Kev's Beer of the Week - Kate The Great 2012

I started my blog with a post about the 2010 batch of Kate the Great (http://brewforall.blogspot.com/2011/12/introduction.html), but I couldn't pick another beer as my beer of the week for this week.  It would be an injustice to one of the best beers on the planet - Kate The Great.  So, without further ado, my beer of the week for this week is:

 

Kev's Beer of the Week ending 3/9/12

Portsmouth Brewery Kate The Great Russian Imperial Stout 2012

Kev Rating: A+
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.00% (est)
IBUs: ?

Availability:  One day a year, only at the Portsmouth Brewery.  3/5/12 was the day this year.
Had: This is my 2nd Kate the Great day (2010 & 2012) and 3rd time having it
Region: Portsmouth, NH

This year, I brought Nick to experience the day that is Kate the Great day at the Portsmouth Brewery.  I picked him up at 9:30am on Monday, 3/5.  First stop was Dunkin' for some coffee & breakfast sandwiches.  We then jumped on the Pike and headed to 95 North.  We hit a bottleneck around the exit for Route 2 (lane closures) and then had smooth sailing all the way up to NH Exit 7.  We pulled into the best parking garage in Portsmouth ($0.75/hour) and made our way up to the top floor - yup, they were packed!  Then the moment of truth, how bad will the line really be?  Well, I already knew the answer as an awesome blogger set up a beer cam to watch the lines and it was about 200 people deep BEFORE I even left my house at 9am.  

 

Check out his recap in pictures & clips of Kate the Great day here - http://seacoastbeveragelab.com/kate-great-day-2012-live-blog/.

We exit the garage & turn the corner, BOOM, the line is from the front doors, down an alley, and to the end of the block.  We happily got in line at about 11:15am, and oh yeah it was about 30 degrees and very windy.  Fast forward until about 3:15pm (after many bathroom breaks and shot breaks (for Nick)) and we're about 8 people (large group of 7 in front of us) from getting into the Brewery.  Then the magic words, "we have a booth for 2".  Nick and I wipe off the chill from the cold & wind and eagerly follow the still bubbly hostess.  We sit down, take off our monster winter jackets and within moments have two beautiful glasses of Kate The Great staring us down.  -->

<-- After cheering each others glasses, we take our first sips.  While I have had this one before, Nick hadn't and is a fellow beer geek.  I was probably staring a bit too much to see his reaction, but what can I say, I love seeing appreciation for good things!  KtG  is strong in roasted malt, thick espresso/coffee notes, a bit of chocolate, and I think manna from Heaven. Nick was happy, I was happy, all was good in the world at that moment.  After some lunch and 2 more glasses each we called it a day around 5:45pm. 

Last stop before heading to the car was over to the Retail Shop to purchase my 4 bottles of Kate and pick up a new Kate The Great T-shirt - yes, I do actually wear my 2010 one. --> 

 

The only thing better than having 3 glasses on tap was the knowledge that I still have 4 bottles of this heavenly nectar to enjoy at a later date!!!!  That is a wonderful feeling.  Now comes the hard part...do I drink 'em all myself (if you know me, that's not gonna happen - I'm a giver), do I share a few, age one, two, etc.. All will work out in the end, because - I have four glorious bottles of the best beer on the planet!

Til' next year - who's coming?!