Dear taste buds of mine,

Please allow me to apologize. For the past several months, I have subjected you to countless citrus and grassy and and herbal palate expeditions. I acknowledge that this has been both unfair, and disrespectful to you all. You stuck by me through all the years of garbage beer, and have remained diligent fighters and students as I slowly immersed us into the glorious world of craft beer. We have been through pint after pint of well crafted brew, and you have had no problem letting me know that, while you could appreciate all of the IPAs and lagers and such, in the deliciously dark waters of the stouts were where you preferred to swim. So, seeing as how you remained loyal to me as I attempted to branch out a bit, allow me to offer a peace and thank you offering in the form of a glass full of the Weyerbacher Fifteen. I truly hope you find it to your liking.

When poured, the coloration alone should be enough to get all of you watering. It takes on the darkest of dark browns, which means it boarders on black if viewed from the proper angle. On top of it sits a fingers worth of mocha colored head, that almost looks like a heavy cream before dissipating down to a thin resting film. If you will trust what my eyes are telling you all, then I beg of you to believe my nose as well. The smell of campfire smoke wafts out of the glass to greet you before you even have the chance to lean in and explore. As you get in closer, the smoke starts to thin out, and more delicate layers of bittersweet chocolate, mild coffee, slightly burnt malts, charred oak, and maybe even a roasted plum or two can be pointed out. Hey, a roasted plum could happen, so don't go getting all high and mighty on me. So do you guys forgive me yet, or do I need to go on?

I know to this point, I have been unfair at the least, and possibly even torturous to you all by just describing what it looks like and smells like without giving you a chance to judge for yourselves. I feel like you all have earned the first sip, and every one that follows it, so by all means lets get you started. Can you taste the smoke as it bathes you all right off the bat? Can you appreciate the fact that it is going to be there for the rest of the session? Don't worry, it doesn't get in the way of all the other flavors to come, but I just wanted to make sure you were ok with it. Next, can you pick out the melted chocolate feel and taste that follows the smoke? It has a bit of a bite to it, but its boldness helps balance the bite nicely. It will then give way to a bit of an earthy espresso flavor that has a linger to it, and I assure you that you will all be more than happy with its stay. At times, lighter notes of burnt sugar and peat will come through to keep you all at attention, and just for an added bonus, a full on coating of hops tingle pokes at you all after each sip. If it weren't for the overall velvety mouthfeel of it, I might see the need to apologize for this tingle, but I feel as though you guys should just view it as a welcome twist more than anything else.

So to all of my taste buds, I again say I am sorry. I know I led you off your preferred path for a while, but I hope that you find this apology in the form of the Weyerbacher Fifteen suitable. Together, we have all had great experiences in the past with some of the other offerings from Weyerbacher, so when I saw the Fifteen and read its description, I instantly thought of you. I hope that it shows you all how much I care and am willing to do for you. Please know that I only search out for the best of the best, and I really feel that this beer should show you exactly how much you mean to me. I always want you to be happy when we take a journey though a pint of tasty beer, and this beer really should be pleasing to you all. If any of you feel as though I have let you down in any way when it comes to this beer, I openly invite you to let me know. However, it is my prediction that you will now have to maintain a bit of silence thanks to the awesomeness I just offered.

Sincerely,
Me