The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
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The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 165 - Memorial Day Ready Craft Beers Rated By Two Friends
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Cloudy skies, a long weekend, and a fridge full of “not our usual styles” sets the stage for a Memorial Day ready craft beer tasting that goes from crisp to chaotic. We’re chasing lighter, easy-drinking summer beer that still tastes like something, not just cold fizz, and we put each can to the test with honest ratings and plenty of debate about what we’d actually stock for a day on the deck, the boat, or by the campfire.
We start strong with Firestone Walker 805 Blonde Ale, the kind of smooth, clean blonde ale we’d hand to almost anyone, then compare it to Lift Bridge Farm Day Golden Ale and its sharper finish. Along the way we get curious about American Craft Beer Week, learn it began in 2006, and talk about why a simple craft beer tasting with friends is one of the best ways to celebrate independent breweries. Then the flavors swing hard: a nitro Meyer lemon blonde ale that tastes like lemon for days, a honey-forward kolsch that surprises us, and a cranberry orange wheat that somehow hides the wheat character while still delivering fruit.
Not every experiment lands. One “sunny” light ale comes off strangely blended, and our bonus non-alcoholic kolsch literally explodes when opened, giving us a real-time lesson in why NA beer is its own category. We wrap with our top picks, what we’d buy again, and how we’re planning our own Memorial Day beer tasting competition.
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Cloudy Weather And Cold Beer
SPEAKER_00Welcome to the wow. You are uh you're getting better at this pairing songs to what we're drinking kind of thing, dude.
SPEAKER_01Well, I actually was trying to think I'm like, the weather's just not been very good. Right. But whenever there's not very good weather, there's always gotta be a good beer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I was trying to somehow tie that together. So hopefully that's connected for you there.
SPEAKER_00I totally understand and I do agree. Yeah, so uh this'll this will work out, I think. So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and as always, I am joined by my good buddy Jim. Hey, how are you doing, buddy? I'm doing well, man. How are you doing? I am ready for a good craft beer. I was yeah, since the weather has like the song was saying, you know, the clouds are no, the clouds are still upon us here the last few days. So I know that's bringing people down since they can't be in the fields, right? Getting stuff done.
SPEAKER_01If you already got stuff in the fields, you don't mind, but right, but hopefully, then that just means that it is gonna be the beer's gonna taste that much better. There you go.
SPEAKER_00That's my fingers are crossed. I agree with you, I agree with you 100%. And we also were thinking, you know, Memorial Day weekend is starts tomorrow, just around the corner, you know. So these are some beers that you know, hopefully it's supposed to be warmer, and I don't think it's supposed to rain, but you know how that goes. But I think that this these could be ones that you could drink a number of, yep, on you know, on the boat or on the deck or whatever.
SPEAKER_01So that's quite a different smorgasbord, too. Yeah, we're gonna have some different flavors. I don't know if we've had some of these flavors, maybe.
SPEAKER_00I don't know.
SPEAKER_01There's maybe a few of them. I'm like, well, we're gonna see, you know. So it should be a good what's the way I guess I'm looking. We're kind of branching out, right? There you go. These are not in our wheelhouse, correct.
SPEAKER_00Usually these are be ones that we're gonna go, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_00We'll we'll see what happens. Yes, awesome.
SPEAKER_01So, how are we gonna start this bad boy?
SPEAKER_00Well, we might as well just kick her right off. And honestly, it kind of surprises me a little bit because we've had a number of beers from this company. Okay, yeah, usually they've been higher ABV and they've been a lot of where they're I can't remember what they call where they mixed all the different ones together.
SPEAKER_01I think some companies call it the Serve. There we go. Yes, yes, you're right. I don't think this brewery calls it that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they know they don't, so they have a different name for that. Yeah,
Firestone Walker 805 First Impressions
SPEAKER_00so this is by Firestone Walker, and this is their 805 blonde ale. Ooh, so did you find some?
SPEAKER_01I found a little bit there on the very top. You want me to read that one? Sure. So 805 Blonde Ale by Firestone Walker, 4.7 ABV. This is our lowest ABV of the of the episode, 15 IBUs. Wow, the light and refreshing ale from California's central coast that likes to be put down cold, made for those who are fueled by the constant pursuit of the path less traveled. Okay, all right. So it doesn't really tell us if there's a flavor in there. Yeah, it's just so it's light and refreshing.
SPEAKER_00It's a blonde ale, right? Yeah, so I'm typically not expecting a lot of flavor, right? You know, 4.7. That's kind of average, I think, for a for a blonde ale. It's definitely has kind of a lighter, I mean, it's a little darker than like your normal Pilsner for color.
SPEAKER_01I mean, maybe a touch. Yeah, it's you can tell there's something there, right?
SPEAKER_00It's not water, no, exactly. So that's that's what we're going on because the aroma, a little bit. There's smells like an ale. Yeah, there's just nothing there, not a whole lot to it. No, I will say this is cold, you know. So we're drinking it how they recommended, right.
SPEAKER_01I mean, this is one of my mistakes planting, yeah. And I wasn't here. So these were there's three of them cold beer with our our heavy bourbon barrel ones.
SPEAKER_00We like those warmer, so usually those are warmer, so it's uh it's kind of interesting though. I mean, flavor-wise, it's it's got a little bit of flavor.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I am I'm impressed. I mean, it's I wasn't expecting much, but it's still it's maybe in that category, the big box beers, but I think it's actually above them, right?
SPEAKER_00I honestly think it's I would agree. I think that you know, if if you were looking at especially, you know, a lot of the other blonde ales we've had, like I said before, they just don't have a whole lot of flavor to them. This one does have some flavor, it's not a huge amount, don't get me wrong. You know, I mean it's not like oh my gosh, the flavor, but you do get a little bit of a flavor to it. And and I think being ice cold really yeah, yeah, and honestly, I yeah, I agree with you, man. The the the big brands, I would drink this before I drink that, honestly. And you know, if you had it, you pulled it right out of the cooler, let's say, and all that, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, if it's I mean, if you had it even in a frosty glass, frosty mug, yeah, that'd be all right. But I think here our other problem again is I think we got this at Total Wine and More. So it wasn't around here, and we only got one of them.
SPEAKER_00We got one of them, so uh well, we didn't know. We're doing the best we can with it, yeah. Because we really didn't know with this one. We knew Firestone Walker, but yes, yes, for sure. Because I I don't think we maybe had one other one of their beers that wasn't a higher ABB, yeah, but it has not been many. No, it's not many. Most of them we've had with them are their anniversary ones that are higher. And I actually have one sitting right over there, too. Nice. I do have one. Well, I shouldn't. I I would like to say, would you like to see my shock face?
SPEAKER_01But I'm but I think we bought it at the same time. I'm pretty sure. So they were probably side by side and let's take them both. Yep, exactly. Well, what do you think about a score? Well, well, or what should we like? Do it, it's been a little while. Yeah, how many beers are rated are you up to?
SPEAKER_00I believe or an approximate number. Approximately, I believe the last time I looked, I was right around six thousand one hundred and eighty, I believe, somewhere in that ballpark. So you've cracked the sixty one hundred mark. Oh, yeah. And we're almost up to sixty two hundred. All right, so you're full steam ahead. Yeah, oh yeah. Okay, yeah. I'm just double checking while we're sitting here. And does it give you your average? Uh yeah, we're not gonna get into that. Oh, and it doesn't move much six thousand one hundred seventy-seven is the total. Yeah, no, it's yeah, it's locked in pretty high. It's locked in, but that's because we picked so many really good beers that we like this one. Well, yeah, this is a good beer, but it's not going to be up in the in that, you know, upper echelon echelon. Right. So, yeah, like I said before, I think this is a really good if it's ice cold on a hot day, this would be really good. And 4.7 easy drinker. Yeah, this. I mean, if you're not a craft beer drinker, I think this is oh, definitely. I think you if you're you know, oh, what do you have that's like this? If you're one of those guys, you could drink this easily all day long. So honestly, I'm gonna go like a 2.8, which that's which yeah. I mean, for this, I again it's better than average. And I can I get another hit just to make sure my taste buds are alright with that one. No, we should say this is the only one that we have that was in a bottle.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yes, correct.
SPEAKER_00So the rest of them are in cans, yes.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I mean not to cut you off. I mean, is that how is that? I mean, is that a good description for the listeners for you?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Okay, yeah. I mean, it's like I said, it's it's a good beer. It it's got a it's got flavor. It's not I don't really pick up any, you know. There's times like with some of the the big name beers that you kind of get that on the end, that almost a little bit of a dry kind of thing. This doesn't have that. And if it's cold like this on a hot day, I mean, dude, you could drink these for and at 4.7, you could drink a lot of them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I yeah, I like it. I guess for me, kudos to Firestone Walker, it's fallen in line right with their other anniversary beers, just as good a quality, just as good. I mean, kudos to them. I mean, because I'm sure you can't always serve those anniversary beers on tap, right? You could have some other ones mixed in there, right? So unfortunately for us, I think they're from California, so we don't get to see them, you know, or not see them, but I mean have them on tap. You know, I they'd be worth going out there for a visit. I mean, just the way these beers are quality, there's high quality beers, exactly, in my opinion. Yep, I agree. So score-wise, I think I'm gonna push it to 2.9. Oh, all right. I mean, I like it. I mean, it's I'm trying to find something negative, and right, I I can't find anything that's I mean, because you're we already know it's not gonna have a lot of flavor, but the initial taste, the finish, the smoothness, being ice cold. I mean, it's everything that you're looking for a beer on a hot summer day.
SPEAKER_00Yep.
SPEAKER_01I mean, this this would be the perfect beer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I agree with you, man. You'd like to say you could always say, you know, like we always say like a lawnmower beer, but this is almost too much too better to be a lawnmower beer. You know what I mean? Well, it's like you'd actually want to be sitting there and joined it, you know, especially if it's a hot summer day, you want to be don't want to be in the sum. Exactly. Yep, I agree. Oh,
American Craft Beer Week Explained
SPEAKER_00oh man, did you see that? I thought that was part of the the stuff.
SPEAKER_01So these may or may not be questions. Oh, okay. So the first one isn't even a question, it's just a comment. Yep. So I know we're a little bit past it, but we just finished up American Craft Beer Week. Yes, yep, so that's really what this is. It's it's just an emblem of American Eagle, yep, flying with a beer, okay, American Craft Beer Week. And apparently this is an annual event, it wasn't just a one-time. I didn't know that. So I was trying to do some research. So I got a few other questions about American Craft Beer Week.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So I no, I saw where somebody had said it's American Craft Beer Week, but I didn't, I just figured, and this was shame on me. I thought it was like, okay, just another one of those fake holidays, you know, you find on a calendar. Yep, but it's actually a thing. It's actually a thing. Okay. So cool. I'm gonna be excited to get some more info.
SPEAKER_01So that's a good thing. I mean, that'd even be good to put on the on the website.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Yeah, so I'll let you have that. But okay, what do we have next? All right. Well, the next
Lift Bridge Farm Day Golden Ale
SPEAKER_00one, since we're gonna just, you know, again, I'm not sure how these are gonna all go, but we're gonna find out. This is by Liftbridge, okay, and this is their farm day golden ale. Now, I will give them credit. That's kind of a cool graphics here on the can. Spent some time doing that. Yeah, I mean, it's like you know, an old pickup sitting in front of the fields that look like they've been just planted, is what it looks like. Yep, and uh trees and such in the background. So that's a really cool looking can. Nice. So let's see. This one now they're out of still water, and I I've actually been to this brewery.
SPEAKER_01Oh, nice, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So it was a it was a neat place. So it's 4.8 percent uh ABV, and their description is easy drinking golden ale with a delicate balance of malt sweetness and a blooming hint of floral hops. Is that coriander? I hope not. Okay, but we never know. But when they slip in blooming hints of floral, you're like is Heather there? I don't think so. I think she's been banished. Is she honestly? I think she's on the oats, yeah. I I you don't see her much anymore.
SPEAKER_01I know it's we just we if she was there, I don't know if we'd know. Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_00We don't know what she's know if you tasted it again. Yeah, we'd remember. All right, let's see. They also said each sip offers a smooth, refreshing experience as a reward for cultivating your own special farm day. Wow, wow, that kind of that that's pretty cool. So it's in a can. Oh, that's that's a good sign. Oh, yes, yep. So let's see. All right, golden ale. Let's see how this comes. Looks golden, kind of, yeah. Golden, it's definitely a little bit lighter in color than the last one was there. I thought the blonde ale was gonna be lighter in color than this one, but I maybe, you know what I mean? This one looks a little bit lighter, similar, but lighter.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, I'm I can barely see my fingers inside the cup. It's definitely a little bit cloudy. Yep, almost like that haziness.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, not a whole lot of aroma. Oh, nothing.
SPEAKER_01I'm not getting blown away by that. I don't smell coriander, I don't think. I don't smell anything blooming. I was gonna say it's pretty muted. There is a like there's a little bit of sweetness, is that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know. I'm a little bit of sweetness. I do get just a hint of like a flor or in like a floral kind of taste. Is it blooming in your mouth? No, it's not blooming. It's not blooming.
SPEAKER_01No, that's probably a good thing that it's not blooming. I mean, it's there is a slight difference in the flavor from the first to the second. I mean, yeah, just like a hair's difference.
SPEAKER_00This one almost has isn't it's not a dryness, but a little bit more of I don't want to say harsh finish, but it's it's got kind of that how do you describe it? It's just a little sharper finish than that first one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's I mean, it is the hard part to describe this is you know, it's not a something, it's like when it's the malts or this other it's gotta be that hops, a type of hobs. Because it's gotta be ingrained in the beer. It's not really like a here. It is you can put your finger on it, this is exactly what it is. Right. No, you're right. I mean, it's it's difficult to describe. I mean, it's not bad. I mean, but I still do think the first one kind of leaves me that thinking that this this one may not be quite that high, but it's not bad.
SPEAKER_00It is I agree with you. And I I'm in total agreement with what you just said there, that between the two, I think the the the 805 is above this one. Yeah, not a huge amount, but it's like I said, this one just has something on the finish that and it's not that it lasts long and you're like, oh, you know, taste of a long time, but it's just kind of a different thing, you know, where that other one was really smooth, the whole the whole taste. This one's not quite that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, this one might be the lawnmower beer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I could I could settle for that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that'd that'd be that'd work. You could do your lawnmower with this beer and then sit in the shade and with the other one and then you'll five. There you go. So we figured it out for a pretty exactly. I knew we could do it, so I'll give it a 2.7. Okay. Solid above average, yeah, but just like we said, I I just can't can't quite 100% uh describe what that flavor is, it's just a little bit different. Yeah, I just don't I mean it's not bad, it's just a little different.
SPEAKER_00Yep, I agree. I'm gonna go a 2.5 just because I do think that the Firestone Walker one was definitely better. But this would be a good lawnmower beer. Yes, and I agree a hundred percent with you on that. But between the two, I would take the first one first. So yes, but it's it's still good. I it and somebody you could drink a number of them. It was what was it, 4.8. So again, it's it's a nice, easy drinker. It's not gonna make you feel like you're full. Oh, for sure.
SPEAKER_01You know, so and you can even look at the can while you're and you can try and figure out what they planted. There you go. So we were just talking about American Craft Beer Week. Yes, the ACBW. Okay, is it sometime called online to the to the hip folks? Yes, I found that out. Okay, okay. When what which year was the first American craft beer week? Did it start with a one or a two? Started with a two. Okay, good. And this was a significant year, significant milestone year.
SPEAKER_00I'd like to well, you put it that way, it's almost like it's brand new. Is what I'm wondering. So is it 2026? Close.
SPEAKER_01So it started in 2006. Oh, so this was their 20th year. Okay. So, and it highlights the economic, agricultural, and cultural impact of independent American brewers.
SPEAKER_00Okay, see, I was looking way in a different direction. I was thinking the country's 250th. Right. So I thought, oh, okay, well, maybe it just started this year, but oh, 20 years, that's that's impressive.
SPEAKER_01So I mean it is relatively new. I mean, oh yeah, because the craft beer surge at probably about that same time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So, and I think this American craft beer, when I looked online, it it actually there's a whole website out there on it, too.
SPEAKER_00See, and here I thought it was just another, oh, look, it's Stout Day or it's IPA Day, or you know, stuff like that.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, see, that's what we're learning.
SPEAKER_00I didn't know that either until I looked today. See, educate and entertain. There, we're trying.
SPEAKER_01That's what we try to do. Doing the best we can.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01All right.
The Accidental NA Beer Discovery
SPEAKER_01So now we we kind of had to throw the left the curveball in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. This is one of our, should I say experimental?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because this guy was on the bench. Yes. And starter went down.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah. So when we were discussing this, we thought, okay, we're let's do one, especially because of timing, yep, you know, and the holiday night. Let's do one that's kind of an easy drinker and all that. And so Jim sent me a list. Hey, here's a list uh that we have, and you know, what should we try? So I just went through and looked to see if there was some because there's a few on the list that we've had previously. So I said, Well, let's take those off, let's do these. And well, what did you find out?
SPEAKER_01On the doing the research, I was like, Yeah, they cover up the actual and look at how much it cost three dollars and 49 cents. And I was like doing the research. I'm like, What does this say non-alcohol? Well, we didn't we've been buying non-alcoholic beers. What's going on here? It's like I'm gonna look, I'm like, I guess zero percent alcohol. Well, that ain't gonna work, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Not for a good podcast. So the the kicker is look at the very the top of the label. Yeah, I just saw that now. It says non-alcoholic and it has zero on the bottom, yes. So we we really were distracted when we we must have been in a hurry that day. I think it was just one of those we saw, and we ain't had that, and we grabbed it, and there we went. So like surreal. I don't know. So we kicked that one to the case. We we're gonna decide if we want to throw her in at the end because it's not gonna be a fair comparison, so we didn't want to do that because we do have another cloche in the in the categories, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So maybe if we really get right, we needed so.
SPEAKER_00We
Left Hand Nitro Meyer Lemon Blast
SPEAKER_00actually had to put in the the second stringer, we put in the the one that was on standby, yep, and this is by left hand brewing, which we've had yes, a number of their beers. This one, I'm not sure. We're gonna see. I yeah, it is their Zesty Dreams Nitro Meyer Lemon Blonde Ale. Wow. Now I don't know what Meyer Lemon means. I don't know either. Uh super smooth with lemony bliss, it says on the can.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I did not get to find anything. So did it say five and a half percent?
SPEAKER_00Yep, ABV. So I wonder being nitro, is it gonna have a widget in it, or is it all right? It doesn't say anything about like pour aggressively, I don't think. Oh, here's some other stuff written on the can. Oh, all right, good to do from the can, like a pro. Oh, in a glass. Like a pro in a glass, you know, really small lighters. It's like, what?
SPEAKER_01All right, well, hold it close to the microphone to see if it does have a widget.
SPEAKER_00Or not.
SPEAKER_01All right, listen up. Here we go.
SPEAKER_00It has a widget. It has a widget. Okay, so we'd know that. Yeah, boy, it almost has uh almost looks like orange juice coming out. I mean, as far as before it's it's cascades here, yeah, but it has a lot of little bubbles, yeah. And there's you can see them separating just like the black and tan. Yep. Now this one is in a 16-ounce can, a pint can. So again, you're pot committed. You're literally heart. So now we of course we've got to let it finish cascading before we can drink it. She separated out. Yep, it's definitely got a white head. I smell lemon. I smell lemon. I smell. Oh, I hope this doesn't taste like lemon pledge. That's all I hope. It does. The lemony lemony aroma. It has a lemony aroma.
SPEAKER_01It has a lemon flavor, lemon flavor, and it's smooth. It's smooth.
SPEAKER_00You can definitely tell it's on nitro. Oh, yeah, for sure. That I mean, that's almost like lemon whipped cream. It's so kind of frothy. Boy, that lemon hangs around. You know what I mean? On the taste proof, it's not going away. It's like, wow. It is, it stays there. Yeah, I will give them credit as far as it's lemony. For sure. Now, you know, it would be interesting to know like that Meyer lemon, is that like a certain strain of lemons, maybe? I don't know, or is it like Meyer? Could it be like lemon farm or something?
SPEAKER_01You know, I don't know. Yes, very good questions. I wish I knew, but I mean, this is I'm just trying to think, is there something that you could mix this with? But boy, this has got a lot of lemon.
SPEAKER_00A lot of lemons, you know, and I I think again, just my opinion, one can of this, and I think I would be burnt out from that flavor. Yes. I mean, it's definitely smooth and you know, all that, and it's light, things like that. But boy, that lemon. That's that's the lemon.
SPEAKER_01This does almost more than lemonade, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Just oh yeah. It's like lemonade that they forgot to put sugar in, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it is strong. I mean, it's not tart, it's not the tart lemon, correct, but it's just like
SPEAKER_00Like a lot of lemons. Boy, that's yeah. And it's like I said, it just is hanging there.
SPEAKER_01You know, I mean, and we I don't know exactly how many lemon beers we've had, but I don't can't remember one that this the flavors hung on. Not like this. Oh boy, that's a lot of lemons. I mean, since that first sip to now, it has not won away. It is not lessened, it is stayed. Yeah, when's it going away? It is it is sticking. So if you like lemons or lemonade, this is your beer.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. I would agree. If you're a big lemon fan, get the the zesty dreams nitro from left hand brewing because that it's gonna check every lemon box for you.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it it's smooth, I mean it's a little bit frothy on top. I mean, it's it's good, it hits those wickets, but I'm probably not the lemon guy that they're looking for. And I I think I ended up buying this. This is part of a four-pack. Okay, it was like I had to buy a 12-pack of it, so I got some more cans that if you know a guy that might nice need some more.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, yeah. You oh no, that'll be one of those when our other buddies come over here. You need to drink this one first. Yeah, I uh uh looks like you're up first, too. Yeah, like I said, you know, it is on nitro, legitimately on nitro, very smooth. Again, it's cool to watch it cascade, that's all that, but boy, that lemon really trumps all of that stuff, you know. Yes, score-wise. I think I'm gonna go 2.3, and not that it's bad, but that lemon, it's lemon for days, and it really hangs on, and it faintly has like a lemon pledge flavor to it. Not as bad as some of them, but yeah, like the candy, yeah. But it uh it's there, and it would not be my first choice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think you mentioned it before. I might be able to finish because this is a 16-ounce can, but I definitely I don't think my intestines could handle a second one. I think I just get some heartburn. And if I was sitting out in the sun on a hot day, I I don't know. I think this was cold enough. I think it oh, very much so. I think it was chilled to the right temperature, so I don't think we're you know, I wonder what it would taste like if we actually had it warmed up. So I don't know. I don't think I want to find out, dude. You know, you know what you always talk about warming up our our bourbon barrel ones. Yeah, this one, I think that there's enough flavor right there, chilled as it is. I I think I'm right in there with you. I'm gonna I was gonna say a 2.3. It's not bad, it's not there's nothing horrendous or wrong about it. It's just that that lemon stuff. I mean, I still have lemon flavor in my mouth right now. I mean, it is like so. If you but if you like lemons or lemonade, that flavor, this is definitely your beer. I mean, there's not many times that I don't know that we've could actually say, you know, this is the fruit, it's in there, it's this is the one you want to get.
SPEAKER_00We wouldn't even had to have known what was in there, and you could tell it was lemon. This one you could do the blind taste test, yeah, and you would know exactly what's in there. Yep. Wow, that was something. Yes. All right, so I hate to ask, but were the other ones, are they fruit ones too? Oh boy. I think one's a hibiscus and okay.
SPEAKER_01Some other well, so you might be getting a Christmas present.
SPEAKER_00Axe prize.
SPEAKER_01All right, so we'll jump on to our next question.
When Craft Beer Week Happens
SPEAKER_01I know you don't know the answer, right? But I'm gonna just ask it anyway. When is American Craft Beer Week for 2027? Well, uh the first week of May. Close. So somehow, and I and again, I don't know why this happened, right? But this year it was May 11th to the 17th. But that's not the week they normally have it. It's always the 16th to the 22nd. Oh, really? Huh. So it would actually be going on now. Now that's kind of wild. I wonder why they did that. Yeah, so next year will be the 21st annual. Okay.
SPEAKER_00So do they uh I I'm probably jumping ahead. I'll I'll wait, I'll save that question for now. All right, because I was gonna ask something, but it's probably still the gums. I might have it under 40. Okay, okay. All right, so what do we have next?
Honey Hush Kolsch And Mead Talk
SPEAKER_00All right, well, now the next one we have is also in a pint can. And now this one is by Bald Man Brewing, which is out of Egan, Minnesota.
SPEAKER_01I don't know if we've had many bald man brewing.
SPEAKER_00I'd have to look. I don't remember ever having any, impossibly. If we have, it hasn't been many, right? Uh, and this is their honey hush kolsch, or as Jim says, Clutch. Because it does end it, see it. It does. So if you and it's five and a half percent ABV. Now, I don't know if they had any info. Oh, they got something on the bag.
SPEAKER_01Is there some on there? This it's got some funky printing, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, here I'll let you let it. All right, see if I can navigate it.
SPEAKER_01I was trying to get through the the shadow and all right. Here we go. This Kalosh style honey wheat is light in color and malt character that gives a refreshing taste, followed by a slightly dry, crisp finish. Okay. Bald name brewing company.
SPEAKER_00Interesting. Five and a half percent. All right, and now this is the can is a little cool, right? It's kind of cool. I mean it looks like it's charcoal pencil, right? Well, you know what's funny? It looks like you've seen like those adult coloring books where it's and not like adult, like what you're thinking, probably, but but you know, you can buy them at the store where it's just pictures of color. It's just black and white. It's just black and white, and you can see somebody's going, shh, you know, their finger in front of their mouth and all that. And and the writing is all on the back of the can.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00There's nothing on the front that says what it is, right? So there I mean there's a little honeycomb. See, in the very, very top there, or I think it just says the brewing. This is Bald Band Brewing Company, right? So Egan Minnesota.
SPEAKER_01So I guess from a marketing perspective, is this a good way to sell your product? So nobody really knows what you have to do.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it does say honey, honey, hush, colch on the very bottom on the front, but you really got to be looking for it, right? But I mean all these other ones, yeah. The other ones you can look from a distance and see what it is, right? Where this one is it would be more difficult, but I guess I give them credit, it's unique, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, you know, so but it's just they got good artwork, but you just if you're like craft beer novice, you may not know what you're reaching for.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. I yeah. So I and I think we got this one when we were in in Rochester, in Rochester as well. Well, and I'm gonna be honest with you, when I looked at the can and I saw and I'm like, well, that's on the back, what's on the front? And I'm like, pretty much nothing. You know, I mean, there's there like you said, there's not a whole lot of distinguishing to tell you what it is, tell you what it is, because I'm not gonna lie, the the name of the the company on the top and the beer on the bottom. I actually didn't see that. It blends right in, yeah. It blends in. So all right, so here we go. A honey calach. A little different aroma to it. Is that the wheat? I don't know. It could be because I'm not a big wheat guy. Well, you know, and I'm not a big honey guy. Yeah, typically. Yeah, this is right in our wheelhouse. This is really gonna be interesting. There's something there that's got a different flavor than I was expecting.
SPEAKER_01It doesn't taste like a normal kole's.
SPEAKER_00No, I don't taste is it the honey? It could be, but I don't, you know, I don't get that normal honey flavor. I don't get a wheat flavor. Yeah, you know, the aroma was there, but then right the flavor's different than the aroma. Yeah. I'm trying to think how do you describe the aroma? Man, I don't know how to describe that. I don't what's a good way to say it, but I mean interesting.
SPEAKER_01So again, I'm not a I'm a novice on describing these, but so what's the difference between a mead and a honey beer?
SPEAKER_00Well, mead is made with water, honey, and yeast. That's it. Okay. Where these honey is added in with the the you know, when it's boiling and all that. Or I believe that's how it is.
SPEAKER_01And so this would not be classified as a mead. No. Okay, okay. Because I think just for the listers, because I'm not I if somebody asked me, I couldn't give them an answer, but thanks for example.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that yeah. Honey like this, that there's honey in it, that's a different thing than a mead for sure.
SPEAKER_01I mean, but this is not bad, but I don't know if I've had a cloche that's had this flavor. So I mean, I guess that's good, right?
SPEAKER_00I agree, yeah. It's you know, and I I hate to say it, but it it's kind of growing on me a little bit. That first initial flavor was like that's a little different, right? You know, but it's not bad. Now, not bad. I'm not saying, oh my gosh, I need to go buy a fridge full of that. I'm not saying that, but it's not bad, you know.
SPEAKER_01So I guess you know, like the sometimes we talk about. So if you're the beer person and you see, hey, this is a kalosh, and you get it and you open it up, you'd be like, Is this really kalosh?
SPEAKER_00You know, because I don't know, I don't think this tastes like the normal ones you've had. No, I said it definitely has a different flavor to it than the other ones we've had. So I definitely agree with you on that.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it probably in a little bit better way, yeah. Because the other ones that style is just to require taste.
SPEAKER_00Typically, they have a pretty common flavor.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. This one is very uncommon. Yeah, from whatever from what my taste buds are telling me. Yep, I agree. So we may now have to do that last one just to see if we can rebalance.
SPEAKER_00But that last one is non-alcoholic, and you remember when we did that. Yeah, it might just be cold water. They're all like, yeah, it's there, but it's missing something.
SPEAKER_01Maybe we'll just do a little yeah, we could do that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, do a little.
SPEAKER_01All right, so yes, you're up there, big shooter. So I'll give it a tenth of a point for the artwork. Okay, and I'm not a big Kolsch guy. Um that's not one of my favorites. I would not seek it out, but comma, however, comma, this is not bad. I mean, I I'm not turned off by it. It's just got some very it's very unique flavor profile. Very, I mean, just like very hard to describe, but and I don't know if it's the honey mixing with the with the colosh. I I I really you might be able to explain it, but I'm struggling with it, but it's not bad. I'm gonna put it right in the middle. I'm gonna say a 2.5.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I hear what you're saying, and I I I am wondering too if it's the honey because you know, a lot of times those honey beers, I'm just like, ugh, you know, right? It's doesn't have that normal kind of that honey flavor to me in a beer, and it doesn't remind me of all the Colchas we've had either, right? And like I said, it's different enough to make it interesting. I'm gonna go a 2.6, to be honest with you. Nice, and like I said, I do think I wouldn't be opposed to if I had a couple of them in my cooler or whatever, right? You know, for for the Memorial Day weekend, let's say 16 ounces, 16 ounce, or but it's uh it's just interesting enough that it kind of has my attention, intrigued, yeah, yeah. You know, so way to go, bald man, yeah. Bald man. I was gonna say bald guy, but I'm like, wait a minute, that's not it's two words, right? So it's bald man, yeah. Bald man, it's not uh it's not all together, it's not all together, it's two separate words, correct.
SPEAKER_01So out of Egan, Minnesota, yep. So yeah, interesting way to go, guys. Super. All right. So the
Best Ways To Celebrate Craft Beer
SPEAKER_01last question I had, then you can give me your feedback. And I thought this is interesting. And on their website, it said, What is the number one way you can celebrate American Craft Beer Week?
SPEAKER_00By sharing craft beer with your friends. So that is number two.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you won't even believe what this number is.
SPEAKER_00What is number one? Conduct a craft beer tasting. Well, that's kind of what we're doing right here. Apparently, our friends they don't know that when we get together with our friends, we do craft beer tastings, right?
SPEAKER_01And we're doing one on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we're doing it on the podcast, and now, of course, Memorial Day is coming is this this weekend. And on Sunday at our camper, we're having our Memorial Day beer tasting competition for epic bragging rights. Epic, epic. So yeah, see, we already we're way ahead of. So my question though was do they actually do they have like American craft beer festival or anything? Did it say anything about that?
SPEAKER_01Yes, it did. So it said that there, so it's looks like there's a website that's kind of collecting info, but there's regional like regional locations that are having their own. They didn't say festivals, but it would be more like between the bluffs.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_01Those kind of things.
SPEAKER_00Gotcha. Okay, because you know, like Great American Beer Fest, that's a huge thing out in Denver. Yep. So I didn't know if this had it or not, but it's so it's kind of a regional thing.
SPEAKER_01And okay, but it sounds like it does cover most of the continental United States. I think I've seen there's like eight or nine um events happening all.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, cool. So that was good. Keep an eye on that, and yeah, some year maybe we'll show up.
SPEAKER_01So we will put that on the the website. Just maybe somebody will want to see that.
SPEAKER_00There you go. Sounds good. So, what do we got next?
Great Lakes Cran Orange Wheat Test
SPEAKER_00All right, well, Jim, we've got another, I'm gonna put it in the experimental category for us. Experimental. Now, I've had well, we've we've both had beers with all three of these, but usually not together. Okay, but we've had beers, and this is I'm gonna just say what it is and then we'll go from there. This is by Great Lakes Brewing. This is their cran orange wheat. Cran. Cranberry. They mean cranberry, yes, and I know I've tried a number of different cranberry beers, and I've found probably about one of them that was actually pretty good, right? Otherwise, the flavor is a little different. So I don't know how how this is gonna go. You pair it with orange, maybe the orange will knock her down, just you know, take it a little bit. They said wheat too. And wheat. I'm not a big woo heat. I know. So we're gonna see what happens. Maybe it it keeps that under control as well. So this is five and a half percent and 17 IBUs, and they're out of Cleveland, Ohio.
SPEAKER_0117.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it shouldn't be bad that way.
SPEAKER_01This is actually our highest IBU beer.
SPEAKER_00Does that mean anything? Second highest, it's the highest so far. Oh, yep, yep. You're right. So this they they did have a little write-up. It says harvest a medley of orange and cranberry in this satisfying wheat ale packed with flavors of the season. All right. Um my thing is with cranberry because they're a little tart. We haven't had a whole lot of success with cranberry, they've always been that tart one, yeah. So we'll see. And maybe the orange will season this. Got an orange, dude. I'm just sitting, I can smell. I can smell orange. Oh boy, and it's definitely a color-wise, it's like a kind of yeah, it's almost more like a blood orange, it's like a reddish-orange color. Wow, yeah, you can smell the orange for sure. Yeah, I can I don't know about cranberry, but you can smell the orange. There's something tart on the end of the aroma, yeah. Yeah, it's one of those where it's like, oh well, we'll we'll see what happens. All right, you're first. Boy, I wouldn't know that that's a wheat. I don't taste wheat.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't, it's not that style for me. Thank goodness.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it's the other flavors now that I'm trying to. It is funny, and I know we've probably talked about this before, but wheat beers are another polarizing thing. Yeah, you love them, love them, you hate them. There's no in-between with those. And I don't mind them. And I know you don't like them. Susie doesn't like she hates them, you know.
SPEAKER_01But I mean, like this, if you told me this is I mean, like I know it's a wheat beer now, but it does not have that flavor, that style, that profile that I'm accustomed to.
SPEAKER_00Right. So for me, it it tastes better already. Man, I'm trying to figure out because the the the fruit flavor, I'm trying to I get orange. Is it the bitterness that's the cranberry? But it's gotta be, but I just don't, it's not like full-fledged orange flavor, and it's not cranberry. It's I don't know how to describe it. I mean, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01I mean it's just so somehow I don't know if they're they're interacting together to for the orange to knock down the tartness a little bit off the cranberry, but it it does work yeah, somewhat good. I mean, yeah, it works. I don't know if you can I don't know if you can put this in the category of sour. No, no, I mean it's not it's not there, but it's definitely fruity.
SPEAKER_00Yeah my question would be because this is in a 12-ounce can. After you get done with one, would you get heartburn? I don't I don't know. Could you go with another one? Could you get in order to do that? That's the question. Because I again it's it's not that it's overpowering, but it is a little bit stronger flavor. That fruit, yeah, you know, the kind of that acidic fruit. I think that it might be one of those where you're kind of like, eh, I think it's let me have it.
SPEAKER_01Let me have an 805. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Even a farm day. Yeah, it's I mean, and what's hard is it's not it does not taste bad, it's just there's a lot of flavor going on, but it's it's not I wouldn't put it on the bad side, it's not a bad tasting beer, but it's it's definitely it takes some getting used to.
SPEAKER_00So this is gonna sound weird, how am I gonna describe this? But when you were talking, I took another drink and I'm sitting there, and all of a sudden it's like, okay, when I swallowed it, I got that orange, but then almost like on my tongue, I got that little bit of that that cranberry tartness that you were talking about. So I think you nailed it that that orange is interacting with the cranberry to kind of knock it, and they both kind of knock each other down, they knock the the the wheat down completely out of the picture. You know, I would never guess it's a wheat beer.
SPEAKER_01No, I mean if you did a blind taste test, you could probably get the two fruits, but you couldn't tell that it was a wheat beer. I mean, there's no way I would I agree 100%.
SPEAKER_00And again, I just it's I would drink one, yeah, and then I'd probably switch something else because I just again it's almost sensory overload, yes, a little bit with the flavor. So yeah, so oh man, I you get to go first. I get the tough ones, you're the that's why you're the best. Yeah, okay. I'm gonna go with 2.4 just because I do think that after one, I would be like, Yeah, I don't I don't want to push it, you know, I'll get something different. But I do I I actually like kind of that the way that they work, all three ingredients work together. Yes, you know, the wheat again, like I said, it totally was gone. I had no wheat flavor in it. The orange, I could I could pick up the orange, and I did pick up the the cranberry eventually once I figured it out, but it's good, but I would be worried that you know we could get a heartburn or just be get, you know, like yeah, I need something a different flavor now. So 2.4.
SPEAKER_01You hit the nail on the head. I mean, you're spot on your comments, right? Echoing exactly what I was thinking. The hard part again is you know, these are not in our wheelhouse, so we're not we're not drinking these all the time. So these are definitely for me, I know for sure, unique. I'm not I don't try these, I don't drink these very often, other than on the podcast. So for me to taste this, this is actually it's oh tastes okay, and again, like if you like lemons, the zesty dreams is right in your mouth. Yeah, if you like oranges and cranberries, this is probably right for you. Yep. But for me, it it's not it doesn't taste like a beer too much, right? So I I like that's why I like your score to the 2.4. I'm gonna stay right with that. I'm just it's just I think it's okay. It's just I don't know if I could drink more than one can of it.
SPEAKER_00Right, yeah, I agree. You know, now that you when you're thinking about it, it does remind me at times we had a used to have a restaurant in town that around Thanksgiving he made his own cranberry oh sauce or whatever, whatever you want to call that, right? Yep, yep. And it did have orange in it. Okay, and it does kind of have that flavor, okay. You know, so I'm guessing that's what they were going for.
SPEAKER_01Trying to lessen the tartness of the I think they did a good job. It's just yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_00It would it wouldn't, I wouldn't have a cooler full of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, I think just this one taster glass is probably good enough for me too. Exactly. All right, so we got one more good one before we get to the social one.
SPEAKER_00The one that we're going, huh? Well, we'll try it. So all right, we're gonna give it a whirl.
SPEAKER_01All right, just just for the listeners, yeah. Just for we're gonna sacrifice we're drinking it so you don't have to, right? We're gonna make the sacrifice and let you guys know all about it so that you can make your decision, correct?
SPEAKER_00All right, so let's do this last one here first.
Sunny Days Light Ale Misfire
SPEAKER_00All right, this is Sunny Days Light Ale by Kinney Creek Brewery in Rochester, Minnesota, which we've been there, right?
SPEAKER_01I thought we'd been there.
SPEAKER_00We've been there, and this is 5.9% ABV. So this is the highest one that we have, and it's 10 IBUs. I know, isn't it crazy? 5.9 is our highest, and we've had podcasts we started at 14. You know, let's see. Their description was by artfully stirring a blend of orange peel, slightly concerning, honey, your favorite, my favorite, coriander, Ron's favorite, Ron's favorite, and malt. We've created a unique brew with a hint of sweet orange fruit and light, hot taste that leaves the palate with a tinge of summer.
SPEAKER_01Ting is that from a fire?
SPEAKER_00Well, just or that cins. Ah, there you go. Tinge means just a little bit, just a little bit. Okay, and this one is in a pint can as well. Okay, so we will see what the sunny days.
SPEAKER_01Can you remind me what was our overall thought at when we went to that brewery? I know we went to two or three there. Which is it? A smaller one?
SPEAKER_00It's a smaller one, yeah. Okay, and they're kind of like the first brewery I guess. That's the first one we went to, okay. That was in Rochester. That we went to.
SPEAKER_01On that trip that we actually I take that back.
SPEAKER_00We did not go to this one. Okay. When we were there. I have been there. Because that was my brother, the brewer, and and such. Because I know we've not been there yet. I know we've been to a few, and I just can't remember the names. You have not, I do apologize. I led you astray there. I remember we were talking about it, and then we were closer to the other ones that we did go to, so we just kind of stuck on that stuff. Gotcha. All right, here we go. So we got uh very hazy, yeah. A little hazy kind of reminds me of the the farm days where kind of it's it's got a little different aroma. Wait a minute. Are you sure? Yep, that's it.
SPEAKER_01Oh gosh, that aroma does not good smelling.
SPEAKER_00I was hoping it was like the the from the last can because this glass here, we did not have the orange or the the lime one or lemon one. Right. But I'm getting yeah, okay. Why don't you give that Bad boy a taste.
SPEAKER_01I was waiting to see your facial reaction to see how I'm holding off till you taste it. The aroma is really not hitting me where I'm hoping.
SPEAKER_00There's a blend of something there. There is the polite way I'm going to say this is there's a weirdness there. What is that? Is it boy? I the good thing is I'm not getting a strong coriander.
SPEAKER_01Yes, that's that's a positive. That's that's the the best thing I was gonna say. But what is that flavor? I don't know. It is different. Uh I guess I don't even want to see what my thought was when I first smelled it. I can imagine. Oh my gosh. This is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
SPEAKER_00Well, I'm looking at the description, you know, orange peel, honey, coriander, and malt. Okay. But that's not really what I'm getting, you know. It's almost I think they put it too much of a tinge of summer in it. Oh, there's a yeah, there's a tinge of something in there.
SPEAKER_01Oof boy, I oh, I don't know. I'm I'm not sold on this one.
SPEAKER_00That's got a weird, a weird flavor to it. I'm hoping it's a bad can, but I don't think it is. I mean, do you think the orange peel is really we've had a lot of beers with orange peel, and we we usually get a real tart or a bitter flavor. I'm not getting bitter, I'm just getting like a off almost an off-putting flavor, you know. Not pudding, putting, you know. This is definitely that is odd. I don't even know how to describe that. Oh boy, you get to go first, too, by the way. I know.
SPEAKER_01So, listeners, unfortunately, this is probably gonna be my lowest one of the day. This is this is not anything I'm struggling to finish my taster glass. I'm gonna I'm gonna say a 2.0. I'm struggling because I read the words of orange peel, honey, coriander, and malt, but I cannot definitively definitively tell you that's what I'm tasting. It is a little, I don't know. It's I hope, like you said, Mike, this is a bad can. Because uh, this I would struggle to finish this 16-ounce can by myself. You would be probably getting about 14 ounces of this.
SPEAKER_00Great.
SPEAKER_01Well, luckily we only have the one, so right. But I do like your positive comment. I don't taste coriander. I I'll pass to you. I can't I can't come up with more.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's there's just a real kind of a strange flavor to it. I don't think and you know, normally I can pick out honey, you know, but I don't I don't pick that up. I'm not really getting the coriander. There's not the normal bitterness of a orange peel. Can I get a little farm to in there some orange that maybe don't sure not is there oh no, yeah. We finished the Firestone Walker. So you can just give me a little hit on that, whatever. All right, well, I'm gonna do the same. Yeah, sorry. Honestly, dude, dude, I'm gonna go in a 1.9. I just I I don't know. It's a weird flavor, and I'm kinda not really digging it, you know. I know I'm I didn't say anything negative. I know we have I know I try not, well, you know, that's why you always dog me about my average score because I'm too easy of a grader, but I don't know. I just I don't think I there's no way I'd finish a whole can. Or if I did, I'd be like, okay, give give me something different to get rid of that taste, you know. It's I'm glad it doesn't have a strong coriander, but I don't know if it's everything just kind of melded together and and changed it or what I don't know, but it's it's not to my liking. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01All right, so well, I I hope we did it justice by trying to explain to listeners.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's I I don't know. I mean I'm sure that the somebody there's people out there that would really like that to me. It was just really a weird flavor, it and the aroma was odd as well. So hopefully it was a bad can. Yeah, like I said, we try we try really hard not to dog any breweries, right?
SPEAKER_01But you know we're just trying to give an honest opinion so that the yep the listeners know. I mean, we're I mean, we're I don't think we're ever trying to sugarcoat anything. We're just trying to be honest, correct.
SPEAKER_00Well, dude, we got this non-alcoholic beer here. All right, and we might as well.
SPEAKER_01Can you explain again for the those that haven't listened to that one episode?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we did an episode on non-alcoholic beers. Yes, we did. And I'd have to look back to see what the actual episode number was. But we thought, okay, because this is a growing market, growing segment of the market is non-alcoholic beer. Because remember, I mean, not that long ago, it was like O'Duls, is all there was, right? You know, and now there's all these things. So we did an episode, and honestly, every one of them was like, Okay, we're it's missing something, right? And all we could figure out is oh, yeah, the alcohol and the rest of the flavor. And the rest of the flavor, it was like chilled water, yes. I mean, and it was just like it would like, oh, it's gonna taste like something, and then it was gone. Right, even the ones they had some great artworks that looked like wow, this is like fancy, nothing. Yep. Now I give this company cred, their artwork is pretty cool. So I give them that.
SPEAKER_01Yep, so we're actually gonna taste this. It was a choice between pouring it out or put right on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00So we're just gonna we're gonna throw a bonus one in here. Yeah,
Surreal NA Kolsch And The Foam Explosion
SPEAKER_00uh, do we want to well? Let's do this and then we'll go into we're just not gonna include this in our our wrap-up because it's not fair to them or to the other ones because you know it's apples and oranges. So this is by Surreal Brewing Company, natural bridges Kolsch style. Style 11, oh, 17 calories for the calorie conscious, okay, zero sugar, and 2.8 carbs. Nice. None of so if you listen to last week's when Susie and I were talking about the new carbless ones that are the malt beverages, okay. Uh, this has uh carbs, it has about the similar carbs. They both this has no sugar to 17 calories, that's less because it's okay. Okay. Yep. Now it does have a description. I don't know if you want to try and read it or not, because that's real small writing. Wow, here we go, and it blends into the background.
SPEAKER_01So this okay, dare to be different. Okay, this Kolsch style NA has a delicate multi-character, delicate, so no no flavor flavor with a hint of honeydew melon and a crisp, refreshing finish. Best enjoyed at cellar temperature between 55 and 65. Okay, so it's that cellar temperature or is that room temperature? I'm thinking that's more room temperature than cellar temperature. Surreal Brewing Company proudly brews the healthiest line of beers in the world. Our customers deserve the best and healthiest that Kraft has to offer. So we challenge ourselves every day to think differently and push the boundaries of the NA industry. Tamar and Donna, founders.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Well, so we're we're going in, giving open-minded, right? Open-minded. This is the first beer we've ever had from Surreal Brewing Company. Yes. And like I said, the fact that it is a oh, see, we're actually gonna get another badge on your oh boy. I opened it and it poured all over. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, we're back. That was weird, Jim. That was an explosion. We uh opened this non-alcoholic beer and it foamed all over, and we had a mess, and we had to clean it up and now we're interesting.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, I wonder if that's a flavor explosion.
SPEAKER_00There you go. Is that what it could be? Well, we're gonna go into it thinking that. All right, we'll see what happens. So, this was the Surreal Brewing Company Natural Bridges Kolsch. That's got a different aroma to it. I'm sorry, that's got a different aroma. I don't know what that smells like spices of some kind. I don't know what that there is something going on there. There's something going on. I'm I'm not sure. Color-wise, it's well, it's kind of hazy, similar to some of the other ones, yeah. You know, light a little bit lighter yellow. Yep, nothing over the top. What is that spice? I've had that not in a beer, I've had it on food before.
SPEAKER_01It act this thing actually tastes like a kosh to me. Closer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, closer. There's something, some kind of spice in there. Okay. I think for a non-alcoholic, there's actually a a little bit of flavor. There's there is a little bit. I will give them credit. There is flavor throughout the taste. Where the other ones remember, he had the flavor and then it was just gone. Right. And you're like, oh, there's still there's something.
SPEAKER_01And you know, the hard part is you drink a twal pack of these, you just go to keep going to the bathroom.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's always been my question. And I know I brought it up when we uh we did that episode, but it's like, why would you drink a non-alcoholic beer? You know what I mean? I mean, honestly, what's the and I know I know people, you know people that do drink, but but you won't find this around here. No bar. Not this one. No, no. You go to any bar around here, you'll not I'm trying to think of what we can find around here that's non-alcoholic.
SPEAKER_01Is they they have O'Douls or they have what's they may have a Budweiser one?
SPEAKER_00They're probably yeah, I'm sure one of the I'm sure the distributors have something, but nothing from all the big companies they have something. But none of these small breweries are getting out around here. No, what is that smell? The taste. There's a spice in here, and I know I've had it, I'm sure you've had it, but I don't know what it is.
SPEAKER_01So are you gonna rate you gonna give it a screen?
SPEAKER_00Well, we'll give it a score. I did not appreciate the foaming all over the place. That's a minus one. Yes, there you go with that. That was a minus tenth. The artwork is it's all right. I'll give them a tenth for that so it comes back for an NA beer. It's not I hate to say this, but it's not bad. I mean, it's got flavor throughout. Yes. Again, it's not the flavor I'm looking at. Is this one in your wheelhouse? No, not so much. I'll go a 2.0 just because you know you and I are really not the market for non-alcoholic beers, and it's really hard for us because I mean, you know, we're looking for all of these flavors, and this one has more flavor, but it's still like, am I gonna drink a in this a 12-ounce can? Am I gonna drink a 12-ounce can of this and then go back for more? No. Yeah, not even not even remotely. I'm glad you shared it with me. I almost might go for the zesty lemon one before I'd go for this one.
SPEAKER_01So I'm glad you finished it for me, so I didn't have to have been poured out. So yeah, I'm right in there with you. If you're in NA beers, this might be one that you could try. I don't know many people that I could recommend it to. I'm gonna I'm gonna go with the 1.9.
SPEAKER_00I'm just yeah, that's all you can say.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I'm I'm struggling, dude. This I didn't I'm sorry I brought this note. I'll never do this again.
SPEAKER_00It's we only want one of them. So wow. What's weird? Okay. This is swinging the mist on the you know those is it dots, pretzels? Yeah, when they have some of them that this spice that's in here is on some of those pretzels, like her original pretzels. That's but I don't know what it is, but that's the same flavor I'm getting. Yeah, exactly. Well, all right, I got a little bit left. Hang on. Well, you're gone. You are you are so dude, that is just wow interesting. That can't be. Like I said, I give them credit because they have flavor throughout, but now it's gonna follow me the whole day. You're gonna you're gonna be tasting something for a while. Exactly.
Final Rankings And Memorial Day Plans
SPEAKER_00All right, well, hey, let's go back to the the ones that had alcohol in them. And boy, so I would say my top one was honestly was the first one. The the Firestone Walker, the 805 Blonde Ale. I really thought that was smooth, had a good, very good mellow flavor the whole way through. And like I said, it was too good to be a lawnmower beer, but after you're done mowing and you're just sitting outside relaxing looking at what you just accomplished, yeah, perfect beer for that on a hot day. So I I think that was good. I I honestly did like the honey hush kolsch. I thought that had a a flavor that really was kind of interesting to me, and I would probably go back to it, which was weird because it did kind of have a little different flavor to it, too. Even though you don't like honey, right? Right. But yeah, it kind of worked in that can. And then the the farm days, I thought that was a good one, and of course the artwork was was good. So, you know, those are your top three.
SPEAKER_01That were my top three, and again, I think we may have talked about this before we even got on the air, but we were trying to come up with you know, how do we link all these together? So I think this was a good category pre-Memorial Day, just some lighter beers that you might want to have outside by a campfire, something that you just can enjoy. So I think we hit the target with that because these are we weren't in one specific style or one specific flavor. So I think we did we did a good job there. Yes. My downfall was the flavors were not all there, right? So that's definitely on my my shoulders. I have to take the brunt for that one. But I 100% the Firestone Walker 805, that was really, really good. I mean, I wish I could find that around here. I mean, I'd buy a 12-pack of that. Yeah, there's no doubt, there's no doubt about that. My number two was the farm day, so I like that one. A little, a little bit not as good as the sick the Firestone Walker, but it was it was right up there, just a little bit of a different flavor. And then I did like that honey Kolch. I just couldn't figure out what the name of it was. It was a little it was, you know, it was like trying to follow a map and trying to like figure out where all the words were. So but the other ones were they had a lot of flavor, it was just really, really hard because we're not the big fruit guys, so I mean it's not it's not slamming the beers, but we're just not that palette for those kinds of beers. Correct.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, so happy American craft beer week to you, and now that I know more information on it, I will be prepared for next year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, so so hopefully everybody else can celebrate or have something like this over the weekend and have somebody over to your house and taste some other craft beers. Yep, there you go, because that's the best way to enjoy it, enjoy it. So hopefully we enjoyed it. Yes, it was a little struggle at times. It was varying degrees of enjoyment, but yes. What's weird is our early beers were much better than the end beers. We should have done a 360, right?
SPEAKER_00But normally we always start with a lower ABV and work our way out, yeah, so not tasting these beers before.
SPEAKER_01We didn't know, yeah, but it just worked out where the better beers are up front and the not so good beers were towards the end. We're following up, yeah. Yeah, so exactly, but it was still a good cat, yeah, still a good podcast, still a good podcast.
SPEAKER_00And again, if you are into NA beers, check out the surreal natural bridge kosh. It's a unique flavor, yes. So there you go, unique, good good answer, yeah. And I'll be burping that now for a while, a while. Awesome. Well, cool, Jim. Thank you so much for partaking in these. Yes, and uh yeah, we will figure out what we're gonna do next and kind of go from there. But uh yeah, ladies and gentlemen, we hope you have a very happy Memorial Day weekend. Yes, happy and safe. Happy and safe, be safe, always be safe, you know, with your family and friends and all that good stuff. And like I said, we will be having our Memorial Day beer tasting at the camper, so it should be interesting. My daughter picked the categories, nice, okay, sweet. It's again, I think we talked about it. Uh Susie and I talked about it last week. Was the first one is something out of the garden. So it could be your fruit, vegetable, herb, or spice. Oh, second one was something you'd get at a bake sale, so cookie, oh you know, whatever. I mean, something that you could buy there, and then wildcard, of course. So it should be an interesting competition. Oh, there you go, there you go. For our epic bragging rights, and we'll see what happens from there. Awesome. Sounds good. So awesome. Well, hey, Jim, thank you so much. And uh, ladies and gentlemen, like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm and your beers are always cold. See ya, see ya. Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, a comment, or a beer you'd like us to review, please feel free to send us a message at Northwoodsbeerguy at gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you're on Untapped, look up Northwoods Beer Guy and send a friend request. Until next week, I hope all your campfires are warm and all your beer is cold.
