When the wind turns cold

So Fall thus far has been a gloriously warm and sunny event....That is until today. The winds blew in the cold rainy weather that you get from the North Sea. Y'know the infamous "Vente Dur Nord". My beer tastes tend to ebb and flow with the seasons allowing me to sample some forgotten gems. With the coming of fall, my choice tends to fall with the dark and complex notions of an old ale or imperial stout. One of my guilty pleasures in life is to buy a beer worthy of spending time in the cellar and hiding it out of site. Occassionally when I feel the itch of curiosity beckon me...I take up the search. Looking behind boxes or reaching into an old boot to draw forth a dusty bottle. If you have not tried this test of will and patience I encourage you to do so...just make good and sure that the bottle you hide from yourself has the stones to hold up to time. The bottle I sampled last night did so with a sense of style...a graceful and balanced cup-o-midnight. Nine years ago, when I was free from the pressures of fatherhood, I concocted an imperial stout. I can only remember from dusty notes what the beer was like then, but now it had transformed into something that I can only describe as profound. So again, I charge you with finding some beautiful ale to tuck away only to find it in the years to come. Stay warm, stay informed and stay beery.