Beer Review - Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale

Alaskan Brewing Co. - Heritage Coffee Brown Ale

Beer Type: American Brown Ale - 7.00% ABV

Appearance: 12oz brown bottle labeled in the normal Alaskan style. Man I really dislike their font logo. Beer pours a dark amber/brown color with a thin head that didn't hang around.

Smell: Mostly I am getting a lot of malt as you would typically expect of a brown ale. Maybe just a bit of coffee in there too.

First Drink: Malt and sweetness followed by a slight coffee bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thin but smooth and a bit sticky.  

Last Drink: More sweet malt flavors with very little coffee.    

Drinkability: Reminds me of another popular brown ale out there... *coughNEWCASTLEcough*  

Notes: First time I had this was on draft and I have to say I liked it much better. It had a bit more creamy body. Bottled it seems a bit thin and bland. Easy drinking though. 

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. If you enjoy brown or coffee ales give it a try. 

Progress Report - Skeletons!!!

Spent a few hours this weekend assembling a box of Skeleton Warriors with my new "foam safe" CA glue. The fumes are still there, but my skin does not seem to be as irritated with the exception of my eyelids. My sinuses and lungs are a bit messed up as well, but it is a far cry from what the "old glue" would have done to me. The only drawback so far is the longer set time this glue has. It has forced me to get creative with how I can keep the various skulls, bony shielfd arms, torsos, and weapon arms attached while the glue sets. A small price to pay for my health I suppose... as long as I assemble and glue in moderation I think I will be okay!

Here is a small WIP pic of the Skeletons I am working on at the moment.

"Aye! We ain't go no 'eads! Why does 'orny get a 'ead?"

This batch of 10 has a Champion and they are all equipped with spears. While I don't intend to use the spears in game, I like the look of a mixed unit with some spears in the back. It looks more like a creepy undead rabble and less like and ordered legion of self-aware skeletons.

I am also working on a few unit fillers for my skeletons. Here is the first, made with skeleton bits and using one of the "Gothic Graveyard" bases from Iron Halo.

Are they singing or screaming? Can skeletons even talk?

I plan on getting more of the Iron Halo bases, they are really high quality and I want to use them to base some of my characters too. The resin is nice and solid and the casting/sculpting is top notch. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for cool resin bases to make their armies stand out.

Well that's it for now! I am going to make an effort to post more WIP updates here each week, along with my oft-neglected beer reviews. I have a stack of reviews waiting to be published on the site, and whole shelf of beers in my fridge awaiting review. I have been slacking on the drinkin' portion of this blog! No longer! More beer!

Alaskan Brewery - Alaskan Amber

Beer Type: Altbier

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle that same generic (and slightly crappy looking) logo, this time with a boat on it and a red label. Crappy label or not, this beer has a unique orangeish-amber color that I haven't seen from too many beers. A really nice foamy white head, something I don't see a lot of in bottled beer.

Smell: A bit of fruit (citrus) and grain. Not a huge nose on this beer.

First Drink: Caramel and a sour citrus. A little sweet but not too malty. Nice.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, pretty much what I expect from an Amber ale. Quite a bit of carbonation but I don't mind that in this beer (especially if it lent itself to the lasting head).

Last Drink: Just a hint of hops, but it is barely noticeable. A sort of apple taste is lingering at the back of my tongue as well.

Drinkability: Very drinkable beer, and I wish I could get more of it!

Notes: Yet another beer from my trip to Fort Collins, CO. I like this beer better than the Pale Ale I also reviewed, but they are both quite good.

Verdict: 4 out of 5. Wish I had another one right now!

Links: Beer Advocate and Alaskan Brewery.

30 years of what the hell am I doing!?

Well the day is finally here. Today I turn the big three-oh. 30 years of not really knowing what the hell to do with myself and what do I have to show for it? Well aside from a pretty damn good life I have a kick ass and supportive girl. We made a wonderful baby beer together and bottled it just the other day - we named it Black Ork Ale.

Can you see why!?

It would probably be easier to put the beer in a keg but there is something about cracking open a bottle of your own beer that is just too good to pass up. Plus it makes it easier to share it with friends and family. Here is what our little bottling setup looks like (the red thing is called the "red baron" and is used to put the caps on the bottles).

It is my job to put the caps on and bring new bottles while they are being filled.

Now the Black Ork Ale is finishing in our cupboard where it will sit for another 2-3 weeks before it is ready to drink. In the meantime there is a whole batch of our last beer (a Brown Ale) in the fridge to finish before this one has to move! It's a tough job but someone has to drink all this homebrew!

It has been too long since I posted a beer review. Here is one I had after my trip to Fort Collins, CO back in January of this year (so long ago now), Alaskan Pale Golden Ale.

Alaskan Brewery - Alaskan Pale Golden Ale

Beer Type: American Pale Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a kind of crappy looking label (featuring a font I strongly dislike). Don't let the crappy label fool you though, this beer is quite nice to look at. The beer poured a clear golden color with a short lived head.

Smell: Carmel with a bit of citrus and hops.

First Drink: A sort of sour citrus up front followed by sweeter caramel flavors. I can just make out some hops in the taste but the bitterness is what really comes through.

Mouthfeel: Light and maybe a bit thin? The carbonation is a little high for me but it is well balanced overall.

Last Drink: Still a lot of sour flavors with a bit of yeast or bread flavors as well.

Drinkability: Overall this is quite different from the Pale Ale I typically drink. Not too light and not too heavy and a little creamy, this is a good session drink.

Notes: Another beer from my trip to Fort Collins, CO. This brewery is not available here in Texas that I have seen but they make a lot of beers. I also have some of their Amber to review and I hope it is as good (or better).

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. I could finish off a six pack of this without a complaint.

Links: Beer Advocate and Alaskan Brewery.

So what is in store for my 30th birthday you ask? Well I intend to eat some breakfast tacos, drink some coffee, paint some models, play some Warhammer Fantasy, and drink plenty of beer. Not too different from a typical day really, but at least today I can blame the drinkin' on the birthday and not the work day!