Progress Report - 12/25/08.

Merry Xmas! Look what I got for the holidaze!

Yup. I have joined the unholy ranks of the undead. The Vampire Counts army is actually one of the first three I had contemplated collecting when I was first getting into WHFB back in 2001. I went with Ogre Kingdoms over the dirty bloodsuckers, but now it looks like I have come full circle!

I have begun list creation for 1000 points but so far the going is quite tough. Trying to find a theme I like so I can craft a list and models to it. Right now I am tossing around the idea of a list based on Krueger the White Wolf (Ulrich Warrior Priest turned self-loathing vampire by Count Van Carstein) focused on the martial troops, but I also like the idea of a cult of Nagash with lots of Necromantic vampires and necromancers and hordes of Ghouls, Zombies, and Skeletons. Not sure how well something like that would fare on the tabletop though.

As for yesterday's tasks here is what I have done:
- Dipped the Ironguts and my Bangstick Butcher.
- Based the next batch of models.

And I am about to ..
- Seal the dipped and highlighted models.
- Prime the next batch of models (based on my two 1000 point lists).

Hope you are having (or had) a great Xmas holiday. In our house even Arnold is getting in the Christmas mood (notice my "stocking" nailed to the wall by the inventive F).

Here is one last holiday beer review for the year, and this is one that I quite enjoyed!

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Deschutes Brewery - Jubeale 2008

Beer Type: Strong Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with swirly impressionist type artwork. Looks pretty cool. Beer poured a dark amber with a medium white head which faded with little lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt and some sweet dried fruits. Maybe prunes or currants?

First Drink: Sweet with the malt at the front. A hint of bitterness, and a little of those dried fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but a little oily. Carbonation is just right.

Last Drink: More hops coming through now but it isn't a long bitter note. Just a little after the sweet taste and then its gone. Nice.

Drinkability: Very good beer, although it didn't really bring to mind the season or the holidays. Still enjoyed it quite a bit though.

Notes: I couldn't find this beer on Beer Advocate! Shocking! Purchased this from a strange little convenience store that has a huge beer selection. Pricey for a six pack at $9.99 but well worth it I think.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. A great pairing of the sweet and bitter without either being too overpowering.

Links: Deschutes Brewery.