Earlier in November, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild put on the 21st Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers to recognize some of the breweries making the finest wood-aged beers around. We got our hands on five (out of the eleven) Illinois medal winners - and our first-ever Best of Show beer - to help us audition to become FoBAB judges some year. We share some FoBAB “by the numbers” and recap the awards with a slight angle towards our Fantasy FoBAB league interests. Also, Craig is opening up to the possibility of tinsel, Ryan is destroying himself for pleasure (as usual), and we point out which beer is the Warren Zevon of barrel-aged beers. 

Medal Winners Reviewed

Off Color Brewing - Mezcal Barrel-Aged Beer for Tacos (Gold in Specialty/Experimental)

Sketchbook Brewing Co. - Red Wine Barrel-Aged Tripel G (Gold in Other Pale Beer)

Half Acre Beer Company - Orin (Silver in Other Dark Beer)

Mikerphone Brewing - Slappa Da Base (Silver in Strong Porter/Stout)

Hidden Hand/Solemn Oath Brewery - Oaked Val D’or (Gold in Wild Beer/Brett & Best of Show)

Hop on the Brown Line straight to Browntown with us, as we discover a hopefully-growing local resurgence of the brown ale with five examples from Chicagoland breweries on this episode. Adjunct or not, these brown ales all have a unique angle on the style - and most would absolutely kill on cask. We also discuss the worst possible colors for mayonnaise, we consider the best brown for the Thanksgiving table, Ryan shares his true feelings about the apple orchard, and Craig am become Cronch, destroyer of dry ramen. 

Beers Reviewed

Spiteful Brewing - Bowmanville Brown

Phase Three Brewing - Midst

Maplewood Brewing Company - Brownie Points

Werk Force Brewing Company - Axis: As Bold As Beer

Around the Bend Beer Company - Puffing Billy

Carbonated water treated with hops is pretty simple in concept, but these five breweries prove that there’s a lot of variation and skill that goes into making these “zero/zero” drinks. And it shows that no matter how well non-alcoholic beers have progressed, some drinkers looking for a dry spell just can’t quit the hops - and now they don’t have to! We get extremely refreshed on this zero alcohol show while discussing many areas of potential for this rising trend. Also, Craig needs some real talk on a confusing bathroom arrangement, Ryan’s watching his calcium intake, and we want to know if kids should be drinking hop water before one of us looks like a bad parent.

Waters Reviewed

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Hop Splash

Third Space Brewing - Hop Water: Citra Lemon

Noon Whistle Brewing - Hop Water

Revolution Brewing - Super Zero

Marz Community Beverage Co. - Hop N’ Honey Water

Though it might be one of the smallest states, the brewing scene in Delaware is mighty, and we’re ushering in our 33rd State Show with a lineup of five flavorful beers from five different breweries. Thanks to Ryan Tracy (and family), we’re able to live vicariously through his travelogue while sipping these delectable beers, just missing out on the coastal views and massive plates of seafood. Also, Ryan flies too close to the sun with his back scratcher, Craig’s working on the leg rolls, and one podcast studio gets absolutely drenched in an exploding beer.

Beers Reviewed

Blue Earl Brewing Co. [Smyrna, D] - Oktoberfest (Märzen)

Mispillion River Brewing Company [Milford, DE] - Not Today Satan (American IPA)
Thompson Island Brewing Company [Rehoboth Beach, DE] - Never Been Wrong (Barrel-Aged Sour Belgian Blonde)

Big Oyster Brewery [Lewes, DE] -  Noir et Bleu (Belgian Tripel w/ blueberries and black tea)

Dewey Beer Company [Dewey Beach, DE] - Thrills: Strawberry, Watermelon, Lemonade (Fruited Sour)

Chicago’s biggest, baddest and most-barreled festival is back in its 21st year, so we’re eager to FoBABble about it for the first time in four years as a lead-up to the competition. We also open four barrel-aged beers from breweries that have been FoBAB staples (and previous medal winners) to lubricate our discussions of new and returning breweries at this year’s fest, our “first pour” picks, festival attendee tips, sleeper breweries not to miss, and Fantasy FoBAB Power Rankings. Also, Ryan has a shameful admission about common bird identification, we ride the plot line of sniffs, and Craig’s getting the BabyBjörn ready for his unprepared podcast partner.

Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing - Beer For Burgers: Prime Cut (Helles Bock aged in bourbon barrels blended with fresh Helles Bock)

Short Fuse Brewing Company - What The Night Brings (Imperial stout aged in bourbon and cognac barrels w/ dates and figs)

Half Acre Beer Company - Double Barrel Catch Hell (Double barrel-aged imperial stout w/ Madagascar vanilla and Saigon cinnamon)

Mikerphone Brewing - Sweet Drams (Double mash imperial stout aged in Pappy 15 bourbon barrels)

The seven barrel-aged beers that comprise this year’s Luchador lineup feature styles and ingredients we have rarely - or never - seen in the past, and no local “special release” lineup is getting as experimental as this one. Flavor master Jacob Sembrano is at it again, and we’re here to drunkenly rave over the barrel-aged results. There are many true “wow” moments on this one, and at least one bird that tried to ruin it all for everyone. Also, Craig has neighborhood watch concerns about bananas, Ryan’s ready to huff that bean bag, and beer jerseys are getting raised to the rafters. 

Beers Reviewed

Bad Mermaid (Imperial Blonde aged in rye whiskey and rum barrels w/ dulce de leche and coconut)

Lucha Royal (Imperial Saskatoon ale aged in French black currant liqueur barrels)

Gigante (Double barrel blonde barleywine aged in Barbados rum barrels, finished in Colorado rye whiskey barrels)

El Petito (Double barrel blonde barleywine aged in Colorado rye whiskey barrel, finished in French apricot brandy barrels)

Rey Gordo (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Señor Finito (Imperial stout aged in Colorado rye whiskey barrels w/ cocoa nibs, mesquite beans, and canella)

Don Moustache (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrel w/ Mexican Mazapan candy and cocoa nibs)

We’re indulging in our capital vices for our yearly attempt to destroy each other over bad beers, and this one features some of the most unexpected pours we’ve ever seen. There’s at least one beer here that unexpectedly brings out an extra large dose of wrath for one podcaster, and it’s not even the mystery beer in the box. WHAT’S IN THE BOX?? Also, Craig is investigating some decapitated pigeons, Ryan’s plan backfires, and we both learn to fear the SlenderCan. And make sure you stick it out for one of the most horrifying Cuvées of Doom ever concocted. 

Beers Endured

[LUST] Kultowy Browar Staropolski - Bestbir Pszenica z Sokiem Pacific z Grejpfrutem (Grapefruit-flavored wheat beer)

[GREED] O’Fallon Brewery - Cherry Chocolate Dark Wheat (from 2017??)

[PRIDE] Dugges Bryggeri - Cola (Cola-inspired sour w/ nutmeg, lime, cinnamon, and vanilla)

[GLUTTONY] RAR Brewing - Out of Order: It Wasn’t Easy (Pastry sour w/ pineapple, lemon-lime, coconut, lactose, and pastry cream)

[SLOTH] Penrose Brewing - Wild XI (Oak-aged American wild ale, from 2015)

[ENVY] 903 Brewers - Dr. Seltzer (Hard seltzer slushy w/ fruit and spices)

[WRATH] Aslin Beer Company - Pinkies Up (Quintuple IPA)

Chicagoland is pretty gifted in lager-centric breweries, but now that trends have shifted back towards the more drinkable, almost every brewery is featuring more and more lagers. This is an extremely good thing. For this show, we do a blind tasting wherein we match a local lager-focused brewery’s beer against a local “everything” brewery’s beer along style lines and give our unbiased opinions. Our arbitrary reviews won’t prove much, but we do have an opinion on which brewery we think is making the best lagers in Chicagoland. Also, we force the title colon thanks to A.I. which introduces us to Chi-Taste-O. (We recommend you get a 6-pack of lagers ready and responsibly drink every time we say, “Chi-Taste-O.”) Plus we’re making bread references, attacking the Veggie Stick stash, and valuing rusticity. So sayeth the Mayor and Seer of Chi-Taste-O. 

Beers Reviewed and Battled Blindly 

Alarmist Brewing - Crispy Boy (Pilsner)

Vs.

Dovetail Brewery - Pilsner

Half Acre Beer Company - Helles

Vs.

Metropolitan Brewing - Stromhaus (Helles)

Miskatonic Brewing Company/Seldom Beer Co. & Streetside Brewery - Loggers From Vienna (Vienna-Style Lager)

Vs.

Goldfinger Brewing Company - Vienna-Style Lager

Now somewhat relegated to an occasional fall seasonal from breweries, the Amber style is essential to the history of American craft beer as we know it. So we’re pumped to see five local breweries dabble in amber ales and lagers, and we fall in love all over again (with the beers, not each other). Also, Craig has an unexpected pet, we accidentally have a moment of real beer talk about wilds and sours, Ryan vetoes an obvious 311 reference, and we are bringing our own ludicrous drinkware to the District Brew Yards until someone tells us “no.” Whoa-oh. 

Beers Reviewed

Casa Humilde Cerveceria - Alba (Mexican-Style Amber Lager)

BuckleDown Brewing - Alien Avatar (Amber Ale)

Maplewood Brewing - Amberana (Amber Ale conditioned on Amburana wood)

Off Color Brewing - Beer For Huddles (Amber Ale)

Burnt City Brewing (?) - Titan Walls 5 (Amber Lager)

We were just back in Denver for the 41st Great American Beer Festival, and we’ve got an episode chock full of interviews and beer highlights that’s as good as gold (medals). Catch up on our beer-y travels as we hit the festival floor for about 14 total hours and stop into several great Denver taprooms and bars, sharing our experiences and regrettable food decisions along the way. Plus, we talk to a bevy of fascinating brewers and brewery owners from all over the U.S. and we hear stories about an onstage proposal, a beer made with the cast of Hamilton, a terpene-infused milkshake IPA, a brewer who has won Master Distiller, and the (maybe) real original year of Bourbon County Stout. And to top that off, we open three Denver-area beers in the hotel while trying to soothe our ragged voices and heal up from a serious vapors affliction. PLUS, Craig’s going ASMR while Ryan’s recording from the chaise longue. 

Beers Reviewed

WeldWerks Brewing Co. - Colorado Ale (Traditional Ale)

Burns Family Artisan Ales - Gallivant (Gin barrel-aged barleywine)

Jessup Farm Barrel House - Wheelhouse (Bourbon barrel-aged brown ale)

Interviews

Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA) - [00:11:20 - 00:21:13]

Ryan Fields of Wild Fields Brewhouse (Atascadero, CA) - [00:26:51- 00:30:07]

Colt Carpenter of Pax Verum Brewing Company (Lapel, IN) - [00:39:03 - 00:45:42]

Leo Sawadogo of Montclair Brewery (Montclair, NJ) - [00:54:10 - 00:59:08]

Rick Hagen and Greg Meyer of Heavy Riff Brewing (St. Louis, MO) - [01:12:44 - 0:1:18:46]

Dave Lopez of Gun Hill Brewing Company (Bronx, NY) - [01:33:33 - 01:39:42]

Ryan Wibby of Wibby Brewing (Longmont, CO) - [01:50:52 - 01:57:08]