Lamplighter Brewing Company – The Upsidedown

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Cambridge, Craft Beer, Lamplighter Brewing Company, Massachusetts, Stranger Things

As soon as I saw the name and can art I knew this beer was a must buy for me.  My wife and I are huge fans of Stranger Things and I couldn’t resist trying out a beer that pays homage to this amazing series.

Beer Name: The Upsidedown

Brewery: Lamplighter Brewing Company (Cambridge, MA)

Style: Dark Saison

ABV: 7.8%

Description: Reading from the can, this dark saison was brewed with caramel malts and rye  and fermented with a Belgian farmhouse yeast. Recommended food pairing is waffles, preferably Eggos I would assume.

Appearance: Deep cola brown body topped by a fizzly off-white head.

Smell: Dark fruit sweetness mixed with a subtle hit of that distinct farmhouse yeast.

Taste: Very subdued overall, this started out with hints of dark fruit and toffee sweetness, followed by notes of creamy yeast and wheat.  The finish was earthy and featured subtly toasted malts mixed with a bit of pepper and spice.  A slight bit of heat towards the end of the glass.

Mouthfeel: Light body that felt slightly creamy on account of its low-level of carbonation.

Hype: I didn’t know anything about this going in.  I just jumped at the cool name.

Overall: Unfortunately I found the name and can art a bit more exciting than the beer itself.  It seemed a bit stuck between trying to be both a saison and a brown ale without really finding a way to stand out as either.  Super mellow throughout, but what stuck with me the most for me were the toasted malts and earthiness on the finish which just wasn’t quite my thing.  No regrets in trying this though.

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Book Blogger Inside Look Tag

Tags

Blog Life, Book Tag, Reading

Keeping things going with another fun book tag I came across while looking for things to write about.  This one gives you a peek at some of the inner workings of how things get done here over here at BeerRantsandBooks.  I don’t really like playing the tagging game, so I again offer my apologies if not doing so is some sort of no-no around here.  No disrespect is intended to the tag’s creators.

Where do you typically write your blog posts?

Wherever I can.  Usually that means my couch or dining room table, though I often write in bed, at work during lunch, and on the subway as well.  I’m currently sitting on my back deck and writing which is a trend I’d like to continue in the coming months.

How long does it generally take you to write a book review?

Depends on the book, how much I want to say, and how busy I am with work and childcare.  Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks though I’ve had some linger on for longer.

When did you start your book blog?

I started my blog back in November 2014, though it wasn’t until December 8th of that year that I got my first book review up.

What is the worst thing about having a book blog in your opinion?

Accepting my limitations as a writer/reviewer.  Despite being an otherwise fairly intelligent and capable individual, writing, even informally, has always been a bit of a process for me.  I often have difficulty pulling all the ideas out of my head and then getting them organized on a page. I like to think that I’ve improved over the years of plugging away here, but I’m still not as efficient at it as I would like to be.

What is the best thing about having a book blog in your opinion?

Going back to the previous question, I like having a book blog because it pushes me to write more.  This has on occasion been a source of frustration, but in the end I find it worthwhile as it gives me a creative outlet through which to voice my thoughts while at the same time encouraging me to constantly seek out new reading material.

What blog post have you had the most fun writing so far?

Lately I’ve been having a lot of fun searching out and writing book tags as it gives my blog more a personal touch that it hasn’t really had until recently.  Beyond that, I’ve really enjoyed my beer reviews that include mini photo shoots. Anytime I’m able to combine a beverage with some kind of prop (usually an on-theme book or Star Wars Lego) I’m having fun.

My most rewarding post, however, is one I wrote back in November 2015 about going through my old baseball cards.  Not only did looking at them bring back a ton of childhood memories, but the post ended up getting linked to on Major League Baseball’s Around the Horn blog.  That is without a doubt my proudest moment as a blogger and it always makes me happy when I see it get hits.

What is your favourite type of blog post to write?

I’m not sure I really have a favorite since what I’m into posting so often depends more on my mood and what subject matter I have to work with.

When do you typically write?

Usually either in the morning on my subway ride into work or in the evening after I have gotten my son to bed.  Time has been at a premium for me lately so I try to get my writing in whenever and wherever I can.

Do you review every book you read?

For the most part.  There have been a few I’ve skipped for a variety of reasons, but on the whole I am very selective when picking up books and enjoy writing about my thoughts on them.

How do you write your book reviews? With a cup of coffee or tea? With Netflix? Cuddled with your fur baby?

This may sound crazy, but here goes.  I typically type up a draft on my phone whenever and wherever I can; on the subway, in bed, sitting on the couch, etc.  I then print that to (*gasp*) paper and make revisions in any and all of the locations listed previously. I do final draft either on my laptop or sitting at desk.  Thank you wireless printer and Google docs!

When do you write your book reviews? Right after finishing the book? Two weeks after finishing the book?

I usually start drafting my reviews within a day of finishing the book, but depending upon my schedule it can sometimes take a few weeks for me to finish.  I do always like to at least get my thoughts outlined while the book is still fresh in my head.

How often do you post?

I generally post 2-3 times per week.  Lately I started alternating weeks were I post Monday/ Wednesday/Friday and those where I post Tuesday/Thursday and I like how that has been going.  I’m jealous of the people I see with dedicated posting schedules and thematic days, but I know that I would never be able to keep up with that and just end up getting overwhelmed or stressed in try to.

Aeronaut Brewing Company & Finback Brewery – Improbability Drive

Tags

Aeronaut Brewing Company, Beer, Beer Review, Collaboration, Craft Beer, Douglas Adams, Finback Brewery, Hitchhiker's Guide, Massachusetts, New York, Towel Day

Happy Towel Day!  To those that may not be aware, May 25 is Towel Day, a day set aside to celebrate the life and work of English author Douglas Adams, best known for writing The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  After somehow missing Star Wars day this year, I was determined not to miss this one as well.  I wasn’t sure at first how I would celebrate, but fortunately my favorite bottle shop was there to pick me up.

Beer Name: Improbability Drive

Brewery: Aeronaut Brewing Company (Somerville, MA) & Finback Brewery (Queens, NY)

Style: IPA

ABV: 5.8%

Description: An IPA brewed with lactose and infused with orange zest and vanilla bean.  It also features some pretty awesome can art paying tribute to the book, most notably a certain free-falling whale hoping to make friends with the ground.

Appearance: Poured a cloudy, straw-yellow body topped by a layer of thick white foam that stuck around for the duration of the beer and left lacing along the glass.

Smell: Orange juice, mixed with a slight bit of cream on the ending.

Taste: Orange juice upfront, followed by citrus zest and sweet cream with hints vanilla lurking in the background with a very mild grassy bitterness.   Think orange creamsicle with a touch of vanilla on the end.

Mouthfeel: It had a super creamy, medium-plus body with a slightly less than moderate carbonation.

Hype: Elevated somewhat since this was a collaboration effort between two popular breweries, but not to the point where this was too difficult to get my hands on at the store.  Personally, my excitement level was quite high, and that would have been the case with or without Towel Day being a factor.

Overall: What an interesting beer!  Definitely a bit out of the ordinary, but that seems appropriate given what it’s paying tribute to.  I liked this a lot and had fun drinking it while looking up some of my favorite quotes from the book.

Brewmaster Jack – The Little Brother

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Brewmaster Jack, Craft Beer, DIPA, Massachusetts, New England

I always welcome the chance to pick up something new from Brewmaster Jack.  Careful readers of the blog may be tempted to read deeper into the name of this beer, but I assure you, it’s just another brew.

Beer Name: The Little Brother

Brewery: Brewmaster Jack

Style: Double NEIPA

ABV: 8.5%

Description: Listed as the brewery’s biggest double IPA, this beer was brewed with “loads of Citra hops and just a hint of Simcoe.”

Appearance: Hazy golden orange body with a thin white head of foam.

Smell: Tropical fruits mixed with a touch of spicy pine resin on end.

Taste: Not entirely unlike hopped juice.  Light tropical fruit upfront blended smoothly into a hazy bitter finish that brought on tangy orange and grapefruit mixed with bitterness from a combination of piney, spicy, and earthy hops.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, medium body with light carbonation.

Hype: None that I can attest to.  I found these cans hanging out with the rest of the store’s new arrivals, but I didn’t know these came in as well until I got there.

Overall: Fairly mellow and super smooth, I really enjoyed this one.  It packed a lot of flavor and was an excellent example of the style.

Book Review: Everfair, by Nisi Shawl

Tags

Africa, Book, Book Review, Congo, Everfair, Historical Fiction, History, Nisi Shawl, Reading, Steampunk

This next book was written in 2016 by Nisi Shawl, an African-American writer whose literary focus centers upon science fiction and fantasy works that examine issues involving race, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.  Her first full length novel, what we have here is a steampunk inspired historical fiction about the Belgian Congo.

For anyone unfamiliar with this part of history, the real-life events that inspired this book occurred between 1885 and 1908 in a Central African colony called the Congo Free State.  Under the direct rule of Belgian King Leopold II, the colony was the scene of some of the worst atrocities of the day as the local population was brutally subjugated (even by contemporary standards) to maximize profits from the area’s abundant supply of natural rubber.  Reports of widespread killings and mutilation within the colony led to international outrage, forcing Leopold to ultimately turn control of the colony over to the Belgian Parliament in 1908. Spanning the years 1889 through 1919, Everfair looks at what might have happened if outside forces played an earlier and more direct role in opposing Leopold’s actions.  In this world, an alliance of wealthy Fabian Socialists from England and black Christian missionaries from the United States have joined forces to purchase territory in the Congo where they establish the nation of Everfair upon shared egalitarian principles.  The country’s position is tenuous, however, as war quickly breaks out with Leopold’s remaining forces and the new nation is pushed into an alliance with King Mwenda, a powerful local ruler intent on reclaiming his land from European invaders. Although their combined forces may have superior numbers and technology, the real test of Everfair’s endurance will be its ability to overcome internal divisions caused by the differing world views of its three main factions.

I found the premise and scale of this novel absolutely fascinating.  It offered an intriguing look at a particularly horrible part of history and did so in a manner that seamlessly fit Everfair into the real-world historical context.  I particularly liked how the author crossed the globe to look at how events in other countries affected decisions made in Everfair and how she incorporated other contemporary issues into the story, most notably the build-up to WWI and the spread of pandemic disease across trade routes.  Complementing this were a variety of steampunk elements and aesthetics that really enhanced the story in ways that felt quite natural.  Everything from the motorbikes and airships that gave Everfair an early military advantage to the mechanical prosthetics used by mutilated former slaves had a clear place and purpose in setting the tone of the book.  Finally, I found the theme of people with good intentions and common interests becoming divided when they don’t take the time to understand each other’s perspectives particularly interesting and relevant to today’s world.

Where I wish the story offered a bit more, however, was in how the reader was able to relate to its characters.  Given the expansive scope of the novel, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps it was a bit too ambitious for a single 380 page book.  It often skipped months if not years between alternating POV chapters and at times I found it difficult to keep track of when and where the action was without skipping back to the chapter header.  Also, with so much jumping around I wasn’t sure at first which people to get most invested in and even when I did, it was hard to get too personally involved with them. While I really enjoyed the main arcs involving the relationship between Lisette Toutournier and her lover Daisy Albin and the politics of King Mwenda’s tensions with Everfair’s settlers, having spent such an irregular amount of time with these characters it was hard to get invested in their stories beyond just reading the facts of what happened at a particular snapshot in time.

Having said all that, I don’t want to end this review on a negative note since, criticisms aside, I enjoyed the book. I liked where the author was coming from with this story and thought she offered up some truly interesting and thought-provoking perspectives.  If anything, I wish I had more of an immersion into this world beyond the glimpses we were given.

SingleCut Beersmiths – 日本から来たネコ IPA

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, New York, SingleCut Beersmiths

I’ve been really enjoying this brewery lately.  Their combination of outstanding brews and cool can art has definitely gotten my attention.  It also helps that my favorite bottle shop gets frequent deliveries of their stuff and seems just as excited about that as I am.

Beer Name: 日本から来たネコ (Cat From Japan)

Brewery: SingleCut Beersmiths (Queens, NY)

Style: IPA

ABV: 4.3%

Description: Listed on the brewery’s website as a juicy, tropical session IPA brewed with “new age” hops from the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand.

Appearance: Poured to a hazy, golden/orange juice colored body topped off by a fluffy white head of foam.

Smell: Tropical fruits with a pine and grapefruit bitterness on end.

Taste: Light tropical fruit upfront mixed with pale malt.  The finish brought on a mix of bitter grapefruit, tangy orange, and a dry crackery presence.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a slightly elevated level of carbonation.  Happy little bubbles were especially apparent at beginning and end of the sip.

Hype: As mentioned in the intro, I had expectations of my own for this one, but I don’t think there was any general hype around this.

Overall: Very tasty, but maybe a bit overpowered as this little session IPA packed quite a punch on the finish.  I’m probably still looking to pick some more of this up when the warm weather returns for good though.

How I Read Book Tag

Tags

Book, Book Review, Book Tag, Reading

I’ve decided to try out another book tag for today.  Since I’ve having fun with these lately, look for them to become a new feature here.  I’m not really into tagging, so I’m just searching and grabbing the ones I like most. Apologies if this is some kind of major WordPress faux pas or breach of etiquette.

How do you find out about new books to read?

I find the majority of my new books/authors by either skimming through library listings, the Tor Publishing newsletter, or the ARC piles featured over at Whatever.

How has your taste in books changed since you got older?

I’d like to think my taste has gotten more refined over the years.  I also used to read a lot of political non-fiction as a teenager and I haven’t really been as into that since university.

How often do you buy books?

Rarely.  I probably only buy 2-3 a year, if that.  I am fortunate enough to live in an area with an excellent library network, giving my library card quite the workout.

How did you get into book reviewing?

A few years back I was looking for a hobby or some kind of creative outlet and after brainstorming ideas (and realizing I didn’t have sufficient time or space for home brewing), I decided upon a blog.  Blogging had the added benefit of forcing me to write more frequently, something that doesn’t always come easy to me. I initially had some trouble deciding on a theme, but here I am nearly three and a half years later still posting about beer and books.  Not sure I really fit into either the beer blogger or the book blogger world, but I’m having fun doing my thing which was exactly the point.

How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?

Usually just feel a bit disappointed.  I suppose I have on occasion taken my frustrations to the internet, but what else can you do?

How often do you sneak peek at the ending to see if there is a happy ending?

Never!  Is this a thing?!?!

Mystic Brewery – Voltage

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, Mystic Brewery, New England

I think I’ve mentioned this on here before, but I’ve had a long standing goal to try out more beers from Mystic Brewery.  Imagine my surprise them when I read that they are planning to expand into my current home city of Malden! Seems like a good time to get acquainted with what they have to offer.

Beer Name: Voltage

Brewery: Mystic Brewery (Chelsea, MA)

Style: New England IPA

ABV: 7.0%

Description: An IPA brewed with Citra, Santiam, and Perle hops. My can was about two weeks old when I opened it up.

Appearance: Poured to a cloudy golden yellowish-orange body with a layer of thick layer of white foam up top.

Smell: Tropical fruits with a bitter piney haze in background.

Taste: Mix of tropical and citrus fruit upfront with maybe some strawberries thrown in for good measure.  The sweetness carried through to the end where it was joined by bitter haze of piney, grassy, and slightly spicy hops.

Mouthfeel: Creamy medium-plus body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: This beer seems to be making a name for itself in the area and is a popular seller at the bottle shops I keep tabs on by my office in downtown Boston.

Overall: I really liked this and would rate it as a superlative example of the style.  With its great flavor and mouthfeel, I would put this up against of any of its more hyped competition.

Book Review: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, by Jill Twiss and Marlon Bundo (Illustrated by E.G. Keller)

Tags

Book, Book Review, BOTUS, Childrens Book, Jill Twiss, LGBTQ, Marlon Bundo, Politics, Reading

As the father of a soon to be two-year old, I read a whole lot of children’s books on a daily basis.  While I have never felt the compelling need to review any of these, this one was different and as soon as I found out that it was making the rounds at my son’s playgroup I knew what I had to do.  I’m guessing most of you are aware that this story was written in response to a children’s book published by members of Michael Pence’s family about their pet bunny.  Looking to call out the Vice President on his homophobic beliefs, the creators of this particular story have imagined said pet falling in love with another male bunny.  This book has been featured prominently on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and all proceeds from it benefit AIDS United and the Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

This is the story of an exceptional day in the life BOTUS (Bunny of the United States) Marlon Bundo, beloved family pet of Vice President Pence.  Marlon’s day starts out like any other by watching the morning news with Bunderson Cooper, ignoring his boring grandfather, and hopping about the White House premises.  Everything changes, however, when he spots a dashingly handsome boy bunny named Wesley and the two fall in love at first sight.  Standing in the way of their happiness is President Stink Bug, an abrasive, boorish creature with a bad toupee that does not approve of their relationship.  Fortunately, with the help of their animal friends and a timely civics lesson, Marlon and Wesley learn that it is okay to be different and are able to live happily ever after.

I thought this was a cute, fun read that delivered an important and positive age appropriate message to children about embracing each other’s differences and the importance of our right to vote.  Given the specific nature in which it parodies both Donald Trump and Michael Pence I don’t think this will age well enough to go down as an all-time classic children’s story, but it will put a smile on your face and I highly encourage giving it a read.  So long as you’re predisposed to its political leanings you’ll enjoy it whether you have kids to read it with or not.

 

 

 

Fort Hill Brewery – Jigsaw Jazz

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Fort Hill Brewery, Massachusetts, New England

I picked up this next beer on account of its cool can art and the zeal with which the owner of my new favorite bottle shop promotes it.

Beer Name: Jigsaw Jazz

Brewery: Fort Hill Brewery (Easthampton, MA)

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 9.3%

Description: Described on the brewery website as a bright and citrusy double IPA dry-hopped with Citra and brewed using Belgian-inspired techniques to limit sweetness.  My can was undated but I want to say it was probably around a month/month and a half old.

Appearance:  Golden yellow body with a thin coating of thick white foam.

Smell: Faint mixture of citrus fruit and pine.

Taste: Subtle blend of citrus and tropical fruits upfront that leaned more towards citrus.  Finish was a bitter yet subdued piney/peppery blend of hops.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth with a medium-plus body and roughly moderate carbonation.

Hype: I’d heard some good things about this beer beyond just the bottle shop posts, so I was pretty interested to see how the beer would turn out.

Overall: Overall this was a pretty good beer, but what really stood out to me was how smooth and easy drinking it was despite the elevated ABV.  That said, I did feel it was perhaps a bit understated in some of its flavors. I understand that not all beers need to rock your taste buds, but this one I felt had a bit more it could have offered.  Would love to try this again from a can I know more about. Still worth the pickup if you come across it. I don’t recall the exact price point, but I do know that was very competitive for the style.