Jitters Taster Notes and Comments

 

From Rick:

I was pretty sure I was going to like this beer before I sampled because I'm a big dark beer fan and also really like coffee.
The beer did not disappoint. One of the first things I noticed, is that you can get a nice aroma of the coffee in the beer.
The coffee came out in the beginning and as part of the aftertaste. Very good, plus who can't use a little caffeine.
I'm not sure if I tasted the vanilla bourbon. Having said that, it may also be my palate and the fact that I'm a novice taster.
I drink a variety of beers such as:
IPA's
Stouts
Fruit beers - Cherry wheat in particular
Hefeweizens (sp?)
Ales
Overall, I enjoyed the beer and would gladly sample any of the brews.

From Garrick:

Beer.

I don't drink. Actually, I don't drink often. More accurately, I don't drink often so when I do I don't drink well.

I never remember anything after the third beer and if I manage to wake up and not be surprised by my location I find it a relief -- Until I move my head at all.

Steve, the IT guy at my current job, brews beer. I don't know much about the actual process involved in brewing. I know that there is a shortage of hops due to some environmental issues somewhere and Steve is stockpiling the stuff to maintain his ability to make more beer. I know there is quite a bit of math involved in the process. He has to calculate the strain of yeast and the exact sugar content of the solution. The beer he gave me has a couple of additional steps.

First, the initial boil contains coffee. Steve said this part isn't for flavor -- it just adds caffeine.

More coffee, better coffee, is added near the end for more caffeine and flavor.

Also, he re-hydrates a vanilla bean in bourbon and adds that in.

Totaled out, the beer finishes at 9% alcohol. And when I opened the bottle I could smell the coffee and the vanilla.

Shana and I shared a bottle last night. The bourbon is only noticeable on the exhale, which in my case was marked with a sound not unlike "Wu-fa-fa-fa-huh", though it was a pleasant feeling "Wu-fa-fa-fa-huh". Since I usually get sleepy when I drink beer and caffeine has no stimulant effect on me other than just keeping my organs working, I was surprised to glance at the clock later and see that it was 1:30am.

For the first time ever, I was actually saddened to hear the high-pitched clink of an empty bottle hitting the table. Sure, I've been annoyed by the sound before, displeased at the thought of having to fetch another, angry enough to smash the bottle and brandish the jagged neck at the people making fun of my inability to play pool, but never genuinely sad. 

This morning he said he is brewing another batch soon, so I should get back to work now.