Gitomer is good.

I had a chance to ask Jeffrey Gitomer a question earlier today.

His answer was pretty freaking helpful first off and secondly it's given me something to think about for the past 10 hours.

The specifics of my question and his answer are not important to this post but some interesting generalities are.

I think back to the editors cut of Pulp Fiction in a scene from Mia's house that did not make the final cut. Mia asks Vincent; In conversation to you listen or wait to talk? Vincent thinks about it and says "I have to admit I wait to talk, but I'm trying harder to listen.

Something Gitomer talks about is listening with the intent to understand. Following this advice and like Vincent Vega I've been trying harder to understand lately when talking to people. Sometimes it's hard, especially when they are flowery talkers and take forever to say the extra words (that I've already figured they were going to say) but it's something I'm actively working on.

Anyhow, this is one point of my reason for bringing this up. When I asked Gitomer my question he answered it from what was obviously a firm position of really trying to understand me/where I was coming from. I know this because the answer is just too fitting for a person that does not know me. People that know me know how I operate. They know my motives, ways, and so on. To have somebody "size me up" so fast in just a few words was pretty interesting.

One of my goals for this year is to continue to work on listening until it becomes a habit for me. Obviously we all listen to people when we talk to them or no communication would go on. I'm just realizing that there is a much deeper level of information being passed on during conversation than I was aware of before. Like a lower sound frequency that you have to tune your ear to if you want to hear it.

Yeah, I suspect there is a LOT of information being passed that goes under the radar because we capture enough detail to formulate our best response and the rest gets lost in white noise.

I think being like Vincent Vega and trying harder to listen is a pretty good idea. Leaving your gun in the kitchen instead of bringing it to the bathroom....not such a good idea.

Firestone Walker XV

I had a whole plan to do an update post covering all the big changes over the last month or so and some of the things I've been up to but when I decided to crack into my Firestone Walker XV things changed.

It requires a post of it's own, I will try to do the bigger update post tomorrow.

Right now all attention is on this amazing beer.

Let's start with the fact that I am notoriously hard on dark styles. Next I'd like to say that my first homebrew club was the Foam Rangers and the club style is Barlewine. Suffice it to say I have have probablly had (other than other Foam Rangers) more Barleywine than most people will ever see in their lifetimes.

XV is a Barlewine...sort of... it's a blend of barrel aged beers that the majority of in Barleywine. It also has some Imperial brown, DPA, Oatmeal stout, DIPA, and the absolute best RIS I've ever tasted in my life the phenomenal Parabola.

The first thing I'll say is that fully understanding this beer in one 22oz bottle is impossible. All I can do is try my best to convey as much as I can in this session.
It's likely this will be my only XV so here goes....

First for the pedestrians I'll say this;

Big barrel character is evident. The predominate force in the first sips are almost unrecognizable or difficult to place. I think it's because the oak and barrel taste from the bourbon and brandy barrels is not in your immediate taste library for beer. If you settle into it the barrel taste is screaming at you with other things waiting in the background. As you dig in and explore you will find some roast notes, a little fig, huge chocolate covered cherries, hay, leather... don't worry about that but hay and leather, toffee and then it just gets so complex that you can't retain focus anymore.


Long story short it's unbelievable!

I also followed the recommendations from FW and filled a wine glass half way and warmed up to 55F.

 

For those that won't get too freaked out by the transport read on for those that don't get it ignore what follows.

I drink this beer and I'm forcefully thrown into a stable type setting. I see a large flat wagon. This setting is obviously hundreds of years ago. I can see large wagon wheels and a flat wagon with nothing on it. I'm not too sure what the difference between a barn and a stable is but maybe this is a barn. There aren't any animals in it so I really don't know what type of structure this is but there is the wagon, hay or straw... long straw(s) are under the wagon wheels and there is this straw/hay stuff laying around. I'm laying on the straw "bed". I want to say it's France but I've really got no idea. It's the time when when men would wear very skinny swords. I know because I've got on tall leather boots, a Sienfield like puffy shirt, and have a long skinny sword. Nice summer day, very comfortable temps, and in this moment life is good.

Present moment... I've just finished the last bit of the XV and feel lucky to have had it for the brief moment I did.

Totally awesome!!

I don't think much of the Firestone Union Jack but both Parabola and XV have blown me away. Angie tasted it and walked over to the sink to spit it out. Maybe most people won't care for this type of beer. I'm reminded of my buddy Luke who reminded me just a couple weeks ago how much he hated the awesome Sour ale from Avery we had some months ago. And that the beer world has a large range of offerings. Everything isn't for everybody. Barrel aged blended Barelywine beer might only appeal to a small group of people....

I'm glad I got a chance at it.