Books, beer and barbarians

Home to fantasy author Ty Johnston

Monday, March 18, 2024

Beer of the Week: Bud Light

Beer score: 3.0

Company: Anheuser-Busch
ABV: 4.2
IBU: 6

Lots of carbonation here, but that seems to be common among light beers.

Smells like premium beer, tastes like premium beer.

There isn't much taste here, but there is more fizz than in Budweiser.

If you're wanting a light beer because you are on a diet, you can't get much weaker or lighter than this one, though there are some with less carbonation.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Beer of the Week: 7 Clans Blonde Ale

Beer score: 4.2

Company: 7 Clans Brewing
ABV: 5.0
IBU: 31

Poured a light golden color with a little cloudiness while giving off smells of corn.

The taste is slightly bitter, though that bitterness grows the more one drinks of this. There's a little sweetness to be found here, along with suggestions of bread and maybe citrus or flowers.

To be honest, this was a disappointment to me, especially as blonde ales tend to be one of my favorite types of beer. It wasn't so much that this was an awful beer, but it didn't seem like a blond ale but more like a lager. Still, I'd be willing to try one again.

Thursday, March 07, 2024

Books read in 2024: No. 11 -- The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

published by Zondervan

Started: March 7
Finished: March 7

Notes: I thought I'd stick another short Bible reading in between longer biographies.

Mini review: There are some interesting points Paul makes in this letter to the Galatians. Of course he writes the usual upbraidings, telling the church to remain true, but he also lays out quite plainly the differing traits between the "works of the flesh" and the "works of the Spirit." Also, he does write a fair amount about the disagreement in the early church about whether or not circumcision is necessary, with Paul coming down on the side that it is not.

Books read in 2024: No. 10 -- John Gardner: Literary Outlaw

by Barry Silesky

Started: Feb. 26
Finished: March 7

Notes: I've been reading a fair amount of works by John Gardner of late, and I admit to a fascination about the man, but it dawned on me I know little about the man other than a bare outline of his life. So, looking around for a biography, I found this one.

Mini review: This was a solid biography. Gardner is shown to be a complex character, tormented by the death of a brother, and always seeking to find some balance in his writing and his life between chaos and traditional values. In Gardner's case, as so often happens with artists, chaos seemed to win much of the time, at least in his life if not his writing. And one might argue that element of chaos even led to his early death. It was also nice to see a character who not only changed in their habits and opinions over time, but who showed little fret about having done so, which is something I've always understood because I feel human beings are almost always more complicated than to stifle themselves with the same thoughts, ideas, even actions, etc., all their lives. In other words, it doesn't surprise me when people change their attitudes and sometimes even their personalities. Was Gardner a great man? Ultimately, I would say not, though he obviously aspired to be and even yearned for it. But I believe within him there had existed the possibility, one which might have bloomed had he lived longer. Was he a great writer? Hmm, maybe. At the least, I would say he was a good literary writer, but I also believe he too often overlooked the simpler elements of our existence, at least within his writing, making things more complex than they needed to be. In other words, sometimes we do something simply because we want to, not because of some tragic past or deep thoughts, though that can happen, too. I'd also like to add that this book took me back to my college days as Gardner had also been a professor, one highly respected for teaching creative writing, and this brought me back decades ago to my own creative writing classes as a student, though I don't recall any of my professors being as thorough in reading student manuscripts as Gardner had been.

Monday, March 04, 2024

Beer of the Week: Paycheck Pilsner

Beer score: 3.9

Company: Fullsteam Brewery
ABV: 4.5
IBU: 26

This one pours a hazy golden color that's light while giving off aromas of slight, sweet breadiness.

The taste and texture I found nothing special. It's relatively light in the mouth, but the carbonation grows the more you drink, the not to the point of being obnoxious.

The flavors I found rather mundane. Not an awful beer, but reminds me more of a regional beer that's been bought out by a big-name beer and then dumbed down for a mass audience.

Would I drink this again? Yeah, if I was at a party and someone handed me one, I wouldn't turn it down, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to purchase one of these.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Beer of the Week: Black Stilleto Stout

Beer score: 5.7

Company: Gizmo Brew Works
ABV: 6.1
IBU: 31

Pours a dark chocolate color with a brown, foamy head. Not the darkest looking stout I've ever seen, but still pretty dark.

Gives off smells of coffee and dark chocolate.

Kind of light in the mouth for a stout, but also has a smoothness to it that borders on creamy.

The taste is mostly of burnt coffee with a touch of chocolate and a fair amount of bitterness, but there's also a hint of sweetness that lingers on the tongue.

Not a bad stout. Not the best I've had, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at this one.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Books read in 2024: No. 9 - The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

published by Zondervan

Started: Feb. 25
Finished: Feb. 25

Notes: Since I just finished Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, I thought I should read this second letter.

Mini review: To my surprise, Paul is actually somewhat apologetic here for the harshness of his first letter to the Corinthians. However, he does go on to expound in Christian belief and to give warnings against false teachers while also presenting his own ministry.