Friday Beer Post: 2015 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - Utah Edition

Each week throughout the football season I'm going to suggest a good beer for the ubiquitous pre-game tailgate. Let's be honest, with tailgates it's not always top quality that you're looking for. To steal a phrase from the heinous beer terrorists at Budweiser, you want "drinkability." (or what a real beer connoisseur calls "a session beer") So, be warned, these may not be "the best" beers around. But, in the words of Dave Chappelle as Samuel L. Jackson "IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK!"

It's Ute week, so the honorary beer selection is Polygamy Porter from Wasatch Brewery. Indeed, why have just one?

The actual beer pick, however, comes to us from San Diego.  I'm returning to a brewery that I already featured this year, Ballast Point, in memoriam.  They recently sold out, cashing in on a $1 billion offer from Constellation Brands (the finks behind the eye-rollingly lame Corona).  It's a huge price tag, and who can really blame them, but there is no doubt that the soul of the epic brewery behind Sculpin, et al, is gone for good.  In honor, I'm tabbing their American Stout, The Commodore, as this week's beer-o-the-week.

With Ballast Point, Sculpin is the head of the class.  The rest of the offerings pale in comparison, to be honest, but it's an unfair mirror to hold them up to, as Sculpin is truly monumental.  Of the second-string, however, I probably like The Commodore the most.  It's a strong take on the stout family, with typical notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate.  A late finish of hops fits with the brewery and the native region, and the whole thing ends bitter and sharp.  I've liked it more off the tap than the bottle, but that's pretty much par for the course in the beer world.  Allow it to breathe, though; don't drink straight from the fridge.

Prior to cashing in, BP had been showing up more and more on Colorado shelves, so you should not have too much trouble finding this in option-heavy liquor stores.  It's available in six-packs, with each bottle coming in at a robust 6.5% ABV.  Maybe a little heavy for post-Thanksgiving celebrations, but a weighty punch to end the tailgating season.  Enjoy!

Happy Friday!  Go Buffs, beat the Utes!