COMING OUT OF THE BEER COOLER

So I have a huge confession to make - I LOVE BEER! Probably moreso than I do wine, simply because wine has become my job, and beer is but an every-now-and-then kind of indulgence. Working here at Liquor Direct, I do have opportunities to taste some very cool beers, thanks largely to our in-house beer guru, Brandon Cubbage, who has worked for breweries, beer distributors and he even home brews. Our selection has grown in the past year or so, largely due to his passion for the suds.

Now, my beer blogging will be more for fun than anything else, because I still feel like I am a bit of a novice, even though I cannot stand wimpy tasting pilsners, like Bud, Miller and most other domestics - they taste like water. I like beer like I like coffee - thick, dark and strong. So after the post-holiday decompression began this weekend, I opted to take home a few tasty brews. One that has truly blown me away is the Harviestoun Ola Dubh 16 Year, which Brandon tells me is extremely limited. This tasty ale was fermented in oak barrels used to age Highland Park 16 Year Single Malt Scotch, and the result is flavors and aromas of smoky peat, bitter chocolate, and black truffles. The finish is smooth, balancing savory and sweet in a slightly toasted, mocha sexiness that rates this rarity one of the best damn beers I have ever had.

I have a link to the Queen of Beer, the Beer Wench and I have added links to The Beer Advocate, as well as The Beer Guy and new local beer bloggers Hoperatives. I might even try to coax Brandon out of his shell long enough to talk a bit about beer.