Beer Blogging Friday: The Session #18 Happy Anniversary

I've been waiting for quite some time to write one of these editions of the "The Session." The session is when on the first Friday of every month beer bloggers, and beer fans alike, around the world write about the same topic. This is the the brain child of Stan Hieronymus, who is the author of Brew Like a Monk, and author of one of my favorite beer blogs: Appellation Beer.

This is the eighteenth installment of the session and the topic is "Happy Anniversary", and is hosted by The Barley Blog this month.

The special beer I've chosen to open up is a bottle of Older Viscosity from Port Brewing in San Marco, California. I chose this beer for several reasons. I traded for this beer with the intent I was going to drink it as close to my first daughter's birth as possible. As a first time father, and lover of all things beer I wanted something special, and this has been on my radar for quite some time, but that was five months ago.

Without going into much detail I never thought I would be a father. I thought it wasn't in the cards for me, but I was elated when I found out my wife and I would be having our first child. I had planned on some bottles of special beer for friends and family after she was born, but anyone that has had children knows how crazy things are right after the baby is born. This bottle though was just for me, and I am pretty happy actually that I didn't have this bottle of beer until now and not at her birth.

The Russian Imperial Stout is one of my favorite styles, and I tend to drink them when I am either in a thinking mood, it is the dead of winter, or just looking for a change of pace from everyday style beer, and I find them good those reasons. So many complex flavors, loads of malt character, and a beer that isn't for the faint of heart. I enjoyed this offering thinking about how much my life has changed for the better in the last five months.

The original point of why I chose this beer, and I will circle back to the theme of this month's session, is really just one of meditation. The past five months of my life have been the best, most challenging, and most rewarding of my life, and as I drink one of the best and most complex imperial stouts I've ever had, I am able to enjoy some moments of clarity and gratitude towards this wonderful gift I've been given. This beer was the just about the best thing I could have chosen for some personal reflection. I don't know how often I will be able to get this beer, but it is certainly worthy of a tradition of having this around my daughter's birthday every year, and that would certainly make a very happy day just a little better.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. -- Albert Schweitzer

Cheers!
Matt