ABV Chicago Craft Beer Podcast

This episode goes out to our BFFs in Chicago beer as we open five brettanomyces-enhanced bottles. And despite our fully-disclosed amicable relationships with these brewers, we manage to be brutally honest in our reviews. You’re welcome, buds! Mostly though, you’ll hear us analyze our own friendship through some light reminiscing, reflect on being held, articulate Craig’s specific measurements for beer success, and make at least two fart jokes. Ryan also reads a brief essay about brettanomyces he cobbled together, and Craig is angry about cucumber water. And we become better brett friends than we thought possible. Forever? Forever-ever? Forever-ever?

 

Ryan

1. Goose Island Clybourn - Brettanomite Sour Wheat Ale

2. Lake Effect - Session Brett Extra Pale Ale

3. Une Année - Xellensis Belgian Blonde Ale

4. Transient - Peur Saison

5. Middle Brow - Cobrastyle Saison

 

Craig

1. Lake Effect - Session Brett Extra Pale Ale

2. Transient - Peur Saison

3. Goose Island Clybourn - Brettanomite Sour Wheat Ale

4. Une Année - Xellensis Belgian Blonde Ale

5. Middle Brow - Cobrastyle Saison

 

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_83_BFF.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:35am CDT

Craig's East Coast excursion continues to provide a bounty of spectacular beers for us to review, and we couldn't resist doing a third Hill Farmstead show. We drink five growlers and one bottle from RateBeer's top brewery in the country, and it’s all Vermontastic. And whenever the beer is this good, we get gleefully off topic to talk about cereal, movie trilogies, Crystal Pepsi, Peter Cetera, and Hollywood hunks. Craig recaps his most recent trip to Hill Farmstead and what has changed since he last visited in 2013. And things gets creepy early and carry on to Craig unleashing his most lamentable creation: Ryan’s chub scale. Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry.

 

Rankings

 

Craig

1. Susan IPA

2. Society and Solitude #1 DIPA
3. Edward Pale Ale

4. Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale

5. Works of Love Blonde Ale

6. Arthur Saison (Dry-Hopped with Styrian Golding)

 

Ryan

1. Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale

2. Susan IPA

3. Society and Solitude #1 DIPA
4. Edward Pale Ale

5. Works of Love Blonde Ale

6. Arthur Saison (Dry-Hopped with Styrian Golding)

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_82_Hill_Farmstead.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:07pm CDT

Simply put, we had a bunch of fresh, hoppy beers and needed an excuse to drink them - but then we go all meta on you. We have six beers from all over and play a game of Hop Bingo © to hopefully invigorate our limp descriptors. Craig takes control of the music on this one, and we explain how Ryan almost sabotaged this show. Also, we explain why we have so many Pipeworks beers on the show, explore the troubling distance growing between the two of us, and discuss how a little Donnie Brasco can go a long way. And, as was written, only shooting stars break the mold.

 

Play along with the Hop Bingo © Home Edition:

 

Craig

1. The Lone Pint Brewery - Yellow Rose IPA

2. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine IPA

3. Pipeworks Brewing - Square Grouper DIPA

4. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Super Session #2 IPA

5. Half Acre Beer Co. - Navaja DIPA

6. Fat Head’s Brewery - Head Hunter IPA

 

Ryan

1. Pipeworks Brewing - Square Grouper DIPA

2. The Lone Pint Brewery - Yellow Rose IPA

3. Half Acre Beer Co. - Navaja DIPA

4. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine IPA

5. Fat Head’s Brewery - Head Hunter IPA

6. Lawson’s Finest Liquids - Super Session #2 IPA





Direct download: ABV_Chicago_81_House_of_1000_Hops.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:57am CDT

Craig’s recent travels took him to the town of Monson, Massachusetts where a small, growing brewery is producing some of the best beer in the world. Not only do we drink and react to six stunning Tree House Brewing Company beers, but Craig shares a conversation he recorded with co-founder and co-owner Dean Rohan. With six growlers of the most drinkable yet complex beers we’ve had in a while, we subject these world-class beers to our low-brow drunkenness. Listen for our aggressively horrible spoken seques, an ongoing debate about fruit plates versus fruit bowls, an appearance from Craig’s alter ego Greg, Ryan’s take on why barrel-aging is overrated — and if you stay until the end, you’ll hear a story about how a magician ruined Craig’s trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame. There’s also an ACTUAL limited time special offer for listeners, so get your decoder rings ready*.

Ryan

1. Julius IPA

2. Alter Ego IPA

3. Curiosity 19 DIPA

4. Double Shot Stout (with Sumatra Mandheling coffee)

5. That’s What She Said Milk Stout

6. Trailbreaker Kellerbier

 

Craig

1. Julius IPA

2. Double Shot Stout (with Sumatra Mandheling coffee)

3. That’s What She Said Milk Stout

4. Alter Ego IPA

5. Trailbreaker Kellerbier

6. Curiosity 19 DIPA


*Decoder rings not necessary for the special offer - a working email address will do.

Direct download: ABV_Chicago_80_Tree_House.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:43pm CDT

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