When I look down at the back of my left hand, I can still see the faintest image of a black star. Multiple hand washings since this past Saturday have removed all but the ink embedded in the low spots of my skin texture. When fresh and new, it was the obligatory hand stamp required at so many events. It's also the physical reminder of my attendance at the Lift Bridge Commander Release Party. It will soon totally disappear, but luckily I have many good memories that will not allow me to forget this event.
The newest release from Lift Bridge, Commander is a big 12.5% barleywine brewed with cardamom and partially aged in Heaven Hill Distillery bourbon barrels. To me, that description sounded delicious - and sipping it definitely put a smile on my face. I thought the beer could benefit from a little more aging, but it's definitely good for how young it is. At the release party, I asked Dan Schwarz for a few more details on the blending of this beer. Some of the brew was aged in the bourbon barrels, and some in stainless. Dan said they had a blending session and decided on 75% bourbon and 25% stainless. I think they chose well, and look forward to tasting it again after some more time has passed.
Of course, there was more than beer consumption happening at the release party. They kept people entertained with beanbag toss, hammerschlagen, live music, and tasty food. Not to mention the momentous opening of an enormous Commander double magnum bottle that was shared with all. (That's 4.5 liters of beer!) Anyone who desired to purchase some of the new beer could bring home up to six 750ml bottles. Yep, I bought some.
Sometime tomorrow, I'm sure the remnants of the hand stamp will be gone, but I've got 4 bottles of beer and a nice snifter glass to extend my enjoyment even further. The Lift Bridge crew sure does throw a good release party, and I will be happy to attend more of their events in the future.
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