Last year at about this time, I came across a new beer from 21st Amendment (a brewpub out in San Francisco, CA) that I loved. I bought it by the sixpack regularly but then one day, on a day that came far too soon, I was told it was gone. Sold out. “Sorry, it’s a seasonal and the season is done!” OK, so that last part isn’t a direct quote, but that was the gist. I was amazed. It wasn’t even Spring yet, and this deliciously crisp session beer was off the market?! Well this year I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m going to buy even more. [Editor's Note: Since writing this, 21st Amendment has announced that this beer is now year round.] Why don’t I tell you a little bit about it:

Bitter American does not pour like what many think of as “American beer.” That is, if you think of American beers as represented by the likes of light, corn/rice filled lagers that are best consumed out of cups sitting on a ping-pong table or during a super hot summer day after mowing the lawn. This brew pours a crystal clear deep orangey golden...almost a burnt sienna, if I wanted to pick a fancy sounding word.The head is white with just the slightest hint of brown to it, and it puffs right up before falling down to a good, solid half finger that just lounges at the top of your glass.

Now if you’re one of those people who think session beer is weak and flavorless well...well, you’re probably new to this site, actually, come to think of it...and this beer will certainly turn your mind around! The smell is nothing but American hops! Citrusy, a little piney and fruity, this beer smells like a crisp hop-bomb that needs to be drank, like, right now.

Oh yeah! Lately I’ve been a little sick of over-resiny hoppy beers and this is exactly what I’m looking for. It’s got some major fruity hop flavor, just like it smells. The bitterness is assertive, but it keeps a respectful distance at the same time; it’s just very well balanced for the minimal malt in this beer. Speaking of malt, it’s definitely there and you can taste it, but the only word I can think of to describe it is clean. It provides a nice, mild character to the beer, but it’s not overdone. I guess that would be how I sum up this whole beer. It’s got assertive hops, good bitterness and some tasty clean malt to it, but not of it is overdone.

[Editor's Note: This was written before 21st Amendment announced that this beer was going year-round...so please consume the rest of this article with that in mind.]

I wish this was a year-round beer from 21st Amendment because this would be a staple in my fridge at all times. It’s a great beer for relaxing with in the winter, but I bet it would be an even better beer for hanging out with in the summer! Plus, the fact that it comes in cans means it’s perfect for barbecues, the beach and any other place that glass can’t go. The fact that it’s only available from January to March seems like a crime given how well it would work for summer.

In fact, you know what? Why don’t you email Nico and Shaun, the founders of 21st Amendment, and let them know that this should be a year-round beer. Here’s the contact information from their website:

Nico Freccia - Co-Founder/Businesss Operations - email: Nico AT 21st-Amendment.com

Shaun O'Sullivan -- Co-Founder/Brewmaster/Media Relations - email: Shaun AT 21st-Amendment.com

I picked up a six-pack of this craft beer at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont.

A few weeks ago, we interviewed the founder of Heavy Seas Beers, Hugh Sisson. While I was writing up the article, I got to thinking how much I’ve enjoyed many of their beers as well as how I haven’t had anything by them in a long time. Flash into the future a couple weeks and I find myself at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA picking up a few bottles when what do I see? Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet 2011 Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks Barleywine! I think, “This has got to be a sign!” and pick up a bottle. I’m glad I did! Heavy Seas doesn’t always get the attention it deserves up here in the well-served craft beer market of Massachusetts, but this might change a couple peoples’ minds!

Normally barleywines pour a golden to rich honey hue, but Barrel Aged Below Decks bucks that trend and falls into the glass a rich, near-opaque coffee color. A tan, single header forms on top but quickly dissipates into a patchy film on top, most likely an effect of the high alcohol and wine barrel aging.

With a barrel aged beer, I often worry that the barrel is going to overwhelm any inkling of the original expression. In this case my fear is assuaged, the first smell I get is a sweet, kind of boozy, malt. It’s rich, smooth and, honestly, smells like the perfectly comforting beer for a cold night. We haven’t had many of those in Boston this year yet, but it’s starting to trend that way so I’m happy to have this one.

Upon reexamining, though, you’ll definitely find a good, strong hint of that Cabernet barrel they splash across the front label. It’s possible to overlook it at first as the dark fruit tones of the wine blend so well with the character of the malt and slightly fruity nature of the English-style barleywine. This is a great example of finding a character that enhances the beer and playing it up. It’s always great to see barrel aging done subtly and in a thoughtful way.

Let this beer warm up a bit before drinking. Then, my instructions are simple: Sip. Pause. Enjoy. Think. Repeat. Honestly, all the components have just come together very well and I am super impressed! One of my favor aspects of this brew is just how smooth and creamy it is; it’s nothing short of incredible in the mouthfeel department. As you take the initial sip, just before it hits your tongue, there’s a quick suggestion of cocoa, but it’s gone as soon as the beer hits your lips, overtaken by  plum and fig-like dark English malts. The Cabernet plays right into these aspects, adding an extra level of fruitiness that, with the sweet malt, makes this beer an enjoyment to linger over every sip. Finally, the oak wraps it all up and melds everything together while smoothing the whole shebang out. Only at the end will you note a bit of alcohol but hey, that ain’t bad for a 10% abv beer, right? Definitely go out and try this one soon, it’s a limited batch but it’s oh so worth hunting down.

By the way, this would be a great Valentine’s Day beer! It’s got notes of chocolate, fruit and is insanely smooth. Most anyone will like the beer and it will go great with desert.

I picked this bottle up at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont.

One of the best things about craft beer is that the beer is made and the companies are run by people who care about what they do. Also, many breweries are local or regional companies which means it's made in your area. All of this lends itself to one of my favorite things about the industry: you can actually know the people that brew your beer and run the companies that produce the brew that you love!

With that in mind, we've launched a series of articles where we'll talk with people from the craft brewing industry and ask them a series of five (or sometimes more) questions so that you can get to know these fine people a bit better.

We're happy to introduce our second guest for this series, Shane Welch, the President of Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, NY. It's been a longtime since we had our first Sixpoint beer, back when they were only sporadically on tap in Boston. And it was love at first sip! So much so that we even visited them years ago when we drove down the East Coast brewery hopping. So, with that said, we'll jump right into the interview.

Drink Craft Beer: How did you get into craft beer?

Shane Welch: I got into craft beer at an earlier age than probably anyone in the industry.  My father was a very early adopter of "craft beer" in the 1970s when your selection was strictly limited to import brands.  At the time, he was drinking Chimay and high-end German imports.  Here is a photo [at right] from 1981 where I am drinking the dregs out of my father's ceramic stein.  I loved the taste of beer ever since it crossed my lips.

DCB: What was the turning point (a beer or moment) that made you love craft beer?

SW: Are you requesting my "a-ha" moment?  :-)   My "a-ha" moment was when I started to drink real homebrewed beer.  It was the first time I realized that beer could actually be something beyond a commodity - something that was a live product, fermented cereal grains seasoned with hops. 

DCB: You walk into a magical beer shop with every beer currently available. You can put together one six-pack. What do you walk out with? Only one beer can be from your brewery.

SW: This is sort of a trick question because many of my favorite beers are not available in bottles.  They are draft-only varieties.  But since this is a "magical" beer shop I am assuming they also can magically bottle these draft-only varieties and have them for sale.  :-)   In that case, I will go with beers from:

Live Oak Hefeweizen
Live Oak IPA
Barrier Brewing Company Dunegrass (shout out to Craig Frymark and Evan Klein)
Hill Farmstead Ephraim (shout out to Dan Suarez and Sean Hill)
Ale Asylum (shout out to Dean Coffey)
Augustiner Edelstoff Helles (non-export version, the fresh draft straight from the brewery) - fyi this is a beer I can drink gallons of

DCB: What would you be doing for a career if you weren’t in beer?

SW: Mathematician, and probably working for or with Google.

DCB: What do you drink when you’re not drinking craft beer (or beer at all)?

SW: I love to drink and collect different teas from all over the world. 

DCB: Where do you see the craft beer industry going in the next year? And, in that vein, can we get a sneak peak at what new to expect from you in the coming year?

SW: Craft has legs and will continue to grow, even if the growth tapers on a percentage basis.  Regarding new beer releases...let's just say we will be combining German precision and engineering with Sixpoint creativity.   :-)

DCB: You can brew any beer you like, no matter the cost and consumer demand, what would you make and what dream ingredients would you use?

SW: The Poppenoff, without a doubt.  If you have to ask, you'll never know.   ;-) [Editor's Note: We have no idea what this beer is...we'd have to ask, so I guess we'll never know]

DCB: Thanks for your time, Shane! And thanks to your dad for having such great taste in beer back in the day...without that, we may never have been able to experience nano-kegs! Also, Shane and Sixpoint just brought on a new Brewmaster as Shane transitions out of overseeing all of the brewing operations himself and into running the company even more. Look our for a new 5 Questions with Sixpoint Brewmast Jan Matysiak soon!

In our Top 11 Craft Beers of 2011: Drink Craft Beer Edition and our Top 11 Craft Beers of 2011: Readers' Choice Edition we looked back at the year that was 2011.

Well, now it's time to look forward. We've seen a lot of experts and industry folks saying what they think is going to be the next big thing in craft beer in 2012. Do you want to know what we're really interested in, though? What you, the craft beer drinkers, think is going to be big in 2012!

Vote below then let us know which way you went on Twitter, on Facebook or in the comments below the poll. If you voted "other" let us know what you think that "other" is and why! Cheers!