The second episode of Matt Likes Beer for 2026 dives into one of the most talked-about craft beers of the past few years: PB&J Mixtape, the peanut butter and jelly sour from XUL Beer Company in Knoxville, Tennessee. Frequently spotted on shelves nationwide and featured prominently at Halloween Horror Nights, this beer has developed a near-cult following—and Matt finally gives it the full BJCP-style evaluation it’s been begging for.
Matt shares his long history with PB&J Mixtape, from first discovering it through Tavour during its early limited releases to watching it go viral after expanded production in 2023–2025. Along the way, he explains how the beer transitioned from rare brewery-only release to nationwide phenomenon, why demand exploded, and how XUL scaled production without sacrificing quality.
The review itself breaks format in an interesting way. Matt judges the beer as a BJCP 29B Fruit and Spice Beer with a Straight Sour base, evaluating how well the peanut butter, grape jelly, and sour components balance against each other. While the beer delivers exactly what it promises—liquid peanut butter and jelly—it earns a 36 out of 50 (Very Good) on technical judging, mainly due to balance and mouthfeel considerations. On pure enjoyment, however, Matt makes it clear: this beer is an absolute blast to drink.
With no one-star reviews to read (a rarity), the episode evolves into a deeper conversation about gluten-free, seltzer-based sours, whether they should be judged alongside traditional beers, and what their rise says about the current—and future—state of craft beer. Matt closes with a candid reflection on declining craft beer sales, changing consumer tastes, and why beers like PB&J Mixtape may be exactly what keeps people engaged with fermented beverages in the years ahead.
This episode is equal parts beer review, industry commentary, and passionate defense of fun, creative brewing.
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