On this the event of my 1000th rating, I have a few comments to share. I have had a 12 oz bottle of Firestone Walker Napa Parabola put away for over a year for this occasion and it gets the honor. Such has been my anticipation. The 1000 reviews have taken me just short of five years to accomplish. One thing I have learned in this time is that it is most important to enjoy the higher-level beers, an approach of quality over quantity. That will likely mean, going forward, I will spend less effort on trying to accumulate and sample lesser beers just in order to add to my ratings. I have a few highlights of my time with RateBeer to speak about: My 100th tasting was Trappistes Rochefort 10, an unintentional but timely effort. This beer taught me there are many great Belgian ales, particularly quadrupels, out there to try. In 2019 I was fortunate to have been met in Arnhem, the Netherlands by another RBer who was an acquaintance who became a friend and then a good friend. This showed me the greater potential of being with RateBeer. A fine afternoon we had sampling a number of brews and just hanging out, a Dutchman and me, an American, along with my wife. With RateBeer I learned how to express the difference between quadrupels, my favorite style, and tripels and dubbels and strong dark Belgian ales and the others. It has been a fine education. I knew before that I liked quads, my favorite style. I just could not properly explain the reasons why. Obviously that changed. [ less ]

On this the event of my 1000th rating, I have a few comments to share. I have had a 12 oz bottle of Firestone Walker Napa Parabola put away for over a year for this occasion and it gets the honor. Such has been my anticipation. The 1000 reviews have taken me just short of five years to accomplish. One thing I have learned in this time is that it is most important to enjoy the higher-level beers, an approach of quality over quantity. That will likely mean, going forward, I will spend less effort ...
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