New and magical brews await

As I sit at home before going in to work at the Belmont Station, I
wonder what new and magical brews await at the store. You see, today is
Tuesday and that means beer shipment day. Today and Friday are the days
when we re-up on our stash of captivating beers. Thanks to our purchasing manager, Chris O, this is all possible.

February was my month to give up beer, and I almost made it. I figured there
wouldn't be too many new beers to appear in times I once thought
of as the doldrums for new releases. Yup, I was wrong.

Butte Creek Train Wreck-
Check your wrist for a pulse. Anything? Well if this beer doesn't start
your heart, it could very well stop it with enjoyability. Brewmaster Larry Berlin is known for saying "Go big or go home!" And home is not too far away on this fast track to magna cum hoppiness on a tour du malts. A dark sugary and fruity hoppiness
protrude the 10.6% alcohol dangling in the finish. Share it with a
friend, and take your time, because this certified organic monster is
big enough to derail Ozzy Osbourne (maybe).

Eisenbahn Unfiltered Wheat Doppelbock-
I was just hoping that a beer from Brazil would be something other than
a wimpy lager, and this beer (and brewery) has rewritten my perception
of the country's beer. This dark and somewhat fruity beer is more than
that, it is complex and gains momentum with each sip.Roasty and darkly clouded, this one reminds me of the care taken in some of my favorite German brews. The word "Eisenbahn" translates to "railway". I see a pattern here...

Santa's Terminal Abyss- You
might be thinking "wow! a new beer called STA!" (or not), but in fact,
it is no new beer, but rather one of my kooky creations from Chris O's 30th birthday. Gordon (also from Belmont Station) and I were in the kitchen sipping Deschutes
Abyss, and I thought of beer names that reminded me of underwater
horror movies. Leviathan (Fish Tale Brewing) also came to mind. I
digress... Next to the Abyss was another well-rounded ale that could
very well be marketed as winter seasonal had it not been a bomby
perennial favorite--Terminal Gravity IPA. This beer is one of the best
sellers at BS and offers a robust malt character with no shortage of
big NW hops. To round out the mixture, a bottle of Rogue's Santa's
Private Reserve sat lonely atop the stove. "Wanna try a blend?" I asked
Gordon. "Why not" he replied. And there you have it. Santa's Terminal
Abyss. Just make sure to be easy on the Abyss. It is gone for a while, and
weighs in at 11%. The three beers are kind that Rogue brewer John Maier might refer to as "pallet bruisers." Darn straight!

Mark your calendars now, Saint Patty's Day is less than three weeks away! This usual is indicative of more good beer to come.