Ep 171 - Six Beers Before The Fourth

A salty lime lager that promises habanero heat. An orange ale that smells like fresh juice. A vanilla porter that stays smooth instead of burnt. Then we crank up the ABV with an imperial stout, a pastry stout that drinks like hot chocolate, and a barrel-aged Belgian quad that somehow tastes like figs without punching you in the face with booze. That’s the kind of spread we love, and it’s exactly what we pour at Callahan Lake Resort as we prep for a Fourth of July beer tasting.

We’re joined by Kirk and Cal, and we keep it simple: open the cans, describe what we actually taste, and score everything from 0.0 to 5.0 in tenths. Along the way, we talk about why salt can take over a beer, why some fruit beers go creamy while others stay crisp, and what makes dark beer approachable even if you’re not an imperial stout person. If you’re searching for craft beer reviews, summer beer recommendations, blood orange ale, vanilla porter, imperial stout, pastry stout, or barrel-aged Belgian quad, you’ll get a clear read on what’s worth tracking down.

We also get into what we want from high-ABV beers: flavor without syrupy sweetness, barrel character without harsh burn, and ingredients you can actually pick out like cinnamon, vanilla, figs, and molasses. We wrap with favorite picks, a reminder to support your local brewery, and the Northwoods motto we stand by. Subscribe for more tastings, share this with your beer buddy, and leave a review if you like honest ratings. Which of these styles are you reaching for this summer?

Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.

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Transcript

Lakeside Setup And Rating Rules

SPEAKER_03 0:24

Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy. And this week we are coming to you live from the Northwoods. We are at Callahan Lake Resort once again. We are joined this week by a couple of special guests. We have Kirk back on the show. How's it going, sir? Thank you. Great to be here. Good. And we have Cal. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:54

I'm good.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Good. We decided we were going to get together this week, and now tomorrow is the 4th of July. The 250th birthday of our country.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

So we are getting getting prepared for the beer tasting. And we had to do a little, you know, make sure that our tasters were tasting. So we we got Kirk up and we got Cal here, and we're gonna try some beers, and I have no idea how they're gonna be. A couple of them are maybe a little bit concerning, but we'll we'll see how it goes. So yeah, you guys are ready to try something?

Salty Lime Chilada With Habanero

SPEAKER_03 1:32

All right. Well, Cal, do you want to tell us what the first one is? Now, again, Kirk, we went by ABV. So we're starting low and we're gonna finish just a tad bit higher. Which is probably a good thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Our first beer is by Fulton Brewing.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

And it's a collaboration with Cry Baby Craigs. I don't know who that person is, but it's got a little cry even guy on the can. Interesting. It's called Chill City Chilada, and it says lager with sea salt, lime flavor, and habanero flavor.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Ordinary people brewing extraordinary beer is their little slogan.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

Oh, that's pretty cool. Does it say where it's out of?

SPEAKER_00 2:13

It says Brewed and packaged by Fulton Brewing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Of course.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yes, 4% alcohol by volume.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

4%. Okay. Yes. All right. Well, let's uh see what we got here. I'm gonna do this because I don't know. I'm gonna roll this just a little bit because being a chelata, do you think it's gonna be some chunkies? I was gonna say, do you think it's gonna look like like Bloody Mary mix?

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Michelada? I don't know. I love a good meat.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

No, me too, don't you hear? We were just discussing how meaches are for us. What's a meach?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Michelada. So it's like a Bloody Mary, but they put a corona in it. You go to a Mexican restaurant, you go to a Messian restaurant. That makes total sense. Now, this is in a shout out to Ruby. We go in a pint glass.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

And it totally doesn't look like what I thought it was gonna know.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

It's not really like I'm disappointed.

SPEAKER_03 3:05

It's almost like I figured it was gonna be like Bloody Mary mixed color two.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

I love a Bloody Mary. I was so excited.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

I'm kind of stoked though with having habanero, and I wonder if it's gonna be like that that three pepper one that you brought. If it's gonna be like that, or it just smells like lime.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

It smells like a lime. I don't really smell peppery.

SPEAKER_03 3:24

No peppery. Interesting. Well, here goes nothing. Salt. There's salt in it. Salt, not much. I was gonna say, I uh for a second there, I thought, ooh, I get a little heat on the aftertaste, but not a whole lot.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

I'm kind of just still waiting. Like I thought I was waiting a little bit. I was like, oh, there it is, and then it just never came to it. It's gone.

SPEAKER_03 3:43

It's like there it was and gone. You know, that's weird because it does totally smell like lime. It does. But then when you taste it, you do get kind of that tomato base a little bit, you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Because I really like a lime beer. Like every once in a while in the summer, like garage beer lime or just one of those lime beers. I really like that, but I maybe it's the salt in it that's kind of throwing me off, or like that I keep thinking it's a lot of things. There is a product.

SPEAKER_03 4:07

A lot of things. That's kind of crazy. Do you remember curk? It's been a few years ago now when I brought that beer that didn't have like curry in it or something. Do you remember that one? It was just you and me. We're down at Kim and Sandy's, and we were just doing a little impromptu tasting there. And I'm like, I had to get this beer because when do you see it with curry in it? Yeah, it was terrible.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

If you remember right, we're like, oh didn't it have a real like a red tinge to it or something?

SPEAKER_03 4:34

Yeah, and it it tasted like super strong of curry. Yeah, it was like I thought this was gonna be not curry, but it'd be like that.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, I would say this isn't horrible.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

No, it's not.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

I don't know if I could drink a whole thing of it, but like I wouldn't say it's I do get a little heat when you sit there after a while, but it's not. It does say on the back of the can, it says that it's it's their easy drinking chili, chill city lager with Crybaby Craig's signature habanero heat. And then it does say like a slow building amount of heat.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

And now that I sit here for a little bit, I maybe it might so when we get to like beer four, then we're gonna be like, oh, yeah. Well, Cal, do you want to start? You remember for the people listening, we rate zero to five by tenth of a point. So, what are your thoughts and what would you give it for a score?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

I'm gonna give this a 2.3, I think. It's kind of just a middle of the road beer for me, but with how much salt is in it, I wouldn't put it average. I think it's a little below average three. But I had high hopes, and I think that kind of swayed my voting. I I was a little upset.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

Sure. Kirk, what do you think? I would say about a solid two. I mean, because just because of what it is, I mean it's not something that I would go back to.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Yeah, I agree a hundred percent with you. I was gonna go with two as well, just because I'm glad I got it to try it. Yeah. Yeah. But I agree 100%. I wouldn't. It's definitely not something I would be looking for. I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

And if you really like it, you could drink a couple of them. It's only four percent. It's not like it's uh 15% beer, but I don't know if you'd want to drink a couple of them.

SPEAKER_03 6:13

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Just for how salty it is.

SPEAKER_03 6:16

You know, and we know people that they use the is it a chilata, is it what they use instead of Bloody Mary mix, right? And some of that stuff. But I don't, you know, really care for most of that. I'd rather have the thick bloody merry mix.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

This doesn't remind me of like Michelada or Bloody Mere, the classic chilata where it's the tomato juice mix, the potato threw me off.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

Yeah, that is for sure. And the heat is not not a whole lot. I mean, you got very, very it's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

If I was decent if I was drinking this without reading the label, I wouldn't even have known there's supposed to be habanera on it.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

No, because the the salt overtakes everything.

SPEAKER_03 6:54

That is, yeah, that's the one thing that really there's line, but uh I it's the salt. Yeah, I'm just I'm just like whew. Yeah, I'd be thirstier after drinking one than when I started.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Crazy. Well, awesome. I guess we can should we roll into the next one to see if we can get that salt out? Let's do it.

Blood Orange Ale That Drinks Easy

SPEAKER_00 7:10

I think we need to.

SPEAKER_03 7:11

Cal, you want to tell us what this one is?

SPEAKER_00 7:13

Okay, this is easy orange, blood orange ale by Boulevard Brewing.

SPEAKER_03 7:17

Okay. Well, Boulevard's good.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Yes, Boulevard is in Kansas City.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Yes, this is two or four point two percent alcohol.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Smaller can than the last one.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

12-ounce can.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Does it say any pulp free for easy drinking? Oh, thank goodness. I love that. I don't like uh pulpy beer.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

I don't know about that. Um yeah. Ale with natural flavors and colored with purple carrot juice is on the can.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

Oh, we're gonna get some color.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Is it gonna be purple or do we think it's gonna be orange?

SPEAKER_03 7:46

So a purple carrot. I guess I didn't realize there's purple carrot. That's kind of odd.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Never heard of that.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

Nope, it's not purple.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

She's orange.

SPEAKER_03 7:57

She's she looks like beer.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:00

Well, it's got a little no, there's a little different color to it. Yeah, when you get it in the light there.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Kind of reminds me of a blue moon color when you put the orange slice on it. Yeah, kind of it's a little darker.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

It's almost like a tanger or uh like a tangerine color.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Yeah, like it's a darker orange.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

But it still looks like beer.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Oh, it smells like orange.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

It does smell like orange.

SPEAKER_03 8:20

Oh, it's orange.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Oh, I kind of like that. There's not a lot to it, but I kind of like it.

SPEAKER_03 8:26

It's easy. It's very easy to very easy to drink.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

I could drink a lot of those and have it.

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Almost like with your uh morning eggs. Yeah. There you go. Yeah, it's like orange juice. Orange juice without the pulp.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, yeah, no pulp.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

That's pretty smooth flavored breakfast. Honestly, yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

I like that. I could drink that on a boat.

SPEAKER_03 8:42

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And that'll get you going.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

I really like that.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Yeah, we I mean, we've had a number of very easy orange. Yeah, with you know, of beers with orange or blood orange in it. And that's somewhat this is this is good.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

I like it too because.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

You wouldn't even know there was that much alcohol in there. Uh-uh. No, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

A lot of times if you see orange in a beer, you'll see like an orange cream sickle or an orange orange. Right. And this they do a really good job of not kind of going into that route. It's literally just tastes like you're drinking orange juice.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

Yeah, that's for sure. Interesting. And like I said, you get that aroma too. Yeah, yeah. Very much so, and then the flavor is it matches, you know. Because we've had some where you either you don't smell anything or you don't taste anything, but you smell you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:25

So that's that's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

If I was just smelling this, I don't even know if I would know it was beer. Like if I didn't know what this was I was drinking, I'd have no idea.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

To me, you know, blindfold on, I wouldn't know it was a beer.

SPEAKER_03 9:35

Yeah, it doesn't taste like beer. I mean it, you know what I'm saying. I mean, definitely the predominant is the orange flavor.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

I really like that.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

Yeah, it's easy. Just like the name. There you go. Well, Kurt, do you want to start us off with uh score on this bad boy?

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Well, I would say this is like I would say a 3.5.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

Dang, you like that. I do, I do for a beer.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

Yeah. You know, it's like it says, easy orange.

SPEAKER_03 10:00

Yeah, I'm gonna go a three, a solid three. Because and I agree with you, it's you could drink it for breakfast, really. Yeah, you could. I mean, it's uh it's a good flavor. Yeah, I know. Yeah, eventually at some point you're gonna go, man, maybe I shouldn't have drank all those cans of orange juice. Okay, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

I'm kind of up there with Kirk. I think I'm gonna do like a 3.4. I'm a big I like a fruity beer every once in a while, and especially like a fruited wheat or something like that. And this is really good. I could easily drink this and I would willingly buy this again, which sometimes it's like I think it's good for the little glass I have, but I couldn't drink a hole or like I wouldn't go out and buy it. But this one I would buy this and I'd take it to the lake, or I would go and just drink it on a weekend or whatever. I really like this.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

And it's not heavy.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

No, really.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

You know, not like uh, you know, it's like a beer. I mean, you know, for somebody that is not into beer, they could probably easy drink this easy.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Oh, yeah, for sure. Like I said, and it does like 100% what she said, it doesn't taste like beer. No. And like I said, it's it's kind of surprising. I mean, just that I'm still getting the orange flavor, you know. I mean, it's it's yeah, anybody could drink it. And 4.2, like you said, you could drink a number of them and be fine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

Yeah, I really like that one.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

I'm excited that we still have the whole can to drink after.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

Slow. Where's the shirt? I need to write my name on it.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

Someone give me a red solo cup.

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Steve Kirk, you're starting to believe everything you said?

unknown 11:32

I know it.

SPEAKER_03 11:33

Well, yeah, so 4th of July, we've got uh beer tasting coming up. Yeah. And categories this time are barrel-aged under 10%, and then any kind of ale and then wildcards. So it should be interesting to this is any type of ale.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

That is any type of ale.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

I don't know if that'll score very well with our crowd, but I don't think you could uh keep this one good that long. Dang it. Because I think you're gonna drink the rest of it tonight, so it'll be you caught me. Well, cool, yeah, those two are pretty good.

Vanilla Bean Porter With Coffee Notes

SPEAKER_03 12:04

So we're gonna we're gonna bump up the next one just a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

A smidgen, if you want.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

Just a smidgen. This is another pint can, and this is by Headflyer Brewing, and it's independently crafted, is their their tagline, and they're out of Minneapolis as well. Okay, and this is their vanilla bean porter. Okay, and sure they gotta write this stuff. It's 5.8%. But here, Cal, you look, you got lights over by you.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

It says Headflyer Brewing independently crafted. Real Madagascar vanilla beans are the namesake of this balanced porter. Creamy natural vanilla flavors blend well with a nuanced combination of malt goodness that remains approachable all year. Take a flyer.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Okay. Well, well, there you go. I'm excited already. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

This is pretty cool. They got a little box on the bottom and it says style featuring ABV and IBU. So it says style vanilla porter featuring Madagascar vanilla beans, ABV 5.8%, and IBU is 28%.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

So that's kind of cool. They got a little breakdown of it.

SPEAKER_03 13:08

For sure. So this should be interesting to see how this compares to like Breckenridge. They have their vanilla porter and such.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Oh, she's dark.

SPEAKER_03 13:17

Oh, yeah. Oh, just wait, guys. Just wait. And this is in a pint can as well. So again, we're kind of pot committed when you open.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

I just wasn't expecting it to be so dark with it being only 5.8.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Yeah, porters always. Oh, yeah. Porters are the cousin of the stout. And uh this looks like a stout. It's a very good label. Yeah, it's a cool label on it.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

I like the labels.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

It's got like almost like drawings of something on there.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

So we'll see here. Smell the vanilla beans.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

I like that.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

Oh, you can taste the vanilla.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

I like that.

SPEAKER_03 13:48

It's funny. We've had some we've tried on the podcast before, where it's like, we have six different kinds of vanilla beans from all these different countries, and it's like, really? Okay. You know, well, I'm not a vanilla connoisseur that can pick out the differences between, you know, Madagascar or whatever other countries. This is pretty good though. It is.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

I like this. For me, it doesn't sit very heavy in my stomach either. Because like some barrel-aged or stout, like the darker beer, sometimes they just sit in a pit in my stomach.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

I'm like, oh, bring the rape down. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

I kind of like this. It reminds me, I hate to say it, but it reminds me of Guinness. Like, just something about it is this one.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

I get the vanilla, I almost get like a hint of coffee on the finish. You know, it is it's pretty decent. Like you said, I do think that it's pretty mellow for a porter.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

It doesn't smell like over.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

You don't get the the aroma isn't like really strong vanilla bean. No.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

But you can still taste it, which is the same.

SPEAKER_03 14:47

Well, the flavor is smelling, you taste it for it's not heavy. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

I like that.

SPEAKER_03 14:51

I don't know if that's good or bad. Still trying to figure it out. Boy, so I guess I get to go first on this one. Yeah, it's I think it's got a pretty good flavor. I mean, you definitely get the vanilla. It's not over-the-top strong vanilla, you know, but you do get that. And you don't get a lot of the like that roasty, I was kind of saying the burnt flavor that some porters are known for because they have a little stronger, they use more, you know, molts and such. But this was this was pretty good. I would say I'm gonna give this one I'm gonna go with 2.9 on it. I think it's a really solid vanilla porter. So Cal, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 15:27

I was gonna go with 3. Okay. 3.0. I really like this. I think I could drink this whole can of it if I really wanted to, and I wouldn't be feeling heavy in my stomach. Like it would, I like it.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

I'm guessing we don't get any more of this one either. Probably not. I think it's where's my sharpie.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Yeah, there were sharpies on this one. So, what do you think, sir? I I agree with Kelly. I I think it's a good solid three because uh for a porter and vanilla too, like you say, it's no burnt, it's uh it's a good solid taste to it. I mean, it's not heavy, it's it's good.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Good, yeah. All right. Well, just to let you guys know, those were the easy three. The easy three easy three that we uh we're doing. So the last three are slightly higher ABV than the the first three. So we uh we're we'll we'll get into those, Cal.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Are you are you ready for I gotta put my big girl pink phone?

SPEAKER_03 16:22

That kind of yeah, that kind of sums it up a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Well, we'll we'll get into the first one here.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Okay.

Big Eddie Imperial Stout Returns

SPEAKER_03 16:28

So this is Big Eddie. Yeah. And it's actually their Imperial Stout, and this is by Lin and Kugels.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

Doesn't scare me too much, it's a familiar name at least.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Yep. Here, I'll give you that so you can look at it. Now, Big Eddie, before they it was kind of their, I'm not gonna say experimental, but it's kind of their their higher ABV brand. And I I think this is like the only one I think that I've seen recently that they've come back out with. Yeah, because before they had like a Uber Oktoberfest, they had an IPA, they had a few, you know, not as many beers as what Line's has, but they had a handful that were higher ABV. And now this one, if you want to uh give us the info on it.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Yes, this says J Lining Cool Brewing Company Limited release, so you can't just get this anytime. This is their Big Eddie Imperial Stout, dark and complex with eight malts and grains balanced by three different and distinct hops. In 1867, the Big Eddie Spring was the heart of the Lining Cool Brewing Company. Nice, that's pretty cool, and this is 9.5%.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Okay. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

So more than a name, Big Eddie. The Big Eddie Spring was once dubbed the finest water in the world. Behind this noteworthy name, best the inspiration to more than 155 years of genuine brewing heritage.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

In 1867, the Jacob Line and Google Brewing Company was born on the Big Eddie Spring. The great the gent. I can't read that. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:01

We got the gist. Yeah. We got the gist.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Something about six generations of family brewing.

SPEAKER_03 18:06

There's a whole lot of work.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

Old legacy is rich. And it's in the.5 font.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Usually I like to roll my eyes when the Northwoods beer guy talks about that, but now I get it.

SPEAKER_03 18:17

See? So it's not just me. I always say I need to get new bifocals or something because they're some of the writing. Some of the writing is a little bit small on these cans.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

The letters just kind of blur together.

SPEAKER_03 18:29

All right. There you go. It's expanded.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Yeah. Oh, it's even broad foam. It's beautiful. It is. It is beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Sorry. That was a lot from the first time.

SPEAKER_03 18:41

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have one from that. Your first reaction. Yeah. He was kind of like he got a heeb or something.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Well, I got like all the foam. The foam kind of freaks me out sometimes. I got like a tiny sip of the drink and then it was 80% foam.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

Oh, sure. This one definitely has a stronger flavor than the last one. That is for sure. No. Oh, it's good.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

I don't want to be a I don't want to be a wimp. I'm trying to hang with the big dogs.

SPEAKER_03 19:12

But you think about it, you haven't. Kirk and I have had just a slightly more practice at these higher ABB beers.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

I just want to say, me and Big Eddie, we got history. Because I tell you what, this was my first favorite right from the get-go. This one? Yeah, Big Eddie. It was what turned me onto the Dark Fierce was Big Eddie. Okay. And when they stopped making it, I was a sad boy. Oh yeah. Yeah. Very sad. And I don't know why they never really came out and said. I don't even know why. And all of a sudden it just stopped.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

It's like, why? It works. And then all of a sudden I was going through the the liquor store, and all of a sudden I'm like, wait a minute. Yeah. Wow. Oh my God. Yeah. There is somebody that loves. He almost started crying because he's like, oh, it's like an old friend.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

It's a warm hug.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

Darkness, my old friend. Well, Cal, why don't you give us your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Oh, if you want to hear my thought. This one for me is just really bitter.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

It's a lot of bitter. And I don't like drink, like, I just can't with this one. This one hurts my tummy.

SPEAKER_03 20:21

Okay. Okay, that's fine. Yeah. So you may be able to have the rest of the money.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

You want the cherry? Yeah. I'll write it right above Big Eddie. We'll write Big Kirk on there.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

I appreciate it. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

So I'll sacrifice for this one.

SPEAKER_03 20:36

Store-wise cannel.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Just be honest. There's no wrong answer.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

I'm going to be honest. I don't like that I have to go first for this one because I can't gauge what I should say based on what you choose. But for me, this one is below average just because of how bitter it is.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

And that is a trademark of Imperial Stout, and I'm just not a big Imperial Stout girl. But I'm going to give this one like a two. 2.0. Okay. It's not the worst beer I've ever had, and it's far from my easy orange baby right here.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

All right. Kirk. And you know, kudos to you, Callie, too, because you know, not everybody's going to like everything, right? Right. You know, everybody's got their own taste. This is a four nine for me. Whoa. Nice. Yeah, because just because what it is. It's something that I I love for many, many years, and I'm glad it's back and I love it. Nice. Yeah, you you can have that. Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Oh, yeah. I will donate this one to you. Okay. Thank you. Don't worry.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

I'm gonna go like a three-five. It's everything I remember. You know, and and you're right, Callie, it does have kind of a bitterness to it, but it also it smooths something. Yeah, and I you get that rich kind of flavor, and and yeah, it's and and you know, you haven't had nearly as many high ABV beers. And you know, we talk about that a lot on the podcast. Where if you're not used to it, it takes some getting used to, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

I will say if I drank more of this style, I could probably This one wouldn't seem as bad.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

But, and I will give it that. It is smooth where, like, it's not all of a sudden I feel like I'm tasting bourbon. Like some of the bourbon area, just like I'm taking a shot of bourbon sometimes. And that's a lot for me at times.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

But this one, it was just the bitter, but the more I sit with it, the more it's kind of like a really dark chocolate, like that kind of a bitter taste. So it's not horrible. I don't want to deter anyone.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

But like, yeah, no, I get it when you see those bourbon barrel, those. Yeah. Some of them are a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Yeah, some of them make me a little warm and toasty, and I'm just not ready for that.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Sweet and high alcohol. It doesn't mix. This is like this is like perfect.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

I will say, I give them that. It's not like a killer sweet. Some beers you try, it's like, oh my god, my teeth hurt. It's so sweet. My teeth hurt.

SPEAKER_03 22:46

Well, we've said before, when you have some of those really sweet ones, it's like I can feel the cavities. Yeah. I feel them digging in. Well, we've got two beers left, ladies and gentlemen. And

Pastry Stout That Tastes Like Cocoa

SPEAKER_03 22:58

the first one is from 608 Brewing in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Close to home.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

And this one is called I Stopped Naming Beers in 2018. And this is a 12% Imperial pastry stout with coffee, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and cake.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Cinnamon.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

And cake. It's gonna be a lot of sugar. I'm already kind of feeling that. Pretty concavity.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

I feel like we couldn't get more polar opposite from the last beer we just had.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

This it'll be if it tastes like what it says it's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

This should be interesting to see. Like you said, Kirk, if it I'm I'm oh gotta go to the that's that's a little motor oily consistency. See, Cal?

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 23:43

Exactly what you didn't want, Cal. You won't talk about, I'll give you a little bit less there.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

I appreciate you immensely.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

That is a wee bit dark.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

It doesn't smell anything crazy.

SPEAKER_03 23:54

Very dark head on that one. Wow. Very dark.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

That tastes like hot chocolate.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

It does.

SPEAKER_00 23:59

That's that's good.

SPEAKER_03 24:01

That's a problem.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

We might have to split that one, or I'm not gonna be worth much tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

I'm very surprised.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

I like that.

SPEAKER_03 24:10

Definitely get the cinnamon. I'm trying to see if I can get coffee. I'm not sure if I get a coffee flavor, but boy, that cinnamon and the vanilla.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

I like that a lot.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

And you know, we've talked about it before where some of the beers like this, they make them really sweet. And I don't know if it's to kind of knock down the alcohol flavor. Now, this did not say that it's barrel-age.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

No, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

You know, so it's yeah, that's there's a lot of flavor in there.

SPEAKER_00 24:35

I like that a lot. That's really good.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

I'm not sure if I get cake. They didn't say what kind of cake.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

They didn't. Because I'm getting like it's reminding me of like pastry.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

Yeah, it's a pastry style, yep. And it's got cake in it, apparently. So I'm not sure what kind it's.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

Maybe it's because I just had this type of ice cream recently. But it reminds me of Moush Trax ice cream, like that fudgy. Oh it's reminding me of that taste. And it could be because I had that.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

This was definitely a dirty.

SPEAKER_03 25:02

Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. I really like it. It's not quite to the point of feeling the cavity starting, but it it is sweet.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:08

You know, but I think that it's not offensive. No, not at all. I mean, it's definitely got a place.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Yeah, it's not to the point where I would be sitting there like, okay, this hurts my stomach or something. Like, oh like I don't think it's too sweet. No, it's not at all. No, it's kind of like that.

SPEAKER_03 25:23

It's kind of wild because it's been a while since we've had a beer like that, Kirk, where it's not overly sweet. Yeah. And but you get a sweetness, but it's not like way over the top, especially at that 12%. Because there's a lot of times beers get so sweet, it's like they're trying to cover that right and it's just too much. Yeah, you know. Where they overcompensate. Yep, exactly. Well, Kirk, do you want to give us your score first?

SPEAKER_02 25:45

Let's see. I'll go with 3-5. 3-5, okay. Just because it's not offensive. Yeah. High alcohol. Yeah, smelling your face. It's perfect for that category.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

Yeah, I agree with you. That's it's good. I I almost get a hint of like a coconut kind of flavor to it. Maybe I definitely get that's kind of the cinnamon, but it's not overpowering. Like I said before, I don't I don't know about a cake flavor. And really, coffee, I don't get a lot of coffee. Because usually, if you get coffee, there's a little bit of bitterness in there. I don't really pick that up with this, but I think this is good. I'm gonna go with 3.6, to be honest with you. I I like for 12%, it drinks really smooth. You would never know it was 12%. Exactly. No, you'd have an idea because it's a little sweeter, you know what I mean, but it's not like you taste like 12%, you know, like a strong flavor.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

Okay, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 26:31

I completely agree with you guys. I really like this one. I've been pretty transparent with I've been a little vocal. Um this one was head, it was like very different from the last beer we had in terms of this is so much sweeter. It's not that bitter, stout taste.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

I really like this, and it wasn't to the point where like my stomach hurts, like I can only drink a little bit of this. I could drink a couple of these little glasses of it and be perfectly happy. I would give this a 3.8. I really like this. Wow, nice. This is probably one of the higher ones I've ever rated. That's pretty long. I think this is a really good beer.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

Well, like I said, you know, because when you first saw it and you saw it was 12%, you're kind of like, oh, you know. And then when I pour it, it's pretty dark. Right. Yes. Looks vaguely familiar, like motor oil.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

But just a smidge.

SPEAKER_03 27:20

But you know, just the flavor-wise, it's really good. You know, I'm I'm impressed.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

And when a beer is high in A B B like that, it can go one of two ways. It can either be the sweeter and surprise you, or it can be like the ooh, where you're just like alcohol in your own.

SPEAKER_03 27:35

That's a technical term, yeah. Okay, I was trying to work figure that out. You thought you heard it before, but you couldn't remember where using the technical manual. So well, we have one beer to go, and I think once we get done with the podcast, we'll probably have to finish a few of these. Oh, yeah. I'm thinking you'd hate to throw them all away.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

We can't waste it.

SPEAKER_03 27:56

No. And then, you know, then we'll have to get our sleep in, so then tomorrow we're ready for the beer tasting. The actual exactly, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

We gotta get primed.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

Yeah, yeah, there you go. Get our taste buds back in there. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Gotta get palate cleanser.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

Exactly. Well, our

Belgian Quad With Fig And Molasses

SPEAKER_03 28:13

last beer is from Three Sheeps, out of Sheboygan.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Sheboygan.

SPEAKER_03 28:18

This is their veneration. And this one is a Belgian-style quad ale with figs and molasses aged in rye whiskey barrels.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

In a perfect world, this is gonna taste like a molasses cookie for a.

SPEAKER_03 28:31

Well, that's in the perfect world.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

In the perfect world, this is gonna taste like a molasses cookie.

SPEAKER_03 28:37

So you're saying that's what you're expecting, or I'm hoping. Okay. Anticipating.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

Yes. Yeah. This one is-the more I say it, the more likely it is to happen, I hope.

SPEAKER_03 28:47

This one is 12.5%.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

Now, I don't know, Cal, if you've had many beers out of a rye whiskey barrel.

SPEAKER_01 28:55

No.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Typically, and I don't know about this one, but typically they have almost a little bit of a peppery, like a black pepper kind of flavor. That's the rye.

SPEAKER_00 29:02

So, what you're saying is it's not gonna taste like a cookie.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

Well, it still could, but uh my guess is probably not as much since it's a Belgian quad. Let's find out.

SPEAKER_00 29:11

I will say this is as dark as the last two.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

Take a trust me, I smell that white foam. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

It smells like it's barrel-aged.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

It has, yeah. It's got a bourbon-y well, rye whiskey. It's got a boozy smell.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

I have smelled quite a few glasses like this, and I don't know if it's gonna end well for me.

SPEAKER_03 29:31

And they don't taste like molasses cookies. Oh, that's not bad. That's not bad. Oh no. Wow, that is.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Would this maybe put me on my booty cheeks after a while?

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Allegedly. You can't talk like that over here.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

I was gonna say something different, but then I remembered our audience. Yeah, there you go. It's a family-friendly podcast.

SPEAKER_03 29:51

It's a family-friendly podcast, yes. Yeah, we are friendly podcasts. That is like that's kind of surprising. I was expecting that that really strong Belgian yeast flavor.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

I was expecting that, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

And you don't get it.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

I'm trying to if it is like that molasses y taste, like there's something in there that's really familiar. I totally get the fig.

SPEAKER_03 30:08

Like a like a fig newton. It's fig. Yep. Oh, it's a few. I totally taste that fig.

SPEAKER_00 30:12

It is the fig. It does, it tastes like a fig newton. Which is okay because I like fig.

SPEAKER_03 30:16

Yeah. Yeah. Nothing wrong with that. But that's that's what I'm getting, is that fig for sure.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

The only fig newtons I've ever had have come from the discount grocery store, and they're probably two years expired.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

Because that's the only place that my boyfriend likes to shop. But this is pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

He probably wouldn't find this one at that location.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

No. I might need to steal one of these though to have another one at the house. I'm gonna say, try this, it's a fake Newton, and then he's gonna pour it out and be like, Who are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03 30:46

Yeah, and and it's kind of funny because he has a podcast as well. Oh, he does, yeah. And I have sent some beers back with I sent them back with Callie one time twice, and they've had done beer tastings on theirs. And I mean, theirs is not by far, they usually don't. It's not tasting beers, but they've done some of them, and it's it has been interesting to hear because the last time I sent some higher ABV ones and his buddies that are on there, they were he was he's pretty open-minded. He likes some of them.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

But uh, but the his buddies were like, Spencer will try it, but his co-host Trevor is a natty light enthusiast.

SPEAKER_01 31:24

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

So he is not as open-minded. He hates even spotted cow. So, like, some of this stuff is tough for him. But they're like most recent podcasts they blind taste tested like the big box beers, like the Coors light, Miller light, to see if they can actually tell a difference. And I wish I was there to watch that.

SPEAKER_03 31:42

Yeah, I think I've told us on here before, but well, you know, my brother is a he actually is in the process of he's bought his own brewery, yes, and he's getting all everything up and and running and such, so that's gonna be cool. We're gonna be doing podcasts. And he called me or he texted me one time and he was at his in-laws' house. And he goes, Yep, it's gonna be so much fun. I get to sit here and drink Mick Golden Light. And I go, Oh, dude, maybe you can find a clone recipe for it. He goes, Yeah, he goes, water and yellow food color. And act like the next day at Daniel goes, How'd that go? He goes, Yep, I drank like eight of them. Didn't even get a buzz going.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

And he had a piece seven times.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

Yeah, exactly. There is that. Well, I guess I'm up first, so boy, this this veneration. I like that. It really is surprising. I totally get the fig. I don't really get the the aroma was very much a boozy aroma, but the flavor-wise, it's it's good. I'm I'm gonna go like a 3.8 on that. I I like that. That's that's another one it could mess you up. Yeah, because it is 12.5%, but I like it. Cal, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 32:48

I really like this one, surprisingly. I was nervous when I smelled that bourbon. I was really nervous. I might even give this a 3.9. Wow. I like this one.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

You must be drunk, Kirk. I know, or I am. I know I am.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

Or I am. That's the big thing. It's this was one of the few bourbon barrels I could actually drink and like enjoy.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

Well, this is a rye whiskey, but still it's a barrel. It is a barrel-aged beer.

SPEAKER_00 33:14

It is one of those where I could actually enjoy, and like I would drink more than just this little bit, and I would be okay with it. I really enjoyed that.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

Good. You know, there's so many barrel-aged, you know, you got the bourbon, you got, you know, whatever, but this is a really good barrel-aged, and it's not very, you don't taste the alcohol in it at all. Right. It's good. I'm surprised.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

I would go 3-7. 3-7. Okay. Yeah. The thing that really surprises me too is it doesn't have that Belgian yeast kind of flavor. You know what I mean? Because a lot of those Belgians, they have that distinct flavor of the yeast. And this, I don't get that, you know. And it's yeah. It's not in your face. No, and luckily, this is a 12-ounce can.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

So I could drink this one.

SPEAKER_03 33:58

You maybe.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

It's not a bomber bottle. I could do it.

SPEAKER_03 34:00

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

If you dared me to, I could.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

Oh, yeah. Well, cool. So, yeah,

Favorites Picks Local Beer Plug Closing

SPEAKER_03 34:06

overall, I guess, cow, what if you had to pick one or two? What would you say your two favorites in here would be?

SPEAKER_00 34:12

My two favorites for sure. I've really liked that easy orange. I'm a fruit, like, even when it comes to candy, I love a fruity gummy candy, like something like that. Yeah. So that orange I really liked. It's something I could drink often and be good with and not get sick of it. I think. I mean probably I could. If I do enough, I could. But that's one where it's an easy drinker. I could go out on the pontoon and enjoy myself. For my second one, it really is a toss-up between those last two beers.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

I really liked the I Stopped Naming Beers in 2018. That one was very good. It tastes like hot chocolate to me.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

It was so good. But that veneration, you could taste the fake. You they said what was in it and you could taste it.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:52

I really liked those two. So those two, it's a toss-up for me.

SPEAKER_03 34:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Those are my top three.

SPEAKER_03 34:57

Okay. Kirk, what do you think? I think I have an idea which one is. I know.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

I mean, I'm longer to go with the big eddy, but I think our last one would I I would go back. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

That could be a beer tasting winner.

SPEAKER_03 35:10

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I agree. I neither one of them would be good. Yep. I really like that veneration. I that surprised me. And like you said, Callie, you definitely get the the fig. Yes. You know, that was impressive. The Imperial Stout, the, you know, I stopped naming beers. That one was surprising as well because it was it wasn't over the top sweet, but you had really good flavor to it.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

And again, and I also do like the the big addie, of course. It's just like a an old friend thing. It is an old friend. You rediscovered again. Well, cool. Hey guys, thank you so much for agreeing to come over and subject yourselves to these beers. Thank you for having us. Yeah. So no feel honored. We gave up a lot. We did. I can tell you really didn't want to do it.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

It takes a lot to get three beer tasting champions in one.

SPEAKER_03 35:58

Oh, that is true. I can't think of we've ever had that before, to be honest with you. Wow. Wow. Well, my money's on one of us three tomorrow. Well, I'm hoping. Because you know what? If it doesn't happen, we're gonna gang up and beat we're gonna beat somebody. We're gonna take it.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

I'm getting that trophy one way or another.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

There you go. Well, cool, guys. Thank you so much. And ladies and gentlemen, go and you know, try and check these out because you know they're vastly different types of beers, but you know, they all had distinct flavor. Yes. That's one thing I would say for all six of these. They were very different, but they they had everyone had flavor. And there's times where it's hard to find, you know, beers like that that all have different flavor and distinct flavors.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

Agreed.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

So, you know, like we always say, you know, go out, find these, try them. There's a lot of flavors out there. Beer should have flavor. It should. You know, and that's that's been kind of our motto for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

So if you don't like them, blame Mike. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on a second. No, that that took a turn. That took a turn.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

If it's good, say I told you. If it's bad, say he told you. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

If you like it, it was Callie and Kirk. If it was bad, it was Mike. Yeah. Totally makes sense. Uh I can live with that. I can live with that. And like we always say too, you know, go out and support your local brewery. Yes. You know, the money stays local. You know, it's not where it gets shipped off to another country. If, you know, because a lot of these bigger beers are owned by conglomerates out of the country, you know, especially with the 4th of July here. You know, support your local breweries and all that good stuff. So awesome. Boy, there you go. Happy birthday. The United States of America. Thank you to everybody for their service. Kirk, thank you for your service. You're welcome. You know, none of this would be possible without uh the sacrifices that you've made, and and we appreciate it more than you'll ever know. Exactly. And as you heard, Cece apparently decided to be a part of the podcast. Thank Kirk too. Yeah, she was thanking Kirk too. Yeah, awesome. Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening. And like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

And your beer is always cold.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

See ya!

SPEAKER_00 38:03

See ya.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

Thank

How To Reach Us And Follow

SPEAKER_03 38:04

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 the Northwoods Beer Guy and send a friend request. Until next week, I hope all your campfires are warm and all your beers cold.