Ep 141 - We Celebrate 1,000 Reviews By Tasting Our Way Through Christmas Beers And Surprising Flavor Twists

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The snow hit early, the grill smoke curled over the pines, and we crossed a big milestone: our 1,000th beer review. To celebrate, we poured an ambitious holiday lineup that proves December beer can be more than cinnamon and nutmeg. Think cookie-inspired lagers, pastry stouts that smell like hot cocoa, a pistachio nut brown that actually tastes like pistachio, a polarizing cranberry sour, a hop-leaning winter warmer, and two heavy hitters that close the night with buttery praline comfort and smooth bourbon-barrel depth.

We start light with a Helles-style “cookie” lager that hints at spritz cookies without the sugar shock, then dive into Great Lakes’ Cookie Exchange series: Peanut Butter Blossom brings nostalgic aroma and dessert warmth, while Berry Jam Thumbprint goes big on raspberry jam. Along the way, we unpack why lactose anchors cookie beers and revisit the Viking roots of Christmas ale, from Yule traditions to King Hakon Ithr 1st's mandate to brew for the season.

Mid-show, Stevens Point’s Snowpilot surprises us with a real pistachio aftertaste and crowd-friendly balance. Boulevard’s Nutcracker promises molasses but leans more pine and grapefruit from Chinook hops—great for IPA fans, less so for those chasing winter-warm spice. Prairie’s Seasick Crocodile smells like holiday punch but drinks tart; ideal if you want a bright, sour contrast on the table. Then Southern Tier’s Chestnut Praline lands like a fireside treat—buttery, caramel, and cozy, best as a single-glass indulgence. We finish with Founders’ Cranfather, an 11.1% bourbon barrel ale that’s shockingly smooth: bourbon on the nose, cranberry up front, orange peel on the finish, and cherry whispering at the edges.

By the end, we’ve got picks for every palate and a practical game plan for your holiday cooler: start with a cookie lager, add a nut brown for depth, share a pastry stout after dinner, and pass around a gentle barrel-aged sipper to toast the night. Subscribe, share with a beer-loving friend, and tell us your favorite seasonal style—cookie, tart, hop, or barrel-aged? Your votes will shape our next holiday flight.

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 [e-mail].

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:25):
Welcome to the North World Bear Guy Podcast.
It is starting to look likethat, uh, Jim.

(00:45):
Yes, it is, buddy.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen,welcome back to the Northwoods
Beer Guy Podcast.
This is Mike, the NorthwoodsBeer Guy, and today, as always,
I am joined by Jim.
Hey, buddy, how you doing?
Doing good, man.
How about yourself?
I am enjoying the winterwonderland.
Yeah, uh, we are also joined byJim's better half Julie.
So we know Jim's gonna besomewhat on his best behavior

(01:06):
today.
How's it going, Julie?
It's going.
That's good.
Well, hey, we uh yeah, we got abunch of snow this past weekend,
and I'm trying to remember thelast time we had snow, this much
snow this early in the season,so to speak.
I mean, how many times has itbeen Christmas and we either
it's a brown Christmas or webarely had any snow?

(01:27):
Right.
Well, the snowmobilers arehappy.
Probably not yet, because Ithink the trails are all still
closed.

SPEAKER_02 (01:33):
I've been hearing snowmobiles around here.

SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
Yeah, I'd say they're not probably on the
trails at that.
That's what I'm thinking becauseI did see a thing online.
Now it was for another county,but they were like, hey,
remember the trails are not openbecause all the signs aren't
out, not all the crops are out,and it was hunting season.
So they were like, if you're onthe trails, you're trespassing,
please respect the landownersand things like that.
So that wasn't for our county,but it was one just north of us.

SPEAKER_00 (01:57):
So we need to have a lot more snow.

SPEAKER_01 (01:59):
Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (02:00):
They need a lot more because they have to pack it
down and groom the trails beforethat's what Wilson's.

SPEAKER_01 (02:06):
Who needs that?

SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
No, otherwise you tear up the landowners.

SPEAKER_01 (02:10):
I will guarantee though, if they hadn't put that
out, there would have beenpeople just tearing through
places because they haven't beenable to you know these them up
once, right?
Once during the season, the lasttwo years, around a week, you
know, around here.

SPEAKER_00 (02:21):
So well, I believe the farmers almanac said we are
supposed to have lots of snowthis uh winter.

SPEAKER_01 (02:27):
I don't like the farmers almanac.

SPEAKER_02 (02:29):
I know.
Well, speaking of almanacs, whatwhat's special?
And when you open up the pagefor today on the almanac, what
did it say about the Northwoodsbeer guy?

SPEAKER_01 (02:38):
Well, it's kind of crazy that they knew this, but
uh the first beer we do todaywill be our 1,000th beer that we
reviewed on the podcast.
Wow.
1,000.
Yeah, you know, a grand, agrand, you know, stuff like
that, a millennium.
You know, Jim, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 (02:55):
I'm not saying, but you too might have a drinking
problem.
Yeah, but it's cool because it'scraft beer.
Well, it's not called a drinkingproblem when it's craft beer.

SPEAKER_01 (03:03):
No, craft beer made it seem like a cool hobby.

SPEAKER_00 (03:06):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 (03:06):
Yeah, it's not like drinking a big box of beer all
the time.

SPEAKER_01 (03:09):
Exactly.
See?
You can do that in the weekend.
That's right.

SPEAKER_00 (03:12):
Well, congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 (03:13):
Yeah, exactly.
Thank you.
So we are uh finally, you know,it is the season, I guess.
We're getting into December.
We are in December.
Yep.
And uh we're we're gonna startdoing uh kind of some holiday
type beers, Christmas themedbeers.
Uh, I know we're gonna have a atleast a couple episodes, if not
more.
Yeah, that kind of stuff.

(03:34):
I should be able to.

SPEAKER_02 (03:35):
Oh, and guess what, too?

SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
You know what these are?
That is a thing saying you'renot gonna ask questions anymore.

SPEAKER_02 (03:41):
I've I actually found a whole bunch of
questions, which is gonna maketoday's episode that much
better.
Oh, great.
I mean, yeah, that's awesome.
Woohoo! So we try a beer first.
I do have a little bit, a littlebit of a write-up.
Should we have our guest readthe write-up on that one?

SPEAKER_01 (03:59):
We can if she is willing to.

SPEAKER_00 (04:01):
Oh, okay.
The 2025 Sam's Christmas Cookie,cookie lager from Hop and
Barrel, 5.2% ABV.
It's a delightful holiday brewcreated with our friends at
Sam's Christmas Village using acustom blend of malts.

(04:21):
This crisp lager was inspired byyour favorite Christmas treats
with notes of almond and spritzcookies.
Even Santa himself has approved.

SPEAKER_01 (04:31):
Well, there you go.
Wow, what more can you say?
Now I do believe that we had the2024 version of this, so it'll
be interesting.

SPEAKER_02 (04:41):
So, and I did do some looking on this.
So, what is weird, becauseremember, I don't know if it's
weird or not, we haven't likegotten anything specifically
from Hoppin Bell, right?
But I think they closed theirtap room a few months ago.
Right.
But their brewery is still open.
Okay.
Because when I looked at it,there's no hours for it, so like

(05:02):
you can't go there now and youknow just buy beer there.

SPEAKER_01 (05:06):
Oh, gotcha.
Because I had heard too thatthey were closing closing, and I
was like, man, that's kind ofcrazy, you know.

SPEAKER_02 (05:11):
But I think it was just their tap room that closed.

SPEAKER_01 (05:14):
Oh, okay.
From what I could gather.
Okay.
Well, that's not quite as muchof a bummer.

SPEAKER_00 (05:20):
Is located where?
In Hudson.
It's Hudson, yep.
Hudson, Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_02 (05:24):
All right, so we should get it.
Smells smells like beer.
Yeah.
I don't know if I smell theother.

SPEAKER_01 (05:30):
Oh, it has a definitely has a sweeter taste
to it.

SPEAKER_00 (05:33):
I can taste almond.
Is that what it tastes like?
I feel like yes.

SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
You've had an almond before, right, Jim?
I haven't.
I don't know if that's that.
That tastes like almost likebutter.
It's definitely has a well, I'msure it's like a sugar cookie.
Batter.
Isn't that what they weretalking?
Spritz?
Yes, yes, spritz cookies?

SPEAKER_00 (05:51):
Which is like butter and sugar.

SPEAKER_01 (05:53):
Oh, so it's yeah, kind of kind of similar to like
a sugar cookie.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (05:57):
It's very uh light.
It's got a dry finish that'sdrying out my mouth on the on
the back end.
But I don't taste hops.
So I don't know.
No, no.
So I don't know what was drawingout, you know, what make was
making that happen.

SPEAKER_01 (06:09):
That is uh it's not bad.
Like you said, Julie, I I dothink it it does kind of have
that almond.
Yeah, like you know, some ofthose um it's probably the
spritz cookie.
Yeah.
Uh, but you know, when you hadthese those cookies you can get
in a tin, you know, have thatkind of an almondy buttery
taste.

SPEAKER_00 (06:26):
Yeah, butter cookies.
My mom would buy them just tinsand tins over Christmas and give
them out a big bulk.

SPEAKER_02 (06:33):
Yeah, and I did find they actually labeled this as a
cookie lager on the website.
Okay, but on the can it saysHellas Lager.
Okay.
So I don't know, is theredifference?
Are they the same?
I've well, I've never heard of acookie lager before.

SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
I'll be honest.

SPEAKER_02 (06:49):
So that so that was on the website.
That's what I edited, so I don'tknow.

SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
Yeah, and and I'm sure that's like you know, maybe
that's kind of what they'recalling because it has that kind
of a cookie taste to it.
But like a Hellas Lager, itdefinitely has like the color of
like a Hellas very light.

SPEAKER_00 (07:02):
Very light looking and like it almost looks like a
Miller Light.

SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
Okay, out of here.
Just kidding.
So it's only 5.2%.
Yeah, you could drink a numberof them.
And like I said, the the taste,it's not I don't mind it.
Yeah, see, sometimes they getthat really sweet, you know what
I mean?
Or it's just kind of like okay,I'm kind of gonna get tired of
that flavor.
This one you could drink a fewof them, I think, because it's
not overpowering.
Right.
Oh, for sure.
You know, I I was expecting, Ihate to say it, a little bit

(07:30):
more of a cookie flavor, but Idon't mind this.

SPEAKER_02 (07:33):
The only thing that trips me up is that dry finish.
At the end, at the at the end, Iguess.

SPEAKER_00 (07:37):
It almost kind of reminds me of like when you
drink like a dryer champagne orsomething, it's kind of got that
at the end of it where you'rekind of yeah, champagny.
Champagne.

SPEAKER_02 (07:49):
Yes.
So should we have our guest gofirst and see what so just to
remind everybody again whatsince we did our thousandth beer
on the podcast, how many haveyou done on Untapped?

SPEAKER_01 (08:00):
On Untapped, I I would have to double, but I
think I'm like 23 away from6,000.
So that means for the layperson,5,000.

SPEAKER_03 (08:08):
5,900.

SPEAKER_02 (08:12):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
First average people that can't do math.
Thank you, Mike.

SPEAKER_02 (08:16):
Sometimes it is so difficult.

SPEAKER_00 (08:18):
I know.
I know, Mike.

SPEAKER_02 (08:20):
So then you got a pretty good range for your
score.
What's your median score?

SPEAKER_01 (08:24):
I think my median score is 2.9.
Wow.
2.96.

SPEAKER_02 (08:30):
I drink five.
I drink better beers.
I'm just saying, I'm I'm alittle bit harder on my grading
scale.
So some of them you are.
I will give you that.
I will give you that.
So then so anywhere between zerofrom zero to five by a tenth of
a point.

SPEAKER_03 (08:43):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (08:44):
So what do you what do you think in there, Princess?
Um, I think I'd give this athree.
I didn't mind it.
I mean, I drink, I'd be able todrink a few of these, I think.

SPEAKER_02 (08:54):
Okay.
Anything that you thought wasgood or bad that was no, I I I
really liked it.
So it's just easy drinking.

SPEAKER_00 (09:01):
Yes, it's easy drinking.
Um, it's a little sweeter, youknow, it doesn't have that
bittery taste to it.
So I do kind of like it thatway.

SPEAKER_01 (09:10):
All right, Mike.
Yeah, I'm I'm I don't mind it.
I like I said, I would you canget that kind of almondy,
buttery flavor, like you guyshad said.
I was expecting a little bitmore cookie flavor.
Yep.
You know, and like you said,Jim, that that dryness on the
finish is a little different.
I wasn't expecting that.
You could drink a lot of them,honestly.
Uh, I'm gonna go like a 2.7.

(09:31):
I think it is a little betterthan average, and I do like the
flavor, but like I said, there'sI I was hoping for a little bit
more.

SPEAKER_02 (09:39):
Yep.
And I will have to say that I'mgonna have to give it a tenth of
a point because it's the onlybeer today that actually has
Santa Claus on.

SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (09:48):
So I'm giving it an extra tenth of a point just for
that.
Okay.
So, you know, kudos to them.
Yep.
Bringing in the Christmasspirit, really helping us kick
off this whole um podcast withthat one.
Yep.
The flavor is not horrendous,and I mean, even now, after a
few minutes after I finisheddrinking, the dryness has kind
of gone away.
Is it the best Christmas beerI've ever had?

(10:08):
No, but it's definitely not theworst.
So I think I'm writing the same,I'm gonna say the same exact
number, I'm gonna go with 2.7.
I think the only thing thatcaught me off guard was like
that dryness, which reminded meof a hop, but I don't know if it
was or not.
So just a little uncertainty onmy part.
Not a problem, totally cool.
Oh, so we're ready for our firstone.
Oh, darn.

(10:28):
I was gonna try and get the nextbeer going.
Yeah, so we couldn't.
So it kind of ties into the nexttwo beers.
Okay.
So I wanted to make sure I gotthis question out.
So this is an easy one.
I'm doing easy softball pitch toyou right off the bat.

SPEAKER_01 (10:41):
What was the middle name of the daughter of the
neighbor of the guy that startedthe next brewery?
Oh, that's coming later.

SPEAKER_02 (10:49):
This is the easiest one.
What ingredient is key to makingbeer taste like cookies?
What ingredient?
And the the part here is keybecause there's a whole bunch of
ingredients that make beer, butit's the key one.
Like this one really powderedsugar.

(11:10):
I'd have to elaborate a littlebit more, but you're you're
close.
Don't make them go to the judgesbecause they're terrible.

SPEAKER_00 (11:16):
They're terrible.

SPEAKER_01 (11:17):
Terrible.

SPEAKER_00 (11:18):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (11:18):
I okay.
Yeah, all right.
So when I'm thinking of twopossibilities, but I don't know
if either because the the the ofcourse the obvious one you would
think would be, well, cookies,you know, crushed cookies.
Right.

SPEAKER_02 (11:31):
But the I'll give you a clarification.
So cookies is actually a groupof things.
Okay.
I'm just looking for one.
And ingredient.
So that's why when she saidsugar, she's close.

SPEAKER_00 (11:42):
So I was gonna say like frosting.

SPEAKER_01 (11:45):
Yeah.
Um this one I'm just gonna throwout there.
I think it's wrong, but I'mgonna say like almond extract or
almond flavoring, something likethat.
You were close.

SPEAKER_00 (11:54):
You cookie batter.

SPEAKER_02 (11:56):
Oh you're not as quite as close as Julie, but
you're close.
Lactose.
Oh well, so like oh weirdbecause well, lactose is milk
sugar.
Yes.
So many cookie beers, like thecookie exchange stout from Great
Lakes Brewing, are milk stoutsthat use lactose milk sugar.
Standard brewer's yeast cannotferment lactose, so the sugar

(12:20):
remains in the finished beer,providing sweetness and a fuller
mouthfeel that mimics a bakedgood.
Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 (12:28):
Interesting.

SPEAKER_02 (12:29):
So says Julie got that one right.
She gets a thousand points.
And Mike, you got that onewrong.
You're a minus thousands.
You're not starting off verygood, bud.
The thing I've learned is I canget these questions right.

SPEAKER_01 (12:39):
And you're still right.
And I still get them wrong.

SPEAKER_03 (12:41):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (12:41):
I mean, you were close, though.
You had you have a good answer.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You know, in the Christmasspirit, you'd think he'd be
nicer to me.
You wouldn't, but I did.
I said I said you were close.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (12:51):
I thought he is Scrooge, though.

SPEAKER_02 (12:54):
So on the next write-up, there was nothing.
There was no write-up.
Okay.
So what I did is I looked upbecause I think Julie knows what
it is, but I wasn't quite surewhat a peanut butter blossom
was.
Oh, I do.
So I actually that's what thethis is just the definition of
that.
So when you read it, that's whatthat is underneath.

SPEAKER_00 (13:11):
A peanut butter cookie with like a Hershey kiss
in the middle.

SPEAKER_01 (13:13):
Oh yeah, yeah.
So I didn't I didn't know that'swhat they called them, but I
know exactly what everybodyknows what that is.
Right.
So that's kind of okay.
That so when you read it, that'swhat that write-up is for.
So now, like you said, the nexttwo beers are in the same
family, so to speak, but theyare different.
I'm seeing the how close arethey how close are they?
About as close as what Iapparently might identify.

(13:33):
Oh, the can is identical.

SPEAKER_02 (13:34):
It's identical.

SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's kind of crazy that it'sidentical.
So now the and it's two twoyears.
Two years worth.
So we have the first one we haveis the 2024 cookie exchange.
Yep, and that is by Great LakesBrewing, and it is their peanut
butter blossom pastry stout.
Yep.
And it is 5.5% ABV and 15 IBUs.

(13:57):
Nice, nice easy.
Now, the definition of thatcookie that I'm learning is a
peanut butter blossom cookie isa soft peanut butter cookie
topped with a chocolate candy,typically a Hershey's Kiss.
Hershey's if you want tosponsor, we're here, making it a
popular treat, especially duringthe holidays.
Everybody knows what that cookieis.

SPEAKER_00 (14:17):
Or if anybody would like to make some and send us
some.
And send us some, that would begreat because they are one of my
favorites.
Well, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 (14:24):
So again, the even the outside container was
exactly the same.

SPEAKER_01 (14:29):
So I hope I picked the right cans to put in the you
know, I should have looked thatup before I started pouring now
that you put some ex some uhdoubt in my head.
It doesn't even say I'm gonna doit.
No, they can't.

SPEAKER_02 (14:39):
Is it the is the right one?
Okay.
I would just take it because I'mlike, because Julie had actually
bought these last year, and thenshe bought another six-pack
because she liked them so well.
So this was actually here, andthen I put the new ones with the
old ones.
I'm like, oh wait a minute.

SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
Can't tell them apart too much.

SPEAKER_01 (14:58):
I mean, oh yeah, you can smell that.

SPEAKER_00 (15:00):
It smells just the vanilla peanut butter.

SPEAKER_01 (15:02):
There's a peanut butter part to this.

SPEAKER_00 (15:04):
So I have had this obviously before, and it is
literally one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_02 (15:10):
So is that the right?
Did I get the right one?

SPEAKER_01 (15:12):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (15:13):
Looking at the description of the next one,
yeah, you got the right one onthis one.

SPEAKER_00 (15:16):
Yeah, this is delicious.

SPEAKER_02 (15:17):
So you like this one, Julie?
Wow.
So good.
So I mean what I mean.
Do you think it's exact does itmimic exactly what the cookie
is, or is there anything thatshould be tweaked?

SPEAKER_00 (15:25):
I think it does.
Um, I almost kind of it kind ofhas that malted milk ball type
flavor to it.
That's what's wondering.

SPEAKER_02 (15:32):
The chocolate to me doesn't taste exactly right.
You get the chocolate.
It's good chocolate, but justnot maybe like it says Hershey's
Kiss.
I don't know if it's right.

SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
The smell or like hot cocoa, it smells like hot
cocoa and peanut butter.
It just it smells like love.
It is delicious.
Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 (15:49):
Wow.
The Christmas season.
All right.
And I wish I knew the answer toof why the cans were exactly the
same.
Yeah, that is kind of crazy.
But I do identical.
Yeah.
I think when I was trying to dosome of the research, it sounds
like volume.
Each year they're gonna do adifferent version.
Okay, but I don't know whythey're using the same can.

SPEAKER_00 (16:08):
I I didn't at least put the year on it or something
for after you've had a couple,and then you go to the fridge
and you can't figure out whichone you're grabbing.

SPEAKER_01 (16:18):
Well, it's like a Christmas miracle, you don't
know which one it is.
True.
So when you bought these, didyou buy these at the same time,
or you bought one before?

SPEAKER_02 (16:25):
Well, I bought the we have the ones last year, I
mean, are probably a year old,but we had them, and then when
we got more.

SPEAKER_01 (16:32):
Yes.
Okay.
So you were thinking you weregetting the same one.

SPEAKER_02 (16:35):
Yes, that because she saw 'em, and I said, Well,
we might want to have a holidayversion.
Uh-huh.
And she goes, Well, there's thecookie one, let's buy that.
So I bought it, put it in thecart, not knowing that it was
different.
Then I looked on the my thephone and the website and it got
a totally different flavor.
So I'm like, huh, this is uhthat's no big deal.
We get to try too then.
Right.
But it wasn't a goodexplanation.

(16:56):
So I don't I I wish I could tellthe listeners more.

SPEAKER_01 (16:58):
Well, there's a lot of Christmas cookies out there,
so right.
So who wants to be the firstone?
I can go first on this one.
All right.
Uh I I think it was pretty good.
I mean, it definitely had youhad a chocolate flavor.
Uh like you said, it wasn't likeexactly like a Hershey's kiss,
but I don't think it's gonna bedifficult to even make something
that tastes exactly like that.
I thought the the peanut butteruh was more prominent on the

(17:22):
aroma.
Okay.
I mean the taste you could getit, but it was kind of faint
compared to I thought thechocolate.
Uh a little bit sweet, notterrible though.
Five and a half percent, youcould drink a few of them.
It might be after the secondone, you're you're gonna be
like, okay, I need a break fromthat flavor, I think.
But I did enjoy it.
I'm gonna go with 2.8.
Nice.

SPEAKER_02 (17:42):
So I do think there is a beer that actually uses the
Hershey chocolate.
Okay.
And I think it's the Yinglinghas They did.
They did.

SPEAKER_01 (17:53):
But I don't know if I've heard rumor they're not
making it anymore.
Oh, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (17:57):
Because that was really good as well.

SPEAKER_01 (17:59):
Not to cut you up, but the big announcement around
the state of Wisconsin isYingling is coming.
Coming 2026.
2026 are gonna startdistributing here, and it sounds
like it's gonna be kind of alimited uh role distribution to
start with, that it's mostlygonna be like on tap and not
cans, which I'm not sure.
And maybe their production, youknow, if you get into Wisconsin,

(18:22):
I don't know if you know this,but we drink here.
So we're gonna have a lot of youknow, cans and such.

SPEAKER_00 (18:27):
Notice to Yingling, maybe you should open a plant
here.
There you go.
There you go.

SPEAKER_01 (18:32):
Because there must be, I think they're partnering
with somebody, I think.
It could be, it could be.
But I know it's like you saidJanuary.
I think January.
Sometime in 2026, anyway.

SPEAKER_02 (18:39):
I think it was Moles and Coors they were gonna
partner with.
It was gonna start the brewingpart for them.

SPEAKER_01 (18:44):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 (18:44):
So maybe that's why maybe they're just doing kegs at
first and then see how it goesand roll in the can from from
there.

SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
Hope they make the chocolate because that one was
really good.

SPEAKER_02 (18:53):
It's very good.

SPEAKER_01 (18:54):
Okay, Jen, back to your score.

SPEAKER_02 (18:55):
So I think that's the only thing that really I
think I would give it a higherscore if that chocolate would
have mirrored it a little bitbetter.
Because I mean, I think we'vehad some pretty good chocolates
too.
This one's okay, it's just notvery prominent.
I was expecting that.
So I think I'm gonna say thesame score.
I'm gonna say 2.8 as well.
It's good, it's not horrendous.
I can drink a couple of them.

SPEAKER_00 (19:15):
Well, I love it, and this is actually probably one of
the favorite beers I think I'veever tried, craft beer-wise, for
me, because I don't like youknow, a lot of the really heavy
ones and the really super darkones are a little bit too strong
for me.
So um, I will go with probablyI'm gonna go with a four.

(19:36):
Whoa! Yeah, I really gals, youwill love it.
You will love it.
Man, it is so good.

SPEAKER_02 (19:42):
Blow the top off.
The scoring is gonna be wayskewed.
Well, it's good.
There you go.
All right.
Well, I got another easyquestion.
Mike did so good on the lastone.
I'm gonna give another chance atan easy question.
All right, all right.
Here we go.
The easy question.
What ingredients used to make acookie can negatively affect

(20:03):
head retention or the foam ontop of your beer?
How many are there?
You just have to get one.
Yep, you just gotta get one.
There's there's two butter.
Okay, and Julie?

SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
Um, I am going to say flour.
Close.
You're the closest.
It's butter.

SPEAKER_02 (20:17):
It's just butter oils, but we got it right.

SPEAKER_01 (20:21):
You know, Julie, you get 500 points for that one.
You know, Santa's stillwatching.

SPEAKER_02 (20:25):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (20:26):
I know that, right?

SPEAKER_02 (20:26):
You're getting, but I'm the only one to give him
kudos for his picture.

SPEAKER_01 (20:29):
Yes, but that you're you're you've been on the
naughty list for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 (20:34):
For many many moons.

SPEAKER_01 (20:36):
So you only lost 500 points on that one.

SPEAKER_00 (20:38):
I get it right, and I only lose 500.

SPEAKER_01 (20:40):
Perfect.
Love it.

SPEAKER_02 (20:43):
I knew it was an easy one, so you guys had it.
Okay.
All right.
Do you want to read the next onethere?

SPEAKER_01 (20:48):
This yeah, so the the next one we have is this the
same, yeah, but it's the 2025cookie exchange, and this is
their berry jam thumbprint, andit's a pastry stout and five and
a half percent, 15 IBU, so samething.
Right.

SPEAKER_02 (21:03):
So now this one, the top sentence there is yep, all
that was on the website.
Okay.
The bottom part is I tried tosee what that is.
I tried to find out what it wasbecause I wasn't quite sure
myself.
Sure, I'd never heard of that.

SPEAKER_01 (21:13):
So all right, so what what the description of the
beer is treat yourself to ourseasonal milk stout brewed with
a special rotatingcookie-inspired flavor.
2025's flavor berry jamthumbprint.
A berry jam thumbprint cookie isa delightful treat characterized
by a buttery shortbread basefilled with a burst of vibrant
fruit jam.
These cookies are typicallyfilled with a variety of jams

(21:36):
such as raspberry, blueberry, orstrawberry, creating a rich and
sweet contrast with the tendercookie dough.
The filling is often set into anon-runny jam during baking,
ensuring a perfect texture andappearance.
The cookies are known for theirnostalgic appeal, making them a
popular choice for the holidaybaking.

(21:57):
And if I remember right, I thinksome of those are in those
cookie tins as well, where it'sgot like the little tins do have
the thumbprints actually.

SPEAKER_00 (22:07):
We saw some today when we were looking somewhere,
and I said, Jim, this is whatthat looks like.
Because I think you were kind oflike, What is that?

SPEAKER_01 (22:15):
Yeah, I never heard I didn't know the name of it
either, but once you hear thedescription, it's like see it,
had it.
Yep.

SPEAKER_02 (22:21):
They don't have those descriptive titles on the
cookie jar when you mountion init to grab one.
Yeah, see, there you go, cookiemanufacturers.

SPEAKER_01 (22:27):
Maybe you should do that.
See, yeah, man, is it thatdifficult?
Well, we should say the firstfive we have today are all in
cans.
Yep, 12 ouncers, 12 ouncers.

SPEAKER_00 (22:36):
We haven't had a bad one yet, so no, no, so both uh
the ones we're having right now,the two that are in the same
identical can, like a blue canwith Christmas cookies on the
outside, and they are identical.

SPEAKER_02 (22:49):
Yep, there is nothing different on the can
except on the very bottom of thedate, the best used body date.
That's that's the onlydifference different.

SPEAKER_00 (22:58):
Well, the first smell is fruit.

SPEAKER_01 (23:00):
Oh, yeah, you definitely get that raspberry
aroma.
And a lot of times, remember,Jim, we've had other beers, of
course, normally they'rebarrel-aged stouts, but when you
have that, the raspberry iseither way too much or you are
kind of not even really there.
But the aroma is good.

SPEAKER_00 (23:14):
Yes, it's it does smell like a thumbprint cookie.

SPEAKER_02 (23:17):
Wow, definitely tastes like jam, like you stick
your finger right in the jam andlooked it right off.
That's yeah, that's got somepower.
Wow, that's kind of wild.
You definitely get that jamflavor.
I'm I'm like, okay, that's likewhat sticks through the most, I
think.

SPEAKER_00 (23:31):
It's pretty good.
I feel like it's like I don'tknow.
It seems like it's like reallycarbonated for me, you know,
like more so than not smooth,you know, smooth like the one we
had before.
Right.
The one before was a littlesmoother.

SPEAKER_02 (23:42):
Yeah.
This one, it's almost likethere's too much jam because
it's like super sweet.

SPEAKER_01 (23:46):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (23:47):
But I don't know, maybe that's the flavor they
were going for too.

SPEAKER_01 (23:50):
I don't it could be.
I mean, you definitely get thatraspberry because it was good
though.
I like it.

SPEAKER_00 (23:54):
Yeah, I wouldn't turn it down.
No, me either.
And I could probably drink acouple of these.
Yeah, it's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 (24:00):
Yeah, I give them credit because they taste like
what they say.
Yep.
It smells and tastes like whatall right, Jim.
Why don't you go first on?
Or did you go first?
Yeah, you're turn to go first.

SPEAKER_02 (24:10):
All right.
Well, or is this yeah, yep, ourthird one?
I'm just struggling, I guess, bydescription.
It's it's not bad.
It's not, it does not taste badto me.
That's not my description.
It's more that I'm trying todescribe, you know, it's it's
supposed to be a pastry stout,so I understand now it's gonna
be sweet and it's a stout, butreally about the only thing I
taste is that jam, that sweetjam.

(24:31):
So I know that is what they'regoing for, and I know what we
always say it's on the can, wewant it in the can.
Yep, and that's the flavor isdefinitely there.
I just don't know.
Maybe it could have toned itdown, maybe just a little bit,
maybe had a little bit morecookie flavor.
I guess that's my only drawbackto it.
So I'm gonna I'm gonna say a2.6.
I'm not a huge fan of it, butit's it's not bad.
Okay, Julie.

SPEAKER_00 (24:50):
Um, I think I'm gonna go a 2.9.
I liked it.
I just I don't know.
I'm with you on the it couldhave had more cookie flavor than
more fruit flavor, I think.
But I but I do like it, and Icould drink more than one.

SPEAKER_01 (25:04):
So I agree 100%.
The the jam really overpoweredeverything else.
It was still good.
Yeah, you know, uh, it's notoverpowering as far as oh my
god, you know, we've had somebeers, Jim, that it's really
like that the dragon's milkraspberry one was just like
whoa, you could almost couldn'tdrink it.
It was so much raspberry.
This one is not like that, butit's still that is the dominant.

(25:25):
I don't get any cookie flavor atall.
Right, right.
I'm gonna go with 2.5 justbecause of that, because I think
it really, especially and it,and this is I shouldn't, it's
kind of a bad thing on my partbecause the last one really did
kind of have that more of anall-around kind of flavor,
multiple kind of flavors to it.
And this one was just very muchthe raspberry.

(25:47):
So there we go.
Perfect, good answer.

SPEAKER_02 (25:50):
All right, so are you ready?
Sure.
Yeah, easy.
That's another easy one.
Oh, okay.
Your third question.
Okay.
Where did Christmas alesoriginate?
The North Pole, duh.
Close.
You are close.

SPEAKER_01 (26:07):
Belgium.
Oh, you want more of a I'm alittle bit more uh I'm gonna
say, and it's I'm gonna justthrow out like Norway.
Okay.
All right, until we get that oneright again.

SPEAKER_02 (26:17):
I don't know how she's got it.

SPEAKER_03 (26:19):
Norway.

SPEAKER_02 (26:19):
I don't know if she's got it.
So it has Viking or origins.
So I know I lost 500 points onthis one.
See, the tradition of Christmasbeer can be traced back to the
ancient Viking jewel.

SPEAKER_01 (26:34):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
Okay, or Yule season.
I mean winter festival wherestrong multi beer was brewed to
celebrate the winter solstice.

SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
You know what's funny?
You can just see his face isgetting redder and redder
because he's getting mad thatI'm getting them right.

SPEAKER_00 (26:48):
Mike's two for three.
But it was actually for three.
Two for three, yeah.
Named after Julie, though.
Oh, okay.
Well, I don't think that'scorrect, but that's what it
said.

SPEAKER_01 (26:57):
So, what's beer we got next?
Well, now we're gonna go toStevens Point.

SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
All right, so we have the guest read this one.
Oh boy.
All right, we are next going totry Snowpilot pistachio nut
brown ale from Stevens PointBrewing.
6% ABV and 16 IBUs.
Uh, Point Snowpilot ishandcrafted using a blend of

(27:22):
caramel malt, treat yourself, beyour own snow pilot.

SPEAKER_01 (27:28):
Ooh, nice.
That's cool.
So pistachio.
Now we've had a pistachio beerthat was like that pistachio
cream ale.
Was it by um Indeed?
Maybe I like that.
Well, and I say that's the onethat we always bring up about
you can actually taste a nutflavor to it.
Yeah, you know, because a lot oftimes, and I know we don't

(27:50):
really know get it because yeah,they put nuts in it, and other
than like peanut butter, whichis you know, it's not a nut,
it's peanuts, but you know whatI'm saying?
They're grown up, yeah.
It's not just that, right?
And it's just times you can'treally taste it, you know what I
mean?
Right.
And so that's been the only sothis will be an interesting.

SPEAKER_00 (28:06):
The pistachio cream ale one was really good.

SPEAKER_01 (28:09):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (28:09):
So I'm assuming if you have a nut allergy and you
drink a beer with that nuts init, do you have an allergic
reaction?

SPEAKER_01 (28:17):
I don't know.
That's a good question.
Does anybody on any of ourlisteners know the answer to
that question?

SPEAKER_00 (28:22):
Anybody got a nut allergy out there?

SPEAKER_01 (28:23):
Yeah, have you had a nut allergy and you drink a nut
beer and ended up swelling up?
We'd like to know, yes or no, ifthat happens.
I don't necessarily get a not aheavy aroma.
I don't know what a pistachioaroma.
I guess you can buy the bag ofthe pistachios and smell it and
see what it smells like, but nota big aroma.
No, exactly.
It's pretty mild.

SPEAKER_00 (28:43):
I think it does smell like pistachios.
Wow.

SPEAKER_01 (28:45):
I do get kind of it has a little hint of a
sweetness.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (28:49):
I actually don't mind this.

SPEAKER_01 (28:50):
The aftertaste, I totally get pistachio in the
aftertaste.
There's like something on mytongue like really lingering
there.

SPEAKER_02 (28:57):
I mean, I think it's like when you eat both.

SPEAKER_01 (28:59):
Yeah, when you eat, yes.
That's the thing.
Other thing I was gonna say isit's really smooth.
Yep.
But man, when you you know, likeyou eat a handful of pistachios
and you get that aftertaste.

SPEAKER_00 (29:07):
Little like a little salt, a little salty, a little
but this was exactly like thaton the aftertaste to me anyway.

SPEAKER_01 (29:15):
It I get that pistachio flavor.

SPEAKER_00 (29:17):
Very pretty, like caramel color to the beer.
Yeah, this is yeah, this is notbad.
No, I really kind of like this.
You already said that before.
I could maybe drink more than acouple of these.
There you go.

SPEAKER_01 (29:30):
Yeah, I could drink a few of these.
Yeah, this is what did it say?
It was five.
No, six.
Oh, six percent.
Okay, it doesn't taste likethat.
We stepped it up.
We stepped her up a bunch.
You can pour more in there ifyou're interested in your glass
if you want it.
That is surprising.
I'm I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_00 (29:44):
If there's anything interesting on the can.

SPEAKER_01 (29:47):
There's somebody like skiing or something, isn't
it?

SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
There's like well, yeah, there's like a ski goggles
and ski poles.

SPEAKER_01 (29:53):
Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (29:54):
But nobody, nobody because the the hat's hanging on
the end of the word smell.

SPEAKER_00 (29:59):
All right, so Who is credit?
So give him credit.
So Julie is first on herscoring.
Well, I was first the last time,wasn't I?
No, I was.
Okay.
All right.
I'm gonna go with a 3.5 on thisone just because I liked the
finish.
I like that it wasn'tbittersweet, but not over sweet.
And it was just very smooth.

(30:19):
So I really enjoyed it.
All right, very good.

SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
Mike?
I liked it.
I think it had uh a goodpistachio flavor, actually.
Yep.
And I thought that was uh it wasgood.
I wasn't expecting that becausewe've had other ones that you
don't get that.
So I'm going to go a I'll do the2.9.
2.9.
Yeah, I think that was that wasgood.
I I could drink a few of those.

SPEAKER_02 (30:41):
Yeah, and I think pleasantly surprised.
I mean, we've we've I know we'vetried several point beers, and
we've been to the brewery, andthere's to me, there's not
always a lot of variation intheir beers, they're really
closer to uh appealing to themasses.
This one I would say is not oneof those beers.
I'd say this is actually hassome good flavor, like Julie
said, sweet but not too sweet,nice flavor.
I'm actually gonna go with 3.0.

(31:02):
Okay.
Um, I think this so far today, Ithink this is one of the better
beers we've had.
Nice.
So that leads me to my secondquestion.
Oh, I mean my fourth part.
Yes.
Uh second one on ChristmasHales, though.

SPEAKER_01 (31:14):
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (31:14):
So we just talked about the tradition dating back
to the Vikings.
Yeah.
Who and when was it mandatedthat that special beer for the
holidays be made?
So I want his name, and then youcan give me a century, or you
can give me the years.
Yeah, okay.
Either either or I'm simple,simple softball question.

SPEAKER_00 (31:31):
Okay.
Ragnar 1649.
Wow, okay.
Um I can't say yes or no becausehe might actually have it.

SPEAKER_01 (31:39):
Yeah, I'm gonna say Eric the Red, and I'll say in
the 1200s.

SPEAKER_00 (31:44):
I'm only saying that because I watched this series.
Yeah, because you knew yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (31:48):
All right, so the answer is Norwegian King Hakon
the first.
Oh, he decreed this in the 10thcentury during 934-961.
Oh, wow.
So it was really early.
Wow.
Yep, that every household had tobrew a jewel beer.
Wow, wow, interesting, and thepenalty for not doing so was

(32:09):
severe.
Oh, probably got blood eagled.

SPEAKER_00 (32:11):
I wonder why, like, maybe that like why doesn't our
government declare that we haveto brew something for and then
have your name after too?

SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
That's a good question.
I don't know.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (32:22):
The mayor of the mayor of our town will be like
everybody.
Yeah, I was gonna say because Ibrew some beer.

SPEAKER_01 (32:29):
Because then the the oh yeah, well, yeah, that would
be a problem if it's just ourtown.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
Huh.
All right, good question,though.
All right, so so this one I hopeis a holiday beer.
Oh, it is, and the only reasonwhy I say that is because I
looked at it, the can looks likeit's a holiday beer.
Oh, yeah, but the name of itdoes not have anything remotely
close to holiday.

SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
Yes, it does.
Where?

unknown (32:52):
Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 (32:53):
That's right.
If it's not on the militarychannel, Jim doesn't watch it.
I forgot.
A C-Sick Crocodile?
Yeah, if you've ever watched TheGrinch That Stole Christmas,
that's the big song, one of thebig songs that's in there when
they're describing the Grinch.

SPEAKER_00 (33:06):
Like Jim Carrey Grinch?

SPEAKER_01 (33:09):
Any of them.
The the like the first one whereit was the cartoon.

SPEAKER_00 (33:12):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (33:12):
Oh, yeah, that's the song that I remember it from.
Was there really?

SPEAKER_00 (33:16):
I must not pay attention to that very closely.

SPEAKER_02 (33:18):
Yeah, I don't have that extra time like Mike does.

SPEAKER_00 (33:22):
No Christmas movies.

SPEAKER_02 (33:24):
Grinch.

SPEAKER_01 (33:24):
All right, so what is it?
What gives termites in yoursmile?
Yeah, that song.

SPEAKER_00 (33:29):
I think that song was just on.
We have uh little music on inthe background, and I was gonna
point that out that Jim, yoursong's on.

SPEAKER_02 (33:38):
Exactly.
Well, then you better read itthen because you got some good
good stuff on it.

SPEAKER_01 (33:42):
As far as the beer, it is by Prairie Artisan Ales,
and we've had a number of theirbeers.
Now, is this a collaboration, itlooks like, with Krebs Brewing
Company?
Nope.
No, it's just oh, that's whatyou wanted me to read.
Yes, sorry.
It is a sour ale withcranberries, ginger, cinnamon,
and a nutmeg.

(34:03):
Yes, it is 6.3% ABB.
All right, so now you get toread the next part there.
I just read the same two linesof it.
No at the bottom.
Yeah, you're a mean one, Mr.
Grinch.
We have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender, tendersweetness of a C-Sick crocodile.
Oh, there we go, Mr.
Grinch.
Given the choice between you andthe crocodile, is what the song

(34:23):
is.
I'd take the C-Sick crocodile.
Nice.

SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
There you go.
So yeah.
So the can is super cute.
Looks like a Christmas sweater.
Oh, is that what it is?
No, it's not it looks like aChristmas sweater with a
crocodile chasing Santa Claus.

SPEAKER_01 (34:41):
Oh very cute can.
Very cute can.
Reading your notes, I skippedahead.
I never knew that PrairieArtisan Ales had been purchased
by Krebs Brewing Company in2016.
Well, see, that's why I'm ratherinterested.

SPEAKER_02 (34:54):
I put a little bit of extra info on there for you.

SPEAKER_01 (34:56):
So yeah, and now I guess we really don't have a
description though of the beeritself.
No, I didn't couldn't find otherthan it's a sour, so we know Jim
is gonna love it.
Yeah, this will not be in mywheelhouse.

SPEAKER_00 (35:09):
Yeah, there is no nothing on the can that other
than you said crocodile chasingSanta.

SPEAKER_01 (35:15):
Yeah, so that's interesting, you know.

SPEAKER_00 (35:16):
All right, very Christmassy.

SPEAKER_01 (35:18):
So we're gonna find out here just how much like a
crocodile this tastes like,right?

SPEAKER_02 (35:23):
So it looks like you know they first started brewing
in their bathtub in Oklahomaback in 1995.
Nice.
So it started out small.
Oh my gosh, look at the color.
Oh boy, ouch! That's gonna leavea mark.

SPEAKER_00 (35:36):
Jim's gonna be crying some crocodile tears, I
feel like.

SPEAKER_02 (35:39):
Oh, yes.
After this, and everything foreverybody we probably I don't
know if we've done one on thepodcast, but I think our first
introduction to Prairie Artisanwas when they did the bomb.
Yep, we had the bombdeconstructed, and that looks
like that was actually brewed in2013.

SPEAKER_01 (35:55):
That's when they first came out with that.
Yep.
Nice.
That smells sweet.

SPEAKER_00 (35:58):
It smells so it smells like everything I feel
like it says is in there.

SPEAKER_01 (36:03):
Yeah, I do get that aromatic.

SPEAKER_00 (36:05):
Cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
I can smell it.

SPEAKER_01 (36:09):
Little tart on the end.

SPEAKER_00 (36:10):
Yeah, so it's like uh it looks like uh cranberry
ape slushy punch.
Oh, yeah, kind of for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (36:19):
That's a good way to describe the color.
Yeah, it's a little bit too tartfor me.
That's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 (36:23):
It is tart.
I think that it would be worseif without the cinnamon.
The cinnamon kind of I thinkhones down the tartness of it
right at the end.

SPEAKER_02 (36:31):
But yeah, I think they might have had something
here for me if if they didn'tmake it a sour.
I think they had all those sameingredients and just made it an
ale, Christmas ale.
For me, I think it would havebeen spot on, but boy, this is
boy.

SPEAKER_01 (36:44):
Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (36:46):
This could be a like heartburn in a can.

SPEAKER_01 (36:49):
This is not one of my favorites.
No, I do get a few of I get thecranberry, but I think it almost
overpowers the I don't, youknow.
I'm not picking up really thenutmeg or this really much of
the cinnamon flavor either.

SPEAKER_02 (37:00):
There's a a a little faintness on the finish of those
spices, yeah.
But not there's not much.
No, no, way at the end, you getkind of a little aroma.

SPEAKER_03 (37:10):
Boy, mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 (37:12):
Wow, and Mike is first.
Boy, um, yeah, not not a not afavorite.
Um, I wish we were we could seeour cases right now.
I think that's sums up mydescription, and I'm gonna go
like a 2.0.

SPEAKER_02 (37:26):
I just it's very good for you on the sour.
I was not surprised.

SPEAKER_01 (37:30):
I don't mind sours, and it's it's not just the
tartness, but it's just Icouldn't have guessed any of
those other flavors that theysaid was gonna be in there.
So I just again, if it's on thecan, it should be in the can.
And uh it probably is in thecan, but I just I just don't get
it.
I just get that cranberry sourtartness.

SPEAKER_02 (37:49):
Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that.
I mean, and I know you know,just I guess I fall back to
Barntown brewing, you know, noneof their sours were sour, right?
They were sweet.
So I guess I just offered upthat I understand the flavors
that you you're trying to make,you know, and then put together,
but maybe if you put a littlemade the sour sweet, I think

(38:10):
that it would really it wouldhave changed my opinion on it
completely.
But that tartness is just it'sit is so prominent that it
overpowers everything else.
I'm gonna I'm gonna have to saya 2.0 as well.
I'm just I'm not a big fan ofit.
I I mean I like what they'retrying to do, I understand it,
but I don't think it camethrough in the flavor.

(38:31):
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (38:32):
See, I feel like I could smell everything that's
they have on the can in there.
Excuse me.

SPEAKER_02 (38:39):
Yeah, now how's it taste?
Oh boy, how's it tasting whenI'm the second time?

SPEAKER_00 (38:43):
Yeah, but I do agree, like it's just so tart.
And for me, I just I'm like,you're drinking it and it's
like, oh, acid.
That's all I can think of is howthat like more than one of them
would probably give you a bellyache, I would think.
I was not a big fan.
I'm with you, Jim.
I think if they would have madethat into just like a regular
beer, they might have hadsomething, but so I'll give uh

(39:06):
I'm gonna give a two as well.
Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 (39:10):
All right, well, like I said, I think we're all
in agreement, it's not terrible.

SPEAKER_00 (39:13):
It's no, it's but it's if you like tart beers, you
probably would really like it.

SPEAKER_01 (39:18):
Yeah, but like you I agree with you.
I think you'd get heart, I'd getheartburn, I think, after one or
so, you know.

SPEAKER_00 (39:24):
Yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 (39:25):
All right, are we ready for our next easy
questions?
You betcha.
Mike hasn't gotten any rightyet, and who is gotten all
right.

SPEAKER_00 (39:30):
All right, so Mike is like the master of what do we
call that?
Like useless knowledge.

SPEAKER_02 (39:36):
Uh-huh.
So talking, we're still talkingabout beer, old beer, right?
Older, older beer.
Yep.
What is the name of the beerthat was a precursor to the
modern Christmas ale?
And what were some of itsingredients?
Another easy question.
I mean, I can't believe I foundthese easy ones for you guys.

SPEAKER_01 (39:57):
I need to start giving them less time to prepare
for these things.

SPEAKER_00 (40:01):
You should just show up.
Damn, bear for the show.

SPEAKER_01 (40:03):
Yeah, just say, hey, get some beers, we're gonna do a
podcast.
He'd be like, no, no, I need Ineed stuff.
What's the precursor of aChristmas ale?
Like, what was it called?
Yep.
Easy question.

SPEAKER_00 (40:13):
Mary Mead.

SPEAKER_01 (40:14):
I'll I'll bet you anything it was like a Viking
name.

SPEAKER_02 (40:18):
Yeah, you could actually know.
Actually, no.

SPEAKER_01 (40:21):
Well, I don't mean a name of a person.
No, no, it's actually fromEngland.
Huh.
I have no idea.
I'm not even gonna guess.

SPEAKER_00 (40:29):
Fezzi something.
Sounds like old Fezzi wig.
Old Fezzi wig.
So Julie got this one ready.
Yeah.
Lamb's wool.
Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (40:38):
She said the same thing I did.
I said the same thing she did.
A drink called lamb's wool, madewith roasted apples, nutmeg,
ginger, and sugar or honey.
Because she said mead, so that'swhat the honey.
Well, I'm gonna say that right.

SPEAKER_01 (40:52):
Probably honey because mead is like the oldest
style.
Yeah, right.
So huh?

SPEAKER_02 (40:56):
See, so that's why Julie got it right again.
Yeah, 5,000 points.
She's doing great, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (41:01):
Yeah, yeah.
I know so much about it.

SPEAKER_01 (41:04):
It's great.
It's just great.
Yeah, it's just great.
So, what do we're going to abottle now?
All right, and now we've hadthis one before, but this is the
2025 version, and this is awinter warmer by Boulevard, and
it is called Nutcracker.
Ooh, 7.8% ADV.

(41:25):
Stepped it up a little bit.
Stepped it up, and 38 IBUs.
Uh, nutcracker ale isBoulevard's holiday gift for
real beer lovers, brewed since1995.
This hardy warming brew is aclassic winter ale, deep amber
in color with hints of molasses,balanced by the spiciness of
Chinook hops.

SPEAKER_00 (41:45):
So, does this mean like a warming brew?
Like, we're gonna drink it andour face is gonna get all red
and you would think, but no.

SPEAKER_02 (41:51):
This is not like Chinook salmon, then, right?
This isn't grown salmon.
No, uh-uh.
This isn't the ground salmon.

SPEAKER_00 (41:56):
Oh my god.
If we you ever have beer withsalmon in it, I'm not drinking
it.

SPEAKER_01 (42:00):
Well, you might we didn't know at the time until we
took that first sip, and it uhyeah, was bad.

SPEAKER_00 (42:06):
Did it taste just like salmon?

SPEAKER_01 (42:08):
Oh, yeah, it's not it tasted like you ground up a
salmon in a blender and put itin a bottle and let it age for a
while.
Oh yeah, she was just took thechunks out, and here's the
juice.
It was terrible.
Nice.
This almost has a kind of ahoppy aroma to it.
And it was what 38 IBUs.
This is the highest IBU one sofar today.
So far, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (42:25):
I don't get much molasses.

SPEAKER_01 (42:28):
I get a little more I get more hop.
That's what I think the hopflavor is the predominant
because even on the finish, justsitting here, I don't get a
molasses, I get like the piney,grapefruity flavor of the hop.

SPEAKER_00 (42:41):
Yeah, I don't get the molasses either.
What else is in there?
Molasses and what?

SPEAKER_01 (42:45):
Just said molasses and chinook hops.

SPEAKER_02 (42:47):
The hops to me stick out more than are you feeling
warmer?

SPEAKER_00 (42:51):
Not yet.

SPEAKER_01 (42:52):
But I've only had two sips, so boy, yeah, that's
that's got a hop flavor.

SPEAKER_02 (42:58):
I I was looking forward to a little more
molasses because there's notmany beers that have molasses in
it.

SPEAKER_01 (43:02):
So you know, with a name like Nutcracker, you'd have
thought it would have been apistachio or a walnut beer, you
know what I mean?
Right, right.
But I don't get anything likethat at all.
Interesting.
Yeah, so Mike is first.
No, I went first on the lastone.
Oh, we can go again.
All right.
Uh I'm not a fan of it.
It's I don't mind the flavor,but I don't get any molasses at

(43:27):
all.
So I'm gonna go like a 2.1.
I just kind of you know, the thehops, it's and it it says
there's hops in it, and so it'sin the on the bottle in the
bottle.
But I again I don't get themolasses, and it's just to me,
it it's really if you blindtaste tested this, you just
think it was another IPA,honestly.

(43:48):
Yep.
So that's why I'm gonna knock itdown just because I know winter
warmers, we've had other ones,and they have a little different
taste to them typically, butthis one reminds me more of a of
an IPA.
Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (44:00):
I'm spot on.
I mean, I know I think I kind ofknow what they're going for with
you know the hoppiness, wintertime, but you talk about
molasses, and it says molassesbalanced with hops.
I'm not sure my scale iscalibrated that way.
To me, this seems like it's allhops, right?
So I'm I'm right in there withit.
I'm gonna say like a 2.2.

(44:21):
I guess I don't mind it, it'snot horrendous, but again, I'm
not a big hoppy guy, I'm not onethat likes IPAs.
I was when it said molasses,that's really what I was looking
at because I like that aroma.
Molasses aroma is really goodand I like that.
So that's why I'm not gonna loveit.

SPEAKER_00 (44:36):
I think it's very, very hoppy for me.
I just feel like I want more ofthe Christmas cookie type thing
than what's happening here.
So um, and it is really hoppy.
The color is really pretty.
I mean, it's got a nice likecaramely color, but ooh geez,

(44:56):
and I can't use the same thingthat I did before.

SPEAKER_02 (44:59):
No, we'll try to separate them out.
We try if you I mean if you haveno other score.

SPEAKER_00 (45:04):
I well, I'll just do like a 2.1 then.

SPEAKER_02 (45:07):
All right, so just a little above the C the C-Sick
crocodile.

SPEAKER_00 (45:12):
Yeah, I almost could flip those two, actually.

SPEAKER_02 (45:14):
I drink that before this.
All right, so I flipped yourscore.
So you got a 2.1 on thecrocodile and 2.0 on the nut
crocodile.
Yes.

SPEAKER_00 (45:22):
Okay, this one's this one's a little tough for
me.

SPEAKER_01 (45:25):
Well, there we go.
Did you run out of questions?

SPEAKER_02 (45:28):
I got a couple more here on some things I wasn't
even aware of, didn't even know.
Did you know?
And I I probably you probablyknow this, but I didn't know
this.
But the ABV is set by thestates, not by the federal
government.
Okay, so you know when we talkabout limits, and that's more on
remembering what the utopia.

(45:49):
Yep, and it said it's banned in15 states, yep, because the
states are the ones that setwhat the what the max is
threshold can be kind of thing,right?

SPEAKER_01 (45:57):
Interesting.
I did not know that.
Uh uh.

SPEAKER_02 (45:59):
So in this next beer, I think it's the next
beer.
Hope I got my info right here.
This would have been bannedbefore 2002.
Really?
Where?
In the state of Wisconsin?
In the state of Ohio.
Oh the state of Wisconsin doesnot have an ABV limit.
Okay.
That's why we're tough.
That's why utopia can be soldhere.

SPEAKER_01 (46:19):
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (46:20):
So um, I did not know that in 2002 there was this
legislation that went acrossseveral states and they changed
their ABV limits.
Huh.
Okay.
I didn't know that either.
See, so I'm giving you guys thatquestion as a little easy
question.
Oh, great.
I only lost 500 points on thatone.

SPEAKER_00 (46:38):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (46:39):
So the question then is what was it before 2002 and
what did they change it to after2002?

SPEAKER_01 (46:46):
So now this was for which in Ohio you're in Ohio.

SPEAKER_02 (46:50):
Just Ohio.

SPEAKER_01 (46:51):
Because this is where the next beer's from as
Ohio.
So before 2002, we'll say if itwas 8%, is what I'm gonna say.
And they probably raised it tolike uh I just I'll say 15
because you know they weremissing out on some other good
beers.
I'll just say that.

SPEAKER_00 (47:09):
So uh what's the one we're drinking now?
I guess I wasn't we're gonna bedoing the chestnut prelim.
And it is what now?
8.6.
I'm gonna say seven andfourteen.

SPEAKER_02 (47:21):
Okay, so I misspoke.
I was looking at two numbers.
Oh, so apparently, again, backin the old days, alcohol went by
alcohol by weight, okay, yeah,ABW and ABV.
Okay.
So it was the two numbers I waslooking for was six percent
alcohol by weight and sevenpoint five percent alcohol by

(47:43):
volume, were the max was the maxmax in Ohio in 2002.
Okay, wow, okay.
So then they unrestricted now.

SPEAKER_01 (47:51):
So I was closer than Julie was.
So I she got it.
So I should 800 points and I gotminus.
Yep, she got it right again.
700.
Okay, what did it get raised to?
Unlimited.
Oh, okay.
Yes, nice, all right, cool.

SPEAKER_00 (48:03):
Because now they're not Sally's anymore.
Exactly.
They're like the state ofWisconsin, I think.

SPEAKER_01 (48:07):
Yeah, they were like, huh, okay.
Because we're top here.

SPEAKER_02 (48:10):
Yeah, we've got a good one come up now, I think.

SPEAKER_01 (48:12):
All right, so the next one we have is the chestnut
praline.
And this is an imperial ale fromSouthern Tier, 8.6% ABV and 12
IBUs.
Jim, would you like to read one?

SPEAKER_02 (48:26):
All right, let me give it a whirl.
As the holidays drew near, anexcitement grows for the first
snowfall, which we just had.
We just had.
Gather together with chestnutpraline imperial ale.
With each sip, the warm butterflavor of toasted chestnuts
glazed with sweet caramel willtransform any wintry day into a

(48:49):
cozy celebration of the season.
From our Southern Cheer familyto yours, we wish you nothing
but joy and sweetness thisholiday season.
Boy, that's got an aroma.

SPEAKER_00 (48:59):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (48:59):
I'm like, wow.
Wow.

SPEAKER_01 (49:01):
It's kind of like that's almost like melting
butter, doesn't it?
Kind of, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (49:05):
It's everything that it says it was.
Now, wow.

SPEAKER_01 (49:08):
I hate to say it because I I don't know what
chestnuts actually taste like.
I don't know if I actually ate achestnut by itself before.
Right.
But uh that's pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 (49:19):
Wow, that's I feel like though in the smell of it,
it is like a nutty there is anutty smell.

SPEAKER_01 (49:26):
So yep, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 (49:27):
So now you can say you've had a chestnut.

SPEAKER_01 (49:29):
Or is it a praline?
Well, isn't it praline like awalnut?
No, praline?
No, that's not just like asugared nut kind of thing.
Is it?
Yeah, let's do let's do see whatMr.
Google has to say.

SPEAKER_02 (49:41):
I'll ask him.
But boy, that is there's no badfinish, it's so smooth.
No, that's uh that's reallygood.
And for 8.6%.

SPEAKER_01 (49:50):
I will say this.
I wouldn't drink more than onebottle of this because I think
the flavor on another bottlewould be kind of like I'm
getting a little, you know whatI mean?
Right, but it so but no for aholiday beer.
Oh, yeah, no, it's it's got goodflavor, it's really good flavor.

SPEAKER_00 (50:04):
Okay, so Mr.
Google says a praline is aconfection that can refer to two

different types of candy (50:10):
a European-style praline, which is
a caramelized nut like analmond, formed into a shell or a
ground nut and sugar mixture forfillings, or southern U.S.
praline, which is a flat,creamy, and buttery candy made
from sugar, butter, milk, andpecans.

(50:32):
The term is pronounceddifferently depending on the
region and the type ofconfection.

SPEAKER_02 (50:36):
Huh, okay.
So that gets that one wrong too.
I'll take it.
Thanks, Dude.
I'll take extra points away fromthat one.
Good.

SPEAKER_01 (50:44):
Great.
No, this this is the aroma andthe flavor on this.
I mean, it's yeah, it's not bad.

SPEAKER_00 (50:50):
It smells like Boda.

SPEAKER_01 (50:53):
When I as soon as I opened it, I was like, Yeah, I'm
sure you saw it.
You're like, yeah, whoa, wait aminute.
You know, you could smell thatthat aroma.

SPEAKER_02 (51:00):
This is really yeah.
This is boy.

SPEAKER_00 (51:03):
I feel like for a Christmas, that's a great
Christmas beer.

SPEAKER_01 (51:06):
Yeah, this of the ones so far, this kind of has
more of that Christmas feel.
Yes, I think, than the otherones did.
Other than like the theChristmas cookie ones, was they
were good, and and such.
I think the other ones were kindof really could have been for
anything.

SPEAKER_02 (51:20):
So I think that you know that brings up a good
point.
Is I think what I was hoping waswe could have beers that were
holiday-ish, Christmas-ish, butI think then that also then
opened it wide open the entirespectrum of the food flavors,
right?
So we're going from cookies topralines, right, to pistachios.

SPEAKER_00 (51:40):
So I mean, so now you know that's I think the hard
part too is well, Christmas tome might mean cookies, and it
might mean molasses to you, andit might mean cranberries to
you.
Well, because I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01 (51:51):
For when we get into pumpkin beers, kind of around
you know, Oktoberfest intoThanksgiving, you know, they all
have that all spice.
Yeah, nutmeg.
You know, all those spices, theyall kind of have that right.
If they're like a common theme,yeah, there's a common theme
where with this with this,that's really wide.

SPEAKER_02 (52:09):
And I think that's the hard part of so I was hoping
so they all kind of embodyholiday, but they don't have the
same flavor, they're not thesame style, right?
So we're kind of judging each ofthese very distinctly because
they're they're not all stouts,they're not all ales, they're
not all the same flavor.
So I think it's a littlechallenging.

SPEAKER_00 (52:29):
You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 (52:30):
It's yeah, really rich for sure.

SPEAKER_00 (52:33):
It's super good, but I don't know if I could drink a
lot of it because it's likerich.

SPEAKER_01 (52:37):
Yep, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 (52:38):
Jim, why don't you go first on the score on this
one?
I like I like this one.
I like this one.
I think this is the best one sofar today.
I'm gonna say a 3.1.
Um, I liked it.
I mean, does it mean that I candrink a six pack?
No, but I could probably drink awhole bottle.
I mean, it's really got a thatbuttery flavor, kind of just
like to me, that kind of warmsmy stomach more than any of the

(52:59):
other ones.
Right.
So I guess for a holiday beer,if you're looking for something
like that, it has a good flavor,good finish, real smooth.
I liked it.
Okay, Julie?

SPEAKER_00 (53:07):
Um, I'm gonna do uh 3.6.
Nice.
Um, I liked it.
Uh just like I said, I I'd liketo drink it, but I don't know if
I drink more than one justbecause it's like drinking
butter.
It's so good.
It is so good though.
Yeah.
Um but it does give me theholiday vibes, uh, like a

(53:28):
Christmassy vibe.

SPEAKER_02 (53:29):
So did you even talk about what's on the outside?
It does have some good artworkon the oh, it does.

SPEAKER_00 (53:34):
Um, apparently those are pralines that are covered
there.
That's what I'm gonna go with.
Or chestnuts.
Or chestnuts or something, orsomething.
It's got like it looks likeChristmas wrapping paper on
there.
Um so there's a littleholiday-ish.
Yeah, holiday chocolate covered.
It looks like pralines,chestnuts.
I'm not sure what they are.

(53:54):
But yeah, it was good, verygood.

SPEAKER_01 (53:56):
Yeah, all right, right.
Yeah, I agree.
I mean, it it really had a goodflavor to it, an aroma was
there.
I again, I wouldn't drinkprobably more than one of them,
uh, a bottle.
Yep.
Uh, just because I think it theflavor is a little bit more, how
do you say it?
It probably starts wearing on itafter a while.
Yeah, good yeah, intense is agood way to say it, but I do
think it had a really goodflavor, and I'm I'm gonna go

(54:18):
with 3.0.
All right, I think that's myhighest one so far.
It it definitely kind of putsyou in that Christmas mood.
So I yeah, good job.
I I like that.

SPEAKER_02 (54:28):
All right, so we're getting close to the end.
So we got um two questions forthe end to end off the date.
So, where did the cranberry getits name?
From the Indians.

SPEAKER_01 (54:39):
Where did it get its name?
Yes.
Uh, I was gonna say fromWisconsin because that's where
they're most of them come from.

SPEAKER_00 (54:47):
Um what's the Ojibwas?
The what's our what's our NativeAmerican tribes in Wisconsin?
We have Ojibwas, we've got uhlet's see here.

SPEAKER_02 (55:00):
All right, I'll just give you hint.
It has nothing to do withIndians.
Oh, okay.
It has nothing to do withIndians, uh, it has more to do
with your ancestors and myancestors.

SPEAKER_00 (55:08):
Oh so they're Norwegians, or it could be
German.

SPEAKER_01 (55:13):
I'm guessing from cran Mr.
Cran, he grew some berries onhis farm back in the old
country.

SPEAKER_02 (55:21):
Yes, he did.

SPEAKER_01 (55:22):
So that so you you're close to which trees.
Uh um, I'm gonna I think it'sfrom which which one do you go
with?

SPEAKER_00 (55:32):
So you said Mr.
Cran, who raises berries.

SPEAKER_01 (55:36):
Yeah, from farmer cran found some berries on his
farm, but and and his farm wasin uh we're gonna say the north
country, and we're gonna say uh,well, I'm I'm gonna say just to
throw a curveball, we're gonnasay from Sweden.
And I'm gonna say Mrs.

SPEAKER_00 (55:53):
Cran grew some cranberries in the United States
or in North America.

SPEAKER_02 (56:01):
So just as a point of reference, cranberries are
native to North America.
Yeah, it doesn't mean that sothey're name so were they grown
other places brought here?
How was that our ancestry?
So the cranberry gets its namefrom the German settlers in
Santa Maria.

SPEAKER_00 (56:19):
They bought it.

SPEAKER_02 (56:20):
We saw them and they looked like a crane berry.
What's a cranberry?
Since the flowers on thecranberry resemble the head of a
crane.

SPEAKER_00 (56:28):
Oh, I guess I was in a flowery.

SPEAKER_01 (56:32):
So see, I did hit it with the German part.

SPEAKER_02 (56:34):
Yeah, you need to blew it out because you went to
the water.

SPEAKER_01 (56:35):
And I blew it out because I went to Sweden.

SPEAKER_00 (56:38):
We were almost there, Mike, because I'm Mr.
Google says indigenous peoplesharvested the wild berries for
thousands of years before theEuropeans arrived.

SPEAKER_01 (56:48):
Right, because that's what I said they were in
North America.
So you got it right and I got itright.
Yeah, so Julian a thousandpoints.
It'd be interesting.
We'll have to look up too whatthe the flower looks like
because I've never seen it.
I've never seen a flower either.
So then part two.

SPEAKER_02 (57:02):
Oh boy.
Oh, geez.
Which state produces the mostcranberries in the United
States?
Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_00 (57:08):
And it may not be who you think.

SPEAKER_02 (57:10):
I'm gonna go with New York.
I'm gonna stick with Wisconsin.
I think Julie's right again.
Wisconsin has been the numberone producer for over 20 years
that produces half of theworld's cranberries.

SPEAKER_00 (57:22):
You know what's weird, I wanted to say
Wisconsin, but I was gonna makeit so easy for us, Kitty.
I got a really bad headache allof a sudden.
I can't believe that she hasthat one right again.

SPEAKER_01 (57:32):
And it's sitting right across from me.
I know.

SPEAKER_00 (57:35):
I would I would have to do it.
It's almost like she has theanswer.

SPEAKER_01 (57:38):
Well, yeah, not quite as obvious.

SPEAKER_00 (57:40):
But I didn't want to take the same answer as you, so
I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 (57:44):
Interesting.
So the last one that we have,and we've got less, we've had
this one on the podcast before,but this is the 2025.
Yep, this is the Cranfather fromFounders Brewing.
Okay, and this is an ale aged inbourbon barrels.
Ooh, 11.1% ABV and 10 IBUs.
So we stepped it up a littlebit, bumped it up just a little.

(58:06):
So this is our highest ABV oneby almost no, I shouldn't say
double because the last one was8.6.
So the first ones, the firstones, yeah.
And this is an ale aged inbourbon barrels with cranberry,
cherry, and orange peel.
Oh, we've not had good luck inorange peel.
The only thing that scares me isthe orange peel because
sometimes it is really a bitterflavor to it.

(58:28):
We've had good luck, and thenwe've had some really not so
good luck, yeah.
So there's that one.
Let's just hope we get a littlebourbon aroma.
There's that one.
And it's darker color.
I mean, it's still kind of uh itdoesn't look like a cranberry.
I mean, it's it's almost like areally dark amber.

SPEAKER_02 (58:46):
Yeah, it's you can't see through it.
No.
I mean, it's but it's but it'snot like uh motor oil.

SPEAKER_01 (58:53):
No, no, no, not like the one, the good ones, the
nectar of the gods.
That's got boy, that's got abourbon aroma to it.

SPEAKER_00 (59:02):
Yosa.
No, I'm scared.
I'm watching your faces first.
It's not bad.

SPEAKER_02 (59:07):
I do get a little hint of orange peel, but not
bad.
No, the the cranberry actually,I'd like this cranberry better
than the other cranberry.

SPEAKER_00 (59:13):
It's not as tart, and it's smooth, it's not that
like, oh god, this is likebourbon barrel kind of thing.
Right.
It's very doesn't have the burn.
There's no burn.
No, no burn whatsoever.
For an 11.1.
I'm trying to see if I can getit.
Kind of, you know, like thosebourbon barrels get a little
higher, and I'm like, oh man,this is not bad.

(59:36):
This is pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 (59:37):
I'm trying to see if I get a cherry flavor at all.
I I definitely get thecranberry.
Cranberry, I think, is kind ofthe the big flavor.
Yep.
On the finish, I do get thatkind of that bitterness from the
orange peel.
Right.
I I don't know if I get a lot ofcherry, but it the aroma I think
had more of a bourbon flavor toit than the taste.

SPEAKER_00 (59:56):
Oh no, oh man.
Right.
But it doesn't Don't let thesmell fool you because it is
really smooth.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00:03):
You know, again, I know we say say this all the
time.
If you've never had abarrel-aged beer, I wouldn't say
try this one first, right?
Just because I think a the aromais gonna really be you know
scare some people.
Uh and then secondly, I don'tthink it's it's not so much the
bourbon, it's kind of thecranberry has a little bit more
of that, you know what I mean?
It's more of that upfrontflavor, right?

(01:00:24):
And if a person thinks ohconnects that with a bourbon
barrel, they're gonna be youknow, they could be turned off,
right?

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:30):
I mean, this when I said this doesn't have as much
tartness as the C crocodile,yep.
It there is some tartness, Imean, but just a little bit,
right?
Not not as this is what I washoping the other one would have.
This is the kind of tartness,but this is not as sour, but
it's you can definitely tell.
I think that's the cranberry isa little bit tart, right?
Oh, yeah, naturally.

SPEAKER_00 (01:00:50):
Carbonation-wise, I feel like it's not super
carbonated, so it doesn't giveyou that burny feeling when
you're drinking it.
It's smoother.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00:58):
I mean, it does remind me of other double-digit
beers that you know head-wise,there's not a huge amount,
right?
It is, it is like you said, itis kind of surprisingly smooth.
It is, you know, I don't getlike again on the initial smell,
it was like, ooh, this there'ssome bourbon in that.
I was scared, but but you don'tget the flavor, really.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:17):
You know, the only and the only other thing I guess
I would say is I wish I knewwhat kind of bourbon barrels it
was aged and for how long.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01:23):
Yeah, they didn't say that at all.
So yeah, I agree with you, Jim.
That's that's not bad.
So, Julie, you are first.

SPEAKER_00 (01:01:30):
Well, huh.
I think I will probably go witha 2-8.
Wow, all right, I don't mind it,and I am not a super huge fan of
really strong beers, but forsome reason, I don't know if
it's a cranberry, to me, itdoesn't taste super strong.
Sure.
Like some of the bourbon barrelsI've had with you guys before,

(01:01:51):
uh, where I've been like, oh mygod, wow.
This is like pretty mellow.
Yes, pretty mellow forespecially an 11%.
Oh, yeah.
So yeah, I don't mind it.
As in Stephanie's words, I don'thate it.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:03):
There you go.
So saying the same thing, justdifferent words.
Yep, you know.
Um what do you think, Mike?
I yeah, I like it.
Drinks very smooth.
Like I said, the only knock is Idon't really get a cherry flavor
to it, but that's pretty minor,you know.
But again, it's if it's on thebottle, it should be in the
bottle.
So, but I'm still gonna saythat's probably my favorite of
the day.

(01:02:23):
I'm gonna go like a 3.3 on it.
It it could be improved just atouch if maybe a little more of
that cherry flavor came out, butI I think it's good.
I really do enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:36):
Yeah, I'm right in there with your score.
Um this is a I mean, because I'mnot a big cranberry guy anyway.
I mean, like at the holidays, wedon't even put cranberries out
because there's not many peoplethat like just a cranberry by
itself.
But I will have to say that thisin a beer is actually decent.
I'm gonna actually say the samething, a 3.3.
I like it.
It's it's good.
I just wish maybe even a touchmore bourbon flavor, right?

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:56):
You know, maybe it'd come through.
Yeah, I mean that aroma isthere, you know, but the the
flavor, I don't like I said, Iand not that that's a bad thing,
but you don't get the bourbonreally at all.

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:06):
So so we're gonna wrap up there, Jalisa.
What do you think of your topthree then?

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:10):
So, first off, what did you think of the of this
class?

SPEAKER_00 (01:03:14):
Well, when Jim asked if I would like to participate
tonight, I was like, Oh gosh,what is it?
Because I I did get an IPA one,and you know how I feel about
those, but I will say it wasprobably one of my better ones.
I said, Oh, Christmas cookie, Ilove those ones.
So I was in.
Um my best one is still my bestone from last year, is the

(01:03:36):
Christmas cookie exchange, thepeanut butter blossom one.
To me, that tastes like dessert,it tastes like a cookie.
So that is my number one.
The snow pilot kind of shockedfrom point, but I did really
like that one.
And then the chestnut praline ismy top three.

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:52):
Yep, nice.
I agree.
So for me, I think this classreally was pretty good.
And Jim, you kind of summed itup really good before when you
said it really, it doesn't havelike limits on as far as here's
the one category.

SPEAKER_00 (01:04:06):
You know, everything's gonna taste like
cookies, right?

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:09):
Or like pumpkin beers.
Everything's gonna, if it tasteslike pumpkin or pumpkin pie, you
know what I mean?
It's it's all kind of in thatlittle niche.
Where here it's kind of reallyacross the board.
And again, I would say, youknow, my favorite was the the
cranfather.
And I mean, I checked a lot ofthe boxes for you and I.
Yeah, you know, it had thebourbon aroma.
I wish it had a little bit moreflavor to of that, but overall

(01:04:30):
it was it was really good.
Another one I that I did reallylike too was of course the the
chestnut praline.
I thought that was good.
Uh, a couple of that surprisedme, the snow pilot kind of
surprised me.
I mean, just how it honestly, itto me it really did taste like
like uh pistachios, right?
And that was surprising.
And yeah, Julie, I agree withyou that the the chocolate kiss

(01:04:51):
cookie thing, uh, that first onewas was really good.
And you know, I don'tnecessarily think there was a
terrible one.
Again, I know the the thenutcracker kind of scored lower
on on my end as well as thesour, but I think they could
tweak it and get it, you know,get it higher.

SPEAKER_00 (01:05:08):
There wasn't there was no like, oh my god, this was
horrible.
Right.
There was nothing like that.
They were all drinkable forsure.

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:15):
Yep, yeah, and I think, and I guess that was the
the hard part with trying toorganize this.
It was just trying to like,well, we wanted to make them
holiday beers, but there's sucha diverse, I mean, it isn't like
Oktoberfest, we know it's gonnabe a Mars on, and they're all
gonna be just a little bit oneoff from that.
This, I think we had almost 360degrees of it, right?

(01:05:37):
There wasn't one that reallystood out more than the other.
So I think in and of itself,each one of these beers were
good in a in a way.
So I think that was verypositive.
So if there's a correct beerdrinker out there now that's
going to the liquor store andthey see, you know, I'd say try
it.
Try, you know, if you don't haveto buy a six-pack, if you can
just buy, you know, some ofthese I built on a built-your
own six-pack, and I thought thatwas really good.

(01:05:58):
Some of these I had to buy in asix-pack, and we'll end up
probably having to save thosetill the summer.

SPEAKER_00 (01:06:04):
So or we maybe at or give them to Mike for Christmas.
I was just gonna say, or youknow, on Christmas Eve or
Christmas Day, we just take themwith wherever we're going.
Share it, share the love.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:16):
There you go.
So I hope the listeners kind ofgot you know a very wide
spectrum of the we use the termholiday beers to kind of put
them in the classification, butthere's a lot of different
variations, yep, for sure.
And I think I I'm gonna echoexactly what Mike said.
I love Cranfather, it's one ofmy favorite.
I we like the bourbon ones thatwas.
I just wish there was a littletouch more bourbon flavor, I
would give it a little bithigher.
That chestnut praline, thatbutter flavor was really kind of

(01:06:39):
putting me over the edge of thatone.
And then I also like the snowpilot.
I mean, that was a big surpriseto me because we I don't think
we've ever really rated aStevens Point beer that high,
but they did a really goodflavor with this, and this isn't
one of their whole hogvariations either.
Yep, this is their normal ones,yeah.
So that was very good.
The cookie exchange ones werewere good.
I mean, I'm not a big differentChristmas cookie guy, so I mean,

(01:07:02):
I I couldn't pick up theflavors, but they were not bad.
So I overall I think everythingwas really good.

SPEAKER_00 (01:07:07):
So, did you give your top three?
What were they?
I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:10):
My top number one, the grandfather, number two,
chestnut praline, and numberthree the snow pilot.

SPEAKER_00 (01:07:15):
Oh nice.
So what beer do you think you'remost shocked at?
Minus point that was so good.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:21):
Um, yeah, I mean, that one shocked me.
Yeah, because I wasn't expectingthat much of a uh pistachio
flavor.
Yeah, so yes, that was veryshocking.
The chestnut praline was kind ofshocking too.
That was the buttery flavor, andunfortunately, the prairie
artisan ale was kind of shockingin the wrong direction.
Because we've had extremely goodbeers from them.
Yep, yeah, uh, and that onereally kind of caught me off

(01:07:43):
guard.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:44):
So yeah, I mean, but I mean they're all, and I guess
the good thing is everybody'sexperimenting with something
just a little bit different.
Yep, they're not all fallinginto a stovepipe of all trying
to do the same thing.
Yep, which is nice.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:55):
Exactly.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:56):
I mean, all these are different breweries, other
than those two differentbreweries, different styles,
different variations.
So that so that is encouraging.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (01:08:04):
Well, cool.
Hey, Jim, thank you so much forproviding these round of beers.
Uh, we do have a couple, maybeat least one, maybe two more
episodes coming that are kind ofthe Christmas beer type stuff.
Yep, yep.
Uh, we did do our annual BlackFriday beer shopping
extravaganza, and we picked upsome very interesting beers that

(01:08:24):
we're gonna try.

SPEAKER_02 (01:08:25):
Yep.

SPEAKER_01 (01:08:26):
Uh, we've got a number of them that we'll try
down the road.
Yep.
You know, let them age a littlebit more.
But uh yeah, there's gonna besome interesting things.
We're coming close to the end ofour third season.
Well, we listened.
Which is crazy.
Yeah, I was gonna say, and andwe had a we're over a thousand
beers on the podcast now.
So we're we're just waiting.

SPEAKER_00 (01:08:45):
I want to clarify a thousand beers on the podcast,
but how many beers are you,Mike?

SPEAKER_01 (01:08:50):
Again, well, again, uh getting close to six
thousand.

SPEAKER_00 (01:08:53):
That's craziness.
Craziness.

SPEAKER_01 (01:08:55):
Well, you know, something everybody has to be
good at something, and I'mapparently good at drinking
beer.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09:00):
So pretty good at drinking beer.
Maybe that should be a goodthing.
There's a song on all that.
Like, it reminds me of a song.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:07):
Exactly.
Well, hey, raise our glasses tothe next thousand beers on the
podcast.
There you go.
Cheers.
Cheers.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09:14):
Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:16):
Exactly.
No problem.
Ladies and gentlemen, thanks forlistening.
Hopefully, you had a happyThanksgiving.
Uh, we're in between theholidays now.
Hopefully, you're out therebaking cookies and trying craft
beer.
Stay warm.
Stay warm.
So, hey, we hope your campfire'salways warm.
And your beers are always cold.
See ya.
See ya.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09:35):
Merry Christmas.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:38):
Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer
Guy Podcast.
If you have a question, acomment, or a beer you'd like us
to review, please feel free tosend us a message at
Northwoodsbeerguy at gmail.com.
You can also find us onFacebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
If you're on Untapped, look upNorthwoods Beer Guy and send a
friend request.
Until next week, I hope all yourcampfires are warm and all your

(01:09:59):
beer is cold.