Woohoo! 10,000! Keg at the brewery. Hazy copper, orange tint, thin dense creamy head, nice ring sticks around. Aroma of Smoke forward, hints of mesquite, toffee, hints of chocolate and minty hops. The taste is toffee, dark fruits, caramel, smoke. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, mild booze but not overpowering. Huge thanks to everyone for coming down and sharing this occasion with me, and huge thanks to the guys at 3 Notch’d for hosting us! 10,000 ratings is not merely a personal achievement, but a culmination of many hours of fellowship and sharing and the result of many producers putting out new products. It is a number that represents much more than 10,000 beers. For every annoying beer bro, bad beer and hangover along the way, there are many more interesting places visited, good experiences and friends made. Trying new beers is fun, but it’s those other experiences that makes it more than just ticking. While I cannot mention everyone here, there are a few I would like to thank, Ratebeerians and non-RBers alike. Levi and Dave from Three Notch’d for collaborating with me on this beer! The Virginia brewers whose beers, meads and ciders represent almost 18 percent of my total ratings. Nearly always of excellent quality, it has been a joy to drink in my own back yard. In particular, Dave at Three Notch’d, Hunter at Champion, Jason at Devils Backbone and Taylor and Matt at Blue Mountain. You guys have accounted for almost 500 ratings! Josh and John for creating Beer Run, my "local" and a home away from home. Jay the beer guru and all the bartenders over the years for putting up with me... Drew, Remy, Noell, Anne, Mama V, Marc and so many more. RIP Amy. Sean C. for being the man at Whole Foods and for rocking it at Champion. Sean N., Aimee, Henry and, yes, Chris, for being the original CVille tasting group. Sean N. for being a friend all these years. Mika and Eric who started as co-workers and became frequent drinking buddies and two of my best friends. Whole Foods and my credit card companies for enabling this hobby. Monticello Dairy and Beer Garden... you know who you are and why. Now onto the Ratebeer crowd. Maniac, Kinz, MaltDawg, Immy, TheBeerGod and Numenor for welcoming me to my first ever Ratebeer event where I hit 300 ratings. The whole Richmond crew for treating me as one of their own. Butters for being Butters. Travlr, CaptainCougar, Beerandblues2 and the rest of the DC crew for being some welcoming. Velkyal for your high standards, your starting a movement and your support. All of my trading partners. The admins for your collaboration and for teaching me a thing or two. Grand Rapids and Asheville for hosting excellent gatherings. Slutfest. Jackl for being my partner in crime these last two years. Obguthr for keeping it real in the Valley. Jcwattsrugger for your exploits all over the Eastern seaboard. It has been an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to see where the next 10,000 takes me!

32 oz growler from Dominion Wine & Beer poured into a Spiegelau tulip. Apparently Three Notch’d mistakenly sent them a keg of the bourbon instead of the regular. Black with a finger of tan head. Aromas of graham cracker, marshmallow, toasted coconut, sweet spices, subtle bourbon. Tastes of dark and milk chocolate, some spice, some oaky bourbon, light marshmallow and toasted coconut towards the back end. Medium-full body with a dry finish. Fairly low carbonation but doesn’t detract. Delicious.