June 20, 2025 • 47 mins
Unwrapping a care package of Virginia beers ignites an unexpected journey through the Commonwealth's craft brewing scene. When BK's son Wes—stationed with the Navy in Virginia—ships home a thoughtfully curated collection of regional brews, we seize the opportunity to explore these East Coast offerings from our Northwoods setting.
This tasting adventure leads us through strikingly diverse styles: a rainbow sherbet sour that challenges our expectations, a pineapple wheat beer that puzzles our palates with its subtle fruit notes, an orange creamsicle IPA that perfectly captures nostalgic flavors, an exceptionally drinkable American lager with a playful name, and a maple-infused brown ale reminiscent of breakfast. Each beer tells a story about Virginia's brewing philosophy and regional character.
What emerges from our session is a fascinating conversation about truth in advertising—when beers live up to their creative names and when they fall short. Commonwealth Brewing becomes our unexpected hero, delivering two standout offerings that demonstrate their mastery of both traditional and creative brewing. Their Pool Noodle lager proves that sometimes the most unassuming beers deliver the most satisfying experience, while their Creamsicle IPA showcases how flavor innovation can still respect traditional style boundaries.
Beyond just tasting notes, our conversation weaves in reflections on military service, regional brewing differences, and how shared beer experiences connect families across distances. We celebrate the creativity of Virginia's brewing scene while offering honest assessments of where these beers succeed and where they might improve.
Whether you're curious about Virginia's craft beer landscape, enjoy vicarious beer tourism, or simply appreciate thoughtful discussions about brewing philosophy, this episode offers a flavorful escape to the East Coast without leaving your favorite drinking spot. Grab a cold one and join us for this special exploration—and perhaps discover which Virginia brewery deserves a spot in your own beer fridge.
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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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 I don't know if
you can hear in the background,but we are back in the
Northwoods, so you know whatthat means.
That means I am here with BK,Absolutely so dude.
This is our first episode fromthe Northwoods this season.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This season, absolutely.
It's more like it's not evensummer.
I think we're back to spring.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
It's been out of order the entire year now, so
we're sitting outside, as youcan probably hear, but we're in
sweatshirts and pants becauseit's like 50 degrees 55 degrees
out.
Something like that and it's,which is good for beer, but not
for us, yeah, yeah.
So I hope everybody out there,all you guys, had a happy
Father's Day last Sunday, and Iknow we did, so hopefully it'll
(01:12):
be a good summer the rest of thetime and have some more beers
Absolutely so awesome.
Well, you brought aninteresting selection of beers
here, so I'm going to let youkind of give the background on
what.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
What we have where they came from, how they got
here, Uh, and, and we'll kind ofgo from there, if that's all
right, Absolutely so.
So Wes, my son, who's been on afew podcasts, uh, is in the
Navy and he's stationed out inVirginia.
So for his birthday his motherwent out and visited him and
probably made him clean hisapartment and all that kind of
stuff that moms do, and hedecided to send back five
(01:45):
different beers from Virginia.
One of them is his go-to, thathe likes.
But I think there are what?
Three different breweries.
I believe One, two, three, fourdifferent breweries.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Four yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And just a selection.
Now he's a little more on the.
He likes the fruited sours andhe likes the fruited beers more
than you and I typically do.
But yeah, it's an interestingselection.
I was impressed with what hedid.
Now I know also that he's rightbeside a Kroger.
He can walk to this Kroger.
And his mother was a littledisappointed that they didn't
(02:18):
shop at Kroger.
They went to Walmart.
First of all, walmart's cheaper, but second, she didn't know
that you could drink while youshop in Kroger.
They have a little bar there.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Hold on a second.
You can drink and shop whileyou Kroger is like a grocery
store, right, correct, correct.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So their carts actually have cup holders on
them.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So kudos to Kroger for the love of everything
that's only we need to get aKroger close to us, then we need
it several right yeah, or youknow it doesn't have be a.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I would be okay as long as it's not a Target or
Walmart or if they just putcraft beer on tap.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
You know, it's always funny, because when I go to the
grocery store I'm sure you havedone this before but you eat
that one grape to see if it's,and then I'm paranoid, thinking
that they thought I stole it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
They're following you .
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I can't believe what they'd do if I cracked open a
six pack.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
No, no kidding, and have the evidence.
Yeah, have a glass while you'rewandering through the store.
So, uh, so yeah, she was alittle disappointed.
They didn't shop there, theywent to walmart, but uh, he has
a really nice.
They have aisles of craft beerin that particular kroger
interesting and the few timesI've been in kroger's down
towards the south, um, they'vealways had a pretty good beer
selection, so, uh, this would beinteresting.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yep, yep, for sure.
And, ladies and gentlemen, ifyou remember, when we were in
Florida, wes was on, I think,three podcasts.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Two or three for sure .
Two or three for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So yeah, we were down there last year with him and
went to some places in Floridathat I had never heard of or
been to.
I know you had been to thembefore, but here again.
He moved to Virginia, Virginiaand now we get to try beers that
, like I said, I don't thinkI've ever heard any of these
breweries.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So it's going to really be interesting.
We know the state that's aboutit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, now we do.
We also talked earlier that ifwe like these, we'll be like hey
, you know, our palates are itshows how our palates are
changing, and developing and howwe like any kind of beer.
If we don't like them, thenwe're going to ask Wes, how can
you drink this?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
stuff.
It's entirely his fault.
That's exactly how it's goingto be so.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
yeah, you know best of both worlds for us Absolutely
.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
We're going to win either way, exactly.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, hey, we might as well get going.
So I guess the first one wehave is from, is it Ballad?
I think it's called rainbowsherbet or sherbet, however you
(04:40):
want to say it.
It's a sour, it says fruitedsour and it says a classic treat
with a little tartness.
We took our house sour andadded rainbow sherbet and a
touch of lactose for a creamy,fruit-forward dessert sour.
This should be interesting.
Like you said, I know Wes kindof likes the fruited beers and
such.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So we'll see, this is an absolute rainbow of a can.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Oh yeah, it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
We'll have to pull this one off and stick it on the
bar.
For those that don't know, wepull the labels off and stick
them on the bar at Mike's place.
Yeah, if they're a cool label.
Now I'm curious is it going tobe orange?
Is it going to be pink?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, is it going to be green?
Is it going to be?
Yeah, that should beinteresting.
I don't of muddled color, it'shard to say.
That's kind of just turns out,it's just beer, beer color what
man?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
we had our hopes up and just beer.
If we wait long enough, maybeit'll change.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It might change, yeah it definitely cannot see
through it.
It is cloudy it is cloudy andthere's floaters boy.
The aroma is tart.
That's very smart.
Uh, I smelled it and my mouthstarted to water from like the
tart reaction you know, yeah,it's not sour, that's.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
We've talked a lot about that.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
but I thought it would be a little sweeter.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Listening to that description and kind of the
trend in sours nowadays.
They're real sweet, but this islike you said, it's tart, it's
not sour.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
No, there's a difference.
Sour beers I don't likenecessarily, but yeah, I'm
starting to get hints of otherstuff.
It's pretty cold yet.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, I don't know what the it's probably not going
to warm up a whole lot yeahprobably not.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
We're almost ambient, I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Boy.
I wish it would have said alittle bit more.
Well, if it's rainbow, thentypically that rainbow sherbet
is.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Berries.
There's berries in there ofsome sort of you know, something
like that.
It doesn't have a bad flavor,no, and the tartness goes away.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah it doesn't make your jaws clench too bad.
Right, you have that initialkind of tart on the swallow and
then it kind of goes away realquick.
So it's not not bad, no, it'sinteresting.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It's, um, it's kind of basic.
I don't want to say it's bad,it's basic, it's tart.
I get some fruit, I get somecitrus and then that's about it.
Like I don, I don't the lactose, I'm lacking.
Like I don't, I don't believe Iget the sweetness from the
lactose, and maybe they justhave a little bit in there.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, and typically like a milk stout or things like
that, it makes it kind of asmoother mouthfeel.
I don't really pick that up onthis one either.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
This one's tart enough that it still it might
eat it away.
It still eats away at it alittle bit yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I guess I can see how Wes could drink it.
You know, it's not, it's notterrible at all.
Um, I don't know if I coulddrink a full pint.
Can I might start, or, dan, youmight get a little.
This is liquid heartburn.
Heartburn, right, if it werehot out.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Wes and and Noel and Wes both said he had not had any
of these except for the for oneof his go-to.
One of these is his go-to beer.
We'll talk about it in a minute.
But they tried all of themcause they came in four packs or
six packs, but he yeah, hehadn't had any of these except
for one, uh, previously.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
He was doing kind of, he was doing a tasting as well.
Well, there you go.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, it's.
I guess I could have saw ifthey had maybe had a little bit
more of a fruit flavor, I think.
Just my personal opinion.
It's almost like they.
I'm not going to say theymissed the boat, but I think
there was a definite potentialfor a little bit more fruity
flavor to it.
Yep, it's basic.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, I will bet their basic sour is pretty tart,
pretty tart.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I bet you're right, because if they, you know, added
lactose to this and and fruit.
And fruit, yeah, and whateverelse they put in there, it'd be
really tart, Really tart.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, that would make your jaws clench right and
honestly it gets.
I get a little bit of an IPA ora citra hops, Like there's
almost an IPA smell to it.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, like I said, like the grapefruity smell.
Yeah, see, the first thing Inoticed, just that tart smell.
So you knew it was going to betart but, like you said
perfectly, it goes awayinstantly.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, I mean it lingers a little, very little.
Some of those were.
Some of those that are super,super tart, Like when you were a
kid and had too many sweettarts in the movies and you like
the Diet Coke won't make it goaway.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
There you go.
That's a good representation ora good comparison.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
And it is cloudy as can be, as cloudy as our skies
are right now.
It is cloudy.
It's not a filtered beer at all.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Boy that is that is interesting.
It's interesting, like I said.
I just I think it would beliquid heartburn eventually you
know, yeah, if you had four ofthese four pack or whatever I'd
be like.
Oh yeah, no, I don't.
You'd be right in the I havetwo beers and two Mephrizol.
Where's?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
the Tums at.
I'm going to pour just a littlemore and see if I get more.
Yeah, I'll take a little bitmore too, if you would, and see
if.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It's like I said, it's not bad, but I just I wish
they had a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, I did turn the can several times to.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I just think that part they might've missed it
just a little bit, I think so.
They had a lot of potentialthere, Cause I know you've had
it and I've had rainbow sherbet,yeah, sherbet, Uh before and
there's so many differentflavors in it and it's just like
I said I, I I feel like the,the sourness or tartness I
should say I'm sorry, thetartness kind of overpowers or
overshines everything, you,everything, you know you don't
(09:41):
get like a flavor like I wasexpecting there's no defining
flavor to it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It's it's very citrusy yeah um, which is not
disappointing, but it's I.
I expected more sweetness ifit's going to be, if it's going
to be, the sherbet yeah andthose of you that think we're
being silly, if you actuallylook at the word that you've
pronounced sherbert, your wholelife there's.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
no, it's not a silent , it's an invisible one, exactly
.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I would say on this one, if we're going to start
talking numbers, I can't go withthree on it.
I'm thinking probably around atwo, seven, two, eight.
It's not bad Right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, oh, I'm sorry, keep going.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I expected a little more.
When I'm looking on the can andthere's ice cream on it and I'm
thinking lactose and a littlesweetness.
I didn't get any of that.
So it's not a bad sour.
It's more tart than sour, whichI'm happy about, but I felt
like they oversold,underdelivered, right.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yep, I agree 100% with you because, like I said
earlier, I think they had a realopportunity where they could
have really had some flavors,kind of brought that sherbet
flavor to the forefront a littlebit and still had the tartness,
um.
But like you had said, brianit's I get the tartness, but I
just I really don't get anythingthat reminds me of a of that
(10:57):
flavor.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
No, it's all citrus, maybe they they, they uh lacked
in the lactose department.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
That or they didn't actually try the rainbow one,
they just did like the lemon oneor whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
There is, like I said , it's all citrus in there.
It just lacked a little.
They had a palette and theydidn't use it.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yep, I agree, so you went a 2.7?
.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I went 2.7.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I think I'm going to go like a 2.5, to be honest,
it's not bad, but I really wishit had more flavor.
Yeah, so I agree it's cool.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
This is the first beer from Ballad Brewing I've
ever had, so it's not a bad one,and we looked at their website.
They had a bunch of other onestoo, so hopefully I'll get out
to visit my son at some point.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
So now where?
What part of Virginia is he in?
So Wesley's in Suffolk,virginia, suffolk.
Okay, yep.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And again, they spent some time in Norfolk and they
spent some time they went toVirginia Beach.
They did not a carrier tour,but they were on a.
I'm not sure he gave me thedesignation, but it's a
helicopter, boat, basically.
Oh, okay, so they do search andrescue.
From that it goes with thecarrier battle group out and
it's actually it's not as big asthe hospital ship, but they
(12:03):
also take wounded and stuff.
So Noel got to geek outmedically on on the ship too.
So they had a lot of fun whilewe were there.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So how does he like it compared to Florida?
Cause I know when we were downthere he said he really kind of
didn't like the heat.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
He said he bleeping hates Florida.
He, he enjoys.
I think he enjoys it now.
He, you know he's got a job nowhe's not in training, the
stress of that is not there.
Just got promoted,Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Congratulations, Wes and he's E5 now.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
He golfs, he goes climbing.
I think he's just kind ofturning into a human.
He doesn't have a job on a ship, right, so he works in an
office or he does cybersecurityand that kind of stuff.
So a little different scenariothan a lot of people.
But you know what?
He's still serving his country,oh yeah.
And whether you're behind akeyboard or behind a monitor,
(12:53):
and or if you're on a ship.
God bless all those men andwomen that do that, and
especially in today's climateright, there's some nasty stuff
going on, and my nephew is also.
He's in Germany in the army andand I worry about him more for
sure than my son.
But God bless you all that areout there doing it.
It's it's it's great thatpeople are still signing up to
(13:15):
do that, because in the intoday's climate right, it's kind
of a it's kind of a mess, andthat's just the way to yeah, you
got that right.
On that note.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think we should look at another beer that we
sent back.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I think we probably should, as I'm looking, there's
a bottle of water here and I'mlike you know what?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
We should probably maybe try to get rid of the
sherbet.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
The sherbet needs to get out of there.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I guess that's the one good thing about sitting
outside we can just kind of acool looking can too.
This is Pineapple Grenade.
It's a pineapple wheat beer andthere's kind of a funny looking
army, a pineapple dressed uplike an army guy.
And this is from Young VeteransBrewing Company and they're out
of Virginia Beach, yep.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So this is a Weedale brewed with pineapple puree.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yep, and on untapped.
Here's what they said.
It said this is our refreshingtake on a classic German style.
This pineapple Hefeweizenexplodes with sweet and tangy
fruit flavors, backed byfragments of spicy clove and
banana.
Go ahead, pull the pin.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Well, I didn't see banana on here.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
It says a rich mouthfeel.
Well, we'll find out.
This is a little different.
On the can here yeah, this onesays Frag out our fruited wheat
ale boasts a rich mouthfeel,full body and shards I don't
know about shards, shards ofjuicy pineapple, pull the pin
and toss one back.
Experience the explosive wheatcharacter, tangy fruit flavors
(14:45):
and notes of tropical, tropicalbliss so shards and bliss we're
getting, I guess, okay, perfect,I'm in what could go wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I'm gonna guess that this is gonna be maybe pineapple
color, so I'm wondering,because now they have another
one in here, so I may have readthe wrong one, brian, because
that one said it was tillthrough 2020.
Oh, so now this one new 2023recipe, this might, this, could.
This is now okay.
Now, with quadruple the amountof pineapple, frag out our
(15:09):
fruited wheat ale boasts a richmouthfeel, full body and shards
of juicy pineapple.
Pull the pin and toss one back,experience the explosive wheat
character, tangy fruit flavorsand notes of tropical bliss.
So this is the one we have.
Yeah, this is the one we've got.
So they just updated it, butquadruple the amount of
pineapple it is definitely awheat beer colored yes, it's,
(15:32):
definitely it's.
It's not quite as cloudy asthat first one no, but it's
still cloudy.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
You can't see through it.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I smell the pineapple the aroma is.
To me it's kind of fairly faint.
It's not real in your face.
Okay, that's different.
I don't know, I'm not getting awhole lot of pineapple.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
No, but there's a weird mouthfeel, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yes, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know how to say it there, Cause it says
there's a.
Is it a different mouthfeel?
A rich mouthfeel?
There's something kind of odd.
Maybe it's the clove.
It's gotta be, it has to be.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I'm sitting here going okay, I faintly get the
Hefeweizen.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, I get a little wheat.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I think it's the clove, that, and it's not
overpowering because we've hadother clove beers that are
overpowering.
It's a weird.
It's a weird, weird mouthfeel.
But considering they said thatthere's four times the pineapple
, I'm not getting the pineapple.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
I just I'm not getting it and I was hoping.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
well, remember we were talking earlier.
I'm like it's either going tobe like we're drinking the juice
out of a can of slicedpineapple.
That's not really it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
No, it's pretty.
It's laid back in that regard,it's not.
It's not very in your face,pineapple-y Compared to the I
mean the can.
Right, those of you who look atthe picture you should like.
It may be a pina colada withwheat in it, right?
Speaker 1 (16:42):
yeah, I mean it's not bad and I know I like
hefeweizen, if you likehefeweizen, but it's like you
said, it's that it's it's got tobe the clove it has got to be.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's got to be.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
It's not the shards, yeah no, or the bliss, or the
bliss.
Yeah, I think we've tastedbliss before.
Yeah, well, that's not it.
That's not it at all.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah that's different , said I've been both of these.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Because it talks about so much fruit in it, I
went ahead and rolled the cansgood to make sure We'll have to
find out from Wes what hethought of this one, because,
like I said, I was expectingpineapple, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
He might be your friend on Untappable.
He might have rated them.
We'll have to see.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
We'll have to look, let me look.
Oh, a friend did.
Nope, it wasn't him, it wasanother guy, somebody else.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Somebody else rated it I don't even know how to
pronounce things now themouthfeel, which is the first
time I think I've ever seen thaton a label.
There's just a weird, again aweird feeling when you first sip
it.
And I think it's the clove Ireally do.
The good thing is the cloveisn't super powerful, but it's
(17:48):
mixed in with the wheat.
Yeah, I'm not flashing back todays in the dentist chair and
getting my wisdom teeth pulledright.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I think anybody who, as old as we, are, right and had
their wisdom teeth out probablyall of us hate clove.
Oh yeah, Because that was whatall those things tasted, like
that packing, or whatever theyused.
Yeah, yeah, there's a subtlesomething up front front and I
don't get much pineapple at all.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I can smell it.
I know we've said this before,jim has said it, you know a
hundred thousand times.
But when in my thing is whenthat is the first word on your
label, it should be prominent.
If it's on the label, it shouldbe in the can Yep and label.
It should be prominent.
If it's on the label, it shouldbe in the can Yep.
And when it's the number oneword in big letters pineapple
you should be able to tastepineapple and not immediately.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
And myself I don't get any.
Thankfully we're not tastinggrenade.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Correct, correct, yeah, yeah, that would be a
whole different thing.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
The weed is there.
The other thing that I just,that was the other one 2015 to
2020.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Right, this one does not say anything about banana.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Because that can give you your mouth feel different.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Like it's a different smoothness right.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yep and see, we've had a few banana beers and
they're always.
It's almost like they're Idon't want to say slicker, you
know what I mean.
It sort of feels like when youdrink it Right.
It's like whoa.
It's weird.
I'm kind of bummed on it, justbecause I was expecting a lot of
pineapple, especially when itsaid quadruple the amount of
(19:11):
pineapple.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Well, again there's a pineapple marching with a
military hat on right.
You expect it to be burstingwith pineapple.
It should be very.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
My thought was very pineapple forward.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
No, it's not, it smells.
You can get the aroma.
Yeah, a pineapple yeah, butit's very faint but it's faint,
but it's.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
It's more pronounced than the flavor.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yeah, I'm I.
It tastes more like a half wise, and then it does a pineapple
or a fruited.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
I agree 100 with you uh, score wise I'm honestly I'm
going like a 2.3, yeah on this,just because that is the, the,
the focus and the, the big pushis the pineapple.
Right you said the character onthere, the huge pineapple word
and I I just get a very faintaroma and no taste.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's lacking the pineapple, for sure I'm.
I'm with you.
Two, three, two, four somewhereright in there.
It's not even I'm disappointedby it.
I was kind of excited aboutthat and we talked about it
before we got the mics out.
Which ones are you kind ofinterested in?
And this was one of them,because I like pineapple beers,
I like pineapple in general.
Right but yeah, that's a littledisappointing.
Actually, the Heffwisen portionof it tastes really good.
(20:19):
It's a well-blended HeffwisenYep.
It doesn't taste gritty orgrainy and maybe some of the
pineapple mellowed that out.
I'm not sure, but I, I like Ialways told you, you know,
growing up in kansas, wheat allaround us and wheat harvest time
it, it tastes.
It tastes, uh, dusty yeah right?
Yeah, this one does not, so I'dI'd be interested just to have
their hefeweizen.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Right, that was actually the wheat portion of
that's really good.
I agree, because you know anywheat beer has that flavor.
Once you, if you hand you ormyself a beer and it's blind
taste test if you, you can tellit's a wheat beer, just like
that Immediately.
This one isn't quite asnoticeable, you know, and, like
you said, I'd love to try justthe regular Hefeweizen, and
(20:59):
maybe that's you're right.
It could be that the pineapplekind of balances that out maybe.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I don't know, man.
I just, if you blind tastedthis, we'd know it was a
hefeweizen, but we couldn't haveguessed any of the other
ingredients.
I wouldn't have guessed apineapple at all.
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Well, west picked that one out so far.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
He's not bad.
He's not bad the greatest he's.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
No, it's like I said before.
It's not terrible by any means,but it's just.
I wish there was more yeah, youknow.
So the next one, and this isone I think we both are really
kind of interested in.
This is by Commonwealth Brewingand they are out of Virginia
Beach as well, and this is theyhave their description.
(21:40):
It is Kooks Orange CreamsicleIndia Pale Ale.
Their description is IPA withorange and vanilla.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Well, obviously they're people of few words.
This is actually 6.5%, so thisone's getting up there.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Oh yeah, what was the ?
The first one was 4.4 and thiswas the Pineapple Wheat Bears
5.5.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
5.5.
So this is 6.
6.5.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
6.5.
Coming up.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah, okay, which for an IPA is fairly yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Now, I don't know if you listened to last week's
episode I have not yet but Jimand Julie were on there and we
did an entire episode on thedifferent levels of IPA.
So we started off the firstbeer we had was a pale ale, just
a pale ale, right.
Then it went to an APA AmericanPale Ale, an IPA, a double, a
triple and a quadruple.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Well, now they have West Coast IPAs too.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Oh yeah, we didn't go to West Coast or Hazy, because
we've done other episodes wherewe had a lot of those on there
too, but I know they had neverhad a whole lot of the different
levels, so to speak.
And it was kind of crazy because, honestly, jim and Julie both
kind of liked them and the onlything that really went up was
(22:53):
the abv.
I mean the none of them were.
I see I figured every step wewent up higher it was going to
get hoppier and hoppier.
Were they all the same brand?
I didn't again the same samecompany.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
So boulevard boulevard makes them all yes, um
, and I remember the first timeI ever had a pale ale.
I think it was probablyBoulevard Pale Ale.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Or it was.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Boulevard.
I'm trying to rememberBoulevard is.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Sierra Nevada has the all-day IPA.
Kansas City, though Boulevard'sout of Kansas City yes.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
It was the first one and Boulevard Pale Ale.
That was a good beer.
It still is a good beer, it'sstill a good one.
It's kind of an everyday all-.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Exactly so.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
This is their Creamsicle, so I have to expect
this to be a little bit orange.
We'll find out.
We'll find out it's a littlefoamy.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I know we've had a couple other beers that are
orange Creamsicle and actuallythey've been one of them tasted
just like a Creamsicle, so I'mkind of hoping we get at least
somewhat of that.
It actually looks like orangejuice.
Yeah, it's definitely a moreorange color than what your
normal pale ale is.
And again, you can't seethrough it.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You can't see through it.
Nope, so we're getting someactual nutrients with it.
Smells like an IPA.
Yep, smells like an IPA.
There's a little sweetness toit in the smell.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Ooh, that's there's a little bit that's smooth.
There's a little bit of aweirdness on the finish, but
other than that that's good.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
But that's a real orange.
Oh yeah, Taste right, Right.
You know, it's like a rind,almost like they're making some
peel in there.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
That's actually pretty damn good.
That's pretty good.
I don't mind that.
It's a good thing we pickedthat one.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
That's right.
Yeah, that's.
I don't get a whole lot ofvanilla, but I think, no, the
end is the vanilla hanging on.
It could be no, and that'sagain.
That is.
It looks like if you've everbeen to a diner and or no, not a
diner.
If you've ever been to a hoteland you go down and get orange
juice off the um, thecomplimentary breakfast, yeah,
(24:36):
that's the color of the orangejuice that usually comes out of
the machine that's a good yeah,good, a good comparison, because
it looks like, yeah, where it'sthat it's orange juice, but
it's kind of on the verge of notOf tainted water.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yeah, yeah, there's something they mixed in there.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
That's just the color , not the taste.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
No, no, this is actually a pretty good beer.
Of the three, this is myfavorite so far.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It's not hoppy.
This is not bad, it's not hoppyat all.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
No, the aroma is more hop, and that's got to be the
vanilla.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
At the end, I would sure think there is.
For sure you can taste the raworange, yes, which I enjoy
oranges, just you know, Iusually throw one in my bag
before I go to work.
What's the one?
We had Kentucky.
The Kentucky one that has atangerine.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
That's super, super orangey tart Like tangerine
cream ale or whatever it was.
Yeah, the tangerine cream inthe barrel.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
In the barrel, yeah, and that one was too much In
Lexington yeah, this is awell-balanced yeah.
I don't get any IPA, except forsmell.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Yeah, I say the aroma is the only thing I get that
really tells you it's an IPA.
The aroma smells like an IPA,but boy, the flavor is
definitely orange.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And, like you said, it's got to be that vanilla on
the end.
This is actually more sour thanthe sour we had to me because
oranges get a little bit sour.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would agree they're not.
It's not tart, right?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
um, no, that's a.
That's an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I like that yeah, so commonwealth brewing
commonwealth brewing.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Which kind of I'm.
When I first thought of it, hetold me it was commonwealth
brewing on the.
The next one is is the one thatis go-to, that he always has a
few in the fridge.
I was thinking penn, thinkingPennsylvania, because I used to
manage telecommunicationsequipment and it was always the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaright, oh sure, so I was
thinking I go.
Is it a Pennsylvania?
No, it's Virginia, dad.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Why would I have Pennsylvania?
That's exactly what he said.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Well, I didn't know I go.
It's still Virginia's aCommonwealth dad.
Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And eighth grade social studies had to come back,
you know your mind is full ofother stuff.
That's, yeah, I got stuff goingon.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I don't mind this at all.
No, you know, and, like I said,we you and I all drink IPAs.
I know there's a like we talkedabout on the last episode, jim
and Julian and myself, that youknow IPAs are really.
They're kind of one of thosestyles that you love them or
hate them.
Yeah, they're polarizing,they're very polarizing, and
this is a good.
(26:48):
I think a person that has neverhad an IPA could drink this and
not be offended at all, otherthan the aroma.
The aroma.
They're going to instantlythink, oh, this is going to be
super hoppy.
Not at all.
No, it's not, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
And if you were ever going to try to branch into a
fruited beer Right, this wouldanother one.
Wouldn't be a bad one to startwith.
It's not overpowering.
It tastes like actual fruitit's not the fake like weed,
doesn't taste like Tang Right,and vanilla.
Um, it tastes like oranges andand I get a little bit of
bitterness, like like, maybethere's some orange peel in it
too.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It could very well be Um no, that's a well-balanced
beer.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
That's that.
It's blended well, it tasteswhat it says.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Truth in advertising.
What it says on the can is inthe can.
Now we can't say that about thenext one coming up, because
that would put us in a weirdsituation.
This is a really good beer If Iwas going to go.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
If I were going to go numbers on this, this is right
up about a 3.2, 3.3 for me, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Yep, I was going to say this is for sure a 3.1.
I'd go 3.1.
Yeah, I'd go 3.1.
Yeah, I agree with you.
I knew this was definitely itwas over a 3.
Because this is what it says ittastes like and again, like I
had said before, I got the aromaof the IPA, but you didn't get
the bite or the hop type flavor,you know.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
And there was zero hop.
Yeah, I really enjoyed it andagain, I do think that kind of
weirdness at the end is thevanilla wearing itself off right
, it's got to be, but.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I'm sure that helped kill some of the hop flavor too.
Yeah, it has to be, because,like I said, the vanilla wasn't
super pronounced, but Iguarantee that's what it was.
Yeah, no doubt, because afteryou said it it's like I can see
that that's the vanilla.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
That's another ingredient that can be
overpowering.
It can be wonderful, it can beweird.
Vanilla is one of those, thoseoddities that, depending on what
it's with, can really changethe character and the the
smoothness.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
it can affect everything on a beer and we've
had some really bad ones, um,and we've had some really good
ones and they I think they useda lot more in dark beers and
high abv to kind of hide thatalcohol right yep, I would agree
with you 100, because we've hadsome that are super vanilla
forward, you know, and you'relike oh, that first flavor, the
first taste, is pretty good, andthen after that you're like I'm
(29:11):
kind of getting vanilla doubt alittle bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
That's right.
No, it's, it's.
Uh, that was.
That was a good beer, for sure,All right.
So this next one is is my son'sgo-to and the one, the one that
we're going to do next, the onewe're doing next, okay, so this
again truth in advertising.
The name of this beer is PoolNoodle, so I hope it doesn't
taste like a pool noodle.
Is it going to be the green oneor the blue one?
(29:35):
Not that I've had a pool noodlebefore.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I'm pretty sure we've all been hit with a pool noodle
before and I have zero.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
this is just an American lager.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, here I'll look up on untapped.
I shirked my duty, Brian.
I apologize, I was too busyspacing off there, I think.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I was worried you were looking up questions.
You're going to quiz me aboutsomething, no, no.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Okay, this one is by Commonwealth, as well, this is
Commonwealth Boring as well.
And this is 5.3% Yep, and theyhave absolutely no description
on Untapped.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
It's an American Merca.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It's an.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
American lager and he says this is his go-to so let's
give it a whirl, let's give ita shot.
I expect this to be a littledarker than our last three beers
.
It's a lager and it is lighterthan all of them.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I was going to say the color is.
I expect it to be a littledarker than that, that I
expected it to be a littledarker than that.
That is kind of crazy, dude.
I thought it was going to bebecause you know your classic
lager is almost.
It's not amber, but it's closerto that than like a clear
pilsner yellow.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
This is pilsner or wheat colored.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Or wheat, yeah, or like a lemon shandy color almost
that smells like a lager, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
That smells good.
Oh yeah, that's a good beer,boy, that's almost got a, he's
not wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Almost a little bit of a fruit hint, almost, I mean,
it's a little bit of asweetness there.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Way up front.
And then it's got that I'vetalked about before.
That brood taste Like iced tea,like sun tea.
It's got that kind of tartnessat the end.
It's not bitterness.
That's interesting.
That is a really good beer.
Kudos, son, for picking thatone.
I'll give you credit on thatone.
That one is a I could drink waytoo many.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I could drink too many of those.
Yeah, yeah, at 5.3,.
Yeah, but I mean flavor-wise,it's one of those that, oh yeah,
you could drink three four,five of them.
You know what I mean.
And yeah, you wouldn't getburned out from the flavor.
Yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That is as far as just a basic lager that is
really well blended and and,like you said, a little bit of
sweetness up front.
Yep, no bitterness in the headat all, no weird aftertaste.
That is just.
That is a fantastic beer.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
It says on the label too, it's family owned and
operated the brewery.
So that's cool, that is awesome.
I give them credit.
Their labels are are.
They're kind of out there Imean, it's not like like the
some of the sours and ips, whereyou got the wizards and dragons
and stuff, but this is justlike kind of a design.
Whatever you'll see thepictures, um, but I give them
credit, this is pretty good.
And then they got the band withthe here's the beer, you know
(32:01):
no, that is a, that is afantastic I still can't believe
the color though.
I can't either.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I'm really, you know, I was thinking well, Budweiser.
That was a darker beer when Iwas growing up right Sure it was
a darker color.
This is absolutely a Pilsner,like a light colored Pilsner.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Yes, a light Pilsner almost.
Yes, a Hefeweizen kind of color.
That is wild, you, that's thatis.
Yeah, that's a good flavor.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
I do enjoy that, that is uh, yeah, and that's an
again an everyday drinker.
Yep, you wouldn't, you wouldn'tseek that out to have a special
beer after a big dinner orsomething.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
But you could have three of them while you're
making dinner.
Yep, exactly maybe not so muchat 5.3, but that is for a beer,
where you you come home afterwork you're like I'm just gonna
get a, grab a beer.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
This would be easy drinking.
Plop in the lawn chair andrelax Sit there and, yeah, this
would be totally good.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
That is a really good beer.
So, score-wise, what do youthink?
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I'm really impressed with this one.
I was given, I mean my son, andhe told me this is his go-to
beer.
So I was really wanting to trythis one and now I'm glad he
sent one.
This is a really really wellblended and smooth lager.
Sometimes lagers can get alittle bit up front in your face
, right a little a little toomalty, or, you know, barley or
(33:14):
whatever it is up front they geta little grainy.
This one is not.
Uh, it's got a.
It's a sweet start, it's got asmooth finish.
There's no aftertaste.
Oh man, this is a tough one.
This is, I gotta go, probably athree, two, two, three, one,
three, two on this.
It is a really good lager.
I don't know that I've ever hada lager of this type better,
honestly.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Right, yeah, I was going to say I, I'm going to go
with 3.0, just for the simplefact that I think I like that
IPA just one notch better forjust I hate to say it for a
plain lager, you know you know,I hate to say it that way, but
this is really good.
It is and it's really good.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I don't know the difference between uh well, I'm
sure it's all hops and whatevera german lager, an american
lager?
I'm sure, I don't know, thatcanada has one, but I'm sure
there's other loggers out there.
Yep, whatever they did withthis one, it is really good.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Oh, I agree and, like I said, I am not knocking this
one at all because I would.
This is one, like I said before, you could come home on a hot
day.
Just grab one, go sit outsideand have a nice cold beer.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And not even think about mowing the grass.
Exactly, just stare at thegrass.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yep, so I really like it.
Like I said, the only reason Iput it one notch down is I
really did like that creamsicle.
I did too that flavor wasreally good.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
That's the only reason.
Well, but they're two differentbeers, right.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
One's a pale, ale one's a blogger.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
So you're not really.
It's apples, good beer.
So, wes, when you come home youshould probably bring some more
of that.
Hint, hint, hint, hint, nudge,nudge.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Okay, there, I found the next one already, so boy,
yeah, that's good, I wasimpressed, man.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
That one impressed me so far.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
The last two have been very good.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So Commonwealth Brewing they seem like they're.
I mean both of their beers thatwe had.
That's a top two right now.
Yeah for sure, and it's atoss-up Some days I would like
the lager, and some days I'dprobably like to have the
creamsicle.
Yep, exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Well, I suppose we can try this last one here, and
this is from Virginia BeerCompany, the, the Virginia Beer
Company, and they're out ofWilliamsburg, and this is their
Short Stack Imperial Maple BrownAle 8% ABV.
This one is one I've beenreally waiting to see.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
We've been eyeing it.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
We've been eyeing it and I'm hoping is it going to be
like you're eating a stack ofpancakes with maple syrup, or is
it going to be just it's notlike you get a lot of pancake
flavor out of any beer?
Speaker 2 (35:47):
So it's going to be.
How high is that maple flavor?
Well, and brown ales aretypically not flavorful, Right,
and the description on here saysale with maple syrup.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
All right, they have more untapped here.
It says brewed with in quotespretty much all the maple syrup.
Then it says a breakfast beer,if ever there was one.
It says then it says abreakfast beer, if ever there
was one.
This Imperial Brown Aleperfectly stacks a robust
multi-backbone with gallons upongallons of pure Vermont maple
(36:14):
syrup, sticky, sweet, warming.
So good, we made it a doubleorder because we know you'll be
back for more Interesting thatthey went to Vermont to get it.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Of course, I guess you think of vermont being more
maple syrup than right virginia,but this, this is going to be
interesting.
I'm looking forward to this one.
I'm thinking it could be.
I'm hoping it's not like so,mapley, that you're like, oh
yeah that can be anotherpolarizing ingredient right yep,
some sometimes it has been.
Now this one is slightly darkerthan all the other ones that
(36:46):
we've had.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Pretty much like midnight and noon.
Yeah, it is For a brown, aleit's actually pretty dark.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Yeah, you can definitely tell it's brown,
though you know it's not likethey're really dark like a stout
or porters and such.
So it's a brown ale, it's alight-colored porter and a dark
brown ale Yep.
Brown ale, yep, all at the sametime the head is kind of that
lighter, kind of a tannish.
I don't get much in the smell,I don't get in Roma.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Unfortunately, I pour mine first and I get a little
more head on it and I let itdown there.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well, let's see.
Oh yeah, there's maple syrup,but it's not over the top, nope.
And there's man that almostreminds me of oh, you know which
one I'm talking about?
I do, because it I mean ittastes very similar, very
similar.
There's a lot that I'll keepthinking about.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
I'll say but this isn't bad.
No, it's really maple up front.
And I don't mind maple.
This wouldn't be one, I'd drinktwo or three of.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You know the aftertaste kind of a you get
almost that burnt coffee taste.
It's the brown ale portion ofit, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
If you think of uh, what's the one up here that is
everywhere.
It's a nut brown ale Um not SamSmith, is it's?
Speaker 1 (37:53):
um?
It's not an anger minnow either.
No, I know what you're talkingabout.
Yeah, it's, it's the mostcommon one.
As soon as we get down AleSmith, there you go.
Ale Smith, yep.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Extra maple syrup, but at 8%.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
That's pretty I wouldn't have guessed it was 8%.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
No, I'd have been right at that.
Five and a half, maybe six, youknow.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
and it's funny because I know, ladies and
gentlemen, that you've heard mesay that a hundred times, but
there's beers that are 8% orhigher, that you can tell are
yeah, this is higher alcohol.
And then there's the ones thatthey, whatever they do, some of
it is flavoring, some of it isother stuff, but you can't even
tell.
I mean this one this didn'ttaste any stronger than any of
(38:37):
those other ones.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
No, you know what was the one that we had?
That was monkey bar.
Monkey bar, yep, that was like9% or 10% or whatever.
It was 9.5% or something, andyou couldn't tell at all.
It was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Like on last week's episode we had the quadruple IPA
was 12 and a half Right, youcouldn't tell at all, and even
Julie Jim's wife was like Inever would have thought that it
was that high.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Well, those have to get.
They have to again.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
You've got to feed the yeast right, right, to get
it that high Yep.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
So you've got to figure they're putting a lot of
sugar in there.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Well, and when I talked to my brother about it,
because he's working on, he'strying to get like an imperial,
he's trying to get a beer that'sup around that 12, 14% and he
said, man, he struggles becausethe vast majority of yeast will
die out at like eight to nine.
So he's been trying a bunch ofdifferent things and so, yeah,
it's interesting to see he hadsaid on one of the episodes kind
of what they have to do to kindof re-get it going again.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
The other thing too is most of the time when you see
a high abb beer almost any timeanymore it's barrel age, right,
right.
So the barrel itself hasalready has a lot of sugar and
char and all that stuff.
So I think when they do thatand from what I was reading not
too long ago, that also helpswith that that yeast is is
processing what's in the barrel,so you don't have to add as
(39:55):
much to do it.
But yep, this is the for a fora maple for brown ale.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
It's pretty smooth yeah, it's not bad um it's.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
It's a little maple heavy up front little man for my
taste.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And then you do get.
Like I said, you get that.
At first it reminded me of likea burnt coffee, coffee ground
kind flavor.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
but that is the nut brown.
It's the start of a porter.
That's how I like to refer toit.
There you go it's a watereddown porter.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
It's a porter.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
that didn't finish, that's right, it's an
underachieving porter.
Yeah, there you go, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
It's not bad, though I don't mind it.
No, you know was in a pint can,so I mean you're pot committed
when you open it.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Exactly, Thankfully we have help to drink.
The rest.
Yeah, I said, well, we'llfinish them.
We ain't going to deny thatThere'll be no dumping.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
But I don't know.
I think towards the end of thecan.
If you drank it all myself, Imight start to kind of get burnt
out of that finishing flavor.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I agree, I absolutely agree.
Right, I agree, I absolutelyagree.
And it's almost if you were totake that flavor and go a step
further.
You're at a stouter porter,right.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Right.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
And then we're happy.
Yes, this was like when youhear a melody and you know the
song, and they leave the lastnote Right.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (41:06):
I mean it's like uh, uh.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
There's more.
There's one more note, one morenote one more note.
Well, and it's like if, if youremember when jim and I did the
non-alcoholic.
Every one of those was the sameway where it was like you're
waiting for that finish and it'sjust not there.
Yeah, it's just not there, youknow.
So I'm like it's flavored wateryeah, it's like I think I just
(41:27):
rather drink the beer than thisnon-alcoholic stuff.
So so, score wise, I think I'mgonna go like a 2.7 I was gonna
say 2.8, it's yeah it's betterthan average yeah, it's
interesting it's.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I give them credit for the abv and then it's up
there.
The brown ale probably itselfis pretty darn good, yeah, um,
they could have laid off alittle bit of the maple and from
, just for my taste, uh, butother than that it's a good beer
.
I mean, it's not, it's not bad.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
This reminds me of the vanilla porter by uh,
kentucky no no, you know the one.
Uh, it's the one that I gottalook it up, because it's the
beer that they're known for.
Um, hang on, not, bro, browbrothers no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
uh, let's see, I know which one you're talking about
too, I know.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
As soon as I say it, you're going to be like duh.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Vanilla Porter is.
Anyway, ladies and gentlemen,I'm so upset A couple of old
guys that can't remember stuff.
I'm so upset Well, we've tried.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
So many beers.
It's hard to remember exactly,but it tastes like the
Breckenridge BreckenridgeBreckenridge Breckenridge,
breckenridge, vanilla Porter.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
That's what it reminds me of it, does the brown
part of it anyway, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Because once the maple's gone, it has kind of
that flavor to it.
Yep, you know?
Yep, absolutely so.
And yeah, I apologize for, likeI said, I was spacing off.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
As soon as you got the B out, I was with you.
I was with you, yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
So yeah, so, boy, I guess overall, brian, what are
you thinking?
How would you?
What were your two favorites or, I guess, overall, first off
overall?
What did you think of Virginiabeers, this little tour of
Virginia?
And then what would you saywere your top?
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Oh it makes me want to go to Commonwealth Brewing
for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
If they can put a lager and a creamsicle pale,
india pale, an IPA like that, itmakes me want to go to their
tap room.
Right, I was really impressedwith the pool noodle.
It's just a lager, but I wasreally impressed.
The ipa was good.
The other the two, thepineapple and the and the fruit
is sour were a littledisappointing.
They weren't bad beers but they, to your point, they didn't
taste like the advertised.
And pool noodle, being with theasterisk, it doesn't taste like
(43:27):
it advertises either.
But, um, we're not going to eatany glue and we're not going to
eat pool noodles, it's likestyrofoam.
The short stack we just had, uh,again, it's pretty good.
So I would.
It's a toss up between, uh, I'mgoing to say whether the sun's
out, I'm on a boat or sitting ina lawn chair where I'm going to
have the lager, the pale ale,right, Um, those two are both
really good beers.
And then probably the shortstack were just a little
(43:49):
disappointing.
Hopefully we didn't get a badcan, and we're not.
They weren't bad beers and Idon't want to, I don't want to
bad mouth anybody from fromDanville or from from Virginia
beach.
As far as, uh, the brewing, itjust weren't.
They just didn't stack up towhat I thought they should taste
like.
Um, but again, kudos to toCommonwealth brewing.
(44:09):
Both of those beers were reallygood.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Yeah, I agree.
Uh, the only difference I hadis, I think, as of right now, my
one.
I put it this way my number onewas the IPA, my 1A was the
lager and then the next one wasa short stack.
Yeah, I think overall it wasreally cool because, like I said
, I've never even heard of thesebreweries and I'm almost
(44:32):
positive, I've never had a beerfrom any of these.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
And so almost positive.
I've never had a beer from anyof these, and so that's really
cool, so thank you so much, wes,for sending them back,
absolutely, uh.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
And and again, those first two two out of three, two
out of five wasn't bad.
Yeah, yeah, you're learning.
Yeah, uh.
But those last two again, Ijust think they had so much
potential that if they had alittle bit more flavor.
And and that second one, ifyou're the name's a pineapple
and your logo is a pineapple guy, it's's got to taste like
pineapple.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
It's got to taste like pineapple, or call it a
half-wisened with a touch ofpineapple right, then it would
have been a whole differentsituation.
Yeah, if there'd have been ahead of wheat with army boots on
running across the can we'dhave been.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
oh, this is not too bad, not bad, but the fact that
we just didn't taste it and,like you said, it's up front and
then at the end, the back side,it's like the, almost like
breckenridge yeah, which isstill a good beer, yeah, but uh
you know, it's just a little onthe vanilla side, yeah, yeah it
(45:25):
could have had a touch moremaple flavor, that kind of hung
on just a little bitso yeah no other than that.
I think they were all good.
I'm glad that we got to trythem and hopefully we'll get to
try some more.
Maybe Wes will find some moreAbsolutely Hint, hint.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Yeah, hint, hint, nudge, nudge.
You know, bring them back withyou.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
I can send you my birthday, so you can send some
back.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Absolutely so awesome .
Well, brian, I guess we canwrap this up for the today.
But yeah, this is our firstepisode from the up in the North
woods and, like I said, itisn't going to be our last, and
in fact I think we're going togo to a local little bottle shop
here and just check out whatthey got.
So you never know, we may becoming back at some point.
(46:07):
Could be another one thisweekend, another one, you never
know but we're going to go checkit out, we're not scared, no,
no no, we did not get burned outby these five beers, so Wes
once again, like we said thankyou so much, man.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
And thank you for your service.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
Yes, Thank you for your service, Thank everybody in
the military and you know, thefirst responders, firefighters,
police, everything I mean.
Thank you so much for what youguys and gals do for all of us,
so so we can sit here and drinkbeer and talk like we know what
we're talking about Be merry.
Yeah, there you go.
Well, awesome.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you so much for listening.
Like we always say, we hopeyour campfire is always warm and
(46:40):
the beer is always cold.
See ya.
Thank you for listening to theNorthwoods Beer Guy podcast.
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
(47:04):
your beer is cold.
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 I don't know if
you can hear in the background,but we are back in the
Northwoods, so you know whatthat means.
That means I am here with BK,Absolutely so dude.
This is our first episode fromthe Northwoods this season.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This season, absolutely.
It's more like it's not evensummer.
I think we're back to spring.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
It's been out of order the entire year now, so
we're sitting outside, as youcan probably hear, but we're in
sweatshirts and pants becauseit's like 50 degrees 55 degrees
out.
Something like that and it's,which is good for beer, but not
for us, yeah, yeah.
So I hope everybody out there,all you guys, had a happy
Father's Day last Sunday, and Iknow we did, so hopefully it'll
(01:12):
be a good summer the rest of thetime and have some more beers
Absolutely so awesome.
Well, you brought aninteresting selection of beers
here, so I'm going to let youkind of give the background on
what.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
What we have where they came from, how they got
here, Uh, and, and we'll kind ofgo from there, if that's all
right, Absolutely so.
So Wes, my son, who's been on afew podcasts, uh, is in the
Navy and he's stationed out inVirginia.
So for his birthday his motherwent out and visited him and
probably made him clean hisapartment and all that kind of
stuff that moms do, and hedecided to send back five
(01:45):
different beers from Virginia.
One of them is his go-to, thathe likes.
But I think there are what?
Three different breweries.
I believe One, two, three, fourdifferent breweries.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Four yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And just a selection.
Now he's a little more on the.
He likes the fruited sours andhe likes the fruited beers more
than you and I typically do.
But yeah, it's an interestingselection.
I was impressed with what hedid.
Now I know also that he's rightbeside a Kroger.
He can walk to this Kroger.
And his mother was a littledisappointed that they didn't
(02:18):
shop at Kroger.
They went to Walmart.
First of all, walmart's cheaper, but second, she didn't know
that you could drink while youshop in Kroger.
They have a little bar there.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Hold on a second.
You can drink and shop whileyou Kroger is like a grocery
store, right, correct, correct.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So their carts actually have cup holders on
them.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So kudos to Kroger for the love of everything
that's only we need to get aKroger close to us, then we need
it several right yeah, or youknow it doesn't have be a.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I would be okay as long as it's not a Target or
Walmart or if they just putcraft beer on tap.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
You know, it's always funny, because when I go to the
grocery store I'm sure you havedone this before but you eat
that one grape to see if it's,and then I'm paranoid, thinking
that they thought I stole it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
They're following you .
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I can't believe what they'd do if I cracked open a
six pack.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
No, no kidding, and have the evidence.
Yeah, have a glass while you'rewandering through the store.
So, uh, so yeah, she was alittle disappointed.
They didn't shop there, theywent to walmart, but uh, he has
a really nice.
They have aisles of craft beerin that particular kroger
interesting and the few timesI've been in kroger's down
towards the south, um, they'vealways had a pretty good beer
selection, so, uh, this would beinteresting.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yep, yep, for sure.
And, ladies and gentlemen, ifyou remember, when we were in
Florida, wes was on, I think,three podcasts.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Two or three for sure .
Two or three for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So yeah, we were down there last year with him and
went to some places in Floridathat I had never heard of or
been to.
I know you had been to thembefore, but here again.
He moved to Virginia, Virginiaand now we get to try beers that
, like I said, I don't thinkI've ever heard any of these
breweries.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So it's going to really be interesting.
We know the state that's aboutit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, now we do.
We also talked earlier that ifwe like these, we'll be like hey
, you know, our palates are itshows how our palates are
changing, and developing and howwe like any kind of beer.
If we don't like them, thenwe're going to ask Wes, how can
you drink this?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
stuff.
It's entirely his fault.
That's exactly how it's goingto be so.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
yeah, you know best of both worlds for us Absolutely
.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
We're going to win either way, exactly.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, hey, we might as well get going.
So I guess the first one wehave is from, is it Ballad?
I think it's called rainbowsherbet or sherbet, however you
(04:40):
want to say it.
It's a sour, it says fruitedsour and it says a classic treat
with a little tartness.
We took our house sour andadded rainbow sherbet and a
touch of lactose for a creamy,fruit-forward dessert sour.
This should be interesting.
Like you said, I know Wes kindof likes the fruited beers and
such.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
So we'll see, this is an absolute rainbow of a can.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Oh yeah, it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
We'll have to pull this one off and stick it on the
bar.
For those that don't know, wepull the labels off and stick
them on the bar at Mike's place.
Yeah, if they're a cool label.
Now I'm curious is it going tobe orange?
Is it going to be pink?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, is it going to be green?
Is it going to be?
Yeah, that should beinteresting.
I don't of muddled color, it'shard to say.
That's kind of just turns out,it's just beer, beer color what
man?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
we had our hopes up and just beer.
If we wait long enough, maybeit'll change.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It might change, yeah it definitely cannot see
through it.
It is cloudy it is cloudy andthere's floaters boy.
The aroma is tart.
That's very smart.
Uh, I smelled it and my mouthstarted to water from like the
tart reaction you know, yeah,it's not sour, that's.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
We've talked a lot about that.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
but I thought it would be a little sweeter.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Listening to that description and kind of the
trend in sours nowadays.
They're real sweet, but this islike you said, it's tart, it's
not sour.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
No, there's a difference.
Sour beers I don't likenecessarily, but yeah, I'm
starting to get hints of otherstuff.
It's pretty cold yet.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, I don't know what the it's probably not going
to warm up a whole lot yeahprobably not.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
We're almost ambient, I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Boy.
I wish it would have said alittle bit more.
Well, if it's rainbow, thentypically that rainbow sherbet
is.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Berries.
There's berries in there ofsome sort of you know, something
like that.
It doesn't have a bad flavor,no, and the tartness goes away.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah it doesn't make your jaws clench too bad.
Right, you have that initialkind of tart on the swallow and
then it kind of goes away realquick.
So it's not not bad, no, it'sinteresting.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It's, um, it's kind of basic.
I don't want to say it's bad,it's basic, it's tart.
I get some fruit, I get somecitrus and then that's about it.
Like I don, I don't the lactose, I'm lacking.
Like I don't, I don't believe Iget the sweetness from the
lactose, and maybe they justhave a little bit in there.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, and typically like a milk stout or things like
that, it makes it kind of asmoother mouthfeel.
I don't really pick that up onthis one either.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
This one's tart enough that it still it might
eat it away.
It still eats away at it alittle bit yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I guess I can see how Wes could drink it.
You know, it's not, it's notterrible at all.
Um, I don't know if I coulddrink a full pint.
Can I might start, or, dan, youmight get a little.
This is liquid heartburn.
Heartburn, right, if it werehot out.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Wes and and Noel and Wes both said he had not had any
of these except for the for oneof his go-to.
One of these is his go-to beer.
We'll talk about it in a minute.
But they tried all of themcause they came in four packs or
six packs, but he yeah, hehadn't had any of these except
for one, uh, previously.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
He was doing kind of, he was doing a tasting as well.
Well, there you go.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, it's.
I guess I could have saw ifthey had maybe had a little bit
more of a fruit flavor, I think.
Just my personal opinion.
It's almost like they.
I'm not going to say theymissed the boat, but I think
there was a definite potentialfor a little bit more fruity
flavor to it.
Yep, it's basic.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, I will bet their basic sour is pretty tart,
pretty tart.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I bet you're right, because if they, you know, added
lactose to this and and fruit.
And fruit, yeah, and whateverelse they put in there, it'd be
really tart, Really tart.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, that would make your jaws clench right and
honestly it gets.
I get a little bit of an IPA ora citra hops, Like there's
almost an IPA smell to it.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, like I said, like the grapefruity smell.
Yeah, see, the first thing Inoticed, just that tart smell.
So you knew it was going to betart but, like you said
perfectly, it goes awayinstantly.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, I mean it lingers a little, very little.
Some of those were.
Some of those that are super,super tart, Like when you were a
kid and had too many sweettarts in the movies and you like
the Diet Coke won't make it goaway.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
There you go.
That's a good representation ora good comparison.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
And it is cloudy as can be, as cloudy as our skies
are right now.
It is cloudy.
It's not a filtered beer at all.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Boy that is that is interesting.
It's interesting, like I said.
I just I think it would beliquid heartburn eventually you
know, yeah, if you had four ofthese four pack or whatever I'd
be like.
Oh yeah, no, I don't.
You'd be right in the I havetwo beers and two Mephrizol.
Where's?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
the Tums at.
I'm going to pour just a littlemore and see if I get more.
Yeah, I'll take a little bitmore too, if you would, and see
if.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It's like I said, it's not bad, but I just I wish
they had a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, I did turn the can several times to.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I just think that part they might've missed it
just a little bit, I think so.
They had a lot of potentialthere, Cause I know you've had
it and I've had rainbow sherbet,yeah, sherbet, Uh before and
there's so many differentflavors in it and it's just like
I said I, I I feel like the,the sourness or tartness I
should say I'm sorry, thetartness kind of overpowers or
overshines everything, you,everything, you know you don't
(09:41):
get like a flavor like I wasexpecting there's no defining
flavor to it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It's it's very citrusy yeah um, which is not
disappointing, but it's I.
I expected more sweetness ifit's going to be, if it's going
to be, the sherbet yeah andthose of you that think we're
being silly, if you actuallylook at the word that you've
pronounced sherbert, your wholelife there's.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
no, it's not a silent , it's an invisible one, exactly
.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I would say on this one, if we're going to start
talking numbers, I can't go withthree on it.
I'm thinking probably around atwo, seven, two, eight.
It's not bad Right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Yeah, oh, I'm sorry, keep going.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I expected a little more.
When I'm looking on the can andthere's ice cream on it and I'm
thinking lactose and a littlesweetness.
I didn't get any of that.
So it's not a bad sour.
It's more tart than sour, whichI'm happy about, but I felt
like they oversold,underdelivered, right.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yep, I agree 100% with you because, like I said
earlier, I think they had a realopportunity where they could
have really had some flavors,kind of brought that sherbet
flavor to the forefront a littlebit and still had the tartness,
um.
But like you had said, brianit's I get the tartness, but I
just I really don't get anythingthat reminds me of a of that
(10:57):
flavor.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
No, it's all citrus, maybe they they, they uh lacked
in the lactose department.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
That or they didn't actually try the rainbow one,
they just did like the lemon oneor whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
There is, like I said , it's all citrus in there.
It just lacked a little.
They had a palette and theydidn't use it.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yep, I agree, so you went a 2.7?
.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I went 2.7.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I think I'm going to go like a 2.5, to be honest,
it's not bad, but I really wishit had more flavor.
Yeah, so I agree it's cool.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
This is the first beer from Ballad Brewing I've
ever had, so it's not a bad one,and we looked at their website.
They had a bunch of other onestoo, so hopefully I'll get out
to visit my son at some point.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
So now where?
What part of Virginia is he in?
So Wesley's in Suffolk,virginia, suffolk.
Okay, yep.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
And again, they spent some time in Norfolk and they
spent some time they went toVirginia Beach.
They did not a carrier tour,but they were on a.
I'm not sure he gave me thedesignation, but it's a
helicopter, boat, basically.
Oh, okay, so they do search andrescue.
From that it goes with thecarrier battle group out and
it's actually it's not as big asthe hospital ship, but they
(12:03):
also take wounded and stuff.
So Noel got to geek outmedically on on the ship too.
So they had a lot of fun whilewe were there.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So how does he like it compared to Florida?
Cause I know when we were downthere he said he really kind of
didn't like the heat.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
He said he bleeping hates Florida.
He, he enjoys.
I think he enjoys it now.
He, you know he's got a job nowhe's not in training, the
stress of that is not there.
Just got promoted,Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Congratulations, Wes and he's E5 now.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
He golfs, he goes climbing.
I think he's just kind ofturning into a human.
He doesn't have a job on a ship, right, so he works in an
office or he does cybersecurityand that kind of stuff.
So a little different scenariothan a lot of people.
But you know what?
He's still serving his country,oh yeah.
And whether you're behind akeyboard or behind a monitor,
(12:53):
and or if you're on a ship.
God bless all those men andwomen that do that, and
especially in today's climateright, there's some nasty stuff
going on, and my nephew is also.
He's in Germany in the army andand I worry about him more for
sure than my son.
But God bless you all that areout there doing it.
It's it's it's great thatpeople are still signing up to
(13:15):
do that, because in the intoday's climate right, it's kind
of a it's kind of a mess, andthat's just the way to yeah, you
got that right.
On that note.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think we should look at another beer that we
sent back.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I think we probably should, as I'm looking, there's
a bottle of water here and I'mlike you know what?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
We should probably maybe try to get rid of the
sherbet.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
The sherbet needs to get out of there.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I guess that's the one good thing about sitting
outside we can just kind of acool looking can too.
This is Pineapple Grenade.
It's a pineapple wheat beer andthere's kind of a funny looking
army, a pineapple dressed uplike an army guy.
And this is from Young VeteransBrewing Company and they're out
of Virginia Beach, yep.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So this is a Weedale brewed with pineapple puree.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yep, and on untapped.
Here's what they said.
It said this is our refreshingtake on a classic German style.
This pineapple Hefeweizenexplodes with sweet and tangy
fruit flavors, backed byfragments of spicy clove and
banana.
Go ahead, pull the pin.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Well, I didn't see banana on here.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
It says a rich mouthfeel.
Well, we'll find out.
This is a little different.
On the can here yeah, this onesays Frag out our fruited wheat
ale boasts a rich mouthfeel,full body and shards I don't
know about shards, shards ofjuicy pineapple, pull the pin
and toss one back.
Experience the explosive wheatcharacter, tangy fruit flavors
(14:45):
and notes of tropical, tropicalbliss so shards and bliss we're
getting, I guess, okay, perfect,I'm in what could go wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I'm gonna guess that this is gonna be maybe pineapple
color, so I'm wondering,because now they have another
one in here, so I may have readthe wrong one, brian, because
that one said it was tillthrough 2020.
Oh, so now this one new 2023recipe, this might, this, could.
This is now okay.
Now, with quadruple the amountof pineapple, frag out our
(15:09):
fruited wheat ale boasts a richmouthfeel, full body and shards
of juicy pineapple.
Pull the pin and toss one back,experience the explosive wheat
character, tangy fruit flavorsand notes of tropical bliss.
So this is the one we have.
Yeah, this is the one we've got.
So they just updated it, butquadruple the amount of
pineapple it is definitely awheat beer colored yes, it's,
(15:32):
definitely it's.
It's not quite as cloudy asthat first one no, but it's
still cloudy.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
You can't see through it.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I smell the pineapple the aroma is.
To me it's kind of fairly faint.
It's not real in your face.
Okay, that's different.
I don't know, I'm not getting awhole lot of pineapple.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
No, but there's a weird mouthfeel, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yes, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know how to say it there, Cause it says
there's a.
Is it a different mouthfeel?
A rich mouthfeel?
There's something kind of odd.
Maybe it's the clove.
It's gotta be, it has to be.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I'm sitting here going okay, I faintly get the
Hefeweizen.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, I get a little wheat.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I think it's the clove, that, and it's not
overpowering because we've hadother clove beers that are
overpowering.
It's a weird.
It's a weird, weird mouthfeel.
But considering they said thatthere's four times the pineapple
, I'm not getting the pineapple.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
I just I'm not getting it and I was hoping.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
well, remember we were talking earlier.
I'm like it's either going tobe like we're drinking the juice
out of a can of slicedpineapple.
That's not really it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
No, it's pretty.
It's laid back in that regard,it's not.
It's not very in your face,pineapple-y Compared to the I
mean the can.
Right, those of you who look atthe picture you should like.
It may be a pina colada withwheat in it, right?
Speaker 1 (16:42):
yeah, I mean it's not bad and I know I like
hefeweizen, if you likehefeweizen, but it's like you
said, it's that it's it's got tobe the clove it has got to be.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's got to be.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
It's not the shards, yeah no, or the bliss, or the
bliss.
Yeah, I think we've tastedbliss before.
Yeah, well, that's not it.
That's not it at all.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah that's different , said I've been both of these.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Because it talks about so much fruit in it, I
went ahead and rolled the cansgood to make sure We'll have to
find out from Wes what hethought of this one, because,
like I said, I was expectingpineapple, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
He might be your friend on Untappable.
He might have rated them.
We'll have to see.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
We'll have to look, let me look.
Oh, a friend did.
Nope, it wasn't him, it wasanother guy, somebody else.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Somebody else rated it I don't even know how to
pronounce things now themouthfeel, which is the first
time I think I've ever seen thaton a label.
There's just a weird, again aweird feeling when you first sip
it.
And I think it's the clove Ireally do.
The good thing is the cloveisn't super powerful, but it's
(17:48):
mixed in with the wheat.
Yeah, I'm not flashing back todays in the dentist chair and
getting my wisdom teeth pulledright.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I think anybody who, as old as we, are, right and had
their wisdom teeth out probablyall of us hate clove.
Oh yeah, Because that was whatall those things tasted, like
that packing, or whatever theyused.
Yeah, yeah, there's a subtlesomething up front front and I
don't get much pineapple at all.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I can smell it.
I know we've said this before,jim has said it, you know a
hundred thousand times.
But when in my thing is whenthat is the first word on your
label, it should be prominent.
If it's on the label, it shouldbe in the can Yep and label.
It should be prominent.
If it's on the label, it shouldbe in the can Yep.
And when it's the number oneword in big letters pineapple
you should be able to tastepineapple and not immediately.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
And myself I don't get any.
Thankfully we're not tastinggrenade.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Correct, correct, yeah, yeah, that would be a
whole different thing.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
The weed is there.
The other thing that I just,that was the other one 2015 to
2020.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Right, this one does not say anything about banana.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Because that can give you your mouth feel different.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Like it's a different smoothness right.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yep and see, we've had a few banana beers and
they're always.
It's almost like they're Idon't want to say slicker, you
know what I mean.
It sort of feels like when youdrink it Right.
It's like whoa.
It's weird.
I'm kind of bummed on it, justbecause I was expecting a lot of
pineapple, especially when itsaid quadruple the amount of
(19:11):
pineapple.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Well, again there's a pineapple marching with a
military hat on right.
You expect it to be burstingwith pineapple.
It should be very.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
My thought was very pineapple forward.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
No, it's not, it smells.
You can get the aroma.
Yeah, a pineapple yeah, butit's very faint but it's faint,
but it's.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
It's more pronounced than the flavor.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yeah, I'm I.
It tastes more like a half wise, and then it does a pineapple
or a fruited.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
I agree 100 with you uh, score wise I'm honestly I'm
going like a 2.3, yeah on this,just because that is the, the,
the focus and the, the big pushis the pineapple.
Right you said the character onthere, the huge pineapple word
and I I just get a very faintaroma and no taste.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's lacking the pineapple, for sure I'm.
I'm with you.
Two, three, two, four somewhereright in there.
It's not even I'm disappointedby it.
I was kind of excited aboutthat and we talked about it
before we got the mics out.
Which ones are you kind ofinterested in?
And this was one of them,because I like pineapple beers,
I like pineapple in general.
Right but yeah, that's a littledisappointing.
Actually, the Heffwisen portionof it tastes really good.
(20:19):
It's a well-blended HeffwisenYep.
It doesn't taste gritty orgrainy and maybe some of the
pineapple mellowed that out.
I'm not sure, but I, I like Ialways told you, you know,
growing up in kansas, wheat allaround us and wheat harvest time
it, it tastes.
It tastes, uh, dusty yeah right?
Yeah, this one does not, so I'dI'd be interested just to have
their hefeweizen.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Right, that was actually the wheat portion of
that's really good.
I agree, because you know anywheat beer has that flavor.
Once you, if you hand you ormyself a beer and it's blind
taste test if you, you can tellit's a wheat beer, just like
that Immediately.
This one isn't quite asnoticeable, you know, and, like
you said, I'd love to try justthe regular Hefeweizen, and
(20:59):
maybe that's you're right.
It could be that the pineapplekind of balances that out maybe.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I don't know, man.
I just, if you blind tastedthis, we'd know it was a
hefeweizen, but we couldn't haveguessed any of the other
ingredients.
I wouldn't have guessed apineapple at all.
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Well, west picked that one out so far.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
He's not bad.
He's not bad the greatest he's.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
No, it's like I said before.
It's not terrible by any means,but it's just.
I wish there was more yeah, youknow.
So the next one, and this isone I think we both are really
kind of interested in.
This is by Commonwealth Brewingand they are out of Virginia
Beach as well, and this is theyhave their description.
(21:40):
It is Kooks Orange CreamsicleIndia Pale Ale.
Their description is IPA withorange and vanilla.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Well, obviously they're people of few words.
This is actually 6.5%, so thisone's getting up there.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Oh yeah, what was the ?
The first one was 4.4 and thiswas the Pineapple Wheat Bears
5.5.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
5.5.
So this is 6.
6.5.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
6.5.
Coming up.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah, okay, which for an IPA is fairly yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Now, I don't know if you listened to last week's
episode I have not yet but Jimand Julie were on there and we
did an entire episode on thedifferent levels of IPA.
So we started off the firstbeer we had was a pale ale, just
a pale ale, right.
Then it went to an APA AmericanPale Ale, an IPA, a double, a
triple and a quadruple.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Well, now they have West Coast IPAs too.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Oh yeah, we didn't go to West Coast or Hazy, because
we've done other episodes wherewe had a lot of those on there
too, but I know they had neverhad a whole lot of the different
levels, so to speak.
And it was kind of crazy because, honestly, jim and Julie both
kind of liked them and the onlything that really went up was
(22:53):
the abv.
I mean the none of them were.
I see I figured every step wewent up higher it was going to
get hoppier and hoppier.
Were they all the same brand?
I didn't again the same samecompany.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
So boulevard boulevard makes them all yes, um
, and I remember the first timeI ever had a pale ale.
I think it was probablyBoulevard Pale Ale.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Or it was.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Boulevard.
I'm trying to rememberBoulevard is.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Sierra Nevada has the all-day IPA.
Kansas City, though Boulevard'sout of Kansas City yes.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
It was the first one and Boulevard Pale Ale.
That was a good beer.
It still is a good beer, it'sstill a good one.
It's kind of an everyday all-.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Exactly so.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
This is their Creamsicle, so I have to expect
this to be a little bit orange.
We'll find out.
We'll find out it's a littlefoamy.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I know we've had a couple other beers that are
orange Creamsicle and actuallythey've been one of them tasted
just like a Creamsicle, so I'mkind of hoping we get at least
somewhat of that.
It actually looks like orangejuice.
Yeah, it's definitely a moreorange color than what your
normal pale ale is.
And again, you can't seethrough it.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You can't see through it.
Nope, so we're getting someactual nutrients with it.
Smells like an IPA.
Yep, smells like an IPA.
There's a little sweetness toit in the smell.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Ooh, that's there's a little bit that's smooth.
There's a little bit of aweirdness on the finish, but
other than that that's good.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
But that's a real orange.
Oh yeah, Taste right, Right.
You know, it's like a rind,almost like they're making some
peel in there.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
That's actually pretty damn good.
That's pretty good.
I don't mind that.
It's a good thing we pickedthat one.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
That's right.
Yeah, that's.
I don't get a whole lot ofvanilla, but I think, no, the
end is the vanilla hanging on.
It could be no, and that'sagain.
That is.
It looks like if you've everbeen to a diner and or no, not a
diner.
If you've ever been to a hoteland you go down and get orange
juice off the um, thecomplimentary breakfast, yeah,
(24:36):
that's the color of the orangejuice that usually comes out of
the machine that's a good yeah,good, a good comparison, because
it looks like, yeah, where it'sthat it's orange juice, but
it's kind of on the verge of notOf tainted water.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yeah, yeah, there's something they mixed in there.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
That's just the color , not the taste.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
No, no, this is actually a pretty good beer.
Of the three, this is myfavorite so far.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It's not hoppy.
This is not bad, it's not hoppyat all.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
No, the aroma is more hop, and that's got to be the
vanilla.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
At the end, I would sure think there is.
For sure you can taste the raworange, yes, which I enjoy
oranges, just you know, Iusually throw one in my bag
before I go to work.
What's the one?
We had Kentucky.
The Kentucky one that has atangerine.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
That's super, super orangey tart Like tangerine
cream ale or whatever it was.
Yeah, the tangerine cream inthe barrel.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
In the barrel, yeah, and that one was too much In
Lexington yeah, this is awell-balanced yeah.
I don't get any IPA, except forsmell.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Yeah, I say the aroma is the only thing I get that
really tells you it's an IPA.
The aroma smells like an IPA,but boy, the flavor is
definitely orange.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And, like you said, it's got to be that vanilla on
the end.
This is actually more sour thanthe sour we had to me because
oranges get a little bit sour.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would agree they're not.
It's not tart, right?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
um, no, that's a.
That's an interesting one.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I like that yeah, so commonwealth brewing
commonwealth brewing.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Which kind of I'm.
When I first thought of it, hetold me it was commonwealth
brewing on the.
The next one is is the one thatis go-to, that he always has a
few in the fridge.
I was thinking penn, thinkingPennsylvania, because I used to
manage telecommunicationsequipment and it was always the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaright, oh sure, so I was
thinking I go.
Is it a Pennsylvania?
No, it's Virginia, dad.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Why would I have Pennsylvania?
That's exactly what he said.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Well, I didn't know I go.
It's still Virginia's aCommonwealth dad.
Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And eighth grade social studies had to come back,
you know your mind is full ofother stuff.
That's, yeah, I got stuff goingon.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I don't mind this at all.
No, you know, and, like I said,we you and I all drink IPAs.
I know there's a like we talkedabout on the last episode, jim
and Julian and myself, that youknow IPAs are really.
They're kind of one of thosestyles that you love them or
hate them.
Yeah, they're polarizing,they're very polarizing, and
this is a good.
(26:48):
I think a person that has neverhad an IPA could drink this and
not be offended at all, otherthan the aroma.
The aroma.
They're going to instantlythink, oh, this is going to be
super hoppy.
Not at all.
No, it's not, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
And if you were ever going to try to branch into a
fruited beer Right, this wouldanother one.
Wouldn't be a bad one to startwith.
It's not overpowering.
It tastes like actual fruitit's not the fake like weed,
doesn't taste like Tang Right,and vanilla.
Um, it tastes like oranges andand I get a little bit of
bitterness, like like, maybethere's some orange peel in it
too.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
It could very well be Um no, that's a well-balanced
beer.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
That's that.
It's blended well, it tasteswhat it says.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Truth in advertising.
What it says on the can is inthe can.
Now we can't say that about thenext one coming up, because
that would put us in a weirdsituation.
This is a really good beer If Iwas going to go.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
If I were going to go numbers on this, this is right
up about a 3.2, 3.3 for me, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Yep, I was going to say this is for sure a 3.1.
I'd go 3.1.
Yeah, I'd go 3.1.
Yeah, I agree with you.
I knew this was definitely itwas over a 3.
Because this is what it says ittastes like and again, like I
had said before, I got the aromaof the IPA, but you didn't get
the bite or the hop type flavor,you know.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
And there was zero hop.
Yeah, I really enjoyed it andagain, I do think that kind of
weirdness at the end is thevanilla wearing itself off right
, it's got to be, but.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I'm sure that helped kill some of the hop flavor too.
Yeah, it has to be, because,like I said, the vanilla wasn't
super pronounced, but Iguarantee that's what it was.
Yeah, no doubt, because afteryou said it it's like I can see
that that's the vanilla.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
That's another ingredient that can be
overpowering.
It can be wonderful, it can beweird.
Vanilla is one of those, thoseoddities that, depending on what
it's with, can really changethe character and the the
smoothness.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
it can affect everything on a beer and we've
had some really bad ones, um,and we've had some really good
ones and they I think they useda lot more in dark beers and
high abv to kind of hide thatalcohol right yep, I would agree
with you 100, because we've hadsome that are super vanilla
forward, you know, and you'relike oh, that first flavor, the
first taste, is pretty good, andthen after that you're like I'm
(29:11):
kind of getting vanilla doubt alittle bit, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
That's right.
No, it's, it's.
Uh, that was.
That was a good beer, for sure,All right.
So this next one is is my son'sgo-to and the one, the one that
we're going to do next, the onewe're doing next, okay, so this
again truth in advertising.
The name of this beer is PoolNoodle, so I hope it doesn't
taste like a pool noodle.
Is it going to be the green oneor the blue one?
(29:35):
Not that I've had a pool noodlebefore.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I'm pretty sure we've all been hit with a pool noodle
before and I have zero.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
this is just an American lager.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, here I'll look up on untapped.
I shirked my duty, Brian.
I apologize, I was too busyspacing off there, I think.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I was worried you were looking up questions.
You're going to quiz me aboutsomething, no, no.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Okay, this one is by Commonwealth, as well, this is
Commonwealth Boring as well.
And this is 5.3% Yep, and theyhave absolutely no description
on Untapped.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
It's an American Merca.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It's an.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
American lager and he says this is his go-to so let's
give it a whirl, let's give ita shot.
I expect this to be a littledarker than our last three beers
.
It's a lager and it is lighterthan all of them.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I was going to say the color is.
I expect it to be a littledarker than that, that I
expected it to be a littledarker than that.
That is kind of crazy, dude.
I thought it was going to bebecause you know your classic
lager is almost.
It's not amber, but it's closerto that than like a clear
pilsner yellow.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
This is pilsner or wheat colored.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Or wheat, yeah, or like a lemon shandy color almost
that smells like a lager, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
That smells good.
Oh yeah, that's a good beer,boy, that's almost got a, he's
not wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Almost a little bit of a fruit hint, almost, I mean,
it's a little bit of asweetness there.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Way up front.
And then it's got that I'vetalked about before.
That brood taste Like iced tea,like sun tea.
It's got that kind of tartnessat the end.
It's not bitterness.
That's interesting.
That is a really good beer.
Kudos, son, for picking thatone.
I'll give you credit on thatone.
That one is a I could drink waytoo many.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
I could drink too many of those.
Yeah, yeah, at 5.3,.
Yeah, but I mean flavor-wise,it's one of those that, oh yeah,
you could drink three four,five of them.
You know what I mean.
And yeah, you wouldn't getburned out from the flavor.
Yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That is as far as just a basic lager that is
really well blended and and,like you said, a little bit of
sweetness up front.
Yep, no bitterness in the headat all, no weird aftertaste.
That is just.
That is a fantastic beer.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
It says on the label too, it's family owned and
operated the brewery.
So that's cool, that is awesome.
I give them credit.
Their labels are are.
They're kind of out there Imean, it's not like like the
some of the sours and ips, whereyou got the wizards and dragons
and stuff, but this is justlike kind of a design.
Whatever you'll see thepictures, um, but I give them
credit, this is pretty good.
And then they got the band withthe here's the beer, you know
(32:01):
no, that is a, that is afantastic I still can't believe
the color though.
I can't either.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I'm really, you know, I was thinking well, Budweiser.
That was a darker beer when Iwas growing up right Sure it was
a darker color.
This is absolutely a Pilsner,like a light colored Pilsner.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Yes, a light Pilsner almost.
Yes, a Hefeweizen kind of color.
That is wild, you, that's thatis.
Yeah, that's a good flavor.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
I do enjoy that, that is uh, yeah, and that's an
again an everyday drinker.
Yep, you wouldn't, you wouldn'tseek that out to have a special
beer after a big dinner orsomething.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
But you could have three of them while you're
making dinner.
Yep, exactly maybe not so muchat 5.3, but that is for a beer,
where you you come home afterwork you're like I'm just gonna
get a, grab a beer.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
This would be easy drinking.
Plop in the lawn chair andrelax Sit there and, yeah, this
would be totally good.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
That is a really good beer.
So, score-wise, what do youthink?
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I'm really impressed with this one.
I was given, I mean my son, andhe told me this is his go-to
beer.
So I was really wanting to trythis one and now I'm glad he
sent one.
This is a really really wellblended and smooth lager.
Sometimes lagers can get alittle bit up front in your face
, right a little a little toomalty, or, you know, barley or
(33:14):
whatever it is up front they geta little grainy.
This one is not.
Uh, it's got a.
It's a sweet start, it's got asmooth finish.
There's no aftertaste.
Oh man, this is a tough one.
This is, I gotta go, probably athree, two, two, three, one,
three, two on this.
It is a really good lager.
I don't know that I've ever hada lager of this type better,
honestly.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Right, yeah, I was going to say I, I'm going to go
with 3.0, just for the simplefact that I think I like that
IPA just one notch better forjust I hate to say it for a
plain lager, you know you know,I hate to say it that way, but
this is really good.
It is and it's really good.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I don't know the difference between uh well, I'm
sure it's all hops and whatevera german lager, an american
lager?
I'm sure, I don't know, thatcanada has one, but I'm sure
there's other loggers out there.
Yep, whatever they did withthis one, it is really good.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Oh, I agree and, like I said, I am not knocking this
one at all because I would.
This is one, like I said before, you could come home on a hot
day.
Just grab one, go sit outsideand have a nice cold beer.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And not even think about mowing the grass.
Exactly, just stare at thegrass.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yep, so I really like it.
Like I said, the only reason Iput it one notch down is I
really did like that creamsicle.
I did too that flavor wasreally good.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
That's the only reason.
Well, but they're two differentbeers, right.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
One's a pale, ale one's a blogger.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
So you're not really.
It's apples, good beer.
So, wes, when you come home youshould probably bring some more
of that.
Hint, hint, hint, hint, nudge,nudge.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Okay, there, I found the next one already, so boy,
yeah, that's good, I wasimpressed, man.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
That one impressed me so far.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
The last two have been very good.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So Commonwealth Brewing they seem like they're.
I mean both of their beers thatwe had.
That's a top two right now.
Yeah for sure, and it's atoss-up Some days I would like
the lager, and some days I'dprobably like to have the
creamsicle.
Yep, exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Well, I suppose we can try this last one here, and
this is from Virginia BeerCompany, the, the Virginia Beer
Company, and they're out ofWilliamsburg, and this is their
Short Stack Imperial Maple BrownAle 8% ABV.
This one is one I've beenreally waiting to see.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
We've been eyeing it.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
We've been eyeing it and I'm hoping is it going to be
like you're eating a stack ofpancakes with maple syrup, or is
it going to be just it's notlike you get a lot of pancake
flavor out of any beer?
Speaker 2 (35:47):
So it's going to be.
How high is that maple flavor?
Well, and brown ales aretypically not flavorful, Right,
and the description on here saysale with maple syrup.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
All right, they have more untapped here.
It says brewed with in quotespretty much all the maple syrup.
Then it says a breakfast beer,if ever there was one.
It says then it says abreakfast beer, if ever there
was one.
This Imperial Brown Aleperfectly stacks a robust
multi-backbone with gallons upongallons of pure Vermont maple
(36:14):
syrup, sticky, sweet, warming.
So good, we made it a doubleorder because we know you'll be
back for more Interesting thatthey went to Vermont to get it.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
Of course, I guess you think of vermont being more
maple syrup than right virginia,but this, this is going to be
interesting.
I'm looking forward to this one.
I'm thinking it could be.
I'm hoping it's not like so,mapley, that you're like, oh
yeah that can be anotherpolarizing ingredient right yep,
some sometimes it has been.
Now this one is slightly darkerthan all the other ones that
(36:46):
we've had.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Pretty much like midnight and noon.
Yeah, it is For a brown, aleit's actually pretty dark.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Yeah, you can definitely tell it's brown,
though you know it's not likethey're really dark like a stout
or porters and such.
So it's a brown ale, it's alight-colored porter and a dark
brown ale Yep.
Brown ale, yep, all at the sametime the head is kind of that
lighter, kind of a tannish.
I don't get much in the smell,I don't get in Roma.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Unfortunately, I pour mine first and I get a little
more head on it and I let itdown there.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well, let's see.
Oh yeah, there's maple syrup,but it's not over the top, nope.
And there's man that almostreminds me of oh, you know which
one I'm talking about?
I do, because it I mean ittastes very similar, very
similar.
There's a lot that I'll keepthinking about.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
I'll say but this isn't bad.
No, it's really maple up front.
And I don't mind maple.
This wouldn't be one, I'd drinktwo or three of.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You know the aftertaste kind of a you get
almost that burnt coffee taste.
It's the brown ale portion ofit, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
If you think of uh, what's the one up here that is
everywhere.
It's a nut brown ale Um not SamSmith, is it's?
Speaker 1 (37:53):
um?
It's not an anger minnow either.
No, I know what you're talkingabout.
Yeah, it's, it's the mostcommon one.
As soon as we get down AleSmith, there you go.
Ale Smith, yep.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Extra maple syrup, but at 8%.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
That's pretty I wouldn't have guessed it was 8%.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
No, I'd have been right at that.
Five and a half, maybe six, youknow.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
and it's funny because I know, ladies and
gentlemen, that you've heard mesay that a hundred times, but
there's beers that are 8% orhigher, that you can tell are
yeah, this is higher alcohol.
And then there's the ones thatthey, whatever they do, some of
it is flavoring, some of it isother stuff, but you can't even
tell.
I mean this one this didn'ttaste any stronger than any of
(38:37):
those other ones.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
No, you know what was the one that we had?
That was monkey bar.
Monkey bar, yep, that was like9% or 10% or whatever.
It was 9.5% or something, andyou couldn't tell at all.
It was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Like on last week's episode we had the quadruple IPA
was 12 and a half Right, youcouldn't tell at all, and even
Julie Jim's wife was like Inever would have thought that it
was that high.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Well, those have to get.
They have to again.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
You've got to feed the yeast right, right, to get
it that high Yep.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
So you've got to figure they're putting a lot of
sugar in there.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Well, and when I talked to my brother about it,
because he's working on, he'strying to get like an imperial,
he's trying to get a beer that'sup around that 12, 14% and he
said, man, he struggles becausethe vast majority of yeast will
die out at like eight to nine.
So he's been trying a bunch ofdifferent things and so, yeah,
it's interesting to see he hadsaid on one of the episodes kind
of what they have to do to kindof re-get it going again.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
The other thing too is most of the time when you see
a high abb beer almost any timeanymore it's barrel age, right,
right.
So the barrel itself hasalready has a lot of sugar and
char and all that stuff.
So I think when they do thatand from what I was reading not
too long ago, that also helpswith that that yeast is is
processing what's in the barrel,so you don't have to add as
(39:55):
much to do it.
But yep, this is the for a fora maple for brown ale.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
It's pretty smooth yeah, it's not bad um it's.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
It's a little maple heavy up front little man for my
taste.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And then you do get.
Like I said, you get that.
At first it reminded me of likea burnt coffee, coffee ground
kind flavor.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
but that is the nut brown.
It's the start of a porter.
That's how I like to refer toit.
There you go it's a watereddown porter.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
It's a porter.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
that didn't finish, that's right, it's an
underachieving porter.
Yeah, there you go, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
It's not bad, though I don't mind it.
No, you know was in a pint can,so I mean you're pot committed
when you open it.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Exactly, Thankfully we have help to drink.
The rest.
Yeah, I said, well, we'llfinish them.
We ain't going to deny thatThere'll be no dumping.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
But I don't know.
I think towards the end of thecan.
If you drank it all myself, Imight start to kind of get burnt
out of that finishing flavor.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I agree, I absolutely agree.
Right, I agree, I absolutelyagree.
And it's almost if you were totake that flavor and go a step
further.
You're at a stouter porter,right.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Right.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
And then we're happy.
Yes, this was like when youhear a melody and you know the
song, and they leave the lastnote Right.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (41:06):
I mean it's like uh, uh.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
There's more.
There's one more note, one morenote one more note.
Well, and it's like if, if youremember when jim and I did the
non-alcoholic.
Every one of those was the sameway where it was like you're
waiting for that finish and it'sjust not there.
Yeah, it's just not there, youknow.
So I'm like it's flavored wateryeah, it's like I think I just
(41:27):
rather drink the beer than thisnon-alcoholic stuff.
So so, score wise, I think I'mgonna go like a 2.7 I was gonna
say 2.8, it's yeah it's betterthan average yeah, it's
interesting it's.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I give them credit for the abv and then it's up
there.
The brown ale probably itselfis pretty darn good, yeah, um,
they could have laid off alittle bit of the maple and from
, just for my taste, uh, butother than that it's a good beer
.
I mean, it's not, it's not bad.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
This reminds me of the vanilla porter by uh,
kentucky no no, you know the one.
Uh, it's the one that I gottalook it up, because it's the
beer that they're known for.
Um, hang on, not, bro, browbrothers no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
uh, let's see, I know which one you're talking about
too, I know.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
As soon as I say it, you're going to be like duh.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Vanilla Porter is.
Anyway, ladies and gentlemen,I'm so upset A couple of old
guys that can't remember stuff.
I'm so upset Well, we've tried.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
So many beers.
It's hard to remember exactly,but it tastes like the
Breckenridge BreckenridgeBreckenridge Breckenridge,
breckenridge, vanilla Porter.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
That's what it reminds me of it, does the brown
part of it anyway, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
Because once the maple's gone, it has kind of
that flavor to it.
Yep, you know?
Yep, absolutely so.
And yeah, I apologize for, likeI said, I was spacing off.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
As soon as you got the B out, I was with you.
I was with you, yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
So yeah, so, boy, I guess overall, brian, what are
you thinking?
How would you?
What were your two favorites or, I guess, overall, first off
overall?
What did you think of Virginiabeers, this little tour of
Virginia?
And then what would you saywere your top?
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Oh it makes me want to go to Commonwealth Brewing
for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
If they can put a lager and a creamsicle pale,
india pale, an IPA like that, itmakes me want to go to their
tap room.
Right, I was really impressedwith the pool noodle.
It's just a lager, but I wasreally impressed.
The ipa was good.
The other the two, thepineapple and the and the fruit
is sour were a littledisappointing.
They weren't bad beers but they, to your point, they didn't
taste like the advertised.
And pool noodle, being with theasterisk, it doesn't taste like
(43:27):
it advertises either.
But, um, we're not going to eatany glue and we're not going to
eat pool noodles, it's likestyrofoam.
The short stack we just had, uh,again, it's pretty good.
So I would.
It's a toss up between, uh, I'mgoing to say whether the sun's
out, I'm on a boat or sitting ina lawn chair where I'm going to
have the lager, the pale ale,right, Um, those two are both
really good beers.
And then probably the shortstack were just a little
(43:49):
disappointing.
Hopefully we didn't get a badcan, and we're not.
They weren't bad beers and Idon't want to, I don't want to
bad mouth anybody from fromDanville or from from Virginia
beach.
As far as, uh, the brewing, itjust weren't.
They just didn't stack up towhat I thought they should taste
like.
Um, but again, kudos to toCommonwealth brewing.
(44:09):
Both of those beers were reallygood.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Yeah, I agree.
Uh, the only difference I hadis, I think, as of right now, my
one.
I put it this way my number onewas the IPA, my 1A was the
lager and then the next one wasa short stack.
Yeah, I think overall it wasreally cool because, like I said
, I've never even heard of thesebreweries and I'm almost
(44:32):
positive, I've never had a beerfrom any of these.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
And so almost positive.
I've never had a beer from anyof these, and so that's really
cool, so thank you so much, wes,for sending them back,
absolutely, uh.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
And and again, those first two two out of three, two
out of five wasn't bad.
Yeah, yeah, you're learning.
Yeah, uh.
But those last two again, Ijust think they had so much
potential that if they had alittle bit more flavor.
And and that second one, ifyou're the name's a pineapple
and your logo is a pineapple guy, it's's got to taste like
pineapple.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
It's got to taste like pineapple, or call it a
half-wisened with a touch ofpineapple right, then it would
have been a whole differentsituation.
Yeah, if there'd have been ahead of wheat with army boots on
running across the can we'dhave been.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
oh, this is not too bad, not bad, but the fact that
we just didn't taste it and,like you said, it's up front and
then at the end, the back side,it's like the, almost like
breckenridge yeah, which isstill a good beer, yeah, but uh
you know, it's just a little onthe vanilla side, yeah, yeah it
(45:25):
could have had a touch moremaple flavor, that kind of hung
on just a little bitso yeah no other than that.
I think they were all good.
I'm glad that we got to trythem and hopefully we'll get to
try some more.
Maybe Wes will find some moreAbsolutely Hint, hint.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Yeah, hint, hint, nudge, nudge.
You know, bring them back withyou.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
I can send you my birthday, so you can send some
back.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Absolutely so awesome .
Well, brian, I guess we canwrap this up for the today.
But yeah, this is our firstepisode from the up in the North
woods and, like I said, itisn't going to be our last, and
in fact I think we're going togo to a local little bottle shop
here and just check out whatthey got.
So you never know, we may becoming back at some point.
(46:07):
Could be another one thisweekend, another one, you never
know but we're going to go checkit out, we're not scared, no,
no no, we did not get burned outby these five beers, so Wes
once again, like we said thankyou so much, man.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
And thank you for your service.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
Yes, Thank you for your service, Thank everybody in
the military and you know, thefirst responders, firefighters,
police, everything I mean.
Thank you so much for what youguys and gals do for all of us,
so so we can sit here and drinkbeer and talk like we know what
we're talking about Be merry.
Yeah, there you go.
Well, awesome.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you so much for listening.
Like we always say, we hopeyour campfire is always warm and
(46:40):
the beer is always cold.
See ya.
Thank you for listening to theNorthwoods Beer Guy podcast.
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
(47:04):
your beer is cold.
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