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I've been sick...caught a bug. no beer drinking for a while me thinks...sniff sniff

Old Rapscalion....

Polished off a bomber of Old Ruffian Barleywine (8.5/10) by Great Divide outta Colorado last night. Picked it up at the fantastic Tanakaya. A real hop malt kick in the bollocks. At nearly 11% it had a big alcohol burn, but was as smooth as you can get at this density. Nice way to finish the week.  Bring on the weekend!

So metal it hurts...

After the admission below it's time to crank up the metal factor with one of the most balls out cool Images I've seen recently.  Both fantastically cool and totally stupid in equal measures....

As a child growing up in the 80s....

Time for another list! Being a child of the 80s I grew up with some great music. Many would call these songs cheesy now, but I still enjoy them. For the melodies, memories and plain good songwriting. My top 10 1980s songs as follows:-

1. Electric Dreams - Giorgio Moroder

2. A Good Heart - Feargal Sharkey

3. Down Under - Men at Work

4. One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head

5. Neverending Story - Giorgio Moroder

6. Careless Whisper - George Michael

7. Don't Lose my Number - Phil Collins

8. We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

9. Labamba - Los Lobos

10. Electric Blue - Icehouse (great aussie rock!)

and a few that just missed out

• Beat It - Michael Jackson (for my Michael Jackson loving friend - You know who you are!)
• Dear God - XTC
• Our House - Madness
• Take on me - A Ha
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
• We Built This City - Starship
• We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
• Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
• Wired For Sound - Cliff Richard
• Come Over to my Place - Mental as Anything
• I Want to Know What Love Is - ?
• Jump - Van Halen
• Boys of Summer - Don Henley
• I'm Still Standing - Elton John
• She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

Talk about great music! I could listen to these songs on repeat over and over again (and over). There are probably a few I missed, but these were all I could think of for now...

Real Ale? Can i have more please sir...?

Well the Tokyo real ale festival is in the books and a nice event It was. Running between 1 and 5 on a Sunday afternoon is certainly a bit strange, but everyone was well mannered and had a good time. Winners for me on the day were the Baird Barley wine, Sankt Gallen imperial chocolate stout and the Tokyo black. The Baird Barley wine (8/10) was big and bold with lots of sweet fruits permeating though the mix. The other two were brews I've tried more than a few times before and were well represented in cask form. My good friend Aiko enjoyed the Tokyo Black the most, so I really think this represents the quality of the brew. She enjoys beer, but as a more casual drinker she tended to enjoy the more mild beers, so it was an all round winner.

The Shiga Kogen was a little disappointing for me as it was a collaboration with Nogne 0 from Norway. Called 'Not so Mild ale' it was a simple mild bitter that fell in to the normal Shiga profile, but didn't present anything special. Oh well collaborations generally aren't the best anyway, just look at the Stone, Ale Smith, Mikkeller collaboration recently....

The event was reasonably well organised, although the popular beers ran out after about an hour and a half and by about the third hour pretty much everything was gone. Hitachino Nest Japanese classic ale ran out just as I was the the third person in line to try it. It had been sitting there in a shochu cask and I couldn't help but pine for it. Oh well.

The best part of the day was perhaps meeting up with other beer lovers. I saw Koichi the owner of Thrash Zone and a lot of rate beer regulars. It was particularly nice to meet Mark (aka Kyotolefty) and the Jolly one. Thanks for the three philosophers beer generously shared by Mark! Great to meet you mate! Also met Nate and his lovely girlfriend, who does the blog 'Good Beer and Country Boys'. Seemed like a nice chap. Keep up the good work with the blog!

Well now I'm back to work and still dreaming about those loverly loverly brews! Onwards to the next festival!!

Friday the 13th followed by Valentine's Day? What strange forces are at play here?

Here's a little reminder I left for my students on the class schedule board today...

Already got some chocolate from a few students and even some beer tickets (?!?). Seriously. They know I love beer so I got 6 big bottles and 4 cans worth of beer tickets to use. Hope i can use them on some Yo Ho brews or at the very least Yebisu (or maybe a chocolate beer?) at the local liqour store. Lovely start to this the most evil of days!

To honour this day I present my top 5 horror movies in no particular order.

1. Jaws (Scared me outta the water to this day)

2. Evil Dead 2 (black comedy and grissly horror...Bruce Campbell!)

3. Predator (Not a horror film per ce, but the predator is the stuff of nightmares)

4. Night of the Living Dead (The original - Amazing especially for it's age)

5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Again a great movie for the time that still stands up today)

The Archduke of Austria always enjoyed a few rounds

Franz Ferdinand, one of my favs, recently released their 3rd album, Tonight (9/10). And...it's a grower! I wasn't too enamoured at first, but it has worked it's way in to my heart. I went out to HMV in Yokohama and picked it up for the bargain price (for Japan) 0f 1790 yen.

Loosely based on a night out on the tiles, it is darker than past releases. It isn't quite as catchy as the first two records, but has an evident maturity that more than makes up for this as it unravels itself and clinches your synapses in a jarring manner, unwilling to release. My recommendation? BUY BUY BUY!

I once saw them perform live in The Tokyo Buddokan a few years ago with my girlfriend at the time. I remember how tight they were and their ability to replicate the album sound live was nothing short of sensational. Truly one of the greats. Up there with Alkaline Trio and the National for me in terms of top music talent.

Australia's worst national disaster

Well the fires that have ripped the heart of Australia are still raging. My heart goes out to those affected by this great tradegy. However there have been some glimmers of light, such as the video of one of Australia's national treasures, the humble Koala, being taken care of by a firefighter in the aftermath of the blaze. This will bring a smile to your face. It typifies the unique Australian spirit. The firefighter's Aussie accent is true gold too!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSPx7S4jr4

As we wait for the trains, so are the days of our lives

Rant time on Craft Beer Bar

Public holiday today here in Japan for Foundation day. The national day for japan like Australia Day or 4th of July for the Yanks. Decided to head to Craft Beer Bar in Kannai to try the Hitachino Nest Celebration Ale. It's a seasonal and at 9% and featuring some interesting spices, it is meant to be quite the beer. But guess what? when I got there it was out...

Which leads me to my rant. Whenever I head to said bar for a special pint, whether it be Shiga Kogen House IPA or a special like the Hitachino, they are invariably out of said brew in record time. This irks me cos it's not the biggest bar (maybe 15 people max?) and is never overly busy. The owner is nice and efficient (no English though) but what is he doing? I think he orders tiny kegs or is drinking half the good stuff himself! A Good beer will last a day or two max! This is not how to run a bar!

My advice is to hit up Popeyes in Tokyo If you can. With 70 beers on tap it is unlikely to not have a beer you have been dying to try. If Tokyo is not an option then the Craft Beer Bar is fine, although expect the good brews to be well gone by the time you arrive.

Well I feel better now...

Choco beer reviews from jay pan

Sankt Gallen have some special beers out for Valentine's day. I didn't need an excuse to buy and drink them. But, to the love of my life, If you're out there, I bought them for you.

Sankt Gallen Imperial Chocolate Stout (8.5/10). Smooth Impy here. Slightly thin mouth feel is the only distraction form the obligatory dark chocolate and Sweet dark fruit combination on the palate. A bit on the nose at 600+ yen, but good for a few.

Sankt Gallen Orange Chocolate Stout (8/10). Nice surprise here. The orange chocolate is nice and evident throughout what is a nice stout. The beer name perfectly sums up this little beauty more than I ever could. Take a punt and enjoy. A more reasonable 500 yen sweetens the deal for me. 7% abv.

Unfortunately I went to pick up the Shonan Chocolate Porter today at Sogo, but it was all sold out. Blast my indecision!

This guy drinks too much DRINK IT BLACK!

Got my ticket for the real Ale Festival in Tokyo this week! Lots of lubuly beers poured as they are brewed without the use of nitrogen and other such gassy agents. Should be fun! Really want to try the Shiga Kogen - Nogne collaboration and the couple of Imperial stouts and barley wines on show. There was a beer list in english but it seems to have disappeared. The entry ticket allows for 10*120ml pours and the glass is thrown in as a souvenir. Good value all round!

In honour of this I present my fav japanese coffee in a can - DRINK IT BLACK! Hot or cold (yes they drink cold coffee here) its always time for a drink it black. Is that a rolling stone reference?? BTW I have no idea who that guy holding the can is, but it was the only google search picture I could find. I will upload my own picture when I have time, cos that guy is kinda creeping me out...

Ahhh, before I forget I rented The Dark Knight (8/10) last night. Good movie, even at 2 and a half hours. Heath Ledger's performance really made this movie. I will be the first to say I was always skeptical about him, but he proved his ability here. BTW does anyone else dislike Christian Bale? Either he is great at playing douches or he just plays himself repeatedly in movies. I dunno...hope it's the former rather than the latter.

Beer Geek Breakfast

Just downing a bottle of the infamous bear geek breakfast. All I can say is wow that title is certainly no misnomer. Not for the uninitiated. Huge coffee bitterness. Very smooth due to the oatmeal. Actually would make a good first beer for the day, although thankfully I haven't regressed to that stage (yet!). Do yourself a favour and check this bad boy out. Steve Newman at his baddest in a bottle. Cheers Mikkeller!

My God I am losing my hair big time!

Here it is! My first taste of the Racer 5 (8/10) by bear republic on tap at the always fun Thrash Zone. Huge IPA with lots of pine and citrus hops. A very full body. Just shaded by Green Flash's IPA as the best american IPA I've had.

Next up was the Big Bear Stout (8.5/10). At 8% abv it teeters precariously between a huge stout and a light Imperial stout, but either way it is delicious. Bitter, ugly and black, I could drink this all night.

Lastly had a Green FLash Barleywine, generously shared by a Gentleman there with his Girlfriend. Nice people. The Barleywine (8/10) was huge, especially on the nose. VERY full bodied and lots of sweet flavours on the palate. A bit too much, as I had trouble finishing it.

Then the dash for the last train home before watching 30 rock and curling up for a well deserved kip. TOP NIGHT! Thanks Koichi!

Fano O Taweiki

Happy Waitangi Day! New Zealand's national day is being celebrated today in rememberance of the treaty between the Maori and Pakeha in 1840. Cue much contention over the years. Still let's celebrate what is a great nation and a pack of mad bastards when it comes to Rugby!

Another list

I put this post up in the ratebeer forums under Japan and thought I'd share it here.
Just my thoughts on local beers. Disclaimer - Subject to change!!

Love
Shiga Kogen IPA and House (actually they don't make a bad beer)
Swan Lake Amber
Baird Dark Sky IRS
Hakuseikian Super Vintage
Yona Yona and Tokyo Black

Want to try
Isekodoya Imperial smoked Porter
Shiga Kogen IRS
Yo Ho Barley Wine

Favourite Brewery
Shiga Kogen (nice guys too)

Most disappointing Brewery
Minoh (still producing weak bodied brews)

Most overrated
Unfortunately Baird (they have a few good uns but just spread themselves far too thin)

Favourite Bar
Popeyes (but living in Yokohama the craft beer bar/thrash zone combo is more common for me)

I Iz in ur computer watchin u watchin me

I am a dog person, but those LOLcats are pretty fricken funny. Here's a few of my favs courtesy of icanhascheezburger.com.

Its all about the beerjamins

BTW If you happen to stumble upon this blog and are curious about the beers I enjoy take a whizz at my ratebeer profile....

http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-43711.htm

More Baird Beer

Had the Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout (8.5/10) last Weekend on tap. A flavourful, burnt raisin molasses infused bomb. The only down side might be the *slightly* thin body. Still top notch and the best IRS I've had brewed in Japan.

Their Brewmaster Nightmare Rye Ale was also very tasty (7/10) but this one definately did suffer from a lack of body, especially since I had a Hot Rod Rye from Bear Republic earlier in the evening. Still Baird are doing well and If they keep improving will one day be the premier ji biru company.

My one piece of advice is for them to concentrate less on pumping out the seasonals so often and concentrate and tinker with the few that do impress such as the two above. They tend to be quite hit and miss with their seasonals IMHO. Just my two yen worth...

Bear republic kicking ass

Love me some bear republic! The IRS (9.5/10) and Hot Rod Ale (8.5/10) are both fantastic. They now have these on tap at my favourite bar, Thrash zone. I've been meaning to try the Racer 5 IPA out for a while so I'll be hitting the place up sooner rather than later. Thrash zone serve hot beers (at decent prices for Japan) and play metal music, although it is often of the hair variety.

With this in mind I present my 5 favourite metal bands and my fav song my them (in no particular order nach)

Pantera (I'm Broken - metal from the heart baby)

Zao ( To think of you is to...- Black metalcore so hot it hurts)

Amon Amarth (Twilight of the The Thunder God - Oh my...Viking metal yo)

Unearth (Black Hearts now reign - in blooddddd)

Deftones (Bored - yeah I know....)