Future Cicerone in the Making
Often, when taking notes on a beer that I’m unfamiliar with or enjoying for the first time, I’ll find myself missing things in the aroma that most other folks will pick up on. I mostly blame this on the Pixy Stix Disaster of ’83, but that’s a story for another time. As a result, I’ve relied on my wife to confirm and/or pick up on stuff I may have missed.
So, just yesterday my four year old daughter peered around the couch (while playing “Cheetah”) and found me with my nose buried in a glass of Sam Adam’s Hallertau Imperial Pilsner — trying to pinpoint the characteristics of the beer’s aroma.
“Whatcha doin’?” she asked.
After taking 10-15 minutes to explain why Daddy was nose deep in his glass of beer (probably going too far into the nuances of the fruit aromas present in a hoppy brew), she asked if she could smell it.
“Mmmmm…” she proclaimed smiling after a sniff over the top of the full glass.
Curious, I asked, “What do you smell?”
She looks at me like I should already know the answer to my own question, then answers:
“Beer, Daddy.”
…
I suppose I should have seen that coming.