Beers Reviewed

Throwback (Pilsner)

Fad-tastic (NE IPA)

Bellerophon (English Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels)

Bananas Foster Baba Yaga 2022 (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels w/ bananas, Tahitian vanilla bean, molasses, and cinnamon)

The Void Sake Co. - Echoes Horchata Nigori (Junmai Nigori Sake w/ vanilla bean and cinnamon)

Inching ever-closer to our Belgian cycle, we finally reach for the Dubbel on this show by drinking the style-originator and several American examples - including one big-time medal winner. With such wide variety on the style that are mostly good in their own way, we try to examine what makes a Dubbel such a beloved style - even when you’re not ingesting gamey meats. Plus, we introduce tickling to the Olympics, put Brendan Fraser and Hugh Grant into a buddy comedy, and explore your body as an intimate landscape. Now’s a good time to remind our donors to “dubbel” their donation. 

Beers Reviewed

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle - Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

Illuminated Brew Werks - Intimate Landscape

Sketchbook Brewing Co. = Back Alley Abbey 

Temperance Beer Co. - Quotidienne

Vintage Brewing Company - Dedication

Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing/Speciation/Native Species Winery - Garamond (Wit Ale fermented in Barolo Foedre then aged on Frontenac Gris grape pomace)

Supermoon Beer Company - Gloe (Mixed Fermentation Saison fermented w/ Brettanomyces in French Oak Barrels with La Crescent White Grapes)

Half Acre Beer Co. - Hot Hot Day (Mixed culture lager w/ Roussanne grapes blended with mixed culture witbier)

Hopewell Brewing Co./Speciation Artisan Ales - Taxon Cycle (Wild Ale w/ Traminette Grapes)

Keeping Together - Creature of Infinite Contradiction (Barrel-aged Saison w/ Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes)

Sometimes you just gotta say, “What the f***?” and open five cans absolutely crammed full of fruit slurry and let the whole notion of beer just leave your mind. We’re down with the thiccness for this episode, watching our glasses become opaque with a pulpy sludge while measuring the detritus on each glug-glug pour. So while they may not be beer per se, are they fun to drink? Also, we re-examine the days of the week, learn the truth about MC Hammer, develop some can-rolling techniques, and experience THE CHONK. Come on and get fruit stupid with us.

“Beers” Reviewed

BlackStack Brewing - Are You There God? It’s Me, Guava (Triple Guava Smoothie Sour w/ vanilla and lactose)

Energy City Brewing - Bistro Smoothie: Mango Pineapple Banana (Berliner-Style Weisse w/ mango, pineapple, banana, and natural flavor)

Phase Three Brewing Company - Double Nectar: Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry (Sour Ale w/ fruit)

More Brewing Company - Peach Cobbler (Fruited Sour Ale w/ peach, vanilla, granola, and milk sugar)

Drekker Brewing Co. - Chonk: Spumoni (Sundae Sour w/ cherry, chocolate ice cream, pistachios, and lactose)

For the third straight year, we return to the type of enormous barrel-aged beers that destroyed us throughout December…and fall in love all over again. This lineup of five is going down in the history books, as they not only compete for rankings on this show but several are also in the very early running for our year-end lists. Complex barrel blends and big adjunct additions go toe-to-toe with our sobriety, and it’s a hell of a way to ring in Craig’s birthday. Speaking of, we wonder about an alternate reality with #SoftCraig, throw out even more Milwaukee love, and contemplate the mysterious CD long box. (Plug in your Game Genie for the Enhanced episode.) 

Beers Reviewed 

Temperance Beer Co. - Might Meets Right: Orange Chocolate 2022 (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ roasted cacao nibs and dried sweet orange peel)

Private Press Brewing - Cosmic Echoes [Batch  1] (Blend of Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout and Barleywine Ale)

Central Waters Brewing Company - XXIV (Blend of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts)

Triptych Brewing - When Someone Asks If You’re a God (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with cocoa nibs, marshmallow, vanilla beans & natural flavor)

Half Acre Beer Company - Triple Barrel Catch Hell (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ cinnamon and vanilla)

Yeah we know what episode this is, and truthfully, the pressure of somehow delivering The Funny Weed Number Show was too much, leading us to sip on five delicious dark lagers instead. We explore some of the range a “Dark Lager” can have while finding ourselves in a real rankings-based bind. Also, we have run-ins with NBC sitcom doppelgangers in very unexpected places, we ascend (and descend) the flavor mountain, and we discuss if a Cold Black IPA is a thing. And we back our way into a 420-appropriate set of topics like White Castle 1921 burgers, Boston Dunkies, the Hotel Transylvania film series, and just the nastiest NSFW chips you can find. 

Beers Reviewed

Riverlands Brewing Company - Midnight Silence (Schwarzbier)

1840 Brewing Company - Schwarzen Katze (Schwarzbier)

Cellar West Artisan Ales - Metaluna (India Black Lager)

Old Irving Brewing Co. - Lifesblood (Dark Bock Lager)

Pipeworks Brewing Company - Dunkel

Beers Reviewed

Gravedigger Billy (Scotch Ale aged in bourbon barrels)

Straight Jacket (Barleywine Ale aged in bourbon barrels)

Maple Jacket (Barleywine Ale aged in bourbon barrels with maple)

Blackberry Finn (Barleywine Ale double barrel aged in bourbon barrels with blackberries)

Ryeway to Heaven (Rye Ale aged in rye barrels)

V.S.O.R. (Rye Ale aged in rye and bourbon barrels)

Once brewed as a “superbier” to push the limits of ABV in a Belgian Blonde ale, the Tripel has almost a century of history with many American breweries embracing its fruity and spicy barrage. We try five Tripels, including the style standard, to better familiarize ourselves with this Belgian staple - and to help us complete half of our Belgian Beer Cycle. Also, Ryan gives the play-by-play in the 5 year olds basketball class, we sample the newest flavors of Jeez-Its, Craig wants all the brandy barrels, and we brace ourselves for the oncoming onslaught of Fiber-Forward IPAs. 

Beers Reviewed

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle - Westmalle Trappist Tripel

Une Année Brewery - Tripel

New Glarus Brewing Company - Triple 5

The Church Brew Works - Millenium Tripel

Imperial Oak Brewing - Beermuda Triangle: Peach Brandy BA Tripel w/ peaches

Ushering in our 8th year of the podcast, this anniversary episode is a surprisingly sessionable trip down memory lane. Each host blindly leads the other through three beers of their choosing with the caveat being that all breweries must be Chicagoland local and would have already been open in 2013. Then, there are other connecting themes behind our choices that the other must guess - all while we find ourselves reeling pickled off of a bunch of 5% beers. Also, we decide which restaurants we would actually stay the night at, take drastic measures to put each other at aromatic disadvantages, and nod along to the Tart Suggestion. Pop two quarters in the blast chiller and get your plants out of my butt zone - we’re already looking ahead to the next eight years.

Beers Reviewed Half-Blind (in order of appearance)

Light the Lamp Brewery - Still Single (Belgian Blonde)

Une Année Brewery - Less Is More (Saison w/ oranges)

Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. - Little Wing (Pilsner)

Temperance Beer Co. - Smittytown (ESB)

Emmett’s Brewing Co. - Munich Light (Helles Lager)

Off Color Brewing - Scurry (Dark Honey Ale/Kottbusser)

For the past two years, Off Color’s line of Beer For… beers have been a steady source of creative pairings executed immaculately, so we talk with co-founder Dave Bleitner about the project he heads up. Dave shares some of his process for conceptualizing these beers, why it was the right time to do his first ever pale ale (and make it a year-round release), how the label art and merchandising comes about, and why you shouldn’t sleep on a hop pillow for too long. We also drink through five of the Beer For beers while attempting to lure a new sponsor, removing the squeaking from televised basketball, and putting our whole mouths under the butter dispenser. 

Dave Bleitner Interview (00:09:39 - 00:41:46)

Beers Reviewed

Beer For Hoops (Cream Ale w/ peach puree and vanilla beans)

Beer For Movies (Popcorn Kolsch-Style Beer)
Beer For Lounging (American Pale Ale)

Beer For Bathtubs (Belgian-Style Wit w/ citrus, flowers, spices, and epsom salt)

Beer For Bowling (English-Style Session Ale brewed w/ wood)