Mr. Kipper arrives tomorrow (technically, today) with good beer.

Today, Shiner Cheer.

Picked up a four pack of Filthy Dirty I.P.A. at World Market today. Pretty meh, especially at $11 for only four beers.

In honour (yes, spelled correctly) of your American holiday tonight it's Olympia.

Had a Hop Dang Diggity tonight from Jekyll Brewing Co. quite nice; good on a cool night. Also Westbrook Brewing Co. White Thai which was decidedly boring, despite the promises of lemongrass and cilantro/corriander, etc, certainly not worth the close to three dollars I paid for the short can at Total Wine in Atlanta. Inherited an assload of Blue Moons and Boston Lager/Octoberfests so those will be dominating for the foreseeable future. Note to self: necessito más Modelo.

Scored a couple bottles of 2015 bcbs and one of the barleywine.

Found an ESB and an IPA from Green Man Brewery in Asheville at my local craft bar so ordered one of each. Glad I did. As much beer as I have drunk in AVL, I had never tried any of theirs and found them both refreshing.

My locals are telling me Monday and Thursday. Fingers crossed.

GIBC Rare is amazing. Really good.

At Chicago's FoBAB last weekend had it and Proprietor's 2014/2015, Vanilla Rye, and whatever that one that is aged in 3 different barrels. Fantastic. If you are a barrel/wood fan you MUST come to this festival sometime. Tickets are almost impossible to get (sell out in less than 10 seconds), but if you volunteer one session, they give you a ticket for another session.

I poured at the sour table and there were some AMAZING beers, the likes which you will never see otherwise.

Got a Boulevard Imperial (Tart Cherry) Stout, which, though not my speed, I found to be surprisingly refreshing; just finishing the last bottle of Alpine Hoppy Birthday, obviously brewed/bottled by Green Flash (Alpine Label, embossed Green Flash bottle, happily scored five bottles last week from one of my favored suppliers); still remaining to be consumed, I have a SNBC Fourth of Five Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop IPA, which is very good, and a single bomber of Apocalypse IPA from 10 Barrel (never tried it). After a few semi-dry weeks-- I was diversifying into wine for a spell-- I'm back to beer.

For you adventurers, the Hoppy Birthday is just so tasty. If I had a keg on tap, I'd drink it incessantly. But that cherry stout, which I got at Costco, was quite pleasant. If one Costco stocked it, what are the chances others would? I think quite good.

Svytury's Ekstra
Aspen Brewing Independence Pale Ale

A local liquor store had a Black Friday special of a variety of Bourbon County Stout. One bottle per person limit. They also had a 6-gallon keg available for $250.

6 x 128 = 768. So 32.5 cents per ounce. In bottles it is (here) over 60 cents.

If I had a keg cooler, I would jump on that. One HELLUVA party could be had.

I scored 4 bottles of regular and one barleywine. Very tough in Chicagoland. Lines out the door.

Have been running through beer a bit aggressively as of late...I currently have

-Sierra Nevada Torpedo (always a good run-of-the-mill standard IPA)
-Troegs Blizzard of Hops (despite the name, this is not that hoppy of an IPA. More coppery undertones, which I don't mind, but not that hoppy)
-Ithaca Brewing Nordic Pine (a piney double IPA, very drinkable)

I recently also had Rogue's Marionberry Braggot, which I was a big fan of - big flavor, bitter fruitiness. I also had Double Btrd (apparently this is a banned word at FT?) in the Rye when I was out in AZ this Thanksgiving, and what a great addition to the Arrogant Btrd line - same kind of mean flavor, even higher ABV, but still a very smooth drink. I hope i can find it back east.

The other day at Whole Foods I got this year's "B@stard Box."

4 bombers for $20.

Arrogant B@stard
Oaked Arrogant B@stard
Double B@stard
Depth-Charged Double B@stard (brewed with espresso beans)

Looking forward to these. Excellent pricing.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout