December 27, 2015
This long holiday weekend was quite enjoyable. Aside from celebrating Christmas with family, I was able to sample a couple of new stouts as well as visit some old “friends”. I was able to bookend Terrapin’s Wake-n-Bake and Aviator’s Night Jump with a couple of Saturday morning Guinness stouts that were beautifully poured by Darren at the London Bridge pub in Raleigh, NC. We watched Liverpool play (and defeat) Leicester City in English Premier League action (soccer). The London Bridge Pub is the local home for the Raleigh chapter of the Liverpool Fan Club.
It was a great environment to watch the match, as there were 50-60 Liverpool fans rooting for their team. I also realized that while Guinness was my introduction to the world of stout beer, it made me realize that I’ve moved on and I concluded that I drink stouts to sample the various styles and flavors, not to get buzzed or drunk. I enjoy the entire experience – the pour, the smell, the way it feels in my mouth, the taste and aftertaste, and the way stouts can change in taste as they warm. The Guinness didn’t give me the satisfaction that Wake-n-Bake or Night Jump did this weekend. Especially unfortunate was the fact that the restaurant that we ate lunch at had a couple of stouts that I would have loved to sample, but after 2 Guinness’s, my palate was a bit dulled and I couldn’t justify more beer.
How about you? Have you had similar experiences? I’d love to hear your stories?
Stoutwhisperer 