Welcome to my 2017 Oscar blog! I joined the 2000's and bought an Amazon firestick so I can watch most movies shortly after they come out. As a result, my Oscar posts will be quite a bit more relevant.
Here we go. I am rating this years films in the order I watch them; no other reason.
HIDDEN FIGURES:
This film chronicles the three African American women who were instrumental in helping NASA launch the first astronaut into orbit. All three women were brilliant and performed many of the hardest calculations that NASA needed to perform. As this story takes place in the 60's, they were portrayed as the smartest people in the room, but couldn't share the same coffee pot or restroom as everyone else.
All three actresses, Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae were fantastic. Their portrayal of these women who faced discrimination while performing some of the most important tasks in American history was perfect. You feel the absolute victory when the bathrooms are desegragated, the coffee pots are shared, the rockets launch, etc. Kevin Costner's character was excellent as well. He played the part of the supervisor who watched the discrimination negatively impact the success of the NASA program. As he watched it, he changed it to ensure that each member of the program was performing to their potential instead of focusing on whether or not things were separate or equal; depending on their perspective.
The adapted screenplay was excellent. The performances were excellent. This film was good in all aspects. This may be a serious contender (having not seen the other nominees yet).
Overall rating 4/5
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
I watched this film last night and I went to bed thinking about it and woke up thinking about it. At some points in the film, I felt it was brilliant. At others, I thought it was poor. I'm not sure which one will win out at the end but I definitely was impacted by the film.
Without going into too much detail, Casey Affleck's character (Lee) was introduced as a character we don't really like. He is a maintenence man making minimum wage somewhere near the coast in New England. The film's first turn is when his brother dies from congestive heart failure, and he is placed as a guardian of his brother's 16 year old son. The mother was a drunk who the father divorced and they do not contact anymore so the only viable candidate for guardianship is Lee.
My first major issue with the film is that we are introduced to Lee with no frame of reference as to a possible reason that he is such a horrendous person. So I formed an opinion of him and had to shift my opinion totally about halfway through the film when we learn of a traumatic even that causes him to behave and act as ignorantly as he does. I think the film would be better served to introduce this traumatic event earlier in the film before we form an opinion aboout Lee. The trauma really serves as a starting point to the narrative and I think a stricter linear approach would have been beneficial.
Another issue that I had with the film occurs in the first of the final two scenes; a scene where Lee encounters his wife who tries to open up and start a conversation about their shared trauma (not that the director was concerned with her point of view- she merely acts a catalyst to gain insight into Lee). This scene clearly shows the theme of the movie: there are some things you just can't get over. This scene bothered me on quite a few levels. First, I thought the camera angles were off. They showed the majority of the scene from behind his ex-wife. This focus on Lee disproportionately focused on his respone to the exact same event (the trauma occurred during their marriage and caused their divorce) while ignoring the trauma it caused to her. We clearly see Lee is broken while not being concerned with the damage caused to his ex-wife who was equally devestated by the event. What the director chooses to pay attention to is Lee's refusal to have anything to do with her. The camera finally ends up focusing on the two of them but even that angle is shown to highlight Lee's escape from the conversation while his ex-wife was overcome with emotion. I thought the scene could have been filmed in a different way that would have showed the tragedy of the shared experience and their individual reaction to it. To reinforce this idea, this is the last scene we see the ex-wife in. We are left with the image of her unraveling and never find get any closure or any idea of what happens to her.
In the next major scene, the film reaches its pinnacle. Lee confesses to his brother's son "I can't beat it." His acknowlegement that he is broken is the film's high point. We see firsthand that he can't be fixed and he knows it. He is limping through life and doing his best to just maintain. As enlightening and explanatory that this scene is, his emotional opening up doesn't jive with his absolute shutting down when confronted by his ex-wife just a scene or two before. His nephew didn't really want to hear this baring of the soul while his ex-wife was begging for it. It didn't make sense to me.
As many major issues as I had with this film, there were some strengths as well. Casey Affleck's performance was oscar worthy and I find it hard to envision him not winning. I didn't care for the way the film was presented but he was absolutely perfect as the flawed protaginist.
Another piece of the film that worked very well was the score. The music to this film was excellent as well. I'm not a music major by any means but the gothic choral music highlighted the sadness and despair shown in these characters.
I am going to rewatch this film to see if it works better the second time through. I don't think this a serious contender but with some shifts in focus, it could have been.
Overall rating 3/5
LA LA LAND
I watched LA LA LAND last night and it amounted to about what I expected. It was primarily a romance movie with some excellent music. The show tunes were catchy and nice but the real musical weight was provided by the jazz ensembles that Ryan Gosling played in as an aspiring jazz musician. His character, Sebastian, falls in love with Emma Stone's character, Mia. From there we see what happens to them as they are faced with career advancements for both.
Emma Stone is one of my favorite actresses. She is excellent in everything she is in and she shines here as well; her acting talent is on full display here. She is an aspiring actress who goes to auditions and we see her run the gamut of emotions and situations on cue.
The negative to the movie is that there isn't much to the plot. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, problems ensue, etc. It is a simple love story with very little innovation. It makes up for its unoriginality in performance and production as both are top rate.
Overall, this movie will be enjoyable for everyone. It is a musical but it is not overdone by any means. There is much more dialouge than singing; especially the second half of the movie. The themes are universal and the ending is good. In short, I would recommend everyone see it regardless of whether or not you like musicals or not.
Overall Rating 3.5/5.
MOONLIGHT
I watched this a day after watching La La Land and in contrast, you couldn't find two more polar opposite films. Set in the Miami hood, this coming of age story about the son of a single mom who was a serious addict was not a feel good story at all. It showed the protagonist at three points in his life, a young boy, a high schooler, and then at about 25 years of age when he reconnects with a high school friend. This film illustrates perfectly the effects of being raised in an unnurturing, non-loving environment.
The cinematography and score were adequate, the acting good but not great (with the exception of the high school version of the boy- I thought he was excellent), the directing was good. What stood out was the script that created some very memorable scenes; especially in the high school section of the movie. They were as disturbing as they were memorable and you really feel enpathy and sympathy for the protagonist in these moments.
I thought the adult section drug a little bit as the last 45 minutes or so were almost like a stand-alone play with the majority of the scene taking place in a diner for about 30 minutes straight. The last scene was moving as well but not nearly as emotional as the high school scenes. by the way, did anyone else think it was 50 cent? I totally did and am still convinced I am being punked. The guys look exactly alike.
After watching this win the best picture award, I'm convinced that this year's class of films is the weakest I have seen in memory.
Sidenote: I think Marshala Ali was excellent in this but I think his work in Hidden Figures combined with this is what won him the award. He was excellent in both and also is an acting stud in House of Cards. Go Remy Danton!
Overall rating 3/5.
Hacksaw Ridge
I watched this film with my son who was way more excited to see it than I was. I am absolutely not a fan of Mel Gibson and this did nothing to change my mind. This film was way overstated and treated the audience as if A) they had never seen a war film before, B) they were not aware that war was dangerous or that people died, C) people who went to war often left loved ones behind and then came back as changed men, and D) they were not smart enough to figure any of these things out on their own. I was bored through thre majority of the cliches and overusage of strewn body parts and slow motion to theorhetically heighten the drama. I felt like a 9th grader in a intro to filmmaking class who was seeing a "How to Make Your Movie Dramatic" video to take and use on my first ever film attempt.
As much as I hated the basic unintelligent way that the film was made, I did appreciate the script and story. In a capable director's hands, this was a serious oscar contender. Unfortunately, after Mel Gibson ruined it, it was a throw in nominee based on the script and Andrew Garfield's performance. Andrew Garfield's performance was good; although I thought the overproduction and repetitive dramtic devices subtracted from it as the film wore on.
The film itself was 2 hours and 15 minutes long but that was because we saw 30% of the war scenes in slow motion. Had we only seen 2 or 3 body parts lying on ther ground instead of the seemingly endless stream Gibson chose to show us, this film could have been shortened down to about an hour and 45 minutes.
In short, I don't even think you need to watch this one. Read a synopsis online as the story is impressive and the man Garfield played was a true war hero.
Overall rating 1/ 5
ARRIVAL
This film inspired me to think more than any other film of this year's class (by a long shot- not even close). Without giving anything away, the suggestion made at the end of the film was a question that made me stop and consider for a long time which way I would choose. I loved that aspect of it. I though it was brilliant.
The rest of the film served as a vehicle to arrive at the big question at the end. Amy Adams plays a
speech expert who is called in when Aliens arrive on our planet. Jeremy Renner is a scientific expert who works alongside to try and establish communication with the aliens. As they learn theor language, they realize they are learning a whole new way to view spoace, time, and everything we know. As their knowledge of this alien speech increases, so does their ability to process the world around them. This leads to the big reveal at the end of the film.
Both Renner and Adams are excellent as always. The screemplay was excellent as well- especially the ending. Everything else was good as well.
This will probably be the most memorable film for me from this year by a long shot. I loved the ending reveal and the premise it raised. Everyone should see this film just for the ending. While it does fall in the science fiction genre, it isn't over the top by any means and it serves a vehicle to arrive at the ending premise.
Overall Rating 4.5/5
HELL OR HIGH WATER
As I stated earlier, in my review of Moonlight, I think this was the weakest class we have seen in a long time. I would have to go back and look to see when I thought we have had this weak of a class. This film, in my opinion, had no reason to be among the nominees. The script was average, the acting was OK- and by OK, I mean Jeff Bridges was awesome but he is awesome everytime he hits the screen). The score, set design, etc. were all good but nothing stood out to me as Oscar worthy. The basic premise is that two brothers rob banks so that the straight (before he robbed banks) borther can get out of debt and will his recently deceased mom's property to his estranged sons who live with their mom. The just out of prison for bank robbery brother sacrifices himself so his "good" brother can get away. Nothing new here; nothing out of the ordinary. In my opinion, this film was very pedestrian.
Overall rating 2/5
FENCES
This August Wilson play adapted to the big screen was acted out on the stage by mostly the same cast as the film. Their familiarity with the material was evident as they looked like they had done this time and time again and were totally comfortable doing so. Denzel Washington's character never stopped talking and at one point in the film, he had a 13 page monologue that he had to memorize. He was excellent playing a father who is mean, ornery, and miserable and has so many faults that you become unsympathetic to his character by the end of the film. Mr. Wilson tricks us into believing that he is a hard-working everyman to start with. By the end of the film, we realize that his wife, played brilliantly by Viola Davis, is the only hero in this film. My sympathy toward Denzel's charactor was gone as I watched his wife pick up the pieces of the wreckage he left and make the family's life as smooth as it could be given the situation.
Overall, this play adated to the screen felt just that way: most of the film was set either in the backyard or the kitchen of the home, there was almost no discernable "action". The entire film was based on the dialogue between characters. I am conflicted about this film. I don;t think adapting it to the big screen hurt or helped it. I think it felt like I was watching a play on TV instead of a movie based on a play. It was good but not good enough to beat Arrival or Hidden Figures in my book.
Overall rating 3/5
AND THE LAST ONE:
Lion
OK. This film was a true feel good story and may have been the best film of the bunch. The basic plot was that a 5 year old boy from a third-world, perennially poor part of India gets separated ffrom his brother and gets lost. He is adopted by a middle class family in Australia who raise, him, allow him to be college-educated and excape the poverty he would have been stuck in if he remained in India,
He eventually uses Google Earth to find out where his hometown was and returns to find his family. It was a very well made film with excellent acting and a great story. The scenes where the boy reunites with his Mom (both in the film and the real world shots they show during the credits) are truly moving.
It is truly a story of irony as he would have never used a computer if he didn't get lost and adopted to a better country. If you put yourself in the true mothers shoes, how would you feel missing your son grow upbut knowing his life would be truly better because he grew up soemwhere else? A great premise that made you think. And it was a good film in all areas.
Overall rating 4/5.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO: "Arrival" in my opinion. Although, this year's class was WEAK overall. Not one film has stunned me as in years past. I'm a little disappointed to be honest. that being said, I think Arrival's mental questions were enough to carry it to the top. Hidden Figures or Lion would be my second choice. Moonlight (which won the Oscar) was good as well but the ending scene killed it in my opinion. I hope next year is better....
Friday, February 24, 2017
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
2016 OSCAR BLOG POST
As usual, I am a year behind but I may become more up to date as we purchased an Amazon firestick. So now I have access to movies in a much more timely fashion. Hopefully, I'll get my blogs up in the same calendar year that the films are nominated for. That being said, there were eight movies nominated in the year 2016 and I will review them as I watch them. We already know Spotlight took home best picture. DeCaprio walked out with best actor, Brie Larson won for her performance in Room, and Innaritu won best director for the second year in a row for The Revenant (last year was Birdman). That being said, here are my reviews of each film:
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
After having not seen the original Mad Max movies in probably 20ish years (and not remembering a whole lot about them to be honest), I was a little intrigued by this nomination. I don't remember the older films being anything special besides the special effects and outlandishness of the plot, setting, and characters. After watching this film, I am pretty sure that this nomination was in recognition of George Miller's lifetime contributions to film; not for the actual movie. I wasn't expecting very much to be honest so I wasn't let down per se; just not a lot going on here. The scenery and setting were phenomenal and the special effects were first rate. Some of the chase scenes were fantastic and the cinematography was top notch. That being said, I felt no empathy or connection to any of the characters at any point and the simple "get out of Dodge" at all costs plot was thin at best. I honestly can't believe this film was nominated as a stand-alone production. As I stated earlier, this is one of those "body of work" nominations that directors get at the end of their careers. My rating is a 2/ 5. If you aren't a a fan of this genre, then I wouldn't even watch it.
BRIDGE OF SPIES
Going into this, I knew very little about this story except that Gary Powers was shot down in Russian airspace in the U2 spyplane. This is only a sidestory for the film we see though. James Donavan (played by Tom Hanks) is the negotiator sent by the US government to get Mr. Powers back. He has a bargaining chip, Rudolph Abel, a russian spy who was caught by the USA. The story unfolds as Donovan heads to East Berlin during the cold war crisis to negotiate a trade. The plot is good, the acting better, and the directing is good as well. I don't think I noticed any flaws during the first viewing. It was a well made movie. That being said, that is the highest compliment I can give it. It was a good story and a well made movie. I don't think it was Oscar material- certainly not a best picture winner. When the film ended, so did my interaction with it. No bigger picture, no deeper questions to be asked about it or the story.
Sidenote: The film did get a bonus for casting two actors who appeared in "The Wire" though. Any film gets a bump up for that.
Again, I have no complaints at all but I just didn't think it did anything to separate itself from the other well-made movies of 2015. Overall rating 3.5/ 5.
THE REVENANT
I think my opinion of this film was affected by the pre-game hype it recieved. Innaritu coming off Birdman (which I loved except the ending), DeCaprio seeking revenge, eating real Bison hearts in the middle of the wilderness, etc. Tom Hardy as the bad guy? What wasn't going to be great about this movie? After seeing the original way in which Birdman was orchestrated, directed, and filmed, I was expecting a different take on the traditional revenge story. I thought for sure Innaritu would do soemthing to dazzle. This was the first place I was let down. It was shot in a very traditional, though beautiful, straightforward method. Don't get me wrong, it was borderline perfect but I was expecting a little more. And the screenplay was lacking for sure. I kept expecting a new angle or twist on what ended up being a simple revenge story. Never happened. I was disappointed here for sure.
As a craft, the filmmaking was flawless. The movie's score was fine, the cinematography was perfect, the directing was on point. The setting was beautiful, the acting was good as well even if it was a little thin on substance. The film does get bonus points for the CGI bear that attacked DeCaprio. That was painful to watch. It made me want to stay out of the woods forever.
Taking all of the film's obvious strengths into account, I couldn't get over the weak screenplay and lack of substance in the plot. Overall rating 3.5/ 5.
ROOM
After two really good movies and a not-so-Oscar movie, I was starting to lose hope about this year's class of best picture candidates. I didn't know much about Room going in and still don't know if it is based on a real-life story or not. It doesn't matter. The plot is such that you have to watch. The problem with watching the film is that one part of you knows that you are watching a depiction of one of the worst things we, as humans, are capable of. Here is a quick plot synopsos: a 17 year old girl is kidnapped by a stranger and forced to live in his shed in his back yard. Being a forethinking psychopathic child-abductor, he has furnished it with just enough to survive; a sink, bathtub, and a small kitchenette. She lives there for the next seven years and has a son (by her captor) after two years of imprisonment. The son is not allowed to leave- he thinks the entire world is encapsulated within this "room." After about 45 movie minutes, they escape.
Logically, you would think the film would take a turn upwards after they gain their freedom. However, they both face the reality that neither of them has spent a minute in the world in 7 years (all his life for the boy). This is when the film really makes you uncomfortable; you are made to process the horror of the act that was perpetrated on the girl as she tries to fit back in with her family and society and raise a fatherless child who has no clue what the world is; much less how to fit in.
As depressing as all of this is, you also see the flip side; both mother and son slowly progress back into society. The change they make inspires you to realize that whatever crap is in your life, it can't be that bad. This film was an excellent potrayal of the human spirit and what we can accomplish when motivated.
Brie Larson won best actress for this just about everywhere. She deserved it. The kid (Jacob Tremblay) was excellent as well. It is a simply shot film that relies on the emotional impact of the situation to speak for it.
You must see this film; don't expect it to make you comfortable and don' expect to like it. Expect to learn a lesson about humanity and question what things in your life are really"stressful."
Overall rating 5/5.
THE MARTIAN
Left behind by his crew (through no fault of their own), Matt Damon's astrounaut character must figure out how to survive on Mars for four years on a food supply that should last about 90 days. He does manage to make it with the assorted hiccups and pitfalls associated with flying solo on an uninhabitable planet with nothing around but some left-over NASA equipment and good old ingenuity. When it is time for Damon to be rescued, this story becomes slightly predictable with the almost didn't make it in outer space finish. That barely diminishes the performance Damon gives as someone alone on Mars for 600 days and the worldwide effort made by humans on Earth to bring him home.
Another story of the great accomplishments people are capable of when motivated, this story is entertaining and will draw you in based on the sheer weight of Damon's isolation on Mars.
Overall rating 4/5.
BROOKLYN
A coming of age story from a turn of the century irish immigrant who comes to Brooklyn and meets the Italian boy of her dreams. She is called back to Ireland and easily falls back into the familiar culture and temptations it provides; despite being secretly married before leaving to return home to Ireland.
A decent film- not the emotional rollercoaster that Room is by any means. This movie is well made but falls short on plot, screenplay, and emotional depth when compared to the others. If you are not a romance fan, this one can probably be skipped.
Overall rating 3/5
SPOTLIGHT
This film chronicles the Boston Globe's investigative team as it examines and uncovers the Catholic Church's attempts to hide the priest abuse cases in Boston during the 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond. Releasing the article in early 2002 shook the foundation of the church and its believers as the truth of the scandal was exposed. A brilliant screenplay shines as the actors involved played their parts perfectly. The directorial prowess of "The Wire" actor Tom McCarthy (reporter in the last season) was fully visible as the pacing, setting and shooting were perfect. For a film with literally no action (not one fight, car chase, murder, etc.), this film moves quickly and never has the feel of being boring or drawn out. It is a true example of how a great screenplay can carry a movie.
The absolute criminal intent of the Catholic church is brought out beautifully in this film. There is no doubt that the church not only covered for these pedofiles but did so in a way to deceive the public and keep their legal liability to a minimum. Exposing one of the strongest organizations in the world to their roots is not an easy task for four investigative reporters to take on. Played beautifully by Michael Keeton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d'arcy James, these reporters wouldn't give up and eventually exposed one of the biggest scandals of the last 100 years.
This film is my pick for the Best Picture of this year. It provides clarity to not only how the Catholic Church got away with these travesties, but how the community let it go on; despite everyone knowing on some level what was happening. A fantastic film that everyone should see.
Overall rating 5/5.
THE BIG SHORT
This film was similar to Spotlight in that its focus was to expose another corrupt situation. This one dealt with the banking industry in relation to the housing market collapse in 2009. As Spotlight did, this film left no room for interpretation or doubt about the guilty parties. The banking industry was all but unregulated as this went down due to lack of money and staff in the SEC at this time. As a result of their lack of oversight combined with unscrupulous banking practices, the housing market was allowed to completely run off the rails with the taxpayers picking up the tab for the self- destruction caused by the banks.
As far as the film itself, the shining star was Steve Carell. He was fantastic as one of the few people who saw this coming and as a result, used the system to make a ton of money. His character kept trying to find out reasons to not invest in this scheme. Through his gathering of information, the depths of the scandalous banking practices are exposed. His character flaws combined with his tenacious work ethic make him a total antihero who you find yourself rooting for anyway.
Outside of Carrell's performance, I felt the rest of the film was rather pedestrian. The screenplay was good, the plot was well-paced, the dialouge was good; not great. The other actors were fine but I didn't feel much else stood out. You should definitely watch this film just to see the depths of corruption that were perpetuated by the banks and unchecked by the government.
Overall rating 3.5/ 5
Overall, not a bad year for the Oscars: two great movies, two pretty good movies, a couple of thro-ins at the end to satisfy the fans of the genres they represent. I'm never let down by the movies nominated for best picture.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
After having not seen the original Mad Max movies in probably 20ish years (and not remembering a whole lot about them to be honest), I was a little intrigued by this nomination. I don't remember the older films being anything special besides the special effects and outlandishness of the plot, setting, and characters. After watching this film, I am pretty sure that this nomination was in recognition of George Miller's lifetime contributions to film; not for the actual movie. I wasn't expecting very much to be honest so I wasn't let down per se; just not a lot going on here. The scenery and setting were phenomenal and the special effects were first rate. Some of the chase scenes were fantastic and the cinematography was top notch. That being said, I felt no empathy or connection to any of the characters at any point and the simple "get out of Dodge" at all costs plot was thin at best. I honestly can't believe this film was nominated as a stand-alone production. As I stated earlier, this is one of those "body of work" nominations that directors get at the end of their careers. My rating is a 2/ 5. If you aren't a a fan of this genre, then I wouldn't even watch it.
BRIDGE OF SPIES
Going into this, I knew very little about this story except that Gary Powers was shot down in Russian airspace in the U2 spyplane. This is only a sidestory for the film we see though. James Donavan (played by Tom Hanks) is the negotiator sent by the US government to get Mr. Powers back. He has a bargaining chip, Rudolph Abel, a russian spy who was caught by the USA. The story unfolds as Donovan heads to East Berlin during the cold war crisis to negotiate a trade. The plot is good, the acting better, and the directing is good as well. I don't think I noticed any flaws during the first viewing. It was a well made movie. That being said, that is the highest compliment I can give it. It was a good story and a well made movie. I don't think it was Oscar material- certainly not a best picture winner. When the film ended, so did my interaction with it. No bigger picture, no deeper questions to be asked about it or the story.
Sidenote: The film did get a bonus for casting two actors who appeared in "The Wire" though. Any film gets a bump up for that.
Again, I have no complaints at all but I just didn't think it did anything to separate itself from the other well-made movies of 2015. Overall rating 3.5/ 5.
THE REVENANT
I think my opinion of this film was affected by the pre-game hype it recieved. Innaritu coming off Birdman (which I loved except the ending), DeCaprio seeking revenge, eating real Bison hearts in the middle of the wilderness, etc. Tom Hardy as the bad guy? What wasn't going to be great about this movie? After seeing the original way in which Birdman was orchestrated, directed, and filmed, I was expecting a different take on the traditional revenge story. I thought for sure Innaritu would do soemthing to dazzle. This was the first place I was let down. It was shot in a very traditional, though beautiful, straightforward method. Don't get me wrong, it was borderline perfect but I was expecting a little more. And the screenplay was lacking for sure. I kept expecting a new angle or twist on what ended up being a simple revenge story. Never happened. I was disappointed here for sure.
As a craft, the filmmaking was flawless. The movie's score was fine, the cinematography was perfect, the directing was on point. The setting was beautiful, the acting was good as well even if it was a little thin on substance. The film does get bonus points for the CGI bear that attacked DeCaprio. That was painful to watch. It made me want to stay out of the woods forever.
Taking all of the film's obvious strengths into account, I couldn't get over the weak screenplay and lack of substance in the plot. Overall rating 3.5/ 5.
ROOM
After two really good movies and a not-so-Oscar movie, I was starting to lose hope about this year's class of best picture candidates. I didn't know much about Room going in and still don't know if it is based on a real-life story or not. It doesn't matter. The plot is such that you have to watch. The problem with watching the film is that one part of you knows that you are watching a depiction of one of the worst things we, as humans, are capable of. Here is a quick plot synopsos: a 17 year old girl is kidnapped by a stranger and forced to live in his shed in his back yard. Being a forethinking psychopathic child-abductor, he has furnished it with just enough to survive; a sink, bathtub, and a small kitchenette. She lives there for the next seven years and has a son (by her captor) after two years of imprisonment. The son is not allowed to leave- he thinks the entire world is encapsulated within this "room." After about 45 movie minutes, they escape.
Logically, you would think the film would take a turn upwards after they gain their freedom. However, they both face the reality that neither of them has spent a minute in the world in 7 years (all his life for the boy). This is when the film really makes you uncomfortable; you are made to process the horror of the act that was perpetrated on the girl as she tries to fit back in with her family and society and raise a fatherless child who has no clue what the world is; much less how to fit in.
As depressing as all of this is, you also see the flip side; both mother and son slowly progress back into society. The change they make inspires you to realize that whatever crap is in your life, it can't be that bad. This film was an excellent potrayal of the human spirit and what we can accomplish when motivated.
Brie Larson won best actress for this just about everywhere. She deserved it. The kid (Jacob Tremblay) was excellent as well. It is a simply shot film that relies on the emotional impact of the situation to speak for it.
You must see this film; don't expect it to make you comfortable and don' expect to like it. Expect to learn a lesson about humanity and question what things in your life are really"stressful."
Overall rating 5/5.
THE MARTIAN
Left behind by his crew (through no fault of their own), Matt Damon's astrounaut character must figure out how to survive on Mars for four years on a food supply that should last about 90 days. He does manage to make it with the assorted hiccups and pitfalls associated with flying solo on an uninhabitable planet with nothing around but some left-over NASA equipment and good old ingenuity. When it is time for Damon to be rescued, this story becomes slightly predictable with the almost didn't make it in outer space finish. That barely diminishes the performance Damon gives as someone alone on Mars for 600 days and the worldwide effort made by humans on Earth to bring him home.
Another story of the great accomplishments people are capable of when motivated, this story is entertaining and will draw you in based on the sheer weight of Damon's isolation on Mars.
Overall rating 4/5.
BROOKLYN
A coming of age story from a turn of the century irish immigrant who comes to Brooklyn and meets the Italian boy of her dreams. She is called back to Ireland and easily falls back into the familiar culture and temptations it provides; despite being secretly married before leaving to return home to Ireland.
A decent film- not the emotional rollercoaster that Room is by any means. This movie is well made but falls short on plot, screenplay, and emotional depth when compared to the others. If you are not a romance fan, this one can probably be skipped.
Overall rating 3/5
SPOTLIGHT
This film chronicles the Boston Globe's investigative team as it examines and uncovers the Catholic Church's attempts to hide the priest abuse cases in Boston during the 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond. Releasing the article in early 2002 shook the foundation of the church and its believers as the truth of the scandal was exposed. A brilliant screenplay shines as the actors involved played their parts perfectly. The directorial prowess of "The Wire" actor Tom McCarthy (reporter in the last season) was fully visible as the pacing, setting and shooting were perfect. For a film with literally no action (not one fight, car chase, murder, etc.), this film moves quickly and never has the feel of being boring or drawn out. It is a true example of how a great screenplay can carry a movie.
The absolute criminal intent of the Catholic church is brought out beautifully in this film. There is no doubt that the church not only covered for these pedofiles but did so in a way to deceive the public and keep their legal liability to a minimum. Exposing one of the strongest organizations in the world to their roots is not an easy task for four investigative reporters to take on. Played beautifully by Michael Keeton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d'arcy James, these reporters wouldn't give up and eventually exposed one of the biggest scandals of the last 100 years.
This film is my pick for the Best Picture of this year. It provides clarity to not only how the Catholic Church got away with these travesties, but how the community let it go on; despite everyone knowing on some level what was happening. A fantastic film that everyone should see.
Overall rating 5/5.
THE BIG SHORT
This film was similar to Spotlight in that its focus was to expose another corrupt situation. This one dealt with the banking industry in relation to the housing market collapse in 2009. As Spotlight did, this film left no room for interpretation or doubt about the guilty parties. The banking industry was all but unregulated as this went down due to lack of money and staff in the SEC at this time. As a result of their lack of oversight combined with unscrupulous banking practices, the housing market was allowed to completely run off the rails with the taxpayers picking up the tab for the self- destruction caused by the banks.
As far as the film itself, the shining star was Steve Carell. He was fantastic as one of the few people who saw this coming and as a result, used the system to make a ton of money. His character kept trying to find out reasons to not invest in this scheme. Through his gathering of information, the depths of the scandalous banking practices are exposed. His character flaws combined with his tenacious work ethic make him a total antihero who you find yourself rooting for anyway.
Outside of Carrell's performance, I felt the rest of the film was rather pedestrian. The screenplay was good, the plot was well-paced, the dialouge was good; not great. The other actors were fine but I didn't feel much else stood out. You should definitely watch this film just to see the depths of corruption that were perpetuated by the banks and unchecked by the government.
Overall rating 3.5/ 5
Overall, not a bad year for the Oscars: two great movies, two pretty good movies, a couple of thro-ins at the end to satisfy the fans of the genres they represent. I'm never let down by the movies nominated for best picture.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
merry xmas, merry xmas, kiss my a**, kiss his a**, happy hannukah! 2016 XMAS BLOG
Merry XMas everyone! 2016 flew by. I have only blogged a few times this year. I put hardwood in on the main floor of the house last winter and then decided to install a deck over the summer/ early fall. Now that these projects are over, I can get back to the important stuff; blogging.
We are blogging live from Dooley's house. He and I are sitting in his kitchen quoting XMas Vacation.
"Anything else I can get for you Uncle Lewis?"
"If your not doing anything constructive, can you go to the living room and grab my stogie?"
On to the first beer!
We are drinking a beer from a brewer in Denmark. It is made and bottled in Belgium though. The brewery is TO OL but the second O is supposed to have a line through it. Here is their website:
http://to-ol.dk/home/
We are drinking their imperial milk stout. Here is a picture:
Luckily, the bottle barely has two 1/2 filled glasses. I've drank gasolin with less kick to it. Holy cow.
Brewer: TO OL Brewery. Denmark.
Beer Name: Jule Maelk (but the A and E are supposed to be connected)
Beer Style: Imperial Milk Stout
Price: Don't remember. I bought this last winter and let it age in the fridge so the alcohol content would increase up to Everclearish levels.
Appearance: Dark and frothy. Can't see through it. I poured it at least 20 minutes ago and the foam has gotten thicker as it has sat here. Brownish red in color.
Aroma: Smells like prunes. And whiskey. Lots of whiskey. IMPERIAL. Did I mention this is 15%?
Mouthfeel: Light for a stout. Very tingly as it goes down and the whiskey tickles the side of your tounge. Assuming it isn't completely numb. John said a slight burn as it makes it way down. I'm thinking a full bottle and you could melt the breathalizer before it even registers, John is going to hold a lighter in front of his mouth and see if he can be a firebreather at the circus.
Taste: Tart; followed by whiskey. It tastes like some kind of fruit; slightly sour red grapes, prunes, something along those lines. John says his is getting better as he finishes his glass. I don't think its bad for an imperial; slightly tart but not bad overall. If I was a whiskey fan, I'm pretty sure this would be pretty good. It is smooth; even with the alcohol taste at the back end. And the bonus is 12 ounces of this is about 4 and a half cases of Coors Lite for roughly 1/200th of the calories.
Overall rating: John says a 3. I agree. John says if it tasted better, he would have rated it higher. The in-depth analysis we give here on here is unparalleled on the internet! I am saying a three due to the over-tartness of the beer. I'm not sure prunes are the first thought I want on my mind as I drink. Not bad though and how many times do you get to try Danish beer? I have another bottle from them that we are saving for the next blog. It is a porter so hopefully, it won't be as fruity.
Beer #2!!!!!
We are drinking a beer that Goose gave me for my birthday last year. It is a strong, dark ale from Belgium. It was bottled in 2012 and says it is best if used by December of 2017. This beer is four years old and was supposed to be drank before 12/17. So it has aged for year a since Goose gave it to me. I think it was worth the wait. This beer is delicious. I mean the best Belgian beer I've ever had; besides maybe Stella. But Stella isn't really a traditional Belgian beer. This is and it is tasty.
Here we go with the ratings:
Appearance: Medium brown in color, very murky. We have FLOATERS! Being unfiltered, john and I are getting our recommended daily allowance of fiber with this one. Not any foam at all except slight ring around the edge of the glass. There is a little school of tadpoles swimming around the bottom of the glass. Think of Lake of the Ozarks party cove after Labor Day weekend.
And my wife is hung over from hr afternoon magaritas. Its 8:23 pm. This is how she does it.
Aroma: Slightly fruity, tarty. Not nearly as strong as lot of Belgian beers but the yeast is still there.
Mouthfeel: Not nearly as tingly as the previous beer; this is nice and smooth and fairly tame. Very straightforward and easy to drink.
Taste: John says a typical Belgian taste but not overpowering. I say its like a traditional American brown ale made with the Belgian yeast. Think 4Hands brown ale with a slight fruit aftertaste. Very good indeed.
Overall rating: John says a 4. A highly rated Belgian for us. John is not really a huge fan of Belgian beer so that is a high rating for him. I think I'm going a 4.5. This is a fine beer. And at only 9%, we can slam the hell out of this stuff. I'm on half-glass number three of beer tonight (in 1 hour and 40 minutes) and I'm buzzed. I guess a 15% and a 9% will do that. Hallelujah. We should do shots of this stuff,
Beer #3 is going to be really frickin good...
Brewer: Samuel Smith (England)
Beer Name: Organic Chocolate Stout (Best Beer Ever)
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: $6 or so- People pay $100's for wine; this is way better and a fraction of the price)
Probably my favorite brewer on the planet combined with my favorite beer style. I couldn't be more excited at the moment. Well, maybe if Scarjo came prancing by sans clothing... But, I digress. Wow, what a digression...
This beer is only 5%. This is practically NA for us. It smells like cocoa crispies. For real, the best chocolate smell ever. John just tried it and said, "OOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh, its GREEEATTTT." That was a quote. This might be the David Freeze game 6 11th inning of beers. OH MY GOD. I have died and gone to Las Vegas! This is fantastic. This is why we blog. This gives purpose to our lives. I love beer. John wants to bathe in it and gently splash himself. John is convinced it will remove wrinkles and smooth those facial blemishes. I'm not making this up. I'm pretty sure we will be buying this by the 18 wheeler with the second trailer on the back full,
Appearance: Dark, clear, good head on top with little lacing on the glass. A nice, smooth stout but lighter then a traditional stout. More like a dark brown ale.
Aroma: Might be the best chocolate smell ever. 'Nuff said.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, easy on the tongue, just a hint of bitter at the end. A very smooth stout. A little on the light side maybe but I'm being super-critical here.
Taste: Combine nectar of the Gods and cocoa puffs and you pretty much nailed it, I LOVE the 4Hands Chocolate Milk Stout but this is better. Holy crap. I could turn into a wino on this if I could afford it. I might sell meth to get this stuff.
Overall Rating: John says a 5.1 out of 5. I'm going 5.15. This is a perfect beer. Definitely the best beer I've tried in the last 5 years. It is perfection.
BONUS BEER TIME:
We have a bonus beer to end the evening with. John went to our local brewer tonight and picked up a growler of their brown ale. We have both drank it several times but until we blog it, it doesn't count.
Brewer: Friendship Brewery, WENTZVILLE, MO (future SC United shirt sponsor)
Beer Name: Downtown Brown
Beer Style: Brown Ale
Price: $14 per growler
ABU: 6.5%
I am partial to this beer as we have a local brewer that actually brews beer about 5 minutes from our houses. That automatically makes it good. That being said, here we go:
Appearance: Ummm, brown. Medium and relatively clear. Not crystal but clear enough to at least see light through on the opposite side of the glass. Slight lacing but not a whole lot of foam.
Aroma: Sort of sweet; almost a brown sugar aroma to it. Maybe a hint of coconut as well. It smells good. John gets cocoa in this one. Not cocoa crispy good but chocolate undertones as well.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, very light. Crisp, smooth, etc...
Taste: A nice, smooth, very consistent brown ale. Not too dark, not too light. Drinkable on every occasion. This is their best beer John and I have tried up until now. It is my go to from their brewery. Well worth a stop if you pass through Wentzville,
Overall rating: John says 4.5. I go 4.0. A very solid beer in my opinion but not a head-turner. It doesn't disappoint but doesn't overwhelm like SAM SMITH ORGANIC CHOCOLATE STOUT. BUY IT NOW!
Sidenote; The owners have the best beer memorabilia collection ever. You have to see the old beer signs, crates, etc. to believe it, The place is covered in it. And supposedly, the other 90% of his collection is in a warehouse somewhere. Its a cool joint to hang out in.
We are blogging live from Dooley's house. He and I are sitting in his kitchen quoting XMas Vacation.
"Anything else I can get for you Uncle Lewis?"
"If your not doing anything constructive, can you go to the living room and grab my stogie?"
On to the first beer!
We are drinking a beer from a brewer in Denmark. It is made and bottled in Belgium though. The brewery is TO OL but the second O is supposed to have a line through it. Here is their website:
http://to-ol.dk/home/
We are drinking their imperial milk stout. Here is a picture:
Luckily, the bottle barely has two 1/2 filled glasses. I've drank gasolin with less kick to it. Holy cow.
Brewer: TO OL Brewery. Denmark.
Beer Name: Jule Maelk (but the A and E are supposed to be connected)
Beer Style: Imperial Milk Stout
Price: Don't remember. I bought this last winter and let it age in the fridge so the alcohol content would increase up to Everclearish levels.
Appearance: Dark and frothy. Can't see through it. I poured it at least 20 minutes ago and the foam has gotten thicker as it has sat here. Brownish red in color.
Aroma: Smells like prunes. And whiskey. Lots of whiskey. IMPERIAL. Did I mention this is 15%?
Mouthfeel: Light for a stout. Very tingly as it goes down and the whiskey tickles the side of your tounge. Assuming it isn't completely numb. John said a slight burn as it makes it way down. I'm thinking a full bottle and you could melt the breathalizer before it even registers, John is going to hold a lighter in front of his mouth and see if he can be a firebreather at the circus.
Taste: Tart; followed by whiskey. It tastes like some kind of fruit; slightly sour red grapes, prunes, something along those lines. John says his is getting better as he finishes his glass. I don't think its bad for an imperial; slightly tart but not bad overall. If I was a whiskey fan, I'm pretty sure this would be pretty good. It is smooth; even with the alcohol taste at the back end. And the bonus is 12 ounces of this is about 4 and a half cases of Coors Lite for roughly 1/200th of the calories.
Overall rating: John says a 3. I agree. John says if it tasted better, he would have rated it higher. The in-depth analysis we give here on here is unparalleled on the internet! I am saying a three due to the over-tartness of the beer. I'm not sure prunes are the first thought I want on my mind as I drink. Not bad though and how many times do you get to try Danish beer? I have another bottle from them that we are saving for the next blog. It is a porter so hopefully, it won't be as fruity.
Beer #2!!!!!
We are drinking a beer that Goose gave me for my birthday last year. It is a strong, dark ale from Belgium. It was bottled in 2012 and says it is best if used by December of 2017. This beer is four years old and was supposed to be drank before 12/17. So it has aged for year a since Goose gave it to me. I think it was worth the wait. This beer is delicious. I mean the best Belgian beer I've ever had; besides maybe Stella. But Stella isn't really a traditional Belgian beer. This is and it is tasty.
Here we go with the ratings:
Appearance: Medium brown in color, very murky. We have FLOATERS! Being unfiltered, john and I are getting our recommended daily allowance of fiber with this one. Not any foam at all except slight ring around the edge of the glass. There is a little school of tadpoles swimming around the bottom of the glass. Think of Lake of the Ozarks party cove after Labor Day weekend.
And my wife is hung over from hr afternoon magaritas. Its 8:23 pm. This is how she does it.
Aroma: Slightly fruity, tarty. Not nearly as strong as lot of Belgian beers but the yeast is still there.
Mouthfeel: Not nearly as tingly as the previous beer; this is nice and smooth and fairly tame. Very straightforward and easy to drink.
Taste: John says a typical Belgian taste but not overpowering. I say its like a traditional American brown ale made with the Belgian yeast. Think 4Hands brown ale with a slight fruit aftertaste. Very good indeed.
Overall rating: John says a 4. A highly rated Belgian for us. John is not really a huge fan of Belgian beer so that is a high rating for him. I think I'm going a 4.5. This is a fine beer. And at only 9%, we can slam the hell out of this stuff. I'm on half-glass number three of beer tonight (in 1 hour and 40 minutes) and I'm buzzed. I guess a 15% and a 9% will do that. Hallelujah. We should do shots of this stuff,
Beer #3 is going to be really frickin good...
Brewer: Samuel Smith (England)
Beer Name: Organic Chocolate Stout (Best Beer Ever)
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: $6 or so- People pay $100's for wine; this is way better and a fraction of the price)
Probably my favorite brewer on the planet combined with my favorite beer style. I couldn't be more excited at the moment. Well, maybe if Scarjo came prancing by sans clothing... But, I digress. Wow, what a digression...
This beer is only 5%. This is practically NA for us. It smells like cocoa crispies. For real, the best chocolate smell ever. John just tried it and said, "OOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh, its GREEEATTTT." That was a quote. This might be the David Freeze game 6 11th inning of beers. OH MY GOD. I have died and gone to Las Vegas! This is fantastic. This is why we blog. This gives purpose to our lives. I love beer. John wants to bathe in it and gently splash himself. John is convinced it will remove wrinkles and smooth those facial blemishes. I'm not making this up. I'm pretty sure we will be buying this by the 18 wheeler with the second trailer on the back full,
Appearance: Dark, clear, good head on top with little lacing on the glass. A nice, smooth stout but lighter then a traditional stout. More like a dark brown ale.
Aroma: Might be the best chocolate smell ever. 'Nuff said.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, easy on the tongue, just a hint of bitter at the end. A very smooth stout. A little on the light side maybe but I'm being super-critical here.
Taste: Combine nectar of the Gods and cocoa puffs and you pretty much nailed it, I LOVE the 4Hands Chocolate Milk Stout but this is better. Holy crap. I could turn into a wino on this if I could afford it. I might sell meth to get this stuff.
Overall Rating: John says a 5.1 out of 5. I'm going 5.15. This is a perfect beer. Definitely the best beer I've tried in the last 5 years. It is perfection.
BONUS BEER TIME:
We have a bonus beer to end the evening with. John went to our local brewer tonight and picked up a growler of their brown ale. We have both drank it several times but until we blog it, it doesn't count.
Brewer: Friendship Brewery, WENTZVILLE, MO (future SC United shirt sponsor)
Beer Name: Downtown Brown
Beer Style: Brown Ale
Price: $14 per growler
ABU: 6.5%
I am partial to this beer as we have a local brewer that actually brews beer about 5 minutes from our houses. That automatically makes it good. That being said, here we go:
Appearance: Ummm, brown. Medium and relatively clear. Not crystal but clear enough to at least see light through on the opposite side of the glass. Slight lacing but not a whole lot of foam.
Aroma: Sort of sweet; almost a brown sugar aroma to it. Maybe a hint of coconut as well. It smells good. John gets cocoa in this one. Not cocoa crispy good but chocolate undertones as well.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, very light. Crisp, smooth, etc...
Taste: A nice, smooth, very consistent brown ale. Not too dark, not too light. Drinkable on every occasion. This is their best beer John and I have tried up until now. It is my go to from their brewery. Well worth a stop if you pass through Wentzville,
Overall rating: John says 4.5. I go 4.0. A very solid beer in my opinion but not a head-turner. It doesn't disappoint but doesn't overwhelm like SAM SMITH ORGANIC CHOCOLATE STOUT. BUY IT NOW!
Sidenote; The owners have the best beer memorabilia collection ever. You have to see the old beer signs, crates, etc. to believe it, The place is covered in it. And supposedly, the other 90% of his collection is in a warehouse somewhere. Its a cool joint to hang out in.
Friday, February 26, 2016
POST #50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a cataclysmic, exciting moment in blog history! I don't mean to suggest this blog is similar in importance to Neil Armstrong's steps on the moon or anything but I think it goes without saying that this blog is one of the pillars that American culture is based on.
By the way, If you haven't watched "Why's James Crying?" by Froggy Fresh on youtube yet, you should. Its kid friendly and pretty funny.
To start off with tonight, I have the other beer that my friend brought over from AB last week. The Goose Island Pale Ale.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: Green Line Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale?
Price: It's available for about $7.99 at stores now even though I have the test bottle from AB.
Appearance: Cloudy, looks like your pee after a long night at the local tavern.
Aroma: Smells deliciously fruity.
Mouthfeel: As expected, not much happening here. Very light and refreshing but not a lot of tingle or anything.
Taste: John says hoppy. I'm getting more citrusy IPA then pale ale for sure. I think its prettu good but not in a typical pale ale kind of way by any means. This is a summer beer for sure. No way I'm drinking this if its under 80 degrees.
Overall Rating: John says 2.75. Not his favorite beer. I'll say a 3.5 but not as a pale ale. As an IPA. If I'm rating this as a pale ale, I'm saying about a .5.
Next beer is a different style altogether.
Brewer: Boulevard
Beer Name: Dark Truth Stout from the smokestack series.
Beer Style: Stout and this earns the title of Stout.
Price: About $10 for a 4 pack.
Appearance: This is going to block out the sun. If you are worried about skin cancer, just forget the SPF 50 and slop this on for protection. Chris has visions of windmills when he drinks this.
Aroma: A bag full of prunes that have been sitting on the porch in the 98 degree heat.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth for a stout. More like a Belgiun beer then a true stout.
Taste: Crazy strong alcohol on top of fruit flavors- mostly plums. Chris says a fermented chocolate lava cake. John says smoky chocolate with a kick. Kevin says it reminds him of his favorite movie "Chocolat." Can't get enough Johnny Depp.
Overall rating: Chris says a 4.5. John says 4.25. Kevin says a 4. I'm going a 3. Not a fan of the prunes/ plums.
Brewer: Guiness
Beer Name: Nitro IPA
Beer Style: IPA?
Price: $7 a 6 pack roughly.
Appearance: Nitro head for sure. Very clear but a dark color for an IPA.
Aroma: Slight citrus. Not much here.
Mouthfeel: Watered down water.
Taste: Chris says it tastes slightly better then Hamm's special light. Slightly. I think he might be wrong. This is awful. John won't even comment. He's just realized that he still has to drink 5 more of these.
Overall rating: John says 1.0. Kevin says 1.0. Chris says 1.0 also. Again, I'm going lower. I'll say .1. It does have alcohol but I'm not sure how much. This beer is terrible. I might not drink if this was the only beer available and that's saying something.
Time to right this ship. We are on a bad roll. We need something good. Here we go.
Brewer: Ommegang
Beer Name: Iron Throne Blonde Ale
Beer Style: Blond Ale
Price: About $10 for a pint bottle.
OK. I'm switching gears and going with a proven brewer; Ommegang from New York. And I have high hopes for this one.
Appearance: Nice and blonde. Clear. Exactly what you would expect. Chris says slightly opaque.
Aroma: I think I smell peaches but it could be any fruit. Definitely a belgiuny bouquet. Kevin says it reminds him of a Glade plug-in.
Mouthfeel: Slightly tingly; very light as you would expect.
Taste: Tastes like a well-made belgiun blonde ale. Very fruity and sour with a definite belgiun twang at the end. Nice and light. Kevin says it tastes like a Bud Light with a shot of the Glade plugin liquid dropped in.
Overall Rating: Chris says 1.5/ Kevin says 3.5; 2.5 plus one extra for the label. John says 3.1. I'm going a 3.5 also but the label isn't playing into it. I think it was good. A fairly complex blonde ale. I'm a fan and may pick this one up again. This would hit the spot pool side.
OK. We are going to head out to the 40 brews after I kill myself from this 21 pilots song kevin is urging us to suicide to.
Been a good first 50. Here's to the next!
By the way, If you haven't watched "Why's James Crying?" by Froggy Fresh on youtube yet, you should. Its kid friendly and pretty funny.
To start off with tonight, I have the other beer that my friend brought over from AB last week. The Goose Island Pale Ale.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: Green Line Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale?
Price: It's available for about $7.99 at stores now even though I have the test bottle from AB.
Appearance: Cloudy, looks like your pee after a long night at the local tavern.
Aroma: Smells deliciously fruity.
Mouthfeel: As expected, not much happening here. Very light and refreshing but not a lot of tingle or anything.
Taste: John says hoppy. I'm getting more citrusy IPA then pale ale for sure. I think its prettu good but not in a typical pale ale kind of way by any means. This is a summer beer for sure. No way I'm drinking this if its under 80 degrees.
Overall Rating: John says 2.75. Not his favorite beer. I'll say a 3.5 but not as a pale ale. As an IPA. If I'm rating this as a pale ale, I'm saying about a .5.
Next beer is a different style altogether.
Brewer: Boulevard
Beer Name: Dark Truth Stout from the smokestack series.
Beer Style: Stout and this earns the title of Stout.
Price: About $10 for a 4 pack.
Appearance: This is going to block out the sun. If you are worried about skin cancer, just forget the SPF 50 and slop this on for protection. Chris has visions of windmills when he drinks this.
Aroma: A bag full of prunes that have been sitting on the porch in the 98 degree heat.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth for a stout. More like a Belgiun beer then a true stout.
Taste: Crazy strong alcohol on top of fruit flavors- mostly plums. Chris says a fermented chocolate lava cake. John says smoky chocolate with a kick. Kevin says it reminds him of his favorite movie "Chocolat." Can't get enough Johnny Depp.
Overall rating: Chris says a 4.5. John says 4.25. Kevin says a 4. I'm going a 3. Not a fan of the prunes/ plums.
Brewer: Guiness
Beer Name: Nitro IPA
Beer Style: IPA?
Price: $7 a 6 pack roughly.
Appearance: Nitro head for sure. Very clear but a dark color for an IPA.
Aroma: Slight citrus. Not much here.
Mouthfeel: Watered down water.
Taste: Chris says it tastes slightly better then Hamm's special light. Slightly. I think he might be wrong. This is awful. John won't even comment. He's just realized that he still has to drink 5 more of these.
Overall rating: John says 1.0. Kevin says 1.0. Chris says 1.0 also. Again, I'm going lower. I'll say .1. It does have alcohol but I'm not sure how much. This beer is terrible. I might not drink if this was the only beer available and that's saying something.
Time to right this ship. We are on a bad roll. We need something good. Here we go.
Brewer: Ommegang
Beer Name: Iron Throne Blonde Ale
Beer Style: Blond Ale
Price: About $10 for a pint bottle.
OK. I'm switching gears and going with a proven brewer; Ommegang from New York. And I have high hopes for this one.
Appearance: Nice and blonde. Clear. Exactly what you would expect. Chris says slightly opaque.
Aroma: I think I smell peaches but it could be any fruit. Definitely a belgiuny bouquet. Kevin says it reminds him of a Glade plug-in.
Mouthfeel: Slightly tingly; very light as you would expect.
Taste: Tastes like a well-made belgiun blonde ale. Very fruity and sour with a definite belgiun twang at the end. Nice and light. Kevin says it tastes like a Bud Light with a shot of the Glade plugin liquid dropped in.
Overall Rating: Chris says 1.5/ Kevin says 3.5; 2.5 plus one extra for the label. John says 3.1. I'm going a 3.5 also but the label isn't playing into it. I think it was good. A fairly complex blonde ale. I'm a fan and may pick this one up again. This would hit the spot pool side.
OK. We are going to head out to the 40 brews after I kill myself from this 21 pilots song kevin is urging us to suicide to.
Been a good first 50. Here's to the next!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Its Friday night. USA women are up 3-0 against Trinidad and Tobacco. They are about to go undefeated in their group stage of Olympic qualifying. They are our best national team and if you don't watch them, you should. Every game. DVR it, Watch it live; whatever.
So on to the blog, tonight, Lonnie, John, and Jim are here to add their opinions in and give some perspective. We have about 10 different beers to rate tonight so we better get going. We are going to start light and move to the dark as the night progresses.
First off, before we get started, you need to watch this video when the kids aren't around.
https://youtu.be/IrSsjdzlUSw
It is hilarious. I mean HILARIOUS! Gotta love St. Louis.
On to the first beer. Lonnie brought a beer with him.
Brewer: Lienenkugel's
Beer Name: Big Butt Doppelbock
Beer Style: Doppelbock
Price: $7.49 at UGas
Soundtrack Song for this beer: Doin the butt by EU. Classic rap
Appearance: Amber; very clear. Nice pour. Great head on the beer and nice foam on top of mine.
Aroma: Smells like butt; all 4 of us said the same thing.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, nice carbonation. Good feel for a light beer.
Taste: A little malt, John gets a little caramel; its a nice smooth beginner with a slightly German feel to it. Very accessible for all seasons. Dark enough for winter; light enough to have by the pool.
Overall Rating: John throws out a 4; Jim says a 3.5, Lonnie says a 3.5. I'm saying 3 flat.
On to the next:
This is a test beer from AB that just came out. It is the Goose Island 4 star pilsner. I have inside connections at AB as the pic shows. Can't divulge my source.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: 4 Star Pilsner
Beer Style: Duh, pilsner
Price: I'll let you know when it comes out.
Theme Song: Detachable Penis by King Missile. Not sure why. Just seemed to match the beer.
Apprearance: Fairly clear; filtered for sure. Not see through but definitely clearer them most. Lonnie says dehydrated urine.
Aroma: Fruity, a nice fresh fruit aroma.
Mouthfeel: Slightly bubbly- pretty light though. Jim says soft with a light-medium body.
Taste: A very fruity pilsner. Overall pretty refreshing. Lonnie and Jim echo the refreshing. John says slightly bitter.
Overall Rating: John says 3.0, Jim says 3.75, Lonnie says 4.0, I'm going 3.5 also for a summer beer.
On to the next! Goose gave me this one for my birthday. Thank you Goose.
Brewer: Liefmans
Beer Name: Goudenband
Beer Style: Belgiun Brown Ale
Price: ? Don't know. Goose got me this for my birthday.
Theme song for this beer: Losing my Religion by R.E.M.
Appearance: OK. I was shocked. I thought this was a light, Belgiun beer but it is dark. Like really dark. It is a Belgium brown ale. I didn't even know that beer style existed.
Aroma: Jim says it smells like his grandpa's fruitcake. Lonnie says sour grapes. John says
Mouthfeel: SOUR!
Taste: Lonnie says he is taking communion. John says very sour, tart. Jim says it tastes like a fruity wine. I think it is such a combination of grapes and plums that it is more wine then beer. I like Belgiun beer but this is pushing it. Not bad but a totally acquired taste for sure.
Overall Rating: Lonnie says 1.0. Not a fan. John says 2.75, Jim says 3.0. I'm not sure I drink enough true Belgiun beer to really rate this. I wouldn't rate it more then a 2.5 at first taste as it is more wine then beer but I'm not sure my rating is valid due to my inexperience with Belgiun beers.
Next beer:
Brewer: 4 Hands Brewery
Beer Style: Stout
Beer Name: Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: About $5 for a pint bottle
311: Beautiful Disaster (Get it? Peanut- the bassist? Oh yeah. We just did that. Clever...)
Appearance: Dark, like John's ladies. Looks like a stout.
Aroma: Peanut butter.
Mouthfeel: Finally a stout... Nice. this one has some girth.
Taste: Holy Christmas cookies Batman! This one is not messing around with the peanut butter. Good if you like the PB w/o the J. Like this is PB. Jim says all around goodness in a bottle.
Overall Rating: I'm going a 3.0, John says a 4.1, James says a 4.5, Wow.
Last beer of the night! (Save the best for the last).
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Horchata Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: $8.99 for a pint.
Theme Song:
Appearance: Dark. Like a chocolate milk stout.
Aroma: Where's the sugar toast to go with the cinnamon? Holy crap. This is cinnamony plus a little cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Not much outside of the obvious cinammon.
Taste: Well, did I mention its cinammony?
Overall Rating: I'm going a 1.5. The only beer from 4 hands I haven't cared for. Not very good. Unless you like snorting cinammon like you are Tony Montana.
Until next time...
So on to the blog, tonight, Lonnie, John, and Jim are here to add their opinions in and give some perspective. We have about 10 different beers to rate tonight so we better get going. We are going to start light and move to the dark as the night progresses.
First off, before we get started, you need to watch this video when the kids aren't around.
https://youtu.be/IrSsjdzlUSw
It is hilarious. I mean HILARIOUS! Gotta love St. Louis.
On to the first beer. Lonnie brought a beer with him.
Brewer: Lienenkugel's
Beer Name: Big Butt Doppelbock
Beer Style: Doppelbock
Price: $7.49 at UGas
Soundtrack Song for this beer: Doin the butt by EU. Classic rap
Appearance: Amber; very clear. Nice pour. Great head on the beer and nice foam on top of mine.
Aroma: Smells like butt; all 4 of us said the same thing.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, nice carbonation. Good feel for a light beer.
Taste: A little malt, John gets a little caramel; its a nice smooth beginner with a slightly German feel to it. Very accessible for all seasons. Dark enough for winter; light enough to have by the pool.
Overall Rating: John throws out a 4; Jim says a 3.5, Lonnie says a 3.5. I'm saying 3 flat.
On to the next:
This is a test beer from AB that just came out. It is the Goose Island 4 star pilsner. I have inside connections at AB as the pic shows. Can't divulge my source.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: 4 Star Pilsner
Beer Style: Duh, pilsner
Price: I'll let you know when it comes out.
Theme Song: Detachable Penis by King Missile. Not sure why. Just seemed to match the beer.
Apprearance: Fairly clear; filtered for sure. Not see through but definitely clearer them most. Lonnie says dehydrated urine.
Aroma: Fruity, a nice fresh fruit aroma.
Mouthfeel: Slightly bubbly- pretty light though. Jim says soft with a light-medium body.
Taste: A very fruity pilsner. Overall pretty refreshing. Lonnie and Jim echo the refreshing. John says slightly bitter.
Overall Rating: John says 3.0, Jim says 3.75, Lonnie says 4.0, I'm going 3.5 also for a summer beer.
On to the next! Goose gave me this one for my birthday. Thank you Goose.
Brewer: Liefmans
Beer Name: Goudenband
Beer Style: Belgiun Brown Ale
Price: ? Don't know. Goose got me this for my birthday.
Theme song for this beer: Losing my Religion by R.E.M.
Appearance: OK. I was shocked. I thought this was a light, Belgiun beer but it is dark. Like really dark. It is a Belgium brown ale. I didn't even know that beer style existed.
Aroma: Jim says it smells like his grandpa's fruitcake. Lonnie says sour grapes. John says
Mouthfeel: SOUR!
Taste: Lonnie says he is taking communion. John says very sour, tart. Jim says it tastes like a fruity wine. I think it is such a combination of grapes and plums that it is more wine then beer. I like Belgiun beer but this is pushing it. Not bad but a totally acquired taste for sure.
Overall Rating: Lonnie says 1.0. Not a fan. John says 2.75, Jim says 3.0. I'm not sure I drink enough true Belgiun beer to really rate this. I wouldn't rate it more then a 2.5 at first taste as it is more wine then beer but I'm not sure my rating is valid due to my inexperience with Belgiun beers.
Next beer:
Brewer: 4 Hands Brewery
Beer Style: Stout
Beer Name: Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: About $5 for a pint bottle
311: Beautiful Disaster (Get it? Peanut- the bassist? Oh yeah. We just did that. Clever...)
Appearance: Dark, like John's ladies. Looks like a stout.
Aroma: Peanut butter.
Mouthfeel: Finally a stout... Nice. this one has some girth.
Taste: Holy Christmas cookies Batman! This one is not messing around with the peanut butter. Good if you like the PB w/o the J. Like this is PB. Jim says all around goodness in a bottle.
Overall Rating: I'm going a 3.0, John says a 4.1, James says a 4.5, Wow.
Last beer of the night! (Save the best for the last).
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Horchata Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: $8.99 for a pint.
Theme Song:
Appearance: Dark. Like a chocolate milk stout.
Aroma: Where's the sugar toast to go with the cinnamon? Holy crap. This is cinnamony plus a little cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Not much outside of the obvious cinammon.
Taste: Well, did I mention its cinammony?
Overall Rating: I'm going a 1.5. The only beer from 4 hands I haven't cared for. Not very good. Unless you like snorting cinammon like you are Tony Montana.
Until next time...
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Solo Valentine's Day Post!
As usual, its Valentine's day and I'm drinking beer and watching TV at 10pm. Happy valentine's day everyone. I hope you all watched Walking Dead and headed off to bed. It was a very good episode and I don't know anything that could set the mood better then 100's of zombies getting hacked, slashed, shot, and burned to death. Going with that theme, I am going to hack, slash, and burn my way through a few new beers for the betterment of my audience's thirst for beer knowledge. Without further ado, here we go:
Brewer: Urban Chesnut
Beer Name: Reverence Series Hardwood Myth
Beer Style: English Porter
Price: $8.99 for a 4 pack of 16oz bottles
Nice pic with the fireplace in the background. Watching Talking Dead. Carrie Underwood is hot. She is the guest and really hasn't said much and that works for me. OK. Onto the beer.
Appearance: Dark; cloudy. Can't see a thing through it. Looks like a porter.
Aroma: You can smell the malt in this beer. It smells carmaley and delicious. The aroma is not overpowering by any means but just tempts you to take a drink.
Mouthfeel: A little fizzy but not a lot happening here. Relatively light and watery but not a detriment at all.
Taste: Delicious. A surprisingly complex beer. For a beer with almost no hop taste at all, it is surprisingly bitter. But a good bitter. It has a buttery, smooth caramel taste throughout followed by a bitter finish. Very good beer here. I am impressed.
Overall rating: 4.0. For a beer that seems pretty straightforward, it is surprisingly complex as I make my way through the glass. I am a huge fan of Urban Chesnut when they get a beer right (some they haven't). They got this one right for sure. If you are a fan of caramel malt or dark beer in general, you need to try this. I got this 6 pack at Total Wine on Clarkson. Swing by and grab a six and give it a shot.
On to the next beer!
Brewer: Odell Brewing Company
Beer Name: Lugene Choco;ate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: Can't remember. Maybe $8.99 for a 4 pack
I had one of these when I got home from my soccer game. Going to blog #2 of the evening. The first one was good. This one is delicious as well.
Appearance: As the pic shows, it is dark with a beautiful pour. It is absolutely muddy as a good stout should be.
Aroma: Not much here; maybe a little chocolate or cocoa. A slight hint of cinnamon maybe?
Mouthfeel: Tingly. definitely a lot heavier then the porter. This is a substantial beer with a lot happening up front.
Taste: As most of you know by now, I am a fan of the stout; particularly the milk and the chocolate stouts. This one does not disappoint. I love the malt and the bitterness of the cocoa. As a general rule, I love the sweetness found in the stouts and this one suits me perfectly except for one thing. It has a lot of cinnamon taste and I'm not a huge fan of that. If they toned down the cinnamon and let the cocoa come through a bit more, this would be a really good beer. If you like the spice that the cinnamon provides, this beer is perfect. Its still a good beer; just not perfect in my book.
Overall rating: I'm going 3.0 with all of the points being deducted for the cinnamon taste. Not the best chocolate milk stout but still well worth drinking and it may suit others who like the spice more than I do.
That's all for tonight I'm afraid. Going to watch the rest of Birdman. I'm going to do a blog this week on last year's Oscar awards as I have now seen 3 1/2 of the 8 nominees. I need to watch the rest of Birdman and I am taping Boyhood this week. I have seen Grand Budapest Hotel, American Sniper, and also The Theory of Everything as well. I still need to see Selma, The Imitation Game, and Whiplash. I am going to do a post on the first four and then the last four after I see them.
Until next weekend, here's to beer!
As usual, its Valentine's day and I'm drinking beer and watching TV at 10pm. Happy valentine's day everyone. I hope you all watched Walking Dead and headed off to bed. It was a very good episode and I don't know anything that could set the mood better then 100's of zombies getting hacked, slashed, shot, and burned to death. Going with that theme, I am going to hack, slash, and burn my way through a few new beers for the betterment of my audience's thirst for beer knowledge. Without further ado, here we go:
Brewer: Urban Chesnut
Beer Name: Reverence Series Hardwood Myth
Beer Style: English Porter
Price: $8.99 for a 4 pack of 16oz bottles
Nice pic with the fireplace in the background. Watching Talking Dead. Carrie Underwood is hot. She is the guest and really hasn't said much and that works for me. OK. Onto the beer.
Appearance: Dark; cloudy. Can't see a thing through it. Looks like a porter.
Aroma: You can smell the malt in this beer. It smells carmaley and delicious. The aroma is not overpowering by any means but just tempts you to take a drink.
Mouthfeel: A little fizzy but not a lot happening here. Relatively light and watery but not a detriment at all.
Taste: Delicious. A surprisingly complex beer. For a beer with almost no hop taste at all, it is surprisingly bitter. But a good bitter. It has a buttery, smooth caramel taste throughout followed by a bitter finish. Very good beer here. I am impressed.
Overall rating: 4.0. For a beer that seems pretty straightforward, it is surprisingly complex as I make my way through the glass. I am a huge fan of Urban Chesnut when they get a beer right (some they haven't). They got this one right for sure. If you are a fan of caramel malt or dark beer in general, you need to try this. I got this 6 pack at Total Wine on Clarkson. Swing by and grab a six and give it a shot.
On to the next beer!
Brewer: Odell Brewing Company
Beer Name: Lugene Choco;ate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Milk Stout
Price: Can't remember. Maybe $8.99 for a 4 pack
I had one of these when I got home from my soccer game. Going to blog #2 of the evening. The first one was good. This one is delicious as well.
Appearance: As the pic shows, it is dark with a beautiful pour. It is absolutely muddy as a good stout should be.
Aroma: Not much here; maybe a little chocolate or cocoa. A slight hint of cinnamon maybe?
Mouthfeel: Tingly. definitely a lot heavier then the porter. This is a substantial beer with a lot happening up front.
Taste: As most of you know by now, I am a fan of the stout; particularly the milk and the chocolate stouts. This one does not disappoint. I love the malt and the bitterness of the cocoa. As a general rule, I love the sweetness found in the stouts and this one suits me perfectly except for one thing. It has a lot of cinnamon taste and I'm not a huge fan of that. If they toned down the cinnamon and let the cocoa come through a bit more, this would be a really good beer. If you like the spice that the cinnamon provides, this beer is perfect. Its still a good beer; just not perfect in my book.
Overall rating: I'm going 3.0 with all of the points being deducted for the cinnamon taste. Not the best chocolate milk stout but still well worth drinking and it may suit others who like the spice more than I do.
That's all for tonight I'm afraid. Going to watch the rest of Birdman. I'm going to do a blog this week on last year's Oscar awards as I have now seen 3 1/2 of the 8 nominees. I need to watch the rest of Birdman and I am taping Boyhood this week. I have seen Grand Budapest Hotel, American Sniper, and also The Theory of Everything as well. I still need to see Selma, The Imitation Game, and Whiplash. I am going to do a post on the first four and then the last four after I see them.
Until next weekend, here's to beer!
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Blog From South County
We are blogging from Goose's house. In the heart of Sunset Hills. We have three guest tasters. Goose, Mark, and Mike. And off we go. 5 bottles to get through. Not much time for hyperbole.
Brewer: Firestone Walker
Beer Name: Wooley Jack Black Rye IPA
Beer Style: Black IPA
Price: Gift From Goose- it would be impolite to ask but I just saw it for $5.99 at Friar Tuck's. We will assume Goose paid at least $15.99 since it was a gift for me.
Apperarance: Slight lacing, obviously very dark in color- almost black.
Aroma: Hoppy, of course. Very black licoricey.
Mouthfeel: Tingly, a great starter beer for the evening. 8.3% alcohol so there is some weight to it.
Taste: Not as much of a rye presence says Goose. Mike adds, "but its free." I think it has a very strong hop taste with almost no citrus at all. This is an IPA for the fans of hoppy beer.
Overall Rating: Goose gives 3.0, Mark says 4.5. Mike says a 3.0 and +1 for being free. I say a 3.5. I prefer an IPA with a little citrus in it but this is good for a starter beer. Not quite a traditional IPA but has a good thing going on. On to #2:
Brewer: Brouweru Verhaege
Beer Name: Duchesse De Bourgogne
Beer Style: Reddish Brown Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose so not sure.
Appearance: Very light reddish brown color; fairly cloudy. I can't see anything looking through it even though it is very light in color. Mark is mad he has to turn the bottle sideways to read it. Also, he finds the woman on the label unattractive. It is very light in color for an ale. Mark says the label is stupid because you have to turn it
Aroma: Slightly underwhelming for a Belgian beer. Not a huge aroma for a belgian. Actually, it is quite pleasant.
Mouthfeel: Mike says it is very effervescent as was demonstrated by the fact that I shot the cork through Goose's ceiling. It is very tangy. Almost fruity.
Taste: Very fruity. Goose says Sunny D with an infusion of apricot Febreze. Mark wants to know if we are drinking cologne. It is actually really good. Not a slam a twelve pack by the pool good but a sip with a friend over your after dinner cigar good. It reeks of classy beer.
Overall ranking: Mike says 3.0. Mark is going a 1.0. Goose says a 4.5 He digs it. It is such a change from the IPA; I'm going a 4.0 as it would be very drinkable during the summer. ON TO #3!
Brewer: Huyghe Brewer
Beer Name: Delerium Noel
Beer Style: Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose.
Appearance: Almost the same as the previous but it is much clearer. Still not a clear beer but not cloudy. No lacing at all.
Aroma: Mike says "Musty female crotch, picture the sweaty chick who danced for too long in the skirt- He did not mention whether she had panties on or not. I think it has a very nice aroma.
Mouthfeel: There are some serious chunks in this beer. I mean floaties and flakes and other assorted flotsam and jetsam floating in the beer. After you get past the crucnh, it has a good aley feel to it.
Taste: Quite a bit less fruity then the last belgian but still definitely an ale from Europe.
Overall rating: Mark says, "Given that they are not good, they aren't good. A solid 1.5" Mike says 1.5 also. Goose gives it a 3.7. I'm going to give this a 3.75. On to the 4th beer:
Brewer: New Belgium
Beer Name: Cocoa Mole'
Beer Style: Spiced Chocolate Porter
Price: $7.99 for a pint.
Appearance: Medium brown. Not quite clear. No lacing on the glass.
Aroma: A lot of cinnamon, and peppers. Quite a weird flavor mix.
Mouthfeel: Very spicy, tingly ale feel here. Quite a bit of hot peeper at the end.
Taste: No one likes this at all. It is a very weird flavor combination. Chocolate up front, cinnamon in the middle and hot peppers at the end. Actually, I'm going to say this is rather disgusting. Definitely found the loser of the night.
Overall rating: Mike says 1.5. Mark goes 1.5. Goose goes pi to the 7048th digit. I give it a 0.0.
Seriously. It may have been the worst beer I have ever had. I dumped mine out.
Brewer: Rouge Brewery (otherwise known as heaven)
Beer Name: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Beer Style: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Price: Too much- it was about $14 for the pint bottle
Appearance: Normally, we stick with the beer appearance, but Mike and Mark have focused on the bottle. Mike says it looks like a lemon douche. Mark says the bottle is shaped for her pleasure. I'm not sure I have an opinion on the bottle. Somehow we have digressed to a douche actually being a pine scented air freshener worn on the belly button ring of a female. We need a female panel member to verify. Don't ask.
Aroma: It smells like a lemon donut. Absolutely the best smell ever- besides maybe a vanilla long john.
Mouthfeel: Very citrusy; almost a lemonade feel- very tangy.
Taste: Delicious. This beer tastes like a lemon donut. Seriously. It is not super sweet- definitely not as sweet as the Shock Top or the Leinenklugels but it has the donut taste perfected.
Overall rating: I'm going a solid 4.0. If it was a little sweeter, the rating would go up but it is delicious. Definitely the best beer of the bunch. Goose gives it credit for being exactly what it wanted to be; he just said what it wanted to be sucks ass. A 1.7.
Wait a second!!!!! Goose just grabbed a sixth beer!!!!
Brewer: The Musketeers
Beer Name: Troubador Obscura
Beer Style: Belgian Mild Stout
Price: Goose's fridge.
Appearance: Reddish brown and not very clear. A dark, thick looking beer.
Aroma: WOW!!!! Quite a Belgiany aroma.
Mouthfeel: Not much there. Very flat as a stout should be.
Taste: Very belgiany. Think Gallagher smashing a fruit basket on the back of your tounge. Somewhat fruity and very tangy for a stout. I'm not even sure you can call it a stout.
Overall Rating: I'm giving the stout a 3.5. Definitelty not the best stout of all time. But not bad.
Brewer: Firestone Walker
Beer Name: Wooley Jack Black Rye IPA
Beer Style: Black IPA
Price: Gift From Goose- it would be impolite to ask but I just saw it for $5.99 at Friar Tuck's. We will assume Goose paid at least $15.99 since it was a gift for me.
Apperarance: Slight lacing, obviously very dark in color- almost black.
Aroma: Hoppy, of course. Very black licoricey.
Mouthfeel: Tingly, a great starter beer for the evening. 8.3% alcohol so there is some weight to it.
Taste: Not as much of a rye presence says Goose. Mike adds, "but its free." I think it has a very strong hop taste with almost no citrus at all. This is an IPA for the fans of hoppy beer.
Overall Rating: Goose gives 3.0, Mark says 4.5. Mike says a 3.0 and +1 for being free. I say a 3.5. I prefer an IPA with a little citrus in it but this is good for a starter beer. Not quite a traditional IPA but has a good thing going on. On to #2:
Brewer: Brouweru Verhaege
Beer Name: Duchesse De Bourgogne
Beer Style: Reddish Brown Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose so not sure.
Appearance: Very light reddish brown color; fairly cloudy. I can't see anything looking through it even though it is very light in color. Mark is mad he has to turn the bottle sideways to read it. Also, he finds the woman on the label unattractive. It is very light in color for an ale. Mark says the label is stupid because you have to turn it
Aroma: Slightly underwhelming for a Belgian beer. Not a huge aroma for a belgian. Actually, it is quite pleasant.
Mouthfeel: Mike says it is very effervescent as was demonstrated by the fact that I shot the cork through Goose's ceiling. It is very tangy. Almost fruity.
Taste: Very fruity. Goose says Sunny D with an infusion of apricot Febreze. Mark wants to know if we are drinking cologne. It is actually really good. Not a slam a twelve pack by the pool good but a sip with a friend over your after dinner cigar good. It reeks of classy beer.
Overall ranking: Mike says 3.0. Mark is going a 1.0. Goose says a 4.5 He digs it. It is such a change from the IPA; I'm going a 4.0 as it would be very drinkable during the summer. ON TO #3!
Brewer: Huyghe Brewer
Beer Name: Delerium Noel
Beer Style: Belgian Ale
Price: Again, a gift from Goose.
Appearance: Almost the same as the previous but it is much clearer. Still not a clear beer but not cloudy. No lacing at all.
Aroma: Mike says "Musty female crotch, picture the sweaty chick who danced for too long in the skirt- He did not mention whether she had panties on or not. I think it has a very nice aroma.
Mouthfeel: There are some serious chunks in this beer. I mean floaties and flakes and other assorted flotsam and jetsam floating in the beer. After you get past the crucnh, it has a good aley feel to it.
Taste: Quite a bit less fruity then the last belgian but still definitely an ale from Europe.
Overall rating: Mark says, "Given that they are not good, they aren't good. A solid 1.5" Mike says 1.5 also. Goose gives it a 3.7. I'm going to give this a 3.75. On to the 4th beer:
Brewer: New Belgium
Beer Name: Cocoa Mole'
Beer Style: Spiced Chocolate Porter
Price: $7.99 for a pint.
Appearance: Medium brown. Not quite clear. No lacing on the glass.
Aroma: A lot of cinnamon, and peppers. Quite a weird flavor mix.
Mouthfeel: Very spicy, tingly ale feel here. Quite a bit of hot peeper at the end.
Taste: No one likes this at all. It is a very weird flavor combination. Chocolate up front, cinnamon in the middle and hot peppers at the end. Actually, I'm going to say this is rather disgusting. Definitely found the loser of the night.
Overall rating: Mike says 1.5. Mark goes 1.5. Goose goes pi to the 7048th digit. I give it a 0.0.
Seriously. It may have been the worst beer I have ever had. I dumped mine out.
Brewer: Rouge Brewery (otherwise known as heaven)
Beer Name: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Beer Style: Voodoo Donut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale
Price: Too much- it was about $14 for the pint bottle
Appearance: Normally, we stick with the beer appearance, but Mike and Mark have focused on the bottle. Mike says it looks like a lemon douche. Mark says the bottle is shaped for her pleasure. I'm not sure I have an opinion on the bottle. Somehow we have digressed to a douche actually being a pine scented air freshener worn on the belly button ring of a female. We need a female panel member to verify. Don't ask.
Aroma: It smells like a lemon donut. Absolutely the best smell ever- besides maybe a vanilla long john.
Mouthfeel: Very citrusy; almost a lemonade feel- very tangy.
Taste: Delicious. This beer tastes like a lemon donut. Seriously. It is not super sweet- definitely not as sweet as the Shock Top or the Leinenklugels but it has the donut taste perfected.
Overall rating: I'm going a solid 4.0. If it was a little sweeter, the rating would go up but it is delicious. Definitely the best beer of the bunch. Goose gives it credit for being exactly what it wanted to be; he just said what it wanted to be sucks ass. A 1.7.
Wait a second!!!!! Goose just grabbed a sixth beer!!!!
Brewer: The Musketeers
Beer Name: Troubador Obscura
Beer Style: Belgian Mild Stout
Price: Goose's fridge.
Appearance: Reddish brown and not very clear. A dark, thick looking beer.
Aroma: WOW!!!! Quite a Belgiany aroma.
Mouthfeel: Not much there. Very flat as a stout should be.
Taste: Very belgiany. Think Gallagher smashing a fruit basket on the back of your tounge. Somewhat fruity and very tangy for a stout. I'm not even sure you can call it a stout.
Overall Rating: I'm giving the stout a 3.5. Definitelty not the best stout of all time. But not bad.
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