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Two seasonal beers. One big question: cozy malt comfort or piney hop punch. We kicked off with Abita Pecan Ale, a Louisiana classic built on roasted pecans, pale malt, and caramel malt. The aroma brought nutty warmth, the palate leaned earthy and brown-ale smooth, and as it warmed we noticed a drier finish. It instantly conjured camping nights and flannel weather, and we landed on a confident eight for flavor, balance, and seasonal fit.

Then we cracked Alesmith’s Yule Smith Double Red IPA. The nose shouted grapefruit and pine. The taste followed with firm bitterness wrapped around a caramel-red backbone. That’s where the debate lit up: can caramel malt and resinous hops coexist without stepping on each other? We tasted flashes of harmony, but the finish stayed grippy and dry, and the grapefruit-pine combo wrestled with the sweet malt. Hopheads may love the intensity; we respect the build yet wouldn’t keep it stocked, calling it around a six on our slate.

Between sips we veered into real-world hacks. We tested AI for budget meal planning—$200 for two-a-day, with a store-specific list, weights, and prep steps—and talked how better prompts improve accuracy for projects and shopping. We also recapped a house Halloween party full of inspired costumes and the kind of easy camaraderie that makes community feel rare and lucky. The throughline across beers, parties, and AI: context matters. Pick the right tool for the moment, whether it’s a nutty ale for a quiet night or a bold double IPA for hop-curious friends ready to debate pine vs. citrus.

If you enjoyed the tasting, follow and share the show with a friend. Drop a quick rating or review, and tell us: are you team nutty malt or team piney hop this winter?

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Fall tastes better when the first pour surprises you and the second one lingers. We kick off spooky season with a road trip to Dented Keg in Clearfield, PA, where river views meet a flight that actually teaches you something about the brewery’s range. The standout is a cherry-driven sour that nails the beginner’s balance—refreshing, not too tart, and clean enough to sip all night. We talk price shock on giant tots, why some pumpkins go “perfumey,” and how to spot the one you’ll want to bring home.

Then we pivot hard into High Wire’s 10W40 Pumpkin Spice Latte imperial stout. It opens with chocolate, settles into roast, and keeps the pumpkin spice in check so flavor leads and gimmick fades. Coming off a sour, the bitterness needs a moment, but patience pays off with a smooth, seasonal stout that clocks a confident eight out of ten from both of us. If fall to you means richer pours without sugar fatigue, this one slides right into your lineup.

Along the way, we share how to actually listen via voice on Spotify if your device blocks explicit shows, shout out our Buzzsprout “buy us a beer” link, and trade road tips on Mars, PA and quick brewery runs. By the end, you’ll know which beer to start with, which to finish on, and why pacing your palate makes all the difference when the shelves flip from pumpkin to Christmas overnight. Hit play, rate your own pour, and tell us your favorite fall beer. If this ride made you thirsty, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more beer lovers can find us.

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Pumpkin shelves are still full, so we went hunting for what’s actually worth drinking and wound up with two wildly different takes. First up: North High Carved Pumpkin, a smooth 7.5% ale with a holiday-leaning spice bill. The aroma says pumpkin patch, but the sip says clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon turned up past cozy and into Christmas. No alcohol burn, no syrupy sweetness, just a clean finish that makes it an easy nightcap, even if the pumpkin hides behind the spice rack.

Then we crack Urban Artifact’s Jack Pumpkin Pie American Fruit Tart—and everything changes. Bright acidity. Yam richness. A pumpkin note that feels lifted instead of heavy. It’s crisp, lip-smacking, and surprisingly refreshing for a fall beer, the kind of tart that clears your palate instead of coating it. If you’ve written off pumpkin beers as sticky and over-spiced, this one’s the plot twist. We break down why a sour profile can rescue seasonal flavors, how clove can quietly overpower a recipe, and the small details on labels that tell you what you’re really buying.

Between pours, we share the stories that color the tasting: gratitude for a workplace that shows up for its people, the humility of slow weeks, and a golf saga that escalates from simulator glory to a ball landing two feet from a backswing—followed by an unforgettable response. It’s a reminder that beer and life both benefit from balance: a little sweet, a little sharp, and a lot of honesty about what works.

Stick around for our final scores—7.5 for the spice-forward ale and 9 for the tart standout—plus practical tips for navigating seasonal beer aisles without getting burned. If you enjoyed the ride, follow the show, share it with a friend who swears off pumpkin beer, and drop a review with your own fall favorites.

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The night started simple—two brown ales, side by side—and turned into a full-on fall flavor map. We cracked Civil Rivalry’s First Down Brown and Alesmith’s English nut brown to see how cocoa, caramel, bitterness, and biscuit actually show up in the glass. One poured darker with a chocolate-forward core and a clean, bitter snap; the other drifted lighter, smoother, and bready, warming into hints of cocoa when served at the right temp. If you’ve ever wondered why “biscuit” gets tossed around on labels—or how 21 IBUs can make a malt beer feel more alive—we break it down in plain language.

Between pours, we wandered into the good stuff: golf as stealth cardio, winterizing gear, and the chaos of wildlife run-ins from horse-to-dog stare-downs to the nightmare of moose on backroads. A skunk story became surprisingly useful—coffee grounds for rooms, a proven peroxide–baking soda–Dawn mix for pets, and a quick note on reversing fan airflow so you don’t perfume your house with trouble. We also talk pumpkin beer burnout and why brown ales might be the smarter fall choice: rich enough to feel seasonal, restrained enough to drink all night, and killer with smoked meat, stroganoff, or aged gouda.

By the end, we call a winner. First Down Brown edges out with deeper cocoa and just-right bitterness; the Alesmith nut brown earns props for smooth drinkability and food pairing potential. Looking for your next fall fridge staple? Start here, then tell us where you land—cocoa-forward keeper or biscuit-smooth sipper.

Enjoyed the tasting? Follow, rate, and share the show. Drop your favorite fall brown ale in a review so we can put it on the list next week.

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Crisp nights, clinking steins, and the great Oktoberfest debate: does the same beer really taste that different on tap vs in a can? We put it to the test with two pours—a local Jamestown Oktoberfest and a Munich-brewed Helles—then dig into why carbonation, packaging, and freshness can swing a rating from a nine to a seven in a single pour. If you’ve ever brought home a favorite draft beer only to feel let down by the can, you’ll hear exactly what’s going on and how to shop smarter.

We start local with a darker, mildly sweet Märzen that shines at the source but feels flatter at home, then flip to a classic German Helles with a brief skunky nose that settles into clean malt and a crisp finish. Along the way, we unpack what “Helles” actually means, how lightstruck aroma happens, why cans often beat green glass, and the role of package dates, cold-chain storage, and pour technique. We also talk setting: the Jamestown brewery’s fall views, live music, and a Reuben that’s delicious if pricey—plus why long tables, loud rooms, and good weather change how a lager drinks.

Between sips, we trade quarter-end work stress for golf therapy—new driver, improving handicaps, and the simple joy of a solo nine with leaves underfoot. We round out with practical takeaways: when to buy draft over cans, how to protect delicate lagers, what to pair with malt-forward beers, and when to switch from pumpkin spice sweetness to an everyday Helles. If you want your Oktoberfest season to taste better, not just different, this is your playbook.

If you enjoy the show, follow and share it with a friend who loves fall beer runs. Rate and review to help more listeners find us, and tell us your go-to Oktoberfest or Helles—we’ll feature the best picks in a future tasting.

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Fall beer season brings a perfect excuse to explore the spectrum of autumnal flavors, and we're diving headfirst into two distinctive brews that couldn't be more different yet equally impressive.

The Brew Kettle's Pumpkin Drop Lager offers a refreshing take on the pumpkin beer formula. At 5% ABV, this Ohio-based brew delivers authentic pumpkin flavor without overwhelming your palate with excessive cinnamon—a common pitfall of seasonal offerings. We discuss how some breweries (like 311 in Chardon) go to extraordinary lengths for pumpkin authenticity, literally dumping entire 21-inch pumpkin pies—crust and all—into their brewing tanks. The mental image of brewers struggling to upend these massive pies brings as much joy as the perfectly balanced flavors in our glasses.

Switching gears dramatically, we sample Hoofhearted Brewing's Club Paradise, an 8% ABV tiki-inspired sour ale that combines pineapple, coconut, strawberry, lime, and vanilla into something truly special. Despite its complex ingredient list, the predominant strawberry note harmonizes beautifully with subtle cookie-like undertones, earning this adventurous brew a perfect 10/10 from both hosts. At $20 for a four-pack, it's definitely a splurge, but one we heartily recommend for sour lovers seeking something extraordinary.

Beyond the beers themselves, we take a hilarious detour through Hoofhearted's irreverent website, marveling at their outrageously named brews and creative can designs. From "Combat Spandex" to "Key Bump" and beyond, their artistic approach to beer branding deserves recognition even if you never taste a drop. Pair all this with our recurring "Ricky's Bad Choices" segment (featuring confessions about shoplifting, suspended licenses, and ill-advised gambling), and you've got an episode as complex and satisfying as the beverages in our glasses.

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Fall beer season has officially arrived, and we're celebrating with a deep dive into two exceptional seasonal brews that captured our attention. The Bent Run Amber Ale from Warren, PA packs a perfect balance of toffee notes and drinkability at 5.8% ABV, while Shiner's Oktoberfest delivers a surprisingly smooth experience that challenges our usual preference for pumpkin beers.

Rick takes us on a culinary adventure, recounting his camping experiment with hot honey garlic scallops and ramen on a Blackstone griddle. Despite the challenges of finding proper sea scallop medallions and the patience required to steam ramen outdoors, the result was worth every minute. This cooking tale transitions naturally into discussions about the joys of fall camping and the approaching leaf season, which forecasters predict will arrive early this year.

The conversation wanders into hilarious territory during "Ricky's Bad Choices" segment, where road trip adventures and hypothetical scenarios have us in stitches. We debate the merits of various brewing techniques, smartphone etiquette in public restrooms (spoiler alert: never put your phone on a bathroom floor), and plans to explore dispersed camping sites near the Allegheny Mountains. 

Whether you're team Oktoberfest or team Pumpkin, this episode captures that magical feeling of embracing seasonal flavors while enjoying cooler temperatures. Join us next week as we continue our journey through fall's finest brews and maybe even sample some of the pumpkin offerings that are starting to appear on shelves everywhere. 

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