Now, before you get any Starland Vocal Band thoughts let me just say that having a flexible schedule, allows me to visit my favorite and oft-visited bottle-shop/bar, Brewforia Beer Market during times of the day when most folks are at work watching the clock waiting until 5PM. Today is one of those days. My favorite seat, one with a power outlet nearby lets me, with respect to Timothy Leary, plug in, turn on and tune in.
Sipping a pint of RedHook Mud Slinger, a “Spring Ale” that I am not sure if it is 10 months late…or 2 months early. As I drink it down a bit more, I think is is more likely the former. A brown ale, with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla but both are faded quite a bit and it and it is not much special anymore. If it was to begin with.
My trip out here today did have an underlying motive however… This past month was the annual release of Big Sky Brewing’s “Ivan the Terrible” imperial stout. I have not had this one before and this years batch is 10%ABV and is one of the beers that I have been most anticipating lately. According to the label on the bottle I have now, there are only 3800 bottles produced of it this year. Mine is #482. Limited release beers are a good thing, mostly I suppose.
I love Big Sky Brewing. They are small, out of the way, practically “Outpost Charlie” or “Ice Station Zebra” if you will, in Missoula, MT. Their production is small but the last few years they have really been pushing the envelope of big or extreme beers. Old Bluehair, Beer de Noel and Heavy Horse Scotch are good examples.
Limited quantity creates more attention, more speculation, a bigger blip on the craft beer radar. But as a bit of beer nerd, they are a bad thing sometimes as it means that I can’t get another bottle after the few weeks it is around, until next year.
This “Ivan” is going to be good I’m sure. These kinds of beers generally do well in a basement or cellar for a few months to a few years. Sometimes more. I would prefer to wait a while to drink this one as I bet it will only get better.
….thinking about it is working up an appetite though….
