I'm John, and I have a problem. Not a drinking problem, mind you, as I generally follow the advice of Aristotle and seek moderation in all things. No, my problem is that I can never quite make up my mind what I want to drink, once I do decide to have a beer. And in the case of Weyerbacher XIII, it took me quite some time indeed before I finally got around to popping the bottle and enjoying the beer.

Some background would be in order, it would seem. Weyerbacher XIII is a formidable beer indeed, with a whopping alcohol content of 13.6% by volume. The beer was brewed in honor of this Easton, Pennsylvania brewer's 13th anniversary which occurred in 2008. They call it a "Belgian-inspired Imperial Stout", and further boast "this one should age nicely for years to come."

I purchased a 22-ounce bomber bottle in July of 2008 and I've been sitting on it ever since. I've had it safely tucked away from harmful heat and light, allowing it to mature and age over time. Every now and again, I would sneak and take a peek at it, deciding whether or not that night was the right one to drink it. And each time I'd come away thinking to my self "Just a little bit longer,".....

Finally, on New Year's Eve of 2009, the time finally seemed right to pop this puppy, and so I did. Following a sumptuous repast of Chinese takeout (a New Year's Eve tradition Chez Bruguru), and in the midst of a Three Stooges Marathon on AMC, I opened my now year-and-a-half old bottle of Weyerbacher XIII and decanted part of its contents into a large brandy snifter.

The color struck me first-jet black in fact-but the nose was even more interesting. The aroma wafting from my glass was quite vinous indeed,  reminiscent of a fine port or perhaps a sweet sherry, and I got notes of ripe olive and chocolate upon sniffing. The head formation was quite prodigious, tan in color, and very thick and creamy.

Now, a sip. Dark rich chocolate dominates the palate along with potent licorice, light coffee, dark fruit, and more of those vinous notes the nose suggested. The texture is silky smooth and luxuriant from the oats with a warming, rocket fuel alcohol burn in the finish. Not much hops come through there, but I did age this and this beer was not designed to accent them anyway.

Weyerbacher uses the same Belgian-style yeast strain here that they ferment their famous Quad with. There was yeast sediment in the bottle, too. A hint of funky Belgian yeast character does poke through, but I found it to be sort of overshadowed by the alcohol and dark roasty malt. Still, this is amazing, a real sipping brew, smoother for the aging and a true winter’s delight.

I found this over-clocked Imperial Stout to be a delightful digestif, and my decision to slowly sip it after a large meal proved to be a fortunate one. Heartily recommended, if you see this one, buy it. And you might also want to pick up some Weyerbacher XIV, which was released in 2009, as well.

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