CountryGravy
Well-Known Member
I remember the first time I had an Imperial stout. It was a Sam Adam's Imperial series, and I hated it. I split the four pack with a couple of friends, and then proceeded to drink myself into oblivion on Guinness and Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat.
In those days, I thought I was a real beer snob drinking Sam Adam's, Guinness, and New Castle Brown. I had grown to hate the beers I drank in college, and had moved on to drinking irresponsible amounts of slightly more expensive and much more flavorful beers.
Within the last two years I began to experiment with true craft beers. However, I stayed away from IPA's and most higher ABV beer's. I enjoyed the new flavors but had not yet developed a taste for intense flavors. My brother-in-law moved to my area a year ago, and over time we have moved on to IPA's, double browns, imperials, and most recently barley wines.
I am not a fan of drunkeness anymore. With a wife, babies, a demanding job, advancing age (even at 31, I can't do what I did 5 years ago), and religious convictions, I simply don't get drunk anymore. I drink a beer or two most nights, and a few extras throughout the day on some weekends and especially brew days. However, I'm careful to stop when I need to stop.
Cue my story: Last Friday, my BIL brought home three Weyermacher four packs - Barleywine, cask aged barleywine, and their Quad. I hadn't had any of these previously. I also had two Golden Monkey's in the fridge and half a Tap-A-Draft of Milk Stout.
I drank a stout. I drank one each of the Weyermachers. I drank a Tripel. I finished with some random IPA. I've had 5 beers many times in my life, and never had any problems the next day. Those big beers are sneaky, sneaky punks.
I woke up Saturday morning and all I could taste was malt, hops, whiskey from the cask aged beer. Really, really powerful taste. My head throbbed, my heart raced, and I was wiped.
Moral of the story: Drinking six giant beers with intense flavors is in no way close to being equal to six medium mild or medium palate beers. I understand the ABV math, but it didn't register, even over the course of an afternoon and evening, how I would feel the next day. Those flavors do not go away in 6 hours of sleeping. They stay with you all day.
Lesson learned. I feel like I have been welcomed to the dangerous world of delicious big beers. I just brewed my first Tripel and I have an experimental Belgian IIPA to brew this weekend.
Small doses, grasshopper. Small doses.
In those days, I thought I was a real beer snob drinking Sam Adam's, Guinness, and New Castle Brown. I had grown to hate the beers I drank in college, and had moved on to drinking irresponsible amounts of slightly more expensive and much more flavorful beers.
Within the last two years I began to experiment with true craft beers. However, I stayed away from IPA's and most higher ABV beer's. I enjoyed the new flavors but had not yet developed a taste for intense flavors. My brother-in-law moved to my area a year ago, and over time we have moved on to IPA's, double browns, imperials, and most recently barley wines.
I am not a fan of drunkeness anymore. With a wife, babies, a demanding job, advancing age (even at 31, I can't do what I did 5 years ago), and religious convictions, I simply don't get drunk anymore. I drink a beer or two most nights, and a few extras throughout the day on some weekends and especially brew days. However, I'm careful to stop when I need to stop.
Cue my story: Last Friday, my BIL brought home three Weyermacher four packs - Barleywine, cask aged barleywine, and their Quad. I hadn't had any of these previously. I also had two Golden Monkey's in the fridge and half a Tap-A-Draft of Milk Stout.
I drank a stout. I drank one each of the Weyermachers. I drank a Tripel. I finished with some random IPA. I've had 5 beers many times in my life, and never had any problems the next day. Those big beers are sneaky, sneaky punks.
I woke up Saturday morning and all I could taste was malt, hops, whiskey from the cask aged beer. Really, really powerful taste. My head throbbed, my heart raced, and I was wiped.
Moral of the story: Drinking six giant beers with intense flavors is in no way close to being equal to six medium mild or medium palate beers. I understand the ABV math, but it didn't register, even over the course of an afternoon and evening, how I would feel the next day. Those flavors do not go away in 6 hours of sleeping. They stay with you all day.
Lesson learned. I feel like I have been welcomed to the dangerous world of delicious big beers. I just brewed my first Tripel and I have an experimental Belgian IIPA to brew this weekend.
Small doses, grasshopper. Small doses.
I'm going to find a hoppy session and maybe and ESB to brew and fill the Tap-A-Drafts up with that. I enjoyed the barleywines I've been drinking, but you're right - at the end of one when it starts getting warm, the appeal is lost. 
