December 25 - Troegs Impending Descent (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Well, it's that time again.  The time where, if you're still reading, we wrap things up with a bang, hopefully.  Maybe that means with the writing, and maybe that means with the beer.  Rarely will it be both.  Also, if you're still reading, thanks, and I hope you got something (even if just entertainment) out of what you read.  I mean do this for you since my liver doesn't really appreciate it all that much.

Last weekend, I got a text message from my brother-in-law, while visiting Troegs in Hershey, asking if I wanted anything.  After sending me a tap list and pondering a growler or even crowler fill, I saw a bottle that caught my eye.  A 12% Imperial Stout, Impending Descent.  Normally this brew isn't that high and I've had that before as a sample at their taproom.  This one was slightly different in that it was aged in bourbon barrels.

The pour of this dark beauty was just that, along with no head to speak of.  I did use my Troegs splinter glass, so if there's supposed to be head, it's their fault.  The aroma was very complex with lots of underlying layers.  You can't help but notice the sweet bourbon aromas along with some layers of vanilla and dark fruits.  There is some chocolate aroma weaved in amongst the others also.

The taste at first was just as described.  There was a nice bourbon smoothness with some slightly bitter coffee and dark baker's chocolate.  There was the vanilla here too along with a lingering bitterness.  As the beer warmed the chocolate came forward more so.  The alcohol was pretty masked in my opinion.  I mean, sure, it was aged in bourbon barrels, but you don't get the alcohol bite here like you'd expect.  It's strong and potent, for sure, but in the body and flavor instead of alcohol.

Finishing the year on an awesome note like...

This beer sends the blog off with a bang.  I'm glad my brother-in-law decided to pick this up and just hand it to me one day after school.  I tried to give him some cash for the bottle since I know it wasn't cheap, but he wouldn't take it. 

An easy 4.5 out of 5 to wrap things up!  If you can spend the $12 on a bottle, you'll surely enjoy this!

So time to reflect.  What did I learn this year through my journey across many styles in 25 short days?  Honestly, I'm not really sure.  I guess I was reminded that IPAs are definitely my favorite style of beer, regardless of the season.  Also, I was reminded that I enjoy a heavy stout this time of year.  I'll be honest,  I did come to the conclusion that this isn't easy to do anymore.  The first year was easy because I didn't really put much effort into it.  Trust me...go read some of those posts.  A lot of the folks I follow on Instagram only post a photo of their beer advent adventures.  I guess I like to take things a step further for some fun.

Now, I add more pictures/memes now to make things more entertaining.  Also, I feel I'm better at adding some backstory and building some suspense when the theme is right and the mood strikes me.  Other nights, it's difficult tying something into a theme and I just feel it's easier to get to the point.  Spandex, Glitter, and Egos is still, by far, my favorite post I wrote this year.  It was just fun to write it up!  It was also the most viewed, probably because Richard Simmons blew up your Facebook feed and you clicked on the clickbait!

While I enjoy the beers and trying to identify different aromas/flavors from them, I'll be the first to tell you I'm no expert and sometimes I second guess myself before traveling to RateBeer.com or BeerAdvocate.com to see if others agree with what I get.  Honestly, I read though some of the user reviews and get some ideas or that "a-ha!" moment where I finally figure out what I was smelling/tasting.  I don't always agree and give you my personal experience, however.

I also know that I could have used that Ralphie meme so many more times, but I figured that I shouldn't overdo it.  It was appropriate in so many instances when I was writing, but I used self-control and didn't use it as often as I could have. 

I'm sure I'll be back next year with 25 new blog entries to help your beer choosing in the days to come, but I won't miss having to write about it everyday.  I know I don't have to do it, but I made the commitment and since a few of you enjoy it, that's good enough for me to keep on keeping on!

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to take a look at what I had to say.  To wrap things up for 2016, I wish you a happy, hoppy, healthy, and prosperous 2017!