5 Great Reasons to Change West Virginia’s Beer Laws
West Virginia beer laws severely limit the availability of most of the world’s greatest beers for Mountain State consumers. In fact, out of The Beeradvocate Top 100 Beers of the World, I count only one (Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter) that is available in West Virginia! 1 out of 100! This should be reason enough for all of us to show up on the steps of the capitol with torches and pitchforks in hand to demand a change.
Here are five of my favorites that I have purchased out of state in the past.
Trappist Rochefort 10 – Belgium 11.3% ABV: This is as close as it gets to heaven on earth for me and it fits into such a small bottle! I wish I could get a case of this stuff and just hand out samples at the next legislative session. Our laws would change that afternoon! (Brewed at Abbey Rochefort)
Trappist Orval – Belgium 6.9% ABV: I know… another Trappist beer. But it’s really yummy! Out of the six Trappist breweries, Orval is the most unique in flavor. It tastes more like specialty pale ale than typical rich, malty trappist ale. It is the only Trappist beer that is fermented with brettanomyces yeast, giving it a sourish finish. It comes in one size; a cute little 33cl bowling pin shaped bottle. (Brewed at Abbey Orval)
Thomas Hardy’s Ale – UK 11.9% ABV: This is a beer for cellaring. At 11.9% ABV, it can age and improve for many years. Each bottle is marked with its “Born On Date,” but it’s up to you to decide when you should drink it. Or you may want to leave it behind for others to toast you at your wake… (a little Halloween morbidity for you)
Bell’s Expedition Stout – Michigan 10.5% ABV: If you think you are not afraid of the dark, I bet you’ll change your tune after only one of these. This is the stout of stouts. A rich, roasty beer with coffee and chocolate overtones. By the way, I think it’s your brain that goes on the expedition.
Saison DuPont – Belgium 6.5% ABV: This beer is the “Swiss Army knife” of beer and food pairings. This farmhouse ale is strong and spritzy enough to cut through moderately fatty fish, poultry and cheese dishes, but still subtle enough to pair with very delicate foods and even dessert. Or, you can just drink it by itself! (Also available in an organic version-shown)
October 31st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I moved to VA for work but hope to move back home to WV. One of the factors as to why I am not in much of a hurry to do is the nice beer selection in the Northern VA area.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Uuumm uurr Rich, the pic of the Saison is the organic version. Man, I wish we could get great Belgian beer(other than Whit & 1 Gueze) in WV. Trappist, Brasserie a`Vapeur & Fantome among other great beers. 1 out of 100, pretty pathetic!
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:12 am
Great Belgian beer? Is that an oxymoron?
November 7th, 2007 at 9:34 am
I moved to WV from KY in October of this year and was disappointed to find less than half of my favorite beer in local stores. I still go to Lexington for my drinks.
November 7th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I feel your pain Lucas… I just hope you have enough self-control to wait until you are home to pop the cap! (That’s a long-haul when your payload is great beer!)
November 8th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Yes, they do make great beers! There are titles of books with the phrase ‘Great beers of Belgium’ in them. Not too many book titles on Corona(the beer) with or without a lime.(served using a set of glove or tongs or not).
December 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
The comment about great Belgium beer being an oxymoron is exactly why they need to change the law. Belgium is a beer mecca and has a good number of the tops beers in the world with out a doubt. I live in New York but will fly right down to Yeager to storm the capitol.
December 27th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Lord, That’s just Chris W… He is designated “poop-stirrer” of this blog and also at the local brewing club. I personally have witnessed him in what I would classify as “orgasmic bliss” (or was it just indigestion?) while sipping on many great Belgian beers.
Make sure you drop me a line before you come on our turf to storm the capitol. We wouldn’t want you to go alone and certainly not without some inspiration in the way of a goblet or two from my contraband stock of trappist ales!
December 28th, 2007 at 5:34 am
Sure, if you like infected beers. Hey, I tried to make a brown ale, but it went wrong, what do I do, I know, I’ll call it a Belgian!