The final step - we know you've been waiting for this, pally - is to take a mouthful of the beer. Slurp it and suck a little air through it to bring out the flavors - the caramel-like sweetness of the malt, the bitterness from the hops, the mouth-coating savoriness of the malt proteins. Savor the aromas of the hops and the roasted qualities of the malt a second time as the fumes rise from your mouth into your nose.
A delicately floral and herbaceous nose, redolent of hibiscus flowers and a fresh bouquet garni. A soft and velvety mouth-feel, gently tannic with a lingering spicy, tart finish. A newly released Santa Barbara Pinot Noir? No, I'm describing the Craftsman Triple White Sage, a Belgian-style golden ale brewed by a tiny artisanal brewery in Pasadena. That's right, a beer.Craftsman? You can get beer at Sears?
I pour a little of the beer, about 4 ounces or so, into a 24-ounce red burgundy glass. The oversized balloon shape of the glass allows for aeration just like it does for Pinot Noir. Then I swirl and agitate the beer, bringing the bubbles and aromatics to the surface. At this point, I put my nose into the glass, below the rim, and take a big whiff.Great. Now we've got beer snobs? Oh, a torn designer tee-shirt. Don't write me angry letters. I know there's a lot of good brewskis out there.
I don't drink any more, but my favorite beer was ABC: Anything But Coors.
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