Kapittel Pater, Brouwerij Van Eecke, Watou, Belgium

Here is a Belgian Dark Ale that is easy to appreciate, it smells of sorghum and pours a deep brown with a very foamy head. The body is so dark, it looks like a cola.

The first sip leaves a very positive impression. This is slightly sweet, slightly sour with an odd hint of salt. All this flavor seems to be based in the fruity, prune or raisin, malt origin. Still, the body of the beer is amazingly thin for the color and flavor complexity.

As the liquid warms the sweetness becomes more prominent, the cola flavor surfaces with the hint of salt and a suggestion of cereal malts. I suspect this is all the work of the wild Belgian yeasts.

I can really appreciate this beer for the masterful level of complexity and low alcohol content. Kapittel Pater would be a great introductory brew for one who hasn't experienced the Belgian styles.

Grade: 4.9 of 5 pints

Paperback Friday: Brian Stableford, pt. 2

Honestly, I buy the Brian Stableford books because they have fantastic art and they are cheap, always less than $2.00.

Days of Wrath
Copyright; 1971, Brian Stableford. All rights reserved.
Cover art by Kelly Freas.
For Christine. 
Ace Books, a Division of Charter Communication, Inc.
Original retail price, 75 cents, purchased from McKay Books for 90 cents.
Days of Wrath is book three of the Dies Irae series. 

The Paradise Game: Star-Pilot Grainger #4
Copyright; 1974, Brian M Stableford.
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Kelly Freas.
Dedication: For Barbara Carlisle.
First printing, June 1974.
Daw Books Inc.
Original cover price: 95 cents.
Purchased at The Bookshelf, Morristown, Tn. for 50 cents.

The Fenris Device: Star-Pilot Grainger #5
Copyright, 1974, Brian M Stableford.
All right reserved.
Cover art by Kelly Freas.
Dedication: For Chad and Wendy Owen.
First printing, December 1974,
Daw Books Inc.
Original cover price: 95 cents, purchased at McKay Books for $1.50.











The Gates of Eden
Copyright, 1983, Brian Stableford.
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Douglas Chaffee.
For Barry Bayley.
First printing February 1983.
Daw Books Inc. 
Original cover price; $2.50, purchased from McKay Books for $1.25.

Coopers Best Extra Stout

They say that Australia is Down-under so, I guess this beer's not from across the pond but from under the pond. This one starts with a heavy, syrupy body and definite cocoa flavors. Not just hints of cocoa, it tastes like chocolate and coffee.

As it warms the bitter, dark chocolate and coffee, flavors still dominate. This one remains stout to the last sip with fresh, heavy cocoa malts throughout. 'Sign me up as a fan of under-the-pond-beers. This is another highly ranked beer by your friendly T-shirt vendor; Fanatical Recycling Inc; 4.95 of 5 pints.

Marble Brewery; Wildflower Wheat

Wildflower Wheat pours very clear gold. This one is brewed with wildflower honey but it is not sweet at all. In fact, it is a very nice balance of malt and hops, much like a lager. Wildflower Wheat rivals Old Hickory Brewing's Brown Mnt. Light as the lightest beer I have ever had.

The honey comes to the fore as the beer settles and warms a bit. The finish is like a Sprite, it is that light and balanced with stronger honey presence in the end. This may be the king of light beers, a very different wheat beer and very enjoyable!

I have to give this a 4.9 of 5 pints and high recommendations too.

Moorhouse, Blonde Bitch

Moorhouse Brewery is in Lancashire England, I have sampled their Pendle Witch's Brew before but don't recall ever having the Blonde Bitch. And, based on this beverage, I think I'd remember it.

Over the years I have really warmed up to the traditional wheat beers, which this is reminiscent of, but Blonde Bitch is not a wheat beer. B. B. does pour a pale yellow with light carbonation. The first sip is very light, the mouth feel reminds me of a cider or a wheat beer. The malt and hops applications are very light. With a bit more hops this would be an English style Pale Ale. This ale definitely has the body of a cider or a whit beer. The label describes it as, "A premium, light colored, refreshing ale with a sweet citrus dry finish." The description may need more commas or adjectives, but I found B.B. to be a "refreshing" light ale.

 Looking at the Moorhouse website, I can't determine if they have changed the name of this brew to Blonde Witch or perhaps they sell it as B.B. in the U.S.? Regardless, I, personally suggest this delightful little ale and give it a 4.5 of 5 pints, at least.

It is Official...

Que Widespread Panic: (or Vic Chesnutt) It is official, I went to make a burrito and saw, out our kitchen window, the freak of nature that lives in our neighborhood. This is a skunk that appears albino. It is not albino but is all white except for black on his feet and a black stripe on his head. I had seen him before but it was at night. Yes, like Doraville, Ga., at least at one time, Strawberry Plains is a little country in the city. (Do I need another Southern Rock reference here?)

It's only seems appropriate that I provide you all with this video of Vic Chesnutt preforming "Sleeping Man," as I had suspected, Mr. Chesnutt wrote Sleeping Man. I found this on You Tube and it had only 6 "likes" and no comments. All the videos of Panic preforming Sleeping Man were of terrible quality. The significance of this particular tune to this topic, as you should notice, the first line of the song is "your a freak of nature."

Things that I have observed this week.

1. No, Mr. My-daughter-has-a-Hawaiian-flower-tattoo, you can not find a Hibiscus bush with a purple flower in East Tennessee. Notice how a majority of the Hibiscus flower colors are red, pink and yellow? This guy goes in my "cultural decline" file.

2. The Screaming Trees are the bastard love child of Ian Astbury (The Cult) and the Meat Puppets.

Hard to believe that, as a young lad, I saw the Trees and the Meat Puppets play at the same tiny club in Birmingham, Al. That club would be the notorious Nick, notorious if you're from Birmingham because; A. it is so small!, B: notorious for booking punk and alt rock shows or generally alternative music of any kind. I also saw Henry Rollins preform there with Rollins Band and, years later, saw Vic Chesnutt preform there.

Didn't mean for my observation to become a trip down memory lane, music's good, on any day, at any age.