"I Tell You What........."

December 24, 1995. We had eaten the annual 15 been soup and I was getting ready to head on up to St. Anne's later to sing in the choir for Midnight Mass. The sky was grey and the leaves were brown. Sounds sort of like a song. My oldest daughter (the future Nurse the Jim)was driving in from college and we were all waiting anxiously for her arrival. My dad had dropped by earlier and bestowed upon me some Monticristo # 4 s (Habona). (Yes I love a good smoke) (I quit smoking cigarettes for my youngest daughters 5th birthday present.) My mother in law was living with us and she was cooking all sorts of pies and pastries. We had a Honey Baked Ham in the fridge and a bird to cook the next day. I had gotten a handsome Christmas bonus from my employer and the girls were all well behaved. My favorite customer gave me a hundred dollar Mont Blanc pen. I still have it and just held it as I type this musing. Life was Good. Then hurricane J.R. blew in. "Hey dad, you ever heard of Samuel Adams Triple Bock?". I told her "no I never had". "Well I have called ahead and found out that we can find some at Spec's in The Woodlands." Damn, I replied, it is Christmas Eve and I have to be leaving in a few hours for Midnight Mass. But Dad, this is very best beer in the world. Now that got my attention.
So off we went on a beer run. Yes Spec's had some. Nine bottles actually. At $ 9.00 per bottle. From all of the hype I felt it may be a collectors item and be worth more money in a few years. We plopped down $ 81.00 plus tax and we were on our way. Jennifer only kept one of the nine and the others went to her friends back in Lafayette. As far as I know she still has it. As I wrote this I paused and looked on e bay to see what the beer was gong for now. There are plenty to be purchased for around $ 7.00 per bottle ( plus $ 6.50 in shipping). Twelve years and no real appreciation in value. the beer (barley wine) has over 17% ABV. and at the time was the strongest alcohol content of any beer made. Sam Adams has actually made other beers that exceeded the aforementioned ABV. I have spoken to a few people who have actually tasted a Triple Bock. It taste's like shit is the consensus.

The bottle is small and is a cobalt blue in color with a waxed/plastic cork. Samuel Adams is scripted in gold leaf on the bottle. It is pretty I must admit. Each bottle had a note attached describing the process of making the beer.

So the Third, why do you write this? Because this was the first "craft beer" I ever purchased.

I shall be on the road for the next week and I shall take a break from my babble. But as I play around with this blog page I find all sorts of new ways to express myself. If you look you will see I have now added a "link" place and for each blog I compose I shall add a new link (or two or three).


Oh yea one last thing. In one of my earlier scribblings, I announced that my favorite pub had added one of my favorite beers on their taps. Descheute's Black Butte Porter. I was there this evening and I ordered one. The owner, , of the pub (Ryan) came over and told me he had to change the tap then he informed me that the new keg would be the last one he had because the distributors were not making it available to him anymore. Damn!


Toodles



The Third