Chasing the White Whale | The Hunt for the Elusive Beer

As the holidays approach and the days get darker, I've been thinking a lot about the great brews sitting in my cellar waiting for consumption. This time of year I tend to gravitate towards my bigger brews. They go great with a nice big snowfall. Nice way to warm up.  However, I've also been thinking about all the brews that I'll need to obtain to replenish my stash. There are so many that I want (need, who am I kidding) but often it is a never ending chase for the white whale.

Pliny the Elder & Heady Topper

As an avid instagram user, member of the Beer Advocate and RateBeer communities it's interesting to see what people are drinking across the country, and even globally. Being a Vermonter, I have access to some of the best beers available in the world. Heady Topper from the Alchemist, brews from Hill Farmstead, and Lawson's Finest Liquids are not difficult to get. The demand for these beers worldwide is incredible. Vermont is to be home to a lot of "white whales."

This year we had a huge increase in the available beer from new breweries nationwide thanks to distributors like Craft Beer Guild. Just this week the Beverage Warehouse and the Farmhouse Tap & Grill got Ballast Point from CA, they have such a tasty portfolio of nautically themed beers. Check out Sculpin, a nice IPA and Victory At Sea a phenomenal Imperial Porter perfect for this time of year. As a result of all this new beer, some of my "wants" have have landed at my local store. Typically I'll have to trade or find other ways to fulfill my wishlist. Sometimes though, the price is too steep and many of the rare beers will still evade me.

It's a great time for beer lovers, new breweries are opening all the time and the quality of craft beer is growing so even though Surly Darkness, Kate the Great, and many more still seem far away it's nice to know that great beer is truly all around us. Drink it in!

So what is your "White Whale?"