Now that's client service - Carver Darden/Abita Client Select

I began my career 12 years ago in public accounting with the now defunct Arthur Andersen. The biggest asset to a service firm like AA is its clients. Even if the partners say that their personnel are the most important asset, without clients, the best professionals in the world are not much use.

Keeping clients requires great client service. This means more than just doing good work, it also requires keeping a strong relationship with the people who make the decisions on what firm to use. Now being on the client side for the past 8 years, it has been driven home to me how much the little things matter in the relationship side. Keeping one's word, under promising and over delivering is the hallmark of good client service.

Another demonstration of the little things are corporate gifts to clients. I have been the fortunate beneficiary of gifts ranging from birthday cupcakes to bottles of scotch to football tickets. For the most part the firms and vendors that we use get it right. However I received a christmas gift from a friend of mine that I think takes the cake (or pint) for corporate gifts.

My friend Ian has recently been promoted to Partner at his law firm, Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux, LLC. Each year, the firm commissions a special batch of Abita beer for their clients in the New Orleans area. The beer is called Client Select and is different every year and comes with a description in custom labeled six packs. Since I no longer live in the New Orleans area, I had to admire longingly the beer that my brother would get each year as I would enjoy some pecans from the firm that could be shipped this far from their office. Thanks to a special request of Ian, I was able to pick up 2 six packs of the beer from him personally.

This year's version is a Cream Ale brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand and Calypso hops from the Pacific Northwest. The yeast used is a Whitbread ale yeast. 

Appearance: Beer poured a clear golden color with lots of carbonation. A full 2 fingers of fluffy white head was present with nice retention. A nice lacing was left on the glass as I drank it. A very nice looking beer. 

Smell: The main aroma I picked up on this one was that of yeast. There was a slight hop aroma, but not much to it. 

Taste/Mouthfeel: A light to medium mouthfeel was noted. The aroma was yeasty like the nose and I got more of a hoppy flavor on the finish. It had a crisp flavor and high drinkability.

Overall: This was a pleasant and drinkable beer that would make a good session beer with its 4.5% ABV. It also looks great in a glass. My one complaint is that it seems to be more of a summer beer due to it being so light. 

This is the coolest idea I have ever seen for a holiday gift for a client. This shows a lot of thought even down to having the firm name on the label. This firm knows about doing the little things right, and the best part is, I am not even a client, but just a friend. Again it shows the old saying is true, it is not what you know, but who you know. For more info on Carver Darden, please see Carver Darden.

Cheers!