It's Not Unusual

Beer #349 Old Peculier / T & R Theakston, Mashom Ripon, England
Beers to go: 17

Finally, we've arrived at the last Friday of the Penn State football season.  This of course means I'm not at work, but I am furiously working to get the tailgate prep taken care of.  Hearing snow showers in the forecast for Saturday.... can't wait!

Hopefully everyone has survived their hangovers/food coma, and is back in business today.  Please be nice to other people if you're out shopping.  Nothing says 'spirit of the season' like getting into a road rage incident in the parking lot because you're furious you can't find the Cabbage Patch Kid your little tyke has been whining about.  The 349th beer of the year is a bottle of Old Peculier, an old ale from T & R Theakston in England.  This ale has a dark mahogany color with a wispy off white head, and your nose finds the aroma of plums and malt.  The taste is a rich mix of raisin, honey, toffee, and malt, with a clean, slightly bitter finish.  Nice beer, particularly for a winter's day.  This beer takes its name from a court opened by the Bishop of York in the 12th century.

This  is not odd.

This brewery traces its history back to 1827 when Robert Theakston took over the Black Bull Inn and began brewing beer.  His sons Thomas and Robert took over the operation after his death, and they registered the name T & R Theakston for their "new" brewery.  The brewery was sold back in 1984 and eventually bought by Scottish & Newcastle, but members of the Theakston family bought the brewery back in 2003. Good bit of history on their website, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Thing to Think About Today:
While this beer is Peculier, it's definitely not unusual.  Therefore, let's have Tom Jones close out our Friday with It's Not Unusual.  Enjoy a sunny fall afternoon, everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSCnHtugSWg