Too often things that are  readily available are taken for granted.  The luxuries that we have at our fingertips are often assumed to be commonplace.  We scramble like manic insects to reap our bread, milk, and eggs when snow arrives,  Will the ability to generate french toast sustain us through the aggressive elements?  We panic and flail when our internet service goes down. Would our inability to update Facebook  cause us to abandon our keyboard and mouse and seek comfort in a good book?  We gnash violently when we must wait an extra three minutes for our coffee to be brewed.  Would breathing slowly and enjoying our lives in the moment be so calamitous?

I present these exaggerated question and answer scenarios as a preview to another comparison.  That comparison involves the under appreciation of the beers that are in our backyards as opposed to the whale that involves begging, borrowing, and sacrificing to obtain.

A friend and I recently had an enjoyable session of drinking some special beers.  During our session of sampling several different beers he presented a beer which had cost him 20 separate beers in trade.  That’s correct, 20. This was a Port Barrel Damon by Hill Farmstead.  In all honesty this beer wasn’t even worth the attempt to review. It tasted like a sweet smoked stout.  Review complete. My incredulity at trading 20 beers for this one 12oz bottle was even more pronounced after having tasted it.

Often overlooked and under appreciated are the brews that we think are not so special or unique because they are readily available.  Does the scarcity of a beer make it better?   I argue that it does not.  Drinking locally brewed and readily available beer ensures freshness and enhances the deliciousness of the beer.  Does the scarcity of the beer make it a more exciting venture and offering to other beer enthusiasts?  Admittedly it does seem to have that appeal.  Additionally a measure of group-think tends to occur when craft beer enthusiasts gather.   The reputation or infamously difficult process of acquisition seems to heighten the craving for a beer.  Is this a psychological response?  I think it must be.  If one were to state that they had a Honda Civic, none would bat an eye. If one mentions ownership of a Jaguar eyebrows are raised.  Will the Jaguar run longer and require less maintenance? Unlikely. Yet the scarcity plays strong.

On one of my excursions to find the white whale of beers I encountered an individual who lauded copiously the virtues of Troegs Triple Mango whilst we were drinking Pliny the Younger.  Seated across the table from this New Jerseyite, who I had deemed a neophyte, I couldn’t believe my ears. We made pilgrimage to Capones in Norristown to drink Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Younger! This was the number one beer in the world according to beer advocate!  Surely this blasphemous braggart was merely a Troegs fanboy and had no appreciation of the recherché libation that we were consuming.  He confidently assured that the Triple Mango was a superior beer to Pliny.  At the time I was at the time I was far from convinced.

Now, I would relish the opportunity to pit the two head to head……

While I wait for said opportunity, I will continue to enjoy excellent offerings from the brewery in my backyard, Troegs Brewing Company.  Today I enjoyed…

Impending Descent – The first time i had this beer is reminded me of a liquid fudge pop. I may be the only one to recall but when I was younger there were these frozen fudge pops that weren’t quite popsicles but like frozen creamy chocolate.  If you follow me, imagine that then liquify it and add a subtle infusion of booze, also thicken it like a rich milk shake. This time, the chocolately flavors were slightly muted, and replaced by a tongue and mouth numbing hop bitterness.  Imagine a rush of dark rich chocolate alighting on your taste buds like a butterfly landing on a blade of grass, and then trampled by a size 12 boot made of hops.  If this is a new style of brew, the super hopped stout, this is an extreme win. If this is and experiment, I’m not so sure.  Given the ambiguity…..8/10

Humbly Yours,

J