Ed from Boston brought us beers from Night Shift Brewing’s 2014 Barrel Society, and we all review five of them with the “assistance” of Dennis. This solid lineup from the Massachusetts brewery includes many brettanomyces-enhanced sours and barrel-aged goodies. In addition, Dennis provides his expertise on dog food and how the food industry uses specific descriptors to trick you. We try and diagnose what’s wrong with Ryan. There’s a debate over forest floor or forest flora or forced floor. And Craig reads from the bottle and watches the Blackhawks. We somehow manage to talk beers amongst a mixed bag of distractions that also includes mousy taints, Garfield, “Hanging Yoga”, Cool Water by Davidoff, horses, and David Schwimmer. Someone please hire Dennis.

Ed and Craig

1. Pluto (Sour ale aged with raspberries and brettanomyces)

2. Nebula (Berlinner Weisse aged with brettanomyces and prickly pears)

3. Quasar (Barrel-aged ale with brettanomyces and passion fruit)

4. Orion (Sour dark ale aged in oak barrels)

5. Big Dipper (Rye wine aged in Nicaraguan rum barrels)

Ryan and Dennis

1. Pluto (Sour ale aged with raspberries and brettanomyces)

2. Orion (Sour dark ale aged in oak barrels)

3. Nebula (Berlinner Weisse aged with brettanomyces and prickly pears)

4. Quasar (Barrel-aged ale with brettanomyces and passion fruit)

5. Big Dipper (Rye wine aged in Nicaraguan rum barrels)