste to it. There's some bourbon. But it's not over the top over the top.
SPEAKER_01:That's what I'm gonna say. Cocoa, vanilla, and toffee. I don't know. It's it's not that holy moly. That's some strong, that's strong.
SPEAKER_02:But it's they mix together really good. Yeah. I mean, it's not I'm not picking out anything negative. It's just it's trying to pick out the flavors.
SPEAKER_03:Mouthfeel is very smooth. Yep. Uh you do get a little bit of a sweetness. You definitely get that bourbon flavor. Right.
SPEAKER_01:What's the sweetness from?
SPEAKER_03:Uh I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:So this is like 12.4 ABV, right?
SPEAKER_03:11.2. Unless it what does it say on the can?
SPEAKER_01:12.4. Oh at least 23 IBUs. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Well, yeah, 23 IBUs, but on the yeah, the website said 11.2, but the can says 12.4.
SPEAKER_01:I feel like it's it's totally 12.4 on all right.
SPEAKER_03:They got another tenth of a point.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, because I mean it does not, there's no burn, though.
SPEAKER_01:No, there is no burn, but it's definitely liquor base.
SPEAKER_03:You get a bourbon flavor, yeah, for sure. Which is good. Oh, yeah. I but we like it. Right.
SPEAKER_02:But I wish I would, you know, because it says rich cocoa, velvety vanilla, and toffee flavor. I don't know if I get those.
SPEAKER_00:I get a little bit of sweetness, but I don't.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, the sweetness is there, right?
SPEAKER_01:It's like creamy. You know what I'm saying? Like the like the chocolatey, caramel-y, whatever flavor. It it reminds me of something like creamy, like that, but it's strong.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, oh yeah. This is not one I would tell a new person that's never had it to drink this to try it for a first bourbon barrel age beer. I wouldn't do that.
SPEAKER_01:It tastes great. I mean, the flavor I think is great, but Yaoza, like one can of this, and I feel like it's it's it's yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know, and so my only addition for them would be, you know, is we have uh several very good brewers in the state of Wisconsin that we've always talked about that are doing a good job with their barrel aging. So then my points would be you know, what type of bourbon barrel are you using and how long are you aging it? You know, because is this your base Russian Imperial stout beer? You know, some it's it's good, it's not it's not bad, but maybe that base stout, maybe they need to tweak that base stout a little bit more or change maybe the bourbon barrel that they're putting it in. Because I mean we've had some really good ones for like central water.
SPEAKER_03:Oh yeah, and you know, when they when they say age for several months, well, is several months three months or thirty months, you know, you don't you don't know, right?
SPEAKER_02:And and we've uh the ones that tell us, you know, like central waters, you can spot on tell when something's been aged for like 18 months, right, or 60 months. Uh right because the flavor really comes through, it mellows out. The bourbon really does a good job with that beer. Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Did does this tell you how long it has been?
SPEAKER_03:At least on the website it didn't. It just said several months.
SPEAKER_01:So we don't I'm assuming you got what's on the back of the can. Taste Lunar Love with a delightless delightfully smooth and dark 2025 barrel age loss moon. This specialty beer is aged for many months, so it doesn't really give you a time in bourbon barrels, and it's made to savor on a chilly winter moonlit night, glowing with the flavors of rich cocoa, vanilla, and toffee. Grab a glimpse while you can. The night of the lost moon is fleeting. For as high alcohol it is, it does have a decent flavor, I feel like, to it.
SPEAKER_02:So who's first probably a bad judge of this because so I like it, but I still like the salted caramel. That for me, that still's got a good number. So I'm gonna go one tick below, I'm gonna say a 3.4. I like it, but I still like that salted caramel. Okay, yeah. Um, there's nothing bad with this one. I mean, I gave it a tenth of the point for a high ABV, but I'm I was still looking for that cocoa, vanilla, toffee sure mix in there. Yep. That those those flavors sound good. I just wanted to be able to taste it. Julie, what'd you think?
SPEAKER_01:Um I am gonna go with like a 2.1 only because I am not you know, high alcohol beers for me sometimes are like, oh geez. You know, not you know, I I I'm it's I'm sh assuming you just me, but sometimes when they're so high alcohol, it's like I lose the taste in the alcohol. So I'm gonna go with that. It it's not that it's bad. It was actually considering the high alcohol, um, I feel like it wasn't it tasted all right, but it was just a little strong for me.
SPEAKER_03:You know, Jim, I do agree with what you had said too. I'm gonna put it as one step below my salted caramel, so it'll be a 3.1. Okay. I did I it was good. Uh there was a little bit of a sweetness to it, but like I said, I the bourbon was really the the predominant flavor, yep. And which you and I both enjoy. Yes, you know, yes, but it it was it did have where I think they could have tweaked it just a little bit and brought quite a bit to it, yeah. But uh I yeah, it's not bad. I would I drink a lot of those because it's a pint can. No, because if it's 12.4, I mean you know, that's one you can do. One can and you're gonna be you buy it and share it with your friends, you know. And it was good. Like I said, it's it's not we've had worse, we've had better for sure. And I give them credit because like I said, 12.4, it's it's up there, it didn't burn at all, and you you know, you could you could definitely drink it, so it did not burn.
SPEAKER_01:I will give it that.
SPEAKER_03:So we give it that. All right, Jim. We have one question left. I hope it's on movies. It is, and it's the easiest question.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, this is probably easier than the first one. Okay, what is the name of the Grinch's dog? Just hang on, don't blurt it out. Don't blurt it out because I know you guys know what it is. I'm trying to think of what it is. You guys know what it is, so I'm don't blurt it out. Easy question. All right, so who wants to go first? Oh, I can't remember. No, I got it like on the it's there. I I'm seeing it in my head, but I can't like because listeners, if you want to email it to us, we'll know what it is right away. When oh, I know it. I know it.
SPEAKER_01:I don't. Can I go first? All right, yes, Max. All right, and Julie, what's your answer? I'm gonna not answer because I feel like Mike's right.
SPEAKER_02:Well, what's your you're gonna say something you can't say? Oh, say nothing.
SPEAKER_01:I'm not gonna answer that because I feel like she says the same thing, you're gonna give it to her and I'm gonna get it wrong.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I know how this game works. What's your answer? The same answer, John.
SPEAKER_01:You are right, it is it is not, it is Max.
SPEAKER_03:It's Max, isn't it? It is Max. Oh, that kills him. Look at he's mad now. His ears are turning red.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_03:As soon as you said it, I was like, Oh I was sitting there picturing the Jim Carrey movie going, Yes, what is and then it clicked.
SPEAKER_01:And I was like, Oh, I know it.
SPEAKER_02:See, I and I give you guys these easy questions all the time.
SPEAKER_01:See what's funny is we're as a team, we get like team points.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, what's funny is when it came you know to movies, we got them all right. Weird, but when it was those fake, so what what was the chemical compound of the first fake Christmas tree that was in the year 302, yeah, BC. Exactly. This is an easy one.
SPEAKER_01:What's Santa wearing?
SPEAKER_02:Come on, really, everybody knows these Christmas Christmas questions are so easy.
SPEAKER_03:All right, oh well, good good job, Julie. All right, so we're only got one beer left. All right, and this is from Three Floyds, Munster, which is in Munster, Indiana. This is the Black Colossus.
SPEAKER_01:Have you been there? Have you guys been there? Three Floyds?
SPEAKER_02:No, that would be a good trip.
SPEAKER_03:I would not mind 14.1% ABV. Ouch. Now let's see what it says. Vanquisher of Worlds. Okay, Black Colossus consumes all ingredients in its path to create a new stout of total devastation. Barrel-aged Imperial stout with pasilla, P-A-S-I-L-L-A, Pasilla and Ancho peppers. Oh, vanilla, cacao, cacao, cacao, cinnamon, coffee, and lactose. Oh, I'm guessing this is a lot of stuff going on.
SPEAKER_01:Hold on to your undies, folks, because I feel like this is 14.1.
SPEAKER_03:This is the vanquisher of worlds.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I feel like if you're gonna try to sell something that people want to drink, maybe that should not be the way that you described it. So, do we know we're the vanquisher of no?
SPEAKER_03:It doesn't. It just said drink this and die.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's what it's like.
SPEAKER_02:So we don't know what kind of barrel, if it was a whiskey or if it was a bourbon, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:We don't know that. You know, there's a couple different kinds of peppers in there.
SPEAKER_01:I smell the peppery, it smells like chocolate pepper underpants.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, did you say chocolate pepper underpants?
SPEAKER_01:That's what I feel like it smells like.
SPEAKER_03:I can safely say I've never smelled chocolate pepper underpants.
SPEAKER_02:You tasted them, but you haven't smelled them.
SPEAKER_03:How do you imagine what chocolate pepper underpants?
SPEAKER_00:Well, imagine use your imagination, Mike.
SPEAKER_03:All right, oh boy, boy. I can smell cinnamon.
SPEAKER_02:I can get the peppery kind of in your pants.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I like that. I like that a lot.
SPEAKER_02:There's there's not a lot of pepper.
SPEAKER_03:No, you get it just maybe a little bit of a finish on the finish.
SPEAKER_02:A little bit of a pepper on the thing.
SPEAKER_01:I think you you smell it more than you taste it.
SPEAKER_03:But boy, I get the cinnamon. I and I get the I do get the peppers, you get that slight to try another taste. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:The pepper's a thing on my tongue, I think, because that's what the finish is like, really peppery.
SPEAKER_03:I I really don't get coffee. I get cinnamon, a little bit of vanilla, cocoa, the peppers for sure. Yep. Uh, but not in a bad way. Cocoa, maybe a little. I don't get coffee.
SPEAKER_02:Coffee and cocoa are very, very limited.
SPEAKER_03:Boy, a lot. I like that a lot. So is this like the ghost pepper one? No, no, that ghost pepper one was a tinge hotter than this one.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I don't know what it why it is. I I don't like this. I'm trying to figure out why.
SPEAKER_03:Is there something that because the peppers aren't bad?
SPEAKER_01:No, it's not like spicy hot, you know. Um, I don't know. It's just like a weird and we don't know what is barrel aged in.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, we don't know what it was aged in or how long.
SPEAKER_01:But I feel like the smell's kind of got a like a funk to it. I'm not sure what it is. Pepper?
unknown:No.
SPEAKER_03:I was gonna say I smelled the cinnamon and such in that, but again, no answer and an answer is not, you know, there's no wrong answers.
SPEAKER_01:I will say I've definitely drank a whole lot worse than this for sure. Um, but not one of my favorites.
SPEAKER_03:14-1. That's pretty that's up there. That's up there.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna I I'll I'll just start it off. Okay, because for me, you know, like I said, I'm not a huge super strong beer drinker, so I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go with a two because I haven't given that yet, right? No, I'll go with a two. I think if you liked strong beers like that, you probably would really like it. I myself, it's it's a little bit much for me.
SPEAKER_03:Sure. All right, well, all right. Good answer. No, yeah, there's no wrong answer. That's your opinion, man.
SPEAKER_01:Um I I will say right now though, I just swallowed and now it's like burning all the way down my just like chocolate pepper underpants. Like it's like burning all the way down the middle of my chest right now. So it is a little spicy.
SPEAKER_03:I like this. I like this a lot. I I like right now. This is today, this is the best beer we've had, my opinion.
SPEAKER_01:For real.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I'm going to 3.6. I like this. I think, but I but you gotta remember, Julie, I I like spicy stuff as well, you know. And I think that the that cinnamon and the the uh peppers meld well together. I don't get coffee jam. I and I give you that. I do get the vanilla, cocoa, a little bit of cocoa, not much, a little bit, but I I like it again. 14-1. I don't think it burns. You don't get a bourbon burn. You could get a pepper burn, right? You know, but I don't mind that. So yeah, I I think that's the best one, my opinion.
SPEAKER_02:So for me, I would almost say they should label us the the Mexican hot chocolate one. Almost, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:You know, this has got more, I think it's it does, it has more of a Mexican hot chocolate flavor than the Mexican hot chocolate one did.
SPEAKER_02:That's a good yeah. I mean it so it's so for me, because I'm not a huge pepper guy, but I like the flavor. And it doesn't like for me, it it it's there, but it doesn't like it's not like the ghost peppers stuff.
SPEAKER_03:Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Which turns me off because you you you drink more and it just makes it hotter, right?
SPEAKER_01:See, that's but I mean who is not a pepper guy girl either, at first I was like, Oh yeah, I don't really taste it, but then after like a couple of drinks, and then all of a sudden it was like oh shoot, that's wait a minute, there's peppers in there. Like it then all of a sudden it was just like really hot, you know. So I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:So I'm I'm running it with you, Mike. I'm gonna go with 3.6 as well. I like it. And I just wish they would tell me what kind of bourbon it was. Right. I hope it was bourbon.
SPEAKER_03:Well, that's what it said. It was bourbon. No, it didn't. It just said barrel aged.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, right. So I don't know. You know, this might be one of those if they're like tequila, you know.
SPEAKER_03:Who knows? Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know, if this was bourbon, barrel aged and it, you know, had a little bit more of these other flavors, this could be up in there in the four range.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02:All right there, Julie. Well, you want to give you a wrap-up what your top three were for today?
SPEAKER_01:Oh wow, um, sure.
SPEAKER_02:I will because yours are probably a little different than like and uh what we had.
SPEAKER_01:Well, being that I had to change a couple of them and kind of like uh go around. I think uh so my number one favorite was a salted caramel stout. Um, that one was delicious.
SPEAKER_03:Untitled Arts.
SPEAKER_01:Untitled Arts, yep. And uh honestly, I've never been disappointed by pretty much anything from Untitled Arts. So uh that is my favorite. Um, my next one would have been the is it absence of light? That that was my second favorite, and then the peanut butter chocolate porter was my third. From shells, yes.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so what did you think overall of the category?
SPEAKER_01:Um, I liked it actually. I mean, it's all the things I like coffee, chocolate, bourbon, high high alcohol. Yeah, well no, but you know, it's like all the things that I that I do like, but in moderation. Sometimes I feel like like the bourbon barrels, it's great, but it's like okay, that's like I should have just I could have drank a bourbon on the rocks for that. But yeah, I I liked it. It was it was good overall. I feel like the category was great.
SPEAKER_02:We're trying to tie it into winter or holidays.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, is it and I feel like darker, heavier beers are wintery kind of beers.
SPEAKER_03:That's always the thing, Jim, that you and I have talked about because a lot of people and a lot of bars and such too are like, well, you know, stouts that's more of a winter thing, right? You and I drink them all year long. Yeah, you know, and so does BK, so does my brother. You know, we enjoy a good stout, barrel-aged stout, anything like that. We drink it all year long. Right, yep. Uh, but you're right, Julie, that a lot of times people think that's more of like a winter type beer. So for me, the number one was the black classes by far. Yep. I think that was really good. I like that pepper, a little bit of a pepper heat to it. Very good. Uh, I think I yeah, that was that was good. Uh, I really did like the absinthe of light. That was also a very good one. My third one was the salted caramel mocha. And really, I'm trying to think if there was honestly the the the Mexican hot chocolate, I wish was the first one from Left Hand Brewing. It wasn't bad. We had it, I had it at average, right? You know, but I I that was kind of the low end, and I wish it had more flavor. Yes, you know, but other overall, I think this was a good category, and and and we really had you know flavors, a lot of different flavors, to be honest with you, in similar, uh similar styles of beer, yes, you know, but but there was a number of different flavors to it, so it was really good, which is good, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean it was a very good category. I mean, um, I don't think that we um I think we had a different we had a idea of what it was gonna look like when we started because they all had good flavors that we all were looking forward to, and the tie-in to the winter to try to keep it, you know, trying to warm you up in the wintertime, as I think is the the common theme, right? Yep. Um, so I'm glad we did it. I mean, we don't I don't think we've done a category like this that that I can remember, yeah. Um, which is nice, and it pushes you close to that six thousand range. Oh, yeah, which is which is another good thing. We're sneaking up on it. Um, and I'll say that my my top three black colossus, I liked the the pepper. I mean, because I mean we've had a couple of beers where I you'll even have to vouch for me. I tried the pepper, I couldn't drink it. Right. I had to hand it off because it was just too peppery.
SPEAKER_03:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:But this has got the right if you like peppers, but not over the top. This is one of those. This wasn't like the one we had down in Missouri, where it was like the it was the salsa beer. Oh, yeah. Or was it way too peppery? Yeah, you know, those way too over the top. This is this just has like a little like sprinkle of it, which is perfect. Uh my number two was a salted mocha caramel, but that's still just like is just amazing how they had to.
SPEAKER_01:I feel like we're all gonna be fighting for whatever is left in the can.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, that that salted caramel, I mean that mocha, the caramel just really spot on. Good job, Tyler. That was awesome. And then my my third is the lost moon. I think, I mean, it is so close. I mean, they are on the verge of being one of those go-to barrel-aged beer brewing companies that we that we know and rely on around here. We we once we hear their name, Bourbon County, Central Waters, you know, we we go there because we know their beers are good. Yeah, they're they're close. Yep. It's not gonna take much to think. Hopefully, I don't know if they listen to it, but I mean, if they want us to come test some of their other products, we'd be more than welcome. Right, more than willing to do it. Yes. We'll try. I mean, because we have a little bit of knowledge, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Um very little, but we know when it comes to beer.
SPEAKER_02:When it comes to barrel-age beer, we have had a few.
SPEAKER_03:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:So, yes, thank you for bringing those, Mike.
SPEAKER_03:They're very good. I'm kind of surprised you didn't say that James was your top one.
SPEAKER_02:No, I mean it was up there, but after you tried it, there was a few. I mean, I think it was my best one, but I was hoping for the maple.
SPEAKER_03:I just figured because of the name.
SPEAKER_02:The maple and that pecan butter, right? That's what I was looking for. Yeah, and it wasn't there too.
SPEAKER_01:When it tasted like maple and pecan butter, it probably would have been my favorite, but it didn't taste like that.
SPEAKER_03:So yes, it will close awesome. So very good, very good. Yep, very good. Well, hey, thank you guys for sitting down and trying these dark beers. Yes, I know that it's a struggle, Julie. It's typically not your category, no, but I I do think you were a little bit surprised on some of them. So that's great.
SPEAKER_01:I'll curse you tomorrow. Curse you all tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02:Well, oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. Before we go, before we go, the questions Julie won again.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Um, she was like not correct, but okay.
SPEAKER_02:So I'll give you the scores. Julie had a positive 7,426.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. And Mike had a see, this is where it gets weird because I got all those movie ones right, and he's not gonna give me credit for them.
SPEAKER_02:So you didn't get the hot spice cider one, right? The was hill.
SPEAKER_03:That wasn't a movie one.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it was you'll tie tradition. It's not a movie. You didn't get clearance odabody. There is no last name.
SPEAKER_03:I had minus something, so I liked it again.
SPEAKER_02:So so you had minus one. Oh, I was almost at zero. Yes, nice. You were close, I was doing good. And you if you had got the clearance one right, you would have been in a positive.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, see, that I'd been at one.
SPEAKER_02:You're right.
SPEAKER_03:Perfect. So you're getting there. You I'm getting closer.
SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, good little short bus. If you need it, I can send it as a category and flag it down.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, perfect. So you can get a bride. That'll work. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being a part of this, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for listening. We hope that you have a very merry Christmas here in a few days. Uh, hopefully that you're uh with your families and friends and all your loved ones. Hopefully, you're trying some some good craft beer. Uh, hopefully. Yes. And uh there's no bad craft beer. No. Well, we've had some that are less good than others, but yes, there's no bad craft beer. So awesome. So, anyway, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening. And like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm. And your beers are always cold. See ya. See ya. Merry Christmas. See ya. 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.
