Well, in the aftermath of Thanksgiving turkey I realized I did not imbibe nearly as much as I'd planned. I brought three really good beers along with me and only had one. They were Avery "Ale to the Chief" (which I had), as well as The Bruery's "Trade Winds" and also an Alaskan Baltic Porter. The "Chief" was solid as always -acceptably hoppy with a matching malt backbone for balance. Could be hoppier, but I'm really not nitpicking. It's still good.
However, on a more positive note, I did score a HUGE find at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido. They had one bottle shy of a case of Stone 10th left in their stock! It is now no more. Likely there are very few if any other places you can still get any of this stuff.
Stone 10th Anniversary ranks near the top of my list of "Best beers I've tasted. Ever." And for good reason. The 10th is one of those very few DIPA/Imperials that actually bend the rules and get better with time. It's now essentially metamorphosed into a fine Barleywine! I have always questioned whether the 10th was an Imperial or a Barleywine since it's initial relaese. But now I suspect that the brewer may have intentionally crafted this beer this way.
There's a large number of people out there who have lost respect for this beer, and I think partly because of the general rule where "hoppy beer is meant to be consumed FRESH!" Certainly this is the case with Pliny the Elder and many others. A hoppy beer more than 6-8 months old is quickly heading down the path to no longer being any good. But this is just not the case with the Stone 10th. On the surface, it's essentially gone from "hop bomb" to "malt bomb", and for some people that may be a good thing or bad. On the surface. But upon pouring a glass today you immerse yourself into a brave new world where this beer has truly found a second lease on life as an entirely new and different beer. And it's all good!
Also got a nice supply of both Hop Juice and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout some of which will be heading north shortly. Oh and I grabbed a Full Sail "21" while I was at it. The 21 is just a really great example of what a Doppelbock should be. I gotta have one every once in a while, and the holidays couldn't be a better time.
Speaking of holidays, this is one of my most favorite times of the year. A time for giving and sharing. And my favorite thing to do is share good beer with good friends. And this year will be as good as any. I'm looking forward to a great December and new year!
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