Get It While You Can and Dig It

Janis Joplin, a Texan and blues rock great, had as her last song on her last album, "Pearl," a song that summed up life in some ways - "Get It While You Can." "Your taking a gamble on a little sorrow, but then who cares baby, 'cause we may not be here tomorrow."

So, during my 12-minute guided tour of Shiner, the tour guide, once done with the growling and ordering of our herd, asked, "Have you had our '106' yet?"  Some said yes, like children reluctant to disappoint a strict teacher.  "Better get it while you can," was her reply.  Now, I'm not so sure that our guide is a Janis fan.  Her star has faded with the ages with only us loyal fans still clinging to her great blues voice that could be beautiful one moment and then gravelly the next.  However, it did cause me to stop at the local store once home and seize the moment (carpet diem, oh, sorry, carpe diem) when I saw an individual six pack of the product there on the shelf.

The urgency of getting a review out was in case you read it and decide you want to try it.  Get it while you can because even Spec's here in Lubbock, America only had one six pack of it as well.  I opened one bottle just for this moment, poured it, and then took a clean whiff of the stout.  FYI - It is a chocolate stout and the aroma is prevalent.  In cigar language, aroma is only one part of the experience, and in this case, the aroma is deceiving.  As the Shiner website notes, "it has a soft, creamy head." Indeed.  You can taste the cocoa and it has a distinct aroma of chocolate, but it doesn't interfere with the stout.  In fact, I'm wondering how a stout would taste with a Hershey's now.

St. Arnold's has their annual Winter Stout out at the same time (two Texas beers) and it, too, has chocolate as part of its recipe.  The chocolate is much more subtle than Shiner's, but the stout holds its own cleanly and remains a great beer.  You can learn more about it on their website.

So, Shiner 106, a Chocolate Stout in honor of its birthday.  Yes in my book.  Alcohol of 5% by the way.  St. Arnold's Winter Stout.  Seasonal ale.  Yes as well.  Alcohol is slightly les than Shiner, but so what? Both are now available, and as Janis said, "Get it while you can."  Although I'm certain "it" wasn't beer to Janis.  IT is beer to me, so we know what the definition of "it" is.  Or as John Lennon once sang, "Dig it.  Dig it.  Dig it.  Dig it."