Some people are worse off when they try to improve things. There’s always a dietary hallpass right after you work out. Or perhaps you know the type of person who goes to therapy once and then psychodiagnoses all their personal relationships, damaging them. Power and self-responsibility.

Dark Sky Brewing has earned one of the top spots in the quickly evolving Arizona beer market. But do they have the control to push those Flagstaff sands to greatness?

Arizona Wilderness had that wow power, but then slowly nuked their fanbase and now serve expensive eccentric beers to GoDaddy employees in Gilbert. Power without control. DSB is not that, and this beer is proof. If you want a safe barrel aged English barleywine, just aim for the same UK desserts that get the pastry boys BMI addled frames a pumpin. This beer takes a different route.

The less common, less popular, more complex road in barleywine is that tanned leather, tobacco, dried fruit, and canvas realm. If people have to work for it, they usually Untapp out. This folds its arms and deals hot, cask driven, lightly oxidized slap chops right in your brulee hole. In pushing for a port soaked, pruney, oaky experience it will alienate middle-tier drinkers who just want Werthers.

It is liquid gatekeeping. If you’ve ever seen one of your most selfish Facebook friends confidently announce that they are “cutting out all the toxic people” with zero self-awareness, then you know this degree of improvement by substraction. Destruction By Definition has mild to low carb, dried apricot, dates, and closes with a wafty fig newton interior. It is your extremely erudite dinner guest who asks questions instead of drawing focus. That knowing control improves everything else.

Millennials can’t afford homes so they vent through pets. Now dogs are children and plants are pets. With the fast validation of smoothie seltzers, GenZ will fold inward to spend every dollar on themselves and travel. Barleywine will be the victim. Why commit when you can smash a three hop TDH hazy with a new label every week? It’s the haze for me, go off, PERIOD, no cap, because DSB woke up and chose MALTS, not me checking in 2 ounces.