This series of posts is dedicated to the many, many six packs, pony kegs and pints that have sauntered into my life at one point or another.

A generous friend gave me a bottle of this. Released to help celebrate the sixteenth anniversary of Central Waters Brewing, located in idyllic Amherst, Wisconsin, Sixteen is an imperial stout, aged in twenty-one year old bourbon barrels. I knew it was good, very good. That caused me to muster up an uncommon patience, waiting for the right special occasion to finally open it. For a time, I almost deferred to the wisdom voiced by Maya in Alexander Payne’s Sideways. To paraphrase, “You know, the day you open a Central Waters Sixteen…that’s the special occasion.” But no, I persevered, finally deciding that my inaugural meal with Asheville’s vaunted Blind Pig Supper Club was the right time to break open the bottle. It was BYOB, after all, and I knew I had a very fine B at my disposal. I made the right call. Not only was it a nice accompaniment (well, precursor as it turned out) to a splendidly decadent meal, but I had the always welcome opportunity to share it with people who were uniquely equipped to appreciate it, thanks to their highly refined and well-traveled beer palates. One of them had even previously sampled the famed Three Floyds Dark Lord and compared it favorably to that elusive brew. I can’t personally speak to that assessment, but I can say the Sixteen is about as good as any beer I’ve ever had, perfectly enhancing the rich, deep flavor of the imperial stout with beautiful, coppery bourbon notes. I’m grateful to the friend who gave me the bottle, and appreciative to those who eventually shared it with me. Although, on that last point, I may have been okay keeping it all to myself, too.

Previously…
—Point Special
—21st Amendment Bitter American
—Abita Restoration Pale Ale
—Rolling Rock
—Skull Splitter
—Foster’s
—Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter
—Red Stripe
—Rhinelander Bock
—Samuel Adams Boston Lager
—New Glarus Brewing Company Wisconsin Belgian Red
—ABA Hoppy Saison
—Hamm’s
—Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
—Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow
—French Broad Brewing Gateway Kolsch
—Big Boss Brewing “High Monkey”
—Stevens Point Brewery Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale
—The Native Brewing Company The Eleven Brown Ale
—Labatt Blue
—Smuttynose Winter Ale
—Point Beyond the Pale IPA
—Guinness
—Capital Brewery Supper Club
—Highland Brewing 20th Anniversary Scotch Ale
—Mickey’s