Carlin and Mark Zervas start with another warm-up beer, which hits the tasting notes Mark has been craving recently. The guys then discuss a new venture by Tired Hands Brewing that is allowing them to ship beer within their home state of Pennsylvania.
It’s been over a year since Mark Zervas has been on the podcast, which means it’s about time for him to be the guest host. A warm-up beer segues nicely to a discussion of the somewhat old topic of questionable Trillium business practices and how the company responded when the word got out.
Rebecca and Carlin joined long-time listeners Kyle and Kelli Norman in Richmond, Virginia for a miniature vacation. There was not enough time, but plenty of beers were consumed. This episode features four of what they brought home.
One more On The Shelf episode, four more beers. Carlin does this one solo with three of the beers tying in to the most recent deca-sode.
Hoppy beers are still going strong as the most popular type of craft beer. For this reason, Carlin and Rebecca revisit this type of brew for another deca-sode. 12 beers within acceptable date coding battle it out. What’s the best and what falls short?
Having been awhile since a blending episode took place, Carlin dusts off this format for a fresh take on home beer blending. Where the past two focused on blending two beers, this episode addresses infusions you can execute at home.
Carlin’s favorite – The Bruery Bakery Coconut Macaroons Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/coconut & natural vanilla flavor added
Some people go out and whoop it up for the New Year. Carlin and Rebecca decided this time to record a podcast episode featuring a multi-course meal paired with four different beers. One of the pairings ends up being a surprising success.
Carlin’s favorite – Bruery Terreux & The Collective Brewing Project Minor Miner Grisette-Style Ale aged in oak foeders w/orange blossom & calendula flowers
Rebecca’s favorite – Fremont Dark Star Oatmeal Stout
Two high ABV beers come to the table, along with two that are significantly lower. Rebecca chooses a hoppy beer that’s offered once a year, while Carlin pulls in the biggest whale the podcast has ever featured.
Unanimous favorite – Bruery Terreux Fuzzy Bbls 30% Sour Stout & 70% Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/peaches, apricots, vanilla & lactose
Carlin demands a certain type of food for this pairing episode. Corn nuts are the focus and there are four different flavors to try with four different types of beer. What works and what doesn’t? Let’s find out…
Unanimous favorite – Mother Earth Brew Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale
Doing another solo episode, Carlin decides to talk about how the craft beer scene has changed since he started his love affair with it in 2006. This is capped off with four mystery beers.
Victory Storm King Imperial Stout – 6
Weyerbacher Slam Dunkel Double Dunkelweizen Ale – 4
RAR Groove City Hefeweizen – 3
Otter Creek Drip Drop Coffee Stout – 3
Carlin sits down for a solo episode to talk about Sierra Nevada’s recent charity campaign to brew Resilience IPA. All proceeds go to fire relief funds in California. After asking other breweries to do the same, over 4,000 have answered the call (number as of December 5, 2018).
Troegs Troegenator Doublebock – 5
Troegs Chocolate Stout w/vanilla & cocoa nibs – 5
Troegs Blizzard of Hops IPA – 4
Troegs Perpetual Imperial IPA – 4
Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat Beer – 3
Troegs The Mad Elf Ale w/honey & cherries – 3
Rebecca calls an audible and demands another On The Shelf episode, but this time with a seasonal twist. In turn, Carlin calls his own audible by adding a fifth beer to the tasting line-up. Most of these buck the winter trend, but do they still feel right for the season?
Unanimous favorite – Troegs Blackberry Tizzy Sour Ale fermented w/blackberries, apricots & brown sugar aged in bourbon barrels w/vanilla bean
Time to check back in to see what’s been on the shelf at local liquor stores. Three of these beers focus more on malt notes, while the fourth is a bit more of a shock to the palate.
Unanimous favorite – Union Balt Altbier
Rich Smith’s second episode in this session focuses on a talk about craft breweries that have heavily influenced the industry over the past few decades. Then Carlin sees a theme in the mystery beers that makes both seem very familiar.
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – 3.5
Avery White Rascal Belgian-Style White Ale w/spices – 3
One of Carlin’s best friends, Rich Smith, stops back in for a few episodes. The first starts with a talk about craft breweries collaborating on beers with non-brewery companies. Then things get serious with some heavy mystery beers.
Allagash Tripel – 4
Evil Twin Bozo Beer Imperial Stout w/flavors added – 2.5
This is the final showcase episode from Carlin and Rebecca’s Portland, Maine vacation and it’s the biggest. From tour to taproom and coolship to cool atmosphere, this place has it all for a true craft beer travel destination. All four beers for this episode were provided by Allagash and were hand-selected by Lindsay Bohanske.
Carlin’s favorite – Coolship Resurgam spontaneously fermented ale aged in French oak barrels
Rebecca’s favorite – Brett IPA
Sponsored by the brewery itself, Kevin Broydrick from Bissell Brothers supplied five tasty beers for this showcase. Not just drinking the beer, Carlin and Rebecca give the brewery history and tell of their experiences from their recent visit to the Thompsons Point location.
Carlin’s favorite – Nothing Gold Double NEIPA
Rebecca’s favorite – The Substance Ale NEIPA
Loud beer from a quiet place is the slogan for this unconventional brewery. Listen as Carlin and Rebecca talk about the history, beers and their personal experience with this brewery. The four beers tasted for this episode were provided by Oxbow and personally selected by Head Brewer Mike Fava.
Carlin’s favorite – Bobasa Barrel Aged Smoked Biere de Garde
Rebecca’s favorite – Barrel Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale
Another vacation happened, and yes, it was centered around beer and food. Here is a breakdown of Carlin and Rebecca’s recent vacation to Portland, Maine. Beers from three lesser-known breweries are tasted and one that is well-established.
Unanimous favorite – Foundation Brewing Coffee Burner English Brown Ale w/coffee
This Cellar Dive episode is all about vintage beers, two sour and two malty. How do some highly ageable beers taste after a stint in Carlin’s cellar? And who picked the best two for the episode?
Unanimous favorite – Wicked Weed Silencio Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Sour Ale fermented w/coffee & vanilla (2016 vintage, aged two years)
Feeling like he may have hijacked the last episode a bit, Carlin steps back a little to have Sean Creel talk more about his current job with The Bruery.
Falling Branch Daybreak Belgian Farmhouse Ale – 5
Fat Orange Cat The Raven Chocolate Raspberry Porter – 4
Sean Creel makes a return to the show to talk about his new beer industry job. This leads to a discussion about the beer society structure created by The Bruery.
Allagash Avance ale aged in bourbon barrels & finished on strawberries – 4
Council Brewing Hazing Cane Double Dry Hopped New England Style IPA – 2.5
Highlighting one of the most consistent breweries in Baltimore, Carlin and Rebecca cover history and their evaluation of the new brewery. Four beers are tasted, focusing on the lighter side of the style spectrum.
Unanimous favorite – Old Pro Gose
The last On The Shelf Episode wasn’t that long ago, but Carlin and Rebecca saw a need to do another one. The four beers in this episode are seasonal and usually not enjoyed by either host. Maybe a few new twists on an old fad will help change their minds.
Unanimous favorite – Southern Tier Cold Pressed Coffee Pumking
This episode starts with a warm-up beer from a brewery Kyle Norman has never tasted any offerings from before. Then, he and Carlin discuss a lawsuit between Pabst and MillerCoors, hoping the two sue each other into oblivion.
Cameron’s Brewing Where The Buffalo Roam Barley Wine – 4.5
Pabst Brewing National Bohemian – 2
The Beer Me Bro game with Kyle Norman concludes with an exciting end. Then, the guys get hit with some surprises when they eventually reveal the mystery beers.
Wittekerke Wild Belgian Wit w/natural flora from oak foeders – 4
Hop Farm One Nut Brown Ale – 3.5
It’s that time of the year when Carlin goes to the beach and records with Kyle Norman. As tradition would have it, the two play the newest installment of the Beer Me Bro beer name game. Carlin usually comes up short, but will this time be any different?
Key Brewing Wise and Gray New England Style IPA – 5
Brauerei Furstenberg Black Forest Pils – 3.5
After plenty of encouragements from Kelli and Kyle Norman, Rebecca and Carlin finally traveled to Pennsylvania for the State College Brew Expo. The outdoor beer festival focused on breweries solely from the host state and offered glimpses of a lot of new breweries.
Unanimous Favorite – Troegs Barrel Aged Troegenator Double Bock aged in bourbon barrels
For this episode, Carlin grabbed four fresh beers off the shelf of his local liquor store. One from a brewery he has tasted virtually nothing from, and three he hasn’t tasted anything from in multiple years.
Unanimous Favorite – Unibroue Ephemere Fraise & Rhubarbe
For this deca-sode, Carlin and Rebecca focus on a lighter style of beer. Some come off a little harsh, while others are very finessed offerings. A few bumps in the road keep this large blind tasting interesting, keeping both hosts on their toes.
Blackberry Farm Brett Saison aged in red wine barrels – 6
Stillwater Cellar Door Dry-Hopped Farmhouse Ale w/sage – 4.5
Boulevard Saison Brett Dry-Hopped Farmhouse Ale w/brett – 4.5
Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont – 4
Allagash Saison Belgian Farmhouse Style Ale- 3.5
Falling Branch Street Gathering American Pale Ale – 3.5
Falling Branch Amber Waves Belgian Style Amber Ale – 3.5
Perennial Saison De Lis Belgian Style Ale w/chamomile flowers – 3.5
Brasserie De Silly Brouwerij Silly Saison – 3
Prairie Merica American Farmhouse Ale – 2.5
St Feuillien Saison – 2
Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale – 1.5
Rebecca grabs the reins of this showcase episode to highlight the fact that not just breweries deserve to have the spotlight shone on them. Cider is the main topic as Rebecca and Carlin explore some exciting offerings.
Unanimous Favorite – Escape From Orion hopped cider w/strawberry, pineapple & guava
This Cellar Dive episode steps away from the competition between Carlin and Rebecca, instead focusing on some cellar-worthy beers the two got on their recent trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. All nice beers, as these episodes are intended.
Unanimous Favorite – Troegs Impending Descent Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels w/vanilla beans & cocoa
Taking a slightly different approach to this episode, Carlin and Rebecca discuss their current favorite breweries in Maryland and the rest of the country. Then, one of the mystery beers turns both Carlin and Rebecca off like no beer ever has.
DuClaw Gose O’s Gose w/cantaloupe & black lave sea salt – 4
New Belgium Hemperor Hemp IPA – 1
Carlin brings up an establishment in Denver, Colorado called Brewability Lab. Rebecca approaches the topic from a more insightful perspective as she and Carlin discuss its merits.
Ommegang Nirvana IPA – 3.5
Ballast Point Tart Peach Kolsch – 2
Carlin kicks this episode off with a correction fro the last brewery showcase episode, much to Rebecca’s surprise. Then the two discuss some recent beer destinations they hit up in the Washington, DC area.
Schlafly Raspberry Hefeweizen – 3
Falling Branch Daybreak Farmhouse Ale – 2
Carlin and Rebecca checked in with Joshua Rodriguez at Wine World for some beer that hit the shelves within the past month. Here is a breakdown of four of them, all tasting pretty nice.
Carlin’s favorite – Allagash James and Julie Sour Brown Ale
Rebecca’s favorite – Adroit Theory Illusion of Safety Gose w/apricot, pomegranate, jalapeno & lactose
Taking a little different approach to this beer and food pairing episode, Carlin and Rebecca taste some chocolates and caramels made with beer from French Broad Chocolates out of Asheville, North Carolina. And, although there are no beers to pair with these chocolates, the hosts still drink and evaluate a few.
Unanimous favorite chocolate – Porter Nib Caramel
Savor happened once again, and Carlin and Rebecca put another year of covering the event in the books. For their fourth year of Savor, the two focused on trying to taste offerings from lesser-known breweries. The full breakdown of the event takes place in this episode, accompanied by four beers.
Carlin’s favorite – Blackberry Farm 18 Brett Saison aged in red wine barrels
Rebecca’s favorite – Rhinegeist Panther Robust Porter
Carlin and Nathan Kalasnik talk about what a local liquor store chose to add to a tasty IPA, sending Carlin over the edge a bit. The guys then give some recommendations for doing your own beer infusions at home.
Fiddlehead Hodad Chocolate Vanilla Toasted Coconut Porter – 2.5
Schlafly Double Bean Blonde w/chocolate & coffee – 2
Carlin and Nathan Kalasnik start the episode with another warm-up beer before moving to a discussion about the craft beer landscape and a few breweries in financial trouble. They then discuss some ways breweries need to change to remain relevant before trying some mystery beers that present interesting flavor profiles.
North Coast Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout – 3
Evil Twin IPA Kolata IPA w/lactose, pineapple & coconut extract – 3
Nathan Kalasnik comes back for some episodes, the first of which features two warm-up beers from abroad. While sipping these beers, Carlin and Nathan discuss programs to place cats in breweries as rodent control.
Epic Oak And Orchard Sour Ale aged in syrah barrels w/blueberries, boysenberries & black currants – 3.5
Flying Dog Mimosa Beer Ale brewed w/orange peel – 3
Carlin and Rebecca are competing again in the latest cellar dive episode. After choosing their beers, Carlin noticed a shared theme. All beers feature some fruit, but which one does it the best?
Carlin’s favorite – Oxbow Momoko Tart Farmhouse Ale w/peaches
Rebecca’s favorite – DuClaw PastryArchy Imperial Stout w/chocolate & valencia orange
Excited about this brewery from Middle America finally making it to Maryland, Carlin had to give this one its own showcase. Experimentation and brewing for the love of the craft are the main driving forces, leading to some tasty beers for Carlin and Rebecca to consume on podcast.
Unanimous favorite – Bomb! Imperial Stout aged on coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers
Rich Smith’s final episode of the recording session features the evaluation of awful beer accessories. They are stupid inventions pandering to the least educated beer drinkers. But do any of them have any legitimate level of use?
Stillwater Cellar Door dry-hopped Saison w/sage – 2.5
Avery Perzik Saison w/peaches – 1.5
Rich Smith’s second episode kicks off with a discussion about a documentary Carlin watched about the origins of the Irish pub and how it is dying. This spurs further discussion about how current bars operate and their relevance as time progresses.
Brooklyn Defender IPA – 5
Molson XXX Super Premium Beer – 1
A new voice takes to the mic to tell their beer origin story, while sipping on a warm-up beer. Please welcome Richard Smith, one of Carlin’s best friends, as the two see how their friendship translates to podcast magic.
Crooked Stave Origins Burgundy Sour aged in oak – 4
Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA (aged 5 years) – 4
This is the first beer and food pairing episode that does not feature any food being consumed while recording. Carlin and Rebecca re-cap a beer dinner they recently attended, while sipping on a beer from the featured brewery.
Carlin’s favorite – Pink Flamingo Grapefruit Ginger Sour
Rebecca’s favorite – Rye Baby Rye IPA
Carlin hit the liquor store recently and pulled a few beers off the shelf for this fresh episode. Things get really hazy with this one, as four beers of the same style are the focus.
Carlin’s favorite – Oliver & Stillwater Whipped Nitro IPA w/mango, lactose & vanilla
Rebecca’s favorite – Decadent Ales Creamsicle IPA w/lactose, vanilla & orange peel
It’s another big number episode, so what does Carlin have in store? Taking an idea from episode guest Dan Kim, Carlin is also joined by Jason Evans for another 12 beer blind tasting. This one reaches back in time a little to see how some stalwarts of the industry taste now.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – 4.67
Troegs Troegenator Double Bock – 4.67
Victory HopDevil IPA – 4.67
Abita Turbodog Brown Ale – 4.33
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA – 4
Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour – 3.67
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine – 3.67
Westmalle Dubbel Trappist Ale – 3.67
Anchor Steam Beer – 2.67
DuClaw Bare Ass Blonde Ale – 2.33
Castle Brewery Eggenberg Samichlaus Doppelbock – 1.67
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale American Strong Ale – 1
Carlin and Rebecca already looked into some great beer and cheese combinations, so a few meats seem to be a logical choice to explore. Salty, fatty, gamey and smoked. How do these flavors pair with some tasty beers?
Unanimous favorite – Tired Hands Ourison Oak Aged Tart Farmhouse Ale
