As if barrel-aging alone wasn’t enough, breweries these days are taking beers that have already experienced an extended oak rest and dumping them into another barrel to age even further. We sample five beers that result from this process (or something similar) to see if all that patience pays off in the end. This final installment of Barrel-Aged December features two legit top ten candidates for beers of the year, and we attempt to extend our merchandising output. And as if two barrels for every beer wasn’t enough, Ryan has brought the extra heat for this one: two Craigs. Get ready for the Craigboard. 

Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing/Metropolitan Brewing - Avec Le Guillotine (Blend of doppelbock, calvados foedre-aged Flemish-style with apples, and American Wild Ale aged in wine barrels with Cabernet Franc grape must; all refermented with cherries and aged in bourbon barrels and Pomegranate Fox Wild Ale barrels)

Church Street Brewing Company - Double Barrel Doppelbock (Doppelbock aged in bourbon and port barrels for 2 years)

Brink Brewing Co./Nine Giant Brewing - Double Bourbon Barrel-Aged Loose String (Barleywine aged in rye and bourbon barrels)

Private Press Brewing - Electric Roads (Double Barrel-Aged Barleywine)

Mikerphone Brewing - Double Barrel-Aged Super Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit (Imperial Breakfast Stout w/ maple syrup and coffee, aged in Heaven Hill rye barrels and Smoke Wagon rye barrels)

This is Deep Wood Stout Edition 2021 for our fourth Barrel-Aged December episode, as we drink through the five Revolution stouts in their fall/winter specialty release series. Each year, this lineup finds a new way to step forward - and there’s one beer in particular here that surprisingly leaps to the top of our lists. Also, Ryan confronts Craig about the Hair Bag Incident, Craig keeps insisting on entering the chat, Ryan’s High Life vertical is f*cked, and we just sort of have a love fest about Revolution’s output in 2021. Stay tuned for the drunkest rankings of the year.

Beers Reviewed

Deth’s Tar (Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout)

Café Deth (Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ coffee)

Deth by Raspberries (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ raspberries)

Vanilla Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla)

Dark Mode (Imperial Milk Stout aged in bourbon barrels)

An oasis in a month of enormous beers, this episode resets our palates to ready us for the remainder of Barrel-Aged December. But that’s not to say that saisons don’t have quite a few tricks up their sleeves, like the five on this show certainly do. We also are introduced to Milwaukee’s Supermoon Beer Company, and Craig grabbed an interview with co-founder Rob Brennan. Additionally, we have surprising strolls through the mall, and Craig tells you where he’ll take his glitter. #DrinkSaisons

Beers Reviewed

Supermoon Beer Company - There Is A Plot (Gin Barrel Blended Saison)

Keeping Together - It Was Like A Holiday (Barrel-aged Saison w/ toasted coconut, lemon, orange, and honey)

Werk Force Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Vultures (Saison w/ blackberries and raspberries aged Cabernet Sauvignon barrels)

Zero Gravity Craft Brewery - Après Vous (Gin Barrel-Aged Saison)

Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Saison Aged in Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin Barrels

No matter what your strategy is at the fest, it’s almost impossible to avoid FoBAB FOMO. We were lucky to attend the 19th edition of FoBAB, but we also felt like we missed out on trying some of the exciting medal winners - until now. For our second Barrel-Aged December show, there are five medal winners from 2021 across various styles on this episode that confirm, hey, yeah, maybe the judges know what they’re doing. We also brainstorm some local beer gift box ideas, find Craig roaming the island of misfit candy, and audition to #FineTuneFoBAB.

Beers Reviewed

The Hopewell Brewing Co. - Arrow of Time [Blend 002] (Oak-aged Wild Ale) - Silver in Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours

Black Horizon Brewing Co. - Gin Barrel-Aged Stand and Deliver (Gin Barrel-Aged Golden Strong Ale) - Bronze in Other Pale Beer

Milwaukee Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged Barleywine - Bronze in Barleywine/Wheatwine

Short Fuse Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Precious Little Treats (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ vanilla beans) - Silver in Specialty Strong Porter/Stout

Werk Force Brewing Company - Double Barrel Sleepy Bear (Double Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ milk sugar, cacao nibs, and vanilla)

Rising from the depths of an obsidian sea to bring about an experience both conceptual and elemental that bends past the traditional, or something: Benthic 2021. To kick off Barrel-Aged DecemberNFT we wade through the cosmic gumbo for this show on Half Acre’s big adjunct stout release for 2021. Five variants of the barrel-aged coconut stout are up for review and lead us to the 4PM Shedd Aquarium tour where things get a bit raunchy. Also, we talk about the podcast we would’ve started at age 15, a Craig soundboard for prank calls, and the symptoms of Fish Can Influence. Ready your decks and watch your hit points, folks.

Beers Reviewed

Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut and coffee)

XTRA DUBL Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ 3x toasted coconut and 2x coffee)

Vanilla Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut and vanilla)

Rum Coconut Benthic (Rum and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coconut)

Vampira Benthic (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ coffee and coconut aged 10-22 months)

We take on five beers from the great city of Cincinnati for this episode, courtesy of listener Andrew who picked out an exceptionally fun variety of styles and odd ingredients. It’s not every week we get beers with juniper berries, paw paw, and tayberries. Also, we discuss a tweet about which famous old people could identify Mario; we talk about some of our favorite signature fonts; and we have the majesty of dolphins ruined for us forever. 

Beers Reviewed

Streetside Brewery - Return of the Mac (Coffee blond w/ caramel creme coffee and vanilla)

Rhinegeist Brewery - Infinite Dawn (Sour blonde ale aged in an oak foeder)

Rebel Mettle - Volume (Schwarzbier with juniper berries)

Urban Artifact - Dilophosaurus (Barrel-aged wild ale w/ paw paw)

Fibonacci Brewing Company - Ploidy (Imperial oatmeal stout w/ tayberries)

Add a 2021 FoBAB Gold Medal to the many reasons why Cruz Blanca’s seasonal barrel-aged beer release is not to be missed, but you hopefully already knew that anyways. For this one, we chat with head brewer Jacob Sembrano before opening up all eight of these grapplers in the Luchador series. Jacob talks with us about growing Cruz beyond just a brewpub, what makes something a “Cruz beer,” and some of the surprising flavor inspirations behind this year’s Luchadors. Then we drink ‘em all up, and it’s a wild ride, y’all. Also, Craig has a hard time enjoying the aquarium, and Ryan just wants to talk about candles. 

Beers Reviewed

Escorpión (Imperial prickly pear and dragon fruit ale aged in Cabernet red wine and Barbados rum barrels)

Barbarosa (Imperial black and red raspberry ale aged in Heaven Hill bourbon and Cabernet red wine barrels)

Maravilla (Imperial blonde ale aged in Barbados rum and Woody Creek rye whiskey barrels with Mexican vanilla)

Coco Fantasma (Imperial blonde ale aged in Barbados rum and Woody Creek rye whiskey barrels with chocolate, coconut, and almond)

Carmelita Suave (Imperial stout aged in Barbados rum barrels with Metric coffee and dulce de leche)

Señor Bandito (Imperial stout aged in Woody Creek rye whiskey barrels with black, Morello, and Luxardo cherries, Mexican cassia bark, and Ceylon cinnamon)

Rey Gordo (Imperial stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels)

Rey Cuvée (2018 + 2019 + 2020 Rey Gordo blended and double barrel-aged in Woodford Reserve barrels)

We’re finally caught up on Craig’s summer Northeast trip which took him to Barreled Souls, who do 100% oak-fermented beers out of their Maine location. The flavors are big and bold, and some work much better for us than others. But the standouts are incredible, and we’re even getting some slushie vibes. Also, Craig considers his scent, Ryan runs down all the different sub-styles of soup beers, and we hold a community Fluff event. 

Beers Reviewed 

Space Gose (Gose w/ coriander, Maine sea salt, and lemon zest)

Speakeasy Red Sangria (Red wine barrel-aged gose w/ Concord grape, cranberry, orange, currant, & lemon)

8x Magnification (Quadruple IPA)

Crazy Squares 2.0 (Barleywine w/ Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal)

Woodford Bourbon Stay Puft (Imperial stout w/ marshmallow fluff aged in Woodford bourbon barrels)

It’s the episode where we drink all the Bourbon County beers being released on Black Friday this year, and give you our honest reactions to this eight-bottle lineup. Whatever we say probably won’t influence your purchasing decisions whatsoever, but we had fun and got drunk while doing it. Honestly, we try to run our podcast with a set of principles as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a homerun. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame.

Beers Reviewed

Bourbon County Brand Stout 2021

Bourbon County Reserve 150 Stout

Bourbon County Reserve Blanton’s Stout

Bourbon County Cherry Wood Stout

Bourbon County Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout (BCDBTBS)

Bourbon County Classic Cola Stout

Bourbon County Fourteen Stout

Proprietor’s Stout 2021

In another tale of the macabre (beers), our palates are attacked and our bodies shake with that unmistakable burn: it can only be Crypt Fever! We once again try to outdo one another by picking beers we think are going to be revolting for a blind test of our tolerance for bad - and most of these drinks fit the horrible bill. We also envision the Skoilet, smell some sockfruit, invent Flushtones™, and discuss why hard seltzers are the future of the Torture Test. 

Beers Administered

The Bruery Terreux - Frucht: Cucumber (Sour Berliner Weiss w/ cucumbers)
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery - Verrückter Brauer (Strong Lager)

Abita Brewing Company - Strawberry Lager

Shipyard Brewing Company - Pumpkin Head Hard Seltzer

5 Rabbit Cervecería - ChocFruit Piña (Stout w/ pineapple, from 2016)

Forbidden Root - Money on My Rind (Wheat beer w/ juniper and grapefruit, from 2016?)

For the 28th installment of our State Show series, our friend Don Kasak brought us back a nice (IPA-less) lineup from South Dakota. We have five different beers from five different breweries, although one host’s personal curse seems hellbent on lowering that number. But in addition to these enjoyable brews, we construct five different nostalgia/pop culture-based Mount Rushmores of our own, which leads to discussions around cereal mascots, Seinfeld NPCs, classic WWF wrestlers, Saturday morning cartoons, and 90s bassists. We also find new ways to describe “yellow,” dream of our favorite highly dangerous vehicles, and piledrive our friends. 

Beers Reviewed

Remedy Brewing Company [Sioux Falls, SD] - MarketBrew (Hoppy wheat ale)

Sawyer Brewing Co. [Spearfish, SD] - Blood Orange Blond Ale

Obscure Brewing Co. [Sioux Falls, SD] - SoDa Kölsch

Eponymous Brewing Company [Brookings, SD] - Blueberry Indiglow (Barrel-aged sour w/ blueberries)

A Homestead Brew [Valley Springs, SD] - Blood Run Belgian Dubbel

With Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project, Tyler Davis wants to explore the ways wine and beer fermentation can cross over into styles that defy traditional categorization. And with Moderne Dune, he is using newer ingredients and techniques with IPAs and lagers in thoughtful and artful ways. We talk with Tyler about his many projects and upcoming taproom, the origins of Duneyrr, his brewing history, choosing quality over locality when it matters, and how deep into the world of wine he’s looking to venture. Then we drink five beers - two from Moderne Dune and three from Duneyrr - to better appreciate his vision and see how our beer-centric tastes react to his wine hybrids. We also threaten to kill the Cold IPA, Craig goes all Whitman on us, and Ryan’s getting rich off those NFTs. Can we be franc?

Beers Reviewed

Moderne Dune - River Yacht (Cold IPA w/ Mosaic, Meridian, and Motueka)

Moderne Dune - Invited Concept (DDH Lager w/ Loral and Citra)

Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Freya Franc (Sour Hybrid w/ strawberries and Cabernet Franc grape must)

Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Sauvÿn Blanc (Sour Hybrid w/ passion fruit, Sauvignon Blanc grape must)

Duneyrr Artisan Fermenta Project - Hazy Et Blanc! (Double IPA w/ Sauvignon Blanc grape juice, Phantasm, Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin)

To recognize the improbable 400th episode of this show, we take it all the way back to the beginning - with a little added age. We revisit the same five local breweries from “Episode 1 - Chicago Stouts” - but this time, there are barrels involved. We take stock of all that has changed along the way and share a few memories from listeners. But there’s also our Top 3 arcade cabinets, shameless Trader Joe’s plugs, some babka truths, stout luge races, and a little old-fashioned Ryan rage over unwieldy beer prices. I’d buy that for a dollar. 

Beers Reviewed

Spiteful Brewing - Barrel-Aged Hostile Harry - Cinnamon Bun 2020 (Russian Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon and vanilla aged in Weller barrels)

Solemn Oath Brewery - Nourri Au Pistache (Imperial Milk Stout w/ vanilla and pistachio aged in bourbon barrels)

Half Acre Beer Company - Double Barrel Catch Hell (Imperial Stout w/ Vietnamese cinnamon and vanilla, aged in Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel Select barrels)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Phantom Unicorn (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ cacao nibs, vanilla, and lactose)

Hubbard’s Cave - Barrel-Aged Bananas Foster Imperial Stout 2021 (Barrel-aged Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon, maple, vanilla and banana)

In a record year at the Great American Beer Festival, Illinois breweries captured 16 medals across a wide variety of styles. We ran all over Chicagoland to assemble six of the medal winning beers to sample while sharing a pretty comprehensive history of Illinois beers at GABF in the 21st century. Also, we pitch some ideas for Extreme Bingo, play a game of Stumptappd about beers with depressing movie names, and get stuck between a glitter bomb and a jamband. More lactose categories next year, please.

Beers Reviewed

Alarmist Brewing - Midwest Royalty (Bronze Medal in American-Style Lager)

Pollyanna Brewing Co. - Party Penguin (Bronze Medal in Other Strong Beer)

DESTIHL Brewery - DeadHead IPA Series: Haze of the Dead (Bronze Medal in Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale)

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Della (Silver Medal in German-Style Koelsch)

Short Fuse Brewing Co. - Tropical Hurt Locker (Silver Medal in Fruited American Sour Ale)

Will County Brewing Co. - Bamm Bamm Loves Pebbles (Gold Medal in Fruit Wheat Beer)

For the complete spreadsheet of Illinois’ GABF Medal History, click here.

From the rolling green hills of Vermont, we have five beers that span the state for our 27th installment in our State Show series. All five breweries included are new to the show with a wide variety of styles, and at least one beer elicits the strangest divergent reactions we’ve had in quite some time. Also, Ryan is living through an unwritten Seinfeld episode, Craig is disappointed by the lack of moose, and we both fixate on parts of songs we had never noticed before. You’re going to have to speak a little louder - I had a Crunchwrap® today.

Beers Reviewed

von Trapp Brewing [Stowe, VT] - Vienna Style Lager

Collaborative Brewing [Waitsfield, VT] - Salute Your Schwarz (Schwarzbier)

River Roost Brewery [White River Junction, VT] - Neon Burning Bright (Mixed-culture saison aged in gin barrels w/ ginger, lime, and Cara Cara oranges)

Foam Brewers [Burlington, VT] - Galaxie 500 (Double IPA)

Hermit Thrush Brewery [Brattleboro, VT] - Rowdy Monk (Mixed-culture quadrupel aged in red wine and scotch barrels)

This week, we’re perusing the aisles of three of the most popular grocery store chains who contract brew their own IPAs so they can sell them at a steep discount, all to determine if it’s okay to skip your trip to Beer on the Wall every now and then. (It’s not.) We have some, uh, spirited reviews of the IPAs made by Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s, with one nearly-redeeming surprise. Also, we welcome a live studio audience to the show for the first time, petition to take over the Challenge Butter Twitter account, and make people a little h*rny for soup beers. A true adventure awaits.

Beers Reviewed

Costco: Kirkland Signature (Hopfen Und Malz/Gordon Biersch) - Citra Hop Session IPA

Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hopping Nomad Session IPA

Aldi: State of Brewing (Octopi Brewing) - Hazy IPA

Trader Joe’s: Farm Island Brewing (Peak Organic) - Organic IPA

Trader Joe’s: Rhinelander Brewing Company - Boatswain Double IPA

We’ve long been spoiled to have Allagash beers in the Chicagoland market, considering they still only distribute to about a third of the country, if that. But this show celebrates the brewery differently, with five brewery-only beers from Craig’s recent travels to Portland, Maine. And yes, even when they’re getting experimental, Allagash is as adept at balancing complexity with drinkability unlike few other brewers in the world. This lovefest also features a sentient (and inspiring) Gushy, for the love of B-sides albums, buddy cop films with two talking dogs, and some irate Pokemon fans. Branch beer, branch beer!

Beers Reviewed

From Maine, With Love #04 (Saison with Lemon Verbena)

From Maine, With Love #05 (Tart Pale Ale with Juniper and Sea Salt)

From Maine, With Love #06 (Belgian Lager)

From Maine, With Love #07 (Pale Ale with Lemon and Sea Salt)

Coolship Cerise Estate (Spontaneous ale w/ cherries)

In a state where there’s a brewery for about every 8,000 people, Portland is the ultimate beer-lovers’ destination in picturesque Maine. Craig’s travels bring us five unique and winning beers from five different Portland, Maine breweries. The beers are as charming as the coastal town that bore them, which leads to a little strokin’ of Craig’s ego. Also, we keep those cans a-rolling; Craig feels old thanks to promotional 90s nights; Ryan is a little worried about the sea water; and we’re getting stupid with lactose. 

Beers Reviewed

Rising Tide Brewing Company - Pisces (Gose)

Definitive Brewing Company - Radiant Days: Mandarin Orange, Raspberry, and Marshmallow (Fruited Sour)

Liquid Riot Bottling Co. - Blushing Star (Barrel-aged pilsner w/ Brettanomyces and Maine white peaches)

Battery Steele Brewing - Abstract Object (Coffee milk stout)

Belleflower Brewing Co. - Barn Hex: Mosaic, Strata, El Dorado (Double NEIPA)

Stowed away in Northern Vermont, The Alchemist has been a world-renowned brewery for almost two decades thanks to its tremendously popular and influential Heady Topper. Craig’s recent travels to the area secured us that precious Heady along with four more beers of substantial quality that have us dreaming of green mountains. Also, Ryan resurrects the soundboard, Craig’s missed opportunity lets us all down, and we reach a decisive conclusion to the “drink from the can” debate. 

Beers Reviewed

Zomerbier (Summer saison)

Sterk Wit (Belgian-style imperial wit)

Skadoosh: Crystal (IPA)

Crusher (Double IPA)

Heady Topper (Double IPA)

If you’re going to toss the whole pastry shelf into your stout, we better see some proper punctuation. For this episode, we’ve gathered five stouts that are on a three-adjunct minimum, and we sacrifice our daily calorie count by bringing you our arbitrary reviews. We also consider T-shirts for songs, recommend three flavors for that White Sox waffle cone, conclude our eight year journey of finding a better name for the podcast, pan for cookie dough, smile at bubbles, and bristle at your bold breakfast self-invitation. You hear that, Doink?

Beers Reviewed

Hop Butcher for the World - Mobula (Imperial stout with chocolate, coconut, and almonds)

More Brewing Company - Arketype: Almond Fudge Macaroon (Imperial stout with almond, cocoa nibs, and coconut)

Prairie Artisan Ales & The Open Bottle - You Gotta Horchata (Imperial milk stout with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar)

Hitchhiker Brewing Company - Point of Confusion (White stout with oats, coffee, cacao nibs, maple syrup, and hazelnut)

Cinderlands Beer Co. - Pastry Badge (Imperial milk stout with mint chocolate cookies, vanilla beans, and milk sugar)

On some episodes, we just wanna act stupid and have some fun, so for this one we’re doing an all suburban, all haze, all blind show to prove that we don’t give a sh*t about tomorrow. Will these five hazy Double IPAs help break Ryan free from his Low Haze Enthusiasm? Will either host hit a respectable average in guessing the blind lineup? How many friendships will be tested? Which White Castle is still squishing the ball? Listen to this tight 50 to hear that and why you might as well papaya.™ 

Beers Reviewed Blindly (in order of appearance)

Triptych Brewing - Batch 900

Mikerphone Brewing - Say Uhh! 

Phase Three Brewing/Roaring Table Brewing - Just Down the Road

Hidden Hand - Passioned Pastel

More Brewing - Elixir Fields

Revolution Brewing’s mission is to dominate your whole calendar. They release one of the most coveted barrel-aged beers in the last few years as a surprise for the summer along with two returning favorites, but they also let you wash it all down with exquisite lighter-drinking beers like the pair from this episode. So we chatted with Rev’s communications manager John Carruthers about these hot summer drops, the future of Rev’s packaged offerings, his charitable pizza project and cookbook, and of course, the 90s X-Men Arcade game. Then we drink through a wildly incongruous lineup that has no business being evaluated on the same level, but we do what we know. There’s also talk of souping-up Craig’s Prius, Hall & Oates music videos, new lexicons for 40-year olds, and hope for VSOJ soft serve cones. Snap into a green bean!

John Carruthers Interview (00:07:52 - 00:45:52)

Beers Reviewed

Riot (Bohemian Keller Pils)

Pursuit of Freedom: Watermelon Mint (Session Sour)

Supermassive Café Deth (Barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ Coffee)

Strawberry Jacket (Barrel-aged Barleywine w/ Strawberries)
V.S.O.J. (Barrel-aged Barleywine)

The Belgian Quadrupel is a style one might associate with decades of Trappist-brewed tradition, when in actuality, it was first coined a style in 1991 in the Netherlands. History lesson aside, these strong dark Belgian-style ales have their American fanatics too, and we try to explore multiple facets of the style through this episode. Also, we talk about non-existent emojis, raw bread, a Sorting Habit, accidental chocolate hand, and Craig accidentally drinking syrup. Our pour discipline is poor on this one. 

Beers Reviewed

Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven - La Trappe Quadrupel

Spencer Brewery - Monks’ Reserve Ale

Une Année Brewery - Quad

Lo Rez Brewing - Rum Barrel-Aged Quad Core

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged As Time Goes By

Summer Craig’s travels brought him to the Steel City of Pittsburgh to explore their vibrant beer scene and bring back five beers for the podcast. We have an unusual mix of styles from five different Pittsburgh breweries, but they impress in ways that make us want to wave our Terrible Towels. Also, Craig has a disorienting experience with the wrath of God at the amusement park, we honor the Warhol Museum Balloon Wrangler, bring Retchy into the fold for one particularly hungover host, and explain how our saggy beers support our pointy ales. 

Beers Reviewed

Old Thunder Brewing Company - Ordinary Stillage (English session ale)

Trace Brewing - Foeder Pils (Czech pilsner aged in an oak foeder)

Cinderlands Beer Co. - Gregg (Blended saison)

Strange Roots Experimental Ales - Mortal Eidolon (Barrel-aged sour ale aged on grape must)

Grist House Craft Brewrey - Solar Submarine (Sour ale w/ tangerine, blood orange, chocolate, vanilla, milk sugar, and graham cracker)

Keeping Together, the saison-focused project from Averie Swanson, has brought world-class mixed culture farmhouse-style beers to Chicago - if even for all too short of a time. We catch up with Averie about the future of Keeping Together as its time in Chicago comes to a close, but we also talk with the Master Cicerone and former co-owner/head brewer at Jester King about her evolution as a brewer and business owner - and it feels like she’s just getting started. Also, we extol the virtues of saison as a style, discuss the ups and downs of destination breweries, praise a few more local saison makers, explore the inspiration behind her beer names, and consider a few Chicago delicacies like Home Depot hot dogs and Chicago Handshakes. Then, there’s a whole other segment where Craig and Ryan drink through five Keeping Together beers and just go on and on about how great they are, so you should listen to that too. We also talk about special occasion fonts, pastry saisons, and a new take-home edition of Gushy. 

Interview with Averie Swanson (00:06:39 - 00:49:46)

Beers Reviewed

At The Still Point of the Turning World (Saison made with buckwheat and rye)
We Are Not the Counter Culture (Saison brun)

From the Outer Edge of Inner Space (Bitter saison with Galaxy hops and wildflower honey)

The Grace of Maybe (Saison with peaches, vanilla, and lemongrass)

Preoccupied with Memory and Expectation (Saison with Japanese Red Shiso leaf, burnt honey, and dry-hopped with Sabro hops)

The good folks at Necromancer Brewing in Pittsburgh want to bring dead beer styles back to life, learning from the past while also using modern techniques and ingredients to reinvigorate these long-dormant styles for a new audience. On the first day that their taproom opened, Craig happened to be in town and was lucky to chat with head brewer Lauren Hughes before buying up almost every can they had to offer. Lauren shares the journey that led to Necromancer’s opening and the long-term vision of expansion, while articulating why these styles all deserve a second chance. Also, we consider a new take on BYO, sample the hot Jerrysauce, and open up our little bock book. Remember, there’s no resurrection in seltzer. 

Lauren Hughes Interview 00:08:36 - 00:25:45

Beers Reviewed

Square Dancing (Kentucky Common)

Wildwood (Grisette)

Laissez-Faire (Witbier)

Cold Feet (Cold IPA)

Poker Face (Black IPA)

In our 26th installment of our State Show Series, we get surprised with a box from listener Andrew F. and try to turn this admittedly New Orleans-heavy show into a loving exploration of Louisiana beer. Appropriately, the five beers are about as oddly different as they can be, and we have at least one thing we’ve never had in a beer before. Also, we revisit the events that must’ve led to Pitbull’s performance at the 2018 Naperville Ribfest, try to put the baseball in New Orleans, fret over drinking a plastic baby, and hold down school in the weird fruit aisle.

Beers Reviewed

Brieux Carré Brewing Company [New Orleans] - Teensy Pale Apparition (Grisette)

Miel Brewery & Taproom [New Orleans] - Flor De Jamaica (Gose w/ hibiscus, pink sea salt, and cinnamon)

Rally Cap Brewing Company [Baton Rouge] - Wendy Peffercorn (White stout w/ coffee and vanilla)

Urban South Brewery [New Orleans]/Cruz Blanca Brewery - Desert Lights (Fruited sparkling ale w/ lemon, lime soda syrup, and prickly pear)

Zony Mash Beer Project [New Orleans] - King of Carrot Flowers (Fruited sour w/ mango, tangerine, carrot, and lactose)

Though the only true kölsch can be found in Cologne, Germany, the broad appeal of the style is an obvious draw for brewers and drinkers alike. We find six local examples of kölsch-style beers and sample them in a blind tasting, while trying unsuccessfully not to embarrass ourselves. We also share strange yet optimistic signs in a return to “normalcy,” consider spicy cereals, discover raw bread, and create a bunch of new band names. Grab yourself six for the lazy river. 

Beers Sampled Blindly (in order)

Metropolitan Brewing - Krankshaft

Maplewood Brewing Company/Goldfinger Brewing Company - Coaster King

Half Acre Beer Company - Discus

middle brow beer co. - Yard Work

Dovetail Brewery - Kölsch

Whiner Beer Co. - Curb Cutter

If only there was some relevant reason to do our first Hop Butcher show in a year...oh yeah! They released four single-hopped hazy beers! Well, there’s that and the whole “purchasing the Half Acre Lincoln taproom to convert into their own space later this year” thing. We talk with our friend Jeremiah Zimmer from Hop Butcher for the World for a good while about the surprising taproom purchase, from what greased the wheels on the deal to what kinds of plans they have with a tentative late-October opening date. We also get real nerdy about hop acquisition, why different hop lots can make all the difference, and how the Suez Canal blockage is holding back a choice batch of hops. We also talk about how the Smashing Pumpkins collaboration came to be, and who those two handsome gentlemen might be welcoming you to the Hop Butcher taproom in the future. And that’s not all, because the rest of the episode is dedicated to us tasting through four single-hop hazies while expanding on the 311 mythos that surrounds this show. (Welcome to our Mt. Rushmore, P-Nut.)

Jeremiah Zimmer Interview (0:11:35 - 1:04:40)

Beers Reviewed

Beef Dipped (Simcoe-hopped Double IPA)

Snorkel Squad (Citra-hopped IPA)

Lord Octopus (Mosaic-hopped Double IPA)

Soul Head (Strata-hopped IPA)

Mikerphone has become notorious for being willing to toss anything edible (and usually sweet) into a beer, but they’re not all style with no substance. For this episode, we tried to sample a more stripped-down version of Mikerphone, choosing five beers without much added (except for the occasional dry hop or barrel treatment). There are many delightful reminders that sometimes simple is better, but we also muck it up with a forced auction, the art of CD tracks, the seasons of Dexter*, a new future for Hellraiser, bad song parodies, and a game about MTV Unplugged in the 90s. Welcome to the five-timers club, Mikerphone!

Beers Reviewed

Jagged Little Pils (Dry-hopped pilsner)

Naked and Famous (Berliner Weisse)

Misty Mountain Hop (IPA)

Barrel-Aged Flipped The Switch (Imperial Czech-Style Dark Lager aged in Smoke Wagon Bourbon Barrels)

Barrel-Aged Imperial Smells Like Birthday Suit Spirit (Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels)

*I was wrong about the Dexter.

Trends with IPAs come and go, but the West Coast-style IPA is foundational for what craft beer is today. So when a bunch of awesome local breweries set aside their hazy tendencies to deliver something more bitter and clear, we’re ecstatic to drink through five of them. Also, we mount up for Michael McDonald, admire some Choice Cones©, and welcome the new steel drum player for the Smashing Pumpkins. We also roll out another round of Personal Preference, which leads to talk of boozy mayonnaise and Craig unsuccessfully crashing a Hood Internet show. We’re getting throwback drunk on this one.

Beers Reviewed

Phase Three Brewing - West Coast Pixel Density IPA

Art History Brewing - Avenue of the Giants IPA

Revolution Brewing Co. - DDH West Coast Hero DIPA

Hubbard’s Cave - Clearly Hopsurd IPA

Miskatonic Brewing Company - DDH Nelson Wizard DIPA

More than just a mash paddle photoshoot for Instagram, these brewery collaborations focus on how their own pre-existing strong recipes can complement those of another. Enter the collab lab with us, as we taste through five inspired collaborations from local breweries, featuring a few medal winners to boot. Also, we pimp our windbreakers, break our lactose streak, imagine the limits of beer NFTs, and are just so done with this mask theatre. Set your windbreakers to yacht rock.

Beers Reviewed 

Alarmist Brewing/Old Irving Brewing - Le Beez (Hazy IPA)

Penrose Brewing Company/Noon Whistle Brewing - Gummy Boots (Hazy IPA)

Is/Was Brewing/Hopewell Brewing Co. - If/When (Bière de Coupage/Saison)

Phase Three Brewing/Goose Island Beer Co. - If You’re A Bird… (Imperial stout w/ panella, cocoa nibs, and coconut)

Goose Island Beer Co./Phase Three Brewing - ...I’m A Bird (Imperian stout w/ panella, cocoa nibs, and strawberry)

Not to be confused with FoBAB (Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers) or MOBAB (Missouri’s Board of Anime Bookstores), this episode simply promises more barrel-aged beers. Five dark beers with a few adjuncts and unique barrels thrown in, this lineup has more than one beer that’ll be on our best of the year list. Also, we discuss a Zubaz incident, summon a Pacino moment, get frustrated again by Kid Craig, and call for more jiggly stouts. We’re going to need moMoBAB. 

Beers Reviewed

Bent Paddle Brewing Co. - Double Shot Double Black (Imperial black ale w/ coffee and vanilla, aged in bourbon barrels)

Third Space Brewing - Mystic Berry (Barrel-aged coffee imperial stout w/ blackberry, blueberry, and vanilla bean)

Werk Force Brewing Company - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mint Chocolate Chip Sleepy Bear (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout w/ cacao nibs, vanilla, and mint)
Half Acre Beer Co./The Veil Brewing Co. - Soak In Shadow (Imperial stout aged in apple brandy barrels w/ lactose)

Goose Island Beer Co. - Suffolk County Stout (Bourbon barrel-aged stout)

This show is a tribute to when the b-side is even better than the a-side, as we drink through five beers that for random reasons didn’t make the cut for recent episodes of the podcast. The styles and breweries are all over the place, which inspires us to dip into a slew of random topics like movies that should’ve been old SNES games, the best part of reading about the Columbian Exposition, and a whole game about b-side songs that upstage their a-sides. Grab your fancy hat and your absinthe dripper.

Beers Reviewed

The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co. - Columbia Bock

Histrionic Brewlab - Tolvanera (Hazy IPA)

Tox Brewing Co. - Lily of the Valley Raspricot (Fruited sour w/ raspberry, apricot, lactose, and vanilla)

Delta Beer Lab - PTR.02 (Coconut chai stout)

Young Blood Beer Company - I’m Extraordinarily Humble (Milk stout w/ cinnamon, maple, and vanilla)

Ticking off another Midwestern hotspot for beers, we try out five different beers from Madison, Wisconsin breweries this week. We drink as a badger does and uncover the surprisingly long and decorated histories of a few of these breweries, while we have a diverse lineup of tasty beers. Also, we jump on the video game-to-live action movie express, re-enact The Fabulous Baker Boys, contrast our evolving personal style, and talk briefly about that time Elvis stopped a fight in Madison. We’re all losers in a pun war. #TeamCream #BockSquad

Beers Reviewed

Giant Jones Brewing Company/The Lone Girl Brewing Company - Bière de Garde Ambrée

Great Dane Pub & Brewing - John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt's Dunkel Doppel Hefeweizen Bock

Vintage Brewing Company - Bock’s O-Chocolates (Chocolate Doppelbock)

Next Door Brewing Company - Plumptuous (Scotch Ale)

Karben4 Brewing - Urge Tracker (Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Stout)

In our minds, there’s hardly a better combination than drinking beer and appreciating baseball - a pastime as wholesome as apple pie milkshake IPAs. So we step into the box, looking to square up five tasty beers from Midwestern breweries that certainly want you to think about baseball. We cram this one with baseball miscellany: Chicago food-themed uniforms, baseball and beer math, Hot Dog Summer, and baseball Stumptappd. Mercy!

Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing - Beer for Ballgames (Cream ale)

Goose Island Beer Co. - White Sox Golden Ale

Spiteful Brewing - Bleacher Bum (Blonde ale w/ peaches)

Noon Whistle Brewing - Gummiskey (Northeast India Pale Ale)

Lion’s Tail Brewing/Young Blood Beer Co. - Uecker On the Radio (Hazy Double IPA)

Looking to provide an “oasis for life and leisure,” Madison, Wisconsin’s Young Blood Beer Company had to bring the oasis to the people in their first year of operation. For this episode, Craig talks with co-founder Tom Dufek about rewriting business plans, adding a twist to every beer, and cultivating those dank and drippy vibes. We also drink through five cans of their beer while trying (and failing) to outdo their beer names with MadLibs. Plus, there’s the threat of a lactose streak, a little W.C.W. love, and the mystery of the street burper.

Beers Reviewed

Shower Bier (Helles Lager)

She’s Fox Valley Rich (Buckwheat Saison w/ plum and cinnamon)

Boone’s Farm Related Scar (Cherry Limeade Sour w/ cherry, key lime, and vanilla)

Templeton Ferrari the Third (Hazy IPA)

Coffee Regular Silkshake (Cream Ale w/ coffee, milk sugar, and vanilla)

Head about 45 minutes west of Chicago, and you’ll find a cluster of fresh craft beer options that are certainly destination-worthy. Ryan took a weekend to check out breweries in St. Charles and Geneva, and he brought back five different beers that’ll have you planning a day trip. The background on these breweries is as fascinating as the beers are varied, and our rankings are about as different as they can be. Also, we talk for a while about chili dog-related issues, pull a Table the Label card, admire those beefy boys in Hobbs & Shaw, try to keep the over-fruited sour temps from dropping, and smash your label beers. (This episode is not paid for by the St. Charles and Geneva Tourism Bureau...but it’d be cool if it was.)

Beers Reviewed

93 Octane Brewery - Hugger Orange Whip (American Wheat Ale w/ orange, vanilla, lactose, and coriander)

Riverlands Brewing Company - Spring Rejuvenation (Maibock)

Penrose Brewing Company - Dryft (IPA)

Art History Brewing - Fastenbier (Lenten Dark Smoked Lager)

D and G Brewing Company/Obscurity Brewing and Craft Mead - The D.O.G. (Braggot Imperial Red Ale)

In our triumphant return to our state series, we venture into the beers from the great state of Connecticut for our 25th installment. And we do so in a big way - with six beers of (mostly) very different styles that span all corners of the state. Thanks to Spenser for the help with the show - and for the small wooden...opening. We also talk about 10,000 hours of altbiers, the new maltwave, more plans for Craig’s beer parody song career, skinfeel, ice cream challenges, and the Knight of the Mall. 

Beers Reviewed

Luppoleto [Windsor Locks] - Putting Down Roots (Altbier)

Counter Weight Brewing Co. [Hamden] - Headway IPA

Kent Falls Brewing Co. [Kent] - Ready to Drum (Barrel-aged saison w/ blueberries)

New Park Brewing [West Hartford] - Blender: Raspberry (Berliner weisse w/ raspberry)

Transcend Beer Crafters [Southington] - 7 Layers of Sin (Imperial milk stout w/ cocoa, graham crackers, roasted peanuts, coconut, marshmallow, vanilla, and butterscotch)

Fox Farm Brewery [Salem] - Avalonia: Blueberry (American wild ale w/ blueberry)

From their first batch of beer released in 2015, Around the Bend has been committed to an unconventional take on traditional styles. The brewery’s trajectory has also been anything but conventional, and we have founder Dan Schedler on to talk about the brewery’s history and future. Dan also shares what led to his midlife career change, how they pivoted from a sudden facility closure, and why their ideas need to be reigned in from time-to-time. Additionally, we review five beers of divergent styles and have an odd night of aroma descriptors. Also, we assign an animal mascot to all the beer styles, listen to some Smooth Industrial music, tell tales of chicken butts, and pitch the tagline for our imagined Outdoor FoBAB. 

Beers Reviewed

Rewind (Hefeweissbier)

Villainous (IPA)

Control for Smilers (Hazy IPA)

Proximal 2020 (English-style barleywine aged in rye whiskey/red wine barrels)

Eleusis (Barrel-aged imperial stout w/ vanilla, chocolate, habanero, and cinnamon)

Despite the allure of warmer temperatures, we’re not quite ready to be done with stout season. So we grab the next-closest seasonally appropriate alternative: baltic porters! In our latest episode in our Prestige Styles Series, these five beers challenge what we know about both porters and lagers, but they are no challenge to drink. We share some fractured history about the style, try to determine the best month for Baltic Porterfest, and designate the perfect animal mascot. Also, we imagine ice cream bars that match classic novels, praise the new era of home delivered beer, and play our new favorite game - 1987’s Personal Preference. 

Beers Reviewed

Dovetail Brewery - Baltic-Style Porter

Empirical Brewery - Endothermic

Haymarket Brewery & Taproom - Baltic Porter

Third Space Brewing - Ice Bear

Church Street Brewing Company/Illuminated Brew Works - Barrel-aged EGLé

Finally ready to recover from Barrel-Aged December™, we assembled a star-studded sequel to last year’s episode, bringing on five barrel-aged beers presented without additional adjuncts. The plethora of bourbon barrels and base beers make for some flavorful variations, and they leave us practically - and almost literally - floored. Also, we adjust to our new ISOs, discuss why Rev’s collaboration choice was genius, consider Half Acre’s barrel-aged beer plan, prepare for the inevitable stout slushie boom, and do a little fudge flirting. 

Beers Reviewed

Central Waters Brewing Company - XXIII (2-year Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout)

Private Press Brewing - Life Is Round (Blended Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine)

Half Acre Beer Company - Obsidian Throne (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout)

Revolution Brewing Company/Half Acre Beer Company - On & On: Part 1 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Rye Porter)

More Brewing Company - Mehndi Special Reserve 2021 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout)

It’s always been exciting to drink Russian River - every bottle opened feels like an event, and it has felt that way for us for well over a decade. On this show we celebrate the brewery that changed the way we both drink beer. Though this episode seems to be about Pliny the Younger (and a lot of it is), the whole lineup is a marvelous progression. Also, we aim to bring back sticker books, open up the ABV Denver Fitness Club, get rolled for R.R., check the Midwestern forecast, and go on D.O.N.G. patrol. (Thanks to Mike R. for the assist!)

Beers Reviewed

STS Pils

Happy Hops IPA

Funky Foeder Cherry

Intinction

Pliny the Younger

Either through public demand or divine intervention, the Black IPA has made an unexpected comeback in 2021, and We. Are. Here. For. It. We snagged the first five Black IPAs we could to tap into the cultural zeitgeist, and Craig learns to stop worrying and love the style. We discuss why the style lost favor with the beer buying public, and speculate on where they may be going. Also, we consider which singers deserve their half birthdays recognized, nearly touch Dick Biondi with a roman candle, call breweries with our list of demands, seek the path to chocolate IPAs, and accidentally give someone the crinkle tingles. 

Beers Reviewed

Revolution Brewing - Jukebox Hero 

Stone Brewing - Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA

Bell’s Brewery - Black Hearted Ale

Phase Three Brewing - Mystic Infinity

Sew Hop’d Brewery - Blind Hem

Tonight, we have the story of five breweries local to Chicagoland who opened amidst a global crisis, and the five beers that lifted the spirits of two weary beer reviewers. It’s ABV Chicago with your Local News - new breweries and new beers with your old friends, Ryan and Craig. First, we open with a few surprising new buttons, then to one person’s battle cry for ska; and later, a lactose-free label? You won’t believe your ears. Then at 10, it’s the new series: Jaws of Justice. All that after your number one source for arbitrary beer reviews recorded remotely from Chicago. 

Beers Reviewed  

Art History Brewing - Gravitace (Czech-style Pale Lager)

Goldfinger Brewing Company - Vienna-Style Lager

Histrionic Brewlab - After (FX) (Pale Ale)

Brothership Brewing - DDH Earth Go Hard (New England-Style DIPA)

Azadi Brewing Company - Kadak (Mumbai Chai Cutting Stout)

The bitterly cold winter months call for rich and bready lagers, and the bock beer is ready to swaddle you in warming flavors. For this show, we try five very different bock beers that speak to the diversity of the style and contribute to the sudden inebriation of the hosts. We uncover the history of bocks while acknowledging the vast differences between substyles, but we can’t resist driving the bock pun thing into the ground. Listen for Craig’s surprising personality test, our two-decades late XXX movie review, the latest market advice on Beanie Babies, our VagueCast about The Crown, and the top three societal contributions of House of Pain. We also play a game of Stumptappd for bock beers. Whatever you do, please don’t look bock in anger. 

Beers Reviewed

Alarmist Brewing - Sebastian (Bock)

Great Central Brewing Company - Weizenbock

Forbidden Root Brewing Company - Beanie Weather (Bock beer w/ orange & spices)

Maplewood Brewing Company - Silver Morning (Doppelbock)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Genuine Bock Beer

We’ve long sought out the strange and elusive beers of Connecticut’s Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores - or OEC Brewing, informally - so we have a ritualistic orientation with six beers from their little secret society. There’s a lot to love from this diverse lineup - not the least of which is that one of them comes in a freaking blue bottle. Also, we explore our legal options in a trademark dispute, let the funk do the talking, and play two games about stock symbols and airport codes. For Asgard!

Beers Reviewed

Rosé de Pétanque (Blended sour w/ coriander, orange peel, and blueberry juice)

Coolship Lager Black (Czech-style black lager)
Tempus (Blend of lagered and oak-aged young saison, 1 year-old lambic style ale, and 4 year-old saison aged in red & white wine barrels)

Aether (Dry-hopped sour ale)

BiFrost (Nordic-inspired Cryogenic Double Pale Ale)

Phantasma (Sour porter aged in cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and marsala barrels)

We send off this season’s Deep Wood series by opening up some of their finest ‘wines. Big on barrel variation, this lineup of barleywines and ryewines features a few of the best things Revolution has ever done with these styles - and our rankings diverge quite a bit. We speculate on the next Deep Wood lineup, fail at recreating Honey Nut Cheerios, zoom in on physical pictures, praise the “Rock N’ Roll Racing” soundtrack, and discuss fonts for a solid ten minutes. (This episode was maximized for CDBass® Boost Power.)

Beers Reviewed

Straight Jacket (Bourbon barrel-aged barleywine)

Honey Jacket (Bourbon and rye barrel-aged barleywine w/ honey)

Mineshaft Gap (Cognac barrel-aged barleywine)

Ryeway to Heaven (Bourbon and rye barrel-aged ryewine)

Apple Brandy Barrel Ryeway (Apple brandy barrel-aged ryewine)

This year is our seventh as a podcast, and because we couldn’t throw a party like we usually do, we’re bringing the drunken fun inside your head holes. It’s certainly a nostalgia fest at times here as we relive our epic anniversary parties at Beermiscuous, but we made this one more interesting by dropping off some blind local beers to our remote recording spaces. We have six entries, with each host contributing three heavily wrapped beers, and we enjoy hearing each other squirm over style and brewery guesses. We also discuss classic movies whose plots fall apart with modern technology, relive Ryan’s favorite Christopher Cross memory, and reconsider Mosaic-based torture. Thanks for your support at any point over these seven years, and we can’t wait to party with you again soon.

Beers Reviewed Half-Blind (in order of appearance)

BuckleDown Brewing - Hooligan Soup (English-style Mild Ale)

Roaring Table Brewing - Whirlycaster (Sour IPA w/ blackberry, raspberry, Meyer lemon, milk sugar, vanilla, and rose hips)

Dutchbag Brew Co. - Somewhat Informal (Sour saison)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Emerald Grouper (Double IPA w/ honey)

Hopewell Brewing Co. - Pub Culture (English-style porter)

Ørkenoy - Oscar Orchard (Gruit w/ sweet gale, yarrow, elderflower, and huacatay)

Though it may not be considered all that popular, the brown ale is resilient. Craft brewers have been making them for decades, and even now it’s more common to see a hyped-up brewery release a brown as a change-of-pace. To dig deeper into English and American Brown Ales, we drink a mix of five from near and far. Craig also turns this show into his own personal gameshow, putting Ryan to the test on five rounds of music trivia based on the history of the Billboard Hot 100. We discover that no one brown ale here tastes like the other, and that we can thank the California Raisins for N.W.A. Also, the hops get a spa day, the chocolate IPA comes closer to reality, and disaster nearly strikes when we put Mark McGrath and Mario Lopez in the same room. 

Beers Reviewed

Samuel Smith - Nut Brown Ale (English-style Brown Ale)

AleSmith Brewing Company - Nut Brown ale (English-style Brown Ale)

Bell’s Brewery - Best Brown Ale (American-style Brown Ale)

Midwest Coast Brewing Co. - West Town Brown Ale (American-style Brown Ale)

Hubbard’s Cave - Janet’s Brown Ale (Hoppy American Brown Ale)

Starting a sour-focused brewery comes with a unique set of challenges, especially when you enter the market in the midst of a pandemic. But Odious Cellars founder and head brewer Reeve Joseph forged ahead, lucking upon the facility at Pilot Project to help accelerate his beer-school dreams of producing exquisite sour and mixed culture beers. We talk with Reeve about his circuitous journey into making beer, why he intends to “keep it niche,” and how many of his beers are just fermented on GoGurt. (It’s zero, sadly.) We also drink through five of Odious’ first offerings while escaping the fate of mundane tasks, doing it old world style, pushing for incredibly specific 90s cover bands, and circumventing the sandwich ban. And Craig is going to teach you all how to do the Odious Twist. 

Beers Reviewed

Symbol of Avarice (Golden sour aged on peaches)

The Secret History of All Things (Brett-fermented petite saison)

Cryptomnesia (Violet sour w/ Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, orange zest, cinnamon, and mulling spices)

Physis Nomos (DDH Brett IPA)

Fact or Fiction (Golden sour w/ Ethiopian coffee beans, toasted cacao nibs, and vanilla)

In a city called Lafayette, somewhat between Denver and Boulder, Zach Nichols runs his farmhouse-focused brewery, Cellar West Artisan Ales. In under five years, the brewery has won two GABF medals, moved to a new location, and expanded their operation, including a side-label focused on trendier styles. Zach was kind enough to send us five of his beers for review, and he joined us on the Zoom to tell the story of Cellar West. And believe us - we’re ready for more saisons in 2021. There’s also a near-impossible video game choice, font letter rankings, long boil excitement, a desired Chuck Tingle collab, and Tom Petty slam poetry. Remember: #TableTheLabel in 2021. 

Beers Reviewed

Grateful Sled (Christmas IPA)

Nightingale (Oat saison dry-hopped w/ Nelson Sauvin & Citra)

Westfield (Saison aged in oak barrels)

Make Hay (Strong saison aged in oak with Brettanomyces)

S’more Stout (Imperial oatmeal stout w/ cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and graham flour)