On the 9th Beer of Xmas, Leaf and Yeast Uses the Force

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Dashing through the snow,

In a beat-up Chevrolet.

Through the tunnel we go, 

Please not Fuzzy release day!

The rings on Craig’s wrist ring,

As he pours me some delight.

What fun it is to sample and bring,

some Trooper home tonight.

OH, the malty smells,

give Matt a Nobel,

George Lucas misunderstood.

Take it from me, do as NEBCO says:

“Drink it it’s good”.

Photo Credit: @LeafandYeast

For those familiar with my work at Leaf and Yeast, we are a mixed bag over there. Sometimes we can get very technical with our beer prowess. And yet, as we often say, it’s just beer, don’t take it so serious. New England Brewing's Imperial Stout Trooper is one of those beers for me. Granted, I am unabashedly obsessed with the brewery, but it is a place that is special in my heart. This beer gets released right around Christmas every year, and it has become a ritual for me to drink a 64 every Christmas Eve. And you know what? I don’t think about the perfect malt balance. I don’t think about the chewy roastiness. I don’t concern myself with it’s coffee and chocolate notes, or it’s tantalizing aftertaste. I simply drink it, and enjoy the company I am with. Make no mistake, IST is a killer beer. But it’s not about that for me. It’s become an accompaniment to my holiday festivities, and I look forward to it the most out of all the beers I drink year-round. 

This is not a review to read if you are looking to know the intricacies of the Trooper. In fact, this could be about almost any beer. But what is important to me, is what the beer represents and how it reminds me of my favorite time of year: a chance to be with my family, spending quality time together. Not a normal beer review. But I’m not a normal beer reviewer.

May the pours be with you and your loved ones this holiday season.

Follow Jay on his podcast, Leaf and Yeast, or check him out on Twitter.

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