Ep 145 - Nine Cans, Bold Flavors: Thesis Beer Project Review

Ever cracked a can and thought, wait… is that Thanksgiving stuffing? We did—and it actually worked. We set out to spotlight one small brewery and ended up with nine distinct beers from Thesis Beer Project in Rochester that never once felt phoned in. From a pastry-leaning sour bursting with blood orange and marshmallow, to a clean, easygoing American light lager, we found flavor dialed in rather than cranked up to chaos.

We dig into BOOM!, a grape-lemon fruited sour that pours purple and avoids the candy trap; a smooth Meantime Kölsch for session seekers; and Stuffed, the stovetop stuffing-inspired kölsch with thyme and sage that tastes exactly like the side dish without going gimmicky. Tuba Nanas Hefeweizen keeps the clove classic and the finish crisp, while Thesis Pieces—an impressive peanut butter blonde—lands real peanut character without the chalky powder. If you love peanut butter beers, this one deserves a spot on your list.

For malt fans, Plot Armor brings an imperial red ale with a restrained smoky note and a whisper of rye that drinks clean at 8%. Hop heads get Uptown Overlord, a hazy double IPA with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic that’s soft, juicy, and surprisingly approachable for IPA skeptics. Along the way, we compare styles, talk flavor choices, and call out who should try what: lager lovers, sour doubters, and IPA newcomers included.

If you’re planning a brewery run in Minnesota, put Thesis Beer Project on your map. Their throughline is simple and rare: intentional flavor across styles, from light and crisp to bold and hazy. Listen for the scores, the standouts, and the one beer that became a table-wide conversation starter. Enjoy the tasting, share it with a beer friend, and subscribe for our upcoming beer-of-the-year picks and more flavor-forward finds.

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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.

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Transcript

Season Four Kickoff & Trip Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy. And once again, we are in the studio and we are with Jim. Hey, buddy, how are you doing? Doing good. How about yourself? Can't complain. Can't complain. That's good. Hey, can you believe this is our first episode of season four already?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

I cannot believe that. Um, we were just talking about that. That is amazing. I don't even can't believe we had that many beers. I know.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Well, I can believe we had that many beers. I just can't believe we had that many episodes.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

So that's a good thing that we're still, I guess we're still finding new beer.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Yeah, exactly. And I I do enjoy, you know, Jim does our research and such, and he uh tries to come up with a little bit of theme music to kind of lead into some stuff. And and I'll tell you what, I'll give you credit. You you dug this one, you had to dig deep. Deep, deep. So, of course, the song is schools out. Yep. And the reason that he played this is we're featuring one brewery today. Nice. And this is Thesis Brewing Company out of Rochester, Minnesota. The Thesis Beer Project. Beer Project. I apologize. Thesis Beer Project.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Right, it has a different name. The only one that we've ever been to doesn't have brewery in the title.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

That is right, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to January 2026. Hello, hello, hello. Our first episode of that. Uh, good riddance to my bad question answering uh of 2025. I'm gonna leave that behind us. Yep, because good thing is I found some new questions for you. Oh, nice. You can start off on a good foot. There you go. Yeah, that's it. I'm hoping.

Why Thesis Beer Project

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Yes. So what was the background for us to go there? You remember?

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Well, we actually it it came up with uh our Black Friday beer shopping extravaganza. Yes, and you know, we started in the lacrosse area, then we moved to Rochester because they had a new total wine and more and more, and so we did that, went to a couple of their liquor stores, and then we decided hey, there's breweries that we haven't been to over here, so let's get an order. And this was actually, I believe, the third brewery that day that we went to.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

I think so.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

And uh yeah, and they had some they had some flavors.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Yes, it was just a challenge for the parking because they're doing a lot of road construction there, but other than that, the brewery itself is nice. Yeah, yeah. I say we uh the bartender was really friendly, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Yeah, in fact, he uh came over and brought us one of these beers that we're gonna try again today as a sample, just to say, here you gotta try this because it's uh it's pretty wild. So very different flavor. We're gonna give it a whirl, see if it if it stands up to being in a crowd, you know, uh compared to on taps.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

So well, and I think that flavor, I me personally, I can't vouch for you, but I have not ever had that flavor before. Not in a beer, right? In a beer.

Beer 1: Citrus Mistress Tasting

SPEAKER_00 3:22

I've had it in a lot of different meals, yes, yes, but not in a beer. So that'll be good. So it'll be interesting, yeah. So all right, well, hey, we've uh we've got nine beers, nine beers we're gonna try, and they're all in pint cans, except for the crawler, that's even bigger. Yes, so I think we'll start out just uh giving them a whirl, see what happens, and then we'll revisit some if we need to.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

So yeah, because I think when I looked online, there was not a lot of info out there. So I apologize up front. I would like to have had more um you know info about like exactly what some of these were. So it's not that we don't want to tell you, it's just we I I looked everywhere, even on the one that they um tried, you know, that wasn't it wasn't even on tap for us to look at. So the info I got is from 2024.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

So so unfortunately, I wish I had more info. And I guess that's if there's any of the listeners that are brewmasters out there that have their webpage, don't be afraid to tell us what's in your beer. It's not a secret, we're not gonna make your beer, but then we'd like to know what's in when it's in it, and we can tell the listeners too.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Right. Yeah, you can only we can only report what we have access to. So yes, so yeah, I guess we might as well start all right with the first one. And now I believe we line these up ABV-wise. Yes, they're not like really big ABVs or anything like that. These are pretty, pretty much, I think, where anybody could could do them.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

So especially with they're making you know pint can out of all these right, so we could get messed up before we get to our halfway point.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

There you go. So, yeah, so the first one that we have is called Citrus Mistress, and it is a pastry sour or the good and thirsty, it says on the can 16 or 16, 16 flute ounces and uh 4.2 ABV.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

So online it says it's a Berliner Weiss.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Okay, yep. Is that would that be the same? Would that be well Berliner Weiss is another style similar to kind of in the Hefeweisen kind of family? So but it's it's usually lower.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Okay, but on the can it says fruit and sour.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

So I mean, yeah, so for the listeners, how would they a lot of times they'll they turn for whatever reason they use Berliner Weiss style in sours and such.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

So it's not a it's not a misnomer or anything, or because like if somebody'd be online and looked at this, it'd be different than what if they pop looked at the can in the in the cooler. So I guess the bottom line is don't be scared of yeah, what it says on the outside.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yeah, and a lot of time you'll see Berliner Weisses fruited, like with fruited flavors and such, okay, as well. So yeah, I'm I'm sure that's why they did it that way.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

And all I got was pastry Berliner Weiss with an abundance of tangerine, blood orange, vanilla, vanilla caviar, I'm sorry, and marshmallow.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Okay, see we're getting back into them fancy caviar drinks. I gotta put my pinky out again. I was gonna say this may be too hoity toity for the likes of us.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

So well, and again, you know I don't like sours. I'm not a big sour guy, so hopefully this is not a tart. It's orange.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

It looks like it looks like high seed. There you go. Yeah, that's a better description, almost like high C. Yeah. Well, you can smell uh is that blood orange? It's gotta be. That's what it smells like. Is that that's pretty strong? Maybe a faint hint of vanilla, but I definitely smell like the orange in there. Wow. Well, that's not bad. Wow, that is not that's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

When it says fruited sour, that is definitely the opposite of what I'm getting. I'm getting a sweet, flavorful pastry, almost like a Pop Tart.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

Almost, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

That's that's good. That's a good flavor.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

You know, like we talked about before, you never know anymore when it says sour. Okay, is it gonna be hurt your jaw tart or is it gonna be sweet? And this is on the sweet side. Yes. But wow, that that's that is very interesting.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Is that sweetness? Do you think that's the marshmallow or vanilla?

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Because I really can't pick out vanilla, but you know, honestly, the I think the blood orange really is kind of the big flavor. Yep, maybe a little tangerine, but I'm just wondering, yeah. That's a good question, dude. I don't know. But I mean, this is good.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

I mean, and you know me, I do not like sours, right? Right. But I will tell you straight up out there listening that if it says sour in a can, I'm probably not gonna pick it. So Mike actually picked this one, but this is wow, for me, this is by far one of the better sours I think that I've tried.

Beer 2: Shared Ownership Light Lager

SPEAKER_00 7:47

Yeah, so when we were there, they had you know like a cooler and they they had all of these, you know. So I it was like a mix and match. You could do your own thing. So I ended up buying eight of them, uh, because that was all they had, you know, in the in there for for cans and such. So, but yeah, this uh wow, this is impressive.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

For a very our first one of the day, this is we're we're really ste stepping it off good. Yeah, which is a we don't always get to say that, but this is I'm very, very impressed. You're I'm pleasantly surprised as a sour being tasting that good. So, what uh what are your thoughts on it? Well, I'm gonna say right up front, it says it's a sour. So very misleading, and a lot of times, you know, I can't say that I'm the only person out there that really doesn't like sours. So I think people might be turned away just by the label and not knowing what's on the inside. So I think by just maybe putting Berliner rice on it rather than pastry sour, and again, I'm talking about the outside of the can, not even what's in it, because the inside does taste very good. Yeah, and I think that's like wow, that is way up there on the list of sours. I mean, it's up there, I would say, in the atmosphere with Barntown Brewing.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

It's pretty close, I think.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Yeah, it may not be in that same level, but it is it is close. So, I mean, very impressive. I'm very, very wonderfully surprised that because I mean Mike can probably count on me in his hand how many times I've ever said I like the sour.

unknown 9:10

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

It has not been many times, but this this is this is one of those good beers. I'm actually gonna say a 3.5.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Wow. I I like it. Yeah, I I like it. I myself, I'm gonna go with 3.4, and the only reason is I think that the blood orange is kind of the really the dominant flavor, and there's a lot of other things in it, and it I could be totally wrong, but that's kind of what my tasting is. I kind of wish that there was a little bit more maybe of the marshmallow. I don't the vanilla, I don't necessarily think you'd have to really updo much, but you know, if that marshmallow maybe was a little more, or the tangerine, then I would have been right there with but but I'm I agree three three four, that's probably three five. That's one of the higher sours we've ever rated.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

So very, very, very impressed. Yeah, hey, that's a good way to start. And I mean, now I you know, after taking my sip and sitting it down, my tongue even does have a little sweetness still on it, like the marshmallow or the vanilla. I don't know exactly which flavor it is, but it's still lingering there, which is for a finish, that's that's nice.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Yeah, and I don't taste caviar, so that's good.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Yes, and I I I if you gave me caviar, I probably wouldn't even know I'd probably have to look away when I took a bite. But there you go. But yeah, that's really good. Awesome. Like you did a good job on a couple of things. Good way to start on that one. So since you're such a good mood, okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

You're gonna rain on it right off the bat.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Let's see if we can get an easy question for you. Okay, so which and again, these are all kind of holiday related themed. Trying to give you some hints. Okay, which country and century started using and decorating Christmas trees? Give you the easy one right off the bat.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

I think we've talked about this before.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

We kind of I think we kind of tipped it.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Tinted around it. Yeah, uh geez. I'm gonna say we'll go with Germany and in the 1200s. Wow, that was way off.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

It was started in Germany. Oh, nice in the 16th century. So you still got a minus 500.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

So the 1500s. Yeah, you were you were uh you were off by hey, I'm I'm happy I got the country.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

You did you are digging deep. I seen the gears just a little bit in there. Like, come on, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Oh hey, I'm happy. Yes, so so with that, what's the wait a minute? Did you say I got minus 500? Yeah, because you were 500 years off. No, well, I said 12, well, 1200. So it's only 300 years off.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

So we'll give you minus 300 then. Yeah, but I got the first part of the rough for each year.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

I got the first part right.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Yeah. All right, 299. Okay, I'll give you a third.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Even happier now.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

There, look at that. You're doing you're doing good. You're like you're back in school.

Beer 3: BOOM! Grape Lemon Fruited Sour

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah, see? All I needed was beer. Who knew? Well, hey, the next one that we've got, once again from Thesis Beer Project. Yep. This is their shared ownership. And this is an American light lager, four and a half percent ABV. That was the first one, too.

unknown 12:03

Right?

SPEAKER_00 12:04

No, 4.2. So this is just stepping up, just a tad. A tad. Oh, look at it's got a beer beer mug, and he's running with the football.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Yeah. Well, well, that you know what's weird about that? What's uh the colors are green and gold, but this is from Minnesota.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Yeah, well, how did they do that? I don't know. I all of a sudden I'm in a bad mood now. That's what I was wondering. It says on the can also a light and crisp lager made with friends, it says. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Well, it says all I could find was this light American lager is crisp, clean, and highly drinkable. Well, those are kind of the three key things for beer, right? Yeah, at least they didn't say crushable. Yes, brewed with our pals at the thirsty Belgian and forager brewing. Okay. Made with friends to be enjoyed with friends. Okay. So did we stop the thirsty Belgian?

SPEAKER_00 12:51

No, that if I remember, I've never been there. Okay. I I've seen it online before, and I think they have a lot. It's most Belgian type beers. Okay. If I remember right.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

But still in the Rochester area.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

It's in the Rochester area.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Okay. Because we've been to the Forager.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Yes. So that might be. Oh, geez. Yeah, that's uh looks light. Looks kind of light. We may have to look next year to see if we can find that.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah. Yeah, that that'd be an interesting stop. There you go, Jim. Wow, that definitely looks light. We we can see through that one.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

This looks definitely like it's competing with the the big box, the big barriers there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

And it does have a head on it.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

I mean, unfortunately, I I use the same glass and I smell blood orange. Yep, I can kind of yeah, that's it's what you would expect for a light lager. Yeah, you know, and on a hot summer day, this is this could be a good lawnmower beer. Yep, you know, if it was because it's fairly cold.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yeah, that's and no bad after I mean it goes down smooth, no bad aftertaste, smooth finish.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

Yeah, that is uh that's that's pretty good. It's it's am I gonna be like, man, the flavor? No, right. But going into this one, I didn't expect flavor, you know. I but I think you could drink a couple of these. Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, four and a half percent. This is yeah, this is what be one that you know, tailgating or whatever, something that you don't want really the big flavors and all that. This would be you know totally fine.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

And again, I mean, there's there's no weird flavors or weird aftertaste to finish the smooth. I mean, this is again pretty good beer. I mean, I mean, you don't you know going in it's not gonna have a lot of flavor, right? You just don't know because we've had some other ones that were supposed to be light lagers and either didn't have any flavor, but I mean this does have a little bit of flavor.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Yeah, the thing I really like about it is there's not a bad aftertaste, you know what I mean? Some of them sometimes you get kind of a weird little aftertaste to it, you know. This one is not, I give them credit. The crisp and clean thing, it is spot on.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

It is, and I'm cleaning up my glasses now so I don't have to blame it.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

So yeah, that's so you're first. What do you think? You know, I'm gonna have to rate it for what it is. Yep, you know, and and people think, oh, you're giving it this score, but I'm gonna go with 2.5, which I know is average, but for a beer of this style, I think it's really good, you know. And I bet if we compared it to the other American light lagers we've had, this is probably one of the higher ones that we've scored.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Yeah, and I mean, and I think your score is more of a reflection on there isn't a lot of flavor rather than being a bad beer, right? Correct. It's definitely a good beer. I mean, my only addition would be I think compared to like because I can say that I've had some of the bigger box beers. Oh, yeah, we all have, yeah. This actually does have a touch better flavor. I mean, and it's not a it's not a bad flavor at all. It does it, but it's got a good flavor. So I'm gonna just get that's the only reason why I'm gonna say a 2.7 because I think it's just a little bit above yeah, yeah, the the center line. I mean, this I'd highly recommend if you go to the thesis beer project, either start out with this one first.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I mean, if you've never had a craft beer, get grab this because it's gonna be this would be a a perfect uh kind of segue into trying some other stuff, yeah. You know, that's yeah, I'm impressed so far. I think they've done pretty well on these first two. Yeah, I mean, compared, I've brought some other ones. See, we've we've had other ones where two beers in going, man, how many we got left?

SPEAKER_01 15:59

This is not starting off good. No, but this for this episode, we're really yeah, I'm thoroughly happy so far. I agree. So, coming up to question number two. All right, give me the easy one first. You got part of it, right? I appreciate that. So that's that's good. You're doing you really starting off good. Yes. So question two when was the first Christmas postage stamp and what was on it? First Christmas postage stamp in the United States or yes, you don't have to give me the exact date, just the year, right? Okay, so you I don't want to know exactly what no, right, because they come out in different times, yeah. So um just the year.

Beer 4: Meantime Kölsch

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Um geez, I'm gonna say 1964, and I'm gonna say that Santa was uh uh yeah, I'll stick with Santa. I already threw it out there. I'm figuring it was kind of like that Coca-Cola style Santa.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

All right. Well, you are close. Uh 1962. Oh, dang it. So you were close, and it featured a wreath with two candles.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

See, I was at first when I said that I thought, oh, or was it a Christmas tree? You know, a tree with what I wouldn't have said a wreath, so I I still got it, would have got it wrong. But see, that's when I but I got it, you know, quit second guessing yourself, just stick with your good.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

Right, because you got good beard going, so now you gotta just don't second guess.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Yeah, something weird's going on, even though I got it wrong. I was still close. You were close, I was close.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Doing good. All right, so which what do we got next? C CR.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

You got good beard, good question answering? You're like, I don't know what to do here. You're you're in like the zone. Something's gonna happen. I just know it.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

So hopefully, not hopefully the beers stay as good as what they've had.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

I'm hoping. Okay, this one is boom! Boom! Exclamation fruited sour, four and a half percent. Oh, this has got the the mug, and he's kind of tossing a football.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

So FYI say so. Look at the colors.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

What did that remind you of? Of a certain better, well, not this year.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

No, no, no, no, no. Oh, of uh the fruit. What colors are?

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Oh, it's purple, so grape like grape, yep, and then yellow for uh lemon?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

That's it. That's all it says on there.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Grape and lemon, grape, lemon, and minnesota pride. It says on the side of the can. Well, you guys, it is.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

All right, well 4.5 percent.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

4.5. So another definitely just gonna be you think this will be purple?

SPEAKER_01 18:19

Well, what color does the purple and yellow make a different color? Like blue?

SPEAKER_00 18:24

I don't know. That doesn't sound all that well, let's see. Oh, that is purple. It's kind of a kind of a purple, kind of a dirty purple.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Because it sits there, you see how it like darkens up? Yeah, it comes out lighter than it darkens. That's a little weird, but hey.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Wow, all right. Well, I'm not gonna question them because they are been doing pretty well. And how many purple beers have we ever had? Well, that's a good question. We've had a lot more pink or red.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Right. We've had grape beers, but many of them have not been actually purple in color.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Oh, what's it called? Grape ape? Is that what it was called? Out of um oh we had it at uh lift bridge. We had it at between the bluffs, and uh, but that was more of a clear with a like a tinge of grape purple to it. Not like this. This is definitely purple. This is purple. There's something sour in there. That's not bad. It definitely has a little different uh wow. I'm not gonna deny the aroma was a little it concerned me initially, but the flavor it's tastes better than it smells.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Yes. I mean, you can taste the grape and the lemon both. And the lemon is not like the tart, no really strong sour, like trying to think of what wow, what that reminds me of. Um that is not bad either.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

It's almost like those a little bit like when you get like the purple uh popsicles, right? It kind of has a little bit of that, you know what I mean, where it's a little that sweeter grape kind of yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

I mean, for a again, for a fruited sour, this is not the tartness.

unknown 19:51

It's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

It is not bad at all. Wow, man. That was one of the few that I was actually a little bit worried about because I don't like sours, but again, very, very Impressed. This is not, there's nothing to be afraid of.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

No, it says fruited sour, but it is not, it's not sour, and it's not over-the-top like Jolly Rancher grape flavor. You know what I mean? Right. I don't know that grape and lemon works really well together in there.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Wow, they did that's a good job. Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

Wow.

Beer 5: Stuffed (Stovetop Stuffing Kölsch)

SPEAKER_01 20:17

I'm yeah, I'm really worried now. Yeah, I mean, we had three that have actually been now. I will have to say that I do like the citrus mistress a little bit better, even though they I know we're just comparing those two as sours, but they're all from the beer project. But yeah, so this is really surprisingly good.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Three beers. I mean, what uh what kind of score are you gonna give that one?

SPEAKER_01 20:38

Can I get another little hit on that?

SPEAKER_00 20:40

That one's good. Yeah, we only have a pint glass, a can of it.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

So so again, at the upfront, I am not a sour guy. Yep, I don't really like sours, so I was really hesitant on this one because it said fruited sour, but I'm very surprised, very impressed. This tastes really good. The the grape and a lemon work really good together. Is it a perfect for me? No, it's not perfect, but wow. I would not for anybody that does not like sours, do not be afraid to try this one. This is this is deep, I mean, really good. I'm gonna say a 3.0. I like it. I would have another one. I mean, this is it's really changing my mind and perspective on sours, right? So I don't know if now the next one we're gonna try is gonna be like twitching, but it's gonna be like, wait a minute. But this one is really good.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Great job agreing on this one. I agree 100% with you. I'm gonna I was gonna go with 3.0 as well. I do like the citrus mistress a little better just because I think the flavor is a little bit stronger. Yep. Where this one, the grape and lemon, it you can taste them both, but it's a little bit more muted compared to the first one. Right. But it's still very good. And yeah, I if somebody goes, You want one of these, yep, I'll have one. For sure.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Yeah, you I mean, for just looking in the color, yeah. Were any of these, did you get to try them beforehand, or were these all new ones that they didn't have on tap?

SPEAKER_00 21:53

No, I think there was a few. I know like the citrus mistress we had had, but I know like the last two we had we didn't. And I think there may have been there might have been a couple of the other ones. Okay, you know, so I'd have to go back to the code.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

So it wasn't like when you were looking through the free fridge, you had an idea of what you were picking, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:10

So nope.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Which is good. I mean, I would have been like trying these on tap. Well, yeah, that's definitely what I want.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

Right. Well, yeah, and I just figured, man, they got all of these. Well, I'm gonna get one of each of them. Then we can really kind of feature them and see what we think of that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

So well, we're really starting off. I mean, these are all above average scores.

SPEAKER_00 22:26

Yeah, so that's really good so far. Even my 2.5 is actually above average for that style. So that's good.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

So all right, we'll go right back into our next easy question. All right. Question number three, two partnering in where, so I'm looking for a city and country, or I can give you a partial credit if you get either or correct. Okay, and what year was tinsel invented?

SPEAKER_00 22:47

I thought you said these were easy.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Well, tinsel, you know, we put on. Yeah, I yeah, I know what tinsel is.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

Well, see then nobody's asked me when, where, and whatever. Oh, um, geez, I I don't. I'll say tinsel was in we'll say Austria. If why? I don't know. I'm just throwing it out there. And the year, yeah, we'll say 1704. No idea why.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

It's close. So you actually you should have stuck to your guns, right? Yeah. Well, did you want to turn our first question? Germany.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

I've I was gonna say Germany.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

I thought, no, he ain't gonna give me two. Yes, Nuremberg, Germany in 1610.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Oh, okay. So I was still not quite a hundred years. Right, but see you you were close, Austria and Germany are close. Because I was thinking Germany, but I thought, no, it's you're throwing me a curveball and it's gonna be a neighbor, but it's you know, see, I was trying to keep them easy for you. I I appreciate that. Awesome. Well, so what do we got next? All right, well, our first one so far, so yeah, or I'm hoping it continues. So the next one we have is their mean time polsch, or as you say, collotch. Yeah, because it is an SCH at the end. I don't know why he says that. Uh, four and a half percent once again. Uh, let's see. I'm trying to see if it's got a crisp, clean, and bright cloche to pass the time away made by your friends at Thesis Beer Project. So that's what it had on the can.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

This has got some good words in it for you. Are you right? Okay, yes. Not sure what you're feeling today. Can't decide between an IPA or a thesis pieces? Why not have one of these in the meantime? Oh. This kalosh is a light, clean, and crushable. There we go. There it is. There it is. A crushable beer that goes down easy time and time again. All right. Well, we'll do we ever figure out what the definition of crushable is in the beer? Uh, it's very hush-hush.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

It's not, it doesn't deal with a can and being able to crush, right? I don't think so. That's a different meaning.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Yeah, it's similar but different, I think. Okay, so it looks light. This one is not as light a color as the light lager was, but it looks like a kolsch, a kalash. All right. Meantime.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

Meantime. And we did say it was a 4.5 percent.

SPEAKER_00 25:02

4.5.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

Yep. So all of it was the first one is 4.2, and the rest have been 4.5 so far. So really down there. Not much aroma for this. Pretty mellow flavor. Smooth finish. I mean, it's not there's not it's just hard to pick up what the flavor is.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Yeah, I say it doesn't hang on right at all. But yeah, it's it's I think this is the first one that I'm a little bit confused on, but it's I mean, it's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Right. I guess what's even more confusing to me is how is this between an IPA and thesis pieces?

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Maybe that's when they brew it.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

I don't know. I mean, the flavor-wise, you wouldn't think that this goes to no.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

I think a lot of times, well, I mean, it does have a Kolsch flavor. Yeah, it's it's faint. It's a little bit, I guess it's not as I guess not as pronounced as the first three. Well, the for the first and third one, yes, yes, for sure. The second one didn't really didn't have a lot of flavor, but this one's got more flavor than than the light lager. Yes, it does. Yep, but is it a good representation of a colch? That's the question. Oh, yeah, and I'm up first. Great, yes, you are great. I can't think about it more. I don't boy, this is hard to it's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

I mean, it's not a good one. No, I'm not offended, but it's we're trying to like compare it against what a collage should be.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

So yeah, and I just there's the flavor's pretty muted, I think. Yes to me. I I'm gonna go a 2.4 on this one, just because I do think we've had a number of Colches that do have a little bit more flavor going on. Yep, and again, I I would drink it, don't get me wrong, but I think that maybe the flavor could be up a little bit more, and then I'd have scored it better.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yeah, I'm right in there with you. I mean, and again, I'm not a big Colsch guy. I mean, if I see this and that light American lager in a cooler, I'm probably going for a light American lager just because I don't really do a lot of these. So it's not my score isn't reflective on necessarily maybe the flavor itself, but I just I don't have a lot of experience with these because I'm not I don't really search these out. So I'm sure your opinion is much more grounded than mine. So I'm gonna I'm gonna say a 2.3. It's not bad, it's not a bad flavor, it's just right kind of a whole home. I mean, I guess now I'm kind of skewed because the first three were actually very, very good. So I was kind of looking for this one to be well, right, in that same category, and I think it's down just a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Right. Yep, I hear you. And I I agree with you. Like I said, I just they they started off way up there, kind of deal. Uh and and so this one is not bad. It's just that, like I said, I think we've had some that have been better for this style.

Beer 6: Two Bananas Hefeweizen

SPEAKER_01 27:27

Yes, correct, 100%. All right, so another this is one of the easy questions again.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Question number four. Which state or state, kind of a hint, okay, do not do not grow Christmas trees.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Can you tell me how many? No, I cannot. Oh, okay. I'm guessing there's more than one. Where? Um, wow, this is this is tough.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

I think so.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Oh, yeah. Uh yeah, I'm pretty sure. Trying to think of what what climates aren't good for that. I'm gonna say, and I have uh no, geez.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

I think we should do is you should go with your gut, because that's gonna tell you exactly what the answer is.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

All right, I was gonna well, yeah, my gut's probably wrong on this one. I was gonna say like Arizona, New Mexico, kind of in the southwest. You should have gone with your gut.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Okay. Zero. All 50 states, including Hawaii, grow Christmas trees. Oh, see, trick question. See, that's I was trying to make it an easy one because if you just said uh none. Yeah, you know, so like an evergreen, like if you said Arizona News.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

Because they're in the mountains in the west. That's why I was like, what, what?

SPEAKER_01 28:34

You know, so yeah, that was an easy one. So each state actually does it.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Well, that was before I looked it up, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

I was like, that was not very nice. You threw me a that was a curveball. Yes, it was. So do you have the drum roll now for this next one?

SPEAKER_01 28:48

For the next one, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Well, this will be this will be uh well now. Remember, we had this at the brewery. Yes, and we actually didn't buy this. A friend of ours bought this one for you because you because you drove. Yep. So we're going to uh give it a whirl and see. So uh it is called stuffed, stuffed, and it's uh five percent ABV.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

And if uh you want to all right, so when I looked online, I found nothing. And even when you got this, he actually had to go in the back. It wasn't even on tap, right? Right, it was uh was it on tap just not labeled? Right, yes. Okay, so he gave he this is one of those where he brought over a couple of taster glasses, yes, and I think everybody was like, Whoa, what in the world is that?

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Yep, because he was remember he was like, Here, you guys gotta try this. So he just gave it to us to try.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

So from 2024, this is what I found. It says, Sides are best. This is a stove top stuffing inspired collash. Did everybody hear what I said? Yes, stove stove stuffing stuffing. Okay, so that is like this because it takes you back right there. Right. So this is an experimental beer from the Thesis Beer Project, and it's a five percent. So it says it has time with a Y, sage, and a dash of your favorite boxed stuffing, not vegetarian friendly.

unknown 30:13

Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

I don't know because they don't like thyme and sage or what?

SPEAKER_01 30:17

Yeah, I don't know. I have no idea why that is on there, but I'm just reading what they it smells like stuffing. Yeah, it does. It's it's got like a hint of salt, like the hint.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

I totally even on the flavor is tastes like I I totally get the time that you know, time, sage, rose, all that. I can taste that. Yeah, this is the flavor, it's not bad. This is it's kind of crazy. Wow, wouldn't you say? I mean, this is I mean it tastes like stuffing.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

So, you know, and the hard part is you know, everybody's used to using a fork and putting your mind, yeah, and now you put it in a can, you get the same how how is your your mind is just like what in the you're just yeah, it's confusing.

SPEAKER_00 30:54

It reminds me of remember that salsa beer that we had in uh Missouri. Now that one was kind of not on the good side, yes. This they got the right this is kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_01 31:05

This tastes good, yeah. Yeah, I I I mean the flavor to me tastes the same as it did when um we we tried when we tried it there.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

It was it tastes extremely similar.

SPEAKER_01 31:14

And I'm not sure. I know we had a couple of all of our people that went with us said when they tried it, it didn't taste the same.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

But we must have got the right the right one then.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Yeah, this this tastes to me like the what we tried before.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

Yeah, that's wild. That is just crazy. I totally still get all the it, yeah. It just makes you think of oh, where's the turkey beer in that you know?

SPEAKER_01 31:35

That is really, really good. Yeah, so I guess, and just talking out loud, I guess they're seeing this as a collage, right? Yep. So is that kind of how you would rate it? Because I mean, since we've never had a stove top stuff, what do you rate it against?

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Are you rate it against yeah the other beers or how just in general, or how do you I think personally, I think I would rate it just kind of in general because it is kind of uh out there on its own, kind of like that salsa beer, kind of like that that really bad um or male chili that chili cheese beer that I tried that was really bad. Sometimes I think some of the companies get a little too cute on what they're you know, what they're trying to accomplish or to hey, let's make something out of this, you know. Right. Uh this one shocks me just because I never would have thought of trying to make a beer taste like stuffing, right? And then actually and doing it, and actually doing it. Yeah, that's the part that's crazy. Yeah, I that's that's wild. It's I I think it's pretty good. Right. Would I buy a six pack of it? No. But this is one of those you gotta be like, dudes, you gotta try this, you know.

Beer 7: Thesis Pieces Peanut Butter Blonde

SPEAKER_01 32:38

Right. And that's I guess where I'm struggling to give you my score is I've so I've never had a beer that tastes like stuffing. Right. Um, and I'm not I don't seek out collage style beers, so I don't so I don't want to like lower my score because of you know collage. So I'm really like in a conundrum of my score. So I'm just gonna throw it out there. I'm just gonna say um 2.8.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

So I like it the flavor a little bit better than an American light lager. Yep, that's that's why I'm putting mine up there a little bit higher.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

So, but I mean it's it's good, it's just it's just so hard to yeah, it's so different that you don't know how I'm gonna do the same score, two eight, just because I give them credit because what they said it was gonna be, it is, yeah. And and it's spot on, I think. Oh, yeah. And the crazy part is just that it is so different, it's hard to you know. So and I know when we were there, the guy had said that they only brewed like five gallons. Okay, you know, so it really was now when you looked it up, you said they did it in 2024 as well. Yes, so if you're you know around Thanksgiving maybe they could time, maybe that's what's inspired Thanksgiving meal, yeah, the turkey and it stuff like that it could be. So if you're ever in Rochester around Thanksgiving, I'd I'd stop in and see if they have another one.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

So let me ask you this as a non-expert in brewing, does making it as a kalosh would that change the flavor as opposed to maybe if you made it as a blager or a pilsner? Is there you know, is there yeah, that's that's a good question.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

I don't I don't know the answer. I don't I don't know the answer either. I don't know. It might, I don't know why they picked a coals to do that, you know. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

I mean, does is there something with the yeast that makes it right? I don't know. That's that's something we'll have to because you know you would think the way that that American lager tastes, right? Yeah, if they would have put a little bit of that stuffing mix in there, maybe that would have yeah, it would have been the same flavor, crisper kind of you know what I mean, then what this, but it whatever it is that works, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:35

Right.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

So that's like you know, that's the hard part. You and I we can sit armchair quarterback and we don't know the answers, but we're just throwing up if somebody does maybe have an answer for that, just shoot us an email, let us know. But very impressed with the beer, very good.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

Exactly. Yep, I agree.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

So this is our fifth one, and we're still doing all right, yeah. Oh yeah, that's wild. All right, so are you ready for question number five? All right, easy. Remember, go with your gut. Okay, question five What was used as the first ornament on Christmas trees?

SPEAKER_00 35:06

Um, I'm well, this will sound dumb. I'm gonna say pine cones.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

Okay, and then remember what when? Oh, I didn't give you the when.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

No.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

When when did they start putting those on there? Because it wasn't it when they first got the tree, right? It was later on. So they said a green tree sitting in the corner for a few hundred years. Oh okay, and then all of a sudden, oh, let me put something on there.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

Because it was they were in the fifth, was it the fifth uh so in the 1740s?

SPEAKER_01 35:32

Close. So in the late 17th century, yep. So that'd be 1600.

SPEAKER_00 35:38

1600.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

People started using fruits like apples, pears, and oranges to because in fact, edible ornaments were so popular that many people began to call Christmas trees sugar trees.

SPEAKER_00 35:50

Really?

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yes, huh.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Now it makes sense why my dog ate the the when when my wife and daughter one year decided they were going to make um garland with like the popcorn and cranberries. Oh and I got home from work one day and uh the dog ate all the popcorn, and it was just a like a this much, you know, like a foot and a half strand of cranberries left. He ate everything. He probably figured it was awesome as like an automatic feeder. I suppose they just kept coming down, you know.

SPEAKER_01 36:19

Not chewing through, but just getting enough to get the popcorn.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Nice. Well, he's smart.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Yeah, he knew what he was doing. So awesome. Interesting. So dried fruit. I should have thought about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Yeah. See, I mean, these I'm trying to get enlightened everybody. So everybody's doing good.

SPEAKER_00 36:35

Once you give me the answers, it makes total sense.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

I think we're gonna we're gonna change the glasses here because when I I smelled into my glass, and I definitely smelled uh stuffing.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

So there you go. Good call. So what what do we got next?

SPEAKER_00 36:48

All right. So the next one we have is two bananas T-U-B-A-N-A-N-A-S. And this is a Hefewizen 5.2% ABV. All right, and let's see. On the side of the can it says a timeless German style with notes of banana and clove.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

Yes, and I got a little bit more. It just says Hefeweisen made with yeast from one of the oldest breweries in the world. Don't know which one. Yeah, I don't know which one that is. It doesn't tell me. Notes of banana and clove blend together in this light and refreshing German beer. So does that mean this is heather? No, there's no heather, no heather in it because we still don't know what she tastes like, right?

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Right. Not specifically.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

We know that there is a heather out there flavor.

Beer 8: Plot Armor Imperial Red Ale

SPEAKER_00 37:36

Yes, we do. At least that's what that brewery kept telling us. Yeah, I think there's been two of them, hasn't there?

SPEAKER_01 37:41

That we had which one doesn't Rom like? Coriander. Coriander.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Yeah. He doesn't like coriander.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

So this is not that it smells kind of like a halfweisen. Is that what that it's not very strong though? I mean, no flavor.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

Kind of that yeasty kind of a smell. I think I can tell you.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

The cloves come through right away, right?

SPEAKER_00 37:58

Yep, yeah. But banana, I don't really know. I'm not really picking up a lot of banana. Well, at least on the first taste, I'm not.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

So what if for whatever reason this brewery is really able to get the flavor that they're looking for infused into the beer?

SPEAKER_00 38:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

I mean, like, do I name names or do I drop names or not? Like Schinerbach. You had to go back to that, didn't you? You know, how many different beers do we try? And they none of them had a flavor. But here, this small little brewery in Rochester, yeah. They've they've they cracked the code on flavor.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Like I said, I give them credit, they know how to do flavor. That is you're right.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

There, you know, I I'm not like trying to throw darts or anything, but boy, these guys, I mean, because we always talk about it on this on the podcast. Yep, we're looking for flavor. Yep. Show us show us what you can do.

SPEAKER_00 38:43

We always say don't be afraid of flavor, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Yeah, and these guys are really showing you on the good side of it what happens when you you you actually put flavor into your beer, you can really do a good job. I mean, these these beers are really yeah, I agree, man.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

This is yeah, we may end up having to go back there again sometime. It was good, and remember we drive us through crazy. The crazy thing is we weren't gonna go there, remember? Because well, it's a little bit farther from where we were at, and we're like, ah, well, let's just go. And then the the parking that you know, the front was all to our opposite. So they yeah, they were working on it and all that, and it was like, oh, get find out what it is. Luckily, we figured out actually, my brother uh figured out how to get behind there, and then we came back around and got there.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

So, yeah. I mean, this is very again, very impressed. I the only thing I can really not get, I don't really know what the banana flavor, you know, because I know even just eating a regular banana right doesn't have a lot of flavor.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 39:35

So how does that blend with the the the clove? I I don't really know. I'm not I'm not able to pick that out.

SPEAKER_00 39:42

Yeah, I say my I definitely I you know I like halfwayzens, and I definitely can get that clove. Now, all the other beers I've ever had, and it's not that many that have banana in them, and it always seems like it's more of a mouthfeel thing, but this one it isn't like that either. Right. You know what I mean? Because usually it's got almost a Want to say an oily, but it's kind of a slicker both feel. You know what I mean? It sounds weird, but every time I've had banana, it's out uh a banana beer or beer that has banana in it. It's like that. Where this one I don't really get that, but I mean I think for it's a good representative of a Hefewisen.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

I think back to one of our very first episodes when we had that bananas fostered. That was probably the best banana flavor.

SPEAKER_00 40:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

I mean, because they I don't know if they added extra bananas to get that, but that one that one was good. That one was really good.

unknown 40:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

If I remember right, that was Hubbard Cave. Yep, that was very good. You were spot out and now and we've had we've had a couple more because Goose Island had uh bananas foster member with Bourbon County. Yes, that's a little different style with that, but it was very good as well.

SPEAKER_01 40:44

So do you want me to go on this one? Yeah, all right. So this is a 5.2. So this is again, this is our sixth beer from there. They're still good, so it it's not offensive any in any way. I like it. I could drink the whole can. I mean, if I had to, that there's definitely good flavor. I think my challenge is the clove really is the most prominent flavor. It's not a bad flavor, but it's the most prominent thing. I guess maybe I might be looking for a little bit more banana since especially if you had that banana's foster. So I that always lingers in the back of my mind. Now that is what a really good banana flavor is. So that's the only reason why my score is maybe a little bit lower. That maybe that a little increased banana would counteract that that clove a little bit. So I'm gonna say a 2.5. I'm gonna put it right in the middle for me.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Okay. I personally I do like it. I like Hefeisens, though. Uh, you are right. I mean, the clove is what really is what I pick up. I don't get the banana. Uh, I'm gonna go a 2.7, however. Okay, I do think it's a pretty good representative, a representation of a Hefewizen. Yeah, I I would if somebody offered it to me, I would definitely drink it, you know. Uh, and like I said, I the only knock for me was that like I said, that banana, the flavor I didn't really pick it up and the mouthfeel I didn't pick up or the banana. So it kind of threw me a little bit, but you definitely get the cloud, but it's not like super overpowering to where you can't hardly drink it.

SPEAKER_01 42:00

So I think it goes away quickly, too. I mean, once you take a drink, it doesn't linger.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

That's the thing I've noticed with all of these. They really it the finish is smooth. Yeah, they don't we've had some where it just hangs on, and you're like, oh, I'm gonna be perfectly I'm gonna be burping that for days, you know. But these have all been very good on the finish.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Yes, very good. Yeah, all right. So here we're up to question number six. Okay, all right, question six. What are yo, oh, here we go. I was misreading the question. Okay. Well, you get minus 500 points.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

What are candy keys shaped like and why they're shaped like a shepherd's hook, and why because of uh the the sh the shepherds that came when Jesus was born.

SPEAKER_01 42:43

All right, and then you gotta give me the year.

Beer 9: Uptown Overlord Hazy Double IPA

SPEAKER_00 42:45

Oh god, you never said nothing about a year. Yeah, well, I had it. What what specific when were they made? Yep, when did they start? Oh, gee, I don't know. Uh see, you're moving the goalpost on me. It's gotta be back in like the I'm just gonna say 1810.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

Man, you had every part of it right except for the year. I I figured that. So in 1670, a German choir master asked a local confectioner to shape the candy in its traditional form, resembling a shepherd's hook. Nice in the Christmas story. Shepherds traveled from far and wide to visit the infant Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 43:24

So yes, I'm actually what seventy.

SPEAKER_01 43:28

So I'm actually gonna give you a plus two because you did a majority of two out of three. So I was just testing if you see if you can. Well, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

Are you feeling okay? See, this is the new like positive points. Yeah. This is a new year. I can well, we'll see how long it lasts.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

I'm changing the leaf for you.

unknown 43:46

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_01 43:47

So what do we got next on score?

SPEAKER_00 43:49

Well, hey, so the next one we have that and some of their descriptions member have actually mentioned this beer already. So this is their thesis pieces.

SPEAKER_01 43:58

Nice, and which is should be similar to the Reese pieces, right? Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Reese pieces, yep. There we go. And it's got a peanut on the nice can dancing with a beer and with wheat.

unknown 44:12

Wheat.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Wheat. This is their peanut butter blonde. Nice. And this is 5.4% ABV. Okay. And on the can, on the side of the can, it says peanut butter in a beer. You betcha. That's all it says.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

So I found just a little bit more. It just says a blonde ale with heavy doses of peanut butter added throughout the brewing process. Now lactose free.

SPEAKER_00 44:38

So they didn't use, they haven't used the milk sugar lactose in it. So interesting.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

So now we will find out if it's peanut butter powder, yes, or actual peanut butter. Actual peanut butter.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

That's always our you can tell right away in the yep, you for for sure can.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

And then our I guess I hope I'm saying this right. In our opinion, the actual peanuts taste better, yeah. Tastes much better than that powder.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

Everyone we've had that has that powder in it, it's got almost a grainy to it.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

You know, this sticks right in your mouth. You can't get rid of it.

SPEAKER_00 45:06

Exactly. Oh, you can smell peanut. I can smell peanut. I can smell it. It's not overpowering for the aroma. Color wise, it looks like a lager. I mean, that kind of that just that color. You can almost see through it.

SPEAKER_01 45:16

I mean, it's yeah, a little bit of that color, that little lightish orangish, yellow, yellowish, orange.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

You get the peanut the thing that's nice is the the peanut butter flavor is not overpowering. Right. But you definitely get it.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

So in this one, it does linger just a little bit. The peanut butter does. That's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Am I incorrect or correct? Do Reese's pieces have chocolate? Oh, it's been so long since I've had them, I don't remember. But this does not have chocolate. Uh-uh. No. It's just a blonde ale, blonde ale with peanut butter. Which it does. Yep. But I guess if you're keying on the word Reese's pieces, that's why I guess the only but this is thesis pieces.

SPEAKER_00 45:56

Yes. That's their. But no, this is I like this.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

I this is this does not taste like peanut butter powder.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

No, it doesn't to me either. I don't I'm thinking this might be actual peanut butter or something to brown peanuts or something like that. It's not the the fake powdered stuff.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

This this is good to, I mean, we haven't had a a clunker.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

No. I yeah, we're gonna have to go back, I think, again and revisit them.

SPEAKER_01 46:17

This is really good. Hopefully we can put the little their hash brown on the thing so they can know what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

Yep. Well, yeah, when we uh when he bought these, we had told the gentleman there, the bartender, that we were gonna do a podcast on. He goes, Oh, well, let us know for sure when you do it. It's like okay. So I'll have to definitely message him because uh yeah, it'll be coming here.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

So maybe then our our only my not score-related recommendation, but my try this with a little bit of chocolate.

SPEAKER_00 46:40

Yeah, that'd be interesting to see if they because we'd have to look and see if maybe if they have before or not. I don't know, but yeah, it would be interesting to do because it'd be like try do a peanut butter cup one.

SPEAKER_01 46:50

Yes, because I mean they get they really have the peanut butter down, yeah. They get that flavor down, and I mean, like this to do it as a blonde, that perfect it worked out perfect.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

Yes, very much so, because you definitely want to have a beer that doesn't have a strong uh flavor of its own, right? And a blonde ale works perfect because they really don't. Yeah, this is this is good. Wow, score wise. I think I'm gonna do like a 3.2. Wow, this is I really like this. I mean, I think this I'm not saying that it's the absolute best peanut butter beer we've ever had, but it's it is solid. Yes, and I think anybody could try it, and I think you'd like it. It's it's very good.

Final Rankings, Takeaways & What’s Next

SPEAKER_01 47:30

Yeah, there's there's definitely nothing to be scared of this one. And I guess I'm I'm really int intrigued by the way that they get this the peanut butter in there because that flavor is really good. I mean, and you know we've talked about it before. Some of the people just put that powdered peanut butter, it just doesn't help with the flavor. What these guys did with this peanut butter is spot on. Yeah, I mean, they're really they got the flavor down like it's pretty crazy. I mean, this is really, really good. Yeah. Um, I'm I'm up there in the threes, too. I'm gonna go with three point two as well. I I like it. I mean, this is and I'm always saying I could even raise my score higher if you put a little bit of chocolate in into it, make it a Reese's pieces. Holy this might be in a four range for me.

SPEAKER_00 48:09

Yeah, this was good.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

And the ABV is only 5.5, so it's you could drink a number of them.

SPEAKER_00 48:13

Yeah, yeah, that's that's wild. They're doing a good job.

SPEAKER_01 48:16

Wow, I'm impressed. You are doing a good on the ones you picked, buddy. I mean, I can't say that very often about what the ones I pick up.

SPEAKER_00 48:22

Oh, I was gonna say, I was gonna say, you're gonna say I can't you can't say that much about the beers I pick, but no, I mean I can't even say that I've been as lucky getting this many beers I can.

SPEAKER_01 48:31

I know this is crazy. So are you ready for question seven? Yes. So here we go. Okay. In what year was Christmas declared a national holiday? And by which president?

SPEAKER_00 48:43

Oh, jeepers. This is gonna be a uh I'm just gonna oh geez. I'm gonna be so wrong. I'm gonna say George Washington did it back in 1777. So you're close. Yeah. President Grant in 1870. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 49:02

Declared Christmas a national holiday.

SPEAKER_00 49:04

See, I I was thinking maybe right off the bat they right.

SPEAKER_01 49:07

Well, that's what I was thinking too. I'm like, why would I'm sure they must have celebrated it. Yeah. But maybe not in maybe they didn't have the the way the government is set up now is is it's I'm sure after the Civil War, right? Getting things nationalized and getting things standardized. So that'd be the only thing I could think of.

SPEAKER_00 49:23

Makes sense. I mean, it totally does, but I I I guess I'm surprised it took them that long.

SPEAKER_01 49:26

Right.

SPEAKER_00 49:27

You know, so anyway.

SPEAKER_01 49:28

I'm sure they weren't like the government employees looking for days off.

SPEAKER_00 49:31

Well, that's what it was. They probably started getting more employees and they went, you know.

SPEAKER_01 49:34

Unless they work where you work, we get like 50 days off a year.

SPEAKER_00 49:37

Uh no, that would have been you. Oh all right. I'll let you, I'll let you have one. Hey, so what do we got next? This next beer, and this one ups the ABV a little bit. Yes, it does. I'm kind of surprised. So this is plot armor. It's an Imperial Red Ale. Wow. And it's eight percent. So this is quite a bit higher than the two and a half cent than what we've had. On the side of the can it says hint of rye, smoke, and subtle sweetness. Look, it's got like a like a knight kind of guy on there with uh holding up a chalice.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

Like so, all it's a little bit more that it said was the beer that cannot be killed off.

SPEAKER_02 50:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Uh, I'm not sure why. Hints of smoky caramel and rye shine through this boozy sweetness of this big and mean red ale.

SPEAKER_00 50:26

They have our attention.

SPEAKER_01 50:27

I mean, they've got a lot of good words in there. So now let's see if they can put it in the in the glass. Yeah, for sure. Well, it's red in color.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

This is definitely a a red, like a dark amber to a reddish for sure in color. This is the darkest one we've had so far from them. Yes, and I'm guessing it will be because looking at the style of the next one, it's gonna be lighter.

SPEAKER_01 50:46

But yeah, even the head is a little bit tinge of kind of reddish.

SPEAKER_00 50:51

So this is an imperial red ale. Pretty muted aroma. I was gonna say, yeah, I don't get a lot of smoky. I don't get much for for aroma. No, it's very muted. That's not bad. I don't mind that.

SPEAKER_01 51:02

I can there's definitely a smokiness in there.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

Yes, I'm getting that now.

SPEAKER_01 51:05

Yes, it's it's coming through after you let it you swallow it. Like the finish is a little bit smoky.

SPEAKER_00 51:11

A little bit. Now we've had other smoked beers that are way.

SPEAKER_01 51:15

Yeah, this is not taking a piece of charcoal, correct. Or we have not a burnt piece of wood.

SPEAKER_00 51:20

Right, yeah. We've had some that tasted like that. This this is not to that level for that. So I I'm I'm happy about that. I was a little concerned at first thinking, oh boy, how how smoky is this gonna be?

SPEAKER_01 51:31

So can you help me on like red ales? Is it are they saying red ale just because of the color, or is there only a different flavor that should be no?

SPEAKER_00 51:40

Usually it's the color. Honestly, there's like three styles to me that really you see them do a lot more of adding flavor to it. Okay, blonde ales, red ales, and brown ales. Okay, and it just seems like and they're all named after the color. Okay, so it's not really a flavor.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

So yeah, I mean when you say imperial, it's basically because it's higher ABB. Yes, yep. Because you can't make something redder, right? I mean, no, right, yeah. Okay, no. So just we've had we've had sour's way redder than this. So, like if somebody's reading the can before they buy it, right? They see Imperial red ale, shouldn't be scared by it's gonna be an imperial, it's just telling you it's a higher ABV.

SPEAKER_00 52:17

Right, yes. And when it's imperial, it just means it's higher ABB.

SPEAKER_01 52:20

Yeah, this is what I don't mind. I mean, do you taste any pepperish to the for the rye?

SPEAKER_00 52:23

Um, I don't really get not a huge amount. I get a little, but not a lot, not a lot.

SPEAKER_01 52:29

So maybe that would probably the only and I don't really get a boozy sweetness. Yeah, I don't I've never heard I think that's probably the first time I've had uh those words put together in the description.

SPEAKER_00 52:39

Right. You know, Liney's actually had you know, when they had their red lager. Yep. I mean that one was, but that was because it was lagered, so you had more of that lager flavor, but that was really good. Right. I don't mind this one. Eight percent, I probably wouldn't want to drink a whole bunch of pint cans of it. Yes, but this is it's I I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 52:59

I mean, and I mean, really, I don't find anything offensive by it. I mean, it's tastes good, but I mean it so so and let me let me ask this question then too. So if this was just a red ale and it didn't have the caramel or the rye, it'd be almost like a lager, because it's there wouldn't be much flavor at all, right?

SPEAKER_00 53:16

Right, they'd be similar, like that.

SPEAKER_01 53:18

They're adding a little bit into it to get it together.

SPEAKER_00 53:20

Yep, yep, just like you know, with the blonde ale when they put the the peanut butter in it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 53:24

They'd be pretty pretty nondescript if they didn't put a little flavor. Most of them are.

SPEAKER_00 53:28

It seems like they may have just a hint of flavor, but it's not. That's why we've never we've never really done a lot of like at at up at the camper for beer tasting to have. Okay, we're just gonna do a blonde ale. Well, okay, your normal blonde ale's don't taste like a whole lot. The same with brown, same with gotcha bread, you know. We've done them, but not it makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 53:46

And that's why I'm just so the listeners unknow too. I mean, but I would definitely recommend this. I mean, for the beginner craft beer drinker, it's gonna get a good representation. I mean, it's not gonna it's not gonna scare you away.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

No, an eight percent, it drinks really mellow, you know, it's very smooth and mellow for an eight percent beer.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

Oh, for sure. All right, so I am first, it looks like so I get so again where I'm struggling is I do taste the the smokiness, but I don't know if that's supposed to the caramel. I don't know if if the caramel is working in it or not, because the you know the smokiness really is that prominent flavor, right? The rye, I don't know if I that's in there too. So the flavor, I mean there's there's a lot of flavor there, but it's not like a bad flavor, it's it's just smoke, it's got the smoky feel to it. So that's not bad, it's not horrendous. I'm gonna go with 2.6.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

Oh, geez, okay.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

I would have just liked a little more of the caramel or a little bit more of the rye just to give me a little bit more, so maybe you know cut that smokiness down just a touch. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 54:42

That's all. I must have tasted a different one. I'm going to 3.1. Oh, I really do like it. Okay. Uh, I the fact that it the smokiness is there, but it's not the predominant flavor, I like. Okay. And 8%, I think it drinks very smooth for that. So I think they did a good job, but I can totally see, you know, I don't I don't really get a caramel flavor. And like you said, that that how did they describe it? A boozy sweetness. I really don't get a booziness right out of it. So that's the only thing that's kind of well, I don't I don't know, but I I'd drink that can. I don't mind that at all.

SPEAKER_01 55:16

Very good. Very good. All right.

SPEAKER_00 55:18

Is this our last question, or do we have another one?

SPEAKER_01 55:20

Oh man.

SPEAKER_00 55:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 55:21

So the question eight. In what year and which state of the United States was the first to recognize Christmas as a state holiday? So you already heard one before, yeah. As a national holiday. Yeah. Now who recognized it? Because, like you mentioned, why didn't they do it sooner?

SPEAKER_00 55:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:39

So there was a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 55:39

So they could have the states did it before probably. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 55:43

So which state and what year did they do it?

SPEAKER_00 55:46

Oh, geez. Who is going to be the one that remember we're talking early?

SPEAKER_01 55:50

Yep. So there's not not all these states.

SPEAKER_00 55:53

At the latest was 1870. Right. So it's got to be on probably east of the Mississippi. I was going to say east coast is what I would guess. But let's say I'm just going to I'll say Massachusetts and 1790.

SPEAKER_01 56:07

Close. You're close. Alabama in 1836. Well, that totally wasn't.

SPEAKER_00 56:12

That was not even remotely close. I was trying to pump into it, but I had a good streak going, and that one wasn't even close. I figured it was going to be one of the originals. Right.

SPEAKER_01 56:22

This is like maybe this is probably still holding over from the Civil War where it could be. They're very separate from up there, and the South was doing their own work.

SPEAKER_00 56:29

Interesting. So Alabama 1836. Wow. I had no idea. See, well, it wasn't a hard question, but it's just a challenging question. There you go. It's kind of like a sour. Is it tart or is it sweet?

SPEAKER_01 56:40

Yes, or like an IPA.

SPEAKER_00 56:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:42

It's funny that you brought that up. Is it hoppy or not hoppy? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 56:45

We have one beer left from Thesis. Here we go. The last beer that we have, Jim, is their Uptown Overlord. And this is a hazy double IPA. 8.2%. And on the can it says hazy double IPA with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops.

SPEAKER_01 57:04

Wow. Well, you probably got more than I got because now it just says this massive hazy double IPA is brewed with mosaic and citra hops. Oh. So the can actually has three. The can is three, yeah. It's an easy drinking eight percenter. Okay. Bottoms up. Nice. So all right. And again, just for all the listeners, how favorite is my do I like IPAs? You love them. If I smell hops, I know it's gonna be you can smell hops, but it's not as bad as some of them we've had. So, but the it's this is not a double dry hop, this is just a double hop. So this was through the brewing process, right?

SPEAKER_00 57:42

This is a hazy double, like a New England style. Ooh, I like that. I think you'll actually you might be surprised. It's it's pretty mellow, right?

SPEAKER_01 57:49

So the there is a faint hint of aroma on the of hops in the aroma, right? Yeah, but the hopy dryness is not there, right? I mean, my my mouth is not dried out, so it's so for that reason. I mean, that's it, that's a good thing. The um, but you know that you're drinking an IPA. There's no mistake about that. I mean, it's not it's you're not gonna sneak away from that, it's just it's not one of those like very like it's got you right around the waist, like this is the not like some of the dank ones we've had, yeah. This is definitely on the mellower side, yes, of the IPAs, and for a double IPA, I mean it definitely does not. If you wouldn't have said double IPA, I don't know if I would have picked out that it was double. I mean, it's not maybe the double is more representative of the ABV. Yeah, it could be, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 58:30

Because the flavors, I don't think it's double-ish no, because usually that's what they say is if it's double, triple, quadruple, you know, it's that it's higher ABV. Okay, but yeah, I in a hazy, I've heard you could you could say hazy, you could say juicy, you know, it's it's where it has that more, it's not that super dry finish like some of them have been, you know. So I I think they did a really good job on this one.

SPEAKER_01 58:53

So the only thing that I would you know add from a non-IPA liker is you know, you're you're putting the mosaic and citra hops to maybe put a little bit of that citrus flavor, maybe an orange or you know, like that very first one of the right, some of those like that tangerine or that blood orange, you know, just not a lot. I think for me as a non-IPA guy, maybe that would help. I don't know, but it it's not bad.

SPEAKER_00 59:14

Yeah, no, I like I said, and and I don't mind IPAs at all. And I I think they did a good job on it. I I give them thumbs up on it.

SPEAKER_01 59:21

So I'm first too, right? Nope, it's me first. Are you first? Yeah, good. Give me another minute to think about what I'm gonna try to.

SPEAKER_00 59:28

Boy, um, I'm trying to because I know you do not like uh ties. I'm gonna go with 3.3. Wow, you're you're this is probably your second best done. Yeah, I I think they did a really good job on it. And uh I yeah, for for the style, I think they nailed it. And 8.2 drinks very smooth for that. And I do think that you know, if somebody really doesn't like IPAs or hasn't really had them before, I don't know if I would steer them to it. I I would and I wouldn't. I would because I think the haziness of it kind of knocks that out. Top down, yep. But I think there's still enough there that people, you know, if nobody's if you've never had one before, you still might be like, oh, what's that? Right. But for for those of us that have definitely partook of the IPA, you know, region, I like it. I think it's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:13

And again, I always want to preface by saying I don't like sours, I don't seek out IPAs. This is not like one of my favorite types of beers, but I'm glad that we had it because I mean I think it just shows the breadth of what the beer project can do for beers. So I mean, kudos to them. Um, and my score is not representative of all their beers, it's just right. I I struggle with the hoppiness um and the dryness for me. So it's not like I wouldn't seek it out, but I'm glad you had it just so I could try it. I probably wouldn't buy it on my own, but I I'm not scared of it now after trying it. And I don't think the listeners should be either. I mean, if they if they're like interested in IPs, this is I think it'd be a good, especially like in a taster glass.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:48

Yes, yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:49

To try it. So my score is gonna be a 2.4, only because it's I'm just not the hoppy kind of guy.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:55

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

It's not it's not that it's bad, it's not offensive. It actually tastes good. I think maybe just a little more citrus flavor might. If there's little citrus, I think I'd even increase my score a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:04

Sure, yeah, yeah. So I I guess did you have another question? One final question. Let's get that out of the way and then we'll do uh our wrap-up, our wrap-up on what we thought of these guys. Okay, here we go.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:14

So question nine. Which holiday was Jingle Bells originally saying for and who wrote it? So can I give you a hint?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:21

Yeah, it's not Christmas, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:24

What holiday?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:25

I'm gonna say uh I'll say New Year's Eve and who wrote it? And I should know it, but I don't. Uh Mr. Jingle, I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:35

So it turns out we first started dashing through the snow for an entirely different holiday.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:41

But Thanksgiving. Dang, I knew it. I was thinking, okay, is it Thanksgiving or New Year's Eve?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:46

James Lord Pierpont wrote the song called One Horse Open Slate for his church's Thanksgiving concert in the mid-19th century. Then in 1857, the song was re-released under the title We All Know It and Love It, and is still among the most popular Christmas songs to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:04

So it was originally for Thanksgiving. Yes. Dang it. I was I was gonna say it and I thought, no, maybe not. And you know, so well, you did good though. I did good. I had a at least had an opportunity on all of them. So I was happy with that.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:18

So I'll keep the questions as easy as that for the future. So I know I know I know where your windows are.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:23

Yeah, don't ask those kids on the bus anymore.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:25

Yes, these are good questions. You did very good job. So kudos.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:28

And you did a good job picking the beers too. Well, again, like I said, this is all the beers I had in the cooler.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:32

So oh, and did you read that little part on the bottom there too?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:35

On the bottom here?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:36

So what type of system do you brew on? Right. So that was one of the oh, so this was on their website? From their website. Okay, so that they brew on a five-barrel system from Portland Kettleworks. We currently have four five-barrel fermenters and four ten barrel fermenters.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:51

So they're definitely small scale, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:53

Well, or is that bigger? That's a bigger scale. I mean, it's not as big as like your your giant brands, but it's for a small crap brew. Oh, yeah, it's it's good size. Okay, very good size. So, Jim, what did you think of the beers overall and and you know what were your favorites? Who would you recommend them? You know, things like that. Do you want to go back?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:10

You know, so across the board, outstanding. All great beers. I mean, I can I don't know if I can say this for a small crap rig, because I want to take out Central Waters, right? Bourbon County, yeah, the the big brew guys, but for a small micro craft brewery, I don't other than maybe the one in Lanesboro. Oh, Sylvan. Sylvan, yep, I would say they're on the same par. Very, very good. I mean, the the flavors are very good for both places. It is like so comforting to know that people are really trying to put flavors in their beers because it, you know, we went, I think we kind of got on a off on an edge where we just hadn't had good flavors for quite a few different breweries.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:50

So I I was beginning to wonder is is this why some of the craft breweries are you know closing up because they're afraid to put flavor? But wow, I am so glad that we went to Thesis Beer Project because they are doing good. And in my opinion, the the flavors for all these were phenomenal, really good. Now, my scores may not say always phenomenal, but I'm I would say across the board, they're a way above average compared to some of the other ones where they might have one beer that's good, then most of them are not very good, right? Yes, so I think really good. Kudos to them. I guess by my scores, my number one was the sour, which I don't think that's ever happened in our previous three seasons. We have, I don't think I've ever rated even when we did all sours, they're all still below zero close to zero. So very good there. That was my number one. Um, my number two was the thesis pieces, and then my number three was the fruit and sour. Boom. So two of my top three were the source. Yeah, that's crazy. And I think it's probably because the flavor, there's the there was a lot of good flavor with those. Oh, yeah, yep. So that those are my top three, but all across the board, they were all very good beers. I'd highly recommend anybody go to Thesis Beer Project.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:56

Yeah, you know, the thing that I really was impressed with, and you and you brought it up. We had nine beers, and there wasn't a one of them that you're like, oh, that's terrible, right? You know what I mean? Yep. And I know that you, like you said, you you're not an IPA guy, so of course that's going to be a little bit lower, but but it was still you weren't offended by it. Correct. You know, and for the amount of different styles of beer that we have here, they did really well in all of them. Right. And it's that's hard to find. Yes, you know. So again, if you're in Rochester, go and you know, check them out. For me, again, you know, the the Citrus Mistress was that was really good. I it kind of surprised me. Yep, you know what I mean? I mean, it was very good. I did very much like the the peanut butter also. The I I did like the the double IPA. Uh, I thought it was a very good job, but honestly, everyone, I mean, even the red ale, I really liked the stuffing beer.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:46

Crazy as it is, and it it is, it's out there, it tasted exactly like stuffing, you know. And and like when we were there, like I said, the bartender said they only brewed like five gallons of it, and I totally can understand why, you know. But if you're you know, if they if they've done it two years in a row, maybe they'll do it again next year. And and if they do, you've gotta go and try it because right on Thanksgiving time, yes, you know, because that is so out there and different that it works, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:11

I mean, you know, I mean, can I can I ask you have you ever had a beer that's tastes like stuffing? Like stuffing? No, so this is the first time we've ever had yeah before, but just not that yeah, not one that tastes like stovetop stuffing, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:21

First one ever.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:22

So we can say that not only for the show, but even for untapped.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:26

Exactly. Yeah, it's just crazy. Way to go, guys. I mean, I give them so much credit for they're not afraid of flavors. Yes, yes, you know, because we've been to other breweries too, and it seemed like, oh, they were so concerned about just brewing for the masses that they cut out the vast majority of the flavor, right? And it's like, man, we must be on the outside looking in because we love flavor, right? And that's yeah, and that's what drew, especially me, that's what drew me to craft beer was there's flavor. Oh my gosh, there's flavor, you know. Yes, and these guys they're not afraid of it. And I I give them credit for that, and that's awesome. And we will be back at some point. And uh yeah, good job. They did a good job. Awesome. Well, cool, Jim. Thanks for uh sitting down for these nine beers.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:08

Yeah, I mean, they all tasted super good, and yeah, they're not over the top.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:12

No, and like I said, just the the vast majority or the vast uh difference in styles, you know, also and the fact that they showed that hey, we can brew any of these styles. Yes, you know, I give them credit, so that was awesome. Very good, ladies and gentlemen. Hope you had a good happy new year. Since this is January 2nd, you know, uh, hopefully everybody had a safe and and uh fun New Year's Eve and the weather. Well, I'm might start cooperating at some point. I'm getting tired of winter already. It seems like every day it's snowed.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:45

Yeah, we don't we're done with snow.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:47

And and again, I'm glad I don't own a snowmobile because trails haven't even opened yet. They were getting ready and then they're warmed up and melted and all that good stuff. So hopefully in 2026 now they'll be able to get out for the more snow. Yes. So awesome, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for listening. Like again, like I said, if you're in Rochester, Minnesota, look up the the uh thesis beer project because they do a they're doing a great job. And like you said, Jim, they're a smaller brewery, but man, they uh they do a good job, they got their finger on the flavor, and they're not afraid of it. Exactly. Well, awesome, man. Thank you so much, and we've got some pretty cool stuff coming up. Yes, we're gonna be talking about our beer of the year candidates coming up coming up, and we've got some uh slightly higher ABV beers coming up.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:33

Yes, so so that should be good. So they might hit hopefully they have the same type of flavor as these guys do.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:39

Boy, I'm hoping. I'm hoping because they look good. So they sound good, they sound good. Well, awesome. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening. And like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm. Your beers are always cold. See ya. 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.