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Twelve pours, one taproom, and more surprises than we expected. We posted up at Fat Hill Brewing in Mason City and worked through a full lineup that stretches from honey kolsch and American wheat to a Belgian golden strong and multiple barrel-aged experiments. Along the way, we found out which styles shine with nuance, which beers could use more punch, and how a peach brandy barrel can turn a familiar base into something quietly special.

We kick off with approachable crowd-pleasers—clean, easy, and perfect for macro converts—before the robust porter resets the bar with roast, cocoa, and a satisfying dark-chocolate edge. Hop heads get a double feature: a West Coast IPA that avoids the swampy “dank” trap and a hazy NEIPA that lands juicy and low in bitterness, great for listeners who love fruit-forward hops without palate fatigue. If you’re chasing complexity, the Belgian golden strong steals the spotlight with expressive yeast character and a deceptively smooth 11.9% ABV.

Then the barrels arrive. A Chardonnay barrel hibiscus saison brings a delicate mix of French oak, soft vanilla, and a subtle vinous finish—surprisingly sessionable at 6%. The Russian imperial stout and its bourbon-barrel variant lean smooth over aggressive, favoring cocoa and espresso notes rather than heat. The wildcard champion: a peach brandy double honey kolsch with toasted oak, restrained fruit, and just enough sweetness to feel plush without going candied.

By the end, we name our must-try picks, map an ideal flight order for first-time visitors, and share a few local backstory nuggets that connect Fat Hill to the broader Mason City and Clear Lake beer scene. Like guided tastings, balanced beers, and honest scores? Pull up a stool with us. If you enjoyed this tasting tour, follow the show, share it with a beer-loving friend, and drop your top three Fat Hill pours in a review—we’ll shout out our favorites next time.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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Five rare blends. Twenty-two finalists. One crown. We crack open a vertical of Firestone Walker Anniversary ales and use them as the perfect lens to examine what makes a barrel-aged beer truly special: thoughtful blending, patient aging, and clarity of intent. With winemakers shaping the components and ratios, each Firestone bottle tells a story—bourbon, brandy, and tequila barrels playing supporting roles while stouts, barleywines, and wheat wines harmonize into a single, seamless voice.

We start by revisiting past champions and the standards they set, then dig into the 2025 field. Central Waters stands out for radical transparency—naming barrels and months—and shows how extra time in Heaven Hill can turn heat into harmony. Prairie brings pastry done right, where banana foster, marshmallow, and Mexican chocolate ride roast and oak instead of sugar. Boulevard surprises with an ice-distilled imperial brown that climbs to 18.2% ABV without going hot. Cross’s Feathered Drumline proves rye barrels can be bold and balanced. Through it all, we keep a close eye on how barrel provenance, blend composition, and aging windows shape mouthfeel, finish, and drinkability.

Our Firestone tasting offers a masterclass. The 24th is plush cocoa and marshmallow; the 25th threads in a tasteful tequila shimmer; the 26th adds a wine-kissed dryness that lifts the profile; the 27th pivots with a Munich wine twist; and the 28th shows promise that time will likely unlock. When the dust settles, we name our top three for 2025 and tip an honorable mention to the pumpkin barrel-aged standout that refuses to be a novelty.

If you love barrel-aged beer—or want to learn how to choose bottles with confidence—this one’s for you. Listen, compare your notes to ours, then tell us your winner. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves big beers, and drop a review so more beer nerds can find the show. Cheers to warm campfires and cold beers.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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Ever cracked a can and thought, wait… is that Thanksgiving stuffing? We did—and it actually worked. We set out to spotlight one small brewery and ended up with nine distinct beers from Thesis Beer Project in Rochester that never once felt phoned in. From a pastry-leaning sour bursting with blood orange and marshmallow, to a clean, easygoing American light lager, we found flavor dialed in rather than cranked up to chaos.

We dig into BOOM!, a grape-lemon fruited sour that pours purple and avoids the candy trap; a smooth Meantime Kölsch for session seekers; and Stuffed, the stovetop stuffing-inspired kölsch with thyme and sage that tastes exactly like the side dish without going gimmicky. Tuba Nanas Hefeweizen keeps the clove classic and the finish crisp, while Thesis Pieces—an impressive peanut butter blonde—lands real peanut character without the chalky powder. If you love peanut butter beers, this one deserves a spot on your list.

For malt fans, Plot Armor brings an imperial red ale with a restrained smoky note and a whisper of rye that drinks clean at 8%. Hop heads get Uptown Overlord, a hazy double IPA with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic that’s soft, juicy, and surprisingly approachable for IPA skeptics. Along the way, we compare styles, talk flavor choices, and call out who should try what: lager lovers, sour doubters, and IPA newcomers included.

If you’re planning a brewery run in Minnesota, put Thesis Beer Project on your map. Their throughline is simple and rare: intentional flavor across styles, from light and crisp to bold and hazy. Listen for the scores, the standouts, and the one beer that became a table-wide conversation starter. Enjoy the tasting, share it with a beer friend, and subscribe for our upcoming beer-of-the-year picks and more flavor-forward finds.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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The air hurt our faces, so we made the weather our beer fridge. From there, it turned into the perfect Northwoods night: eight carefully chosen beers, one runaway favorite, and a deep dive into a small, family-first resort that lives bigger than its map pin. We’re back at Callahan Lake Resort—14 miles east of Hayward—sharing what’s new: brighter cabins with space for real weeks, pull-in RV sites, a growing beach and swim area, a smarter dock layout for pontoon drop-ins, and a plan to restore the beloved floating “Loose Caboose.” Picture quiet mornings casting for musky and bass, afternoons drifting on Mud Lake, and evenings where neighbors feel like cousins.

On the beer front, we start with Drecker’s fruit-forward sours—gluten-free, summer-friendly, and surprisingly restrained—before we swing into stout country. Jack Pine’s Deadfall variants split the room at first: the rum barrel leans dark-fruited but shy on rum; the peach brandy barrel wakes up gloriously as it warms, turning into a layered, cellar-temp treat. Then we open a four-bottle run from Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative that flat-out sings. Midnight Hour Bourbon Barrel is pure balance—caramel, vanilla, toffee—while the Rye Barrel adds peppered lift without the weight. Raspberry Bourbon gives fresh fruit that integrates instead of shouting. And the standout? Midnight Hour Mexican Chocolate: rye-barrel backbone, chocolate-vanilla-cinnamon grace, and guajillo and morita peppers that glow rather than burn. We called it a Beer of the Year contender on the spot.

Between pours, we trace the trails you can ride right from the resort—ATV in summer, staked snowmobile routes in winter—and we shout out the local network of taverns, barbecue, fish fries, breakfasts, and festival weekends: Musky Fest, cranberry runs, Fall Fest, and the legendary American Birkebeiner. It’s a place where owners share parts and couches, send guests to each other’s dining rooms, and celebrate community wins. If you want a getaway where lake time is unhurried, the beer is thoughtfully chosen, and the welcome is real, this one’s for you.

If this episode made you thirsty or sparked a trip idea, hit follow, share it with a friend, and drop us your favorite barrel-aging style in a review. And if you walk into the lodge and say you heard us here, the first beer’s on Brian.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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A cold night. Six dark beers. Zero mercy for labels that overpromise. We open with a “Mexican hot chocolate” milk stout that whispers cinnamon but forgets the heat, then pivot to a peanut butter chocolate porter that finally smells like the real thing. From there, the lineup swings through a maple pecan brown that plays it safe, a silky peanut butter chocolate milk stout with dessert-like glide, and two heavyweights that split the room: Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout with baker’s-chocolate bite, and a barrel-aged imperial that brings spirit warmth without the harsh burn.

Along the way, we get candid about why some flavors vanish in the glass, what makes milk sugar such a winter workhorse, and how roast can tip from cozy to fatiguing. We unpack barrel-aging basics in plain English—what time in wood can do for sweetness and structure—and share quick pairing ideas that tame bitterness or elevate sweetness. When the peppers arrive in a 14.1% monster, we talk balance over bravado: gentle heat, cinnamon lift, and a finish that actually feels like Mexican hot chocolate done right. If you’ve ever wondered why some “maple” beers taste like plain brown ale, or why peanut butter is so hard to nail without going fake, this tasting cuts through the noise.

Expect a few holiday detours—favorite Christmas movies, “easy” trivia that isn’t, and friendly scorekeeping—plus clear winners you can hunt down now. If you’re stocking a holiday table, reach for the silky peanut butter milk stout for dessert, the salted-caramel mocha stout for coffee-cake moments, and the spiced imperial for late-night fireside warmth. Subscribe to the show, share this episode with your beer crew, and drop your winter stout picks in the comments—we’ll add the best to our next lineup.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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A snowy day calls for a mixed pack and a little mischief. We cracked open eight winter beers that promised cookies, spice, and holiday cheer—and found a spectrum from burnt-roast stouts to a bourbon-kissed gem that actually delivers the season in a glass. Along the way, we test what makes a “Christmas beer” work: aroma that hints at the flavors to come, balanced sweetness, and labels that tell the truth.

We start with a “Christmas cookie” cream ale that forgets the cookie, then navigate a Rogue stout heavy on char. Three Floyds shows up with a hop-leaning porter in Krampus clothes, while Old Nation’s Frandor Claws finally hits the brief with cherry, vanilla, and cacao in harmony. A coffee bomb called Devil’s Invention pushes bold grounds without the grit, and Victory’s Very Merry Monkey proves that Belgian yeast and gingerbread spice can play well together when the sweetness stays in check.

Our standout of the night is Great Lakes’ Barrel-Aged Christmas Ale at 10% ABV—smooth, gently bourboned, aromatic with holiday spice, and friendly to drinkers who usually shy away from barrels. A 12% Milwaukee stout closes the flight with an unexpected tart edge that intrigues more than it satisfies. Between pours, we trade Santa lore—Sinterklaas, NORAD tracking, and the myths behind the red suit—because nothing pairs with winter beer like a little holiday trivia.

If you love seasonal beer, this tasting will help you shop smarter: seek clear spice on the nose, watch the IBUs on dark styles, and anchor your lineup with one approachable barrel-aged ale. Listen, share your top cold-weather pour, and subscribe so you don’t miss our next round of festive cans. Got a beer we should try? Send it our way and join the campfire conversation.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

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The snow hit early, the grill smoke curled over the pines, and we crossed a big milestone: our 1,000th beer review. To celebrate, we poured an ambitious holiday lineup that proves December beer can be more than cinnamon and nutmeg. Think cookie-inspired lagers, pastry stouts that smell like hot cocoa, a pistachio nut brown that actually tastes like pistachio, a polarizing cranberry sour, a hop-leaning winter warmer, and two heavy hitters that close the night with buttery praline comfort and smooth bourbon-barrel depth.

We start light with a Helles-style “cookie” lager that hints at spritz cookies without the sugar shock, then dive into Great Lakes’ Cookie Exchange series: Peanut Butter Blossom brings nostalgic aroma and dessert warmth, while Berry Jam Thumbprint goes big on raspberry jam. Along the way, we unpack why lactose anchors cookie beers and revisit the Viking roots of Christmas ale, from Yule traditions to King Hakon Ithr 1st's mandate to brew for the season.

Mid-show, Stevens Point’s Snowpilot surprises us with a real pistachio aftertaste and crowd-friendly balance. Boulevard’s Nutcracker promises molasses but leans more pine and grapefruit from Chinook hops—great for IPA fans, less so for those chasing winter-warm spice. Prairie’s Seasick Crocodile smells like holiday punch but drinks tart; ideal if you want a bright, sour contrast on the table. Then Southern Tier’s Chestnut Praline lands like a fireside treat—buttery, caramel, and cozy, best as a single-glass indulgence. We finish with Founders’ Cranfather, an 11.1% bourbon barrel ale that’s shockingly smooth: bourbon on the nose, cranberry up front, orange peel on the finish, and cherry whispering at the edges.

By the end, we’ve got picks for every palate and a practical game plan for your holiday cooler: start with a cookie lager, add a nut brown for depth, share a pastry stout after dinner, and pass around a gentle barrel-aged sipper to toast the night. Subscribe, share with a beer-loving friend, and tell us your favorite seasonal style—cookie, tart, hop, or barrel-aged? Your votes will shape our next holiday flight.

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 northbeerguy@gmail.com.

You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.

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Seventeen taps, one table, and a promise to try them all. We dropped into Tumbled Rock Brewing in Baraboo with fresh palates and open notebooks, then worked our way from malty staples to modern haze and a final flight full of sours, spice, and a green-tinged saison. What we found was a brewery that prizes balance over bluster—clean fermentations, distinct styles, and a steady hand even when the ingredients get playful.

We start with the comfort zone: an Irish red that nails caramel and toast without dragging, a brown ale with gentle roast, and a cream ale that surprises with subtle sweetness. From there we pivot to a Danish-inspired lager seasoned with chamomile, lemon, ginger, and coriander, showing restraint where spice often overwhelms. A coffee oatmeal stout leans approachable rather than intense, more café aroma than espresso shot. The mid-run curveballs include a Mexican lager hopped with Motueka that divides the panel, and a lighter-than-usual doppelbock that wins points for drinkability over density.

Hop fans get a full tour: a double IPA boasting 88 IBUs yet drinking smoother than the number suggests, a hazy collaboration that actually earns the word “crushable,” and a strawberry–kiwi–hibiscus hazy where the color promises fireworks but the palate stays balanced. We also explore an English IPA that delivers dryness and subtle marmalade and a hoppy blonde that reads sweeter and citrusy rather than overtly bitter. The finale pushes boundaries—a pink lemonade wheat with patio energy, a tart strawberry sour that puckers instead of panders, a jalapeño tamarind mango sour that harmonizes heat and acidity, a dill pickle sour that needs more brine, and a French saison whose rustic yeast character meets eye-catching color.

If you’re mapping a Wisconsin beer trip, Tumbled Rock is worth the stop: a tap list with range, a space where you can watch the brewhouse, and beers that stay distinct without getting noisy. Hit play to hear our candid ratings, favorite pours, and the moments that surprised us most, then tell us what you’d order first. Subscribe, share with a beer friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

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 northbeerguy@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.