The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
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The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 150 - From Flannel Browns To Winter Whites: A Candid Craft Beer Review
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Ever crack a winter beer that promises cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, and coffee… then wonder where the flavor went? We lined up eight seasonal cans—four Lift Bridge Fireside Flannel variants and four from the Sam Adams Winter Break pack—to separate festive marketing from what actually hits your palate. We dig into aroma, mouthfeel, finish, and label accuracy, and we’re honest about which ones deliver comfort by the fire and which ones fade before the swallow.
We start with Lift Bridge’s flannel concept, using the base Brown Ale as a control before tasting Coffee, S’mores, and Peanut Butter. Expect quick notes on roast and marshmallow that vanish too fast, a surprising peanut butter aroma with longer carry, and a shared dryness in the finish that keeps these variants more approachable than exciting. That makes them easy for new craft drinkers, but light for fans chasing bold winter flavors.
Then we switch to Sam Adams. Winter Lager drinks smooth and clean yet hides its ginger and clementine peel; Winter White Ale finally gets the holiday vibe right with real cinnamon and nutmeg presence and a bright, low‑IBU profile. Old Fezziwig, a spiced brown ale promising toffee and caramel, lands softer than the label suggests, while Cold Brew Coffee Stout hints at espresso warmth without the punch some stout fans expect. Throughout, we thread in quick beer history—from Anchor’s Christmas Ale to medieval monks and wassail—to show how seasonal traditions shaped today’s expectations.
If you want a party‑friendly, reliable pick, Winter White Ale is our top recommendation; crowd‑pleasers who value smooth finishes may still like Winter Lager. Curious about brown‑ale variants? Peanut Butter Flannel is the most expressive in the Lift Bridge pack, with S’mores as a fun, fleeting sip. Press play for straight talk, a few laughs, and clear winners for your winter fridge. If you enjoy the show, follow, share with a beer‑loving friend, and drop your favorite seasonal in the comments—what should we review next?
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Welcome Back And Episode Setup
SPEAKER_02Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Boy, Toby Jim is starting to rock things out on us a little bit here. He is.
SPEAKER_01Trying to come up with something that kind of link all of these beers together. I'm stretching.
SPEAKER_02Stretching way out there for you, buddy. It's it's kind of interesting because I thought, where is he going with this? But then you see the name of the first four beers, and it's like, oh, okay, I can kind of make that connection, I guess. Absolutely. Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and we are back in the studio for the first time in a while. So isn't this? Yeah, yeah, it's like last year. So I'm down here with uh Jim. Hello, buddy. How's it going, man? Trying to stay warm. Yeah, that's easier said than done right now. And we are also joined joined again by Toby. Hey everybody, how's it going for you, sir? It is going well. Thanks for having me. Good. It's kind of weird. I know you're probably kind of freaked out a little bit because it's not a bunch of barrel age bottles sitting in front of you right now.
SPEAKER_00Well, you guys never cease to surprise me, so I'm just sitting over here waiting to see what happens.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we're not exactly sure what's gonna happen, so we thought, well, we'll get Toby involved just in case it goes bad. So perfect. It goes off the rails, yeah. It goes off the rails. So yeah, guys, you know, Jim, three weeks ago. I mean, I was in Mason City, Iowa. I was there, and then two weeks ago, you and I went to Three Sheeps, but we stopped at Fond du Lac at that new brewery, which is really cool. And then last week I was in Missouri and hit a brewery down there, and uh so yeah, now we're back in the frigid north and uh we're figured it's probably better to stay inside.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I don't think uh drinking too many of these outside would be very much fun. Even I think if you were at a football game today, it would not be any fun.
Fireside Flannel Theme And Variety Pack
SPEAKER_02No, I think you're right. So yeah, so yeah, the music that you heard was, of course, by Firehouse, and the first beers we have are all Fireside Flannel, interesting. So it's a it's a stretch, but I give Jam an A for effort.
SPEAKER_00It was either Firehouse or Pearl Jam, one of the two. The flannel, Pearl Jam.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I say that would have been just as yeah, I totally get it. Well, Jam is in touch with his grunge side, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because the good thing is I actually found this, it was called the Fireside Flannel variety pack from Liftbridge. Okay. So that's and I don't know if we've had I know we've had Liftbridge beers. Yep. I don't know if we've had the flannel pack.
SPEAKER_02I don't, I'm not sure, to be honest with you. And it's kind of interesting because they're all under that same name, you know, kind of thing, but they have different types.
SPEAKER_01So and the other thing that's interesting is it came out in the wintertime, so I don't know if this is a connection with winter beers or so I don't know. It was a stretch and it was out there along with the other variety packs, so it was kind of holiday-ish, maybe. I don't know. That's why this is kind of a weird. Hopefully, hopefully, they're a little better than a shiner box from a couple years ago.
SPEAKER_02Hopefully, it doesn't take much if you have flavor, it'll be better. So yeah. Well, should we start one off? We might as well start one off.
Tasting: Fireside Flannel Brown Ale
SPEAKER_02So the first one we have is their fireside flannel brown ale.
SPEAKER_01So we could have Toby read because all the info I found the first one's the only one that I found any info on. Oh, really? Yeah, okay. All the rest had the same exact words.
SPEAKER_00Well, nice, they're consistent. Yes, they are consistent, yeah. So this brown ale says that it is uniquely crafted with roasted malts and a yakima hops. So notes of roasted hazelnuts, coffee, and light chocolate combined as the beer warms. So that's an interesting point. So it probably tastes a little bit better as it gets warmer, and on a crisp fall day, there's just enough alcohol to keep you warm as well. Oh, nice. So enough alcohol, this is 4.7 percent. Okay, sweet. This pairs well with cheese platters and braised meats, which I see Jim forgot. Oh, once again, along with desserts, including ice cream and chocolate. I don't see those either. I I don't either, and I I don't know if I've ever read a description that recommends ice cream. Ice cream.
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, you'd have thought with that being said, Jim would have provided us with right. That would have been great insight for the yeah, so we could have gave the entire experience, right?
SPEAKER_01But no, but I thought it was a little too cold for you guys because I know how kind of a sally Mike is, so I didn't want to like here we go, right off the bat. I didn't want to like test him right away with a cold something. Okay, well, I I guess I appreciate that. So did we find say what the ABV was 4.7 and 35 IBUs?
SPEAKER_02All right, so it is brown, yeah, looks like a brown ale, smells like a brown ale, smells like a brown ale. You know, again, we've talked about this a lot. Brown alees really don't have a whole lot of flavor to them on their own. Now, the thing that is kind of interesting or will be interesting is to see how these next three because I'm thinking that they just add things, right? Some kind of adjuncts to this to get these other ones. I'm thinking. Makes sense, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, because this is the base model. This must be the base because the other ones all they do is add one more word to the write-up. So well, there you go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it it's a it's a brown ale that your your average beer drinker would that that likes a brown ale is gonna say, yeah, it's a decent beer. 100%.
SPEAKER_01There's nothing like over the top, there's nothing bad about it, it's just it's right down the middle. It's there, you know. Who wants to be the the guinea pig to go first on this one?
SPEAKER_02Uh I'm gonna go with two and a half. It it's what you would expect, honestly, from your normal brown ale. Just it's it's average, you know. Anybody could drink it, it's not offensive, it does have a little bit of a malty flavor to it, but it's not not anything that you're gonna be like, oh man, I gotta buy that. My opinion.
SPEAKER_00So all right, so we what yeah. I mean, it it's average. I said that right away, and I yeah, I think it's gotta be a two-five as well. You know, I was kind of waiting to see if there's any of that little bit of a bite at the finish of it. Sometimes those ales have that, but not really there. So it's just uh it's a good base, base model.
SPEAKER_01So I'm gonna go up maybe a little bit lower, and only the reason why is you know, we read in there it was supposed to have roasted hazelnuts, coffee, and light chocolate. I I didn't get any of those three flavors at all. I got just the brown, you know, brown ale flavor. So I'm gonna go a 2.3 just
Holiday Beer Trivia Begins
SPEAKER_01because you know they said there was supposed to be something in there. I didn't I didn't catch any of that.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if you guys caught some of that, but it's no, I didn't get any of that. You know, that's yeah, that's a good point. I'll I'll I'll leave it where it's at because I I think that's it's a brown ale. Is it you know what I mean? It's just and and your 2.3 that I totally get that too, because they did kind of mention a bunch of other stuff that really wasn't hadn't come through.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, now the other ones don't even have those things, so I don't know what's gonna happen. Well, but I do happen to have we haven't had some good questions in a while. We we never have good questions, good questions, yeah. Well, these are some holiday-ish type questions. This is gonna be a stretch, just like the song. So start you guys off with an easy one first. Okay, in what year and which brewery made the first American beer brewed specifically for winter release? What year and what brewery?
SPEAKER_02Right, yeah, that's easy one. Easy, easy. Okay, I have a question. Have we ever heard of the brewery?
SPEAKER_01Yes, you've you had multiple beers from there.
SPEAKER_02Okay, I'm just making sure because you know I I got a guess on the brewery.
SPEAKER_00Okay. I think it's Sam Adams.
SPEAKER_02Okay, it's a good guess. Oh, what year? I'll give you a hint. It starts with a one. It starts with a one. Well, we get 50 points right off the bat for that.
SPEAKER_00Perfect.
SPEAKER_02Well, I'll say 1985 for the year. What brewery are you going with? Well, I'm sticking with Sam Adams. That sounds like a good a good choice.
SPEAKER_01All right, so you guys were close. Toby was closer.
Tasting: Coffee Brown Ale
SPEAKER_01Okay, good. So Anchor Brewing Company from San Francisco introduced Well, we were close if the map was this big. Yeah. Our special ale in 1975.
SPEAKER_03Really?
SPEAKER_01According to the brewery, the special ale was the first holiday beer released since Prohibition. Interesting. It's one of the few beers where to wear Christianity on its sleeve, a tradition the brewery embraced when they renamed their product Christmas Ale. Interesting.
SPEAKER_02I guess I was thinking, okay, out east, they're gonna be older. You know, I mean, as far as the breweries themselves, typically, but yeah, anchor's been around for a while.
SPEAKER_01Toby plus 100, Mike minus a thousand. Yeah, okay, whatever. You're close, somebody. Yeah. So what do we got next? What's the next I'm not I'm done with it.
SPEAKER_00So, you know, I just want to go back to this when my Mike gets that next one ready there. I tried to warm it up in my hand a little bit because it did say as it warms, those flavors might come through.
SPEAKER_02Is that what that silk books? Yeah, I didn't look a lot, but I didn't know what was going on.
SPEAKER_00I would say there might be just a little hair of uh a light chocolate in there. Was there? Okay. But yeah, I don't know. So it might help a little bit. A little bit, but I don't think it changed much. Okay. Interesting.
SPEAKER_02I would recommend maybe a little bit warmer than out of a you know, a fridge or cooler I mean, these are fairly cold, but still most of brown ale is gonna be colder anyway, typically. So all right. Well, the next one that we have is once again lift bridge fireside flannel, the brown ale, but this is their coffee version. Coffee coffee, and it's their our original roasty toasty brown ale with cold pressed coffee. Find your fireside 4.7 percent and 35 IBUs. So are they all that same? Yeah, they're all the same ABV as such.
SPEAKER_01But the next two don't have their uh IBUs. I couldn't find that.
SPEAKER_02Sure. This is brown in color, yeah. It's even the head is a little brown. I I don't get any, I don't smell any coffee in the aroma.
SPEAKER_01I don't hardly smell anything. I don't either. No, that's what I was gonna say. There's like hardly whatever it is, it's not very aromatic.
SPEAKER_02Interesting. There's a little coffee. I can taste a little bit of coffee, but it's we've definitely had a lot of other more pronounced coffee, yes. Which I don't mind if it's more or less, but you boy, on the the aftertaste, they can't get kind of that burnt coffee.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think even our friends that don't like coffee and cigarettes wouldn't even mind this. This is not even that I don't know.
SPEAKER_02You look at the the look on Toby's face. I'm not thinking this is a he's not a big fan of this one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, I was just hoping it'd be more of that first one with just uh some more flavor to it, but it the whole flavor of it changed. Yeah, yeah. And I'm not I'm not sure that I uh I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I mean, there is a little coffee flavor. I mean there is we can give them a little star for that, but it still kind of has something to be desired.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just I'm going the other direction, I'll be honest with you. All right, you you wanna you want to start off? I'm I'm a two uh two two three. I was gonna say two four, but I'm gonna drop down to a two three on it. That just something that not a good combination for me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it almost I don't know if it's this you guys have the same, but like my mouth is kind of drying out like a little. Yeah, it's I don't know if it's hoppy, you know, with it when it does that, but there's something that's drying up my mouth. I don't know. And we've had some coffee beers before that that that hasn't happened from, so I am not sure why it's doing that. But like Toby, I'm not a fan of this one either. I'm gonna I'm gonna go with 2.1. The coffee flavor is not I mean, we've had a lot of beers that had coffee flavor and it was a good coffee flavor, even the ones that were strong coffee flavor was still good.
SPEAKER_02This I don't just doesn't this almost has like a metallic-y coffee taste to it. A little bit of a and then on the aftertaste for me, it's kind of like you know. I mean, because we've had ones where it tastes like you're chewing on wet coffee grounds. We've had ones that and they don't have this aftertaste, right? You know, I'm with you, Jim. I'm at a 2.1. I just you could probably I could probably drink a can of it, and then I would not want another more, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00So and it it drinks easy, like it initially just drinks really smooth, and then there's a flavor that to me it's yeah, it's interesting.
SPEAKER_02That aftertaste is and it lingers.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's kind of like you think we should open up the next can and get it the next one because something's got a bad taste in my mouth. Well, I kind of like your questions leave a bad taste in our mouths.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's just kind of yeah, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_02Wow. Well, yeah. I mean, do you want to jump into
Tasting: S’mores Brown Ale
SPEAKER_02the next one?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then I'll I'll save my next good question for it.
SPEAKER_02All right, the next one we have is their fireside flannel s'mores, 4.7 percent. It's their original roasty toasty brown ale with s'mores.
SPEAKER_01You were right, and it looks the same as the coffee, yeah. It doesn't, you know, that's what was scaring me was when I looked at these write-ups, everything's the same except for the one word. The one word, yeah. So it's I'm just I was hoping that you'd get more in inside the can than what's on the right, and this is from the website. Oh, really? Yeah, this isn't even from untapped, this is from this is just right from their website.
SPEAKER_00You know, when the we poured that last one, I kind of looked at it, it it reminded me of a nitro in a way, yeah, had the real little bubbles to it. This one kind of poured the same way, it's kind of got that that real small bubble, you know, the head on it. Is the s'mores any better?
SPEAKER_01Well, I don't smell there's no no aroma. Again, there's no aroma. That's why why are they afraid of aroma? Yeah, I mean, because especially with s'mores, I mean, there's a lot of different things that you could put in there.
SPEAKER_00I'll be honest with you, I I got I almost got like graham cracker marshmallow all at the same time.
SPEAKER_02I to initially get the mar marshmallow for sure, right off the front. At first I was gonna say caramel, but it's like no, then when yeah, uh total marshmallow, but then it yeah, you yeah, you're right.
SPEAKER_01I mean but then it switches right away on the finish to something dry again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's the finish is kind of weird, but the initial taste isn't bad.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that first two seconds.
SPEAKER_02How can you not smell that though?
SPEAKER_01I know that's weird, isn't it? Nope, I don't got I don't smell anything like that. You know, and then if they could if they could just keep that flavor throughout the entire swallow, it would be wow.
SPEAKER_02That's interesting. At least, like I said, this one I should take that back. The last one did taste like coffee, yes, but it was wasn't like a good coffee, right? Our opinion. So I give them credit that they so far they they what they say is gonna kind of taste like it does kind of taste like, but then there's that that after taste, you know. That's I don't know how to describe it. There's just a little different. All right, Jim, why don't you uh us off on this one? I don't mind this one. No, it's better than the last one for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I'll have to say that for flavor-wise of the three that we've had, this is probably the betterest. Is that a word? I guess for me, it's the the challenge I'm struggling with right now is there's that initial flavor that tastes fairly good, but it only lasts for just a couple of seconds and then it's gone, then it goes back to that dry mouthfeel again, which you know that's what sticks with you is the it lingers that finish lingers on. So I I will give it the 2.4 since it is so far the better one, but just keep that flare add a little bit more flavor, keep it so it lasts throughout the entire drink, but a little disappointing. I was I mean it has it had such good it had potential, yes, right at the beginning, and then it just dropped off a cliff.
SPEAKER_02So I'm sitting here going, okay, is this better than the base model? And I know like I said, I know it's better than the coffee one, so I'm trying to figure which side of the 2.5 I want to go. I'm gonna go 2.6 just because I do think it does have that the marsh, I totally get the marshmallow. And like you said, you know, you can you get basically kind of get and I can see both of your points because yes, Toby, you're right. I get all that stuff, Jim. You're right, it's there and gone. How do they, you know, how do you not are you able to keep that? So I'm gonna go 2-6, so I do think that this one does have a little better flavor than what the base model did. And yeah, I I don't mind it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I I agree with you, Mike. I'm a two-six as well. I like it better than the base, uh, just because it has that that marshmallow. And again, I'm trying to warm it up here a little bit in my hand to see if that flavor lingers a little bit more. I I think it might, but I also think the more I kind of drink this, the more I'm convincing myself that there's flavor there. So that that's where I'm at.
SPEAKER_02Good. Yeah, nice. All right. Well, we're let's go to the question. Hey Toby, let's go to the next beer right away.
SPEAKER_01We'll uh yeah, next beer is I got another easy question.
Tasting: Peanut Butter Brown Ale
SPEAKER_01All right. Easy question. So, question number two Which religious order popularized seasonal brews and why? Another e I'm doing a slow-pitched softball to you guys.
SPEAKER_02Well, it's got to be the monk, some kind of monks. I don't know what order they are. Gotta get specific. I gotta I dug this one deep. I'm sure you did. The Benedictine monks. How about that? And why? Because they wanted something different.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna go with the brown ale monks. Uh-huh. There you go. And they just used what resources they had available, so seasonally, pumpkins, that type of stuff, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I think Toby's the closest. I think he might have actually got it right. So it what I found out is during medieval times, yeah, monks, so Toby got it right, played a huge role in popularizing these seasonal brews. They created beers with higher alcohol content for the winter, not just because they were delicious, as we think, but because they provided more calories during fasting periods. Who knew beer could be a meal replacement? Well, they always say it's a pork chop in a can.
SPEAKER_02See, Toby got a thousand points on that. Remember how I told you like a month ago I had like this real searing pain right above my eyeball? Yeah. Like somebody was sticking an ice. Yeah, it came back.
SPEAKER_00I I think I might know why.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So Mike. I think I'm narrowing it down. Mike got a minus thousand until we get a plus thousand on that. Oh, that's good. Way to go, Toby.
SPEAKER_02Woo! Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So what do we got? No, this is the final one of this variety. Oh, you were talking about food. So this one's peanut butter. Yeah. We have had some good food.
SPEAKER_02This is their roasty, toasty brown ale with peanut butter.
SPEAKER_01It's a whole write-up. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So let's hope they're this should be interesting. I'm hoping. Because, like you said, Toby, we've had a lot of different peanut butter ones, and some are really good, some are bad. We'll be able to tell, I think, right off the bat if it's the powdered peanut butter or if it's the real deal. Because it is funny how there is a different flavor to that stuff, you know. I do smell a little bit of I smell peanut butter.
SPEAKER_01I can oh wait, there's an aroma. Yeah, there is aroma. Oh, yep. There that's smells like a powder, and it does have a little bit of a light brown tinge to the head and head.
SPEAKER_02I can taste peanut butter. I think it's I think it is the the powdered type peanut butter, but it has it. This one has this has more flavor, but that finish it still has that weird to me, it's almost a metallic y dry something.
SPEAKER_00You know, and I I I spoke to it before. Sometimes the brown ales just have a weird finish. And this one definitely has that kind of consistent. Not as much in the base, but the other ones definitely have it. I just can't pinpoint what it's like. This one lingers a little bit more though, longer than the marshmallow flavor.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. It's still not like knock the door down and run and get another one. Right. This is like I might have to change a score. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00This is well, and I think this is, you know, you guys have had more beers than the average man. And I think, you know, you you learn to become in tune with the flavors and what you're looking for and understanding it and how it goes together. And I think, you know, the beauty of the listeners out there is if you're listening and we're telling you about this fireside flannel stuff, go buy it. Because it you can drink it. Oh, yeah. It's an easy one that you can drink, and you'll kind of get get an experience of the flavors. Are is it great? No, but you you stumble across the great one sometimes.
SPEAKER_01And correct.
SPEAKER_00These these could have been great. And it's not to say that they did a horrible job with it. Right. It just doesn't fit into our particularly your guys' palettes of what you expect out of a good beer. So yeah, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_02The thing I like about this one is it does have aroma. I mean, we you got the peanut butter aroma. You can taste it, and you're right, Toby. It that peanut butter does hang on a lot longer than what the other ones have. So I'm gonna go with 2-7. Yeah, I was thinking,
Lift Bridge Pack Verdict
SPEAKER_02Woody. I was thinking I was gonna change the scores, but I don't want to do that. So I do think of the of these four, I do like this one, I think, the best. Again, it it it's tough because we've had a lot of really good peanut butter beers, and it's hard to compare this to those, you know, but I think it's they did an alright job. You know, I don't mind it. I'd I'd drink, I think of the four, I'd probably take that one first, possibly, I guess. So yeah. So we'll leave it at that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I you know, I agree with you. We kind of we kind of painted ourselves and yeah, where we can go with with the the points, but it to me it's the best one, so I I've got to go that two seven as well. And again, if these were the only beers I've ever had and I'm basing it off of average, I can live with a two two seven for this one. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I don't know, guys. Um I mean it's okay. I guess for me, I'm I'll go a 2.5 right down the middle. I mean, it's still not, I guess, at the level where I'm expecting it to be, you know, a good peanut butter flavor. I mean, because we've had some good peanut butter beers. So sure, yeah. So what that tells me it is possible to make a good peanut butter beer. This almost looks like these are a lot of very experimental type beers that are okay. It almost might be like built for you know, designed for the masses. Oh, sure, yeah. You know, so they don't like offend one person or another. But I guess, like we always say, I mean, if you want to put it in there, go ahead and put some flavor in there. Don't be afraid to you know ratchet it up a couple notches just to because I mean it even trying to you know put the real peanut butter in there or peanuts in there, right? Some of those things might might help it out a little bit, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, I give them credit for taking the same like that brown ale and and doing these three different versions of it. That's kind of a cool thing.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02And I don't know if this is the first time they've done it or if they've they've probably done it before, but I I do like that concept, you know, where where you here's the base, and then let's try, you know, it kind of reminds me of some of the the higher octane ones we've had where they've done a similar thing, except those are kind of on another level. You know what I mean? But so I give them credit for that, but I do think you're right, Jim. I think this is more for just you know anybody would be looking for it.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, and I you know, I think you know, Lift Bridge is up by us here in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
SPEAKER_02You guys have been there too, haven't you? Have you been to Lift Bridge? I don't think I have been. Okay, so I've been there, been there one time. It it's a neat place. They you know, and they had all sorts of beers on top.
SPEAKER_00You know, that that kind of actually helps me with my next thought here, Mike, is you know, I guess for Vikings fans, this this beer might be good. Um, I'm not sure that the the Wisconsin Packers fans would like it as much. Well, that's because the Viking fans like beer with flavor, so oh.
SPEAKER_02So then what do you think should we maybe wrap these wrap these four up with kind of just their best one or what was I was gonna say this recommend the same thing because the next four are from Sam Adams. So it's not really a fair comparison. Toby, do you want to start off with kind of your thoughts on the well? We kind of already gave our thoughts. Yeah, we did.
SPEAKER_01I mean, anything that you that's you'd want to just wrap up with what you thought was the best or worst, or would you recommend?
SPEAKER_00Again, I I think for someone that's just you know, like, oh, I'm gonna try some brown ales, great place to start. A little bit of flavor if you want to experiment with some craft beers and good place to start. I I can't say that you know they were horrible. I'd drink a can of each of them and I'd probably move on to something else, but right, yeah, not bad overall.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I agree with everything you said there, Toby, uh Toby. I think that again, I like the fact that they took the brown ale, added different flavors to it, and here you go, here's some options in a brown ale. So yeah, if you see it out there, I would say pick it up. I mean, they're they're not bad at all. You know, I mean, our scores are a little harsher probably than a lot of people would be, just because we've had you know tried so many between the three of us that yeah, I I'd say pick it up and and give them a whirl.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean the I guess the other advantage too is these are all lower ABV 4.7, so they're not like over the top. So I think you know, the even the introductory craft beer drinker could could try these, yep, but at least then they know you know what their kind of the baseline is for for the brown ale.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I'm I was kind of disappointed, not Shinerbach disappointed, but I was close. Well, I was just kind of hoping it would have a little bit more flavor.
SPEAKER_02Now I did notice that Toby was playing like experimenting.
SPEAKER_00Vixologist over here, and you mixed the peanut butter with the s'mores just to see if I get like a chocolate Reese's cup kind of effect. It had better flavor together, but the finish still like in that s'mores one and the coffee one, not good. Okay, yeah, but um but the the a lot of good flavor initially when you mix the two together.
SPEAKER_02Well, good. All right, there you go. Well, awesome.
SPEAKER_01We tried, yeah. We tried. All right, so now we're on to our next. So now we're Jim was digging deep in the back of his beer fridge and found well. So this no, I was
Switching To Sam Adams Winter Break Pack
SPEAKER_01actually found these 12 packs at the same day. So I got the Lift Bridge Fireside Flannel variety pack, and now this is the winter break variety pack from Sam Adams. Oh, okay. So if our if the listeners remember, we did do up 12 pack four cans from last year. Yes, 2024. Yep. This is a 2025 version. So two of the cans are similar styles, and then there's a limited edition, and then there's a new style. Okay. So there's some of the same, some hopefully you can your taste buds can remember from last year, right? What it tasted like and what it's gonna taste like this year. So which one we can do first? There.
SPEAKER_02Well, the first one we have is the winter lager. Okay. Oh, I almost dropped the pages you gave me. Uh, the winter lager, and this is a spiced wheat bock. Bach. 5.6% ABV and 22 IBUs. So we upped the ABV a little bit. Step through. Yep. And it here's their description. And you gotta enjoy it because they they like to put a lot of descriptives for colder nights. Lean on winter lager, a crisp bock with citrus and spices. This the clementine orange aroma is especially refreshing during holiday meals and celebrations. Hmm. All right, and we've had this one before, right? So we've had so this is the 2025 version. This is the 2025. Hmm. I'm trying to see there's a there is an aroma. Aroma, but I'm not sure if it's uh if it's clementine. I don't really smell this whatever
Tasting: Winter Lager
SPEAKER_02the spices are. I think I smell more smell more of the spices, yeah. That's not bad. Okay, yeah. I was expecting when it said about citrus, I was expecting more of a orangey, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01Like or that kind of a it's I mean, I guess comparing it to the fireside, right? This finish is much smoother. Yes, oh yeah. So yeah, for sure. So the flavor is not a lot there, but the finish for me is a lot uh easier to stomach.
SPEAKER_02So we're starting over from scratch, right? We don't have to worry about copying scratching. Okay, just making sure.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we can't. So I mean it's it's it's not bad. I guess the hard part again, you know, I'm just just reading the words at face. So a wheat. I'm not a wheat guy, but I don't taste that wheat flavoring a little that style of beer. Yeah. So and then the spiced, I don't get a lot of spices. I mean, everything seems muted. It almost tastes like a big box beer. Kind of. Oh you know, I don't because there's not really much.
SPEAKER_02I mean, when you think about it, you know, think of what like amber Bach tastes like. Because it Bach is the same, you know, that style. Yep. But I don't really, and it's not like I'm really picking up a lot of like I said, when I was talking about these clementine oranges and you know, these citrus and spices, and I'm I'm with you, Jim. I'm really not picking up a huge amount of that.
SPEAKER_00Right. So the can, I'm gonna give it away. The can says cinnamon and ginger. Now, those are two spices you think would kind of jump out of the ginger.
SPEAKER_02Ginger, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And and they're not there. I mean, they they're either masked very well for a good good flavor, or it just so little of it that it really doesn't change things. That's weird because I don't I still don't get I I know I've read cinnamon and I'm like, nope, I can't. Ginger is like, no. I mean, you've ever had a ginger beer, you know. Yes, exactly. This is a like you say, a great smooth finish. I just don't don't get any of it. Right.
SPEAKER_01That's where we always you know heart back on, you know, we like flavor. Yeah, don't be afraid of flavor, don't be afraid of it. But I mean, I don't know. I mean, could I drink a can of it? Sure. Yeah, I could drink a couple cans of it, but for sure. But if I drank the can and you told me what's asked me what was in it, I couldn't, I could I just shrug my shoulders. I couldn't tell you what none of these flavors are coming through.
SPEAKER_02I would never have guessed cinnamon and ginger at all.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it's only 22 IBUs. Yeah. So it's it's it's very it's masked very well.
SPEAKER_01Well, and I thought I was gonna try to do fruit, a clementine. I don't even know what a clementine is, I don't think I've ever had one.
SPEAKER_02Well, it's like those little small, kind of like the QD type oranges, they're smaller. I don't know nothing.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's interesting again. The can says a clementine infused orange peel. So that I don't even taste that.
SPEAKER_02I don't know what that means. I because I don't really, you know, if when we've had other stuff that has has orange peel in it, it has that bitter right thing. I really don't get that in this.
SPEAKER_01And they usually a lot of them is it's a little bit of orange peel. Right. You know, they might just scrape a couple times. Yeah, I don't know. Disappointed, I guess again. Yeah, not uh not kind of what I thought it was going to be.
SPEAKER_02I I hate to say it because it it drinks smooth, good finish. Uh but everything it's says is in there, I really don't get. So I'm gonna go like a two-three just because of false advertising, I guess. So we'll sorry spam atoms, but so you can reuse your score. We'll block out the first four. Yep. So I I just think I'm gonna stick with a two three because I just it had with all those things in there, I just didn't pick any of them up.
SPEAKER_00So I'm I'm gonna go two four, and the reason I'm going two four is I think this has a lot of drinkability. Oh yeah, you you want to you know, you want to sit down and use like I said, you could have more than one of these very easily. There's not a bad finished aftertaste, anything like that. It drinks smooth, and I mean on a warmer than today day, you know, not minus twenty, but I think you could certainly sit around and have a few of them. So that's the only reason I'll go two four. Do I think it's a great beer, you know, even average. I I think there's been other beers with the description or those ingredients that are would rank higher.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I'm just I'm struggling because I mean it's it's a decent beer, and I you know, we don't get this. This is a winter beer, so it only comes out this this seasonal. But all the things it says on a can, all the things it says on the website, none of us are tasting them. Right. So that's where I I'm struggling. You know, do I just go with well, it's an okay beer, I can drink a whole can of that. Right. Or so I go, well, you know, for the listeners out there, it's gonna be like, you know, you see that it's gonna be a citrus, it's gonna have spices, it's gonna have ginger, cinnamon, and there's nothing. Right. So I guess I'm just gonna lower mine down to 2.2, wishing and hoping that they would have put a little bit more flavor.
SPEAKER_02Right. Yep, I agree with you. Like I said, it's just especially ginger, usually that sticks out like crazy, and I just there was nothing.
SPEAKER_01So another easy question. No, sure not. Nope. Easy one, nope. Question number three. Centuries ago, way before you were born, like maybe at that time. Refrigeration wasn't an option. Okay.
Tasting: Winter White Ale
SPEAKER_01Just making sure you understand that. Like when you're in your youth, there was no refrigerators, yeah. Winter brought cooler fermentation temperatures, okay. Which lent themselves to styles which different, okay, so which lent themselves to different styles of beer. What are two of those different styles of beer and why are they like that? Because of the colder fermentation, you know, the sensor wasn't a refrigerator.
SPEAKER_02One would have to be a lager, because I mean, even now they start, can't remember if they start colder and they work their way up or if it's back. I can't remember how that works. And I'm gonna say ice beer, Toby. Oh, I think that would be a good one.
SPEAKER_03Ice beer, yeah.
SPEAKER_00All right, so Toby, what's you know, I kind of thought log lager myself, just the way it's made. And then my initially, as you were reading that question, Jim, I thought about like, you know, an IPA, the Indian PL, and the reason they made those was because of the warm temperatures that lasted longer. So did the the pale ale come after the Indian? I don't know. So I'll I'll say the pale ale because temperatures got cooler, they could make it that way.
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, let me give you both the hint. So we're not close on either of them. Okay. The one you're missing that should be very obvious, starts with an S. A stout? Yes. Well, that was of we were looking for more obscure. So it's stouts and lagers. Brewers also use hardier ingredients that could withstand storage the long dark season. So Mike did get that right. So we give Mike plus one. I guess I didn't.
SPEAKER_02Oh nice.
SPEAKER_01Toby, we get plus 500. But he didn't get it right. Well, he said lager. After I did, yeah, but he said it, so he's at 500 for that. Then why didn't I get 500?
SPEAKER_02You got you got a point, buddy. Come on, don't don't like bag. It's beneath me to beg. Man, Toby, I tell you what, dude. You remember on our on our Tuesday night meetings? That's just what I'm talking about. Yeah, I understand. Yeah, and I they completely negative completely unbiased. Oh, yeah, that's okay, Jim. Everybody knows you're biased. I mean, unbiased. See, I could be a I could be a teacher so scrape like this. So stouts are fermented at a colder temperature as well. Right. I didn't know that. I didn't realize that either. Uh-uh. All right. Well, I guess well, the next one we got is their winter white ale. All right, what do you got on that? That's 5.7%. So we upped it a little bit and one tenth eight IBUs. So it's either gonna be really, really hoppy or it's gonna be not bad. All right. So their description is winter may be chilly, but this festive ale balances bright orange peel. Okay, here we go again. We'll see bright orange peel with holiday spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to warm up even the coldest temperatures and help you celebrate the season.
SPEAKER_01All right, well, so hopefully it's some something winter-ish, holiday-ish.
SPEAKER_02Yep. So hopefully, you know, cinnamon and nutmeg. Hopefully, hopefully it'll be where we actually can taste it, you know. Right and when it's talking orange peel, that's what we were talking about the last one. That it was that right.
SPEAKER_00You know, I mean the last one's a winter lager, it's got all those same things in it. I can smell it. But you go down to eight IBUs. Yeah, so that that was like, wait a minute, is this gonna be easier to drink than the last one? Right, or is it more things gonna come through, like you said?
SPEAKER_02Boy, I can smell the nut and egg and cinnamon and what's a bright orange peel? The opposite of a dark orange peel.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but it's not you can't see it in your beer.
SPEAKER_00Right?
SPEAKER_02A bright orange. That's that one's got a flavor.
SPEAKER_00You can't see it in there, but it is it's there more orange than the last beer. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01There's flavor.
SPEAKER_02There's flavor there.
SPEAKER_01I don't that I think I get a little bit of cinnamon in them.
SPEAKER_02I get cinnamon and nutmeg for sure. Yeah, yeah. Definitely. That is more of a festive beer. I give them credit on that.
SPEAKER_01So this one is probably so far today, probably our best.
SPEAKER_02I'd say I'd agree with you. This is probably the best tasting one of the six so far that we've tried.
SPEAKER_00And and smooth, yeah. Not a bad after finish. After finish, not a bad finish on it. You know, the aftertaste is isn't bad at all.
SPEAKER_01I mean, but the it does my tongue is drying out, so I don't know if that's is it from the other beers? I'm wondering, I don't know. Yeah, I'm not getting that anywhere near what the lift bridge was. But I mean the but I guess the color is really, really light. I mean, it's definitely not an colorwise. It almost reminds me of like Blue Moon. Kind of that little bit of a you know, I don't I think I'd be more lighter than that. Yeah, what's that? I'd even go lighter because I mean you can see I can see your face through this, which many beers you'd not be able to see.
SPEAKER_02Are you sure we're looking at the same beer?
SPEAKER_01You didn't pour what do you got, Paps Light there in your hang on, let me let me which I am I using it?
SPEAKER_00It could have been yeah, but who wants to go first on this bad boy? So okay, here's my struggle right now, right? It it definitely has those flavors in it, and it it says it's 5.7 percent. To me, it just I it has those flavors more than beer-like, if that makes any sense. It's like drinking a holiday drink, right? Yeah, because you know, and and and maybe that's good. I mean uh as what what you've always pointed out, like does it taste like what the can says is in it, and this one definitely does. I'm I'm gonna have to honestly. I I mean it it's good, I like it. I I'm a two nine on it. Oh, nice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Did you stretch out before you did that? I did you hear my thought? I mean, I'm doing some mental gymnastics
Tasting: Old Fezziwig
SPEAKER_01there on that one. Well, I don't know, maybe I'm just a little hard on it. I don't know. Gosh, I'm struggling even more than Toby. I mean, because I mean, is it taste bad? No, by not any means at all. Does it taste good? I think it's still towards the middle of the road for me. I don't think there's anything that's really standing out that's like, wow, this is like one of the best holiday beers I've ever had. This is more like I could drink a can of it, be like, okay, this is okay. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go with the 2.5. I'm gonna keep it right in the middle. It's just all the flavors they talk about, the spices, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, that very first initial flavor was good. Now, as you drink a little bit more, it kind of fades away and fades away. So it's again, I guess like the other ones, just add a little bit more to it. I wish I could get a little bit more, squeeze a little bit more flavor out of it.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I'm going to 2.8. I agree with you, Toby. I think I totally get the nutmeg and the cinnamon. I don't know if per safe if I pick up a whole lot of like orange peel, but that's not a bad thing because sometimes that's really bitter. I would agree. And such, and I could definitely drink a few cans of this. And I I like it. It's good.
SPEAKER_01We don't well, yeah. Did we say that everybody's opinion counts? Yeah. Especially when it's my show. Oh well, I guess we'll I guess a good thing is like questions. Yeah, exactly. So, all right, so now we are getting into the the heart of these because our next two beers, what do we got, Toby? What are the next two? The is it Fezziwig?
SPEAKER_02Old Fezziwig, yeah. Fezziwig? Yeah, and the cold brew.
SPEAKER_01So we got but their limited release and their new one. Well, the next one's gonna be spiced, correct? So that ties right into my next question. So this is another one. I'm just like throwing up the softball pitch. When are you guys gonna hit the home run? Okay. What is the name of the first spiced ale? The first spiced ale.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And it's more you're talking like the style, not like the name was Charlie's spiced ale. You know, you know, you're talking correct? I mean, more of the so what kind of a beer was it? So the see, I hate to be like that, Toby, but with Jim, you gotta do that because he's so here's the challenge to answer your question. Okay. So make sure you know what I'm saying. I'm a little bit more than that. The kind of ale that it was or it actually had no so the brand name.
SPEAKER_01So neither one, neither one. So doing the research, and I didn't know this till I started because I mean there was a whole bunch of stuff on it.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_01So there was a time when they were making ales, but then in certain parts of Europe, they also then they wanted to keep drinking the ale through the winter season. So they had to do something to the ale, and then what they did actually was like some of the words they were saying to the people. So when you say stop, so it's an ale. Right, right. That's not what I'm looking, but I'm looking for the name of what they called this when they mixed it with something and then drank it. Okay. So it'd almost be like your sister-in-law when she used to make that stuff on the stove, apple pie.
unknownStuff on the stove.
SPEAKER_01Some people call it food, other people call it it. Right. So kind of like that. So what was that called? Because it's it is an ale. So that it was right, right. But then it has another name. So this is an easy one. This is like Toby. Do you do you have a guess? I don't easy, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Your explanation really.
SPEAKER_02Well, when Danny Sandler has a page with you, it's super easy, yeah. And it's an ale.
SPEAKER_00So I was gonna go back to the previous question and say, well, maybe it was like a stout, like a you know, but if it's an ale.
SPEAKER_02Jeez, I don't know, dude. I don't know what your I don't know. I don't even have a guess. I don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I'm I'm I'm just gonna go with uh I'm gonna go with a spice stout. I'm sticking with my stout because I have no clue.
SPEAKER_02Uh I was gonna say geez, a spiced and I'll have we heard of it before. What do you think?
SPEAKER_01I think I actually gave this question to you last year, too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, your questions, I totally blank them out of my mind. Gosh, I don't know, dude. I don't know. I'm not even gonna venture.
SPEAKER_01I can't believe I gotta bring you guys up to the levels. I know. So it's called Wasale.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I remember that 100%.
SPEAKER_01Jeez, Toby, why didn't we remember that? So, Wasale, the history of the word? Is that what you said? The history of the word denotes a kind of greeting that became associated with drinking and celebrating.
SPEAKER_02We had that around Christmas time just this last year, and I totally forgot the See.
SPEAKER_01So versions of Wasale were made with wine and cider, a traditional recipe called lamb's wool. Okay. That was roasted with crab apples.
SPEAKER_02Oh, well, you know.
SPEAKER_01So, and it was actually referenced in the Shakespeare comedy of its Midsummer's Nice Dream. Most commonly, Wasale was served in a large bowl with dark ale, fruits, and spices. Well, thank you, Mr. Trebek. And just soak up the grog. Fine breads were and cakes were floated within it.
SPEAKER_02Did he answer it in the form of a question?
SPEAKER_01Wow, I can't even give you guys either one of points on that one. That was like the easiest question. Oh darn.
SPEAKER_02All right. Well, let's get to the Fezziwig guy here. All right, so what do you got on the Fezzi? So this is their old Fezziwig, the 2020 2025 version. Yep, green. Okay. Spice brown ale, 5.9% ABV. Like the character that inspired it. This spiced ale is warm, festive, and worthy of a celebration all its own. Its full body accompanies a deep malt character with notes of sweet toffee and rich dark caramel. Or caramel to the fancy folk.
SPEAKER_01So toffee and caramel.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01All right. The two things that we can barely ever figure out.
SPEAKER_02Typically, if there's actually in there. Toffee anyway. Caramel, you usually pick taste
Tasting: Cold Brew Coffee Stout
SPEAKER_02caramel, but not a whole lot of aroma. I don't get much.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it is what what color is that golden? Is it or is that no, that's more is it dark brown?
SPEAKER_02It's almost an amberish, brownish.
SPEAKER_01Is it a brown ale, but yeah, there might be a little bit as color as a can?
SPEAKER_02It could be known as a brown ale because it says it's a spice, a spiced brown ale. Oh, thanks.
SPEAKER_01Obviously it is similar to the color of the can, almost raspberry.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01There we go. All right, so aroma, not much. Do you get any toffee or caramel?
SPEAKER_02There's a slight sweetness on the finish. But but I'm not gonna say that it's oh yeah, it's caramel. Like slight. When you say slight, slight.
SPEAKER_01It might be as slight as that. There's a hint, there's a hint of a sweetness. It might be as thick as that salmon that we had that one day.
SPEAKER_00About that thick, yeah.
SPEAKER_01How do you put something in and not have a flavor come out? It's just like nothing there.
SPEAKER_02This is a limited release on the can, isn't that what it says?
SPEAKER_00It it is. Yep. It's a limited release, sweet toffee flavors, rich dark caramel. I'm not, I'm not getting, and it's got the base of guess what? Ginger and cinnamon. I don't get any of that either.
SPEAKER_02No, no, I don't know. It's I don't think it'd be my first choice.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it's okay. I mean, it's not offensive. There's nothing, there's nothing really like stands out for me. It's just like there.
SPEAKER_02Yep, I agree with you. What are you thinking on a score? Or is this me first?
SPEAKER_01Who went first?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. You want me to go first? You can go first, Jim, if you would.
SPEAKER_01Gosh, I'm again, I'm disappointed. I I thought this was gonna be a little bit more to it, especially when it talked about the toffee and the dark, rich caramel. I was hoping this was gonna be one of the better ones we had, but it's still like right in the middle of the road. But I think it's a little tick above the winter ale. I'm gonna go with 2.6. I guess it's more maybe about the finish. It does seem a little smoother. And I like what you said, Mike. I do think there's a little bit there on the end. Not much, but there's a little bit there that gives that little nod above that. I I'm trying to split it here, and I I'm like I'm trying to split it like almost as thin as that salmon was.
SPEAKER_02But it's not as that's thin. It's not as because we're rating them so highly like we have before when we've done some of the other beer styles and such, but I'm gonna go with two five. It's just kind of average to me. I don't I wish it had more of those flavors in it, and I just I don't pick them up, you know. And I don't know, it's not offensive, you know, at all, but again, it's all these flavors they talk about, and they just don't really come to the forefront. They don't come through at all.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. I you know, I was at a a two five, and I'm like, Do I drop it less than the the the the winter lager because that was drinkable to me and and had had a good flavor, but uh you know, I I I was just expecting more out of this one, and it's a limited release, right? So what do you compare it to? Right. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to go two three. Oh, you you really didn't like this one? It's not that I didn't like it, it's just there's nothing there. Yeah. This is one of those that you know, that logic of you're expecting way more.
SPEAKER_02I promise so much, and then it just doesn't deliver.
SPEAKER_01So easy to drink though. Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. All right, so my last question, question number five. So I don't have an exact date because I didn't keep the exact records. But when was the first spiced ale like written about and who started it? I actually have a guy's name. Have we ever heard of the guy? No, okay, so not even in cartoons, yeah. So it's uh so we're gonna do that. I was surprised I heard this guy's name.
SPEAKER_02But you could name your kids after him. Oh okay. Well, that narrows it down a lot. So you're looking for exact years, no century.
SPEAKER_01Are we looking for the guy or the year? What are we looking for here? I'll even say if you can get more than a thousand years, you're gonna be good.
SPEAKER_02Wow. Well, then I'm gonna say either way, either way, because this is like this is like so random. So then I'm gonna say 1226, because that goes from all the way from 2026 all the way back to 26. Yep, and it was Herb. Herb Herbolis Caesar. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Toby? I'm gonna go 1402 and I'm gonna go with Alexander Bootweiser. Alexander what him there was a company in Czechoslovakia at one point that made beer. So what was it year you said again? 1402.
SPEAKER_011402, and you had 1226.
SPEAKER_00I said 1226.
SPEAKER_01So what I found was in the 1300s. So you guys were both around the same place. Woo-hoo! So the first country Herbopoulos dated back to Christianity to Anglo-Saxon celebration of the new year. Okay. The local overlord named Herbopoulos. Here you go. You spell it, then you guys say it.
Sam Adams Pack Verdict
SPEAKER_01V-O-R-T-T-I-V-E-R-N. Vortigan.
SPEAKER_02You could name your kid after that. That was my second guess.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, right after Herbopolis, it was Vortigan.
SPEAKER_01All right. By some accounts, a part of a sale. That's what it got its name. It's through him. Oh, okay. According to legend, his Saxon subjects, kind of like you, subjects, presented him a bowl of ale during a feast. He raised the bowl and they shouted the proclamation, Lord King woes hail. And what does that mean? So translated, Lord King to your health.
unknownOh.
SPEAKER_01It was a Saxon customer. It's about time you bring me beer. To greet your friend with wasale, to which he responded, Drink ale. Ah. See? So that's where the term wasail came in from from the holidays. Okay. See, so I'm trying to educate you, buddy, trying to get you up to speed. I appreciate that. He'll ask us the same questions next year, and I won't remember them.
SPEAKER_02See, next year I'm gonna try to figure out what year that was. Okay. You're gonna go into a deep dive. I'm gonna dive when exactly. So yeah, so we are on to the last one.
SPEAKER_01So we've been doing, I'm really disappointed.
SPEAKER_02I thought it would be well, they're not they're not like you know, the the company that shall not be named again, but yeah, I mean they're they're okay, you know.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it's all these beers they've been okay, right? And and I guess maybe I did say it before, but it seems like they're kind of brewing for the masses.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because I mean, liftbridge is not as big as Sam Adams, but right. Sam Adams is huge, right?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so and I know that Jim, you had had bought some of these before, and I mean there was a couple of them that that were really good. You know, I just think it depends on what variety pack you find. Right. There was two that I thought were really good.
SPEAKER_02Well, do you remember last year at Between the Bluffs, uh Lift Bridge had that grape ape, that grape ale. Oh, that was actually really good. That was, yeah. So I mean they've got but it wasn't a brown ale. No, no, correct. It was just an ale. All right, well, let me get another one. This one here is their the Sam Adams Cold Brew Coffee Stout. Six percent ABV and 20 IBUs. So this is the highest ABV we've had today. Six percent six percent inspired by the espresso martini. This robust stout brings together beer and coffee for a rich roasted flavor and warming finish. This buzzworthy brew is sure to bring extra cheer to every party.
SPEAKER_01Didn't we have an espresso martini in Kansas City? Yeah, at Boulevard. Boulevard. Didn't they have a really, really good espresso?
SPEAKER_02Yep, they did, if now that you remember it.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02All right, so here we go. So we should get coffee, right? I'm not getting a whole lot of aroma-wise, not much for aroma. None of these the peanut butter one had the probably the most aroma. Well, that, and then the the green can, the white, winter white ale or whatever.
SPEAKER_01That's smoke.
SPEAKER_02It's something that's a smoke flavor? I don't get much coffee at all in that. Tastes some smokiness. Well, when it said you know, a robust stout, the only you know, because there's a robust porter, yeah. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, I don't know if it's smoky. It it's there's something going on there. It could be a uh a coffee type flavoring, and not a good coffee.
SPEAKER_02I just don't you hardly pick up the coffee. No, that's the thing that's weird to me. That it's cold brew, and I and again, I'm not a coffee drinker, so I don't other than in a stout, but I don't know like cold brew coffee if that tastes different than it's poured on ice, right?
SPEAKER_00Is that well it it's because of the process of making it, it changes a little bit flavor of it. So it does, okay. Yeah, I mean this is somewhere I I I drink stoked, which is a cold brew coffee.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I don't know. I just I was expecting more coffee flavor, I guess. You know, our track record, you know, is usually you have more coffee, but it's not bad. I don't mind it. I kind of like it. I was just there's something going on. I don't know. Something internally is going on or something with the beer.
SPEAKER_01No, because it says it's coffee, yeah. But I mean, and we've had beers that taste like coffee, right? This doesn't there's something else going on, almost maybe it's the espresso, maybe it's that's because espresso is a
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SPEAKER_01lot more a lot stronger in flavor because it takes the coffee flavor to a whole other level level.
SPEAKER_02But I just don't get the coffee flavor though.
SPEAKER_01That's what I have you have you had an espresso before in a little teeny cup, like the 43 the 43 beers, right? That size cup.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't I probably never had an espresso before. This I don't I don't hang out at those hoity toity places that have espresso. Yeah, but you did have a 43 beer though. Yeah, I had that I've had 43 beers many times.
SPEAKER_01No, the 43 beer was got the no, yeah, the mini beers. Right, yeah. This is would be like one of those.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm not so it it does have resemblance to me of a cold brew. I'll give it that again. You know, does it really fit into the any of what we're drinking here? No, because it's a cold brew, you know, and it's that coffee. Yes, we did have coffee in the the fireside, but uh I don't mind this. I'll give it a two five.
SPEAKER_02All right, good to go. I'm going two six. I just I just think that I do like the flavor, but I was very it was very smooth, and such I was just expecting a little more coffee, but I could I think almost of all those that one or the the winter white ale of the two I would probably grab because I yeah, I just I don't know why. I don't know what a cold brew tastes like, but it's it's it was decent.
SPEAKER_00I wonder if this could replace my cold brew at work.
SPEAKER_02It could if you brought it in the world. Well, there's one way to find out in the month.
SPEAKER_00Might not be at work anymore.
SPEAKER_02If all of a sudden, hey guys, I can record all sorts of podcasts now because surprisingly they didn't understand the cold brew I brought.
SPEAKER_01I'm actually gonna have to go 2.0. Oh, geez. This is my not my favorite of the entire day. Really? Okay, yeah. This is okay. Only because that so it says cold brew, you know. Is it is it coffee? Is it espresso? What is that flavor? And uh, from what I'm hearing from you guys, you guys didn't pick it up either.
SPEAKER_00Well, because I don't know what cold brew tastes like either, but yeah, I think it does taste like cold brew, and that's why I went with a two five.
SPEAKER_01So I'm going to lower it only because whatever it is, it has flavor, it's a lot of flavor, but it's for me, it I think our friends that hate cigarettes and coffee would probably pour this one right down the drain. I think they would not because they don't if they don't like the cigarettes and coffee flavor. I don't think this is gonna change them to get it light craft beer.
SPEAKER_02No, but I think this one might be a little less coffee-y and they may not mind it as much, is what I was thinking. That is possible, it's a possibility, but you're probably right.
SPEAKER_01So I'm gonna go with a 2.0. Yep. I just I'm not sold on this one. Okay, so so should we do our should we do a of these four and then a wrap up of the day? Sure.
SPEAKER_02Uh of these four, I'd I'd say the winter white ale for me was the best one. It had the most flavor to it. Number two was that the cold brew just because the other two were kind of worse. So again, Jim, I think you're 100% right. I think these are brewed more for the masses, so to speak, and it's which is not bad. Don't get me wrong. They they do it every year, you know, and they usually do try and introduce a new one in that winter pack. Yep, and they did it again. So I'm sure we'll be looking again for next year to see what they come out with. Keep my eyes as well. So, yeah, I mean, overall, they I did like the finish on all of them better than the lift bridge. You know, I thought there was a more smooth finish on them. So overall, I think that those are my top two for Sam Adams. And you know, really for the the entire day, they were still probably the top two, and then I'd say then the peanut butter one from Lift Bridge is three. Okay, sounds good.
SPEAKER_01Toby, what do you think? Let me slide this over so you can.
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah, I I agree with Mike. You know, that that winter ale or winter white ale was definitely the the one I liked the best. It had some good flavor to it. And that cold brew was my next one that that I liked from the Sam Adams group, you know, comparing it to the Lift Bridge. I think that my scores were similar with with a few of them, and uh that the s'mores and the the peanut butter were up there. I like the peanut butter a little bit more than the s'mores, so that would probably be my favorite out of that. If I had to go to the store and pick between the two, I'd go with the Sam Adams.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'd agree with you. All right, especially because of the finish. Yeah, honestly. I'm gonna do my overall message right off the bat. Sorry. Oh, yeah. Jim, Jim did buy all these now. I bought these. Yeah, I tried for the fuel goal and I missed. Shank or white. I shanked or whichever way. I wasn't even blown kicking into the wind, and I just shanked. I think it got blocked. I'm sorry. I I was hoping he might have pulled a hammy before he even kicked it. So you know, I was hoping that these are gonna be good. And even if you look at our scores across the board, these are not like somebody should like go out and buy these right away.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01So these to me, from our scores, like our average across this, is like maybe if you're starting out with craft beer, try these. You you're not gonna be scared away. But these are not, in my opinion, ones I'd be like, oh my gosh, you gotta go buy this six pack, this 12-pack right now and try. I'm not at that level, right? So I'm sorry. I I'm gonna say it right up front. I'm I thought this was gonna be good, but again, I always circle back to say that's kind of why we're doing the podcast, is so that the listeners can you know have an idea. Yep. You know, did I know what I was gonna get when I bought these? I had no no clue, but the flavors sounded good, right? Yep, and that's why we always talk about always making sure that the flavor you put on a can is inside the beer. And unfortunately for me, in my opinion, the flavors didn't always come through for you guys. I think it may have came through a little bit better, but for me, it just did not did not sit very well for me. Sure. So, overall, I think my best beer today was the old Fezziwig. You guys didn't like that one. I like the old Fezziwig. My number two, I had a tie for the winter white ale and the peanut butter. Okay, so that was that's my top three. Are they the best three for today? For today, yes, but but I mean, I I'm so disappointed. I mean, I don't know if I'm as disappointed as Mike was when he brought his shiner back, but I'm definitely thought that this is gonna be much better than what it was. So I'm sorry again, but I've just I'm I've tried. Yep, I swung and missed.
SPEAKER_00Yeah,
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SPEAKER_00that you're right, though. I think that's why you guys do this is to just review some beers and get some opinions out there and let the listeners make some choices on their own. So exactly. We'll forgive you this time, Jim.
SPEAKER_01So, what do you think for some upcoming episodes? Do you have some ideas what we might be doing? Oh, yeah, we got some ideas. All right, so what is there anything we should let the listeners know, like a teaser so they might be able to listen in? Does it like does it rattle? Or is it or is it behind this door? Yeah. No, that no, no, no. Keep that door shut. That's where your judges are. Isn't we don't want to do that?
SPEAKER_02Usually behind the door, isn't what's coming up next? Usually, yeah. Uh yeah, I guess for before next week, I guess the theme comes. Kind of they should be watching maybe uh a pirate movie. Oh that's we'll leave it at that. Just watch your favorite pirate movie, and that'll get you in the mood for what we're gonna do next week. There you go. All right, well, that's good. Yeah, all right. Well, hey boys, thanks for sitting in on this. Toby, you and I you know, I guess made up for the questions or vice versa with these beers. I don't know how you want to say Jim gave us left a bad taste in our mouth both ways, true, with questions and with beers. So just kidding, Jim. I'm sorry. Thank you so much for bringing them though. I mean, it it's always fun, especially like I said, I give Lipbridge credit because they they tried something we haven't seen a whole lot of times. Yes. We take that base model and you do three flavor variants off of it. So I give them credit for that. So anyway, yeah, until next week, there, 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. Bye. 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.
