Breweries "Visited"

Saturday, December 8, 2012

A True Champion

Beer #364 St. Sebastiaan Dark / Brouwerij Sterkens, Meer, Belgium
Beers to go: 2

Rather busy day today, as I spent the afternoon celebrating the 9th anniversary of TJ's, one of my favorite bars in the world.  Incredible beer list to commemorate the big day, and I managed to drink some of the best beers I've had in a long time.  And, the beauty of going out for drinks at lunch?  I'm home at a very early hour, already unwinding and getting ready for bed.

Tonight I'm reviewing a bottle of St. Sebastiaan Dark, a dubbel from Brouwerij Sterkens in Belgium.  This beer has a dark brown, nearly black color in the glass, with a tan head.  The aroma gives you yeast and floral notes, and when you take a sip, you get stone fruits, malt, and some cola flavors.  This beer is certainly very good, but lacks some oomph.  It did get better as it warmed in the glass, and if you see this one on a shelf somewhere, it's definitely worth your time.
The extra A in Sebastiaan is for 'Awww right!'
Brouwerij Sterkens has been in business since 1651, although only in the past 15 years have they started shipping their wares out to other countries.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
By the time you read this, the Heisman Trophy will have been awarded for this college football season.  For years, the Heisman has been the most prestigious award given out in college football, annually awarded to the most outstanding player.  Admittedly, in recent years this trophy has been more of a silly popularity contest; an award given to the best player on the best team in college football, regardless of whether or not they were actually the "most outstanding player" in the sport (for example:  fraudulent 2012 nominee, Manti Te'o).

I digress.  Regardless of how the winner gets picked, the ceremony is one of the must watch moments of the college football year.  On this date thirty nine years ago, Penn State running back (and my fraternity brother) John Cappelletti was awarded the iconic trophy.  Today, the winner isn't known until their name is called, but back in those days, the winner was chosen in advance and the ceremony was a formality where the trophy was handed out.  However, drama was in abundant supply that year, as Cappelletti used his acceptance speech to dedicate the trophy to his eleven year old brother, Joey, who was stricken with leukemia.

Joey passed away a year later, but this speech lives on as the most touching moment in the entire history of the Heisman Trophy.  A movie, Something for Joey, was made about the Cappelletti family story - a must watch for all sports fans.  Tonight, someone will walk home with a big, shiny trophy and a spot in the history books.  However, save the majority of your applause for kids like Joey Cappelletti - true heroes who fight not for success on the gridiron, but instead for their very lives.


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