Sierra Nevada and Russian River BRUX

Sierra Nevada and Russian River BRUX - Domesticated Wild Ale (2012)

Limited Collaboration.

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.99 USD / 8.3% ABV

About: "What began as mutual admiration between Sierra Nevada’s Grossman Family and Russian River’s Cilurzos has grown and progressed into genuine friendship. Brux began as an idea and has grown into something altogether different: The liquid manifestation of change over time. Refermented in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Brux will change and develop over time. Copper-colored, dry and complex, with slightly tart notes of green grass, pear, spice and lemon - this ale will progress in the bottle for many years."

Thoughts: The cork popped off with a fair amount of pressure and smoked like a gun out of some kind of Film Noir. BRUX poured a really light yellowish, apricot color with a huge erupting head of tiny bubbles that faded damn near instantly. While the beer is a total haze, you can still see vast amounts of carbonation bubbles rising up like crazy.

Smells really crisp, really sweet, with some lighter Belgian yeast... spicy notes, and there's a little bit of an apple cider-like spice to it. Very fruity and tart with a hint of pear, but mostly a green apple crisp type of thing going on.

Intense first gulp! A blitzkrieg to the mouth, even with the smokey aftermath. It happened so fast. Let's try it again... it tickles. The carbonation in this is off the fucking charts here and just attacks the tongue viciously while the tartness and flavors pounce all over the place. It really is "wild". It doesn't let up either. Every single gulp has a tang to it, a haze to it and it's just fucking raw tasting. I like it. It's like, almost fuzzy feeling. The finish is really dry, but not super drying.

This really reminds me of a mead. With that cider like consistency and a little bit of a honey flavor in there at least. After adjusting to the immense blasts here a little bit more flavors start to come through. Earthy leaves, bundles of hay, and a lot more of that yeasty base. It's not really funky, but there is a degree of funk there, only it's not really unpleasant by any means. I did let this sit in my fridge inside a paper bag for about six months or so though, since I heard it was pretty rough upon initial release.

I was really expecting that wild yeast to be a huge factor and very up-front in the beer, but perhaps it's fallen back a little bit because it is blending rather awesomely here. It's pretty cool how it starts out like a hard cider / farmhouse type brew and ends up tasting a bit like a spiced ale. I guess this one really played a lot of mind tricks on people. For me I waited the right time, since well... any time I open a beer it's the "right time". But I'm pleased that I got a bit of the strange along with the unusual here.

Mistransformed, transforming or just malformed to begin with, well, who's to say? Some people online try to act like they're the shit, or shiznit if you will, saying that they drain pour $14 bottles of this, that, and other beers. You wanna know what I think? They're a bunch of lying fags. Yeah. I don't drain pour nothin', especially bottles over three dollars no matter how horrid it may be. This one wasn't bad at all though, just saying, so keep rolling with those cheek punches babies.

A "What if...!?" scenario for Demons 2 (1986)

Aaah, Demons 2. What could have been. Although I love Demons 2 like a virgin nerd loves looking for lizards in an old cemetery (Nerdgins love lizards), the movie has always left me with a lot of "what ifs". One in particular has to do with that thick jawed - not to mention thick headed - spermicidal party pooper Jacob Dateraper, who just got invited to Sally's spechul birthday by mistake. We all know what happens with this guy, or should I say, we all know what doesn't happen with him. I'm going to examine the #2 Reason from my Things that suck about Demons 2 post from a while back, and go over a few easy things that could have been done to rectify... his presence in this movie.

"Jacob went BALLS DEEP on me... and now I'm gonna shove those BALLS DEEP down his throat!"

Throughout this splendid film we as the viewers are subjected to scenes of this dumb son of a fuck driving around trying to get him some of that sweet, sweet poon-tang. Now, I've seen entire films dedicated to guys driving around trying to get laid and nothing else (The Stoned Age, anyone?), which have entertained me and are even some of my favorites to this very day. I fucking love The Stoned Age, always have and always will. But what the hell were Lamberto and Dario smoking when they came up with the punk-out bullshit ending to Jacob's "character arc"? He drives his loser/junkie goth friends, and potential up-and-cumming date rape victim aptly-named "Nuggette", around town for an hour at high speeds trying to get to Sally's party. What manner of chaos is this greasy motherfucker planning? His "boy" in the backseat lets his status be known by saying that if they're too late, they'll "all go hungry and there won't be any cake" or any food left as Sally's. Right, so they've got the munchies. But Jacob isn't just heading to her apartment for "cake". That's right, you heard me... the cake is a goddamn lie! Why, oh why, is he taking this horrified blonde chick over to Sally's? That is the real question...

...and I'll tell you why. Because there's nothing date rapists like to do more than introduce their newer acquisitions to their previous conquests. This guy is sick I tells ya! In his mind he's all 'badass' in the role of driver and leader of the freak-show he's got there. He knows that once they arrive at the party he's gonna whip out his cock and everyone there is going to line up mouths agape as he tosses it down across the dinner table, giving all in attendance the chance to lip grasp his stick shift. Then when he busts his nut it's going to be a fat, globby-splooge mess of frosting all over Sally's poor unfortunate cake! Of course his boy will grab a slice because he's a fucking moron, and take a bite while trying to act superior and laughing at all the party guests. All the while Jacob will be clenching his jaw with determination as he brutally sodomizes this ride-along blonde in front of his so-called "ex", causing her to feel, more and more with each thrust of the grimy greasy sausage, like a worthless piece of garbage. That's precisely the strand of what could be considered a 'thought process' running through Jacob's mind as he peels through a red light and crashes into another car. In fact, I'm sure of it just by the conceited self-righteous look on his chiseled face.

What is the point of all those inter-cut scenes with Jacob driving to the party, along with all the inter-cut scenes of the parents out about town, only to have them collide while on the way to the apartment building (and then nothing)? First of all, the parents I could care less about... but that whole thing with Jacob they were at least building up to something. There was the guy asking "What did Jacob do to Sally!?" and then waiting outside make sure Jacob doesn't come in when he gets there. Just look at the guy who's supposed to stop Jacob from entering the building too. He's a total doofus! It would have been worth it just to see the guy try and stop these dudes and get his ass handed to him in the process. There are so many possibilities for this part of the storyline to be so much better! What the fuck happened? Did the guy playing Jacob quit the film to be a male model for race-car magazines? Did secondary run out of money to finish the extra scenes (or did their cameras fizz out and break)? Were the writers going for some nihilistic edge as some sort of fucked up point? Then why not have Hannah give birth to a demonic baby at the end of the film like they had originally plann... Jesus Fucking Christ!!!1

Jacob, look out! There's a DEMON in the back seat!

Unholy shite where did, how the, when umm... hey, wait a minute! That's not a demon. Fuck you Rick Berman. That scared the fucking shit right out of me. Somebody kill it with fire! No wonder Jacob has to go around date raping hot sluts... I bet his alternative was bedding down this chick's sister. Looking like Tim Curry from Rocky Horror Picture Show got ass fucked by Tim Curry from Legend and had a ghastly ass baby is what it looks like. Dark lord. If I didn't go blind from constantly masturbating years ago that would've done it boy let me tell you. Two chokers and she's still breathing, what... the... fuck? Somebody break out the remote controlled shock collar on her Deadite ass for fuck's sake! This stuff is getting out of hand here. Wait, what was I talking about again? Oh right, "What if Jacob had made it to the party?" I think that may have been the whole idea behind this entire post. Who didn't want to see Jacob get his balls ripped to shreds by Sally? Show of hands, and/or balls that you've previously torn off yourself or another poor soul!

"You invited him here!? That fucking guy date raped me you IDIOT!!"

Like I said, a whole shitload of crazy stuff could have gone down with Jacob's arrival. I think they pretty much wrote themselves into a corner with the whole "building being non-accessible" thing though. Nobody goes in or gets out, right? Except people do get out at the end... so these punk ass lowlifes could have found a way to break in. There's always a way, that's what I say. And if you've got to bend some logic so a vengeful young lady can break in her new claws on some greasy meatza balls, then so be it. But, alas, that doesn't happen. Sally doesn't rip Jacob's balls off and shove them down his (or anyone else's) throat. Which, I suppose, kinda begs the question... Was Jacob really all that bad? Did he actually "wrong" Sally? Who are we, as the dumbfounded viewers, to make assumptions? What has Sally ever done to give any of us the perception that she's nothing more than a psycho bitch who's obsessed with her own looks and doesn't give a fuck about anyone else? Not much really.

Look at this Fuckin' Newb. Standing outside of a party the whole f'n night for a guy who never shows up.

After Jacob's very first car accident he seemed to forget all about Sally and was focused on helping out his new girl and friends. Sure, Jacob likes to have hot and nasty sex with any stuck up sweety he can lay his greasy pizza-eating hands on, but that doesn't make him a date rapist! Sheesh. Honestly speaking, Sally seemed pretty high maintenance and totally irrational on her own. If Jacob was ever to be her boyfriend or fuck-buddy, then it must have been some hard work for him. Why else would he be constantly clenching his jaw like that? Imagine the stress of having Sally for a gally. "My Hair My Dress My Face My Vag BlahBlahBlah...."  Jacob didn't date rape her, she rape dated him. Once he left her out to dry due to her multiple collective clinging attributes, she obviously went total psycho and blamed TV. What-ev, Sally.

21'st Amendment Fireside Chat

Look at that wrap around artwork. It's FDR drinking, smoking and chilling in front of a fire with an ELF!!

21'st Amendment Fireside Chat - Winter Spiced Ale (2012)

Winter Seasonal.

12 fl. oz. (x2) / $5.00 USD / 7.9% ABV

About: "Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew.  We begin with a rich, dark ruby brown, English-style ale and then improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation. During Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, Fireside Chat will brighten the faces of those who enjoy it, near the hearth or at the table. Its subtle blend of spices balances the malty ale and will make this a foodie’s favorite, as it pairs perfectly with holiday meals. To make it unique each year, Brewmaster Shaun personally selects a special blend of spices for the beer, based on the moment’s inspiration."

Thoughts: Fireside Chat poured a deep brown color with a huge almond colored tan head. There are tons of small bubbles and froth here, with loads of lacing along the sides of the glass.

This beer smells most wondrous. Immediately I'm reminded of Christmas, a good thing for beer drinkers who enjoy holiday brews of course. You've gotta work for the scent somewhat... it's not too strong, nor too weak, but if you want to experience all that is has to offer then you've gotta lean in and take your time. I'm getting figs, cinnamon, sugar, plums, chocolate, lightly toasted nuts... second can now, and I'm getting those chocolate covered cherries and bananas. 

Very rich and frothy up front, sweet dark malts, a little smoke, nice bitterness from the hops that creep in, dryness from the spices and a slight chocolaty char on the back of the tongue. Overall the taste of the beer is pretty damn good. It's got a roasted flavor that very underlined, as if a hint of coffee is about to come through, but it doesn't really. All of the other more interesting and neater flavors shine though and it's like smoking elf bud through a hydro bong filled with Christmas joy. It doesn't get too too sweet, but it's pretty damn amazing how it settles, and it's not bitter at all even though there's a heavy touch of hops towards the end.

So no Belgian yeast... I'm cool with that. It's fruity, but leans more towards chocolate covered banana at the town fair type business and when it's cold you can feel the beach winds in the air. Christmas by the fireside, perhaps... but by the campfire-side, that's how I do things. 

Mouth feel is a medium. It's not thick or frothy at all, but the spices overflow in the mouth and the flavor lasts long after the brew is swallowed. Hops especially begin to dig in around the end of everything, which is a nice touch. I like it. I would suggest grabbing some of these whenever you get the chance and saving them for the later months, when it's out of season and you'll be really wanting them.

Hoppin' Frog Barrel Aged Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

Hoppin' Frog Barrel Aged Frosted Frog Christmas Ale (2012)

Limited Release Winter Seasonal.

22 fl. oz. / $14.99 USD / 8.6% ABV

About: "Barrel-Aged Frosted Frog Christmas Ale has a familiar and satisfying combination of carefully blended Christmas spices in a flavorful nut-brown ale, its like a Christmas cookie in a glass!

For a rare seasonal specialty, Barrel-Aged Frosted Frog is a great treat, expertly aged in oak Bourbon barrels for 12 months! As the angel’s share evaporates, the barrel-aging concentrates the malt flavor, and lets the spice character mellow for an incredible taste combination! Frosted Frog’s Christmas spices blend with a tasty vanilla note and a very slight Bourbon character imparted from the barrels for a wonderful, savory flavor combination. With all these additional flavors, Barrel-Aged Frosted Frog is perfect for any Christmas ale lover or true beer aficionado!"

Thoughts: I've been looking forward to drinking this beer since December 13'th, 2011, after trying their standard seasonal version and finding out they make this one. Popped the black cap off of the bottle, and I couldn't resist taking a whiff! Yeah... me happy. BA Frosted Frog poured a deep mahogany with little to no head whatsoever. The sliver of a head that was appeared to be a light tan one that left a small ring around the glass. Though pretty dark of a beer, I can tell that it's slightly cloudy.

This is one gorgeous smelling beer. The cinnamon and sugar here is immense! Just like the regular version of the brew, it smells just like freshly baked cinnamon rolls covered in vanilla frosting. Pure awesomeness. It's very bready, a little peppery and just reeks of sweetness. I love it. The barrel aging doesn't overpower the scent in any way, just kinda forges a deeper tone throughout. For someone like me, who never indulges in "sweets", this sure does remind me of the snowy and cheerful season.

First sip, and I'm blown away. What a beautiful liquid. Prepare for a smack to the cheeks at first. The barrel aging has toned down the spices here, but not as much as I had feared it would. In fact, the essence of the original beer is perfectly in tact and still quite abundant, only now it's got a heavy woody note after the swallow. The taste is like pounding a gingerbread house down to a pulp, squeezing it into a glass and drinking it. It's really malty, spicy, sweet and tastes beautiful. The little bit of bourbon that's creeping through gets a little stronger as the beer warms and it's a welcome change of tone while drinking this beer slowly and savoring it. Though cinnamon is the dominating factor in the scent, the nutmeg and ginger really shine through in the taste and blends stupendously with the liquor. This is a beer that you have to drink slow, and for every new sip it's totally worth the price and time to do so.

The mouth feel is pretty creamy and soft, and it leaves a slight burn at the back of the throat. The cinnamon brings about a dryness to end it all, but aside from that this is one silky and sultry brew.

A lot of people aren't into Pumpkin Ales or Cinnamon Roll Christmas Ales, calling these beers "abominations", and those people I like to refer to as Idiots. Frosted Frog is the perfect holiday ale, and there's no doubt about that. I have never actually favored a Barrel Aged version of a beer over its original form as of yet, and this beer is no exception. BA Frosted Frog is downright amazing, but unless you get the itch and find this bottle in front of you at some point, I say just enjoy their Frosted Frogness any way you can. But believe me, once you try the original, nothing will stop you from hunting this version down. It's that addicting.

I Dream of Cote.

Last night I had my very first dream about Cote de Pablo, and boy oh boy was it a vivid one. Far too brief for my liking however, she was only in the very last part before I awoke. Damn waking up, it always pisses me off. A lot of people assume that if you dream about someone, it's most surely of a sexual nature. That's just how our brains work. Man or woman, it doesn't matter, if you tell someone you dreamt about them the night before, the horrified look (and / or restraining orders) you're bound to receive will be immense. Quite frankly, I find it a bit disturbing that the notion of being sexualized in someone's dream without permission is the first things our feeble minds go to.

I'd like to assure you right here and now however, that my dream last night was that of the sexual classification. Nothing frantic, crude or horrifying... if you'd like to know, we were masturbating in front of each other (eerily passionate and enticing would about describe the situation) and then started doing it for one another. As she finally grasped my cock and I slid my fingers inside of her, I swear to you on my love for Lamberto Bava's Demons, that I could feel her wetness. I of course awoke at this precise moment to a state of simultaneous exaltation and disappointment, both hard and wet as well. All I could do was wake up, sigh, get out of bed, and search for pictures of her beautiful face online.

I hope to see her again tonight... in my dreams.

Cinevox Records presents Mario Bava's SCHOCK!

Libra - Mario Bava's SCHOCK TRANSFERT * SUSPENCE * HYPNOS (CD, Jewel Case, Soundtrack) [2002, Re-Issue] Italy.

1. The Shock (04:07)
2. L'Altalena Rossa (01:28)
3. Transfert I / Hypnos / Transfert II (04:08)
4. La Baia (02:18)
5. La Cantina / The Shock (Ripresa) (03:02)
6. Tema Di Marco I / Tema Di Marco II (03:36)
7. L'Incubo (03:33)
8. Transfert III (01:34)
9. Il Fantasma Suona Il Piano (01:56)
10. Transfert IV / Tema Di Marco II (Ripresa) (04:00)
11. Il Fantasma Suona Il Piano (Alternate piano solo long version)* (02:47)
12. The Shock (Alternate movie version)* (01:40)
13. Tema Di Marco (Alternate movie version)* (01:38)
14. Transfert IV (Alternate movie version)* (02:54)

* previously unreleased on the original Cinevox Album MDF 33/113. Music composed and performed by I LIBRA: Carlo Pennisi - Guitars, Alessandro Centofanti - Keyboards,  Dino Cappa - Bass, Walter Martino - Drums, Maurizio Guarini - Additional Keyboards.

"Nightmare Music Guaranteed to SHOCK!" You got that right. This is some hardcore bad dream inducing music here, and I know it because I've listened to this about thirty or so times while sleeping. If you're looking for some warped, twisted and fucked up dreams then try it out. For this madness inducing piece of work, I Libra (lead by former Goblin drummer Walter Martino) took jazz infused progressive rock to a new level of avant-garde, psychedelic and disarranged experimentation. With distorted sounds, off beat rhythms and a totally chaotic atmosphere, the songs of Schock constantly trial off much like waves in an acid trip, yet always seem to blend seamlessly back together into  another new frenzy of uneasy listening.

Schock is a supersexy-swingin' film (see the above photo) about a woman going absolutely batshit crazy and losing her goddamned mind! The accompanying music of Libra is so utterly triumphant at creating the perfect representation of her crashing and crumbling mindset with its pinball-inside-the-skull type pounding grooves, that it may in fact be too powerful of a soundtrack. You read that right, listening to this soundtrack has a brain stimulating effect that triggers anxious, relentless and diabolical tendencies among even those considered mildly insane. It's heavy stuff, doc. I can only imagine what a full blown psychopath would do if he were hooked up to a device that played nothing but this music. Perhaps he'd say that he already owns that album... inside his head, that is!!1

I was watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the other day and during the scenes with Scatman Crothers and Jack Nicholson together I couldn't help but think of this movie. Just look at him and Jack getting on like old friends... if he only knew that five years later in The Shining he'd be shockingly killed with a fucking Axe! Then there's Daria Nicolodi and John Steiner... not only is he killed with a pickaxe to the heart in Schock (see that last photo above), but he's also done in with a fucking Axe five years later in Tenebrae (also starring Daria) as well. Coincidence!?

Perhaps. Wait a minute? Wasn't Scatty murdered with a pickaxe in One Flew Over as well? This shit is just getting too damn weird. Hey, you wanna have a fucked up, weird-out, movie marathon night? Then I suggest you watch One Flew, followed by The Shining and Tenebrae, then end it with Schock. Every time someone has a psychotic episode you've gotta chug a beer, and every time someone is killed by an axe (of any variety, including pickaxes and Nurse "Hatchets" har har har) you've gotta take a puff off the ol' peace pipe. Tell me I'm not brilliant.

Check out the soundtrack for free HERE on youtube. Track 2 really reminds me of the flower power stuff that David Hess did for the Last House on the Left soundtrack. It's so mellow and late 70's maaaannnn... if you haven't seen this film then don't even hesitate to buy it and not thank me later. I seriously am in love with this movie and the soundtrack as well. Consider it highly recommended. D'eth out.

Anthony1138's White IPA

Anthony1138's White IPA (2012)

Homebrew.

12 fl. oz. / $N/A (Gift) / 4.7% ABV

About: Late last year Anthony1138 sent me two more bottles of his awesome home-brews, another Pumpkin brew of course and this time a White IPA (I did a follow up review on his Pumpkin Brown Ale which can be found under the Double Vision section of my blog - which is a tag for when I revisit a beer and decide to blab some more). I'd like to take this time to thank Anthony once more for being such a great pal through these years. Dude, wherever you are and whatever crazy shit is going on, I hope you're drinking some kickass beers, watching some demented Italian films and feelin' good, man.

Thoughts: When I got the bottle of this in the mail it looked insane. There were funky clouds swirling throughout the whole bottle. I let it rest a few days so some of that yeast could settle, but that only made it angry! When I opened it the cap almost exploded into the stratosphere.

WIPA poured out an uber cloudy light yellow with a huge fluffy white head, and it immediately fogged up my pint glass. I had to wait a while to pour the rest from the bottle before taking the pics, as the head filled up about a third of the glass at first. Carbonation is a heavy medium, and there seem to be a few black peppery flakes in here. Not many, but they're clinging to the side of the glass.

This beer has lemon zest all over it and it smells really really good. There's a light spiciness to it, and it's got a nice aromatic quality as well. 

The orange peel really comes blasting out in the first sip. Wow. I love orange peel too. I always eat about a third of the peel when I eat an orange. There's a ton of wheat in this, and while the Belgian Pils malt seems a bit overpowered by it, it's still there just enough to influence the flavor of this thing. Nice balance. It doesn't really go off in any one singular direction, but rather maintains a tasty fusion of all the ingredients that mingle together harmoniously.

Mouth feel is really slick. It leaves a slight film on the teeth, but it's really smooth and just a little bit dry. Nice work on making yourself a sessionable, interesting and great tasting brew. Keep it up. If I ever move out of my crawlspace the first thing I'm going to do is go get the tools to make myself some crazy concoctions. When that day comes you can expect a black licorice maple syrup harvest pumpkin cinnamon baked french toast oatmeal stout in the mail.

Cisco Brewers Island Reserve Pumple Drumkin

Cisco Brewers Island Reserve Pumple Drumkin - Ale brewed with smoked pumpkins and spices then aged in ex rum barrels (2013)

Limited Release.

25.4 fl. oz. / $10.99 USD / ?% ABV

About: No description available. This is a barrel aged version of their Pumple Drumkin pumpkin ale.

Thoughts: A brand new Pumpkin beer released in the middle of February!? Hot damn.

Poured a dark amber orange that's a total and complete haze. The head is surprisingly long lasting and puffy for a barrel aged beer. I wonder how long this one was in them? O_o

First whiff I got it smelt pretty crisp and fresh, and the second whiff... old funky rubber. Shite. Alright, poured a little more into the glass and that rubbery smell died down a little bit. It kinda reminded me of Sailor Jerry rum for a second there. That stuff reeks and tastes of rubbery funk. It's like they dropped a couple nips into a big portion of their pumpkin ale. I'm getting bits of spice  not at all reminiscent of a pumpkin pie... but rather raw pumpkin. It's got a bit of smoke, a little bit of a char, a touch of tapioca, and a fruity orange zest. Weird stuff.

First gulp. Ugh... tastes like someone lit my old He-Man toys on fire. This beer tastes mostly like dank wood. Once swallowed a huge blast of smoke hits and lingers around while a dry bitterness floats around. Aside from the smoke and bitter grime, there's really no kick to this at all. No strength flavors from the rum at all... aside from the rubber. This is some pretty bland stuff. The spices are only somewhat identifiable. It doesn't taste all that good and it leaves a grimy taste on the back of the tongue.

This beer is incredibly light. It fluffs and seemingly melts away. After effects are slightly drying.

Yeah, this stuff is pretty weak. Either something went horribly wrong, or these guys need to refine their recipe and "aging" process. Switching to a different type of rum barrel would be my first suggestion. I actually spoke to a Cisco Brewers rep at the liquor store last September and he seemed pretty excited about the company putting out this Island Reserve version of their pumpkin beer. Pretty sad how everything turned out.

Het Anker Lucifer

Brouwerij Het Anker Lucifer - Belgian Pale Ale (2013)

Brewed and Bottled by Brouwerij Het Anker in Mechelen, Belgium.

Year Round Brew.

25.4 fl. oz. / $9.99 USD / 8% ABV

About: "Lucifer entered the market in the mid 1980s under the label of Liefmans breweries. It was an extension to the popular segment of strong, blonde beers. After Liefmans Breweries disappeared, Lucifer fell into the hands of our neighbours and friends Duvel Moortgat. However, they only wished to concentrate on Liefmans’ fruit beers. Lucifer was in danger of dying a silent death. But we didn’t let it get that far, our conscience couldn’t allow this to happen. Het Anker received the right to produce and commercialise Lucifer. May we roast in hell if it doesn’t follow the success of our own beers!

Lucifer, as the name might suggest, is similar to Duvel. Ok... A Belgian golden, it has sweet malt and a light fruitiness on the nose. The flavor is quite delicate, with a nice bready sweetness up front, a light fruitiness throughout, and long dry finish. Hops: Magnum, Spalt, Saaz"

Thoughts: Today is my son's birthday. He's almost two days days old. Fuck to the yeah! So I thought I'd celebrate tonight with the beer I named him after. Loud ass pop off of the cork. Simple enough pull with a little snug, but not too slippery or stuck... if you know what I mean! Smoke comes firing out. Much like the hell-fire of a newly condemned soul thrown into an unforgiving world of despair.

Well son of the morning star, if this ale isn't a lot lighter than I had expected it to be. Not that I assumed it would be blood red, but... with a name like Lucifer, I figured it would at least be RTTDD. Absolutely massive head on this! It... just... won't... die. Down, that is. Total fluff. This has to be the whitest head I've ever seen on a beer. There's an insane amount of carbonation rising up. The brew is a total cloud of dirty yellow color. Major lacing all around.

The scent is immediately crisp, fruity, no doubt of the Belgian variety. It smells very refreshing, and a little bit spicy. Need I say... tempting? This really is one beautiful smelling beer no doubt about it. It bounces all over the place but at the same time remains in the same spot, like a figure 8.

Taste is just like the scents. It's slightly dank, rustic, tingling, enticing, fruity, zinging, and the flavors just bounce around in the mouth like Q*Bert on a 3-D pyramid pedestal. It's not overly sweet or wrecking, nor is it dull or lousy in any way, in fact, Lucifer tastes fucking great. It feels good and is you can tell immediately that it's a well crafted and cared for beer. It's got a gentle spice, and after the swallow it's a total mellow feel. This beer tastes not only awesome, but it light as a feather while leaving you stiff as a board.

Mouth feel has a heavy foamy feel when you keep it inside for a while. This stuff puffs out quickly. It does go down smooth as HELL though, and leaves a crisp, almost drying sensation. I didn't know that this was a Pale Ale going into it, but I haven't had too many like this for a while... especially strong ones with Belgian influence. The taste was like one big flashback to my past. Not only did this beer surprise me, but it enlightened me as well.

Favorite Death Scenes Part 5

Peepholes have always somewhat creeped me out. Perhaps it could be that I find the fisheye lens to be particularly disturbing to my already warped brain chemistry, I'm not really sure. That, and I've never been all too fond of pressing my eyeball against something to get a closer look. Is that what you call science? How about some better technology already. What, are you waiting for evolution to give our eyes X-Ray vision!? Ever since I was a child, people have been shoving my face into View-Masters and Kaleidoscopes, Microscopes and Telescopes, Virtual Reality Headsets and Binoculars. Fuck binoculars! I crawl through girl's windows like a real creeper and have no use for such tools of restraint. Sorry I went off on a tangent there. Peepholes and more notably the acts of voyeurism concerning them have been focal points of numerous films and television programs. It's almost as if the motion picture industry was obsessed with this invention. And horror film directors, the really good ones anyways, seem to be intent on bringing as much eye violence into your field of vision as possible. 

Which brings me to Dario Argento's 1987 film Opera, aka Terror at the Opera. That's where the connection between peepholes, eye violence and voyeurism comes in, with the viewer playing the role of voyeur as this shockingly gruesome event plays out. Betty was an alternate who became the lead in Macbeth after the original singer's "accident" left her notes a bit... flat! ;) Soon she's caught up not only in the pressure of rising to fame and thriving for excellence, but also the anxiety and sheer terror of being stalked by an obsessive maniac who's killing everyone close to her. Enter Myra (Daria Nicolodi), Betty's agent and friend, who comes to her aid during a desperate and confusing time. Locked in an apartment together, with perhaps a killer posing as a detective inside and outside, the lights go dim and there's a knock at the door.

Myra clings to a knife while pressing her face to the door and demands that the strange man show his face. He insists that he's an officer of the law and shines a flashlight off an ID that gleams so brightly you can't see a thing. She accuses him of lying and says that "anyone can get one of those" and that "it's a fake!" With all the muffled tenacity of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, the man responds with "Look, my gun!" and shows his weapon.

Myra starts flipping out and gets a bit more demanding, "No! Not the gun. I want to see your FACE again!". By this point the man has had enough. He presses the barrel up against the peephole and squeezes the trigger, blasting a shot right through Myra's fuckin' eyeball. The bullet exits out the back of her skull and rips apart the telephone in the background, ending any chance of Betty calling the police. How unlucky.

The awesomeness of this scene alone is amplified to an even more interesting and disturbing realm by the special effects involved, and a story shared by actress Daria Nicolodi. In the extras (Conducting Dario Argento's Opera, as well as in other documentaries about his films) we're shown the large scale model of what they used as the inside of the peephole. A huge, long open cylinder was built with a thin pane of glass in front and a firing mechanism that shot an over-sized bullet through it at hyper speed. A special camera that filmed at a very high FPS rate was required to capture this incredibly short but ambitious SFX shot. This is one of the cool little things that Dario Argento is known for going out of his way just to do for the sake of doing what he dreams and having fun.

At the time of this film's production, Daria Nicolodi was convinced that Dario Argento had concocted some kind of diabolical plan to assassinate her on set and make it look like an accident. The falling out and end of their personal relationship had been a harsh and humiliating time for Daria. Problems with Argento's behavior towards her supposedly started during Tenebrae (which furthered her agitation from being continuously not cast in roles she desired, stemming as far back as Suspiria), but her breaking point was during the filming of Phenomena where she was made to look "sixty years old" and had to perform in "stupid and dangerous stunts" involving a chimp. She was convinced that Argento was trying to ruin her. Now they want to strap real dynamite to the back of her head and shoot a blowgun with a condom full of blood in her face.

She accepted this role because she loved the death scene, and was also able to re-write her own dialogue. It's obvious from reading interviews with her and listening to her speak on these documentaries that she was terrified by a few of the scenes she had to perform in. If Argento was out to get her (or if it was just some unfortunate politics), or if he was really out to KILL her... well, I don't think we'll ever know the absolute truth regarding this. Who knows? Maybe it's a mix of all three of those things. Bottom line is that I love this beautiful woman as an actress and she's one strong lady for staying true to the cinema even though she got screwed over on a few roles she was meant for. We'll always have Deep Red and Shock. Watch the scene HERE!

Another Beer Haul... and this time, it's Personal!

Another one!? Admitting I've got a problem is the first step in a long line of steps of me not giving a fuck. Why? Because just look at that picture. Would you just look at it! What an absolutely beautiful sight. Hey, what's in your fridge? I just dropped $55 on the sweet, delectable poisons below. I want that 3 Beans badge from UNTAPPD, so grabbing two cans of it was the initial reason I set out on a road trip this morning. Luckily Julio's had it in stock. After snagging those I ended up finding myself unable to resist the other pretty bottles. On the way home I stopped at Five Guys Burgers and Fries for the first time and grabbed a little bacon cheeseburger with everything and jalapenos. Shit was teh bomb.

Left to right: Sixpoint 3 Beans (x2) , Hoppin Frog's BA Frosted Frog Christmas Ale, Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Bigfoot, Lucifer!, Stone Double Bastard and Troegs Nugget Nectar. I finally picked me up a bottle of Lucifer and I couldn't have done it at a better time since they just got rid of the old paper label and debuted a newer much badder-ass bottle printed label. I saw both of the labels at two different shops today (I mixed a six and bought the BA Bigfoot at another shop afterwards) and let me tell you. The old Lucifer paper label is nothin' compared to the new design. That bottle will sit upon my shelf for years! Hope you're drinkin' the good stuff tonight too.

Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada Rhizing Bines

Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada Rhizing Bines (2013)

Limited Collaboration Brew (Brewed Once).

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.69 USD / 8% ABV

About: "Deepening our bond with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., forged with the 2009 collaboration Life and Limb, we've brewed an East-meets-West Imperial IPA called Rhizing Bines.

"We had a lot of fun brewing the original dark and roasty Life and Limb in Chico with the Grossmans and Sierra Nevada’s extended family," says Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione. “We are very proud of the way that beer turned out. Now it’s our turn to repay that hospitality and brew a very hop-centric IPA in Milton with our pals from Chico, incorporating innovative ingredients and techniques from both breweries.”

On the hot side, Rhizing Bines went through Dogfish’s signature continual-hopping process with floral and citrusy Bravo hops. On the cold side, it was dry-hopped with an experimental varietal so new it doesn’t yet have a name, just a number: Hop 644. A component of Sierra Nevada’s aroma-boosting Torpedo system made a pit-stop in Delaware for dry-hopping duty before it headed to Sierra’s new North Carolina brewery.

To celebrate Sierra Nevada planting East Coast roots, Dogfish Head tracked down a Carolina heirloom wheat grown and milled at Anson Mills. The soft red winter wheat contributes subtle sweet and nutty notes to this hop-forward ale.

The label for Rhizing Bines depicts the pairings behind this beer: two hop varietals, two yeast strains (Chico and Doggie), two unique hopping processes and two family-owned breweries. These bonds start at the root - or rhizome - and stretch throughout the mature bines."

Thoughts: Nice hiss off the cap. Color is a rich orange, slightly on the light side and there's a huge white puffy head on top that's lasting forever. The beer itself is very clear.

Smells pretty mild. There's an extremely clean water profile in this. It smells very refreshing too. There's a hint of spice which pops and expands as you breathe in for long periods. I was expecting more of a fierce hop forward brew, but what's actually here isn't bad at all either. It's very earthy and floral, mellow and sweet, citrusy and reminiscent of cold winds. There's a heavy caramel malt which is the most dominating factor here.

This tastes interesting. Very unique. Starts off really tangy, not sour at all, but - and I don't want to say dirty because it's very clean tasting - there's like a strange herbal, grapefruit coughdrop (no menthol) type vibe to it. It's fruity and somewhat bitter, displaying a lot of grapefruit and melon flavors. Maybe a little kiwi too. Not really traditional tasting IPA though, that's for sure. It's got a gentle sting after the swallow, and when you pucker up afterwards that's when the bitterness starts to pound away but it's not overbearing in the least. It's all really an easy drinking, slightly twangy offering. The hop profile in this beer is extremely mellow.

Mouth is a little watery, but it gets a minor foam to it when held for a while. Not really too thin either, and it's not drying at all so that's good. This beer leaves a bit of a raw taste in the mouth. Kinda nutty, but not like peanuts at all, more like macadamia nuts... and a bit like the smell of raw busted open figs.

This is one strange brew. It's got a cool story (bro) to it (check out the video HERE), but for me it's a one time deal. Especially for dat price! Being both a supporter of DFH and especially Sierra Nevada I'd say that this is a must buy at least to try out, but overall I just wasn't that into it. I am however interested to see what's in store for Hop 664 down the road though, and of course, would like to see more collaborations between these two breweries.

Narragansett Imperial India Pale Ale

Narragansett Private Stock Imperial India Pale Ale (2012)
New Release (Brewed Once).
22 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 8.6% ABV

About: "Celebrate ‘Gansett’s storied 122 years in business with the limited-edition Imperial IPA. Released in a 22-ounce bomber bottle, the IPA is chock-full of references to Narragansett’s anniversary. The label is styled after an early Private Stock Ale label used by the company when they began brewing ales in the late 1890s, which underscores ‘Gansett’s heritage as one of the original craft brewers in New England.

Narragansett Imperial IPA was crafted with the best of American and German ingredients, to reflect the great history and legacy behind the brand. We used American 2-row pale malt as the base for this beer, and German Specialty malts to build the back bone and flavor profile of this beer. Summit hops were used for all the kettle hopping, and then we used a mix of Northern Brewers, Hallertau, Tettanager, and Sazz hops at a rate of 2 lb.’s per bbl for our dry hopping."

Thoughts: Cool label. This one has a picture of the actual bottle on the label which has a picture of the bottle within the bottle. Trippy.

Poured a rich golden orange color with a slow to build but suddenly bursting slightly off white yellowish head which turned to a pile of mush. Carbonation is running rampant. The beer is really clear.

This beer smells incredible! Tons of citrus, hop oil, zesty and really fresh hops abundantly spiraling upwards into my nostrils turning my brain into a kaleidoscope of hopped up awesomeness.

Taste is very earthy hop, with tons of zest and a lot less sweetness than I thought there would be. Of course, it's very high on the IBU's, so I expected that, but the scent let on a bit more sweetness. Not a problem though. It's got a minor scolding burn to it, like I said tons and tons of raw zest on this one. It's got a decent sweetness to it that comes in up front, but that bitterness just blasts it with a steel gauntlet to the grill. It's also a little dirty tasting, which isn't really a bad thing here. This beer is raw, harsh and rugged. Instant aftertaste is a bit oily. Insane bitterness on the back of the tongue, which is super floral and not at all grassy in any way. Hints of a metallic tinge buzz in and fade off quickly. After a while some vegetable oil and green beans come through, mixed with some pineapple and tropical fruit juice.

It's a heavy medium, but goes down smooth. Be prepared for the after burn though, and stay strong.

For those who give Gansett a hard time or talk trash, this would be a good beer to shove down their gullets. I've enjoyed every one of their beers I've tried. Though I've only reviewed their FEST so far which I absolutely loved! This beer is a very manly addition to their repertoire. By far the bitterest beer I've ever had. Be forewarned.

Stone IPA and Cali-Belgique IPA

Stone IPA - India Pale Ale (2012)

Year Round Brew.

22 fl. oz. / $4.99 USD / 6.9% ABV

About: "You'll find our Stone India Pale Ale to be true to style with a huge hop aroma, flavor and bitterness throughout. If you're a hop-head like us, then you'll love our Stone India Pale Ale! Medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops! Generous "dry hopping" gives this beer its abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavor. Hop Variety: Columbus, Chinook and Centennial."

Thoughts: Stone IPA poured a light yellowish golden hue and featured a huge white head that built slow and showed not a single sign of going anywhere. The brew is slightly hazy and there's a nice amount of carbonation rising up. Looking at the bottle before opening it I notice a lot of sediment on the bottom, I'll be pouring that in later.

As I poured it I immediately got hit with a huge pungent smack! I gave it a minute after pouring it in the glass and then leaned in cautiously. Alright, I'm getting a lot of citrus hops and some pine. It smells slightly sweet, but I've got a feeling it's not going to taste sweet at all.

Gentle bitterness, little bit soapy... spicy, hints of ginger on orange chicken, and there's a heavy haze of grassy grapefruit. That's about it. Doesn't taste boring, but it's not terribly exciting. For their standard IPA, it's decent start for anyone looking to try one of their brews. To me though, it feels as it it's missing a special something. It's not nearly indulgent enough. Then again, I'm a triple IPA kind of guy now so it's hard going back to the standards.

Mouth feel is very frothy, bubbly and fades smoothly as you swallow it.

Alright, pouring the rest with the junk at the bottom: Result is a slightly more flavorful brew, and a bit more balanced, if that's possible. Not sure how it happened either, but it's a lot smoother as well. This beer is fairly inoffensive, and wait, what happened at the end... that sweetness that I never thought I'd taste? There it is. Minimal as it is, there's a candy coated finish on the bomber. This is most likely the first and last time I'll ever buy this... but it'll help give me some perspective on some of Stone's other beers which I'm soon to try out, and for a lonely couple of them, revisit.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (2013)

Year Round Beer.

22 fl. oz. / $5.69 USD  / 6.9% ABV

About: "When reading the name "Stone Cali-Belgique IPA", "Cali" hints that it is a California-style IPA, and this brew has an undeniable Belgian influence, indicated by the word "Belgique" (which is how Belgium's French-speaking population says the word "Belgian"; the Dutch-speaking Belgians say "België"). We carefully selected a Belgian yeast strain that illuminates a fascinating new aspect of the beer that is otherwise quite simply Stone IPA. The result is both completely new and different, while still being recognizable as a Stone brew - and Stone IPA in particular. Think of it as an otherwise identical twin to Stone IPA that was raised in a Belgian culture. Literally. HOP VARIETY: Columbus, Chinook and Centennial"

Thoughts: Purchased and drank on 1/22/13 with an Enjoy by date of 2/22/13. Loud hiss on the cap. Poured a golden yellow color with a shade of orange in there, and a smaller than expected white head that fizzled down into four puddles and a foamy ring around the glass.

Smells a little bit light. It's not as hop forward as their regular IPA, but it still smells really sweet and the addition of Belgian yeast is very harmonious. Getting a lot of peppery spice and everything seems to be flowing smoothly. It gets pretty dank after a while too. While this brew does have a solid scent to it, it's not really popping too much.

The taste is really gentle with tons of sweetness up front and then a heavy bitterness that builds up rapidly. There's a lot of citrus here, mostly lemon, maybe some tangerine, but also a bit of grapefruit on the end of it. There's no sting to the beer, but there is a mellow buzzing to it which is enjoyable and fun. It's pretty cool how it starts out really sweet but then the bitterness hits and gives it a nice balance of flavors.

Basically this is a really affordable beer that was made well and tastes pretty good for a different version on their standard, less celebrated beer. While it's an interesting take on their IPA, it's nothing truly remarkable (when compared to their better offerings I mean). It tastes really good overall, and I can't complain as it's all enjoyable.

This is a really laid back and relaxed beer, very reminiscent of the beach bum California lifestyle... but with a little twist.

Check out my latest brew haul.

Fuckin' A Right! The local bottle shop threw about 200 12 oz bottles up on a shelf mixed together in unmarked six packs all with a barcode listed as $4.99. Most of the beers were shit (stuff like Mike's Light Lemonade, Miller Light and a bunch of random forgettable garbage), so I started searching through, eyeing bottlecaps, then picking and choosing. I segregated the beers I wanted and ended up mixing and matching my own two twelve packs with two Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stouts, two Hop Noirs, two Stone Ruinations, and a Sam Adams Blackberry Wit for the hell of it (all not pictured and already drank)...

...but more importantly, the five beers I was thrilled to come across were: two 2012 bottles of Mad Elf, and a few 2012 DFH brews (all pictured above). These five beers alone go for about ten bucks or more together, so consider the other seven beers freebies. I also laid down some cash on a Founder's Bolt Cutter ($25.99!), DFH and SN Rhizing Bines ($13.69) and a Founder's Imperial Stout 4-Pack ($11.99). The SN Ruthless Rye glass was a gift from my favorite bartender this past Valentine's Day. She's awesome!

Ithaca Flower Power IPA

Ithaca Flower Power IPA (2013)

Year Round Beer.

12 fl. oz. (x3) / $6.87 USD / 7.5% ABV

About: "Enjoy the clover honey hue and tropical nose. Simultaneously Punchy and soothing with a big body and a finish that boasts pineapple and grapefruit. Flower power is hopped and dry-hopped five different times throughout the brewing and fermentation process. Malts: 2-Row, Honey Malt / Hops: Simcoe, Cascade, Ahtanum, Centennial / Dry-Hop: Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinook / Suggested Food Pairing: Accentuates hot and spicy cuisine like Indian and Thai curries or Mexican / Recommended Cheese Pairing: Strong cheeses like Stilton, Danish Blue or Gorgonzola."

Thoughts: There's no ABV listed on these bottles or the box. Unholy hell the bottlecaps on these are hard to crack. Like many, but not all of my other beer reviews, this is my first time trying Flower Power. It's incredible how fast this stuff sells out around here. People go nuts for it, seriously. Let's see what all the fuss is about.

Poured a hazy, honey yellow which was lighter than I had been expecting for some reason after popping that top and taking a quick whiff. It's got a fluffy ultra white one-finger head on top. Carbonation is a medium, and the bubbles are quick rising.

That is one mighty fine smelling IPA, let me fuckin' tell ya. Such a beautiful scent, right up there with the best of them. Loads of hops. It's sweet smelling, tons of tropical citrus and pine, with the absolute essence of oily hop resin. I want to smoke it, er, I mean drink it. It's so dank and flowery, and as I close my eyes I can imagine holding a hand full of whole cones and buds. It's spicy too. I'm getting a lot of pineapple, some pear, sweet oranges... I can't take this any longer!

Taste is not as sweet as I was hoping, very close, but alas a really nice balance is to be had here. The sweetness and the bitterness are frolicking together, hand in hand like a couple of dirty hippies. The bitterness is gentle and easy going, as is the spice, yet both are abundant, and that simple yet sweet malt profile holds it all together. There's a lot of strong hop oil that reverberates all throughout each swig and stays long after the beer has been gulped down. This stuff is fantastic... absolutely fantastic! And upon doing some research I find out that the ABV is 7.5%. Marvelous.

Mouth Feel is prickly, tickly and extremely coating. I'd definitely pick a few of these up again. That is, if I ever get to the right shop the day they stock it. I always see their other six packs just sitting there, but the Flower Power spot is always empty.