I recently met the in-laws in Sacramento for some R&R. After a couple days traipsing through our state capital, we decided to head north to Chico. Nobody knew I had the ulterior motive of finally making it to Sierra Nevada Brewing. Unfortunately, the brewery's tour schedule was not sympathetic to our plans. We had to settle for a visit to their store and I found a couple of bottles of this week's beer: the 30th anniversary Black Barleywine Ale, aka Jack & Ken's Ale. This is one of four brews commemorating the brewery's 30th anniversary.

The bottles were chilling in the bottom shelf of my fridge since May. I figured trying one right now wouldn't hurt. The first thing I noticed when I popped the cork was the aroma. It is a deep chocolatey maltiness that is easy to breathe in. The ale itself is almost completely opaque with a velvety brown color topped by a dense head.

My first drink really surprised me. It wasn't the malty, gentle hops or the slight carbonation or the way the slightly bitter after taste danced on the my tongue. No, it was how mellow this ale was overall. While I drink porters and stouts, I tend to stay away from them because they fill me up too fast. Jack & Ken's Ale had a more light feel to me. Beware the 10.2% alcohol content. It will knock you on your ass if you are not prepared. Since this brew is so robust, I did not try it with any food. I think this will end up being my last meal for today. Lucky for me, I have one more bottle in the fridge for another day.

Please note: I purchased this beer at Sierra's store in Chico. You can go to their website and search for a retailer near you. Alas, there is nobody within 100 miles of me selling this beer according to their website. Roadtrip!

30th Anniversary – Jack & Ken's Ale
25.4 oz bottles
Sierra Nevada