Friday Beer Post: Sprocket Bier

No there isn't a game this weekend, and yes, I gave up the ghost of making the beer post a weekly occurrence outside of football season some time ago, but there's a damn good reason to head to your local liquor store with wallet open today. Friend of the blog Rick Blankemeier, the QA genius that keeps Stone safe and delicious, has brewed a beer.  Sure, that in and of itself is nothing unique - as an avid homebrewer, he brews on a regular basis. What makes this beer special is that he's tricked his employer into distributing it for him. No big deal, just a NATIONAL GODDAMN RELEASE WITH RICK'S NAME ON IT!

In honor of my friend making the big time, I'm naming his beer, Sprocket Bier, my non-gameday beer-o-the-week.

Rick, along with fellow brewing conspirator Robbie Chandler, won an in-house contest at Stone for a beer that is so unique that they had to invent their own style for it. Labeled a black rye Kolsch, their beer has been hung with the Sprocket monicker of the old SNL shorts, which, if you knew Rick, is be 100% appropriate. Now's the time on Sprockets when we drink!

On the pour the nose gets hit with chocolate and roasted grain, and the beer sits demonically dark in the glass. The taste is light and bittersweet up front, with a slightly-spicy note that brushes the tongue along with sweeter chocolate and malt flavors.  The aftertaste is mostly a dark, roasted bitterness, which compliments an overall smoky feel.  The man himself says "It's dark as Satan's black heart, but tastes like an angel's soul."  A fitting description, I'd say.

I want to be very honest here: I really like this beer.  I know, you're thinking 'you're just supporting your friend,' and that certainly is the point of diving back into the word mines today.  But, if anything, I hope I've proven to be a passionate diarist who can still separate his heart from his head, and let me tell you that this beer is simply wonderful. If you think I'm full of shit, run out to the store, buy some for yourself, and see if I'm not right.  This is a damn good product from a pair of damn good brewers, and it's definitely worthy of a try.

Do it, do it now.

Happy Friday!