Coming down after a "whale"

Shhhhh, don't tell people about Sump. The past two years I've been able to get quite a bit. More than any other limited Missouri offering. My theory is everyone truck chasing gets all the Abraxas and Barrel Aged Abraxas and then is too hung over from their ticking party to pick it up. Fine by me though.

 

Find more BCBS and BBN and trade for other whalezz on your list.

 

Your buddy John reminds me of my buddy Tom. I think we all have had a buddy like that at one point in our lives.

 

i only started hunting beers probably 7-8 months ago
Since then ive been to VT twice, Tree House 5-6 times, Trillium once and breweries around the tri state area a number of times.
Its become a hobby which i spend a lot of time and $ enjoying
As for whalez, ive tried a bunch but there is still always a ton more out there which makes it fun
without kids or many obligations other than a job it makes it easy to dedicated time and energy towards the hobby
ive also put on 20-30 lbs in the past year which is an unfortunate side effect

 

And they are good buddies, right?

Cheers!

 

After whales, I usually dont have all that much motivation for 2-3 days after to drink at all. Then I'm back on the horse and drinking the usual tasty stuff.

 

No offense but what were you doing before this hobby? I know a couple single guys in the NY area who have been on the Sand City/Other Half/Girimm train far before the hype. But they are contintually left OUT of releases because of random ass newcomers. It is what it is. They are no more entitled to releases than anyone else, even if thy have 4 years ON them. If people actually work and are busy during normal hours, they miss90% of this crap. Which makes me wonder, are hyped releases for those untraditionalists who either have no job, are in grad school, or are just simply too rich?


is the hype even for the common man?

 

Well maybe you should quit your job then.

 

The best. He just maybe needed reminding every now and then that it was his turn to buy, but that was part of the fun.

 

What you might enjoy having had some of your highly coveted beers is to go out and try something you haven't heard of, read about or seen reviews on. You'll likely find an interesting take away whether it lives up to your expectations or not (you might have zero expectations if you haven't heard of it). In its' own way this should reset a few things for you.

 

Just to push back on this notion, I would rather not drink than drink Bud if I were at that party. I don't see how that would be snobbish so long as I didn't put down their choice.

 

It's a tough proposition for some to want to have a highly coveted beer blindly. But having a "Dud" along side a "stud" (I felt like rhyming) is great on ones senses.

it's usually never just two beers. But even at 4 total, you are awoken to realizing that either one lives up to the HYPE, maybe one lives up to NO hype, or that some are truly worth no money at all.

if its a one time try, its tough to try it blindly against others. But if its a second try or something, a blind try may be a way of being grounded 100%

 

Agreed, and I'd take this a slight step further. I try to plan for a special beer at a special place or with special company. That way, regardless of whether the beer lives up to the hype, the collective experience that encompassed the consumption of said beer is always a delight. As for a let down, just abstain for a few days or drink less polarizing styles (ESBs, browns, pilsners, etc.).

 

Don't confuse rarity with quality!
Of course landing a whale only makes you want another (that's the beauty of the hobby). Special beers are meant for special occasions not just any time you want to have a beer.

 

Others are giving some quality 2 cents worth ... here's mine:


See that? That's a PBR that turns out is pretty damn tasty resting on my Jester King shrine and, specifically, in front of the empty carcass of my personal white whale: JK's Atrial Rubicite.

How do you come down from drinking a whale?

Drink another beer ... then another ... then another ... try everything, damn the style, rating, quality or the package ... just drink and think, drink and think and as you think about what you're drinking, over time you'll learn that for every so-called "whale" out there, hundreds of minnows are swimming around right in your own little pond that nobody's talking about despite the fact they have the genetics to become as good as any whale if you allow your mind and palate to work together and diagnose those genetics.

And if that doesn't work, drink Rochefort 10 or Chimay Blue exclusively. Chances are you can find those anytime you want.

 

If releases are on weekends the locals complain that they have to compete with out of towners. If they are held weekdays after work, the out of towners complain they can't get on line until too late due to they work. If they hold it on weekdays during the day, folks complain they only benefit the rich and out of of work. It's obvious the problem is not enough hours in a day and too few days in a week.

 

Interesting perspective, indeed, for what purpose are special beers meant, what is their reason for existence? From a brewer's viewpoint they're meant to make money and the quicker the better. For some consumers just acquiring a highly sought after brew is the special occasion.

For me waking up this morning makes the day special so I'll drink the rarest of the rare with breakfast. I think the poet Gibran said it best:

"Drink today and drown all sorrow,
we shall perhaps not do it tomorrow,
best to use it while we have the breath,
there is no drinking after death"

 

Just spend all of your money on super rare beers.. People have gone into crippling debt for less noble reasons.

 

Get more "whalez bro"