Very lucky. That is what I am thinking as I slowly slip the re-incarnated Velvet Merkin (2013) that I received from Firestone Walker.
This is a near perfect beer. It falls into the category of beers that you could smell all day long. That you would bottle as cologne. A beautiful mixture of coconut and roast and bourbon and barrel melding together.
But you have to drink it, and it is velvety smooth. So that each sip lingers. It is under 9% in alcohol so you don’t get a burn in the throat. The bourbon really comes out in the flavor and just envelops the tongue. How Matt Brynildson does it, I do not know but this is simply a fantastic beer.
Couldn’t agree more. This beer is poetry.
Many, many moons ago when I was a budding beer sprout, I worked at an underground beer bar in Oregon who just happened to get a keg of Velvet Merkin in. I spent the next few days (it lasted that long!) explaining to people what a Merkin was- with a big smile on my face. Best beer, best name!
You will certainly need to find a bottle from this year’s batch. It is my clear favorite of the year so far and it isn’t as big and boozy as the other reserve beers.