The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast

The Northwooods Beer Guy
  • 4.8 (5)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind. We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well. Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 175 - Sam Adams Variety Pack Showdown

    Two Sam Adams variety packs show up at the same time, and we cannot resist turning it into a full-on taste test. Mike and Jim are back in the studio with Julie, and we line up eight beers from the Boston Beer Company to answer a simple question that every craft beer fan cares about: which pack actually tastes like what it promises? We keep it grounded with the details that matter, including ABV, IBUs, aroma, clarity, and the one thing that can make or break a seasonal beer, the finish that sticks around after the sip.  We start with the 2026 Spring Favorites pack and work through Breakaway Blonde, Cold Snap, Alpine Spring, and Blackberry Wit, calling out what hits and what feels muted. Then we crack open the Star Spangled Variety Pack with American Light, Porch Rocker, Summer Ale, and Blueberry Lager, where the “hot day cooler” energy really kicks in. If you’re looking for lawnmower beers, a craft alternative to big box light lagers, or fruit beers that actually deliver fruit flavor without turning into liquid candy, the rankings at the end are worth the ride.  We also sneak in some beer history along the way: Samuel Adams as a maltster, the Sons of Liberty meeting at Boston’s Green Dragon Tavern, the push for drinking local beer over imports, and a wild little detail about Sam Adams pioneering consumer-readable freshness dating. Listen, pick your favorite, and then help us out by subscribing, sharing the episode with a beer buddy, and leaving a review with your top choice from the lineup. Send us Fan Mail 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.

  2. Jul 24

    Ep 174 - On Location At Alchemy Brewing

    Only one house beer on tap at a brewery we drove out to visit, so what do we do? We order it anyway, grab a full guest flight, and turn the whole afternoon into a real-world Wisconsin craft beer tasting with honest scores and zero pretending. This week we are on location at Alchemy Brewing in Cashton, Wisconsin, where the space is beautiful, the food hits the spot, and the small-town surprises just keep coming. We start with Alchemy’s Orange Kiss, a wine-forward, orange-heavy drink that lands closer to sangria than beer, then we move into guest taps that cover a wide range of summer drinking. We taste Elm Creek Road Trippin’ Hazy Pale Ale and talk about why hazy styles often feel smoother and less bitter than classic IPAs. We also revisit a favorite warm-weather pick, Sand Creek Blackberry Hard Lemonade, including the real-life question of why some hard lemonades bring instant heartburn while others go down easy. From there, we test Cider Boys Peach County Cider for that peach candy hit, nerd out a bit about how cider is made, and talk about the ups and downs of the craft beer market and why supporting local breweries matters. The back half closes with two bigger swings: Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin, a wheat-forward IPA that surprises us with how smooth it drinks, and a Delta Beer Lab barrel-aged barleywine that opens up with dried fruit notes and a slow-sip dessert vibe at 10% ABV. If you like brewery reviews, beer style breakdowns, and road-trip-ready recommendations around Wisconsin, hit play, then subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review so more beer lovers can find us. Send us Fan Mail 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.

  3. Jul 17

    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 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.

  4. Jul 10

    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 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.

  5. Jul 3

    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 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.

  6. Jun 26

    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 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.

  7. Jun 19

    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 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.

  8. Jun 12

    Ep 168 - Scotch Ale And Barleywine Tasting With Big Surprises

    7.5% turns into 13.8% faster than you think when we line up Scotch ale and barleywine on the same table. We’re back in the studio with Jim and special backup drinker Toby, because this tasting is stacked with higher ABV bottles and cans, plus a few surprises we did not see coming. We start in Scotch ale territory with 3 Floyds Robert the Bruce, then take a sharp left with Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo, a pour that reads tart and oaky enough to spark a full debate about “Christmas pudding” notes and what the label promises versus what your palate actually gets. Central Waters brings us back to earth with a bourbon barrel Scotch ale that’s rich, smooth, and balanced, showing how barrel-aged beer can elevate malt-forward styles beyond stout. Then we jump into barleywine, including the notorious Sierra Nevada Bigfoot at 90 IBUs, where we dig into why bitterness can linger so differently and why IBUs aren’t as consistent as people assume. The night turns around with Northern Rivals, a Fair State Co-op and Central Waters collaboration that hits figs, caramel, and bourbon in a way that finally makes barleywine feel approachable. And yes, we crown a winner: 3 Floyds Pillar of Beasts, a bourbon barrel-aged salted caramel barleywine that drinks dangerously smooth and lands as an instant “beer of the year” contender for us. Subscribe for more craft beer reviews, share this with your drinking buddy who thinks barleywine is impossible to like, and leave a rating or review so more beer nerds can find the show. What’s your favorite Scotch ale or barleywine to hunt down next? Send us Fan Mail 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.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind. We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well. Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!

Information

  • Creator
    The Northwooods Beer Guy
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    175
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast