BC4M Goes Vertical

With the imminent departure of our own Frank the Tank, the BC4M decided it was time for the Founding Fathers to give our senior member a proper send-off.  And what better day to do it than on Father’s Day, that one day a year for dad’s everywhere to drink a few beers to try and ease the pain that their children have caused them. The BC4M is no exception. Yes we've made a few parental mistakes... so what? Our 9 members have a total of 93 children with 26 different women. We are the Johnny Appleseed’s of human impregnation. Just last week, Bim introduced us to the newest member of his circus family.  Apparently, the bearded lady really was a woman after all! And Johnny Wilder also introduced his new "son". We all know how proud he is.  It was with this in mind that we gathered at Fred’s to toast our pirate hunter with a most rare vertical, the Firestone Walker anniversary collection.  In 1996, in celebration of their 10^th anniversary,  Firestone Walker began blending different beers to produce an annual anniversary beer. Fred managed to procure the 11^th-16^th in that collection. I know… you people reading this right now are thinking “what a bunch of pussies! The Beer Club for Men is only drinking 7 beers? Lightweights!”  But before we got to the main course, like all great meals, we started with some hearty appetizers.  First up was a Kane Head High IPA (6.5%). This beer had a great nose, and was a realy decent IPA, rating a good. Kane's Oak Aged Head High IPA (6.5%) had a nice, mild bourbon flavor. Another solid good. Next up was a bomber of Westbrook/Evil Twin collaboration Mini-Growler Imperial Stout (12%) which was wonderful. Two great breweries, one great beer, rating a really good. Next up were some Perennial beers from our trading partner in St. Louis. We started with a 17 (11.5%), their mint chocolate stout. This beer is a thin mint cookie in a glass. Not a beer that you could drink a lot of, but the perfect beer to pour when your scarfing down some Samoas and realize you don’t have any milk to go with them. This beer was an easy really good. Next up was Barrel Aged Sump (10.5%), a whiskey barrel aged stout with coffee added. What a great beer! Smooth as silk, with the perfect amount of coffee and just a hint of booze. The first RFG of the night! Then it was on to the FW beers. First up was XI (11%) with a sweet toffee flavor, a really good beer. XII (12%) was sweeter and had a heavier bourbon flavor, another really good. XIII (12%) has a smooth, Parabola-type flavor, another really good. XIV (12.5%) was amazing when we first drank it, and still is. XV (12.5%)... what can you say, still RFG. And the final FW, the XVI (13%), is another RFG!

The following week, Fred called for a mid-week meeting for another vertical surprise. This time, we chose the Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout for a 2006-2013 vertical tasting. KBS is a great beer. Difficult for those on the east coast to obtain, but generally well worth the effort. We began the tasting with Kane Solitude (9.5%) a nice, smooth dark beer without a hint of pesky Belgian influence! It rated a unanimous really good.  Then it was onto the KBS. Surprisingly, Founders began brewing their signature beer using screw top bottles. Maybe they got a deal from the fellas over at Schlitz. The first 3 beers in this group (2006-2008) were flat. Taste was OK, but drinking a flat beer is a lot like french kissing your grandma. Sure, you’re getting to first base with a chick, but  she smells like old lady perfume and urine soaked mothballs, ruining what should be an awesome experience. Starting with the 2009 version, the beers started improving, right up to the latest incarnation. My advice to those hoarders out there who are cellaring old KBS, drink it now or try trading it, as this is one beer that probably peaks fairly quickly. We ended the night on our old standby,  Williamsburg Ale Werks Café Royale. Not to brag too much, as this beer is produced in our own backyard, but Café Royale can hold it’s own with any other coffee stout. In fact, we think it’s as good or better than KBS.

 So if you live in the San Diego area, watch out for Frank the Tank! He has an insatiable appetite for Bourbon barrel-aged beers and big titted hermaphrodites, and, together with his brother Mickey Boombatz, will crush anyone who gets between him and the nearest tap!