Book Review - Flashforward by Robert J Sawyer

When I read the premise for the book, Flashforward, I knew it was a book that would be fascinating to read.

Two minutes and seventeen seconds that changed the world

Suddenly, without warning, all seven billion people on Earth black out for more than two minutes. Millions die as planes fall from the sky, people tumble down staircases, and cars plow into each other.

But that's the least of the survivors' challenges. During the blackout, everyone experienced a glimpse of what his or her future holds-and the interlocking mosaic of these visions threatens to unravel the present.

The idea sounded very familiar, though, and I had the book for a week before sitting down to start it. As I picked it up to finally start reading, I realized why it sounded so familiar. ABC had made a TV series based on it. I never watched it.

The book was a very interesting read. It is one case where being a fan of Star Trek paid off as I had heard about many of the theories about time travel discussed in the the old shows.

Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides are two research physicists doing an experiment at the CERN Hadron Collider, which causes the entire world to black out for two minutes and seventeen seconds. Death and destruction ensue during the blackout.

Also most people witness two minutes and seventeen seconds of their own future, from their own viewpoint 30 years in the future. Eerie as many of the visions match with the visions of others.

Some, like Theo, experience nothing. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that those with no vision, did not experience one, as they would be dead. To make things even worse for Theo is he discovers that he was murdered just a day before that point in the future.

Is the future fixed? Can it be changed.

Theo sure hopes so, as do many others.

An excellent book with a very interesting storyline. I enjoy good science fiction and reading this makes me want to read more by Robert J Sawyer.

Restaurant Review - The County General

One Friday night back in November, I stopped in at the County General for a beer and a read. I enjoyed it and, of course, wrote about it.

I told Teena about how enjoyable it was and how I would like to go back for a meal. After seeing a movie today, we did just that. It was just 6:30 when we got there and the place was full. It is a very small and popular place so really it was no surprise. We had thought that the nasty weather might keep some people away.

We were wrong.

We waited about half an hour, unusual for us, but were sitting on a window sill with a glass of sparkling Riesling. So really, we were fine.

We finally got a place at the bar. The bartender who looked after us was nice, efficient and engaging. Most people do not like sitting at the bar to eat. I find it so much better whether having just a drink or eating.

Teena had the burger (Milk Bun, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickle and Fries) without the mayo, which she really enjoyed. I had a Fried Chicken Thigh Sandwich (Buttermilk Chicken, Milk Bun, Avocado Chutney, Coriander, Green Onion and Fries). I really enjoyed my meal except for the Coriander. Next time I would hold the Coriander.

I am not a ketchup fan but they make their own ... and it has a kick. I am not a ketchup, nor a tomato fan, so this is the first time I have ever dipped my fries in ketchup. The fries were a bit over salted but the ketchup took care of that!

Over the night, we were well looked after and fed well.

Interesting I though was they just did not have the regular liquor. For instance, they had the regular Eldorado 5 year old rum, the 10 year old , 15 year old and 21 year old. They seemed to do this for many of their liquor brands.

I am sure we will be back.

Teena's review is here.

My meal ...


Teena's meal ...

The owner seems to be in love with chickens and is part of the ambiance and charm of the place.

We will be back!

Movie Review - One for the Money

Teena has been a big fan of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich so today we went to see the first movie of the series, One for the Money.

Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

Knowing nothing about the series, I went in with an open mind. I have enjoyed many movies the critics have hated so the reviews never fazed me. If they did, I would have seen something else.

I found the movie okay. According to Teena, the movie was faithful to the book but it really it did not engage me. The acting I thought was fine, the story was okay but really I found no chemistry between anyone in the movie.

I give it a 5 out of 10 and if they make a sequel, I will not be back.

Beer of the Week - Hogtown Brewers, Hogtown Ale

I was excited to hear that there is another new brewery in town, Hogtown Brewers.

Brewing under contract at Cool Brewery, their beer is currently only available at the Duke of Devon at First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto. It seems they are using that bar for a "soft launch" before expanding. So after work, I decided to trot on over for a taste.

The company was founded by six guys who decided to make a craft beer geared more to the mainstream beer drinker. Only five, though, have their profile on their website. I love their job titles such as "CEO & Chief Keg Washer", "President & Talent Director" and "Doctor of Operations & Resident Beer Geek".

There was an amusing story about the brewery bringing the beer to the Duke of Devon taps just a little ahead of schedule, which I found on BlogTO (January 20, 2012):

Hogtown officially launched this past weekend, slightly ahead of schedule. The owners of the Duke of Devon told Shippen (the president of Hogtown) that they'd start pouring Hogtown on Wednesday, just as soon as the current supply of Alexander Keith's Red was expected to run dry. Anxious to get their beer out there, however, Shippen and the rest of the Hogtown Brewers enlisted some friends and saw to it that the bar's supply of Keith's Red ran out ahead of schedule and Hogtown has been tapped at the Duke since Friday.

Now I have a problem here. The beer they currently have out is a Kolsch, which according to the German Beer Institute is "one of only a handful of traditional German ales. It is one of the palest German beers made. It is Germany's answer to the British pale ale. Kölsch is very subtle and delicate. It is light in both body and appearance, its maltiness is subdued, and its hoppiness is unobtrusive."

The problem is that I have only ever found one Kolsch which I have liked, Gaffel Kolsch. Hopefully I like this one but really I am expecting not to, which is not really fair to the company. So for this beer, I am looking more at the quality of which it was made and not whether I like it or not. Liking it will be a bonus!

The Duke of Devon is a very busy spot on a Friday night. Being downtown, it is a place that many in the downtown core seem to stop to "let go" of the week. That's what I like to do.

The bar was full but I managed to find a place at the bar with a chair right by the Hogtown Tap.

The beer comes in a tall slender glass, which according to the German beer institute is the correct glass. "A Kölsch is always served in a very narrow, straight-sided, cylindrical glass called a Stange (which means "rod" or "pole" in English)."

The room was a little dark but looking at it up in the light see it being golden in colour with a nice frothy white head. There is a little bit of hops to the nose. The head remains as it sits and I take pictures and when I sip it. There are lots of lacings along the inside of the glass.

I was surprised that it is a not a weak tasting beer, flavourful but not overpowering. Hard to describe but I thought it seemed to start like a lager but finished like an ale. There is a very nice hoppy bitterness at the end which I did not expect. It seemed to stay on the back of my tongue and hold. At first, I did not know if I enjoyed that particular hop aftertaste but by the end of the glass found myself ordering another.

Seems I found a Kolsch which I like!

The two fellows beside me were also having a Hogtown Ale and I asked them what they thought. I wished I remembered their names as they were nice guys which I ended up talking with for the rest of the night but that is a great fault of mine (I vow to work on that this year). One liked it enough and ordered a second and the other ordered something else.

I heard someone behind me then ask how I liked the Hogtown. I said I liked it, it was tasty and that this was my second. He liked that.

He introduced himself as Derrick, a sales rep from Hogtown (hey guys, he was a rep so I wrote his name down ... sorry because I also should have done the same for you!). He then asked the other two how they like the beer and both said they liked it.

As they answered, their beers hit the counter, a Hogtown and ... a beer that wasn't a Hogtown.

"What is that! I didn't order that! Where's my Hogtown?"

It was funny! If you think not, maybe you just had to be there.

Derrick was a nice guy and we spent about a half hour or so talking about the brewery and the craft beer business in general. It was fun and I learned a lot about bringing a brand new beer from a brand new brewery into the market. Start-up costs for things like glasses, beer mats, those little signs on the table all add up.

A salesman from a big brewery would have bought us a round. Being a start-up trying to break the market without big bucks behind them, he never offered.

No matter. Derrick left after meeting a friend and I ordered another as it is a good beer.

I came in thinking I likely would not like this beer and found he opposite. Not only did I enjoy the beer, I also enjoyed the energy of the pub and the new people I met. One of the joys of sitting at the bar in a pub is the chance to meet new and interesting people.

That happened again tonight.

On one section of the Hogtown website, they finish with "So the real question is, What next? We are putting the finishing touches on a hoppy, aggressive IPA that will be sure to impress even the most discerning beer drinker."

I'm looking forward to it!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 146
Countries 28
Breweries 125
Provinces 8

Book - Breakthrough by Thea Cooper

I am unsure where I spotted this book but as my son, Ken, came down with diabetes when he was 17, the subject of the discovery of insulin is interesting to me. Also it is a very Canadian story and a huge piece of our history.

Ask any Canadian who discovered insulin and they will tell you it was Banting and Best. Yet it was Fredrick Banting and Professor John Macleod from the University of Toronto who shared the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This always puzzled me and I was hoping this book would clear that up.

It is 1919, and Elizabeth Hughes, the 11-year-old daughter of America's most distinguished jurist and politician, Charles Evans Hughes, has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is essentially a death sentence. The only accepted form of treatment—starvation—whittles her down to 45 pounds of skin and bones. Miles away, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best manage to identify and purify insulin from animal pancreases—a miracle soon marred by scientific jealousy, intense business competition, and fist fights. In a race against time and a ravaging disease, Elizabeth becomes one of the first diabetics to receive insulin injections—all while its discoverers and a little-known pharmaceutical company struggle to make it available to the rest of the world.

Relive the heartwarming true story of the discovery of insulin as it has never before been told, written with authentic detail and suspense, and featuring walk-ons by William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Eli Lilly, among many others.

Breakthrough by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsbergis a very interesting, well told story.

Although Leonard Thompson was the first person treated with insulin on January 11, 1922, when he was just 14, the book concentrates on Elizabeth Hughes who was among the first 10 or 20 patients to receive insulin and make a miraculous recovery. Her story is noteworthy for sure as she was the most famous, being the daughter of Charles Hughes who was the U.S. Secretary of State at the time. Some people even incorrectly credit her with being the first recipient of insulin.

I have always thought that the discovery of insulin was done in a spirit of harmony and determination. That sure was not the case. Banting had the idea and, along with Charles Best, did all the work in making the discovery. Macleod allowed the two to use one of his labs and gave a little funding money but no pay, and then left for a long vacation in Scotland. When Banting ran out of money, he sold his home and belongings to be able to fund his research. Only after the discovery was he put on the payroll.

Biochemist Bertram Collip also was instrumental in the work as once Banting and Best discovered how to draw insulin from a pancreas, it was Collip who was needed to find a way to purify the solution consistently for human consumption.

John Macleod put his name on the paper and, as a leading professor at the U of T, took part credit. Banting used to burn every time he heard Macleod use the term "we" and was enraged when he heard he had to share the Nobel Prize with Macleod.

How enraged?

He refused to go to the Nobel ceremony. In fact, not only would he not sit at the same table with Macleod, he would not even have his picture taken with him.

Banting shared his Nobel prize money with Best and Macleod shared his with Collip. Insulin was one of the biggest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century and certainly a high point for Canada but nowhere is there a picture of Banting, Best, Macleod and Collip together. The picture shown here is best on the left, with Banting on the right.

The story is not only about the discovery but also how Eli Lilly in the U.S. and Connaught Laboratories in Canada worked to mass produce insulin. Interesting how in 1922 there were less than 10 diabetics being treated and a year and a half later, 60,000 alone were being treated in Canada and the U.S. Eli Lilly's work is the hero in the early development and today sells $3 billion annually of insulin. Connaught Laboratories gave great contributions later on to make an insulin that works longer in the body.

I especially enjoyed the ending chapters telling the story of how every one's life continued after the discovery. Sadly Leonard Thompson, the first person to receive insulin, died 13 years later of diabetic complication. Many others who receive the first injections lived very long lives.

This is an interesting, well told story and a book worth reading.

Note: I found it interesting that in the U.S., the book is sold as Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle whereas in Canada it is sold as Breakthrough: Banting, Best and the Race to Save Millions of Diabetics. Easy to tell from which side of the border each is being sold.

Beer of the Week- Amsterdam 416 Urban Wheat

Two years ago, I featured Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA as my Beer of the Week. It was a high hopped 7.1% APV American IPA.

This week I am reviewing another beer from Amsterdam Brewery but one that is almost the opposite of the Boneshaker. A low APV wheat beer called 416 Urban Wheat.

Appropriately named for a few reasons. 416 used to be the only area code for the City of Toronto before they ran out of phone numbers. According to the bottle, this beer is also 4.16% APV. Amsterdam also brewed this to celebrate their 25th anniversary. During this time, they have brewed in 3 different locations. Currently the are located at the bottom of Bathurst at Front St.

Why a light beer to celebrate the brewery's 25th anniversary? It is explained in a Toronto Star article ... "Jeff Carefoote, owner of Amsterdam Brewery, says he's "kind of fat" and that's why he set out to make a low-calorie beer that wasn't watered down.

"Getting the calories out is a challenge. We tried different malts, hops and yeast. We were trying for good light beer flavour with lower calories. This has 20 per cent less calories than other light beers but you give up less alcohol as it's just under 4 per cent."

And the taste?

The beer is unfiltered and pours a cloudy straw colour. You can see the yeast sediment left behind after pouring on the the bottom of the bottle. Not a beer to drink right from the bottle for sure. Citrus dominates the aroma.

Wheat beer has a unique taste and I was surprised that I did not find it in this beer. The beer starts with a citrusy taste and ends on a sour note. Not bitter but sour.

I really like this beer. It is refreshing, tasty, and a little unique. A great beer to have while watching football on a Sunday afternoon. This is one more beer that proves that a light beer can still be full of flavour!

Thanks to Teena for letting me use her computer for this write up while mine is in the shop.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 145
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

Light Beer- Wellington S.P.A (Special Pale Ale)

I have been actively searching for a true definition of what a light beer is.

To me, it is a beer which comes in around 4% APV which is what I am searching for. Many definitions seem to suggest that a light beer is one that is 4.5% or less but again, I can find no hard line.

Today I am trying another beer with less than 5% APV, Wellington S.P.A (Special Pale Ale) by Wellington Brewery in Guelph. The brewery concept is to "produce English-style real ales for the Ontario market."

One thing I love about English ales is that they strive for flavour no matter what the APV is. The idea is that people will be be willing to drink more if it tastes good even if it has less alcohol. That way they sell more beer. Brilliant!

Wellington S.P.A comes in at 4.5% APV. This beer won the Ontario Brewing Awards 2008 People’s Choice Awards (Pale Ale). Time to see how it tastes.

S.P.A. pours a copper colour with a whitish head. I see lots of lacings along the inside of the glass as I tip and turn it. I do not detect any hops in the aroma, but can sense the malt.

My first sense when I sipped was a spiciness in the beer, which I did not expect. It is not a bitter beer nor a sweet one. It is a flavourful beer, though. After a few sips, I can sense a slight bit of hop bitterness. There is a slight spiciness to this, though. I don't believe that any spice has been added to this but it must come from whatever hops are used in this brew.

In any case, this is a very nice flavourful beer, which I am enjoying. I would put this 4.5% beer up against most 5% big brewery beers.

I believe this will be in my fridge in the future for my Light Beer Sundays! Well done!

Beer of the Week - Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale

Last week I tried Flying Monkeys Anti-Gravity Light Ale as part of my Search for Taste in Light Beers.

I searched back to see what I had written about Flying Monkeys Brewery and found I have never done them as a Beer of the Week.

Surprising!

Their Hoptical Illusion is a regular visitor to my fridge and whenever Teena is on business in Barrie, she always stops into the brewery store to pick me up some fresh beer and any of the seasonal beers they have on hand. I have their hat, teeshirt and glass (2 actually) and, yes, I admit I am a big fan of the brewery.

What I haven't done is visit the brewery itself or featured it as a beer of the week. The Beer of the Week part I am correcting today.

The brewery was opened in Barrie in 2005 as the Robert Simpson Brewing Company, the name honouring Robert Simpson (pictured right) who was Barrie's first mayor (1871, 72 and 76 ) and a successful brewer himself owning and operating Simcoe Steam Breweries.

Peter Chido, who is the head of the brewery and one of its brewers, decided in 2009, to take the brewery in another direction. At the time, the company had Robert Simpson Confederation Ale and Anti-Gravity Light Ale but it was time to get adventurous.

The owners sat down (three families own the brewery) and came up with a new name ...

"We were brainstorming ideas for the Anti-Gravity beer and flying monkeys was on the short list. The name came from a sign we have in the mudroom at my house that adds some humor to the constant nagging at my kids to put away their backpacks and stuff, or else 'Don’t make me get my Flying Monkeys'," said one of the original founders Peter Chiodoe "It originally comes from the Wizard of Oz, but the threat has found its way into the brewhouse."

Their website describes it as:

"Once upon a time, we were The Robert Simpson Brewing Company, but we’re morphing into The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery. Why? Because being named for a dead white guy just isn’t very exciting. Where’s the fun in that? Beer is supposed to be way more fun than a history class. It’ll be weird for a while, but the new name opens up so many more possibilities for us to express ourselves (and be flakey).”

“So Bottoms Up, Friends - and Release the Flying Monkeys!”

They even received some valuable free press when one of their beers, Smashbomb Atomic IPA, was banned from the LCBO for a cartoonish picture of an explosion on the label.

"It really comes down to the imagery, as a depiction of an explosion," said LCBO spokesman Chris Layton."Many products are marketed today as provocative, edgy and tongue-in-cheek at times, but we're also sensitive that some consumers find depictions of either violence, explosions or bomb blasts disturbing."

In the end, Smashbomb and its label were allowed on the shelves of Ontario Liquor stores. It too is a beer that I really love.

Today, though, I am featuring their Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale. It is not really a porter nor a black IPA, but kind of both.

It pours black like a porter with a brownish head. Lots of lacings line the glass when sipped. There is slight sense of chocolate and floral hops in the aroma. Hops in the aroma is not surprising as the beer is dry hopped with Cascade hops, which are also used with Columbus hops in the brewing process.

The roasted malts (4 kinds are used) come to the front when first sipped with tones of chocolate, and maybe a little coffee coming through. Just when you think this is a very nice porter, the hops come in for the finish. Not overpowering, they do make their presence known.

This definitely is a different style of beer and one which I do enjoy.

Hopefully this summer I will get to visit the brewery and, yes, will write and post pictures when I do.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 144
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

Book Review - Titanic, One Newspaper, Seven Days, and the Truth That Shocked the World

This year is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the largest ship of its time. It is one of the world's most famous tragedies and this year more books will be coming to print about the story. This one caught my eye as, while we all know the story of that night, this one tells the tale in a different way. 

Titanic, One Newspaper, Seven Days, and the Truth That Shocked the World is ... A unique look at the epic tragedy as it played out in the pages of the world's largest newspaper. The Titanic was the greatest ocean linear ever built and the news of its sinking, 5 days into its maiden voyage, shocked the world. Captivated by the tragedy, audiences turned to the trusted London Daily Telegraph hoping to find answers to questions of how the "unsinkable ship" could have ever gone down. Focused entirely on media clippings and reporting from the time of the tragedy, Titanic is a ripped from the headlines account of the sinking of the world's largest ship.

It was this unique focus that made me want to read this book. One note in the forward says that really this was "history being written on the fly" is so true. Incredibly interesting right from the first day when one of the first stories "The Titanic sunk at 2:20 this morning. No lives were lost" appeared. 

The mishmash of stories that followed that day were confusing, right from the how the Titanic sunk with great loss of life to "Vessel Sinking - Steamers are towing the Titanic and endeavouring to get her into the shoal water near Cape Race for the purpose of beaching her." The author's notes at the end of each chapter help fill in the gaps and correct some errors in the reporting, to the facts as we know them now. 

For instance, the side note on First Class stewardess Mrs J Gould, thought to be lost in the disaster. The story said she had survived two other shipping accidents while working. She on the Suevic which sunk after being cut in two during a collision, and was on the Olympic which was rammed by the ship Hawke. In the footnotes, it said that she survived this one too. I felt sorry for Joseph Ismay, the executive director of the White Star Line, who was on board the Titanic and escaped in the last lifeboat. A scapegoat was needed and the blame was placed on him. The last chapter from Monday April 22, 1912, told of the grilling he took in front of a congressional hearing. The end notes explained what happened to him after. The book definitely was "history being written on the fly". The heroes, the story of the survivors ordeal, the stern resolve of those left behind, are all told here. It is a book worth reading.

Book Review - Shatner Rules: Your Guide To Understanding The Shatnerverse And The World At Large

I admit, I was a fan of the old original Star Trek series. William Shatner has been kidded for years for his acting in it but he has always survived in the world of show business.

At 80 years old, he keeps on going.

I have never read either of the 2 books he wrote previously about his life, Star Trek Memories or Up Till Now: The Autobiography, but this one, Shatner Rules, interested me.

"You love William Shatner.
You admire his many and varied talents.
You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks.
You want to learn his master negotiation techniques.
You wish you could hang out with him.
Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner.

And now...you can (almost).

This collection of rules, illustrated with stories from Bill's illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque.

Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?"

It is a fun tongue-in-cheek book about the rules to live life as he has. He explains that there are two Shatners, the public, somewhat pompous one and the private one where he can truly be himself.

The book is full of antidotes and stories about his life, divided into the different rules to being Shatner such as "Rule: Always Have a Spare Set of Underwear on" or "Rule: Don't Trust the Facebook" (hilarious story).

Sometimes, many times, he wanders off topic. In sections, he is a little pompous but the book is very enjoyable.

The first chapter is "Rule: Say Yes". It was a funny chapter and a very true rule.

"Yes" means opportunity. "Yes" makes the dots in your life appear. And if you're willing and open, you can connect these dots. The lines you make with those dots always lead to interesting places. "No" closes doors. "Yes" kicks them right open.

He does show throughout the book how saying yes to questionable projects, (his first singing album) paid off for him in the future. It is also a funny chapter.

I also really enjoyed "Fourth Rule for Turning 80: Get Out of Bed". George Burns used to say the same thing. This is a more serious chapter about being 80 and how he is facing the fact of his own mortality. "When I woke up on my 80th birthday, I felt that life might be over soon. That was terrifying."

I also love how he is proudly Canadian throughout the book and devotes a full chapter to that "Rule: Remember Where you Came from ... Eh?" Another great chapter. Heck, they all are!

A fun easy to read book that I quite enjoyed. A must read for any fan!

My First Tai Chi Class

I have wanted to try Tai Chi for a few years now but have never got around to it.

I was surprised and delighted when I joined the West End YMCA to find they have an hour and a half course on Sundays.

Problem was, I had an injured knee and have off it for 7 months.

Now that it is about 90%, it is time to get back into action. Tomorrow night I have my first fencing practice since May and thought taking Tai Chi today would be a great non impact way to try my knee out.

Jody, our instructor practices, the 24 move form of Tai Chi to start. I have no idea what that is but I think after today I have the first part of the first move down, but very, very rough.

I enjoyed the class and my legs really feel it. The half hour of stretching we do before getting into routines will be very good for this stiff body of mine.

I'll be back next week and any Sunday that I do not have a fencing tournament. I believe this will be a great addition to my fitness program.

Light Beer - Flying Monkeys Anti-Gravity Light Ale

It is the New Year, my knee is mostly healed and it's time to get back into shape.

Part of my new set of rules will be light beer Sundays. In order to do this, it is time to continue the search for taste in light beer.

This week I am trying one from Flying Monkeys Brewery in Barrie. They describe their Anti-Gravity Light Ale as "purposefully brewed as a light ale which accounts for its body and complexity not usually found in beers at the lighter end of the spectrum. Antigravity is a late hopped light beer that's lighter, but still flavourful; effervescent, but not too hoppy or aggressive.

You can definitely tell where a dry-hopped dose of Hallertauer, used more traditionally in lagers, gives this light one some character."

The beer pours golden in colour with a thick white head which lasts. It is very lively with lots of bubbles flowing up from the bottom of the glass. There is the scent of floral hops in the aroma. I am looking forward to this!

Sipping, I do find it flavouful but more sweet than bitter. There is more of the sense of hop bitterness in the aroma than in the beer. I would call this a blonde-style ale.

For my taste, it is just an OK beer but I do qualify this in the way that I am not a fan of blonde ales. I just like my hops!

If you are looking for a tasty, not bitter, well-crafted light beer, this would be one to try.

Beer of the Week - Fullers Past Masters

Fullers is not only one of my favorite English breweries, but also one of my favorite breweries in the world. I have done them as a Beer of the Week back in 2009 and every year do a comparison of 3 years of their Vintage Ale

They are now doing something unique. Re-creating beers using some of their old beer recipes which they call Past Masters. "The Brew Book has been the bible of brewing at Fuller's since 1845. Every recipe of every beer ever brewed at the Griffin Brewery has been recorded in meticulous details, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers.

Today's Master Brewer, John Keeling, will be recreating a number of epic ales, named 'Past Masters', with those precise recipes from the Brew Book.

Sourcing ingredients as close as possible to those originally used, each Past Master will be brewed with traditional techniques to recreate a truly authentic taste.

Only one Past Masters beer will be brewed in a single batch for each release. Each will be unique in its character, and will be a very special opportunity for beer lovers to taste the beer of our forefathers."

Should be interesting!

I have two to try. First up is XX Strong Ale.

"The first beer in the Past Masters series we have chosen to recreate is XX, a strong ale which is perfect for bottle conditioning. Brewed at 7.5% ABV, with the original recipe first used on September 2, 1891, it is dark, rich and full flavoured, with a distinctly warming character."

Time to taste some history!

The Strong Ale pours a coppery colour. The head has a brownish tinge to it and it smells a little malty. Lots of lacings are left on the inside of the glass, which was expected.

The beer starts with a slight bitterness which expands and stays throughout the finish. I can tell that there is lots of malt to balance the bitterness. It is not a smooth beer, but one with a bit of an edge, a bit of a bite. No doubt how they like beer back in 1891.

I also noticed that the warmer it got, the nicer it got!

I'm glad I tried it. It was an enjoyable experience and a good beer.

Now the Double Stout. "Past Masters Double Stout is the second in the series, brewed to a recipe from 4th August 1893 – a time when 'stout' meant 'strong'. Its signature ingredient is Plumage Archer barley, carefully malted and kilned using 19th Century methods. Dark, brown and creamy this beer is brewed to 7.4% ABV and balances a rich fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes."

This stout pours very black. There is no seeing through this one. A hint of chocolate does come to the nose. I had expected a coffee aroma, as this is what I usually find with roasted malt, but not this time.

This has a very silky texture to it. I guess it is what they refer to as creamy, which works for me too. I had also had expected overwhelming roasted malt flavour and some alcohol taste, but no, for a 7.4% APV stout, it is a very nice subtle taste to it. No hint of alcohol taste in this. there are lot's of chocolate tones in this one. very nicely balance. A very nice stout!

I am unsure as to what Fullers will be coming out with next in this series, but if they come to Canada, count me in.

Tasting a beer brewed the same way as it was over a hundred years ago is fun. Who says history is boring!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 143
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

A Rainbow to Wish Us Goodbye!

Although the winds were heavy all night, when we got up in the morning we were told our noon flight was on time.

We went to breakfast and when we came out we saw this beautiful rainbow over the bay. I'm glad I had my camera on me.

It was a fabulous final shot to end our vacation on. A rainbow and a rooster!

The Swizzle Inn, Baileys Bay, Bermuda

The first afternoon, right after we checked into our rooms at the Grotto Bay Resort, we headed over to the Swizzle Inn, which was a 5 minute walk away. It was raining but Teena had heard that this was a place we should visit and we did.

It wasn't our last visit either!

The Swizzle Inn is Bermuda's oldest pub, having opened in 1932, in an old homestead dating back to the 1600s. It has been family owned since 1962. The inside have been drastically changed to house a pub but looking at old pictures that hang on the wall, the outside has not changed.

The service is good, the servers are friendly (Oxana and Van Dyke rocked), they have Oscars Ale from Dockyard Brewing, they are generous with their shots and the food is good. We were at an all-inclusive except for tonight and still would wander over. Our thinking was we could pay $15 each for internet at the hotel or have a couple of drinks in a great atmosphere, and use their free WIFI.

The food is good. One night we just wanted something familiar, as we were eating fancy at the hotel, so we ordered a pizza. Yes, they do pizza very well. Tonight, as we are no longer paying for an all-inclusive, we are eating here again. The bartender (I forget his name but remember he is from Etobicoke, ON) is going to find the Canada/Russia hockey game.

They encourage patrons to stick their business cards somewhere on the walls or ceilings and they are everywhere. They also allow graffiti. I am proud to say that my GKJ adorns one of their walls and my business card is also stuck somewhere.

The Swizzle Inn is a fun spot, the type of pub I wish was in our neighborhood. If your heading to Bermuda, the original Swizzle Inn on Baileys Bay is a must visit!

***

Enjoying an Oscars Ale on the patio

Teena with a Black Seal dark rum and Diet coke, me with an Oscars

My famous GKJ sits proudly on their front inside wall

My business card is tucked somewhere on this wall

"Galed in" Bermuda. A Chance to Visit St George's

It was with some reluctance when we woke up this morning, packed our bags and dragged them up to the front desk. We had seen most of the island but not St George's which was just to the north. After breakfast we found that our flight had been canceled due to the storm. In fact all flights too and from Bermuda was canceled. The hotel still had our room open, so they booked us back in for another night. We confirmed that we had a flight for the next day, and dragged our bags back to the room. Once there we changed and rain or shine were off to see St George's.

"Admiral Sir George Somers, who founded Bermuda, named the town not after himself but in honor of the Patron Saint of England, St. George. St George's, was settled in 1612 and is the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the Americas. St. George's used to be Bermuda's capital until the 19th century after being substantially outgrown by Hamilton."

It rained on and off during the day and we were lucky as we were in the only 2 open pubs when the big downpours came. The wind was strong all day with great gusts. Although the bay is sheltered there were 4 to 6 foot waves. The TV said outside of the reef which protects the islands, the waves were 20 to 25 feet high!
The town is a UNESCO World Heritage site as many of the buildings, alleys and street are from the original days of the town. The oldest building is the State House built in 1620. Like Teena says, there are so many reminders out there that the world existed before we did.
St Peter's Church is "is the oldest surviving Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. It is also reportedly the oldest continuously used Protestant church in the New World."
The Globe Hotel was built in 1700
Most places were closed for the holidays and many had signs they were closed for the off season and re-opening in March.
I had hoped to see the full size replica of the Deliverance, the ship that saved America.

"In 1609, a fleet of 9 ships set sail from England for the new British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers on the flagship, Sea Venture. During a vicious storm the Sea Venture floundered on Bermuda’s reefs. Somers managed to land the crew and colonists on the uninhabited island without the loss of a single life. 7 of the remaining ships made it to Virginia, albeit without much of their cargo.

They found many hogs in the island which they could feed on and survive. Over the next 9 months Somers' men built 2 ships, Deliverance and the Patience to complete their journey to Jamestown. In fact, they initially started to build only the Deliverance, and soon figured out that it wont have enough capacity for all plus all the salted pork that they planned to carry with them.

On May 10, 1610, Somers and his men started once again for Jamestown. Somers left behind two men to retain British claim of Bermuda. When they reached Jamestown, they were shocked to see that only 50 out of the 500 men who reached there earlier had survived. The rest all died out of starvation."

The food aboard save Jamestown.
We found Wahoo's Bistro and patio just before the heavy rains came. I had Alfred's award winning fish chowder which was excellent and warming with a great spicyness which reminded me of black bean soup. I also had the wings which were good. Teena had honey fried chicken and fries with huge pieces of chicken which she enjoyed. Teena's review is hereWe ate and watch the storm.
The rain stopped and we headed to the only other open pub in town, The tavern by the sea. It was still very windy.
It was time to leave and catch the bus back to our resort. It was a good day and we were happy we managed to be stranded for just one more day. A great sunset was in the sky as we left St George's.
"Red at night, sailors delight" Hopefully we are flying home tomorrow.