Blog #011 - The Mystery Purchase

I met up with someone last week that I had been meaning to see for a few months now. I decided in March to look around on BeerAdvocate for anyone in the Fresno area that might come close to appreciating beer as much as I do. My long term goal was to form a tasting group, the kind that exists everywhere else in the country, just not Fresno.

I never had an opportunity to meet up with Rich at the Boonville Beerfest in May, but he emailed me recently regarding a personal shipment of beer he had received from down south; the San Diego area specifically. Having just returned from a trip to Oregon where he secured several cases of Rogue and Deschutes, Rich was at the breaking point, within his storage closet and with his wife. I agreed to drop by and give him a hand with a few bottles. Here is the list of treats I now hold:

-Alpine BC - Alpine Ale 5.5%

-Great Divide - Titan IPA 6.8%

-Caldera Brewing - Pale Caldera Ale

-Ballast Point - Dorado Double IPA 9.1%

-Port Brewing - 3rd Anniv. Ale 10%

-Port Brewing - Brother Levonian 6.5%

-Deschutes - Red Chair IPA 6.4%

-Deschutes - Hop Henge IPA 8.75%

-Ballast Point - Victory At Sea 10%

-Avery Brewing - The Czar Imperial Stout 10.77%

-Lost Abbey - Carnevale Ale 6.5%

The only one I have had before is the Titan IPA from Great Divide but Rich threw that in the mix for free. I plan to have at least 3 tastings with Dad and more than a few hours of discussion on what makes these beers so sought after. Now if I could only get my hands on a Dark Lord.