Beats, Beards & Brews

It's that time of year again, where Eric, Evan and Dan each pick an album that has not yet been reviewed on the podcast that they thoroughly enjoyed. Evan and Dan both pick the same album, Pet Symmetry - Vision, which Eric likes better than Into It. Over It. Even if the emo revival is something that should not exist. Dan ends up selecting Dan Auerbach's Waiting on a Song instead. Evan and Eric agree that it's an inoffensive music record—with some hooks! Eric goes with The Night Flight Orchestra's latest release, Amber Galactic, for his pick. Evan is blown away by the Swede's take on the late '70s/early '80s AOR era of music. Dan and Eric then move on to review (or at least give their initial impressions on) something ... completely different. Thanks to Amazon Prime next-day delivery they each receive a shipment of Bossman's Jelly Beard Oil in Gold and Magic scents. Listen in to hear the bearded duo's thoughts on the product (no spoilers!). We know what you're thinking. We're all the way to the beer portion an

Eric, Evan and Dan are back for Episode 40 of Beats, Beards & Brews, in which they review the latest album, Wrong One to Fuck With, from underground death metal darlings Dying Fetus. Naturally, several f-bombs are dropped in this episode. Dan and Eric then ponder the evolutionary and health-related benefits of having a beard, including its ability to protect from sickness, allergens and the elements. They may be full of shit, but damn if they don't make a compelling argument. The three friends also talk about Rogue Beard Beer, a beer brewed with beard yeast, and go on to review Dankbot, an IPA from Insight Brewing in Minneapolis.    

The gang is back for another round of reviewing things, including the second album, Witness, from blues/rock/soul artist Benjamin Booker. It may just be the least offensive album of 2017, perfect for some summertime group listening. Eric and Dan go to a beard competition (again) and they fail to win (again). The bearded duo describe their wet experience at Beard-A-Whirl 2017 in Minneapolis. They also share some valuable takeaways for those who choose to compete. Dan also sent Eric and Evan home with some Bent Paddle Brewing Co. bombers of Botanical Blonde (ale with spices added) for review this episode. Based out of Duluth, Minnesota, Bent Paddle Brewing Co. specializes in lighter, yet flavorful, brews. Botanical Blonde attempts to capture the flavors found in Vikre Distillery's Spruce Tip Gin and it definitely captures the gin experience.

Welcome to Beats, Beards & Brews 2.0. We've got a new logo, thanks to Aaron Shekey out of Minneapolis, and have updated our look on the main Libsyn page and across social media (Twitter and Instagram). Follow along at @bbbpod. On Episode 38 of the podcast, the gang FINALLY GETS A FUNCTIONAL CODE for 30% off your order at BurtonsBeardOil.com. Just head on over to the website, select your products and type in BBBPOD at checkout (not case sensitive). Listen to the beard portion of the podcast for our honest take on some additional Burton's Beard Oil products and recommendations on what to try. Also in this episode: Eric, Evan and Dan spend more time than three grown (mostly) bearded men probably should talking about the latest Paramore album After Laughter, which features a new "tropical pop" sound. Dan fangirls over Hayley Williams. Everyone drinks Des Moines IPA from Confluence Brewing Co. (another hometown brewery and Evan's go-to keg beer) and praises El Bait Shop.  

Eric, Evan and Dan are back once more, to review Night Demon's latest NWOBHM throwback album, and second full-length release, "Darkness Remains." Evan gets lost in the heavy metal nostalgia, while Dan isn't as easily impressed. Dan and Eric then give their take on an innovative, and slightly perplexing, new product called the Beard Balm Brush (aka #spongebowser). It's more balm than brush and it definitely smells good, at least the bearded duo can agree on that. Finally, everyone reviews a lemony-fresh, sour brew straight outta Evan's hood (Des Moines, Iowa). While the Beatnik Sour from Exile Brewing Co. makes for a good entry-level sour beer, it's not necessarily as tasty after mowing the lawn.

Body Count's in the house! As promised, Eric, Evan and Dan review the latest release from Ice-T's metal outfit, Body Count. Bloodlust is the band's heaviest offering to date, though at times Ice-T goes a little too off the rails (just like this podcast), and the hip-hop legend inspires a grammatical debate on the correctness of the term "bustin' a nut" and Dan then attempts to start an Internet rumor involving The Wallflowers' '90s hit single, "One Headlight." For the beard portion of the podcast, Dan and Eric review three scents from Black Tie Beard Oil -- Royale Black, Autumn Night and Polar Ice -- and use an odd jean-based rating system to do so. Evan and Eric then give their review of Hog Heaven Imperial Red IPA from Avery Brewing Co. and Dan drinks an IPA. Keep your eyes out for the upcoming Buzzfeed article, "10 Facts You Didn't Know About Jakob Dylan" and let the #oneheadlight rumors begin. #onenutlistener

On Episode #35 of Beats, Beards & Brews the gang checks out Mastodon's latest release Emperor of Sand, which serves as a perfect gateway metal album. It's really catchy too and worth a listen for fans of all types of music, even if its concept in no way relates to Disney's underrated The Return of Jafar. Dan and Eric then give their take on an oil/balm sample they ordered from Burton's Beard Oil that included Business Blend oil and Tobacco balm. Does size matter when ordering a beard sample pack? Tune in to find the answer. In the true spirit of the early days of Beats, Beards & Brews, everyone grabs a different beer from Left Hand Brewing Co. because Eric was a little quick on the draw when picking up Saison au Miel, the new spring seasonal release. Evan reviews Left Hand's Extrovert IPA and Dan goes with the Introvert IPA. Dan finds out that not all Left Hand Brewing beers need to be poured hard. The three friends proceed to have an insightful discussion on session ales for craft beer enthusiasts an

What's that smell? The patchouli-infused fragrance of hipster BS is in the air during Episode #34 of Beats, Beards & Brews as the dudes review The Shins' fifth and latest release Heartworms. Prepare your ears to be indie rocked. Dan and Eric test out some beard oils from Skully's out of Victorville, California, a relative newcomer to the beard oil scene. A review is given to Skully's Peacemaker blend of bergamot and lime with a hint of vanilla, but other scents are referenced, as the order of the oil also included a free sampler pack of eight flavors. Evan delivers some background on Kona Brewing Company and everyone struggles to pronounce Hanalei (Hahn-ah-lay), as in Han Solo, not Hannah. The dumbest part of this debate is that Eric pronounces it correctly in the intro. So really there should have been no debate, but everyone's feeling surly! Long story short, the gang gets transported to POG flavortown as they drink several Hanalei Island IPAs, which we assume tastes a lot like guava if anyone actually

In Episode #33 of Beats, Beards & Brews, the gang finds Jesus ... Even More Jesus Imperial Stout that is, the highest abv beer drank on the podcast so far, clocking in at a solid 12% abv. Things start off pretty normal with a review of Minus the Bear's latest album VOIDS, which brings Evan back to his college days. No one is overly impressed by the band's sixth studio album, but Eric is glad it's not your typical indie BS. Next up, Dan and Eric go in-depth answering the question "What makes for a good beard oil?" and give a breakdown of everything they look for when rating a beard oil for the podcast. Thank God (or Jesus) that Eric made a list for this discussion as the imperial stout starts to kick in about this time, but everyone sort of keeps their composure. Finally, Evan, Eric and Dan get to the main event ... and things quickly go off the rails in the beer portion of the podcast as Evan shares his expert knowledge on Evil Twin Brewing gleaned from a documentary on the Brooklyn-based "brewery" that h

In Episode #32 of Beats, Beards & Brews, the gang dives into the latest release from Lupe Fiasco, DROGAS Light, which might be a mash-up of three albums, one of which (we think) carries an alien/stripper/space concept. Eric then shares his latest (and greatest) pocket beard comb/pick find, the Beard Pick No. 1 from Bisson Combs out of Toronto, which produces some quality stainless steel products with an array of price points and finishes. This leads to a heated debate on pocket functionality and proper wallet placement. Front-right pocket or back pocket for the wallet? You decide. Send us a tweet at @BBBPod if you feel strongly on this very important issue. Use #frontpocketwallet or #backpocketwallet to weigh in. Finally, Evan, Dan and Eric rate the first entry in the Hop Disciples IPA project from Great Divide Brewing Company, which features Idaho 7 hops, known for its unique black tea flavor. See, you can actually learn a thing or two about beer on our podcast! Post-Show Notes: Dan briefly mentions the

In a strange twist of fate (i.e. Dan was feeling ill on a Wednesday) we switched our recording day for Episode #31 of Beats, Beards & Brews to Thirsty Thursday. Long story short, Evan could not withstand the temptation of the Nitro Blonde Fatale (8.5% abv) from Peace Tree Brewing Co. out of Knoxville, Iowa, and proceeded to quench his thirst with more beer after that, so needless to say, he is riding a nice buzz on this pod. Once Eric and Dan are done calling Evan out, the three amigos put on their crossover thrash pants and review Iron Reagan's Crossover Ministry. The gang naturally focuses its attention on an outlier track ("Fuck the Neighbors") and discusses how Iron Reagan would actually be terrible neighbors. Drunk Evan then ponders a battle between a jelly bean fueled (?) Iron Ronald Reagan and Iron Man. It's still up for debate who would win that battle. Eric plays moderator and gets Dan away from Evan's shenanigans and the bearded duo gives its take on two beard oil scents (Rip Van Winkle and Cas

We tend to pick albums at least one of us wants to review on Beats, Beards & Brews, but on Episode #30 we decided to go rogue with Foxygen's new album Hang. And man, it was a terrible mistake. Evan might disagree. Don't be like Evan. For the beard portion of the podcast, Dan and Eric give their take on The Grandpa Soap Co.'s Pine Tar Wonder Soap and even come up with some brilliant marketing slogans for the company to use. Seriously guys, get in touch. They also talk about beard washing strategies, responsible palm oil sourcing and orangutans (in space!). And finally on Episode No. 30, the gang steps up its game and gives a decent beer review for a change while drinking Sixpoint Brewery's Global Warmer. Post-Show Notes: Turns out orangutans were not used in the U.S. space program (or in the space programs of other countries). However, there were apparently more than just chimps sent into space, according to this Wikipedia entry. Dr. Zaius was the orangutan scientist in Planet of the Apes referenced in the

In the first Beats, Beards & Brews recording of 2017, the boys are back on their respective mics with a new format that involves actually following the name of the podcast—album review, beard product, then beer review. Evan, Eric and Dan kick off the episode (after the usual intro banter) with a review of hip-hop superstar duo Run the Jewel's latest album Run the Jewels 3. Dan and Eric then award their highest ranking for a beard oil yet to Percy Nobleman's Premium Beard Oil, proving that the Brits do beard oil best—for now! Finally Eric and Evan give their take on two entries in New Belgium's Voodoo Ranger series (Voodoo Ranger IPA and 8 Hop Pale Ale), while Dan accidentally grabs New Belgium Glutiny, a gluten-reduced/removed beverage.

2016 may have sucked, but this year-end episode of Beats, Beards & Brews is all right. Dan and Eric kick things off with a review of the Howling Rain and Black Knight beard oils from Black Rebel Beard Co. out of El Paso. Evan, Eric and Dan then list off their top three albums (plus some extras) that they listened to in 2016 and that may or may not have been reviewed on the podcast. They also put together a super random Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/123699728/playlist/5LaPnTQLdYZYKslpMlVw69 Finally, the three brothers from three very different mothers (and fathers), give a toast to their new Russian overlords who may or may not take over the U.S. in 2017 (За твоё здоровье!) and partake in the drinking of Old Rasputin Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing Co. out of Fort Bragg, California. Evan somehow proves to have the most knowledge about Rasputin due to having watched the 1997 animated film Anastasia. But you should probably look to Wikipedia over the skewed cartoon dramatization of

In the funkiest episode of Beats, Beards & Brews to date, Eric and Dan review The Simple Kit from Detroit Grooming Co., which includes four of their signature oils and some "moustache" wax. These oils definitely bring the funk. The gang gets off track and talks about Mamba Fruit Chews (the No. 1 fruit candy at @BBBPod HQ). Evan, Dan and Eric then give an in-depth analysis of the latest Childish Gambino album Awaken, My Love!, a groovin' departure from pop culture icon Donald Glover's previous rap full-lengths. Dan shares fun facts about Danny Glover. Everyone then kind of reviews Exile Brewing Company's Sir Moch-A-Lot Mocha Stout between more talk of all things Danny Glover. Sex Predator (the all-Predator funk band) is born.

Unleash the Doberhounds! Eric, Evan and Dan get in the holiday spirit with the second ever "live recording" of Beats, Beards & Brews that includes two very special guests. Dan and Eric review Artisan Coffee and Spiced Citrus beard oils from Arthur J Hawke (based out of Winchester, not London, oops!). They then proceed to get into a heated discussion about whether Metallica's new album Hardwired ... to Self Destruct is a return to form for the biggest band in hard rock/metal or just way too long for its own good. Dan hates on Kirk Hammett. The whole crew gives their take on Breckenridge Brewery's Nitro Orange Chocolate Stout (a seasonal entry in its Nitro Series), which proves to be quite divisive--much like the notorious Christmas treat. However, the main event is Orange Scorpion (ale with trinidad scorpion chilies added) from C.I.B. Brewery out of Carson, Iowa. Evan, Dan and Eric give their most technical beer review yet, breaking down the all important "butt feel" of the semi-spicy brew and determining

It's November, aka No Shave November or Movember among the bearded and non-bearded alike, in which many men embark on a beard growing journey. The month is synonymous with growing facial hair to raise awareness of men's health issues and also encourages donations to charities that fight against them. Beats, Beards & Brews shares its thoughts on Movember and Dan and Eric discuss how much money it would take to shave their epic beards, for charity or profit. Would Eric shave his 2+ years of growth for $5,000? Listen to find out! We do mention a specific Movember team, which may still be open for donations. Follow this link to donate to the team Dan mentions: http://mobro.co/sdawes0414 or consider donating to a charity that is important to you. Otherwise, grow a beard to show your support of men's health! Eric, Evan and Dan also review Jimmy Eat World's latest album Integrity Blues and all agree that you're probably going to like it if you have any nostalgia for JEW. The gang also makes a huge mess drinking

Eric and Dan test out Marlowe No. 143 Men's Beard Oil (carried at a Target store near you), arguably the most affordable beard oil they've run into so far. The Beats, Beards & Brews crew then switches gears to review Meshuggah's latest offering The Violent Sleep of Reason, which brings the heavy. There's no doubt Evan's controversial review will come back to haunt him for many pods to come. The boys then bid farewell to Surly Brewing Co.'s Todd Haug with their take on Todd the Axe Man, a collaboration IPA with Amager Brewery in Denmark. Post-Show Notes: Todd Haug moves on to Three Floyds Brewing in Munster, Indiana. Surly Brewing Co. may actually be selling out ... to MillerCoors? Oh wait, no it's not.

Dan enters the dangerous underbelly of the DIY beard balm black market, aka he bought some beeswax, shea butter and essential oils on the Internet and is throwing down some mad buttery balm for Eric and himself to test out. The full crew then goes on to review Opeth's latest album Sorceress, which sees the band continuing to stray from its death metal roots into full-on prog-rock and jazz territory—with mixed results. After diving a little too deep into progressive waters, the gang dials it back for a coffee craft beer throwdown with Eric giving his take on the limited edition Founders Pale Joe (pale ale brewed with coffee), brewed for ArtPrize 2016. Meanwhile Dan sips on the iconic Founders Breakfast Stout (think chocolate and coffee) and gives the Founders Breakfast Stout baby his own backstory. Finally, Evan rates Wake Up Iowa Stout from Backpocket Brewing. The three pals continue to get creative with their rating system (women's T-shirts?) and engage in some wholesome "locker room talk" throughout the pod

Beats, Beards & Brews returns after an "end of summer" hiatus. Dan and Eric review two new products from Mad Viking Beard Co. in the form of The Hollow and The Orchard beard oils, which are the latest blends from the company, smelling of fresh cut wood and green apples, respectively. Evan, Dan and Eric then proceed to dissect Butch Walker's latest album, Stay Gold, a slice of ultra-clean, slickly produced Americana. And finally, the gang gives their take on Hop Nosh IPA from Uinta Brewing. Chicken Nugget Wednesdays is born. #nuggetwednesday #nuggetsnstrips