Ep 109 - From Mead to IPA: A Journey Through Unexpected Flavors

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  What happens when two beer enthusiasts taste their way through seven wildly different craft beverages in a single sitting? A flavor journey that spans continents, traditions, and brewing philosophies.

  Mike and Jim kick off with excited chatter about the upcoming Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine and Cheese Festival before diving into their eclectic tasting lineup. Their adventure begins with Stone Arch Brewing's Honey Wheat Ale, where they discover how honey attempts to temper wheat's distinctive character—with mixed results. The mood shifts dramatically when they crack open a Newcastle Brown Ale, finding comfort in the time-tested English classic that's been perfected since 1927.

  The conversation takes a sharp turn with Lupaline's "Tropical Fun Pants," a fruit-forward experiment featuring mango, pink guava, and passion fruit that leaves them pondering whether too many flavors can compete rather than complement. Their collaborative German-style lager—a partnership between Lakefront Brewing and Hofbräu München—sparks discussion about international brewing collaborations and traditional techniques.

  Perhaps most fascinating is their first-ever mead tasting on the podcast with "Kill All the Golfers," a Caddyshack-referencing black tea and lemon metheglin that challenges their palates in unexpected ways. The hosts explore the ancient origins of mead, dating back 9,000 years to northern China, while comparing it to the clean, champagne-like finish of Loon Juice's Honeycrisp hard cider.

  The tasting concludes with two distinctly different offerings: Central Waters' "Semantic Satiation" West Coast IPA with its surprisingly approachable hop profile, and Hammer Heart Brewing's "Flaming Longship," a smoky Scotch ale inspired by Viking traditions and Swedish metal music that divides their opinions dramatically.

  Whether you're a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or simply curious about the incredible diversity in today's brewing landscape, this episode offers thoughtful insights, honest reactions, and plenty of laughs along the way. Join Mike and Jim as they remind us that great beverages, like great conversations, bring people together—even when opinions differ.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Grab a beer and pull up a chair.
Welcome to the Northwoods BeerGuy Podcast.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen,welcome back to the Northwoods
Beer Guy Podcast.
This is Mike, the NorthwoodsBeer Guy, and once again I am
joined by Jim.
Hey buddy, how you doing?
Doing well, man?
How are you doing?
Another day in paradise?
Good, good to hear Weather'sgetting a little more

(00:45):
straightened out, which is good.
It still seems like it's aroller coaster, though.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah.
Yeah, it was a little bitchilly yesterday, while rainy I
just wish it would sun out and60s or 70s just stay consistent,
Not the Nah.
You can't do that.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
I bring that up because, well, today being uh,
we uh are going to be going totaster's eve for, oh right, in
the bluffs beer, wine and cheesefest.
Okay, yep, and I can remember.
Now the fest is on saturday, sotomorrow.
But I can remember years wherewe were, we'd go and you were in

(01:20):
t-shirt and shorts, and thenthere was the.
Not that long ago, it wassnowing like crazy, right, it
was like a blizzard, yeah.
So I don't know what it's goingto do tomorrow, so we'll have
to wait and see, but I'm hopingit doesn't rain.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think the weatherman said there's a small,
small chance of rain, but Ithink he's been wrong before
yeah, just a few times so it,we're gonna hope for the best
and prepare for the worst thereyou, you go, there you go.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
So, ladies and gentlemen, if you've never heard
of it, it's the I think it'sthe 21st year I think something
like that around there of theBeer, Wine and Cheese Fest in La
Crosse, wisconsin.
And what do they have?
They have beer, wine and cheese, cheese and meat sticks and
stuff I guess jerky All and meatsticks and stuff I guess jerky
All trying to sell you somethingdifferent?
Oh yeah, and there's vendorsthere and all that good stuff

(02:08):
and we've been going.
I think this year is my 10th or11th year.
Sheesh, yeah, and then.
Well, you've only been thereone less so, man it feels like a
lot less than that.
I know it does Pretty crazy.
So it'll be interesting to seeyou know all these different
vendors are there and you get totry different beers and such.
I can safely say I don't thinkI've ever been in the wine tent.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
No, because I think some years, because remember how
at first there was a big tents.
Now they just did the smallerlittle outdoor thing since COVID
to keep people outdoors morethan inside the big tent.
So now it's even harder to findwhere the wine is, because now
there's not a big tent.
You knew that was a wine tent,so just stay away from there.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
But now it's kind of like they're just everywhere.
I think the first year I mayhave lied.
I think the first year that wewent there they had the cheese
and meat in the wine tent so youhad to walk in to find that
stuff, but I never tasted anywine.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah, there's enough good beer to be tasted that you
don't have to.
Like man, I'm out of beer.
I'm going to have to go to thewine tent to get something good
to drink.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Exactly.
Well, on Taster's Eve it'schanged a little bit.
I guess there's some things Ilike and some stuff I kind of
don't like about it.
But basically you go around todifferent bars, I guess you
could say, and then we do go toPearl Street Brewing and you get
tickets for a couple freedrinks there and some food from

(03:37):
a food truck, which is fine.
I guess you know that's okay.
I guess the one thing that Idon't know the shuttle bus is
nice that you don't have todrive.
Guess the one thing that Idon't know the the shuttle bus
is is nice that you don't haveto drive.
But boy, at times it feels likeyou're rushed because you got
to get in, get your drink andget out.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
make sure you get hit that next shuttle or you're
waiting there for right becauseI think there's like one that
starts at pearl street, one thatstarts downtown.
They're just alternating backand forth, so you could be
waiting there a long timeexactly.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
I mean it's, it's crazy and, like I said, if you
miss one, well, and they runfrom five to ten or something, I
believe, like that.
So if you miss one, you'remissing out on a lot of
opportunity, so to speak.
Yes, All right, Well, hey.
So I'm looking at the lineup wegot here today and I guess you
could say it's another kind of amixed bag of different styles

(04:24):
and such.
Yes, but it should beinteresting because we've never
had any of these on the podcast.
There's one style that we'venever even had before Goza, so
that should be interesting.
And some of the other ones.
I mean we've had a couple ofthem.
I've tasted before Some of theother breweries we've had stuff

(04:45):
from, but not these particularones.
So yeah, it'll be interesting.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
I hope so, Boy this is very it's like you hit all
four corners of the universe onthis one.
I don't think you can get morediverse.
No, I'd say pretty much, butthere's no dark beers.
I don't think.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Not that I can think of.
I mean there's no dark beers, Idon't think.
Not that I can think of, I meanthere's one that might be a
little bit.
Well, there's a couple likebrown ale type.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
But nothing like a stout or order or barrel aged
Right.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
So I'm not exactly sure how our bodies are going to
handle this, but we'll see.
Yes, I hope they're good.
So we do have two bottles andwe've got six cans Two pint cans
, four regular size cans yes, sowe got our work cut out for us.
We got our work cut out for us,so we might as well kick it off
here, All right, what do yougot?

(05:36):
So the first one that we have isby Stone Arch Brewing All right
, and it is their Honey WheatHoney Ale.
Now, I've actually been to thisbrewery, or one of them, I
think.
They got two locations.
Is that the one in Oshkosh?
Yeah, okay, yep, so we hadstopped there.
I believe our daughter had likea basketball tournament in that

(05:56):
area and we saw I looked it upon untapped or whatever and saw
it was close.
So we went there and it wasclose, so we went there and it
was pretty cool.
So I've never had this one,though I thought you know they
have like that.
Oh, what one?
I'm drawing a blank.
They have one that's like adarker beer that's really good
and I'm drawing a blank on it.
I don't think I've ever had anyof their beers before, haven't
you?
No, oh, it was a vanilla, avanilla porter.

(06:18):
Really.
That.
That was really actually good.
Yeah, so it'll be interesting,because you know me and
Honeybeers are usually not thebest.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
That's right in a wheelhouse.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yeah, the bestest of friends, but Need some
instructions on that one.
I just had to flip it the otherway.
Oh no, their cap is pretty neat.
It's got their logo on it.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
There you go.
A little more of a complex logo, so to speak, and I see it's
4.7% ABV and 12.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
IBUs.
Oh okay, so there shouldn't bemuch hop at all.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
No Straw colored and naturally cloudy.
Okay, expect a pleasant honeysweetness from Wisconsin, honey
with nice malt tones and verylow bitterness.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, it's got a little cloudiness to it.
Not terrible or anything, butit's like a wheat color.
Yeah, ooh, I can smellsomething's like a wheat color.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, ooh, I can smell something wheat, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
Not terrible, but it's there.
I can smell it, it's there.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
I don't smell the honey.
No, well, here goes nothing.
Not too bad.
I guess the honey does kind ofknock down the wheat a little
bit.
I say it's drinkable.
Yeah, I mean, I think theaftertaste for me still has that
wheat.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
It's got a little bit of a dry, not a lot, but a
little bit of a almost like adry something.
Yeah, I don't know how wouldyou.
I was going to say not tart,but you know what I mean.
It's got just a littledifferent taste to it.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
So it says it's called an American Pale Wheat.
Do you think that has anythingto do with it?
An American pale wheat Do youthink that has anything to do
with it?

Speaker 1 (07:44):
What does the pale do ?
Well, and then, consideringthat it's, you know, 12 IBUs,
you wouldn't think it would bethat Hoppy, that hoppy, and I
always associate when anythingis pale whatever, I think like
pale, ale the hoppiness, yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, it's a weird combination of the honey and the
wheat.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, yeah, and I guess do you get much of like a
honey flavor at all.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
I don't really even know what you know honey tastes
like.
I mean, I think it kind of.
I believe it dulls thewheatness a little bit, but I
really can't pick up the honeyfrom it.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
So maybe they're counterbalancing each other on
that one.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
but you could be right.
Maybe that's it's doing more tobalance out that wheat.
Possibly I'm not tasting muchfor honey.
No, you know not that it andladies and gentlemen, if you
don't know, it's not like whenyou taste a honey beer that, oh
yeah, all you taste is sweethoney.
That's not what.
It's got a different flavor toit, uh, when they brew it.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know, and.
But the weakness has a distinctflavor too.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Oh yeah wheat has a distinct flavor.
You can you can tell that rightoff the get-go.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
So I think hopefully that may be the honey knocked on
that a little bit.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
I think you're right.
Yeah, boy, what are youthinking for a score on this one
?
So Stone Arch Honey, wheatHoney, ale Gosh, an American.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
Pale Wheat.
Yeah, I'm not a big wheat guybecause I just don't that
aftertaste in my mouth.
This isn't very delicious.
Yeah, I'm going to have to saya 2.4.
I'm a little bit below averageonly because that finish the
initial wheat.
Maybe if they added maybe alittle more honey, I don't know,
but maybe a little more honeymight help it even more.
But I'm probably not the bestjudge for this one.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
I'm going with a 2.2.
Oh, you're even going lower.
I'm going lower.
I just think that aftertastehas a weird to me.
It's got a weird thing to it.
Yeah, it's almost like I hateto say it like this because it
doesn't taste like this but itreminds me a little bit of like
right after you brush your teethand like you take an orange
slice or something and eat itand it's got that really like

(09:40):
kind of a you know that reallylike kind of a you know, Right
it's not like that, but it'sreminiscent, for some reason, of
that.
It's just, I don't know, I'm nota huge fan of that one.
Yeah, I'm just barely able tochoke this one down.
So you're saying you'd rathernot have any more of that one?
Oof that one's a little on therough.
A little rough, yeah, a littlegravelly.
Yeah, I A little on the rough.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
A little rough, yeah, a little gravelly.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
Yeah, I would agree with you there.
That was kind of and it's kindof a bummer because, like I said
, their vanilla porter isextremely good.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
Right, but this one is just kind of not for me.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
it's not there, so Maybe we should have the next
one, just so we can cleanse ourpalate, we can do that, so we
can jump right into the next one, and this to the next one and
this one.
We're going to go over the pondto the other side of the pond.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Well, so to speak.

Speaker 1 (10:28):
Maybe not well, kind of it's newcastle.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yes, newcastle brown ale yep, and isn't that?

Speaker 1 (10:36):
it's english right?

Speaker 2 (10:38):
so that's what I was referring to right I think it
started, but I think, from whatI read, it's actually now being
made stateside.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
Oh, really Right.

Speaker 2 (10:45):
Okay, so it's an English brown ale Okay.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
The style.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yep 4.7 ABV, so lower .

Speaker 1 (10:52):
Same as that first one.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
Same as the first one , yep 18 IBUs are really
stepping it up.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Well, that's good that they're taking it easy on
us to begin with.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
So it says this beer was introduced in 1927.
Oh wow, I'm just trying to read.
Some of this other stuffdoesn't really make much sense
to me because they're talkingabout English towns, yeah, and I
don't think that's going tohelp.
Nah, it doesn't even, but itdoesn't talk much about the beer
at all.
Okay, so it's just more aboutwhere it was made, where it was
made and how it's just been kepton moving around different
breweries, okay.

(11:21):
And I think now it actuallysays something about this
actually being made in theUnited States somewhere.
Okay, let's hope the Englishknow what they're doing better
than the honey, yeah, the honey.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
This is brown, that's for sure.
Definitely a brown, aleDefinitely darker than the first
one yeah.
But yeah, it's a brown alethrough and through.
You can definitely see that.
Now the aroma.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
At least for me, it's got a little bit better of
aroma than that wheat.
Yeah, a little bit of a maltyaroma, right, I like that smell
better than the wheat.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yep, I would agree with you there.
Oh, I like that one.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, that's much better than the first one.

Speaker 1 (11:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
I mean if you had to choose between the original
brown ales right?

Speaker 1 (12:04):
that was first made, that I don't know.
That'd be a good thing, butbeing that it started in 1927,
it's been around for quite awhile, right, so it's got to be
Right.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
I mean, they've had a chance to change and modify the
recipe to get it tweaked, sothis really tastes pretty good
yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Definitely interesting Because, like I said
, a lot of times.
The brown ales don't usuallyhave a whole lot of flavor to
them, but this one's got adecent amount.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
And the flavors actually.
I mean whatever is in, itreally comes out and is good.
I mean it's not.
The finish is smooth, theflavors are good, the aroma is
good.
Yep, I agree with you, itdoesn't have a bad aftertaste.
I mean this one, I think Icould have a couple.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, yep, yeah.
I was going to say this one isno problem with a couple of
those.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
The first one, I'm not sure on that one and this,
you know lower ABV, yep, I mean,and IBU, I don't think is, yeah
, I wouldn't even.
That's not even an impact atall.

Speaker 1 (12:53):
No, but this, this tastes, I mean I would have
another if we get finished thatone might be my number one so
far.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Right, actually, it's really good.
Yeah, it's actually prettydecent.
So what are you thinking?

Speaker 1 (13:05):
This one.
I'm going to go.
I'm trying to think because,like I said a lot of times,
brown ales don't have a wholelot of flavor to them.
This one has a little bit morethan normal.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
Right?
Oh, yes, for sure.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
So I think I'm going to go like a 2.7.
Step it right up, yeah it'sbetter than and I agree with you
I could drink a few of thoseand not get tired of the taste.
Right when that first one, Ithink.
After the first bottle I got,I'm moving on to something else,
you know.
So what do you think?

Speaker 2 (13:35):
So I think I'm in the same ballpark with you.
I mean because I think the onlything, the reason why I
wouldn't go above a three, isnot that it's a brown ale, but
it's a brown ale, right, there'snot a lot there.
You know, even on a good brownale it still doesn't like for me
, put it over the three, andthis is probably one of the
better brown ales we've had,right.
So I think you know that's thedo-it-sort of this one.
It's good, but it's still abrown ale.

(13:57):
So I'm going to say say aboutit, it's just, I mean, and I
think too, if you were startingout like craft beer, hadn't had
a craft beer before, that'd be agood one just to try it, and
you probably would like oh man,this is not bad at all, yep.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
I agree with you there.
I think anybody could drink it,you know, and the fact that
it's a brown ale that doesn'thave some other flavor added in.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
Right.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
Because, you know, we've had some other ones where
they have hazelnut or they'vegot you name it.
It's probably been in there,Right, you know?
And it's just to add moreflavor, Right?
So I give them credit because,like I said, it's a brown ale.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, period Flat out .

Speaker 1 (14:37):
And it's got good flavor.
So yeah, I give them credit.
Give him credit, that's prettygood.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, that's.
I mean I'd definitely haveanother drink of that.
Yeah, for sure.
So.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
I see you've got a piece of paper laying there.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, so wait a minute.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
There's more?

Speaker 2 (14:51):
Oh no, so some of these are tied to the beers
we're going to have.
Okay, so it looks like we mayhave to wait another couple of
beers here.
All right, because I'm going tolike come off the top.
I like had to dig deep forthese, did you?
I had to like go back.
I was, my computer was smoking,mr Google was like the way back

(15:13):
machine was kicking in and themice were like just spinning on
the wheel back there.
So these may trip you up?

Speaker 1 (15:21):
Oh, probably will, because a few of these breweries
I know nothing about.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
And that's why I did the digging on breweries and how
they came up with their name.
Oh, okay, so Interesting.
So I'm thinking like maybe onemore I should be able to start
popping in with some good stuffhere All right, not a problem,
we can do that.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
One thing I was going to bring up about Taster's Eve
and something that is differentthis year that I don't it'll be
interesting to see how they doit is they said that every hour
they're going to be drawing forprizes.
Now I don't know if that meansat every different location,
because, like tonight, ladiesand gentlemen, what happens is
you'll have a number of barsthat are in it, but they usually

(16:03):
have like a tap takeover, right?
You know?
Know where one brewery is,they're kind of featuring their
products, and so you go.
You know, one place might have,uh, let's just, I'm just going
to say the uh, nuclearis.
The next place may be featuringthree floyds, you know so
they'll have different beersthere, so I don't know if it's
going to be, you know, a.

(16:23):
Is it going to be?
The brewery was required tobring stuff to you know, so you
can win a koozie or somethinglike that, right?
Or or is it just like you knowwhat I'm saying?
I don't know how they're goingto do this drawing, so it should
be interesting to see.
You know.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
Hopefully it goes smooth and we win something, but
I'm not because I think lastyear three sheeps that he had a
lot of different.
So every time you bought one oftheir beers or one of their
because he had a barrel of beer.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (16:49):
And every time you bought one of them, you got a
ticket for a chance.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
They drew for some stuff, yeah, and he had
different swag, right you know.
And so it's probably going tobe similar to that, I would
guess.
But you never know, right you?

Speaker 2 (17:03):
never know, until you open the door and see what it
says on the sign Exactly.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
So we'll see how that goes tonight.
Well, I guess boy, this onehere is the artwork on this can
looks like it's something youwould not really like.
No, this is by Lupaline, if I'mcorrect.
Yep, and it's Tropical FunPants.
Yes, now that's your nickname,isn't it?

Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yozo.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yeah, it has good artwork on it.
Well, just looking at it I'mthinking, boy, is this like an
IPA or a sour?
Because typically you're not,because that's pretty loud
artwork.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
Untappd says it's called a fruit beer.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
Okay, Well, I'm thinking that's a cousin of a
sour.
Maybe I don't know.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
So it says it's 5% ABV and 12 IBUs.
This fun and refreshing fusionof beer and tropical fruit
juices will leave you ready toget out and get your fun.
Pants on Mango, pink, guava andpassion fruit bring big fruit
flavors with a balancedsweetness.

(18:06):
Tropical Fun's Pants is theperfect anytime fun beer.

Speaker 1 (18:11):
Well, this should be interesting, you know.
Is it a sour, or is it justfruit juice and beer?
Right, you know what I mean,boy, take a whiff of that.
That is mango.
Oh my God, I guess, isn't thatwhat?
Yeah, it's mango.
What?
Yeah, it's mango.
Boy, there's mango, there'smango, mango bango.
Wow, a little bit ahead on it,not a whole lot and it's kind of

(18:33):
the color's weird.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
It's not yellow.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, and again of an off, yeah, and again, I don't,
I don't get.
Is it the fruit juice thatwe're seeing?
More, of you know?

Speaker 2 (18:43):
what I mean it, because it's a little cloudy, I
can't see my fingers.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yep, yep, it's definitely cloudy Well.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
All right, you ready, here we go, here we go.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
Are you going to try some?

Speaker 2 (18:53):
I was waiting to see what you did.
I know I'm keeping my facialexpressions to a minimum.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
I don't even If it's trying to be a sour it's
definitely like a tart.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
Yeah, it's tart but not sour.
But it's not sour.
So it's definitely fruit juiceand beer.

Speaker 1 (19:10):
But it's got.
Yeah, it's different.
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, it's not.
I think there's just too muchfruit juice, too many things
going on.

Speaker 1 (19:17):
They all are competing against each other.
Yeah, because you said therewas mango, pink guava and
passion fruit.
Okay, yeah, at least one ofthose maybe shouldn't have been
in there.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
Yeah, or one of them should add a little bit more.
Yeah, because I don't know whatI mean.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
I've had mango I don't know what pink guava
really tastes like or passionfruit.
I can't say, oh yeah, it tasteslike this.
I don't, I've never.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
I mean, there's definitely three different fruit
juices put together.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean it's not sour, but it'start.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
Yeah, you can tell that it's kind of a shirt tail
relation to a sour Right, butit's just.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
It's different.

Speaker 1 (19:59):
I don't, and it's in a pint can.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, you know.
So you've got a lot of it.
You're fully committed, yourchips all under you.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yeah Well, dude, I think I don't think this is one
that I could.
I couldn't drink that whole can.
No, you'd have to share.
Yes, I would gladly share.
Share, like with this bad boy.
I mean, it's just kind of adifferent flavor to it.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
I don't know it's hard to describe yeah.
And I don't think if we put itin this kind of a glass that
wouldn't help the flavor I don'tthink that would have made much
of a difference, because theygot a weird, I don't know which,
almost like a.
It says revival.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
Is that the style?
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
It's kind of like where it's, you know narrow at
the bottom and then it flaresout.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yeah, so I don't know if the Revival is a style of a
glass.
Maybe it is, I don't know.
I've seen, you know, looking atthe picture, you know what it
is, you recognize it, but Idon't know what the official
name is.
Yeah, but I don't think that'sgoing to make, I think, a
plastic glass is just fine.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
So what are you thinking?

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, I do, man, how do you?
It's definitely down towardsthe bottom there.
I'll go with 2.3 on it.
I think I do like it just anotch better than the first one
just because that first one ithad kind of just a different,
weird taste, where this one'sgot a little different, with a

(21:23):
slight hint of fruit on it.
So it would not be one that Iwould pick normally.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
So yeah, I think I'm actually gonna even go.
I'm gonna go at 2.2.
I mean because I I don't mindfruit, but I think when you put
too much fruit they all kind ofcompete against each other and
you can't really decipher whichone is which and it's like all
competing.
When you take that, that drink,they're just all competing in
your mouth and you can't like Ican't differentiate when one
fruit than the other.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
The only thing that stands out is the mango aroma.
Right, you know what I mean asfar as the fruit go.
But you're right, I thinkeverything is.
It's like it's competing sohard with each other that it
kind of cancels each other out alittle bit.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
They all want to get out, but they can't.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yeah, yeah, it cancels the goodness out and it
just kind of leaves kind of aweirdness, I guess.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
Yeah, oh boy.
Yeah, I don't know that.
One is definitely a differentkind of a beer, yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah we're not saying it's a bad beer, but it's
definitely not to us.
It's not a normal good one.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah, I mean it has flavor, yes, but oof, what that?

Speaker 1 (22:22):
flavor is.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
That is very, very different, Is debatable.
Oh boy, yeah, I see that LukeLine is from Big Lake.

Speaker 1 (22:30):
Minnesota.
Yep, I was going to say I'veactually went to.
They have a number of differenttap rooms.
Oh, because we went to one inSioux Falls, south Dakota, and
had basically one of every beerthey had on tap.
So I think we had like threeflights and the bartender was
not exactly happy about itBecause he was kind of, you know
, we don't, just because we haveflights doesn't mean, honestly,

(22:52):
you don't.
So we decided you know what,we're going to get one of every
beer you have, right?
And they had like 18 untappedand there were six beers in a
flight.
It's like, well, just becareful when you're going to
complain about it.
We can make it.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
You are paying for it .
It's not like it's free.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
Exactly, You're paying customers and it's not
like there was a whole the placewasn't packed.
Oh well, you know.

Speaker 2 (23:14):
So he had time on his hands.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
Exactly, he had more than enough time to help do that
.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Right, yeah, yeah, we finished that one Exactly.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
So I'm kind of looking forward to this next one
.
So the next one, and I'm goingto look up here because I want
to give you the.
I found it for you, okay.
Well, I was going to give youthe definition of the style as
well.
So, let me, or is that on theretoo?
Well, I think it looks like itprobably is.
Okay, yeah, I think.
So.
This one it's, uh, actually akeller beer, keller beer, yeah,

(23:48):
and let me, I'm gonna look it uphere just so I can give you the
because it didn't say it onhere when I.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
Is that what the k stands for?
K of the star?
Because it doesn't have thatword on here anywhere.

Speaker 1 (23:59):
Yeah, I don't know, because I found it.
I'm going on untapped here so Ican go to the Wheel of Beers
badge because that has all thedifferent styles, okay, and I
will read you what it says.
And there's two styles that gotogether as far as it's this or
this, and it's Keller beer orZwickle beer.

(24:23):
And it says Keller beer is atype of German beer, an
unfiltered lager, originating inFranconia.
Keller beer contains more ofits original brewing yeast held
in suspension of its originalbrewing yeast held in suspension
.
As a result, it is distinctlycloudy and is described in
German as natural, natural.

(24:45):
It looks like natural rub, butI don't know.
R with the U with the two dotsover it, okay, okay, naturally
cloudy is what it means.
Keller beer is often serveddirectly from the barrel in a
beer garden, but may be bottledas well.
The term Zwickle beerregionally Zwickle or Zwickle, I
mean, so it's Z-W-I-C-K-E-L orZ-W-I-C-K-L, okay, so refers to

(25:12):
a weaker or less full flavoredvariant of Keller beer.
Originally it was used to referto the small amount of beer
taken by a brew master from thebarrel with the aid of a special
siphon called the zwickle han.
It is less hoppy and typicallynot left to age as long as
keller beer.
So this one, and I believe itsaid, was keller beer.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
Well, one of the two so where did you find out that
this was going to be a Kellerbeer?

Speaker 1 (25:39):
It's on untapped.
When you look up that beer, itsays that it's Keller beer.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
Really, Because when I looked on untapped that's what
came up on your paper I didn'tsee that Keller beer or I would
have did some more.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
Yeah, I don't know when I looked at it.
Then I went to that badge.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
And then it brought it up that, hey, this is a
keller beer, so we'll find out.
Hopefully they didn't lie to me, right, because what I, what I
found, so this is acollaboration shoot, I still got
some of that last one.
Oh, good luck on that crap.
So the collab is betweenlakefront brewing and hofbrau
munchen.
Okay, from germany yep, so it'sfive percent abv and 16 IBUs, so
we're still having to crack 20IBUs.
Yeah, so it says over 400 yearsof German brewing tradition

(26:22):
meets Milwaukee's pioneeringcraft beer expertise and a
transatlantic partnership, acollaboration lager with Hofbrau
Muchen, with Lakefront, yep,vienna and Melonodian malts Give
this rustic German-style lagera freshly toasted biscuit aroma,

(26:44):
moderate sweetness and amedium-light body.
You said you found this one ata local.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
This was at the beer shop, beer shop okay, so we'll
see.
Like I said, the only reasonwhen I looked it up and I saw
the style, it said Keller beeror Zwickle beer and I'm like I
wonder if I've had that before.
When I looked it up and I sawthe style, it said Keller beer
or Zwickle beer and I'm like Iwonder if I've had that before.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
When I looked on that , badge, Because it doesn't even
say anything about the collabcollaboration.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah, I don't know, that's weird.
I guess we'll find out.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
We're going to taste it and find out.
Yep, so hopefully.
Well, it looks like a lager Yep.
It?
It sure does, doesn't it Got ahead All right.
So this was Brow Buddies.
Brow Buddies Like Huff Brow Isthat kind of Huff Brow?
Yeah, does that have biscuits?
I smell.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
I don't know.
It's either that or fun pants.
Stinky pants is still hangingaround, not bad.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
I mean, it tastes just like two, almost like
Marzahn's mixed together,doesn't it Kind of?

Speaker 1 (27:37):
I was going to say I almost would prefer just
drinking the hot bra by itself.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Right one or the other.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, but now if this is one of those two styles,
okay, you know, because thiswould be like remember when I
had that rot beer or whatever.
That time I brought it.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
And that was.
I think that was.
It wasn't rotten, though, wasit no?
I think it was better than thisone, but it wasn't the ground
fish either, was it no?

Speaker 1 (27:58):
it wasn't ground fish , it wasn't fish beer, because
this is Germany too, right?

Speaker 2 (28:02):
Yes, yep, we rolled the dice on that.

Speaker 1 (28:04):
Rolled the dice and luckily it's okay.
I'm not exactly sure I'll seeyou on the next taste.
I'm not exactly sure if I.

Speaker 2 (28:12):
I mean it's really I mean, you're spending all that
time and effort to make acollaboration and it's like
really it doesn't really standout in any Not.
Really.
I mean, it's okay, I don'ttaste anything bad.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
No, but you know, like, when we did those, the
German episodes, yeah, when wehad the, I think there was,
because this is along thosestyles, you know what I mean.
It's a German style.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
Right styles, or you know what I mean.
It's a german style, right, butI think those ones, some of
those, had a better flavor,right.
Well, you know, and I'm kind ofinterested.
So you did a collab, right, yep, with a beer from germany and
one for the united states.
So how did you get the twobeers together?

Speaker 1 (28:47):
because you didn't brew it.
Yeah, I was gonna say or is itone of those that one of them
had a recipe and then theytweaked it together and then
made it, probably here in thestates, guess.

Speaker 2 (28:56):
Right, you wouldn't want to make the beer in Germany
and then try to ship it over.

Speaker 1 (28:59):
You wouldn't think so .
Or just get like a 12-pack oftop-round start pouring it into
your tank.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, that wouldn't make sense.
Keep it going until you get aquit.
I don't know, I mean it's.
I see what you're saying, right.

Speaker 1 (29:18):
Because we don had worse, right.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
And I mean I was kind of of all these, I was kind of
expecting this one to be like oh, wow, I mean both beers are
good.
I mean I thought maybe, oh,collaboration, I mean this would
be like up there.
Yep, I agree with you.

Speaker 1 (29:31):
It's kind of right, almost right in the middle.
It's exactly what I was goingto say, my score is going to be
like a 2.5.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
Nothing bad nothing good, just a good beer.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
I'm doing 2.5 as well is exactly what I was going to
say.
It's average.
I think it does have a slighthint of sweetness on the
aftertaste, kind of like some ofthe other German beers do, but
I don't know, I guess.

Speaker 2 (29:54):
I was expecting biscuits.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
No, I was actually expecting a little bit more.
Right, you know what I mean.
But I'm glad we tried itbecause it marks another thing
off of my badge deal.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
So now we are ready for some questions.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
Oh, boy, okay.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Even kind of like this coaster.

Speaker 1 (30:10):
I was hoping that you forgot about those.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Ah, so Easiest question of the night.
Okay, what is a mead?

Speaker 1 (30:17):
Mead.
Basically, it's beer made outof honey.
Is it correct, brewed withhoney and water?

Speaker 2 (30:25):
Yeah, okay, and it's also sometimes referred to as
the honey wine.
Oh see, there you go.
Did you notice that?
Uh-huh, all right, so notwhat's in this can, but when was
mead?

Speaker 1 (30:38):
invented Mead is one of the.
I know it's one of like theoldest styles.
Yep, because if you ever watch,like on TV, when they had
Vikings the TV show, they werealways drinking mead.
Yes, but I'm trying to think,I'm going to say, do I just have
to be within like a hundredyears?
I'll give you within a thousandyears, oh, nice, nice, I'm

(30:59):
going to say like 900.
You were so close, buddy,you're only off by 8,000 years.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
What Seventh millennium before Christ?
Oh my word.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
I couldn't even get there in 1,000 years.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
You're off by 8,000 years Can.

Speaker 1 (31:16):
I guess again.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
Consumption dates back to the 7th millennium
before Christ in northern China.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
Really Wow.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
Evidence comes from pottery vessels containing
traces of fermented honey,beverage like the precursor to
modern mead Wow.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's crazy.
I knew it was old but, like Isaid, because you always watch
those shows and they're drinkingmead on a big stein or like a
wooden type glass, I had no ideait was that old.

Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yeah, so, and then the last question is so this if
you look at it, the style ofmead I didn't know this, but it
says it's methaglin, methaglinmead.

Speaker 1 (31:52):
Okay, methaglin.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
So what is methaglin mead?

Speaker 1 (31:59):
Honey.
What is methaglin?

Speaker 2 (32:00):
mead Honeybeer or you want more specific, tad touch
bit Wow geez, Because I'm justlooking at what it says is in it
.
Yep Boy, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
Is it that it has, like other fruit, in with it?

Speaker 2 (32:13):
You're close Spices and herbs.
Oh, okay, Essentially it's aspiced mead.

Speaker 1 (32:21):
Okay, but what was the word Meth?

Speaker 2 (32:24):
M-E-T-H.
Yep.
What's that spelled?

Speaker 1 (32:26):
Meth.
Oh great, great.
I'm out.
E-g-l-i-n Okay.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Methaglen, Huh.
So I thought that was prettyinteresting.
I was like yeah, yeah becausethere's different styles.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
I know there's different styles, but I didn't
know what they mean.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
You know what I mean.
I was trying to help you out,buddy.
Well, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
Educate and entertain .
There you go, so this one.
So this is, I think, the firstmeet that we've had on the
podcast, is it really?
I believe.
So Okay, and I air.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
Again, we've talked and I've got six of them.
He's got a few, I think,doesn't he?
I've got six of them at thehouse that we were going to do
and then we never got to.
But aren't they a little bithigher in ABV too?
Sometimes Some of them are?

Speaker 1 (33:04):
Because one of them that I have is, I think it's
pushing 19% Oof.
And we've also had other ones,some of the ones that you see
around a lot, a lot of timesthey're in like a bigger bottle,
yes, and they're like.
Some of them are almost like aclay pottery type bottle, heavy
duty, like Vikings blood orwhatever is one of them.

Speaker 2 (33:24):
You see, like these and they're 40 bucks a bottle.
This is in a can yeah, 12 ouncecan, 12 ounce can.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
So we're just dipping your toe in it A little bit
more modest, because youprobably haven't had a whole lot
of meads, have you?
No, maybe one or two, yeah, soall right.
Well, this one is by B.
Nectar is the brewery.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
No, meadery, the meadery.
I apologize, yep.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
And this is Kill All the Golfers mead with black tea
and lemon.
Yes, and you remember the moviethat that line came from.

Speaker 2 (33:54):
No.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Was it when he told Bill Murray's character that he
wanted him to kill all thegolfers and he goes?
Well, excuse me, but if I killall the golfers they'll lock me
up and throw away the key.
Not the golfers, the gophers,oh you go.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
It's been a long day.
I had to hide out in my burrowfor the better part of the day
waiting for those damn golfers.
But today was my lay.
I finally did it.
What did he do?
I didn't even need a reason.
I wonder if they'll receivetotal consciousness.

Speaker 1 (34:28):
That's all from Caddyshack, is it yeah?

Speaker 2 (34:30):
Oh, it's like a Cinderella story.
Out of nowhere, a formerdancing gopher becomes a killing
champion.
Oh geez, I had my special drinka half and half.
While I got in touch with thatforce in the universe that makes
things happen, all I had to dowas stop thinking, let things
happen and be the ball.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
I'm not going to say a rip-off, but totally from that
movie.
So this color's a little likeorangish, almost A little bit
yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:57):
Does mead make it that color?

Speaker 1 (35:00):
Or that doesn't have an impact.
I don't necessarily know ifit's that or because this one
had tea in it.
Oh, you know, wasn't it blacktea?

Speaker 2 (35:07):
Didn't we recently have one that had a funky taste?

Speaker 1 (35:08):
Yeah, we had chai tea .
Yeah, remember.

Speaker 2 (35:10):
It was kind of eh, that didn't go too good.
Ooh, that's honey, isn't it?
You can smell?

Speaker 1 (35:15):
That you can smell.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
There's a lot of honey aroma.

Speaker 1 (35:18):
Ooh, you know it's not, as it's different from like
a cider.
Yes, you know what I mean.
It's not quite like that.
I think I taste a lot of lemon,you know, because there's lemon
in there, the black tea.
I think that might be some ofthat, because it does have a
little bit of a different flavorto it.

(35:41):
Oh boy, I don't know, becausethe ones I got, I've got them
with fruit and stuff, but notreally with a lot of lemon, or
black tea, because it's almostlike it's really sweet, isn't it
?

Speaker 2 (35:54):
Is that there a sweetness?

Speaker 1 (35:55):
to it.
There's a lot of sweetness toit.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Is that the honey making it that sweet?
I think so.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
I think that has a part in it.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
Because that other one said it had honey.

Speaker 1 (36:04):
but yeah, that one wasn't nearly as sweet.
So it'd be interesting to findout what's different.
How is it different?
The process in making a meadcompared to a beer?
Right, you know, because I knowit said it was honey and water.
Yeah, you know, but I'm surethey, well, they still got yeast
in it.
You know, I don't know.
Oof boy, I don't think it'squite that bad, but I don't

(36:29):
necessarily know if I'd drink awhole lot of this one in
particular.
Yeah, could you finish a wholecan, possibly, but it might take
a little while.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah, it's just.
I think probably because I'mnot used to meads, it's probably
my number one downfall.
I don't drink them that often,so I'm not a.
I mean, you got to be ready forhoney when you taste one of
these, because that's going toslap you up around a little bit.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
There's usually more of a sweetness to it.
Now, like I said, I have hadthat one that's called Viking
Blood.
I had a couple different stylesof it, and that one is a high
ABV, but it's definitely hasit's got different.
That's why I'm picking up a lotof lemon in that tea in there
too, because that one doesn'ttaste like that you know it
doesn't.
No, it's not quite like this one.

(37:09):
You know and this did it saywhat the ABV was Six percent.
Six percent okay, because I doknow.
You know there's that othercompany out there Crafted, that
does a lot of artisan meads, andI've got three or four of those
, I think.

Speaker 2 (37:24):
And those are all like 6%.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
So they brew it, or whatever the term is for mead,
and they do it that way.
I'm sure some more people willbuy it, because I'm sure a lot
of people look at those otherones and go oh you know, that is
high ABV, scare them away,scare them away.
Yeah, so I don't know.
It'll be interesting because,like I said, those other ones I
got are different flavors, butthey're not this one.
Like I said, the lemon is whatI'm tasting.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
And I wonder too, like what it said, that
methaglin, you know, it was theflavor of spices and herbs.
You know it was the flavor ofspices and herbs.
I mean, I don't know, is thatlemon spice?

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Well, I think, like the black tea is what I would
guess is more of a spice, is it?
Maybe I'm just pulling atstraws here with this one, yeah
this would take me some gettingused to, I think.
Yeah.
So score-wise boy, what would Iput?
I'm going to go with 2.4, justa little below average.

(38:23):
Like I said, I've had moremeads than you have, right?
So I'm expecting our score hereto be a little different.
But, like I said this one, I'mgetting a lot of lemon and I
think that overpowers some ofthe honey.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
So my opinion yeah, I'm not sold on this.
I mean, I can't compare it tomany other meads because I
haven't had that many.
But boy, this is, I mean it.
For me this is almost like asour on the other side.
That's not a mead, because it'sjust like so tart, it's like
right in your mouth, like I'mgonna have to go with 2.0.
Well, I, I just I'm difficultyfinishing this cup and and

(38:57):
trying to describe it in a waythat somebody could understand
it.
But I don't know if I would.
Maybe your other ones, othermeads, maybe it would have a,
you know.
So it's not the black tea andlemon flavor.
Maybe that would help me out alittle bit.
I think it would.
I think you're right, just alittle bit too, too powerful in
them.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Yeah, I agree with you Cause, like I said, the
thing that stood out to me wasthat the lemon and that black
tea is what I was getting, youknow, and it was just like wow.
So, yeah, the other ones I'vehad have all been either like
sweet fruit you know kind ofstuff, sweet fruit, you know
like strawberry or stuff youknow, I mean stuff that's more
of a sweetness to it uh, wherethis one, like I said it

(39:35):
definitely was.
It was different, so I agreewith you.
Oh boy.
Well, now we'll actually beable to compare it to a yeah, a
cider.
So did you have a question inbetween there?

Speaker 2 (39:46):
or should we?
I do have a question, all right.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
Well, hit me with it so this style the cider you're
talking or the okay?

Speaker 2 (39:54):
so it's actually.
When I looked on unta, it wascalled a cider-traditional slash
.
I'm going to see if I can saythis right apfelwein.
Okay, maybe the Germanpronunciation.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
Could be.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
So what is an apfelwein?
Well, there we go.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
Okay, so this is a cider Yep Apfelwein.
Well, I'd say apple wine, butthat would be way too easy.
Hey, cider yep, apple wine well, I'd say apple wine, but that'd
be way too easy.
So, um, hey, that was a total,just it is.
It's an apple, blatant, I think, because I think that was
german.

Speaker 2 (40:28):
Yeah, so it just says usually an alcohol content
between four and a half to sevenpercent and a tart, sour taste.
Huh, okay, and it's this.
Apple wine is made from pressedapples, the juice or must?

Speaker 1 (40:43):
I didn't know, that was it must be a part of the
process.

Speaker 2 (40:46):
Must be, yeah, is fermented with yeast to produce
an alcoholic beverage, so it'sapple wine is produced, mainly
produced and consumed in Hesse,germany, particularly in
Frankfurt, where it's a statebeverage.
That's kind of wild.
I didn't know if you knew that.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
No.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
You got a lot closer than you did by missing by 8,000
years.

Speaker 1 (41:07):
Yeah, I was going to say Much better guess, much
better guess.
So this one here that we haveis Loon Juice.
That's the name of the breweryI found out.
Oh, okay.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
I didn't know what it is.
And this is Honeycrisp.
Yes, hard cider, yep, oh yeah,right here.
Yeah, loon Juice Okay, it's gota loon on it.
I was looking that up too.
I'm like, no, this is thebrewery.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
I'm like oh Well, kind of yes, since that other
one is more you know, a littledifferent flavor, but a little
you know.
I mean, look at the colordifference.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
They said that Honeycrisp Apple is unfit for
hard cider.
They said it wouldn't workunless you added buckets of
sweeteners.
Okay, they said lots of stuff.
Blah, blah, blah.
We harnessed the power of themost coveted apple and concocted
this bubbly beverage thatfinishes dry like a nice
champagne.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
All hail the Honeycrisp Boy when you smell it
, it smells like apple boy.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
That is like the clearest one we've had so far?
Yeah, oh yeah, I think my urinesometimes is darker than that.
I was going to say oh, there'sapples.
Boy, you can smell apple.
There's apples.
Yeah, wow, all right.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
It does have a little tartness to it, it's not like a
regular some of the other appleciders we've had.
Yeah, because we've had somethat are very sweet.
Yes, this is not really sweet.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
This is not that.

Speaker 1 (42:28):
And actually one of the ciders we had that was
extremely good, was that pumpkinone?
Yeah, remember that that wasthe craziest thing ever, with a
little touch of pumpkin, with it.
Yeah, yeah, it had pumpkinmixed in with it and it was
extremely good.
So, yeah, this one, I mean Ibet you it tastes real close to
the Honeycrisp, right?
You know now the whole blahblah blah thing.

(42:49):
It probably could have used alittle bit more sweetness.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
But it's definitely Boy.

Speaker 1 (42:54):
That aroma is Strong.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
You can smell apple boy.
Yeah, this one, I think I couldstomach at least the glass for
that.
Yeah, anyone that me, that was.
Yeah, it's.
Uh, I wish different yes, verymuch.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
so I kind of wish that the mead.
If we'd had like a more of atraditional right, well, we will
right, you know, I'll pick someup too, but because that one,
like I said, I think that was abad one to go off of as being
the black tea and lemon.
Yeah, yeah, that was kind ofoof.
Yeah, this is.
I could probably drink, likeyou said, a glass or one can of

(43:28):
this, and then I might startgetting heartburn, you know,
because it's just kind of gotthat.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
I don't even know how you want to describe that that,
but you know, you know what I'msaying.
Where you right that, uh, Isuppose it's the sweetness or
something they just kind of, butI mean, it's almost like a
champagne where it says finishis dry, yep, like a champagne.

Speaker 1 (43:47):
I mean it's got that same kind of finish to it.
Yeah, it really does, just notas bubbly as right.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
Basically, you know but I mean this is it's
interesting, it's clear, and Imean this is like, for this is
by far the clearest beer we'vehad tonight.

Speaker 1 (43:57):
That is just wild.
I mean, we don't have many thatare this clear, do we no?

Speaker 2 (44:01):
No, I mean when you sit it on a table you can't even
tell if there's anything in it.

Speaker 1 (44:04):
Not really.
Nope, that is wild, that is.

Speaker 2 (44:08):
I mean, it's not bad.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
No, it's not a bad thing, but definitely clear
Apparently it's got a littletartness left in it.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's got a little bit of tartness, so what are you
thinking?
I'm in a corner.

Speaker 1 (44:22):
You don't like ties and if I go, I'm going to go
with 2.1.
I just think it it's still gotthat little bit of a Tartness to
it and it's just kind of like.
Other than that, it wasn't bad.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
The aroma was very good.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
I mean it smelled like an apple.
Yeah, you know, but they couldhave used a little bit more.
Yeah, they could have put alittle.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
Maybe not buckets and buckets of sweeteners, but
maybe just a bucket.
Yeah, at least one bucket yeah,it helped.
That might have I'm gonna goright same thing.
2.1.
I mean it's it's not bad, but,like you said, it's little tart
and then it is almost like achampagne where it is dry.
So it's yeah, that dryness isyeah for sure.
There it's different too, yeah.

Speaker 1 (45:06):
Yeah, so it's just kind of like huh, you know yes.
Ooh, so you okay.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
So our next one, yes.

Speaker 1 (45:17):
It's from a local favorite.
Ah, this one is from CentralWaters.
Yes, so and I have never heardof this one.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
You haven't.
Nope, you should have.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
You should have heard of this before.
I don't think so.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
So what is semantic satiation?
Satiation, it is a condition.

Speaker 1 (45:36):
Really.

Speaker 2 (45:37):
Yeah, so describe it.

Speaker 1 (45:39):
I didn't know it was a condition, really, yeah, so
describe it.
I didn't know it was acondition.
I'm not the one to describe it.
I don't know what is thatcondition.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
It's a psychological phenomenon in which repetition
causes a word or phrase totemporarily lose meaning for the
listener.
Or, if you've seen Ted Lasso,when words become sounds.

Speaker 1 (45:59):
Hmm, I've never seen that.
I've heard of it, that show,but I've never seen it Really
yeah.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
I thought you knew that, nope, so this is named
after.

Speaker 1 (46:08):
So what word are they saying?

Speaker 2 (46:12):
Or they just took the name of the condition, or they
took the name of the conditionand made it a beer Ha so this is
a West Coast style India Pale,ale yes, from.
Central Waters, oh yeah,central Waters from.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
Amherst, yep, yep.
So definitely one of ourfavorite breweries Maybe not for
IPAs, but yeah.
So this is an 8%, or this isone of our.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
So we stepped it up a little bit Higher ones and 45
IBUs Okay, and 8% of this is oneof our higher ones and 45 IBUs.
Citra, simcoe and Mosaic aresome of the most flavorful and
unique hops, as well as some ofthe most widely used.
The idea for this beer was topush unique flavor
characteristics from hops we'veused for years.
This beer has a west coast baseof Pilsen and pale malts, with

(47:00):
a hint of Munich and carapels.
I'm not sure what that is.
Yeah, fermented with the TheoliTheolist.
Theolizize the Thezolis.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
Fezolis, it's like pasta.

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Version of the west coast Chico Strain.
Huh, have you ever heard?
Where is the Chico Strain?
I don't know.
And woven intricately withcitra, we already had that Yep,
the Charlize Theron.
West Coast yeast.
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (47:37):
Where do they make these words?

Speaker 2 (47:38):
up.
I don't know, this is tough.
This yeast helps push a furtherdepth of citrus and juicy
tropical fruit character fromthe hot blend.
Well, holy buckets.

Speaker 1 (47:51):
So all those big words, and it's going to maybe
be fruity flavor, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
Well, I'm like confused on all the different
things they're saying.
I should have probably not evenread it.

Speaker 1 (48:00):
I was going to say we're more confused now than
before we started it.
No, I do smell some hops.
I smell hops Not super over thetop but you know there's some
there.

Speaker 2 (48:10):
Yes, but this is supposed to be a West Coast, so
it's supposed to be a littlehazy, right?
Is that part of West Coast,right?

Speaker 1 (48:15):
The aroma is more of a hop flavor, I think to me than
what the actual flavor is, butyou can taste it.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
But it's like that very initial, yes, there's a
little bit of hop, and thenthat's it.

Speaker 1 (48:27):
There's a little bit of hop and then that's it, and
then it's like gone.
The aroma had more of like agrapefruit-y, almost like a
juicy.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
IPA, you know.
That is I mean for 45 IBUs.
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (48:37):
Yeah, that's pretty crazy, I don't mind it.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
This is, I mean, for an IPA.
I think I could, and I'm not anIPA guy.
I think I could.
I mean, my mouth is a littlebit dry, but it's.
I mean nothing.
Nothing any worse than whatthat Honeycrisp would do, right,
Yep.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
Yeah, I'm, I guess I'm kind of surprised by it.
I didn't know if it was goingto be really strong or, you know
, really over the top hoppy oranything like that.
Right, and it's, it's drinkable.
Yeah, so would I say, you know,for a new person maybe.
Oh, this is your first IPA, youshould try it.

Speaker 2 (49:10):
Probably not, Right, but if you've had a few of them,
there's nothing wrong with it.
So how does this beer tie intothe definition of that
phenomenon?
When words become sounds,Because, that's when you drink
it and you go Talk aboutWoodburton yeah, he had a

(49:33):
multiple of bottles you wonder,yeah, if he ever was just like
man.
Really, that's all you rememberme from was not my driving, but
the fact you couldn'tunderstand me when I was talking
.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
Which you couldn't yeah not a very good interview
guy.
I guess I give Central Waterscredit.
It's not bad.
I mean, they're trying Again.
It wouldn't we love them fortheir barrel-age stuff.
They're great and this is good.
You know, score-wise I'm goinglike a 2.6.
I think it's, you know, alittle better than average.

(50:04):
I could drink it.
You could drink it.
Yeah, I could drink a can.
You know I'm not going to drinksit and pound like six, eight
of them, but it's all right.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
Yeah, I'm going to go with 2.3.
Ooh, yeah, because you know I'mnot a big IPA guy, even though
this is a West Coast IPA.
I don't know, there's just somany things going on with the
write-up and I don't even knowwhat some of these things mean
well, yeah, that was just kindof crazy, I mean the chico
strain.
That sounds like a freaking andwhat.

Speaker 1 (50:36):
I'm guessing it's talking about the hot, because
I'm reading what you had I'mthinking it's got to be the
yeast.
I mean, yeah, but it it makes,it doesn't make any sense.
They could have dumbed it downa little bit for for us, and
yeah, and, and said the samething with less words, you know,
and people would have been like, oh yeah, okay, I get it, you

(50:56):
know, but like I agree 100 withyou, dude, I, I don't understand
what they're getting at.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
And then how does that tie into the name that nick
gave it?
Your guess is as good as minethat's usually they're tying
them both together.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
Yep, all right, so we're down to our last one.
I got two more easy questionsfor you, okay, so the last one
is the name of the brewery is.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
Hammer Heart Brewing Company.
All right.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Where did they first start brewing?
In what city?

Speaker 1 (51:26):
In Minnesota.
Is it the same one that they'recurrently in no?
No, in what city in MinnesotaIs it the same one that they're
currently in?
No?
No, I didn't think so.
It's an easy question too.
It probably is Now.
Where they're at now is upnorth.
I've been to this where they'reat now.
I've been there To the breweryor just the city, the city.
I've been to the city too, butthat was years ago and they

(51:48):
probably weren't there.
Um, I, I'm figuring, I'll sayDuluth.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
Close Leno Lakes.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Oh, so they were they were still up there.
They were up for their fatherand I was giving them credit for
for.
And they started there.
In what year?
Uh, we'll say 2001.
Close, 2013.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
Oh geez, they're newer Yep.
And then when did they move totheir new place in Ely,
Minnesota, 2020.
Oh, this is the closest one2021.

Speaker 1 (52:19):
Oh, I got close.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
All right, so now the last question of the night.
Okay, what inspired HammerHeart Brewing for their name?

Speaker 1 (52:28):
Well, the artwork on the can well the name of it is
Flaming Longship.
So I think a lot of their stuffis based on like Norse
mythology or Viking type stuffthat I've seen.
I'm just going to say it wasthe nickname of a Viking dude.

Speaker 2 (52:45):
Close.
You're close, though thebrewery's name was chosen from
the epic Viking metal albumHammerheart by the classic
Swedish metal band Bathory Boy Iwasn't.

Speaker 1 (52:59):
Yeah, I was real close.
I thought you knew that.

Speaker 2 (53:03):
No, I knew it was like a.
Viking theme, but I didn't knowthat they just took it from a
band, a Swedish metal band.

Speaker 1 (53:11):
That's kind of crazy.
Huh Well, this is, like I said,Flaming Longship.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
It's a Scotch Ale we got a lot of big write-up down
there.
That's all they had.
It's on the back of the can.
It's bigger.
Oh, four words.
The one that jumped on Untapped.

Speaker 1 (53:26):
Untapped was mildly smoked scotch ale.
That was the write-up On here.
It has 7.7% ABV, so this is thehighest one we have today,
originally inspired by theScottish Fire Festival.
Up Helly A Okay.
Up U-P.
Helly H-E-L-L-Y.
And then capital, a small awhatever.

(53:50):
That means.
Flaming Longship is a deeplymalty scotch ale with a mild
hint of three blended smokedmalts which are added for depth,
and then it gives the artist'sname that did the artwork.

Speaker 2 (54:09):
Because some of the write-ups I was reading on all
said it was smoky.
Okay, so we'll find out,because we've had some good
smoky and some bad smoky.

Speaker 1 (54:18):
Yes, We've had some that you're like whoa, like
taking a bite right out of theRight out of the fire, chunk of
half-burned wood.

Speaker 2 (54:26):
Well, this one is the darkest one.

Speaker 1 (54:27):
This is the darkest one which for a scotch.
It's kind of dark for a scotch.

Speaker 2 (54:30):
Yeah, this is.
Maybe it's the wee heavy partthat's making it.
It could be or the smoky part.

Speaker 1 (54:37):
There you go, oh, there's smoke.
You can smell the smoke.
My glass is on fire Now let'ssee, when you take a drink, if
your teeth are stained from thesoot or anything that's not too
bad I don't mind that.
Well, there's some, there'ssmoke, there's smoke, but it's
not.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
We've had worse yeah, you know it kind of overtakes
the scotch ale part of it alittle bit, but, boy, I
definitely get the malty, thatmalty flavor as well.
That's not bad wow, I don'tknow if I could do a dozen of
them well, they're pint cans, soyou probably shouldn't do it,
wow.
So you're thinking it's a littlebit.
I don't know that smokiness.

(55:14):
I mean it's not bad, but I meanthat's like the only flavor I'm
tasting.
That's what's I mean.
So if you get it dialed backmaybe one or two notches, the
Scotch Ale I mean we like ScotchAles Right.

Speaker 1 (55:25):
Yeah, I would agree with you.
I see where you're coming fromon that you definitely get.
The predominant taste is kindof the smokiness of those malts,
which, again, if it would havehad a little bit less, maybe a
little bit more of the scotchflavor you know the scotch ale
flavor but I wouldn't turn itdown.
I think it's pretty good.

(55:45):
But again, it's a pint can, soI'd have one.
Wow, yeah, you know.
Wow, yeah, this is so.
I'm thinking our scores mightbe a little different on this
one as well.
Yeah, so what are you thinking?

Speaker 2 (56:00):
For sure I do not mind the Scotch.
Scotch Ale.
Yep, I'm an okay guy with that.
Yeah, it's just sometimes thatthe smokiness, you know, the
flavor or the burntness of themalts, just kind of for me it's
just overpowering everythingelse and I'm trying to describe
it's.
I mean, I know they're goingfor a style, I know that's, and
this might not be one of the,you know.

(56:21):
You know, just like I think wesaid, if, if they had toned the
smokiness, I don't, but I don'teven know how, because, like you
mentioned, they have differentthings they were combining
together.
So how do you still do that andstill come up with Scotch Ale?
I'm going to actually say a 2.0and I'm going to change my Kill
the Golfers to 1.9.

Speaker 1 (56:42):
I was going to say.
When I saw it I was like wait aminute, you can't have a
duplicate.
I know this is going to say.

Speaker 2 (56:48):
when I saw it I was like wait a minute, you can't
have a duplicate.
I know.

Speaker 1 (56:49):
I had to kill the offer.
This is going to be yeah, I'mgiving this a 2.8.
I like it Wow.
But I totally understand whereyou're coming from, because the
smokiness could be turned down alittle bit.
Because when it comes to likeScotch ales, you know like Warp
Speed is a really good one fromLake Louis.
When it comes to like Scotchales, you know like Warp Speed
is a really good one from LakeLouis.

(57:10):
Right, this one.
I think it could have stood alittle more on its own.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
You know, just on a normal flavor.
And I do think that thesmokiness of this could turn
some people off, right, you know, especially if they've never
had a Scotch ale before.
I don't know, I do the artwork,I you know.
Give it a bonus 10 to a pointfor that.
It was cool, I don't mind, Icould drink a can of it, but I
wouldn't want another oneBecause I'm sure by the end of

(57:35):
that can I'd be pretty tired ofthat smoky flavor.

Speaker 2 (57:38):
Right, because, like even now, my mouth is like
drying out from the whateverstyle of malts I had that were
burnt, yep, yep, I agree withyou.
That were burnt, yep, yep, Iagree with you Taking the saliva
right out of my mouth.

Speaker 1 (57:50):
Yeah, and this was the darkest one we had.
Yeah, you know.
So this was definitely a verywide grouping of beers.
Yes, because you know, fromthat cider to the smoky scotch
ale I mean, and lots of thingsin between, yeah, it was
definitely different than tohave, you know, kind of, I think

(58:11):
, our first official mead on thepodcast.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
So Because I don't think we've seen, I mean I think
we actually had to go to, wehad to cross the river to find
that one.

Speaker 1 (58:22):
Well, that one we did yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
But we haven't seen many local ones.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
I've picked up a few the beer shop every so often
they do get.
Oh, do they local ones, I'veseen?
I've picked up a few the beershot every so often they do oh
yeah, they do get some.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
I get one, you know, and uh, so they they have.
But you got to know their northwhen it's there.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
When it's there, yeah , it's not like they have a lot
of them, uh, and, like I said,in all of all my time in like
craft beer, I've only been toone meadery valparaiso, indiana.
Oh, they have one and that'swhere I had actually picked up
the one that I have.
That's like 19% and that'sextremely good.
So it is different.

(58:56):
You know, and I did a flightthere and I will tell you this,
if you do a flight of meads or acouple of them, like I might
have done, you get a buzz going.

Speaker 2 (59:04):
What?
19%?
They're a little higher.
Because, this one was only 5%or 6%, 6%, so you probably
wouldn't have got a big buzz onthat, but you're still going to
be.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
Oh, excuse me, jeez, good wood, there you go, all
right.
Well, hey for you, jim.
What were the highlights?

Speaker 2 (59:24):
So, like you said, this was quite a variety pack of
beers.
I think the only thing incommon was nothing was in common
, Right?
I think folks too.
When you look at the picture,the colors are even different on
every single can.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
So the labels are different, the beers are
different.
We didn't have two that werethe same, so that was good.
I guess it's hard to try torate them against each other
just based on because they're sodifferent, right?
So I think individually.
For me, I personally like thatNewcastle Brown Ale, yep, yep.
And I like the Brow Buddies,only because they're the ones

(01:00:00):
that had the least amount offlavor.
There you go.
I don't know if I should saythat, but I think they tasted
the best to me.
I mean, I don't think I'm goingto get heartburn from either
one of those.
The other ones I'm a littlesuspect, but those two stood out
for me.
The rest were okay.
I mean, if you look at ourscores too, we're all between a,

(01:00:21):
you know, 1.9 and 2.7.
So these weren't our, theseweren't any like stellar shining
beers or like we're reallygonna have another one of these
yep they were all right in themiddle of the pack yeah, I agree
.

Speaker 1 (01:00:34):
Yeah, for me, uh, mine was similar.
I did have the flaming warship,or long ship, uh, as my top one
, and I had the the uh newcastlebrown as my second right uh.
And then third was the CentralWaters one.
Actually, oh, I thought thatwas pretty decent.
It kind of surprised me I wasnot sure when you were,

(01:00:56):
especially when we couldn'tpronounce half the words in the
description, right, so thatsurprised me.
And then the Brow Buddy.
I liked the Brow Buddies aswell, but it was just, I was
expecting a little bit more.
Yes, I guess, especially withHofbrau being involved.
I mean, that's a verywell-named company.
Yeah, that's a big-time name.
Well, awesome.
Well, I suppose We've got tostart laying our clothes out,

(01:01:18):
get ready for tomorrow morning.
Getting ready to go to Taster'sEve.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
I'm getting ready for tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Oh, I'm getting primed ready for oh, so you're
getting ready to do that?
So yeah, ladies and gentlemen,if you're at Between the Bluffs,
you have to.
If you see us around, say hi,We'll be.

Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
I'm going to put a big sign on Mike Kick me here.
Yeah, yeah, don't do that so ifyou see that, go ahead and do
it and I'll give you a free beer.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Yeah, thanks a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
Thanks a lot If you're, I'll fill up your glass
for you.

Speaker 1 (01:01:46):
There you go.
So yeah, I'm looking forward toit, because when I looked at
who's going to be there, there'sa few new ones that have never
been there before.
So it should be interestingjust to see how they do stuff.
Right, you know?
And again, the wine thing, I'mnot, I won't.
I don't even know where thewine tent is.
I probably won't go there.
I will probably check out themeat and cheese, because you

(01:02:07):
know, give them a littlesomething to eat.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
I know before they were having very good Bloody
Mary places that were mixing themeat and cheese in there?

Speaker 1 (01:02:14):
Yes, I saw they're there again.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
So that'll be something good to try.

Speaker 1 (01:02:18):
Yep, they make good stuff too.
So and then again, we can.
We always do just so, people,because anybody can buy it while
supplies last, tickets last.
We always do the VIP tickets.
Simply, the best thing I likeabout it between the bluffs is
we get in two hours early.
So it gives us a chance toactually talk to the people in

(01:02:40):
the booth Because most of thetime it's not the brewer but
it's a representative of theircompany and we get a chance to
actually kind of ask them somequestions and things like that.
So we're hoping, knock on wood,that we'll have a little bit of
time where we can maybe do afew little interviews just as
far as what they're offering,kind of do a live reaction to

(01:03:02):
some of the beers, yeah, andthen once they let the general
admission ticket people in.
There's just so many peoplethat you're usually six, eight
people deep around every place,you know.
So you got to fight your waythrough to get another beer.
So we do our thing the firstcouple hours and then we pick
and choose our battles to goback in and get another one.

(01:03:22):
Yes, so awesome.
Well, jim, thanks, you know,for agreeing to do this.
It was a ragtag group of beershere, quite a selection, it was
yeah.
Yeah, well, after Between theBluffs we'll get back into the
mindset of let's do some sort ofcategory or such again.

(01:03:44):
Like I said, this was just kindof getting us ready for Between
the Bluffs a little bit.
We're trying all thesedifferent places and styles and
hopefully, you know, I'm surethey'll have some, Because the
last couple of years we've foundat Between the Bluffs some 10
percenters or more Right, somebarrel-aged ones.
Some barrel-aged ones, andthat's another reason I do like
having VIP, because you getfirst crack at those, because a

(01:04:06):
lot of times they're gone.

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Right, because they have like the small one-eighth
keg of those.

Speaker 1 (01:04:10):
Yeah, and that's it so awesome.
Well, yeah, ladies andgentlemen, if you happen to be
at Between the Bluffs, like Isaid, stop us say hi.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
Love to hear from you , jim thanks, and we'll give you
a free beer too.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
There you go.
Yeah, we'll say you go overthere, that guy will beer.
You see, we'll let you know ifwe saw one that you should try
though, that's for sure, soawesome.
Well, hey, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening and,
like we always say, we hope yourcampfire is always warm and
your beers are always cold.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
See ya, see ya, bye.

Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer
Guy podcast.
If you have a question, acomment or a beer, you'd find us
on Facebook, twitter andInstagram.
If you're on untapped, look upNorthwoods Beer Guy and send a
friend request.
Until next week, I hope allyour campfires are warm and all

(01:04:59):
your beer is cold.