Mainstream - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Tue, 29 Apr 2025 19:04:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Mainstream - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Beer Review: Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) (Delta Beer Lab) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2025/04/22/beer-review-admiral-j-henry-barrel-aged-grand-stout-delta-beer-lab/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-admiral-j-henry-barrel-aged-grand-stout-delta-beer-lab Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:45:10 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=16291 Beer Review: Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) (by Delta Beer Lab)

In honor of Andor season 2, (and the fast approaching May the Fourth Be With You), here is a new Star Wars (themed at least) beer review for everyone. Who has gotten to watch the first three episodes of Andor released today? (I did, and in the next beer review, I’ll post our YouTube review of it – involving myself, Knights of Nostalgia, and Aglets.)

Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) by Delta Beer Lab

Beer Review

Beer: Admiral (J. Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout)
Brewery: Delta Beer Lab
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Style: American Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged)
ABV: 11.1%

First Impressions

If you’re searching for a bold, barrel-aged imperial stout that delivers on both complexity and craftsmanship, Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) from Delta Beer Lab in Madison, WI, is a must-try. This limited release is making waves in the Midwest craft beer scene, earning an impressive 4.2/5 average rating on Untappd and a 4.42/5 on BeerAdvocate, signaling its strong reputation among stout enthusiasts.

 

Appearance

Admiral pours jet black with a dense, mocha-colored head that lingers and leaves elegant lacing down the glass. The viscosity is immediately apparent, hinting at the richness to come.

 

Aroma

The nose is decadent and layered. Expect waves of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and molasses, intertwined with notes of vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak from the J Henry bourbon barrels. Subtle hints of dried fruit and a whisper of bourbon heat round out the aroma, inviting you in for that first sip.

Admiral by Delta Beer Lab

Flavor

On the palate, Admiral is a masterclass in balance. The bourbon barrel aging imparts smooth vanilla and caramel undertones, seamlessly blending with the stout’s core flavors of bittersweet chocolate, espresso, and dark toffee. There’s a gentle warmth from the 11.1% ABV – enough to remind you of its strength, but never overpowering. The barrel character is pronounced but not dominant, allowing the base stout’s roasty complexity to shine through. As the beer warms, notes of fig, raisin, and a touch of leather emerge, adding depth and intrigue.

 

Mouthfeel

Full-bodied and velvety, Admiral coats the palate with a creamy texture and moderate carbonation. The finish is long and satisfying, with lingering chocolate and a gentle bourbon warmth that invites another sip.

Overall Impressions

Admiral (J Henry Barrel Aged Grand Stout) is a standout example of a barrel-aged imperial stout done right. It’s robust, complex, and dangerously drinkable for its strength. Whether you’re a barrel-aged aficionado or just dipping your toes into the world of imperial stouts, this beer is a testament to Delta Beer Lab’s skill and creativity.

 

Perfect For:

  • Sipping fireside on a chilly Wisconsin night

  • Pairing with rich desserts like flourless chocolate cake or blue cheese

  • Sharing with fellow craft beer lovers looking for something special

Why Seek Out The Admiral?

Delta Beer Lab is known for its innovative, community-focused approach to brewing, and Admiral exemplifies their commitment to quality. If you’re in Madison or exploring Wisconsin’s craft beer scene, this is a barrel-aged stout that deserves a place on your must-try list.

Pro Tip:

If you spot a bottle or tap pour of Admiral, don’t hesitate-this is one of those rare releases that lives up to the hype and will leave you wanting more. For more reviews of standout craft beers in Wisconsin and beyond, follow our blog and discover your next favorite pour.

Ratings

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.21 (out of 250~ ratings) (global average as of 4.22.25)

All of Our Nerd Content

Here’s all of our nerd content, served up best in one single place. Enjoy!

I know ya’ll here for the nerd reviews. So check out our other nerd reviews below:

Star Wars:

Futurama

Lord of the Rings:

Magic the Gathering:

Heroes of Barcadia:

Zelda:

Rick and Morty:

Space Balls:

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Scrooged:

Groundhog Day:

A Christmas Story:

The Peanuts:

Pro Wrestling:

Soccer:

World Cup:

Phillies:

Philadelphia Eagles:

Matrix:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Mario:

HP Lovecraft / Cthulhu:

Seinfeld:

The Muppets:

Other:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of April 2025.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

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Embracing Craft Beer Culture: A Journey of Taste and Tradition https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/02/20/embracing-craft-beer-culture-a-journey-of-taste-and-tradition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=embracing-craft-beer-culture-a-journey-of-taste-and-tradition Tue, 21 Feb 2023 04:44:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12789
America as depicted by beer bottles

Embracing Craft Beer Culture: A Journey of Taste and Tradition

Craft beer culture is more than just a pastime; it’s a way of life that brings people together to celebrate the art and tradition of brewing. Craft beer enthusiasts are not just consumers; they are part of a vibrant community that thrives on exploration, innovation, and camaraderie. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the world of craft beer culture, exploring its history, values, and the experiences it offers to those who are drawn to it.

A Brief History of Craft Beer Culture

Craft beer culture can trace its roots back to the late 20th century when a few passionate individuals challenged the dominance of big breweries by producing small batches of unique, high-quality beer. This movement emphasized creativity, quality, and traditional brewing methods. As craft breweries sprang up across the United States and around the world, a unique subculture emerged. Today, the craft beer community continues to grow, fueled by a shared appreciation for artisanal beer.

Craft Beer

Key Values of Craft Beer Culture’

  1. Independence: Craft beer culture values independence from corporate influence. Craft breweries are typically small, independently owned, and free from the pressures of mass production.
  2. Quality over Quantity: Craft beer enthusiasts prioritize quality and flavor over mass production and low cost. This focus on quality leads to an astonishing diversity of beer styles and flavors.
  3. Innovation: Innovation is at the heart of craft beer culture. Brewers constantly experiment with ingredients, techniques, and styles, pushing the boundaries of what beer can be.
  4. Local Focus: Many craft beer aficionados support their local breweries, fostering a strong connection between the brewery and its community.
  5. Education: Craft beer culture encourages learning and exploration. Enthusiasts often seek to expand their knowledge of beer styles, brewing techniques, and the history of beer.

Experiences Within Craft Beer Culture

  1. Visiting Breweries: One of the most enjoyable aspects of craft beer culture is visiting local breweries. This allows enthusiasts to connect with the brewers, see the brewing process firsthand, and sample fresh, unique beers that can’t be found in stores.
  2. Beer Tastings and Pairings: Tasting events and beer pairings are a great way to explore different styles and discover how beer complements various foods.
  3. Homebrewing: Many craft beer enthusiasts take their passion a step further by trying their hand at homebrewing. This hands-on experience deepens their appreciation for the craft.
  4. Community Engagement: Craft beer culture fosters a sense of community. Beer enthusiasts often join clubs, attend festivals, and participate in charity events, strengthening their bonds with fellow enthusiasts.
  5. Education and Appreciation: Beer appreciation classes, books, and online resources are readily available for those eager to expand their knowledge of craft beer.

Craft Beer is Culture

Craft beer culture is a celebration of craftsmanship, tradition, and camaraderie. It’s a culture that values independence, quality, innovation, and education. For those who embrace it, craft beer is more than just a drink; it’s a gateway to a world of diverse flavors and rich experiences.

As you embark on your craft beer journey, remember that it’s a culture built on inclusivity and a shared love for the art of brewing. Whether you’re enjoying a pint at your local brewery or exploring new flavors in your own home, you’re part of a community that revels in the simple pleasure of a well-crafted beer. So, raise your glass to the craft beer culture and savor every sip of its rich heritage and ever-evolving future.

Beer on display at a Wegman’s

A Series of Craft Beer Articles

This is just one of several in a series of over arching ‘craft beer’ related articles. Several alone in a ‘flagship’ series. In the next few weeks there will be some more that come out as well. I would like to have this general level of different ‘craft beer articles’ that everyone can kind of jump to and read and use for informative purposes, and give a better understanding for the other articles on the site.

Some of these articles are about definitions (like “What is Craft Beer?“) and others are about Craft Breweries in general like the Top 50 Producing Craft Breweries, etc.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

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Beer Review: The Soft Glow of Electric Sex (RAR Brewing) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/12/24/beer-review-the-soft-glow-of-electric-sex-rar-brewing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-the-soft-glow-of-electric-sex-rar-brewing Thu, 24 Dec 2020 23:17:41 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=6614 It is Christmas Eve and there is no greater tradition on Christmas Eve than TBS airing A Christmas Story nonstop for the next 24 hours straight. TBS started this back in the fertile Nile Delta River Valley around 3996 B.C. and they have continued it every year since, all the way up to – and including – 2020. Not even a global pandemic could stop them from airing it for a continuous 6016 years. Thank God!

This one comes flying in right into the “IP” (Intellectual Property) theft debates I’ve been having with a lot of friends, from both in and out of the industry, on my personal Facebook page. Hershey’s recently sued a brewery over their marketing of Jolly Ranchers used in a beer they made. Their lawsuit was for 8,500$, which was the amount the brewery made on the beer made and sold. IP Theft has been a big issue I’ve been thinking about a lot lately with the craft beer industry, and is something I’d like to do an article on, and the Hershey’s lawsuit has given a lot of ammunition to the idea of the article (perfect timing in a way…. well… not perfect if you are the brewery in question I suppose). This is an interesting topic, and I think there’s a lot of merit to both sides. Look at this beer in question – the quote is a direct quote from the movie, and the can / bottle logo for the beer and packaging for it is spot on too, so do you consider that IP Theft? RAR Brewing is no stranger to using pop culture, nerd culture, mainstream, etc, for their beers. Look at their lineups of the “Out of Order” series. One of which I reviewed – Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing). Or take a look at another one I reviewed from RAR Brewing, Jon Voight’s Car. This one has an exact replica of George Castanza on the can label, as well as having the car in question in the background. You can see that review here – Beer Review: Jon Voight’s Car (RAR Brewing).

Here is the can and bottle label for “The Soft Glow of Electric Sex”:

The Soft Glow of Electric Sex

It has the “fragile” box in the background, the lamp itself, and of course the iconic quote from the movie (which is the beer title). Where do you all stand on this – does this look like IP Theft to you? Is this fair ground? Is it just a cool and fun little cultural nod? A way to sell beers? I’d love to hear from all of you and your thoughts on this.

 

Like I said, I love diving into pop culture named and themed beers here for the blog. I have done – a TON – of them. (As with most of the pop culture beer reviews, I’ve included a section at the end of the review listing all of the other ones for you to easily find them, as well as tagged it so you can search through the blog itself easier for them). I’ve done beers from The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Space Balls, etc. Josh has also done a few, with one recently being a play on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co), and there is no shortage of beers out there to review. My most recent beer review (before this beer of course) was “This is the Whey” by Bolero Snort, a play on “This is the Way” which is a catchphrase from The Mandalorian. (Which, I also did a This is the Way beer review, by Broken Goblet). You can see those here: “Beer Review: This is the Whey (Bolero Snort)” and “Beer Review: This is the Way (Broken Goblet)“.

I have been wanting to get out a lot more articles than I have recently, and I apologize for that, life has taken a bit of a crazy turn in recent days. I figured with the local (Pennsylvania Mandates and Shutdown) that we had starting on December 12th and lasting until January 4th, I would be able to get out a lot of beer reviews, and other articles, and I wanted to do a lot of local ones. But sadly, my life has gone ‘full crazy’ right before the Christmas season. So I sadly haven’t gotten as much written as I have had wanted to do. I have gone through a bout of several health related things, some familial things, dealing with my own second unemployment of the year, and fighting with unemployment itself, as well as a host of other things. (Firstly, let me just say, I would never wish insomnia on the worst of my enemies, that is honestly one of the worst things in the world, and its not nearly as “productive” as you might think, writing with insomnia is no where near as easy as you would imagine.) I haven’t even gotten much reading done, something I figured with a snowstorm, snowy and cold weather, as well as lockdown, that I would, but sadly, I haven’t. I’ve found my hours becoming less and less productive and more and more just me staring at walls, more and more of me just trying to figure out whats going on, and working to get past a lot of blocks in the road. Hopefully this writing and getting this beer review out will help with that. Fingers crossed anyway. Tomorrow is Christmas afterall, and we all need to be in the festive spirit, even if I am quarantining and unable to see my family and being all alone for Christmas, I am keeping my head up high, and will be wishing all of you out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays.

Ok, so lets move on. Lets get past that crap, and get to why we’re here. A beer review about a beer named after a holiday staple and a holiday tradition. My daughters have grown up with A Christmas Story playing on loop in the background of our Christmas’s in the house starting on Christmas Eve when it first airs. Its how I’ve fallen asleep every Christmas since I was probably 16 or 18, whenever TBS first (legitimately) did start airing it.

There is so many classic scenes, many of which remind me of my own childhood. I think I learned most of the words I now use as an adult from listening to my dad assemble various Christmas gifts (one of which was a basketball hoop we got for Christmas one year, that the instructions said could be done with the simple tools around the house; apparently my dad didn’t have a dowel rod, and he made sure to write to Huffy and explain to them in three page – five hundred or so word essay – how a dowel rod was not a common thing around the household; …they promptly shipped him a dowel rod and a 5$ coupon). I think this is why A Christmas Story stands the test of time for so many people. Its an agglomeration of stories, of all the ways Christmas can get screwed up, that it fills us with our own memories, like nostalgia. We remember the Christmas’s where things went helter skelter. I recall the time my Grandparents had a Christmas tree with worms and we could hear them eating the tree. Or my parents “Christmas Bush”. Its much like Christmas Vacation and Home Alone. The mistakes, the missteps, the crazy, is why we love it; because it reminds us of the various Christmas’s where things went off the rails in our own lives. I have often thought about this with my own daughters. The trips we have taken where things didn’t go as planned, have become more memorable than the ones where they went perfectly planned. Like our trip this year to Monocacy where I got sick and we ended up making it a two day trip, rather than a four hour trip.

But lets move on, and get to the beer review shall we? Enough about A Christmas Story, and enough about my own crazy Christmas’s in my past. Lets review some beer!

HO HO HO
The Soft Glow of Electric Sex by RAR Brewing

Beer: The Soft Glow of Electric Sex
Brewery: RAR Brewing
Style: IPA – American
ABV: 7.6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with Mangos, Lactose, Citra, Amarillo, Ella, and Columbus. Tons of citrus and ripe mango juice flavors.

 

HO HO HO

Appearance is a bright glowing orange. This is probably much closer to a New England IPA, but when first created for Untappd they didn’t really have the New England designation for their IPAs on there, otherwise I’d imagine this would fit it. This is hazy, its orange juice in appearance, has a nice foam head, and well carbonated with nice lacing on the glass as well.

HO…. HO…. HO…..

Aroma is very heavy … very… very heavy mango. I love it. One of the few fruit flavors I really love, and its mango, and it works so well in IPAs (especially New England IPAs), that this is just wonderful. Theres a hint of peach to round it out, but its so much mango and so much upfront it just smells amazing.

Schwartz: Hey, smart ass. I asked my old man about sticking your tongue to a flagpole in the winter, and he says that it’ll freeze right to the pole, just like I told ya.

This is delicious. Maybe for some it might be too much mango, I don’t know, but I love it. Its so heavy mango flavored, but that fits most New England IPAs, and I love it. Very heavy citrus, some lactose, some creamy smoothness to it, a nice slick mouthfeel, but the hops shine through wonderfully here. Citra, Amarillo, Columbus, and Ella hops are used, and they are all lead towards that juicy mango flavor, with some peach, some stone fruit, some zest and citrus, but at the end of the day its all mango flavor all the time. I think the peach rounds it out a fair bit, but overall its very subtle, like a hidden note you can only find after unlocking all the mango flavor. Its a well rounded New England IPA too, it has a little hop bite to it, but nothing substantial, nothing too acidic, nothing cloying, nothing poor or off putting with this. No off flavors. No bad aftertaste, etc. This was the very first RAR Brewing beer I had, and I traded for it back in January 2018. When I first started to get into doing some trading for beers or buying and having people mule beers. I had gotten this and I had gotten the Jon Voight’s Car beer. Fell in love with both, and I’ve enjoyed RAR Brewing ever since pretty much, though I think their Out of Order series has been taken over and changed a bit too much over recent years, and I think they lean a bit too much on the gimmicks for that series (they just released a whole slew of Home Alone themed Out of Order beers, with the can art and the beers being slightly different in each, some representing Kevin, Marv, The Wet Bandits, Pesci, and the Shovel Slayer), but ultimately I think RAR Brewing still makes some fine good beers and they aren’t lacking in quality. The internet can be a bit harsher on them with respects to their Out of Order series, but thats also the internet for you, and who reads the internet anyway…….. (…oh….). But anyway, back to this beer, it is a bold, bright, beautiful, tasty Mango flavor bomb, and a wonderful New England IPA. Its juicy, its tasty, slight hop bitterness, but full on hop flavor, no off flavors, nothing cloying, nice mouth feel, no aftertaste, this is just a fine well made beer, with a cool logo and name, and definitely an eye catcher. And perfect for Christmas Eve and watching A Christmas Story on loop for 24 hours!

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.01 (as of 12.24.20)

 

Thinking about how this was one of the first beers I traded for, makes me think back to the early days of trading for me, when I first started getting into that. When I was at Breski’s Beverages just last week preparing for the big snow blizzard we got, I saw Zombie Dust and Alpha Space Station from 3 Floyd’s on the shelf for 3.50$ each, and I remember trading and buying that from people in a Facebook beer group who muled it back. Crazy to seeing it being a “shelfie” now. Just like seeing JREAMS making it up into the Central PA midstate area and in places like The Fridge, Breski’s, etc for their crowler machines. Definitely not complaining about that! That’s for sure!

 

Well thank you all for reading this, and thanks for checking out another Pop Culture beer and “IP Theft” potential beer. I could almost make that its own category now on the blog. Like I said at the top, would love to hear everyone’s thoughts and opinions on that, and what they think is acceptable or not. Just in general, I always love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave comments, questions, etc, either here on the blog, or on our social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. We recently hit 1K followers and likes on Facebook which is a pretty big deal and I love how its bringing all kinds of people together.

Also, AJ Brechbiel is likely to be writing some new posts for the blog again, so be sure to check out his stuff when he releases it. I’m eagerly looking forward to that.

Another note I wanna make, there is another beer that was released with the same title as this. “The Soft Electric Glow of Sex” by Turning Point Beer, which is a brewery from Texas, and I have done a beer review from them before (from a beer trade); that beer was: Beer Review: $#!+ Ton (Turning Point Beer) as well as a beer review of one they were collaborated with – Beer Review: Virtually Inseparable (Celestial Beerworks and Turning Point Beer). But anyway, they did the exact same name as this beer, but made it a stout, and with a very similar logo too:

Turning Point Beer – The Electric Glow of Sex (photo courtesy of Untappd)

Their beer is a 15.6% Stout. I would love to get my hands on it and try it out for a future beer review as well (…well… and just because I like to drink stouts, and because the beer sounds good).

If I wanted to be really proper with this beer, I should have went out and gotten the “leg lamp” beer glass to drink it in:

The Leg Lamp Beer Glass

Maybe if I get that stout, I’ll make myself buy this glass to review it in. Who knows. I wanted to get a Festivus beer for yesterday (Dec. 23rd, 2020; Festivus), but sadly, wasn’t able to get one in time to do a review here on the blog for it. Next year!

That Star is Crooked….

Thank you everyone for reading. And I am hoping to get a lot more reviews and articles out from here to the end of the year. I feel like I have about a thousand beer reviews to do, and no time to do them, despite being stuck at home on quarantine. I have so many things I need to do from now until December 31st, 11:59:59, and not sure if I’ll get it all done. The pressure and the anxiety is mounting up, but the stuff’s not getting done. Fingers crossed it will. Thank you all for putting up with it, and for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the beer review! Cheers! As someone who just took a COVID test today, please stay safe out there, mask up, wash your hands, and take care of each other and your local breweries, they need it! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone! Happy Festivus!

-B. Kline

FRA-GEE-LAY
It’s a Major Award!
The Soft Glow of Electric Sex

 

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The various pop culture / nerd culture beer reviews we’ve done here on The Beer Thrillers:

Star Wars:

Space Balls:

Game of Thrones:

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Scrooged:

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Other:

 

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Dallas Brewery Creates “Eagle Tears” in Response to “Dallas Sucks” Ale https://thebeerthrillers.com/2019/08/18/dallas-brewery-creates-eagle-tears-in-response-to-dallas-sucks-ale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dallas-brewery-creates-eagle-tears-in-response-to-dallas-sucks-ale Sun, 18 Aug 2019 12:52:53 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15813 Dallas Brewery Creates “Eagle Tears” in Response to “Dallas Sucks” Ale

The fierce rivalry between Dallas and Philadelphia isn’t just confined to the football field anymore. It has spilled over into the craft beer scene, with breweries from both cities taking playful jabs at one another. This time, it’s Dallas’ Noble Rey Brewing Co. striking back with a beer they’ve named “Eagle Tears,” a direct response to Weyerbacher Brewing’s “Dallas Sucks” ale from Easton, Pennsylvania.

Eagles Tears by Noble Rey Brewing Company

A Tale of Two Beers

Weyerbacher Brewing lit the fuse in this rivalry with the release of “Dallas Sucks,” a light, approachable pale ale clocking in at 4.5% ABV. Perfect for a morning tailgate, it’s a brew designed to poke fun at Dallas fans while being easy to drink for Eagles supporters gearing up for game day.

Noble Rey Brewing didn’t take the jab lightly. Just a month after “Dallas Sucks” hit the shelves, they announced “Eagle Tears” on their Facebook page, boldly claiming, “When we heard some guys from PA made a beer called ‘Dallas Sucks,’ we did what we do best…make a better beer w/ a better name, & a WAY BETTER DESIGN!!!” While the all-caps enthusiasm raised some eyebrows, the sentiment landed: Dallas fans now have a comeback of their own.

What’s in a Name?

“Eagle Tears” might not win awards for originality in comeback strategy, but it’s undeniably clever in execution. The beer’s name, branding, and design lean heavily into the playful rivalry. The label features a sorrowful eagle shedding a tear—a not-so-subtle nod to Eagles fans after a tough loss to the Cowboys. But what about the beer itself?

Noble Rey describes “Eagle Tears” as a bold, hoppy creation—a hazy IPA with juicy citrus notes and a bitter finish. At 6.5% ABV, it’s a step up from “Dallas Sucks” in strength and complexity, giving Cowboys fans bragging rights in the beer department.

Brewing Rivalry: All in Good Fun

Dallas Sucks by Weyerbacher Brewing Company (photo courtesy of Weyerbacher)

Joshua Lampe, Chief Operating Officer of Weyerbacher Brewing, said the idea for “Dallas Sucks” came from a tailgate session where a friend sported a shirt bearing the same slogan. “We decided to put a beer together and call it Dallas Sucks, because, honestly, they do,” Lampe joked. The beer’s lighter ABV was intentional, catering to tailgaters who want to enjoy a few brews before kickoff without overdoing it.

When Lampe heard about “Eagle Tears,” his reaction was laughter. “The ribbing and one-upmanship makes a sports rivalry fun,” he said. “If you can’t take a joke, you shouldn’t be in the beer business.”

Brewing Buzz Beyond the Game

This friendly feud is more than just a playful spat. It’s a testament to how craft beer culture intersects with regional pride and sports fandom. “Eagle Tears” and “Dallas Sucks” aren’t just beers—they’re part of the larger conversation about how local breweries can creatively engage with their communities.

But Noble Rey’s naming choice did stir up some unintended associations. A quick Google search reveals that “Eagle Tears” is also the name of a firearms lubricant company. While the beer and the product are unrelated, the shared name adds a humorous twist to the saga.

The Case for a Beer Showdown

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this rivalry, it’s that sports fans love a good beer-fueled competition. So, why not take it a step further? A Flipadelphia-style tournament featuring “Dallas Sucks” and “Eagle Tears” would be the ultimate way to decide which city brews the best trash-talking beer. Fans from both sides could toast to the playful banter while celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship of their local breweries.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, “Eagle Tears” and “Dallas Sucks” are more than just beers—they’re a celebration of regional pride, community, and the camaraderie that craft beer fosters. Whether you’re an Eagles fan, a Cowboys die-hard, or just someone who loves a clever beer name, this brewing rivalry offers plenty to cheer about.

So, what’s your pick for game day? A refreshing sip of “Dallas Sucks” or a bold pour of “Eagle Tears”? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to stay tuned to The Beer Thrillers for more craft beer news and reviews!

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