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Episode 26 of Matt Likes Beer features Electric Mainline, a West Coast IPA from Grimm Artisan Ales, a Brooklyn-based brewery Matt knows primarily through retail purchases rather than firsthand taproom experience. With limited personal history to draw from, the episode leans heavily into technical judging, exploration, and education, making it one of the most analytically driven installments of the season.

Matt opens by exploring Grimm’s extensive and stylistically diverse beer catalog, noting the brewery’s wide-ranging output across IPAs, lagers, stouts, sours, and mixed fermentation beers. While researching Grimm live during the recording, Matt discusses the brewery’s dual-level taproom layout, contrasting its polished upstairs space with a more industrial downstairs brewery setting—an aesthetic that strongly appeals to his personal tastes.

Before judging begins, Matt reads the brewery’s own description of Electric Mainline, which declares the beer a West Coast IPA featuring Luminosa hops, supported by Mosaic, Citra, Columbus, and Simcoe. With the style clearly defined, Matt evaluates the beer strictly as BJCP Category 21A: American IPA.

Appearance is a standout, with the beer pouring a brilliant, unmistakable yellow, a large, persistent white head, and excellent lacing. While visually striking, Matt notes an interesting guideline quirk: BJCP color descriptors list medium gold to light amber, making pure yellow technically outside the expected range—an example of how modern IPAs sometimes outpace written standards.

Aroma earns a full 12/12 score, delivering expressive notes of orange zest, mandarin citrus, lemon brightness, subtle pine, and a faint grainy malt backbone. Matt explicitly follows advice from a fellow judge—“don’t fear the 50”—choosing not to deduct points where the beer fully delivers stylistically.

Flavor presents a more mixed picture. While citrus character remains vibrant and layered, bitterness is strongest on the tongue rather than in the finish or aftertaste, falling short of the firm, lingering bitterness expected in a classic West Coast IPA. Malt presence is detectable but subdued, leading Matt to score flavor at 14/20.

Mouthfeel is spot-on, with a medium body, high carbonation, and smooth texture earning a perfect score. Overall impression balances enjoyment with technical critique, resulting in a final score of 39 out of 50, placing Electric Mainline solidly in the “Excellent” range—even with noted flavor shortcomings.

With no one-star reviews available, the episode transitions into a long-form educational soapbox prompted by a conversation with a non-judge friend: Why do Double and Triple IPAs often taste sweeter than regular IPAs? Matt breaks down the concept using brewing fundamentals, explaining fermentable versus non-fermentable sugars, increased body, alcohol’s impact on sweetness perception, and why higher-ABV IPAs inevitably drift away from the crisp bitterness drinkers expect.

The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming IPA-focused discussions and reinforces one of the show’s core missions: helping everyday beer drinkers understand why beer tastes the way it does, not just whether it’s “good” or “bad.”

In this episode Chris, Luke, and Tim review Wuthering Heights, Scream 7, Send Help, and more!

In this special episode Dave shares his list for 9 star, nearly perfect, horror movies.

Episode 25 of Matt Likes Beer tackles one of the most polarizing modern beer styles of the past decade: the Cold IPA. The featured beer comes from Wayfinder Beer in Portland, Oregon, the brewery that not only created the recipe concept but also coined the term “Cold IPA” in 2018. For Matt—who actively seeks out the style—this makes Wayfinder the definitive benchmark.

Matt opens by reflecting on the intense backlash Cold IPA received when it first appeared, noting that the hostility rivaled—and even surpassed—the early resistance to Hazy IPA. He contrasts that early reaction with the sudden, almost overnight acceptance the style enjoys today, raising questions about how and why beer communities choose what to embrace or reject.

Drawing directly from Wayfinder’s own published definition of the style, Matt explains what sets Cold IPA apart: heavy use of rice adjuncts, lager yeast, a very dry finish, and an emphasis on clean fermentation that allows American hops to shine with clarity and precision. He also points out that Wayfinder has effectively written their own style guideline—complete with vital statistics—despite the BJCP not yet adopting Cold IPA as a standalone category.

Because no official BJCP style exists, the beer is evaluated as a 34B Mixed-Style Beer, declared as American IPA + American Lager, which Matt agrees is the best available option—even if it doesn’t fully capture what Cold IPA truly is. Using this framework, he conducts a full judging breakdown, noting a medium-yellow appearance with persistent foam, expressive citrus-forward aroma, light herbal and dank hop character, subtle grain notes, and a distinct but restrained lager yeast presence.

Flavor-wise, the beer delivers orange zest, grapefruit rind, floral and herbal hop notes, light toasted grain, and a crisp, slightly dry finish. However, Matt finds the bitterness lower than expected for the style—particularly from the brewery that defined it. Mouthfeel is light-bodied and highly carbonated with surprising softness beneath the fizz, contributing to excellent drinkability. The final score lands at 35 out of 50, placing it squarely in the “Very Good” range.

With no online reviews to read—of any rating—the episode pivots into an extended and impassioned soapbox segment. Matt unpacks the early hatred directed at Cold IPA, arguing that much of the criticism was aimed at the name and concept, not the beer itself. He connects that reaction to a broader problem within craft beer and homebrewing: resistance to innovation, gatekeeping, and a reflexive hostility toward anything new or unfamiliar.

In this episode of Indiana Jones in Character, Dave and Chris explore the many libraries featured in the Indian Jones Saga.

You read that right, Box Office Bozo is back with another challenge for Chris! Can Chris name to top grossing movies of Kevin Bacon? If he can, he's a Box Office Boss! If he fails, he's a Box Office Bozo. Listen along and see where he lands.

In this edition of The Best of Fives, Chris and Dave pay honor the works of the recently passed actor, Robert Duvall.

Episode 24 of Matt Likes Beer shines a spotlight on a rice-forward American-style lager from Table Brewing, continuing the show’s run of style-driven, BJCP-informed beer evaluations. Picked up through Tavour, the beer prompts Matt to dig into one of the most frequently misunderstood brewing ingredients in modern beer: rice.

Matt opens by addressing his own preconceived notions about dark beers and adjunct lagers, acknowledging that rice is often unfairly associated with mass-market American lagers. From there, the episode pivots into an educational breakdown of how rice is actually used in brewing, including the distinction between standard brewer’s rice and more aromatic varieties like jasmine rice, which can contribute subtle floral and grain character rather than just fermentable sugar.

Judged using BJCP guidelines, the beer presents with excellent clarity, a pale golden color, and a clean, well-formed head. Aromatically, it remains restrained—appropriate for the style—while offering delicate grain notes and a soft, rounded malt profile. Flavor-wise, the beer is crisp and highly drinkable, with rice contributing dryness and smoothness rather than overt sweetness or hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light to medium-light, clean, and refreshing, aligning well with the intended style. While the beer performs well technically, Matt notes that the subtlety of the style inherently limits how high it can score in competition settings. The final BJCP score lands in the Very Good range, reinforcing a recurring theme of the podcast: some beers are meant to be enjoyed, not chased for points.

The episode expands into a broader discussion about style bias, particularly how adjunct lagers are often dismissed before being properly evaluated. Matt argues that when brewed with intention and quality ingredients, rice lagers can be elegant, nuanced, and extremely difficult to execute well—making them worthy of respect both on the judging table and in everyday drinking.

HFTV gives their final thoughts and ranking on the penultimate season of TFTC.

In this episode of Streams and Nightmares, Dave discusses Coyotes, The Jester 2, Don't Go In the Woods, Hostel Part 3. In the Mouth of Madness, and Shivers.