Tag: review

Beer of the Week 19: 1554

New Belgium’s 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

From the bottle:

1554 Enlightened Black Ale redefines the phrase keeping time in a bottle. From an ancient, crumbling, Belgian library book, out intrepid researchers found references to this obscure style dating back to the year 1554. Overcoming obsolete script and units of measurement, our brewers discovered an ale with a surprisingly bright taste and a dry, chocolately finish – one evocative of the dark brews enjoyed in Belgian taverns 500 years ago.

From my notes:

Pours dark, this is a black beer with a nice head the color of ivory piano keys. Head dissipates quickly. Smells of roasted malts, chocolate and some caramel. Taste reflects the smell: dark roasted malts and chocolate,hint of sweetness. 1554 is medium bodied and very smooth, velvety…

Rich, velvety, malted goodness

1554 is a well balanced beer that never overpowers your tastebuds. The Brewers at New Belgium have done a great job bringing all the elements together with this beer, it is just so drinkable. If you enjoy rich malty beers 1554 is for you.

Rating (out of five):


 

Not a Review – Zork

This is not how I pictured it...

Why am I writing about a video game that came out 35 years ago? A game that is five years older than myself? One that consists of nothing but short paragraphs of descriptive text? Well, because I played and beat it for the first time last week. And, that is reason enough. Zork is what is now called a work of interactive fiction but at the time of it’s release was called a computer game. If you played the game back when it was released for home PCs you either had a pirated version or found the game hanging on a store shelf in a little plastic baggie with a photocopied manual. Oddly, enough I sometimes think that we’re going back to that era with the tiny plastic cases and anemic manuals… Today? You can play the game just about anywhere: on your iPhone or this website’s 404 error page.

So why now? Why did I wait so long to play Zork? I know I’ve had a copy of the game in some form since 1995 but I don’t think I ever even found the entrance to the underground empire until last week. I finally decided to sit down and play the game, for real, after being reminded of it by Ready Player One. Zork never played a role in shaping me as a gamer. I do know though that it did shape many of the people who designed the games that did have a role in my young gaming life (though probably not as much as Colossal Cave which isn’t mentioned at all in RPO) Zork is one of those games that every gamer seems to know of, if only as the name of an old game. Some know that it was an influential early adventure game. Some have played it, some have managed to complete it. I’m going to say the majority of those people are over 30. The beginning of a new year seemed the appropriate time to tackle all the IF games I’ve known and read and talked about for years. I started with Zork because it’s the one that people make the most fuss about. Continue reading “Not a Review – Zork”

Beer of the Week #18: Espresso Stout

Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

from the importer’s site (the actual brewery’s site doesn’t mention this stout(?!):

From Japan’s most prestigious brewery, the very unusual character of Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout stems from the fact that Kiuchi Brewery is using the recipe of a Russian Imperial Stout as base. Saphir & Northern Brewer hops are used.

from the bottle:

Japanese dark ale brewed with coffee beans

from my notes:

deep, dark brown almost black. Thick, tan, large bubbled head that quickly dissipates and leaves nice rings as you drink. Smells of oatmeal, malts, and roasted coffee. Tastes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Manages to successfully incorporate roasted coffee without making the beer taste like nothing bit burnt toast. Very smooth drink with a pleasing light, bitter finish.

Lot’s of coffee stouts go overboard on trying to infuse their beer with the flavor and smell of coffee that end up ruining the beer as all that effort does nothing but make the beer taste like burnt toast or dirt. I know some people enjoy an earthy or peaty flavor to their alcohol but not me. Hitachino Nest manages to thread that needle and deliver a great beer.

 

Rating (out of five):

Beer of the Week #17: Allagash White

From their site:

Our interpretation of a traditional Belgian wheat beer. Brewed with a generous portion of wheat and spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel, this beer is fruity, refreshing and slightly cloudy in appearance.

From the bottle:

Our interpretation of a traditional Belgian wheat beer. Allagash White delicately balances full flavor with a crisp, refreshing taste and subtle hints of spice. Naturally cloudy. Bottled with yeast.

From my notes:

Pours cloudy blonde with a nice head, good lace, smells of lemons, grass, spice, and some yeast. High carbonation. orange peel and clove highlights the flavor, crisp finish. Very smooth no bitterness.

A great example of a wheat beer: super light but with enough flavor and spice to stand up to whatever foods you want to share it with. This would be an excellent beer to have with what ever it is you’re grilling

Rating (out of five):

 

 

 

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