The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!
The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 151 - Pirate-Themed Pints, Local Finds
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A pirate theme, a cooler of local cans, and a fresh palate in the room—this tasting sails straight into what makes craft beer fun. We crack open seven Skeleton Crew Brew beers from Onalaska, Wisconsin and put them through our no-nonsense scoring: a classic blonde, three fruit-forward cream ales (blueberry, peach, coconut), a salted caramel porter, a malt-friendly amber, and a honey nut brown that surprised us with balance and warmth. Jay, new to the craft scene, joins us to offer a beginner’s take while we weigh the flavors, finishes, and whether these are truly “lawnmower beers” or something you’d order twice.
What stood out most? Accuracy. Each can tastes like its name—blueberry without sour bite, peach with a smooth finish, coconut that lands without sunscreen, and a porter where caramel finally shows up. We talk about why that matters for trust, how subtle styles can still shine, and where these ABV-friendly beers fit in a real-life rotation. Between pours, we dig into 2025 craft beer trends and data: closures edging openings but signaling stabilization, non-alcoholic options gaining ground, the end of the THC loophole, and a return to balanced, “beer-flavored beer” that favors clarity over shock value.
If you’ve ever stared at a crowded cooler wondering what won’t let you down, this session is your map. We share straight scores, quick notes you can use at the taproom, and a few hot takes on niches, hybrids, and what keeps us coming back. Have a Skeleton Crew favorite we missed or a local gem we should try next? Subscribe, share with a beer-loving friend, and drop your must-taste pick in a review—we’ll put it on the list.
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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Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. Dirty scum. Wow. Yeah. That's a quite introduction there, buddy. I know. What do you got going on? Uh I'm a pirate. Where's your iPad? Wait. I can't. I don't remember which one I'm supposed to cover my which I sounded. I don't know. Well, buddy. That's an introduction for you. You haven't had a cut like that. I know. I told you that we got. You did. On your whatever that rope was. Yeah. From the mouth. You really didn't have to wear those tights, though. That was Robin Hood. That's a wrong movie. That's what, yeah. That's the wrong movie. Sorta. Well, I tried to get something to interject in there. Okay. Hey, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy. And today we're back in the studio gym and we've got like a full house thing going on here now. We got like tens and tens of people. Tens and tens of people are here. Which is crazy, isn't it? We're like we we must be growing in popularity. Easily. Did you see the line out front? I mean, we've doubled. Almost double. We went from 10 to 10s. We went from two to now. We're we're almost at six. That's almost triple. We're almost there. We're almost triple. That's when I knew we'd made it. So who else do we have in the studio with us? Is that a fad joke? No. So, Jim, Jim, you're here. I am here with you, buddy. You're back. Hello. How's it going, sir? It's going well. Glad to be back. Thank you. Good. Well, now we have a new person to the podcast. New one. A new one. Newbie. And just remember, you don't have to be scared. You're only talking to like, I don't know, what is it? Like 1.5 million billion people is all. FNG. Yeah. Whatever that is. Freaking new guy. Oh, that's right. This is Jay. Hey everyone. I'm the new the new to the craft beer scene. So I'm going to give everyone kind of a my view of what these taste like now instead of the seasoned vets that these guys are. Oh. So, Mike, yeah. Can you educate Jay on what the scoring is and where your average is and how that is? Well, he knows it's from zero to five with it by tenth of a point. I average is 2.5. My average, because I drink way better beer than Jim does, is like he overrates his beer. 2.9 is way too high. Yeah. And what is your total number of uh bef it's 6,060 something? That's it? Yeah. Okay. Well, when you when you get to 10,000, call me back and let me know. Almost up to a newbie. So when you get to 10,000, let me know. There will be a new guy then. Oh, okay. Good. So what are we Jay? You've listened. You know, Jim typically asks horrible trivia questions and cheats. Oh, and I do have good questions this week. Oh, I knew it. Toby and I know it. So Jay gets to go first this time. Lucky me.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, he has listened. There you go. And I know Toby. So, what is our category this week? Well, like I I said before, you know, and with the music that you chose to open the show, we are doing it's kind of a pirate theme. Okay. This is actually kind of a local brewery out of On Alaska, Wisconsin. Nice. This is Skeleton Crew Brew. Nice. And every one of their cans has like the skull and crossbones on it, and all the beer names are kind of a like a pirate theme type theme. So yeah, that's it'll be interesting to try it. Because like I said, this is we've got what seven different beers from them, and it's it'll be kind of a neat thing because I've I've tried some of their beers before, but the vast majority of these I've never had. So I actually did not find these in a liquor store. Okay. So I went to a local establishment that's not too far from here, and happened to look in their cooler one day, and they had seven different beers from I was like, well, let's have all those. What a ride. So I I did not try them. I put them in a six-pack plus one, brought them home to see how they would taste. So I've had them. This is going on maybe two months we've had them. It's so long. So hope I don't know how this is gonna how they're gonna taste after you know, because they're not they're not 100% fresh. Right, right. So I know that's always a big thing. Drink them as soon as they can them. So what do we got? What's our first one? So the first one we have is their barnacle blonde ale, 4.3% ABV. Now we don't have much descriptions on these, very, very little. So you're we're just gonna have to wing it. Blonde ale, I'm expecting it to not have a whole lot of flavor like most blonde ales, you know. Right. So hopefully, I mean, and I guess the the good part is you know, it's a local brewery. Yeah, want to make sure we go. I mean, I don't think I haven't had an opportunity to be able to go down there yet. I need to get down to Alaska and try it. Yep, I have been there, but it's been probably eight years ago, nine years ago. So, I mean, they've been around for probably 10 years or so. So we we should make a trip down there again just to check it out and see. I'm sure it's changed a bunch since the last time I was there. But the other part of this, these are not strong beers, these are all I mean, very yeah, from 4.3 to 6.3. Yes, roughly. So and even the the styles are not over the top either. So these these should be okay beers. Yep. All right, so guys, the barnacle blonde ale. Let's give them a whirl. Or I smell a barnacle. I'm not sure what that's supposed to be. Well, there you go. Very little aroma, if any. Which, like I said before, I think most of your blonde ales, I'm expecting it to not have a whole lot of flavor because most of your your blonde ale is pretty much just very nondescript typically. So is that caramel? I think it has a lot more taste than most blonde ales do, to be honest with you. Is that a little caramel flavor? I I I can't I can't figure it out. Or is that the barnacle? It could be the barnacle. I mean, it's not bad. Ice cold, this would be a uh a good lawnmower beer. Yes, you know, honestly. Very much so, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's I mean, for as dark as it is, I expect I didn't expect it to drink this light. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's it's trying to think like a golden color, is kind of what it more is.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like a little darker than a blue moon, I think, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because I mean this one you can't actually see Mike's face. Dirty blonde. There, yeah, oh look at that. The new guy's stepping in. Yeah, he knows about dirty blonde.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean it's but it's not offensive. No, no, not at all. I mean, it's okay. Like I said, on a hot day sitting out in the garage. I if this is ice cold pulling out the cooler, this would be good. I think it'd be all right. So should we have the new guy go first? We'll have the new guy go first. Nah, that's a lot of pre- Yeah, we'll have him go first. All right. I'm not gonna lie to you. I like this one. You know, I've tried a few of these with with with the guys, and I don't know if anybody remembers the old commercials from way back when with the bitter beer face. Yep. And I would get that quite a bit when I would drink with these guys, and I'd hear them go, Wow, this is really good. And I'd be like, What? This one? I really like. I really like. I could Mike, I could drink a whole one of these. Wow, nice, nice. So, what what score are you gonna give it? I'm giving it a two eight.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, wow, nice, nice, Toby. Oh, Toby, yeah. I I agree. You know, it's just it's it's a good beer that you can pick up and drink. No, no flavors jump out at you. There's no aftertaste, so it's just an easy, drinkable beer. I think it's right at that two five. I gotta, I gotta start there not knowing what the other six beers are gonna be like.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_00:I'm everything you said, I'm gonna say ditto.
SPEAKER_01:I agree a hundred percent with you, Toby. I was gonna say it's non non-offensive, but really not anything jumps out. But I do think on a hot day in the garage or after you're done mowing, ice cold would be a good, a good summer drink. So I'm gonna go two five just because there's there wasn't a lot of flavor to it. But again, like I said, I could drink it on a hot day. So then I do hear what you're saying. However, part where he's saying you guys are wrong. Exactly. However, I think both of you have also said that there's not much flavor to it. So I can't score it above like above average because it's just like blah.
SPEAKER_00:I was expecting a little bit more. But what would you say a blonde ale is supposed to be?
SPEAKER_01:I was gonna say that's my point to begin with was blonde ales don't have a whole lot of flavor. But I would does. I think this one does have flavor flow. I would even say like you could get like Miller Light, Bud Light. Get out of here, get out of here right now. I'm gonna go with 2.3. Coming next week, Jim will not be here. Yeah, Jim is we are currently looking for a new uh third. Um I'm not a big fan of Jay. You're on the it's like a kind of a job interview right now. So I'm not I'm not I'm not in that one. Sure. So what would what would it have to be for you to even say it's a 2.5 middle of the road? There's just that very so when we all took that very first drink, we tasted something. What was it? Beer. I was gonna say uh what was that flavor? Hey Toby, I really like the new guy. He's he's grilling jam, and jam is getting very uncomfortable right now. It's awesome. Nobody knows learned from the best. So nobody knows what that flavor is. How do we like say it's good? That is true. So that's put it back to you guys and like help me listeners.
SPEAKER_00:So now you're making me wonder how they got a blonde in the barrel to make this.
SPEAKER_01:All right, well, that's enough of that. All right, so do you want your first question? Yeah, give us a question. Now, do you have pirate themed questions? Oh no, of course not. So why would we do that since this was the theme of our show today? So you can't look at your notes because I actually gave you the answers. Okay. So for Jay, what were the top three breweries by volume for calendar year 2024? Give me one of the top three in the United States, in the United States, okay, right? And it's and it's crafting all craft, craft, okay. Well, they don't use the word craft, small independent okay. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. So you're not talking, you know, Budweiser and things like that. So just name one of the top three. We'll go to crew.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Good answer. Good answer, Toby. Well, I'm gonna hijack your question here, Jim, and just put out to the listeners that I'm super excited about this particular brewery coming into Wisconsin. Oh, and the big release is coming out Monday. There it's gonna be on tap, it's gonna be porn Monday, January 26th, that is. So that is the the date.
SPEAKER_01:And is it Monday or Tuesday?
SPEAKER_00:Monday, Tuesday, we're having a local one.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay. I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and then and so that'll be a good time. But this brewery is one of the oldest that we have in America, and the beer that I've had from it is fantastic, and Yingling is gotta be number one. Now you're saying for volume, yes, for volume.
SPEAKER_01:So Yingling is number one. Sam Adams. No, Boston Beer Company. Okay, same thing. Sorry, Boston Beer Company. Yes, okay. So that's number two. We'll come back around the horn again. Number, what's number three? It wasn't skeleton crew. That wasn't three. I have another guess, but I don't know if it's here in Nevada. Yes, there you go. That's what I was gonna say. Uh yes. So look at easy questions for you guys. All right, so what do we got next for beer? Well, let's get back to the pirate theme stuff. So all right, all right. So the next beer that we have is their blunderbuss blueberry cream ale. What's a blunderbuss taste like? Does it taste like a gum? It's like a gun, yeah. Is that a type of blueberry? Yeah, yes, the blunderbuss blueberry. It's from the south, the southern Caribbean. It looks blueberry. Wait, my word, it does. Oh wow, that is right now. Jim is getting angrier by the second, just from the color. We don't have many beers this color. Not that you like. Oh you can smell blueberry. Wow. I'm hoping it tastes like this. Yeah, I mean, you can and the head definitely has yeah, that's kind of a reddish tint to it. The aroma is not overpowering, but it's it's there. That's not bad. I don't mind that. I wouldn't want to drink a lot of them because that's pretty good. Yeah, that's not so this is their blueberry cream ale, right? Yes, the blumber bust. Blunderbust. Blunderbust. Blueberry cream ale. Do we details, Jim? They're important. All right. So then so for my detailed question to you is so what does the cream ale do? So are the words cream ale together or is it an ale? What do you mean? Cream ale is a style. They usually have like lactose. So that that's I take that back because my brother had asked him about it. He said actually they don't have lactose in it. I always thought it had lactose in it. Okay, but it doesn't. So because this is not like the tart blueberry that we've had, some blueberry ones. So this is a little sweeter. Yeah. But but what is that cream ale type style?
SPEAKER_00:So I to me, I compare it to you know, there's sodas that have like a cream ale, like there's an wasn't there an AW cream ale? Oh, yeah. You know, to me, this has that type of finish, it's kind of a little bit sweeter. So to me, that's what the cream ale has created. And I think that's why you when you mention the tartness, it kind of takes away from that blueberry tartness because of the sweetness. I think it's a really good balance. So you get the blueberry at the start and then that cream ale finish.
SPEAKER_01:All right, I looked it up for you, Jim. Okay, what's the a cream ale is a pale, light-bodied, and highly carbonated American lawnmower beer that bridges the gap between ale and lager. Despite the name, it contains no dairy, instead, offering a crisp, clean, and refreshing taste with subtle sweetness, often fit featuring corn-like notes. It is typically brewed as an ale, then cold conditioned or lagered for a smooth, easy drinking and slightly sweet flavor profile. It's rounded. Yeah. It's the original Long Ore beer. It's not bitter. No, there's no bitterness at all. This is not tart like those sours.
SPEAKER_00:No, this is and it's not overly sweet either. Right. So the the can says it's uh four IBUs. Okay, very low. We didn't have anything of that blonde, but uh this one is four IBUs, 4.6% alcohol, and you get that.
SPEAKER_01:I think after you could have a couple of them, and I think after that, I might that blueberry might wear on you a little bit. But for if you had one, I mean I I think it's pretty decent. Hot warm day after mowing the lawn. You probably have three. You probably have three, maybe two on the mower and one. That's right. That's right. Toby, you want to go first?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So uh initially, the first sip I took, I I really liked it. I got that blueberry and then that that sweet finish to it. As I continue to drink it though, my like of it kind of went down a little bit. It it did not that, you know. So I I don't think I could drink three of them, even if it was colder. I'm not comparing it to that that ale, the the the blonde. I mean, I went middle of the row on that. I've got to just go two four on this one just because uh I just I don't like the continual flavor that I get as I drink it.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna go with two six. I just like it just a notch above the first one. Like I said, I I think that it's got a good blueberry flavor. Would I drink a lot of them? No, because I like I said, I think it would eventually get pretty tiresome. But I as a as a one and done, I think it was pretty decent. So I'm I think I'm kind of in the same vicinity with you guys, Mr. Scorewise. It's not bad, it's not offensive, it definitely does not taste bad, it drinks pretty smooth. And for a blueberry, I think the majority of the blueberry ones that we've had, Mike, have been sours. A lot of them have, yeah. A majority have been so it had always that tartness. So this does not have that tartness at all. I would not even consider this a sour whatsoever. This is so it's an okay beer. Be careful on your score, we'll make you walk the plank. I know. So uh with a with a with a patch. Oh, you'll find out. What's hard what I'm where I'm struggling with is that it it's purple in flavor, but I don't the blueberry flavor does not come through. What is purple flavor? Purple color. The blueberry flavor doesn't come through as much as I was expecting. So I'm gonna say a 2.4, expecting that the the more of the blueberry flavor. Okay, okay. I'm gonna kind of like with Toby. I don't want to use the first one as my but I would give this a 2.7 just because I I think it's it's above average for me because like Jim said, it's not tart, you know, it's it it's really smooth, but it's not overly sweet, where you like if by the time you got to the end of the can, you'd be like, ugh, right? That was a lot. You could potentially have more than one, you know. You know what I'm saying? Yep. It was very good. I thought it was really good. Well, I'm just looking at these cans, and I told you I just you know, this was a blueberry cream ale. We've got two more flavor cream ale's coming up next. Right. Uh so that's I never paid attention to that until now, so that's kind of crazy. And I like that when it says blueberry, it had blueberry in it. I case blueberry. Yeah, what it says on the can should be in the can, and Jim forgot that. Uh yes, from the last podcast. He said that the flavor was purple. Color, color, color. It's a Willy Wonka term. Yeah. All right, so here we go. Next easy question because we don't have many. So I'm just I'm gonna this one I had to tie into the first question. Okay. So I'm gonna start with Jay. He personals which Wisconsin breweries made the top 50 by volume for calendar year 2024. So eight. That's one. You got you the the audience is helping you out, Toby.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I know that uh I I think Nuclaris is in the the top 50. All right, do you know what number? They're in the top 25. Actually, I'm gonna say they're in the top 20.
SPEAKER_01:All right, I was figuring they're a top 10 on something. They're pretty big. I'm gonna go with Central Otters. So, Jay, we're gonna swing back to you again because somebody got their answer completely wrong. Somebody got their answer completely right. We don't know who. Toby's answer is correct. Mine wasn't? If you're gonna say his was right and mine was wrong, I'm gonna jump over this table and lining cools? Not anymore. Well, no, what I don't I don't know. All right, so we're gonna go back to Toby. We're gonna swing around the horn one final time. No, this is not like this is by volume, right? Because lining cool is now part of Miller Course, so they're they're a big box, they're not small independent, right? Right. So they wouldn't be part of it. And basically they're not even based really in Wisconsin anymore. So, Toby, what's your last guess by volume? I got one. All right. I think. I'm gonna say, well, I got two. Okay, can I throw two out? All right. I was gonna say possibly capital and possibly lake front. Okay, possibly. Toby, what is your choice? Wait a minute, are the answers on the sheets, or did I get the only sheet without the answers in this? They might be, but Toby, what's your guess?
SPEAKER_00:Toby's 7 surprise. The only other one that I can think of, I guess, is Point Brewery.
SPEAKER_01:Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Wow!
unknown:Look at that.
SPEAKER_01:Mike, yeah, it just popped in my head. No, it really did. I know. Mike didn't even come close, so he's got a minus 2,000 for that because he tried twice. Jay got a plus one thousand, and Toby will give you 500 because you did good on that. Thank you. Toby could have said Wisconsin doesn't make beer, and Jim would have given you 500 points. Wow. Really? Yeah, I didn't do that. And the listeners know that. All right. Next book is their pig leg peach cream ale. Peach. Peach. Didn't China or Bob have a peach? Did they? Yeah, I think they did. It didn't taste like 5.3%. A refreshing peaches and cream ale that's light, smooth. And bursting with juicy peach flavor. Bursting. Now, isn't peach something that's kind of hard to make into a beer? Um, we've had a few, but you don't see nearly that many, I guess.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm not gonna lie. I was super excited when I you smell peach. Yeah, when you brought this up, Mike, you know, like we've got some more cream ale's coming, and yeah, and I looked and saw peach creme ale. I'm like, all right, I want to smell peach, I want to taste peach, and I want to get that sweet finish. I'm gonna predict this was gonna have all of that.
SPEAKER_01:You know what this almost smells like? You know those gummy peach ring candies? It smells like that. It smells like a wine cooler, or a wine cooler. Well, yeah, or that. Fuzzy navel. No, wine coolers. No, something country. All right, here we go. You get a peach flavor. There's a peach flavor, soda. That's we know Jay's new favorite beer now. Yeah, he's like, wait a minute. Put that in my son kissed. Wow. Because I'm not a big peach guy, but I mean, this is not bad. This kind of goes with that blueberry one though. Oh, yeah. Like the the peach flavor isn't like super over the top. Punch in the face, it's real smooth. And I think that's probably that creamy out part of it. I think, yeah, I think you're right. Wow. Interesting. So far, I mean three percent. That's so you got in at the right time then. Apparently, how do you apparently?
SPEAKER_00:The last one didn't sound like it was so this is five percent and it's five IBUs. It's a little bit more than the blueberry.
SPEAKER_01:Interesting, it definitely has a peach flavor to it. Yep, I'm pleasantly surprised. Wow, see, so you can always join in though, yeah. See, maybe we'll have them back and we'll do some bigger ones. So you can get the newbie, then then we'll see how this is how taste buds react. Yeah, these are definitely for someone who's just getting into this. I I don't know that it really gives you a real idea, a real good idea of what true craft beers taste like, but this would be a good start because it's there's some other ones coming up that I think will be a little more in line with you know, like a little more flavored well, like craft beer. Oh, or these ones are like your flavored cream ales are kind of I guess you could say a conduit between your wine coolers and your and your beer, so it's you know, so yeah, it's uh you want to go first? Yeah, boy, I'm trying to it's good, but I'm I'm like, can we do like hundreds of wine? Do whatever you want. Man, I that's not bad. I don't mind that. I I do think again, after a can, it's gonna be a little much. Yep, I'm gonna I think I'm uh because again, is it worse than the blueberry, you know what I mean? And I but I I don't want to keep going higher and higher because it's I'll go a 2-4 on it just because I do like it, and I and I think like I said to me, it really reminded me of like those, like I said, those peach ring candy things, right? Right, which are are good after like your third one, you're like, Yeah, okay, I'm done with that, you know. But it I think it'd be on a hot day again, it'd be a nice change of pace. So the struggle I come across with is that I don't I'm not a peach guy, I don't seek out peaches, I don't argue with that. Jim totally looks like a peach guy to he loves fruit, yeah. So I am my score is not based on if I like peaches, it's based on what I'm tasting. So I guess if a person likes peaches, they're probably gonna think this is a very good beer. For me, it's like okay because it's not there's a little bit of a tartness, but not over the top. Tartness there's a little, I mean it's just like very faint. But I'm actually gonna put this as probably my best one so far today at 2.5. Wow. Okay. Wow. I'm I mean, I'm gonna agree with everything you guys have said. This is a good beer. I'm I'm I'm really surprised that all three of these have been really good, and that and they it seems like they're just getting better. I'm going to 2.8 on this one. Uh you can't say 2.8. You already said 2.8. We don't have ties in our game. See, Jim is very obsessive, compulsive, and the reason it's got to be better. So here's the reason why you guys are gonna have to lay out the rules prior to me. So the reason the reason why is the listeners, if they're gonna go to uh someplace to have a drink, we want them to know all right, if they're a tie, then how is somebody gonna know which one's better? But in your opinion, both of them. Well, in your opinion, which one is mad if he went there? See, I love this guy. No, he's making Gino really upset. Let's go two nine then. How's that? Yep. So you I mean, so it's just so that the listeners, because we're trying to help them out. Well, I started I think too high because now they're getting better, and now he's realizing and I don't think a lot of these are gonna, I don't think any of these are probably gonna be a three or above, but you never know. No, I'm kinda so yes. All right, so Toby, do you have uh I don't get to rank one? I noticed Jim was just totally cutting you off there. All right, so what do we got, Toby? Uh I was just looking my I'll go quick, Jim. Two six, don't use the same number. I don't, yeah. You really want to make them mad and do that. Well, let's my questions are okay. I think we should do the next cream ale though. I think that one okay that would really well. One thing that I was gonna bring up was you know, the that Susie and I have gone on a number of cruises and such, and the poop cruise? No, we weren't on that one. But the thing that I was just checking the the thing that we were that really kind of was crazy me, you know, you always hear about pirates and all this and that, you know, and it's always kind of like oh yeah, okay, it's just made up stuff. Well, when we went to St. Thomas, they're like, Okay, this building here, this here that was Blackbeard's castle. This one here, that was Bluebird Bluebeard's castle, not Blue Bird, Bluebeard, but you know what I mean? So all of a sudden you're like, wow, these these were actual people, you know what I mean? So it was really it was a cool oh so you're talking like oh see, I wasn't actually stationed where there actually are pirates. It's the rooty and someone. So there is actually no, these are these are like the the cool pirates, like like a peg leg and like a patch of the well. That's funny you say that, Jim, because the next beer. Oh no, the last one we had was peg leg. This one is the crow's nest coconut cream ale, and this is five percent five IBUs, light bodied and easy drinking. This ale offers delicate notes of coconut for a smooth, refreshing finish. I can smell it. I'm really cool. I'm really kind of excited to see what this one is because coconut is either always got that look. I hate coconut. Coconut's now one of my favorite flavors. I can smell coconut when it's a sun tan lotion. I can smell it. It's but it's not overpowering, right? It's it's is this made from Malibu? Uh, I think it's smells kind of like an establishment that you go to sometimes, and it has that scent of coconut tandem booths. Yes, that's what I was thinking. Thank you. That's actually I don't that's not no bad. Places with cover charges. That is I like that. That one's okay. I like that. That one is I can I can handle that one. Yeah, Jim's had coconut before. Yeah, this this is decent. I this is I would I would recommend this one.
SPEAKER_00:Unlike you guys, I cannot lick suntan lotion off of somebody. Well, apparently.
SPEAKER_01:I was gonna say something. This one is decent. I mean, I would this one might be my favorite so far today. Oh, I like this GM. I like this. Yeah, so this is the I didn't see the page. No, this is the Crow's Nest Coconut Cream Ale. Crow's nest. Yes, I sure didn't expect to hear that. I've never licked suntan lotion off. Well, Mike's been on a lot of cruises. Oh, yeah, I'm not gonna deny that.
SPEAKER_00:I I don't mind this. I'm I'm gonna go first. And all right, yeah, here's my logic. So this is exactly what it says it is. Yes, it's got that coconut in it, it's got the cream ale. The cream ale's got that little bit of sweetness that we talked about in the other ones, you know, five IBUs, same as that the peach one. I like the peach because I like peaches. I do not like coconut, and so for me, this is not a beer that I like. Does it have everything it says it's supposed to have? 100%. But for me, this is a 2.0.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, Jay, you might as well go too. It looked like you were not you didn't like this one either. I I could pretty much verbate them say what Toby just said. I dislike coconut, so I kind of went into it going, I don't want to have to drink this. I'm going that 2.0 is fine. So is it a bad beer or is it a bad flavor? Here's to me. Okay, yep. That's what I was asking a question. If I drink something and I don't like the taste of it, to me, that's bad. You you know, I can't say, Oh, that's a really good beer, but I hate the taste of it, because that doesn't really make any sense. Right. You you know, right? That's what I was asking a question so that the listeners would know, but you just don't like coconut, so that's one of the reasons I mean compare it to the peach and the blueberry. If I like coconut, I could see them all tasting the same and and being a good beer. But I just really don't like coconut.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I I mean, is since Jay and I are in the same camp, I think like because the coconut flavor is so much there, and when you don't like coconut, you you dislike it as a whole. But and I don't know where your numbers are gonna be, but I don't this probably is a better beer than the blueberry or the peach overall because of the flavor of it, if you like coconut.
SPEAKER_01:Well, me being a connoisseur of licking suntan lotion, apparently, I think this is a good suntan lotion. I'm going uh I'm going like a 2.8. I like this. I I of the three, I think I would grab this one first. And I think it's got kind of the right amount of coconut flavor to it. And I'm not sure exactly what Jay and Toby's problem is, but we're gonna have to talk to their wives. But I like to find out what suntan lotion they're licking because it doesn't taste like this. Yeah, you know, Deepwood's off, Jay is not suntan lotion, right? So I like Deep Woods Off. Uh Mike, I'm right in it. I like this. I mean, I'm not a connoisseur coconut, and I think if I remember correctly, beers have always struggled to get the right beer quantity of coconut in there so it's not over the top, it's not underwhelming. This one's like right in right in the sweet spot. I think it surprised me. I will agree with you on that one though, Jim. It's not like punch you in the face, coconut, right? Holy man, but it's still coconut. So I'm gonna go with 2.9. This is this I like this beer. I would I would have another one of these. I probably could have a couple when I'm going on. Yeah, so I like this. Yeah, I agree. I've been impressed so far, honestly. I didn't know how these were gonna go, honestly. You know what I mean? And you always hate to say that about like a local brewery, but you don't really know. And they know how to make these. Now we're getting into a couple of some other styles now. Yep, so we'll see how they do on those. You know, hopefully they'll be a little more. They'll keep it going, keep the flavor going. So we're still talking kind of like an end-of-year questions, is what I've got. Yep. So I think overall, everybody probably all listeners, we all probably know craft beer isn't like on the same trajectory it has been over the past year. Correct. Yeah, it's kind of leveling off, lowering down a little bit. Yep, a little bit. So I'm gonna ask the question. I know you don't know the answer, but I'm gonna ask the question anyway and kind of like go on from there. So, how many small or independent breweries were there in 2025? Nationwide or yep, nationwide. I'm I'm gonna say 9,400.
SPEAKER_00:All right, good guess. This is 2025, yeah. Okay, I'm gonna say there's probably take every state into consideration. I'm gonna go with about 2200.
SPEAKER_01:All right. Okay, wow. I'm gonna go, let's go 115 all right, or 978. Perfect. That's that's the right ding ding ding ding ding ding. I that's what I meant to say. That is like spot on. So if there's any good lawyers out there, you better study up there, Mike. Yeah, I would I would like nine. See, he can't ever have me get a right answer because I said 9,400, which is in the ballpark, and then he shows Jay the answer. No, it's a radio. I sat and watched a podcast. You can't prove it he showed me anything. Oh wow, I got on, Mike. I got a couple guys in the crowd. When this is done, we're taking you outside and I'm gonna work you over.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, Mike.
SPEAKER_01:So barring any drastic change in the last few weeks of the year, yeah, 2025 will be the second consecutive year in which the brewery closings outpaced brewery's openings. Okay, yeah. But you know, you think about it, there's a lot. I mean, it it exploded. I think now we're kind of in that that trend where the really good ones are gonna, they're still gonna be there, you know. And I think some of the ones that were maybe bad business plans, bad beer, we're probably gonna lose some of those, but you're I you're still gonna see other new ones come in. It's it's not going away anytime soon.
SPEAKER_00:And and we've you know, I've I've mentioned this before. Like once you find a niche and it's successful, why do you trying to make something different? Right. You know, because and I think that's been the problem. Everybody tries to make the next best thing, but if you get a niche and you you're really good at making something, keep it there, keep making it, and then try to grow in small steps versus instead of huge multiple ones, and that's where I think a lot of them made their mistakes because for a while it was flooded. You know, you you go to the to buy something and you you you are so confused because there was so much, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Right, so which I'm glad that we're doing this because I mean this hopefully is letting the listener know, don't be afraid of trying to craft beer. There are some, I mean, we've had a few stinkers. Oh, yeah, you know, but at least like here now, here's a local brewery that we didn't really know much about. It's got a pretty good beer. I mean, all these beers are it's definitely close enough we may have to do a road trip. Yes, and you're talking though nine almost 10,000 breweries, right? Okay, and and Toby, you know, you you said once you find that niche, but with that many breweries, isn't it hard to find so like a niche? Like, say you make an amazing, you know, bourbon, you know, barrel aged ale. Okay, how do you if you don't try to improve it, aren't there 9,999 other breweries that are gonna try and do that? So I do have the question is coming up. We do have the answer to that.
SPEAKER_00:Jay has the answer to that. Yeah. And and and what I think what I think breweries do though is that's why they come out with a 2023, 2024, 2025. I think they're all very similar because they have that base of a good one, and then they just try to put a little variant in it. Doesn't cost them a lot because they can still make that other one, but they can change it just a little bit for that year. If it's what if it goes well, they keep doing it.
SPEAKER_01:But but with with that many breweries, you know what I'm saying? I'm saying I'm saying, how do you how do you keep that customer only coming to your beer? That's the same thing. You know, like these mass-produced beers, obviously, you know, it's like Ford Chevy, everyone likes your your one or the other. It's but with these craft beers, and I also think it's it's it's becoming kind of an older generation hobby. Or you know, it's I'm younger than you guys. What are you talking about? You don't act like it. He's younger than us, yeah. All right, so what's his next one? The next beer we got, we were getting way too deep there. The next one is the salty dog salted caramel porter, six percent, 26 IBUs. Roasted flavors of black coffee and dark chocolate lead the way, seamlessly complemented by a smooth salted caramel finish. So it should be right in Jay's Wheelhouse. Jay's Wheelhouse. If they put coffee on there, why don't they put it on the aroma? I don't get much aroma like the other ones. I get the salt, it does have a saltiness. Oh wow. Is that the caramel? Yeah, the end is that salted caramel. You get that that's that's not bad. There's definitely a sodium taste to it. You know, and the salt. Yeah, it's like it's okay. I mean, actually, I think we're getting the caramel flavor from it.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm gonna describe this as Dr. Pepper with alcohol. Dr. Pepper. Yeah, to me, it tastes completely like a Dr. Pepper.
SPEAKER_01:Kind of like, you know, when you gargle salt water, and then you add and then you add and then you add a little bit of caramel to it. Yeah, who doesn't put caramel in their salt water gargle? Oh, I think I thought this one's actually pretty decent pepper here. I like this one. The salt is not over the top. Remember, we've had some that are have like a lot of them have been like a salt lime, like a you know, some of those things, and a lot of times the salt is way too salty. Are there different salts? I mean, in the sense of how you taste it. Well, I think it's by the quantity they put in their badge. Right. Also, do you I know I've talked about this before, but do you remember if I remember how many years ago it was that Miller came out with a like a salted lime beer or something like that? And we bought it at like a quick trip or something like that. And the problem with that one was it was so salty, you were thirstier after you drank it than before. That's good marketing. Good market, I know. It kind of is, but you're just like going, whoa, you know, it's water having that one. You know, this is not like that. So who hasn't won first? You haven't. All right. So what I so here's what I'm struggling with. We have tried a lot of beers that have said they've had caramel in it, and uh most of them and way short of the flavor. This one is actually fairly decent. I mean, I can taste the caramel. The salt, there's a slight bit of salt there, but not over the top for me. But the caramel flavor is actually decent, and which to me, we haven't had many of the beers where you can actually taste it. So for them, kudos. I'm gonna say a 2.8. I like the coconut just a touch better, but the caramel is still for me really good. I like it. Okay, I'll go next. I like it too. I do think that has a really good flavor. You get that caramel, the salted caramel flavor, yes, for sure. Coffee, I don't know if I really get much coffee in it. I'm gonna go with 2.7. All right, that'll be yeah. I I could drink this though, and I I know they've had it on tap at another one of our local establishments up by us before, and it's it's it's good. I don't mind it. And like I said, the the caramel does like I agree with you, the caramel does come out, you know, and you you can taste that. I don't get coffee, no, but it's it's it's maybe a little bit of the dryness on the finish video. A little bit two seven for me. Jay. For me, I get I didn't get as much caramel as I did salt. Right. Salt really hit me right away. I mean, and it really like right away, it was like to me like salt water, but it was smooth. It was, it was it was a good beer. 2-4.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, all right, Toby. I I liked everything about this. I think it's the best one we've had yet. I I'm gonna go 2-9 on it. Nice nice, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, all right, let's go to the next beer. So all right, James, out of questions. We gotta go to the next beer. Here we go. So we're gonna try to tie in some years of great years brewing. So easy question. How many beers, breweries, I'm sorry, breweries, did it change between 2014 and 20, 2024, 2025? You're talking for what it increased. Well, from 2024 to 25. Oh, 2024 to 2020. Okay, it would be a what? A year. No, it would be a positive or a negative decrease. It'd probably a decrease. Yes. So the decrease. Give me, and it's below 50. Below 50, yes. Wow. From when to when? 2024 to 2025. It's under 50. Yep. I'll say so. This would be the 29, the number of openings and the number of closings. Oh, that's total number. I'm gonna say 29. 29 more closed than opened. All right. 33. 45. Hang on. Oh, look, Toby. It's funny. That to somehow Jay gets the look at the no wait. That sounds a little high. Yeah, I think it's high. We'll do it again. Yeah, I feel more like probably 18. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Man. Jay, seriously. Get that one right again. Awesome, buddy. What are the chances? Again, what's funny? I could have said 18 and Jim. Oh no, you got it wrong. Sorry. Yes, so it was 18. So that was the difference in openings and closings. That's not bad. So because every time you turn around, you see another one is closing, or you know, or we hear from the big box ones that are. Saying the craft beer is on the decline. Do you think it's gonna get worse? Well, no, I mean 18 over the entire nation for me almost as steady. Yeah. It is a little bit of a dip, but it's not. But do you think it's gonna start getting more? I think you could my opinion is I you could probably see the 9700 or whatever it was. I think you could see it come down a little bit, but I don't think it's gonna it's not gonna go still. I think it's stabilized. It's a thing that it's reached its peak, it kind of dipped a little bit, but it's still but it's still, but I think now it's kind of in that maintaining yes, it might go down a little bit, but again, that like I said earlier, I think that gets into some of them that maybe didn't have the greatest beer or the greatest beer business plan or things like that. Flavor. Right, yeah, yeah. Well, there's some that hang around forever that don't have any flavor, but yeah, not mentioning names, not to mention names. Oopsies, but yeah, but yeah, the the other the the the big beers that of course they want it to sound like oh crap, beer's dying. Right. It's like no, they give the doom and gloom, or this I don't that's why I was trying to bring some of that the data out. Yeah, it's not as bad as what is out there. So all right. So the next beer we have here, boys, is the Ahoy amber oil, maybe Ahoy, 6.3 percent, and it had no description, so zip both the first non amber flavored fruit flavor, food flavor. There's no there's no aroma, it's not bad. Mood amber. Because I see your amber, there's typically a little more of a malty flavor to it. That's not bad. It's kind of 6.3. I mean, it's a little bit lar you know, higher than the big box beers. Oh, yeah. Oh not bad at all. That's it's okay. Yeah, that's pleasantly surprised. Yeah, yes, exactly. It's okay. That's a very drinkable beer.
SPEAKER_00:All right, so which one of you guys wants to go first? I can go first for an amber. I think it's a little bit above average, you know. Just as you go through the ones that we're doing currently today, I'm probably at a two seven on this one.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, nice. I'll give it a two-six. Two six. I was I think it's pretty smooth. I've had drinking with you guys, I've had a few ambers that bitter beer faced me, and this is like really this is not bad. Looking at the score sheet, I totally put myself in the corner. Totally. Not very professional, Mike. I know because you have I got no, yeah, you have no outs because I gotta go. It's either the worst beer or the best beer. Right. And I it's and it's neither of those. Do you need to shift another one? Um, no. Gosh, what do I do? I can't. I this is not the worst by any means, and it's not the best. You want to shift your what was that one? Your coconut was at 2.8. No, that was day one. What was the don't move that up to like a 2.9. Oh, yeah, let's do that. 2.9. Perfect. Put this at a 2.8. Okay. That's I was so the next one is either the worst or the best. So I'm right back into the same situation. So the hard part again, we like some flavor. So this was like like a this nondescript beer. So it's hard, it's hard to rate it too high because there's not a lot of flavor. It's a good tasting, but there's not a lot of flavor to it. So I'm gonna go with 2.6. Well, as far as an amber ale goes, what I mean, is that a I mean, I mean, just base it against other amber ales that don't say I'd say it's right right down the middle. Yeah, it's it's a this is a good example of an amber ale. Yeah, this is you know, normally it has that maltier flavor to it and things like that. So I it like I said, I think it's decent. Every one of these could be a lawnmower beer, too. Oh, it very much, very much could be. It could be your that could be a theme. See, there you go. So we could do it on the lawnmower. We could be driving around. Nah, I'd have to try and edit out the lawnmower sound. That'd be hard. That'd be tough. We could just sit on them. Oh, there you go. So we want I want to go circle back for Jay. Let's talk about what were some of the flavors and style trends 2025. I'm just gonna go around, everybody pick picks them out, and we'll we can talk through them because I have the official list. So how many do you have on the list? I've got six different okay six different things that were styles or styles or trends for 2025. Okay, so this might answer Jay's question of think there were a lot more bourbon, bourbon barrel. Um well, let's just answer. No, we'll get that sours. Yes, fruited sours is one of them. Pickle beers. Oh god. Oh, I thought that was a kind of a trend. I saw a lot more pickle beers. Oh well, look, he's showing them the answers again. A lot more co- I bet you there's probably a lot more coffee beers. Oh, I know. Oh, rum beers. No, THC. Yes, beers.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, wait, I don't drink those.
SPEAKER_01:That was the number one for Wisconsin. That's the number one. Yes, but they but that's close the loophole a little bit. So the loophole allow these products to be to thrive, right? But new regulations ban yeah, many of these have been. But those aren't alcohol. They are. No, they're but it's still a beer. There's no alcohol in this. Well, it's it's it's considered some something you have THC in one hand, you have alcohol in the other. They both are what's the word I'm looking at? Yeah, they they're kind of the same. That's why I asked you the question. Because this is but it's not a beer. I mean, but it's still but it's a transitory. Yeah. All right, so what's another one? What how many we do have we not named? You've got the sours and you got the CHC beer. What else is so we just we did a podcast on one of these, Mike? Just one of them, Mike. All right, we've this is we've done 150 podcasts, and the beers were very horrendous because they had no flavor about low, no ABV. Oh, non-alcoholic? Non-alcoholic is yeah on the on the upswing. The macro tail. Wow, AB. Yes. So that's on the upswing. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Hopefully, they come out with some good ones, then.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, Heineken came out with one. Everybody has one, you know. It's like so. We also get some of the hybrid styles. I think this is what Jay was alluding to. You like cold IPA, coffee stout. Yeah. So some of those interesting. That's hybrid. That's what I meant. Yeah. Or hop out the hoppy pilsners. See, I still had them, but I guess I've never I haven't seen that many, though.
SPEAKER_00:I didn't realize that that was so I think that's I was gonna throw out juicy IPAs because I think that was a trend for a while, but probably not on the list. Probably not.
SPEAKER_01:And then the last one is balanced beers to move towards seasonable, like beer-flavored beers, balancing big flavors, and drinkability. The beer-flavored beer, you know, a beer. I don't know. Speaking of beer, what's the next one? It's like a burger-flavored burger. That's a good good thing there, Toby. Yeah, that's the next and last beer, and I'm not exactly sure how this ties into pirates, to be honest with you. The name of it is Hempin Halter, honey nut brown ale. 6.3%. Not the C Hempin. Hempen, H E M P-E-N. Hempin Halter. All right. Well, probably to do your research, probably a pirate, famous pirate's name or something. This is a nut brown. This is a nut brown, honey nut brown. Honey nut brown. So it's got a strike already being a honey beer. Yes, typically. Usually I'm not a big honey beer guy, but I like mead, which is honey, but not some of the honey beers. Previous podcast, we had some brown ales. This to me is a lot smoother than the that we had that previous podcast that were not right, they were a little bit dry on the finish. This is really good. I can still taste that kind of the brown. No, the honey. There's a honey. There is honey. There's a honey in the first initials.
SPEAKER_00:Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Right. It's not bad though. I don't I don't mind this compared to the the previous ones that we've had. I like it. This is smooth. I mean, it's a smooth brown. I mean, you can still taste. Are you here? Are you seeing this? I know. I see. See, that's what I'm saying. It's I I I think I'm in a different universe. This one I actually is Doctor Strange from somewhere. It seems like these are all a tamed version of what you thought you were getting into. Yes. See, so yeah. So you should tell the listeners should they be scared of trying beers?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, is that a question?
SPEAKER_01:That was like such confidence. No. I mean, when I when I first started tasting with you guys, you know, I I mixed drinks, whatever. Now it's and I was like, holy man, you guys actually drink this on purpose, you know. But now that I've had more, and and that goes to like I was saying earlier when I was talking to you guys, there's so many out there that to just go into a store and grab, say, five of them off the shelf, you're probably gonna go over five quite a few times. Where they're not gonna be good. Yeah, we might has done that with a Sinerbach. He did a whole case. That's crazy. He did a whole case. These are seven for seven that are average or above average beers, which to me is that's really impressive, and a local brewery, so that even held. But this is really smooth. Yeah, Toby, you want to go first?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'll go. I I like this one, I like the the initial honey taste. You know, I got a little worried when it said the nut brown ale, and brown ale sometimes are just average, okay. And a nut, you know, can just I mean those nuts, you just never know. You never know.
SPEAKER_01:But I but I like white and frothy, so you're good.
SPEAKER_00:I like it. To me, it was better than your average brown ale, so I'm uh two eight on this one. Nice. That's a small score again.
SPEAKER_01:Move the coconut up to three. All right, put the that one there at a two nine. No, the one above that. There, yeah, nine. Yeah, put that at a two eight. All right, again, I it's it's not bad. I was expecting, like I've said before, you know, like the the honeyweiss. I just I don't know, it's got a weird flavor to me, but this it it actually worked, so yeah, I'd I'd give that a solid two eight. I it's definitely drinkable. I'm gonna go right close. I'm gonna go two seven. See, I'd I'd make sure I strategically easily score strategically. I don't have to move any numbers around. I like it. I mean that the honey, I think, was the perfect balance with the nut brown. No bad aftertaste, really good finish, good flavor. I like it. Yeah, really good. Nice. I'm gonna have to move my ant that amber to six. A hoy amber? Yep. Yeah, what do you want? That one at one of the two five? Yes, and then I want this at a two six because I thought this had more flavor, and yeah, and it was it was smooth. I thought the honey and the nut kind of like equaled out was not it was like you know, like it's sweet and salty. It was really good. I thought it was this was a very good beer. Okay, so nice. So look before anybody goes to their wrap-up, did I redeem myself from the previous podcast for flavors? Beer-wise, yeah, question-wise, no. So these beers are a little bit, these were actually a step up, I think. From honestly, Jim, this surprised me. Yes, I I didn't my expectations were not that high, and I apologize, but these were all actually a lot better than I thought they were gonna be. So, and I I give them credit. So, so we go, we'll go around the horn. We'll just say our top three and what you thought why your your top three stood out for you. Who wants to go first? Well, since I changed it three times, the coconut, I like that coconut. Okay, that was great. Oh, geez, that that can't be right. Well, uh the and the honey nut I liked. Okay, you know, and honestly, the the amber was good. I I do think that that salted caramel, I think I liked a little better. So I could have swept those around, but those were they were all actually very good. I was impressed. The only one I thought that the flavor was in was the the blonde ale, but blonde it fell right in line with all the blonde ales. So I'm I'm gonna say, you know, if if you're looking for like in a kind of a fruitier beer, you know, any of these cream ales would be good. I mean, the blueberry, the peach, even and the coconut, they were all very good. I mean, I I'd tell anybody, go and try them, you know, and the rest of them are are better than I thought, better than I was expecting. So if you're in the area, look up skeleton crew and and go check it out, or or you know, where they've these are all in cans. So they they're the local establishment. Yeah, so you know, don't be afraid to try them. You know, just because it has skull and crossbones on it, it doesn't mean it's it's gonna kill you. So so yeah, I very well done. And like I said, they're close. We're gonna have to maybe make a trip down there sometime and check them out. All right. Toby, you want to go?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so you know, I like the last three the best out of it. Uh the peach and the blueberry were good, but not my favorites. Coconut, uh that's white at the bottom just because I don't like coconut. But I I think you know, the for me, the the salted dog was the the best one. I love the the the little bit of salt and that caramel finish. So that was really good. I know that it was a year ago, I think we were at a local event here in in town, and and skeleton crew was giving out some beers and and they had it kind of made for the event. It was I I think it was a bourbon barrel one, it was really good because this isn't a place that I've always you know thought that the beer has been great. So they have done a great job. These these seven beers are are beers that yes, you know, for sure buy them. And I think what makes it hard is there's no description of what's inside of these. There's nothing on the can that that just says that other than the name. Right. But you're not gonna go wrong with with any of them. You're you're probably gonna drink them and like it, and the coconut's gonna be coconut, the blueberry's blueberry, and the peach is peach, which that to me just encompasses what we always talk about, is what it says in the can. And I think they did a good job of that.
SPEAKER_01:So awesome. Yep, very good. Jay, I'll finish it up. If you want to do yours, yeah. Um, I like that brown nut ale, I think. Probably the best. That's kind of surprising for me. And the peach, I was a fan of that, and probably the blueberry because I'm more of a you're more fruity. I'm a more fruit fruit, but but it it was pleasantly surprising when all these cans and these beers tasted like they said they were gonna taste like. And to me, I've had so many of them that don't. And so I was really, really surprised that these were as good as they were. Pleasantly surprised. I appreciate you guys letting me. So let me ask you this would you join us again for one of these tastings? If they all tasted like that, 100%. Well, that's that's that's part of that's part of what we do this because we don't know what they taste like. We don't we don't taste them and then shh I you know what it it is, and and I think for your listeners, I'm not as seasoned as you three. You know what I mean? So you're getting more of a I think for me, I think you're gonna get more of a just starting out, this is what you're looking at kind of taste. And I would recommend that anybody wanting to try something other than your regular beers to go and get these because every one of them is good. So you kind of stuck your toe in the water. You didn't answer the question, though. Yes, Jim, I'd love to talk to you guys again. All right. Well, so then we have another possibility. So we have another victim. We can bring along. We'll see how the re the reaction goes from the we'll see what the email traffic says. The ratings. Yeah. 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.
