Beer Review – Blackberry Witbier (The Boston Beer Company)
The Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA
Blackberry Witbier
As Samuel Adams has increased in popularity, the Boston Beer Company has been forced to increase production to keep up with demand and they’ve been forced to introduce new flavors to try to grab more market share. As the “largest microbrew”, they unfortunately occupy an unenviable position because their older beers are wonderfully drinkable, yet somewhat pedestrian compared to the more adventurous or exotic micros, while most of their newest beers are contrived rubbish. The Blackberry Witbier is one of those contrived rubbish beers. Supposedly of the “Brewmaster’s Collection”, it is a “wheat ale brewed with blackberries and spices and natural flavor added” and uses Marion blackberries for Oregon. Yes, all this information was culled from the label of the bottle – I refuse to expend any more energy researching this beer. True, in the glass, it has a very deep and inviting copper color with a subtle purple-ish tint, but the head is very thin and of an eggshell white. There is a pleasant aroma of berries and yeast. And it goes downhill from there. The flavor is that of a thin wheat beer with a gentle berry flavor, slightly sweet yet without any real definition or character. Generally speaking, the flavor is very thin with a very thin body and some light bitterness on the aftertaste, but not much else. It is somewhat crisp, but overall has very little character similar to that of average, mass-produced crap. This is certainly a “boutique, craft beer” in name only; far worse than regular Sam Adams Boston Lager and reminiscent of Sam Adams’ other poor efforts, like their Cherry Wheat and Cranberry Lambic. It is sad to think that this beer, despite all the apparent effort to refine and brew this recipe, really is a waste of time and energy, and will probably meet an early demise. Then again, there still are some people who like disco.
M!dd13m4n’s rating – 2.5 Pints 
Tammy in Bridge Port, TX asks, “Why do people wear Spandex?”
Keep in mind, spandex is not your only choice. It is almost 2010 and there are alternatives. Many brands offer lines of workout clothing that stand up well to sweat, give support and also doing look like they were applied with a paint brush. Check out your local sporting goods stores from some alternatives.
Last night NASA scrubbed their launch of 
After a discussion about old items and old technology, I was flabbergasted at what people in the early 20’s just don’t know about. To say the least, their teenage years were VERY different from mine. They may have heard of some of these things, but they just don’t sink in. Has it really been 20 years? Fuck, I’m old!!! (Yes, this is one of those “Back in my days” articles)
Typewriters – I actually had to explain to someone what the hell a typewriter was today. AND at the end of this conversation, I was vindicated with the response, “You mean someone put a keyboard and a printer together and you didn’t have to walk over to the printer to get it. That would be sooooo awesome!” I almost dove over the conference room table to strange this individual.
LP-Vinyl Records – Back in the day, they used to press wax and call it an LP or Vinyl Record. It is pronounced rec•ord (rěk’ərd), like what a runner breaks with the new fastest time. When you wanted to buy music, you actually had to physically purchase something (similar to CDs today), not just a digital song that you could download straight to your iPod. From what I understand, Vinyl Records as actually making a come back. Personally I think they should stay gone, but some people insist that sound quality is better.
It has become apparent to me, that I have recently bitten off more than I can chew. In the last three days I have had to break plans, disappoint friends, miss deadlines and generally eat crow for stretching myself too thin. I won’t go into all the ghastly and gory details, but it hasn’t been a pretty week (and it is only Monday).
