25 December 2022

1723. Sun King Chocolate Coconut Shadow Proof

I've done a few different versions of Shadow Proof over the years.

First was Beer #1413.  The Coconut Bourbon Barrel Version.  This Beer, 1723, is like the updated version of that first one I tried.

Then there was Beer #1488 - The Peanut Butter Cup version.

Then Beer #1497 was the plain Bourbon Barrel aged version.

Finally, I tried their "Son of Shadow Proof" variant that has chocolate, almond, and coconut.  That was Beer #1538.  And it was just okay.

This Chocolate Coconut version is really good and enjoyable.
The chocolate is creamy and not chalky.
There is a hint of coconut - never as much as I want, but still enough to make me happy.
The bourbon is subtle, and not as powerful as many beers like this - however, I was sipping on the beer, due to it's 11% ABV, and as the beer got warmer and warmer, the bourbon flavor got stronger and stronger.  This is a weird time where I will admit that I liked the beer the colder it was. 
(That doesn't happen often)




24 December 2022

1382 RIVISITED?: BrewDog Hoppy Christmas?

Beer 1382 was BrewDog's Hoppy Xmas in 2019.
I have to assume this is the same beer, despite the change in spelling.
Reading the description, it's about how this tastes, so I'm just going to call this a re-visiting.
I drank one with the main course dinner we had at The Millers, where there were many variously prepared meats, and we got to cook them ourselves on skewers, and then dip them in an array of seasonings and sauces.

The beer was blah.  It's an IPA, it's not my favorite, but it's manageable.




Paulaner Weizen-Radler NA

Garrett, Ryan, and I have all been looking for Paulaner NA (It's advertised heavily during Bayern Munich matches) - and Ryan is going to start carrying it for me at Joe's Fishers, if we ever find it.

Garrett came really close.  He found Paulaner's NA Radler, and since I like lemon - I really love this beer.  

For Christmas Eve, the Millers didn't want me to be home alone, so they invited me over to their parent's house for an amazing afternoon of eating, drinking, and games.  And I enjoyed the entire six pack throughout the event.  One of my favorite drinks recently.  I will be buying more in the future.




23 December 2022

1722. Sun King Momster Truck

Friday night, Pacers beer!

The raspberry aroma is strong when you smell this beer.
The raspberry flavor is prominent in this beer.
It's not very sour, but there is a little tart in the front of the beer.
It mellows out, and I'm assuming the passion fruit is what I taste in the back half of this beer, because it's not raspberry anymore.

The beer is tasty, and I like it.
It's nothing amazing, or that I'm in love with - but it's enjoyable.
I'm not disappointed.





18 December 2022

1721. New Belgium Holiday Ale

The Pacers have a 5pm game today, so I'm going to celebrate with yet another holiday beer.
This time, it's a Holiday Ale from New Belgium.
I haven't drank a "new" New Belgium beer since 2018...

New Belgium has done a lot of holiday beers over the years.

In 2011, they did Snow Day (Beer #204)
In 2013, they did Accumulation (Beer #404)
Also in 2013, they did a re-issue of their 2005 beer: 2° Below (Beer #439)

I'm not sure how long they've been doing Holiday Ale, but it's not bad.
It's a full bodied ale, that feels heavy, but easy to drink.
There's not any really heavy "spice" to the beer, I think it's kind of there, and might become stronger as the beer warms up?
The cranberry flavor kicks in at the end, and is a really nice finish to this beer, after it feels like it warms up my body.  This is another one of those beers that would be awesome for sitting by the fireplace, cuddled up on a cold winter night, watching some good holiday specials (instead of a Pacers game).




17 December 2022

1720. Lexington Brewing Kentucky Maple Barrel Stout

It's this week's SNL beer, and I'm really excited for it.
Over the years, the Lexington Brewing Company has released a lot of Bourbon Barrel options, and I've enjoyed a good number of them.

There is the standard Bourbon Barrel Ale.  (Beer #70 on the Original 152 post)
Pumpkin and spiced ale, aged in a Bourbon Barrel.  (Beer #332)
Brewed with Cherries and Oranges, then aged in an oak bourbon barrel, with bitters added. (Beer #818)
Brewed with Vanilla, and then aged in bourbon barrels.  (Beer #1125)
Finally, in 2020, Caitlin and I shared the Chocolate/Peppermint brewed, and aged in bourbon barrel version.  (Beer #1503)

Tonight.
Maple.
Bourbon.
Stout.

The bourbon smell is very strong.  It has me giving it multiple inhales, while I enjoyed and fear the beer.
It's a thick and tasty stout.
The maple hits upon the first drink, and then the bourbon flavor is really mellow in the backend - compared to how strong it's bourbon aroma is.

It's simple, and delicious at the same time, and the bourbon flavor is so subtle in the backend, that this beer could be tricky, hiding it's 12% ABV.






15 December 2022

1719. Bier Brewing Christkindlmarkt

Christkindlmarkt is one of my favorite events that happens here in Indy (Carmel), and finding out that Bier had brewed a specific beer for this year was cool.

The can claims its an Orange and Chocolate Dunkelweizen.
Ok.  The orange wasn't very detectable - but it's possible because I drank it out of a can.
(Looking back, I had have my Christkindmarkt cup that I could have poured it into...)
I liked the beer, but I didn't love the beer - but again, I am thinking about going back, so that maybe I can let it warm up, and in a cup to try and see how different the flavor profile is with those tannins in my nose.

Still, this beer was very tasty, and was perfect for the chilly weather.
I got to share the night with my buddy Garrett and his family, and it was a very enjoyable time to feel like part of the family.






14 December 2022

1718. DuClaw Unicorn Farts After Dark

DuClaw, overall has just been okay. 
I get hyped for their beers often, but they tend to disappoint.

Unicorn Farts (Beer #1244) has been one of my favorite sour beers that I have ever had.
But, when I originally had it in 2019, it was FAR superior than the few times I found it during COVID lockdown.  I think on one of the Podcast episodes, I discussed how it wasn't as good as I remembered it.

So, the Sour Me version was obviously an ale, and easy to see the glitter in.

This stout version is DARK, and very hard to see the glitter.  I dipped my finger in, and held it up to the light, and was able to see some shimmering.  (Picture at the bottom of the post)

The cinnamon aroma is STRONG - and that's nice.
The chocolate flavor is powerful upfront, and doesn't have a chalky-cocoa taste, which is also very nice.
There is a hint of cinnamon, which is refreshing, since many beers like this have a strong cinnamon-bite that overpowers the beer.  This one does not, and I enjoy that fact.

It's a light and easy to drink stout.

Tonight's beer is a little special:

"Today is a juxtaposition of emotions. 

12 years ago was one of the absolute worst days of my life.  Losing one of my best friends. 

But, 8 years ago, I went on a faux-date with the woman of my dreams, and I was blessed to call her my wife for four years. 


It’s a tough day. 

But I’m going to stay focused on the positives that I have going right now. And be thankful for all the moments I got to share with those two special people."


Jimmy would have hated this.  Not his thing at all.
But, I think it's simple enough that Caitlin might have liked it - probably wouldn't love it, but would have given it her cute shrug and thrust out her bottom lip - which meant, "It's fine".






11 December 2022

1717. Hi-Wire Gingerbread Hot Cocoa 10W-40

 Sunday night, Post-TSO beer.
This bit of writing is going to be a cathartic moment for me, so bare with me as I got down the nostalgia train tracks.

My first TSO concert was in 2006.
It was after my first divorce, and I wasn't dealing well with being single during the holiday season.
Some good friends of mine bought me a ticket and took me to the show.
Since then, I've never missed a show in Indy.  There's been a few years that they skipped Indy, and played in Fort Wayne instead - but every show in Indy since 2006, I've been to.  (I assume the years they missed Indy were due to scheduling conflicts, like with the Pacers, or something)

In December of 2014, I didn't have a girlfriend, and I randomly asked Caitlin to go to the TSO show with me.  We called it our first faux-date, and one month later we were officially dating, and my life got so, so good after that concert.  Caitlin and I went to TSO every year together, kind of anniversary of that first faux-date.  The last two times, we brought Lily with us, and turned it into a family event.  Something I looked forward to every year.

When tickets went on sale this year (the TSO fan club pre-sale, baby!), I didn't buy one.
I guess a part of me was holding onto hope that Caitlin would magically want to go together - and I didn't want to buy one ticket for myself, and then be stuck trying to figure out how to afford two more together.  Nonetheless, as time grew closer to the show, I came to the realization that my dream was not going to come to fruition.  So, I bought myself a single ticket - and still went to the show tonight.  It was a juxtaposition of emotions - as I love their music and performance, but I'm an emotional delinquent, and many of the moments brought tears my eyes.  But, I'm still proud of myself that I went.

So, to celebrate this year's concert, I came home and opened one of my Holiday Haul beers from yesterday.  And, in typical Shane fashion, it's a beer that relates back to Caitlin, as we went to Hi-Wire together during our honeymoon.  So, I've been thinking about her all day (which I do everyday, but today was a little more in my face) and I decided to make this nightcap a dedication to her also.

10W-40 appears to be their name for any Imperial Stout that they do.
A quick Google search shows a few other variants - including a German Chocolate Cake variant that includes coconut - so you KNOW I wish I had tried that one.  Hopefully it's something that they do again (or seasonally) and I can keep an eye out for it.

This variant - is okay.  I'm trying to debate with myself if I think Caitlin would have liked it.  She was a Stout Girl - but she also didn't like things that were TOO complex, and this one has A LOT going on. 

The  aroma is solid.
It literally smells like gingerbread, so that's cool.
The upfront tap is of a strong and powerful stout.
After the beer goes down, that's when the mouth gets weird.
The chocolate flavor from the cacao starts creamy, but gets dry/bitter quickly.
The cinnamon is powerful, but brief.
I'm sure the other ingredients contribute too, but it's just kind of confusing for a minute, before things mellow into a decent vanilla finish.
I like beers that have distinct "acts" to their flavors - and this beer does.  
I'm just not convinced that I enjoy those various moments of flavor.

It's a nice beer, and it's a perfect holiday vibe.
It makes me feel warm inside, and the vanilla finish does leave my mouth happy after all of it's confusion.  It's not something I love, but it's something that I wouldn't turn down, if I was curled up next to a warm fireplace.




1716. Founders French Toast Bastard

This week’s SNL Beer!
For the past couple of weeks, my buddy Garrett has been texting me every time he drinks one of these beers. 
So, I picked one up for SNL this week. 

The beer is good - it’s not as good as my hopes had been built up to - but it’s still really enjoyable. 

The maple aroma is very strong upfront, and it has a full and heavy flavor to the beer. The cinnamon flavor might be too much for me - and as the beer warms up more, the cinnamon kicks in more.  But the maple backend and lingering flavor really does make this beer special.  My lips are sticky and when I lick them, that maple flavor is there too. 

This is a really solid beer, and is also very deceptive. 
In gives you no indication that it is 11% ABV.  It goes down so easy. 




10 December 2022

1715. Urban Artifact Pocketwatch

Saturday Night Beers are back!!!  Woohoo!
A Pacers game and SNL both deserve some delicious. 
So, I made a run to Total Wine today, and grabbed five heavy Christmas brews, and this lighter option for the Pacers game. 

I like the beer. 
It’s tasty, and just tart enough.  
But I can’t figure out exactly what the “dark fruit” is. 
It’s kind of grape-like?  But like “thicker” in flavor - of that makes sense.  Like, it’s not a sour grape, it’s not light.  It’s got some weight to the flavor. 

But it’s good. I enjoy it. 




26 November 2022

1714. BrewDog It's a Beaut!

BrewDog has done it again!
Pairing with a media that I love - this time it's "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".
So, I popped the movie on the iPad, and opened up the beer to enjoy while I'm watching.
I've also got some Christmas-themed "Christmas Vacation" chocolates to pair the beer with (even though I'm not a big chocolate fan, I wanted to try the pairing...).

The beer is a decent stout.
The toffee gives it a nice sugary-sweet taste on the front.
Sadly, the backend of this beer is very dry - which I assume comes from the pecan flavor.
I usually don't mind pecans, they're okay - but the aftertaste this beer leaves is kind of blah to me.

Overall, I think the good outweighs the bad in this beer.
The full-stout with sweetness is enjoyable, and I can deal with the flavor I don't like.
As the beer has been warming up, it's definitely hitting the mouth a little different, in a good way.  The dry aftertaste is still present, but it doesn't seem as powerful as it originally was out of the can.






24 November 2022

1713. Chilly Water German Pilsner

I haven't had a Chilly Water beer since 2017.
I just kind of stopped caring for them, and wouldn't go out of my way to try them.
I used to see them at the SoBro liquor store when I lived down that way, but I never had the urge to buy anything from them.  
This year, I was at the Maier's house for Thanksgiving, and another one of their guests brought this beer from Chilly Water.  After pouring his first pint, he offered the rest of the can to me, so I accepted it, so that I could give it a try.

It's a standard pilsner.  It was light and crisp and tasty.  I enjoyed it, in small doses.
Out of his four cans, I got the last 4 ounces from each pour, so over a couple of hours, I amassed about one full can.  I was glad to drink it, and it tasted fine, but it's not something that I will ever go out of my way to buy for myself.  Still happy that Chilly Water impressed me, maybe I need to keep a closer eye on them.




23 November 2022

Two Roots Brewing Helles

I'm at Union Jack in Broad Ripple, and asked which NA Beers they carry.
I got three options from Two Roots (which I've never heard of) two of the three were IPAs, so I went with the Helles.

It was fine.  Nothing special, but very drinkable.  Light and easy to drink, but not a lot of flavor.

So, I've tried to look into where Two Roots is from - and I think it might be from Indiana?
Their WEBSITE doesn't have any address or office listed - but it's only available in central Indiana - like only around Indianapolis.  So, I have to assume it's some kind of side project of a brewery here in town?

I drank a number of these, while eating a very tasty breakfast and watched the Germany match with about 25 other Germany fans. It was a great gathering - despite the terrible showing by Die Mannschaft.




13 November 2022

1712. Sea Dog Blue Paw

I've never had anything from Sea Dog - but the name jumped out at me while I was walking the aisles of Total Wine yesterday.  I needed three single cans, one for the Pacers games, one for SNL, and one for the Colts game that's about to kickoff.  When I saw the blue can, and then the name of the beer included "blue" - I knew it was a sign, that this was my Colts Beer for today.

Unlike yesterday's "juice" cherry beer - this actually tastes like a high quality ale, with a solid blueberry taste to it.  It's a little drier that I would expect, but that's combated by the fruity blueberry flavor.  It's not tart at all, just blueberry.

Let's hope this "blue" beer can ward away any Colts blues, and Jeff Saturday can somehow figure out a way to get us a win today.  GO COLTS!




12 November 2022

1711. Voodoo Oh Mama

When I was at Total Wine today, I was looking at their single cans, and as soon as I saw the STYX logo, I knew I needed this beer, I didn't even care what style of beer it was going to be.

I'm happy it turned out to be a Golden Ale, and I'm happy it tastes pretty good.
It packs a really powerful malty punch up front, it's not as light and easy as it looks, and it's a little more dry in backend then I prefer, but I still really like the beer.

And that makes sense, as this beer comes from the same brewery that gives me the AMAZING Lacto-Kooler (Beer #1629).  My personal sadness comes from knowing they are a Pittsburgh brewery, and the Oh Mama can discusses how this song is used at Heinz Field during Steelers games.  Sigh.

But tonight, I'm getting myself pumped up for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, while I'm cranking STYX in my kitchen - because THE GOAT DAVE CHAPPELLE is hosting SNL tonight.  So, I've got a few minutes to go, while I continue to enjoy this golden-deliciousness.



1710. Rhinegeist Night Glow

Tonight is the first night that the Pacers are wearing their disgusting City Edition Jerseys, and knowing that I'm going to have to look at them for the next two hours, I knew I needed a beer for the game tonight.

Rhinegeist is high on my list of favorite breweries, but is THIS even a beer?
It literally tastes like cherry juice, with the smallest bit of carbonation.

It's a good drink, but it doesn't even come close to resembling beer, at all.
Not in the flavor, not in the body, nothing.
I really like the flavor.  It's cherry, and it's mildly tart.
It's easy to drink, and has zero bitterness or bite to it.  
It's literally juice, in my opinion.
It's really tasty juice, but I don't know how this is an ale.




07 November 2022

1709. Terre Haute Madame Brown Ale

I've only had one other beer from Terre Haute Brewing Company, and it was just okay.
This time of the year, I really enjoy Brown Ales, their heavier body just makes them delicious to drink outside on a fall/winter evening - and I used to love drinking them around my former bonfire.

It's my last beer I bought over the weekend, and I saved it for tonight to drink during the Pacers game.

This Brown Ale is good.
It's exactly what I want and expect from this style of beer.
The flavor is good, the malty flavor is good, it's got a minor bit of sweetness, and a hint of chocolate in there.  
As I said, it's exactly what I expected, and I wasn't let down.




06 November 2022

1708. Black Dog My Girl Strawberry

This is my "Colts Beer" for this week.
And every week I remember that I no longer have a Colts pint glass, and I need to fix that.  I wonder if I will remember before the season ends?  Since I don't have a Colts glass, and the Colts are playing outside of Boston today, I'm using my Cheers pint glass that I got when I visited the original Bull & Finch Pub, many many years ago - when Jason lived in Boston.  Jason and his brother Dave are at the game today.  I was supposed to be with them, but you know - life has been rough recently.  So, I've told them to have a good time, but that I hope their team lets them down.

To the beer:
This is my first ever beer from Black Dog, and they're only about 45 minutes from me, so someday I need to go give them a visit.
Reading the label of the beer - it sounds like they did the exact same thing that Big Woods did with their Six Foot Blonde (Beer #192) when they altered it into Strawberry Six Foot Blonde (Beer #1308).

My review of this beer is basically the same - despite never having the My Girl original version.
This beer is light, its refreshing, its easy to drink, and the strawberry flavor is subtle.  This is a good summer beer.  It's November, but feels like summer outside today, so I guess this is appopriate.







1707. Urban Artifact Teak

It's time for Weekend Update!
So, like Prairie Artisan, Urban Artifact does a lot of stuff that I really enjoy.
They do a lot of good sours, and this is one of them.
The can says it includes TWO WHOLE limes!
LIME!  Super Lime Flavor!
This beer is really good, for the intense tart lime flavor.
It's light and crisp, goes down really easy, hits that powerful punch of lime upfront, and mellows out with the lingering guava flavor.

Lots of fun Oprah/Batman jokes, Kyrie and Kanye get made fun of...  
It's been a good Weekend Update so far.

It's fruity, I enjoy it!






05 November 2022

1706. Prairie Artisan Cocoa Berry

It's been a week since I had a beer, and it's been eight days since I added a new one.
So, I took a road trip today and learned my (former) favorite liquor store no longer sells beer singles, which sucks - they always had a large area where I could easily make two mix-n-match six packs.  They have also quit selling bombers - and they used to have an entire aisle of delicious bombers, where I would go for special occasions.  Well, that's over, so I don't think I'll ever go back there.  Luckily, my Beer Brother John long ago introduced me to Parti Pack, and they do sell by the single.  John warned me that they don't have as much as Pre-COVID, and that's sadly true.  But, I was still able to put together four new beers, and tonight, I'm opening the one I'm most intrigued by.

Prairie Artisan never fails.  I've loved everything I've tried from them.

So, I'm watching SNL.  Amy Schumer is the host tonight, and as always, I'm just waiting for the Weekend Update.  I really love Colin and Che.  

Back to the beer.  There is SO MUCH going on here.
Maybe too much?
Lemon and Lime.  Also Orange.  Raspberry and Blueberry.  Also Grapefruit.
Cacao Nibs and Marshmallow.  
It's an imperial - but it doesn't feel like it.  It goes down smooth and easy, with a little tart, and the Grapefruit flavor really stands out above everything else.

Cecily Strong is in the opening sketch.  I'm a big fan of hers.  For many reasons.

So, the beer smells fruity, it goes down like a light ale, the grapefruit flavor hits hard, and then the cacao lingers in the aftertaste.  I planned on only one beer tonight, but two-thirds of this one has been drank while I was trying to figure out the flavors.  This is an imperial?  Maybe I will feel it later.  Maybe I'll crack open a second beer when it gets to the Weekend Update?






30 October 2022

NOPE: Indiana City Peach Blueberry Hazy Pale Ale

 I really thought I had tried the original, regular Kickoff from Indiana City - but it's not on the website. 
I really thought I had taken some over to Snow's house for a Colts game...?  I don't know.

Nonetheless, here's the story on this NOPE beer.
My Beer Brother John gave me this beer.  It was Beer #478 for his blog.

Three out of his four were bad.  So, in the game of Beer Roulette, he gave me his fourth can and said, "Maybe this one will be good!"  You can read his story about what happened, and I will tell you mine:

I started pouring the beer, and it was coming out almost clear, a little gold-tint to it.  As I poured the beer, and tipped the angle of my glass, the can still felt heavy in my hands, and then suddenly... a large mass of brown "sludge" fell out of the can, splashed the clear-ish liquor all over the place, and then suddenly changed the color to the brown stuff you see in the photo.

John was brave enough to try to drink some of this beer...  I mulled it over for a solid ten to fifteen minutes.  I thought about writing a story about how I decided to subject myself to the flavor of this poop-water, because of how bad the Colts season has been.  (I cracked this beer open a few minutes before kick off, to potentially drink during the game...)  I smelled it multiple times, and kept putting it down and trying to hype myself up.  (10 years ago, there would have been no question, I would have drank it without any questions, I guess I'm getting soft in my old age...)

I couldn't do it.  I poured the beer out, and it sludged its way down my sink...  
So, that was a bummer.  I should try to find this beer again and try it on a different Colts Game Day.




29 October 2022

1399 REVISITED: Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter

Going back to one of my seasonal favorites.
I first tried BEER #1399 back in January of 2020, the world before COVID.
I enjoyed it during lockdown during the Winter of 2020/2021, but last winter I was in the middle of my sobriety-stint, so I didn't get to enjoy this beer last year.  So, I'm happy to get back to it tonight.

Unlike my January 2020 Self, I'm not doing this like a car-bomb, I'm adding the Skrewball to the beer, and I'm going to sip on it during Saturday Night Live.  I don't know who Jack Harlow is, and I couldn't tell you a single song that he sings - but I'm looking forward to SNL tonight.  I grew up in the greatest era of SNL - the Mid-Late 90s run of amazing cast members.  So, even though the show isn't what it used to be, I still enjoy getting to watch weekly live comedy, specifically The Weekend Update.  Colin and Che are the greatest part of the show.

I'm drinking out of my Pacers pint glass, because they looked GOOD on ESPN National TV last night, and then they got a back-to-back win tonight.  I'm really loving this young team this year, and I think they are going to be a lot better than most people expect.  It's been a rocky start, but I think they are starting to gel together.

Yeah.  Just had my first drink...  It's amazingly delicious to sip on.  It really nails the Reese's flavor by mixing these two together. 




28 October 2022

1705. Lost Coast Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout

Beer #5 for “Scream” (2022)
Sadly, another let down for tonight. 
The cacao flavor is strong, it’s hits upfront. 
The milky smooth body of the beer goes down thick and easy, with that strong powdery-chocolate flavor. 
Sadly, the peanut butter flavor seems to be completely lost. I’m going to let it warm up some more and see if that changes things. 




1704. Left Hand French Toast Milk Stout

Beer #4 for “Scream 4”.
Getting a little heavier again, this time a milk stout. 
Sadly, it’s not as good as had hoped. 
I’ve had a few maple beers and the aroma and flavor are usually nice and strong. Sadly, it’s not with this one. It is there, and that’s good, but it’s really subtle.  The beer is good, it’s tasty, but it’s just a little shy of what I had hoped for. 




1703. Hi-Wire Bed of Nails

Beer #3 for “Scream 3”.
For a long time, I’ve felt like brown ales were almost non-existent.  There’s the regular standard mass produced browns like New Castle.  But it’s not as often that I see a new Brown for me to try. So, I was happy to find this one - also from Hi-Wire. 

It’s a very solid and good brown ale. 
And that’s about it.  It’s nothing amazing, it doesn’t set itself apart from any other brown ale, but it’s exactly the taste that I want and expect.  So, I am happy and enjoy this beer. 




1702. Hi-Wire Mountain Water

“This is the beer to share with your seltzer friends.”
It says on the can. 
And I believe that. 
After my first drink, I had to check the can to make sure it wasn’t a seltzer. 
It’s light.  It’s easy to drink.  It seems a little “extra” carbonated.  
The lemon-lime-citrus flavor is there, and it’s good.  
It’s an easy to drink beer, it just does kind of come across as a seltzer. 

Time to watch “Scream 2”.




1701. Metazoa Trash Panda

Adding FIVE new beers today during Scream-A-Thon 2022, one new beer for each film. 



There is SO MUCH going on in this beer, and I actually like it all.  It has a serious coffee smell in the head, like powerful.  Which usually turns me off - but this is appealing.  It drinks light and smooth, and definitely has coffee flavor.  The creamy-marshmallow flavor lingers well and makes the beer really tasty. 

Time to start “Scream” (1996)!




16 October 2022

1700. DuClaw Regular Beer.

When the Miller brothers and I were discussing me coming up on Beer #1700, we picked today to get together and celebrate - and I told Garrett to pick out something for us. 

Then, he found something that celebrates Beer #1700 AND celebrates his grandfather. 

“My Papa John used to drink a beer that was just a white label and it said ‘beer’ in black letters. This is the closest I’ve ever seen to that.”

-Garrett Miller. 


Very happy to be celebrating the beer, their grandfather, and a day full of sports. 

West Ham, Barça, Bayern, Colts and Packers are all playing today. 






15 October 2022

1699. Elysian Chucky

I had to rush these last couple of beers, because I have a man-sports-date with the Miller Brothers tomorrow to watch a lot of football and fútbol and fußball tomorrow and we have Beer 1700 picked out to celebrate together. 

So, last night I drank Nosferatu, and tonight I’m drinking Chucky.  Really enjoying the horror season with my beers. Last night I watched the new crappy “Halloween Ends” and tonight, I’m catching up on the first two episodes of “Chucky” Season 2.

Man, this beer isn’t my jam. 
It gets the flavors - sadly, it’s not flavors I enjoy. 
I give them credit, it’s a quality beer that nails it’s pumpkin upfront and cranberry finish for flavors. I just don’t care for pumpkin flavoring, and if you search this site - it’s very rare that I enjoy the flavor. 

So, if you like pumpkin and cranberry - you should enjoy this. 








14 October 2022

1698. Great Lakes Nosferatu

Came over to my buddy Garrett’s house to watch “Halloween Ends” in his backyard. (I watched it in theatres last night, but still agreed to subject myself to this poor entry because of the good company).

Since there’s no Michael Myers beer that I know if, I brought this Nosferatu beer for the viewing. 

IPAs aren’t really my thing.  This is a true dry and bitter IPA, and just isn’t really my jam. 






09 October 2022

1697. BrewDog Hazy Jane Mango

It’s Saturday Night. 
Which means, SNL.
Yeah, it’s not what it used to be, but I still get some laughs and I love Weekend Update. 
A little beer seems to make things a little funnier. 
This is my last gift from Steve Brown, and my fridge is empty of beers for the website.  

I’m not a big fan of Hazy Jane. 
It’s fine.  It’s not terrible. 
This version is an improvement. 
I’ve tried a good number of Mango-favored beverages, and it definitely adds to the enjoyment of this beer.  
Upfront, it’s still the dry and bitter flavor I expect - but the mango quickly kicks in, adds some flavor, and then lingers for a while after the drink. 

It’s nothing amazing - I appreciated all of Steve’s gifts - but I never would have bought this for myself. 




06 October 2022

1696. Untitled Art Banana Foster Stout

Ok. Hm. Ok. 
There is a lot to process here. 
First, the Colts are on Thursday Night Football, and this was a gift from my buddy Steve Brown - who I watched the last Colts debacle with on Sunday. 

To the beer…
It’s rich.  It’s creamy.  It’s powerful upfront. 
Whatever they used - it gives a good rum/brown sugar flavor to the creaminess, and then the banana hits HARD.  Like, I don’t like banana at all - and the nailed the flavor of banana. It has a really good lingering flavor, and I’m not exactly sure what it is…?  Im having trouble nailing it down, but it’s sweet. 

Untitled Art is always top-notch quality, even when they do flavors I don’t normally like.  Glad this was a gift, but I don’t hate it. 




02 October 2022

1695. Boulevard More S'More

 I ended up being convinced to come out and join Snow, Steve, and Biscuit for the Colts game.
Snow ordered this beer, and we all ended up sharing it in small doses, as it is an 11% ABV Big Boy.
Honestly, I was happy with my two drinks, and probably wouldn't have wanted to finish an entire one.

The beer is delicious.  It's aromas are perfect, and give off a wonderful chocolatey/marshmallow scent.
The chocolate flavor is very thick and strong up front, and you can tell its aged itself into the Big Boy it is.
The lactose kicks in for the marshmallow flavor pretty quick and helped smooth the beer out as it goes down.
The marshmallow flavor lingers for a while, and then there is a subtle graham flavor that creeps in the end.

Overall, this is a delicious and high quality beer, but being so strong, I don't need to drink a whole one - so, I was happy with what I had.




30 September 2022

1694. Fall City Ottofest

Oktoberfest ends in three days, and I've still got a few Oktoberfest beers in the fridge to drink this weekend.  It's a Friday, a Bayern Munich Match Day, and I'm off work.  So, It's time to try this Festbier.

Remember when I called Switchyard, "Oktoberfest Lite"?  Well, this is kind of the opposite.  Almost too strong and powerful in flavor.  It's got a great aroma to it, and the taste is thick and a little overbearing.  It's fine to drink, the flavors are good, but it's not easy to drink.  Glad I only have one of these to drink, because that's probably all I would be able to handle.





Also, I obviously love the name of "Otto" being included in the beer's name.  Miss you, Jimmy.




19 September 2022

1693. Untitled Art Doughnut Pastry Stout

This beer was a gift from my buddy Steve.  He'd stocked up a few beers for me in his fridge, and brought them to Shanetoberfest to give me. 

Tonight, I decided to try and take another crack at Chapter 2 of the newest novel - it's been an emotionally rough one for me to write, as I'm combining a lot of details from Caitlin and I's early dates into the first date of my main characters.  So, since a little beer always seems to get my creative juices flowing, I popped this beer open.

It does have some serious quality to it, but I just don't really enjoy the flavor overall.
The smell is GREAT, it really has an amazing aroma to it.  I smelled both the can and glass many, many times because of how enjoyable it was.

The drink hits really hard with a chocolate taste up front - which is fine - but it finishes with a super-sugary/syrupy flavor to it.  It was more like cane sugar, or confectionery sugar - like perhaps even a molasses flavor?  Whatever it was, I didn't enjoy it.  And, I let it warm up for a good 30 minutes to see how that would alter the flavor, and it did nothing.  

Very quality beer, I just didn't really care for it.




17 September 2022

1692. Switchyard Oktoberfest

 This is the first Switchyard beer I've made the time for.
Both Garrett and I agree that it's really just an Oktoberfest-LITE beer.
It's got the flavors, but they seem muted.  Almost watered down, from what they should taste like.
It's not a bad beer, it just doesn't scream quality.