The beer comes in a 1 1/2 pint bomber with a plain silver crimpcap and raw paper label. The label art features a scene of the moonlight shining threw the clouds onto a concrete pillbox overlooking the ocean. A scene that reminds me a great deal of my short time on Wake Island. Except it is not covered in trash from every country in the Pacific and dotted with dilapidated buildings. I miss Wake. It also has a little lithograph of a little ship under a moonlit sky. The bottle describes the beer as "PILLBOX ROBUST PORTER" "This brew uses a special blend of Hawaiian and Tahitian vanilla, offset by notes of chocolate, caramel & roasted barley malt. A thinner body complements the island climate and we add just enough hops to cut through the vanilla". I hope it's as they described, because that sounds awesome. The bottle also implores you to keep it cold, avoid sunlight, inform you that it ages well, and to recycle when you are finished. There is a space for the batch number, but there is nothing written there. "Drink Fresh" 6.5% ABV. Doesn't that contradict the part of the bottle that suggests it's ideal for aging? It does not have a production date, how would I know when to stop aging it? Well, whatever. I'm having it ever so slightly aged assuming it was at least a month old when I bought it about three months ago. Off with the cap!
The cap spews forth foam, but the bottle does not erupt, a good sign. Nose from the bottle is a deep molasses and roasted dark malt with chocolate and a little vanilla. The beer exploded into head when I poured it, I don't know what to make of it. I kind of wish I had a video of it to show everyone, it was pretty impressive. This head that rises like time-lapse bread dough is a deep cream color that slowly turns into a deep black beer. I have to pour in increments or I'm afraid the tulip glass will erupt with foam. Nose from the glass is much the same as the bottle, but with the main character being vanilla, instead of being an undertone. I can't wait to drink this beer after the head reduces to a point where I can. I'm going to take the first sip from the bottle like a caveman because I'm sick of waiting. OH LORD SAVE ME IT EXPLODED INTO FOAM IN MY MOUTH! It started pretty acidic, then went to a bitter chocolate malt, then vanilla, and then a big CO2 finish and after taste. It would seem to me that someone got a little overzealous with the CO2 gun while bottling. I gave it a while to settle down, swirled it around a little to get rid of the excess carbon dioxide. It seems to be acting normal now. Nose from the glass is sweet vanilla with chocolate undertones and a hint of dark malt. On first sip (from the glass, like a civilized person), It is smooth chocolate malt with vanilla and a caramel sweetness. I taste a little pear in it, oddly enough. I would call it a lower full body with almost no acidity and little alcohol bite. I'm picking up an ever so slightly dry finish with hoppy bitterness. Surprising, other than virtually exploding when poured, this beer is exactly as advertised. Bravo Lanikai brewing.
Had to move rooms again, just getting settled into the new one now. It's going to be a pretty nice set up, if I do say so myself. Listening to ElectroSwing tonight. It's an interesting mix of past and present. Reminds me of the stuff Fatboy Slim was doing in in the late 1990's or TACO in the early 80's, except ElectroSwing is more swing then techno. Speaking of techno, what happened to the band Maldroid? I guess they were actually ElectroPop, but still. According to Wikipedia, they effectively disbanded in 2009. How time flies. I remember Olivia and I were getting ready to go to school when the YouTube homepage had their song "HECK NO! (I'll never listen to techno)" with the light bright animation came on. I was obsessed with that song for at least a week.
I don't really feel any older or any different than that 17 year old kid who saw this video. I certainly have more experiences under my belt then he did. Allot more knowledge and confidence. Although fewer prospects on getting a girlfriend. I just could not wrap my head around how many girls actually liked me back then, just going around completely oblivious to their interest. I once didn't realize a girl was hitting on me until a year later. A YEAR! What the hell!? Although when I did notice, we often had irreconcilable religious differences. Kind of wish I had gone for it sometimes. It's always been one thing or another stopping me, any number of things really. But even if it didn't work out, I would still have liked the experience. Outside of military I find it hard to find a girl out here because I'm not particularly attracted to Japanese chicks, and being a well versed in the culture of the cold war as a child (although I kind of did that to myself), I have massive trust issues with anyone who does not have Injin blood. Canada, United States, Mexico, Belize, Panama, Honduras, Cuba (Fled only), Dominican republic, Jamaica, Bahamas, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia. If you don't come from one of those places, I am going to have trust issues with you. Look, I am what I am, and it is what it is. But deep down that's how I feel. After that, I would like to add every country on the continent of Africa, the country of India, Taiwan, Korea, and western Europe. after that I suppose eastern Europe. I have a bizarre fascination with eastern Europe, but I'm also incredibly cautious with it, former communists you know. Maybe that's why I don't have a girlfriend, who want's to be with a guy paranoid about a war that ended a couple months after he was born. Well I'm sorry, the Chinese Communist Party is still in power and Putin is being a real ass. I really can't shut the paranoid side of me off. It's always there, sometimes holding me back, sometimes protecting me. It's like, "things are pretty good right now, but you know how it really is right? And you know how they can use that against you.".
Final thoughts, Great beer. Could not recommend it enough, provided it is not as thoroughly carbonated as the one I just had. I give this beer my blurry seal of approval.
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