THREE BEERS SO GOOD I FORGOT TO RATE THEM

So I had my “birthday party” this past weekend, and decided turning __ at San Francisco’s CITY BEER STORE was as good a place as any; better, in fact! Well, in all the mirth, merrymaking, good conversation and fine elixirs being proffered, I neglected my professional duties to Hedonist Beer Jive readers, and forgot to jot down my ratings of each and every beer I tried. I only got as far as MOONLIGHT’S SUBLIMMMINAL ALE, and that’s because no one except for my wife had shown up to the party yet. She of course loves a man who pecks his beer ratings into his phone’s keypad as he finishes his last gulps – it’s really images like that that I believe keep her standing by her man.

I tried three beers immediately after that Moonlight ale that were outstanding, two of which that I have reason to believe might even be approaching “10”s. I will need to try them again to be sure, but just be forewarned. We don’t give out the big kahuna too often. I won’t describe them much in this forum, since I can’t, but in all three cases I believe I’ve found beers that are way, waaay beyond average, and that I can recommend without hesitation. First was STONE BREWING’s 11TH ANNIVERSARY ALE, which if you can believe it is a black Double IPA. Yeah, I know. I gotta learn some more about this one; luckily these are around and in stores, and I loved it. Not a 10, perhaps, but quite good. The party really started rolling when CS brought a 22-oz. bottle of SAINT VINCENT’S DUBBEL from CAPTAIN LAWRENCE BREWING, located in Pleasantville, NY. Much ado was paid to this bottle as it was being carted in, as we can’t get said brewery out here, and apparently this particular bottle was smuggled in a suitcase by a relative. Yay! I recall a dark, rich Belgian-style beer, and I recall pontificating about how much I adored it. I’m going to find a way to get a bottle to California again. Anyone want to trade?

Final beer of the night was a wallet-buster, but hey, I wasn’t paying this night, right? The Belgian brewer DE PROEF teamed up with Tomme Arthur from PORT BREWING to create a stupendous (and stupendously-priced at $14) beer called SIGNATURE ALE, worth every last penny of what someone else spent. Even the non-beer dorks at the table were gasping at how good this one was. I’m going to find another bottle of it; drink it; and report back to you on my findings. That’s it – I’m another year older and three beers wiser. Check this space for related hijinks and shenanigans in the very near future.