Ep 173 - Tasting 3 Sheeps Barrel Society Stouts With Real Flavor

Ep 173 - Tasting 3 Sheeps Barrel Society Stouts With Real Flavor

The quickest way to learn what you actually like is to drink outside your comfort zone, and we prove it with a table full of 3 Sheeps Barrel Society barrel-aged beers. We pour a tight lineup of imperial stouts and an imperial milk stout, then hold every sip to our simplest standard: if the flavor is on the can, it should be in the can. Coffee, coconut, vanilla, cacao nibs, blueberry, cherry, molasses, and even amburana wood staves, nothing gets a free pass. We start with Mariner, an imperial milk stout aged in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels, and break down why the coconut pops while the coffee stays softer than expected. From there, the fruit beers flip the script. Little Treat brings a surprisingly clear blueberry note, and later the rye whiskey barrel cherry Wolf lands so smooth and balanced that it earns multiple beer of the year nominations, including from guests who normally avoid fruity beer altogether. Between pours, we answer the barrel questions that always come up: how often bourbon barrels can be used, what American oak versus French oak tends to contribute, why oxygen is the enemy during brewing but controlled barrel exposure (microoxygenation) builds complexity, and whether barrel aging automatically raises ABV. We wrap with a unique molasses and amburana wood staves stout that sparks real curiosity about how different woods shape aroma, sweetness, and finish. If you love craft beer reviews, barrel-aged stout tasting notes, and Wisconsin brewery deep dives, hit subscribe, share this with a beer friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s the best barrel-aged beer you’ve had lately? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132215/fan_mail/new] 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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

Ep 172 - The Great IPA Taste Test

Seven IPAs hit the table and we do not protect anyone’s feelings, especially our own. Mike brings the Northwoods Beer Guy scoring brain, Jim brings the skepticism, Matt brings the blunt honesty, and Kate joins us as a self-proclaimed IPA lover who actually did homework before showing up. The result is a fast-moving IPA tasting that’s equal parts flavor notes, friendly roasting, and real guidance for anyone who buys craft beer and wonders why the can never tastes like the label. We work through a lineup that includes Surly Mosh Pit Series Juicy IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Third Space Central Time IPA, Sierra Nevada Peachy Little Thing, Surly Mosh Pit Hazy IPA, Surly Axe Man, and Central Waters Far Out Messenger double dry hopped double IPA. We talk citrus vs tropical fruit, piney bitterness, dryness on the finish, and how fruit-forward IPAs land when you just want your beer to taste like beer. Axe Man sparks the strongest reactions, and Far Out Messenger delivers the most satisfying balance for a few of us. Then we get nerdy in the best way: what IBUs actually measure, why IBUs do not equal perceived bitterness, and how labs chemically determine IBU using a solvent extraction and ultraviolet light. We even crack open hop basics, including the lupulin inside the hop cone that drives those essential oils and that classic IPA character. If you like IPA reviews, beer scoring, hop science, and honest craft beer talk, queue this up, share it with your favorite hophead, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next tasting. After you listen, drop us a rating and tell us which IPA style you want us to do next. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132215/fan_mail/new] 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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

Ep 171 - Six Beers Before The Fourth

A salty lime lager that promises habanero heat. An orange ale that smells like fresh juice. A vanilla porter that stays smooth instead of burnt. Then we crank up the ABV with an imperial stout, a pastry stout that drinks like hot chocolate, and a barrel-aged Belgian quad that somehow tastes like figs without punching you in the face with booze. That’s the kind of spread we love, and it’s exactly what we pour at Callahan Lake Resort as we prep for a Fourth of July beer tasting. We’re joined by Kirk and Cal, and we keep it simple: open the cans, describe what we actually taste, and score everything from 0.0 to 5.0 in tenths. Along the way, we talk about why salt can take over a beer, why some fruit beers go creamy while others stay crisp, and what makes dark beer approachable even if you’re not an imperial stout person. If you’re searching for craft beer reviews, summer beer recommendations, blood orange ale, vanilla porter, imperial stout, pastry stout, or barrel-aged Belgian quad, you’ll get a clear read on what’s worth tracking down. We also get into what we want from high-ABV beers: flavor without syrupy sweetness, barrel character without harsh burn, and ingredients you can actually pick out like cinnamon, vanilla, figs, and molasses. We wrap with favorite picks, a reminder to support your local brewery, and the Northwoods motto we stand by. Subscribe for more tastings, share this with your beer buddy, and leave a review if you like honest ratings. Which of these styles are you reaching for this summer? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132215/fan_mail/new] 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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

Ep 170 - Are Modern IPAs Still About Hops

An IPA episode that starts with skepticism and ends with us genuinely impressed. We line up six different India pale ales and do a true side-by-side IPA tasting, the kind that exposes what labels and marketing blur: some IPAs are hop-forward and dry, some are mellow to the point of confusing, and some modern fruited hazy IPAs barely resemble the old-school “bitter grapefruit and pine” stereotype at all. We crack into Dale’s Easy IPA, then move through bigger names like Stone Brewing and New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger series, comparing aroma, bitterness, dryness, and that all-important drinkability. Along the way we drop IPA trivia that clears up common myths, including where IPAs actually originated and why they were built for long trips. We also talk beer glassware, including the idea of an IPA-specific glass designed to hold aroma and preserve head, and why drinking IPAs cold still matters. The real plot twist hits when the fruited and tropical IPAs show up. Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force and Voodoo Ranger Tropical bring loud fruit aroma, surprising sweetness, and the dangerous kind of smoothness that hides a 9.5% ABV punch. If you’ve been searching for “best fruited IPA,” “tropical IPA review,” or a craft beer podcast that tells you what’s worth buying, this one gives you clear rankings, honest scores, and who each beer is for. Subscribe for more tastings, share this with the IPA skeptic in your life, and leave a review with the next beer style you want us to put on the table. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132215/fan_mail/new] 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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.

Ep 169 - A Beginner-Friendly Craft Beer Flight Under 6% ABV

You don’t need a 9% hazy IPA or a syrupy stout to have a great craft beer night. We grab a lineup of lighter, session-friendly beers and put them through the simplest test that matters: do they taste good, and would we actually drink more than one? With Jim and Julie in the studio on short notice, we pivot from a planned on-location recording and turn it into a fast, fun flight of approachable craft beer. We start with Summit Light Lager at 3.8% ABV and talk about why “lawnmower beers” exist in the first place: hot days, lake days, garages, campfires, and coolers where you want crisp, clean, and easy. From there we dig into the fundamentals behind ales vs lagers, how yeast and fermentation temperature shape flavor, and why the numbers on the can (like IBUs) don’t always match what your tongue tells you. We also crack open Central Waters CW Dunkel, Ouisconsing Red Ale, and 3 Sheeps Rebel Kent, comparing malt character, sweetness, dryness, and that tricky “floral” note that’s hard to name but easy to notice. Beer history fans get a bonus round too: the most popular beverages on Earth, the invention of the beer can in 1933, medieval city requirements that included a brewery, Viking berserkers, and even how pyramid builders were paid in beer. Then we hit a surprise standout with Insight Brewing’s Banshee Cutter, a smooth coffee golden ale that avoids the bitter coffee-grounds problem, and wrap with Sand Creek Bugler Brown, which supports elk reintroduction in Wisconsin. Hit play, taste along with us, and tell us what your favorite low-ABV craft beer style is. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more beer lovers can find us. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132215/fan_mail/new] 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 northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.  You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.