I opened the box to be greeted by another box wrapped in a red ribbon with the Redhook logo and 2009 Limited Edition in fancy gold lettering. I knew then that this was no ordinary box. This was a box that had a ribbon around it.

I resisted the urge to break the golden seal and brought the box into work the next day so I could share. I was happy to find not just a beer but also a glass.

I poured it in the glass and it was brown and had some head to it. Sorry, I suck at reviews and really care more about taste than anything else.

I liked this beer. It didn’t have as strong an alcohol taste and wasn’t as sweet as some barley wines but it was nice and smooth for a 10% ABV brew. If you like barley wines I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. Want some more details? Here’s what Redhook says about it:

Boasting big aromatic malts, Redhook Treblehook pours a dark gold with a velvety mouthfeel and a slightly bitter finish. Brewed in the style of a traditional American barley wine with a 10.1% ABV and 57 IBUs, Treblehook sets itself apart by playing up the hops to add depth and complexity. Dry-hopped vigorously throughout the six-month process, Treblehook’s strength comes from its ability to have a strong hop flavor while still allowing the malt characteristics to shine through.

“We wanted Treblehook to have all the classic barley wine characteristics,” said Doug MacNair, brewmaster for Redhook Ale Brewery. “We spent time getting the subtleties right, balancing the malts with a strong hop backbone to create Redhook’s take on the style.”

Here’s some other reviews that are probably better than this one:

• A Good Beer Blog – Barley Wine: Treblehook, Redhook Ale Brewery
• The Barley Blog – Redhook Treblehook Barley Wine
• Just Beer – Redhook Treblehook Barley Wine

Interesting World map with beer labels representing the countries. I see at least one that looks out of place (Shiner for Chad). Anyone else?

Found in a grocery store in Helen, GA. Lucky for me they had good beer as you can see by the Old Chub next to it. We passed on the Keystone Light and picked up some Magic Hat, SweetWater, Terrapin, and Dog Fish Head.

At the end of May, I was in San Francisco for WordCamp and to visit the mother ship of the company I work for, Voce Communications. The latter part is important because that’s how I met Richard Brewer-Hay. He’s a client of ours and the man behind the eBay Ink blog. But, most importantly, he is the proprietor of Elizabeth Street Brewery.

Elizabeth Street Brewery is not what first pops into your mind when you think of a brewery, but it is probably better than most breweries you’ve been to. ESB as it is called, is “a pub for the people, by the people” housed in what is the back end of Alyson and Richard’s garage at their house in Noe Valley. Lest you think this is just part of a garage, this is just part of a garage that TLC’s While You Were Out made it into a pub. They brew on the weekends (check their blog or @esbale on Twitter for details) and usually welcome visitors in for a pint. This is where they hone their brewing skills while scouting out a location for a “real” brewery and pub in the area.

Richard and Alyson were kind enough to open the pub for us after a long day at WordCamp and Richard shared his beers and stories with us. Time and maybe a few too many beers before and during our visit have made my memory a little foggy as to what we had, but I do remember the beer being great and the stories even better. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out what they are doing and ESB and stop by for a pint.

Here’s some photos from our night:

So, I’ll just let Jay Brookston take it from here. Not only does he sum up much of what I’ve been thinking over the past few weeks, but he is a much better writer than I. The latter should not be news to anyone but my mom: she thinks I’m special and would have chuckled at the “brewhaha” reference that I refrained from using.

If only it was real…

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• 60 Minute IPA: 209
• 90 Minute IPA: 294
• Midas Touch: 307
• Shelter Pale Ale: 168
• 120 Minute IPA: 450
• Black and Blue: 290
• Burton Baton: 320
• Fort: 415
• Red and White: 310
• World Wide Stout: 372
• Aprihop: 240
• Chicory Stout: 185
• Festian Peche: 160
• Punkin Ale: 230

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The fine folks at Guinness (standard disclaimers about fine folks apply) are promoting the Proposition 3-17 movement to get SPD made into a national holiday in the US. Check out the site for details and sign the petition. You can add their Facebook page to your profile and get credit for anyone that signs the petition from your page. What’s that good for? Well, your name will scroll across the marquis on the Prop 3-17 site. Don’t be greedy, this is about a holiday about beer (not really) so raise a pint and sign the petition!

If you need SPD paraphenalia, check out KegWorks. I’m eyeing the shot glasses made of dark chocolate.

In related news, I’m promoting the movement to use SPD in place of St. Patrick’s Day to save on letters and punctuation in these tough economic times.

I was on what I think was the last one of these in September, 2007 when the bus broke down on the way to the first bar. We made the best of it and made it to the first bar in Sanford and had a mini-tour that also ended there I’m looking forward to doing another one of these and would be there next weekend if I wasn’t going to be out of town.

Tickets are on sale at Redlight Redlight. For more info, see the Beer Bomb of the Month MySpace page.