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Episode 171 - Revolution Brewing Deep Woods Part 2
45 Plays20 days ago
This week Brandon and Tony dive into the second Fall release of Revolution Brewings Deep Woods series.
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Transcript
Episode Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
ah
00:00:04
Speaker
that's ah was pretty good that's pretty ah That was pretty good. oh That sums up this episode. Oh my god. In the beginning.
00:00:20
Speaker
What's the haps on the hops? Got yeast, that's peace. This the molten hour where we talk about our drink and tell you what we think every other week. And if we get drunk, well, we might slur our speech.
00:00:30
Speaker
Got the gift of gab, the friends who wish you had. Join us for a drink. Join us for a laugh. Time is never wasted. When you're getting wasted? The molten hour here. People, people taking places.
00:00:41
Speaker
People, people.
Pre-show Banter
00:00:48
Speaker
Welcome to the Malting Hour. I'm one your hosts, Tony Gold, joined always with... Brandon Winninger. Brandon, how are you? Good. Cool, me too. I mean, good, considering. I'd like to preface this episode that Brandon and I have been hanging out for a little bit before we did this. And we have had some drinks, so we'll see how this goes. Yeah, you know.
00:01:11
Speaker
i was a I was out in Rosemont at Bub City waiting for the Rosemont tree to be lit up. Why? Because I wanted to see a tree get lit up. yeah Come over here, I'll light a tree for you, whatever. Dude, we have all those bourbons that I had today?
00:01:27
Speaker
Yeah. I'll be here. Fantastic. Yeah, so... that That's a good caveat. Yeah, was it was like... I'm thinking about going there for my birthday. It was worth the money and it was delicious and very Did they light up a tree for your birthday? I mean... Oh, I meant the bourbon.
00:01:44
Speaker
If they lit up a tree for my birthday, that would be cool. But yeah. um
First Impressions of Grave Digger Billy
00:01:50
Speaker
So here we go. We're going to... we're gonna do this so this release has already come out uh we got a little late and then you and i could not find the time to do it so it's no longer a preview it's more of just here's a review yep this is the ah second fall release but the technically the third release of this year's deep woods because they do the uh summer one correct
00:02:16
Speaker
And this is from Revolution, by the way, um we're going to start off here with Grave Digger Billy. Grave Digger Billy, which when I looked it up and I didn't put Revolution, that is a Simpsons character that I can't believe I didn't know that. Yeah, like you of all people. Yeah. I feel like that needs to be something I use for fantasy football because in one of my leagues, me and Vito's brother use Simpsons quotes as our team names. I'm to go ahead and read this. Grave Digger Billy, Barrel Scotch Ale.
00:02:45
Speaker
An old favorite from the early days of revolution makes a return. This bourbon-barrelaid Scotch ale, decked out in a fine tartan kilt, has a delicate smokiness alongside American oat and oak and bourbon character. Pour a weed ram and let the brogue fly. Don't be deaf. Enjoy now or store cold.
00:03:06
Speaker
13.2% ABB. How do you feel about Scotch ales? I'm indifferent. Same here. Because... Sorry.
00:03:19
Speaker
That's crazy. Very, like, emphatic moving of my chair. um Like, there's ones that are subtle that I like. Yeah. This one's big and bold.
00:03:31
Speaker
um And again, I'm going to go back to, like, the subtle ones i enjoy. And then this one's big and bold. But... I don't dislike this. Yeah.
00:03:46
Speaker
it's It's very smooth. Very like easy drinking. um Yeah. I am with you. I am kind of indifferent when it comes to Scotch Ales.
00:04:00
Speaker
I don't dislike them. i don't seek them out. I don't remember the last time I had Gravedigger Billy because I know it is one that has popped up from time to time from Rev.
00:04:13
Speaker
um what ah What was funny is
In-Depth Discussion on Scotch Ales
00:04:16
Speaker
I poured this and I didn't look at it. I just poured it and i was like, it's the first one. yeah And then I tasted and was like...
00:04:23
Speaker
Oh, but I immediately knew it was a Scotch Ale. Yeah. Yeah. That, that does stand out. There is like, um, there's, I'm getting a lot of like caramel sweetness. Yeah. There is a bit more bitterness than i would get in other barrel aged beers. i don't mean that negatively. It's just something that kind of stands yeah out. Um,
00:04:50
Speaker
It's light body. I agree. me. Maybe not like light light, but like light medium body. Yeah, no, it's, and it's not a, for the mouthfeel people, it is not a thick beer. No.
00:05:04
Speaker
in Like, and I think that's kind of where you're coming from. It's very light and like easy drinking and like. As Dan would say, maybe a little aqueous. Yeah. Yeah, I brought it back. RIP Dan. He's still alive. um This is a very ah approachable beer.
00:05:24
Speaker
for that like as it being something that's like very drinkable but i don't know if it's an approachable beer for everybody oh no absolutely not even like barrel age i might give somebody a barrel aged stout before i gave them this yeah but like you have to be in the wheelhouse of like liking barrel aged beers and liking scotch ales to It's it's nice. like I'm still picking up like a little bit of bitterness that I'm not used to in barrel-aged beers. and
00:05:55
Speaker
Because of that, I kind of like it. yeah i don't I don't know if I would... i like that it's not always available, that it's kind of like a random release, because it is kind of nice to come to this and be like, oh...
00:06:07
Speaker
That's right. There's this. Yeah, no, I like this. I'm, like, I'm surprised by it. um And it's not to say that I hate Scotch-Yels, but, like, this is well done. And I... The one thing I don't get...
00:06:22
Speaker
is the smokiness. Do you get smokiness? No. And maybe it's just, i' know, the way our palates are right now because we'd already been drinking some stuff and hanging out and we also had your delicious smoked queso. Yep.
00:06:35
Speaker
Which was fan-fucking-tastic. But i'm not that's not a mark of like negativity on this beer. No. No, it's very nice. No, I take another sip. I'm getting some smokiness. little bit.
00:06:51
Speaker
hearing Like hearing that it's in there and then searching for it. Yeah, sure. But overall on me, I don't, I don't think I get a lot of it. And again, it's not like a negative. Yeah. I'm not necessarily looking for a smokiness in a Scotch ale, let alone this beer. Um, but it's, it's good, man. Like i like it.
00:07:09
Speaker
I, when I, I'll be honest, my first ticket sip, I was like, Oh, I like this because I was kind of like, you know, especially now in Chicago,
00:07:21
Speaker
It's the week of Thanksgiving as we're doing this episode as it's being released. like There's a lot of barrel-aged beers out there. We have done a lot of barrel-aged beer events. I have purchased a lot of barrel-aged beers, as we were talking about earlier. And so when I first took a sip, I was like, ooh, what's going on here?
00:07:41
Speaker
And then you know putting it in my head like, oh, hey, it's ah it's a barrel-aged Scotch Ale. That makes sense. But yeah, it's it's it's good. i think it's I think it's definitely a beer that if you... are adventurous, especially for a barrel-aged beer. This is something that is
00:07:58
Speaker
Interesting
Exploring Barrel-Aged Beers
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Speaker
enough to try. and i think i think it I think it would surprise people how much they like it. Yeah, and I guarantee there's a world of people out there that would be like, is this the best movie ever? Oh, absolutely. I'm sure there was a bunch of people super stoked to see this come back. It is cool. Like I said, I'm glad it's not something that's always available because I think I probably would be burnt out on it because I would buy it and be like, I'm okay. That's fine.
00:08:21
Speaker
But good good overall. yep It happens. You know. It's beer. Did you say it happens? It happens, man. It's beer. So, Brandon, i i think he had like two beers for me before I got here. i went and had some bourbon and then came here. And then we drank an Illuminated Beer Works. Is this Illuminated Beer Works? Is that the actual title of their?
00:08:45
Speaker
think so. Illuminated. Whatever. Here in ah Chicago, we did their War on Christmas, if you want. Their gingerbread ah version of it. And then we had a Transience oh Bark of Darkness, i think it was. And it was the Maple Coffee Cinnamon Vanilla Aged in a Whiskey Fodder and then a or Fodor, and then in a Weller Barrel.
00:09:10
Speaker
ah That's what we had. That was very good. i feel like that beer in particular is what put us to where we're at. This sounds more like an after the final pour more than anything. And with the speed that we're going through, this might just be a shorter episode.
00:09:27
Speaker
Could be. Could be. yeah And that's the fun of the malting hour. All right, so the one Brandon is pouring right now, I'm going to pull up on my phone, mainly because i don't have the full description of it. But this was...
00:09:44
Speaker
o This was one that I actually pre-ordered from a website when they released it because they have done other beers like this, or they have done this beer before, and it was one of my favorites that year. This is Apple Brandy Rye Way. And this is so it's a rye wine aged and apple brandy barrels. This playfully explorative rendition of Rye Way to Heaven features, as the name suggests, American oak apple brandy barrels as opposed to the more familiar bourbon barrels and rye whiskey examples. A slightly sweeter blend provides more room for malt-derived flavor development in barrel, balancing the impact of a wondrously expressive spirit. I read that sentence like it was a run-on.
00:10:27
Speaker
Drink now or store so cold. It's 12.3%. So I've already had this, and I already have my feelings on it. i've Actually, I've had two of these from my four-pack. How do you feel about them, Brandon? I like it.
00:10:38
Speaker
um Very easy drinking. i mean...
00:10:43
Speaker
I take that back. I know what you mean. It's not like... But it's super smooth. um And, like, I don't know what I'm supposed to get out of it. But I'm getting, like, subtle apple.
00:10:59
Speaker
I don't drink brandy, so I don't know if I'm getting that. But, like, anyways, the barrel characteristics and everything kind of, like, blend together. And it comes out really well.
00:11:09
Speaker
Yeah, i i remember, don't know, I don't think you have a can left, but I know that you and I have had the original iteration of this or one of the other ones that they've done. Yeah.
00:11:23
Speaker
And I loved it Not to say that I don't love this one, but I feel like the last time i got more apple. Yeah. There is apple here, but it's a little more subtle. But for a rye wine, which obviously it is a beer that they brewed with predominantly rye. Yeah. High ABV beer.
00:11:42
Speaker
And then it went into the, is it apple brandy? Like American Oak Apple Brandy Barrels. So don't know what barrels they used last time or how they did it, but this one to me is not as memorable as the first time.
00:11:59
Speaker
With that being said, though, I have already drank two of these. And I got them last week. Last, yeah. Last weekend. Yeah. We went to prop day. So a week from today, actually. So this week I drank two of them. And it's still really good.
00:12:15
Speaker
um It's definitely more sweet than some of the other barrel-aged beers that Rev does. And I think I like that.
Apple Brandy Rye Way Tasting Notes
00:12:24
Speaker
Yeah. Because it's sweeter.
00:12:27
Speaker
I love ba barrel... yeah I love the the barrel characteristics in the beers, but i I do love it when that sweetness kind of comes through too. And it's this has a good combo those. I think it's a good...
00:12:43
Speaker
dessert type beer without there being like a pastry style. Like there's that percent like caramely sweetness, that little bit of apple, but there's a lot of barrel, um, in this beer. Yeah. Which which is like, I, I feel like this is what they always do for their second release. It's always like the barley wines or the rye wines. It's always straight jacket or, you know, um,
00:13:06
Speaker
What was the other one? don't remember. But that's normally what it is. There's not a lot of stouts in their second release. yeah It's always for stouts. Grave Digger? Yeah, Grave Digger. So yeah, we have the Scotch Ale. And this is the play on the Rye Way to Heaven. And then Straightjacket was involved as well. and I think that's the next one that we're going to have is Straightjacket, which is their Bar of the Wine. So there's no stouts involved. But I think this shows...
00:13:29
Speaker
revolutions um ability to barrel age other beers it's not just stouts yeah like it it's it's the second release during the deepwood series is always like stuff like this it's it's just showing the craft yeah you know the craft behind the the beer making the barrel aging yeah they do a good job yeah it's it is it is sweet Yeah.
00:14:00
Speaker
And as I drink it, I feel like it's getting sweeter. Yes. And I'm glad we split this. And it's funny because I'm thinking about it. I'm like, I've drank two cans of these. You know what I mean? Like, but maybe it's, again, as we've explained, we have had some drinks before we started this episode.
00:14:16
Speaker
What did, because you've had you've had a couple of these. Did Virginia have any of these? Like, uh, yes, she did. She did try it. She liked it. She liked the, she, she picked up on the apple right away. Actually.
00:14:29
Speaker
Well, and it's funny because, like, with barrel-aged beers, like, usually the the predominant flavor is barrel, but, yeah yeah, apple comes through, and I like it. Yeah, it's, like I said, it it doesn't doesn't come out to me like the last version did, but it's still there, and it's very good. Yeah.
00:14:49
Speaker
It's good. um I know it's probably too early for a break, but this is a different kind of episode. I think we should take a break because we got two more to go. We'll be right back.
00:15:02
Speaker
And we're back! sweet That's he was waiting That's what was waiting for, sorry. ah That is the intro. The whole fucking thing is the intro. That whole thing is the intro. Welcome back, everybody. We are drinking through the second... I'm going to call it this. The fall release of the... Oh, shit. on The fall release of the Deepwoods.
00:15:27
Speaker
Revolutions Deepwoods. As we said before, We got the preview a little late and then we couldn't get to it that week. So we're just we're just talking through it. And Brandon and i did decide, because we're going responsible adults, that we're going to save the big 19.2 ounce can of the rum barrel aged version of VSOJ.
00:15:52
Speaker
Very special... What does the VSOJ stand for? Very special old... Jacket. Jorts.
00:16:04
Speaker
I did so. won a Facebook settlement online, and they gave me a virtual Visa card for $35. Wait, for who gave what? It was a thing where I like,
00:16:18
Speaker
Facebook violated this and there's this class action lawsuit. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I got $35 VZF card. What did I do? I bought a four pack of this beer right here, which is... Street chocolate.
00:16:31
Speaker
Thank you. Oh God. It's a barley wine ale aged in bourbon. barrel Yeah, here we go. So I'll read the description right here as my phone is 11%. The soul of barley wine channeled through vivifying bourbon barrels and blended with an alchemist's touch.
00:16:54
Speaker
Summon notes of caramel, stone fruit, brown sugar, and vanilla with each generous swirl. ABB, 15%.
00:17:02
Speaker
What am doing with my life?
00:17:05
Speaker
So you've not had this, right? haven't. Well, this one, no.
00:17:11
Speaker
have Have you? I've had one.
Changing Preferences for Barley Wines
00:17:14
Speaker
So...
00:17:18
Speaker
As time has gone on, I used to love barley wines. Yep. I don't love barley wines as much as I used to. Yeah, I feel like I'm in the same camp, like...
00:17:31
Speaker
Barley wines were my jam yeah for a long time. Yeah. Fantastic. It was a good, like, oh, I don't have to drink a barley stout. can just drink a barley wine. And now I'm old. Yes. so And my back hurts.
00:17:44
Speaker
And my hip hurts. And I'm like, barley wine is good, but it's not what I want from my palate. Yeah. I mean, yeah it's so weird because literally, like you said, like,
00:17:59
Speaker
And again, this we're not knocking the beer. No. Because I'm going to give my... my i've Like i said, I've had one and I'm going to give review. Because I always go to like... Again, if I have a beer that I really like and it's the style I really like, I'm very positive about it. I don't want to be negative about this, but like... It's like... It's not me. Yeah. Well, and I think that's a fair like review of it.
00:18:27
Speaker
For me...
00:18:30
Speaker
I try and like think about old me. and What are the things that like I'm noticing about this beer? It's sweet. It's caramely. I get barrel. It is, for a 15% beer, it is very easy to drink.
00:18:43
Speaker
It doesn't feel like there's, it doesn't drink like a 15% beer. No. But there's like this caramely-less, there's that that bourbon barrel characteristics to it, but... It's the sweetness for me that like my palate has started moving on from. yeah like We were at Fobab, which we haven't we didn't do a recap, but like while we were there, the first three or four samples we had, when I got to the fourth sample, i was like, I don't know if I can do the big, sweet pastry stouts anymore.
00:19:13
Speaker
Yeah. like It's a lot. Yeah. i like I like more of the barrel characteristics. I like more of the subtle notes. And not that this doesn't have it, but like a barley wine is just sweet.
00:19:25
Speaker
Yeah, and that's... And the thing with Fobab, that's the problem. Because all these people bring, like... Their biggest and their best. I get it. But then you have to go down... Like, if you want barrel characteristics, you've got to go down to, like... The floor.
00:19:42
Speaker
Well, obviously that. But then, like, sours and... Yeah. like But... And again, like, when I like barrel-aged beers, I do like... sour barrel aged beers but like phobab i'm like i want to try like stouts yeah like yeah barrel forward and again like i will enjoy one that is you know subtly sweet and barrel forward but like yeah dude like like the introduction into phobia for all those folks that like come in and it's just like it's literally like
00:20:20
Speaker
You know, just a sugar shock to your mouth. This year especially because we were up top and we just grabbed some beers where i was like, oh, okay, cool. Oh, okay, cool. That's too much now. Yeah.
00:20:31
Speaker
It just kind of wrecked my palate. Now, that's not me talking shit about this beer. I am saying that like it's sweet, yeah caramel, and you get the barrel. This moment right now while we're drinking it, because of everything that we've had and what we've done tonight, i'm my palate is probably like, now we don't want to do this. want to do this right now.
00:20:50
Speaker
But because I have had one at home, and I was like, oh, oh this is great. It's nice. you know like you know I enjoy this, actually. like it's To me, it's on that cusp of like almost being too sweet. But for me, it's a yeah, not too sweet. You're right. It's not like i I just took another sip and it's not like quangly sweet. Yeah. But there's a sweetness to it where I'm like, okay.
00:21:15
Speaker
Do I need to have a whole can right now? No. Oh, kid does anyone ever need to have a whole can? Yeah, they Okay. Also, as I keep sitting here in your basement, my sinuses are telling me it's my body is sleepy and that's where I start not breathing through my nose.
00:21:36
Speaker
which I need to go and see like a nose doctor. I can't wait to go upstairs and throw my CPAP on. I'm getting so old. I will say this. um The the fall release of the Deepwood series is always the most interesting yeah to me.
Reflections on Beer Aging and Craft
00:21:56
Speaker
um Maybe not like the one I seek out, but...
00:22:02
Speaker
It's always exciting because it's not just stouts. Yeah. And then the third, like the final one is always like a stout and something else and something else or whatever. Like it's all just fun and like revolution nails it every time.
00:22:17
Speaker
And for a barrel aged barley wine, this is phenomenal. Yeah, like I put... So there's two breweries in Chicago that I put up with like the Barrel-Aid shit.
00:22:30
Speaker
That's Goose and Rev. Yeah. you know And Rev is consistent every year. so There are times where... Sorry, Goose, we're very honest with you.
00:22:43
Speaker
There are times where the Rev Deepwoods release... I like more than Burma County. who Yeah. i and And again, it's just how it plays out. Yeah. This year was great because I feel like as of right now,
00:23:02
Speaker
I feel like I like the Bourbon County release more. Yeah. But Rev still did like a phenomenal job where it's like it's not really a battle.
00:23:13
Speaker
Yeah. and like Even like the old Irving Krampus stuff, we did... If you follow us, we did the dinner. We got to try everything. Everything was really fucking solid. And we are going to do the Krampus episode some point before the year ends. ah Yeah, it's just...
00:23:31
Speaker
We're literally like nitpicking perfect beers. You know, like... Why? Yeah, don't don't go in. Don't let me get through this. Why do you piss against you? But, I mean, they're they're all great. It's just... yeah I'm literally nitpicking right now a perfect beer.
00:23:48
Speaker
Yeah. yeah And, again, it's all a matter of preference and, like, time yeah when you have it. Like, whatever. Like, these are great beers. Had we not drank before this episode...
00:24:01
Speaker
I think we'd still be in the same camp. Absolutely. like no no It's a great beer, but it's like like literally the sugar palate. and like Our palates have changed. Yeah. Which is why anytime you... Well, like it's like anytime you listen to somebody's opinion about a beer or read a review, like...
Encouraging Personal Exploration in Beer Tasting
00:24:21
Speaker
Take with a grain of salt. Go and try it yourself. Yep. There are beers out there that people hate that I love, and there's beers out there that people love that I hate. Yep. And I hate those people. I hate them so much.
00:24:34
Speaker
Anyway, ah yeah, so that is we we have one more beer, but we're going to save it for another time. And yeah, man, this is is great. This is the best time to be in Chicago.
00:24:45
Speaker
Indeed. love you, Brandon. Love you too. We'll see you guys next time. Bye.
00:24:52
Speaker
This has been The Malting Hour. Be sure to follow us on all social media by searching The Malting Hour and at themaltinghour.com. You can also follow us individually on social media. Brandon can be found on Instagram as bmdub81, on Twitter bdub81, and on Untappd as bdubdrinksbeer. Tony can be found on Instagram and Untappd under AsaFelpsChicago, on Twitter the AsaFelpsChicago.
00:25:17
Speaker
Clark can be found as Clarkowski on all three. Dan can be found on Instagram as hip underscore underscore hops and hip hops on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe, like, and rate the show on your preferred podcast listening platform.
00:25:31
Speaker
Until next time, cheers from all of us at the Malting Hour.