Last night was one of the most enjoyable nights I've had in a while. Sitting around drinking Sixpoint Mason (a dunkelweiss) from a growler while blogging and watching basketball (even if the games weren't great) was . . . creatively invigorating, oddly enough. I had another experience like that last week and it sprouted from seeds planted several weeks ago.
I wrote about meeting Sean Lily Wilson of North Carolina's burgeoning Fullsteam Brewery back in the day. We had a killer conversation, a couple fantastic beers, and he gave me a bottle of his Hogwash Hickory-Smoked Porter with the caveat that I couldn't drink it without some barbecue in the mix. I never had a free night to just sit around, drink, and eat barbecue until last week. Tragically, I had to run in to work quickly last Tuesday so I set my DVR for the 'Cuse game, dashed in to work, and used the trip in as an excuse to treat myself to a BBQ dinner. I work near a semi-decent BBQ place that, in a pinch, was allowable. I NEEDED to try this beer.
I don't know if Sean knows this, but I was terrified to try his beer. Between all the hype, my general unimpressed-ness with most porters, and the fact that I KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, I had no idea what I would do if I didn't like it. It was likely my first journalistic dilemma. I certainly didn't have it in me to give a fluff review, praising a beer I didn't believe in. But who could say something bad about the product of such a good human being with such a promising future?
Thankfully, after I tasted the beer, this was no longer an issue. Hogwash, alone or with my pulled pork sandwich, is simply outstanding. The usual porter signifiers are there: in color and body it doesn't shatter any new ground. But in flavor, Hogwash brings an earthy, hearty flavor to the usually blah porter palete. The hickory lends a brilliant smokiness that rounds out the flavor and adds just a touch of sweetness, though the beer finishes on a slightly drier note. With a tender piece of barbecue pork (or even with the side of Memphis dry ribs), the beer goes even sweeter and the barbecue gets even smokier.
The best part of this beer might be how frigging EASY it is to drink. Hogwash certainly holds rewards for those willing to dig deep, but hand it to a friend at a barbecue and I bet they'll guzzle two or three, all the while wondering what makes this beer so damn addictive. The one bottle I had was not enough. I wanted to drink one more; I wanted to suddenly be at a sunny-day barbecue surrounded by friends and family. But that's the power of a good craft brew. I was transported there either way, from a NYC apartment on a rainy Tuesday to a hot-as-hell Southern Saturday Barbecue and Bluegrass Hoe-down (this is an annual event that takes place in my brain).
I highly suggest following these dudes on Facebook, as Fullsteam regularly posts hilarious pop culture whatnot from the absurd outskirts of technology and entertainment. Plus their beer is good, and when it rolls into NYC I will proudly go to my local alehouse, order a pint, and get transported to a magical world where I have no job but tons of money, no tact but tons of friends, and no obligations pulling me forward: just the desire to live. For me, that's what beer and barbecue are all about: the great times. Add this experience to the list.
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