Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Celis White

Beer score: 8.4

No chance to try any new beer over the Christmas holiday this past week, but as always I've some notes from years ago about a beer that's no longer being brewed. To be clear, there have been multiple beers with the name of "Celis White," but my notes are about the one originally made by the Celis Brewery of Austin, Texas, which was bought out by the Michigan Brewing Company, which is now closed.

And it's too bad the brewery and this beer are no longer with us, because this was a fine beer.

Crisp and slightly sweet, yet this Belgian-style wheat beer had just a tad too much fizz for my liking. Tarty in flavor and smell. It was worth drinking.

Beer of the Week: Harp Lager

Beer score: 8.3

Company: Guinness
ABV: 4.5
IBU: 21

This is an old favorite, though in recent years I've found it more difficult to find.

Pours a light honey color, so light it could be called a "straw" color. Not strong in the scent department, but gives off hints of yeast and bread.

Has a sweetness to it that grows the more you drink, but not really to the point of annoyance. Tastes fantastic, though has a little too much fizz for my liking.

Like many beers, better off the tap than out of the bottle.

Also, I've talked with enough other drinkers of this lager to have heard more than a few experiences which differed from my own, some claiming this beer is weak and watery. Maybe I just have bad taste, or perhaps one can't always trust this beer, that perhaps the quality level varies due to mass production and shipment. All I can add is that every time I've had a Harp Lager, I've enjoyed it.

So ... I did a thing

I've mentioned here before that my health limits my ability to write, and I've also mentioned that I've been experimenting with AI art.

So I combined those two elements, and I've found a new, much easier way to tell stories.

MURDER GIRAFFES.

Yes, you read that correctly. Murder Giraffes. Utilizing AI-generated art, I've crafted a graphic novel based upon an idea given me by my girlfriend's brother when he joked that I could write anything, including something about murder giraffes.

It still takes time and patience, but I've found this new way of telling stories is much easier for me than traditional prose. Murder Giraffes was not only a bit of a joke, but it's also a learning experience. I learned a lot but still have much more to learn, and though I won't completely turn my back on prose fiction, I feel this is a new way for me to tell stories.

So, in the future, it's quite possible I'll have other graphic novels. Time will tell.

And if you're interested in seeing the preview, you can always check out the print version or the e-book of Murder Giraffes over at Amazon.

Beer of the Week: Shiner Bock

Beer score: 6.9

Company: Shiner
ABV: 4.4
IBU: 13

I've known quite a few folks who found this to be a lighter-tasting beer, but I found it to be fairly heavy with a touch of maple in the flavor along with some fizz. Normally I don't care for much fizz in my beers, but this one seems to work.

Pours a nice caramel color with a hint of crimson. The taste is solid and complicated enough to give enjoyment to beer snobs.

Not the best beer on the planet, but still a pretty solid drink.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Columbus Pale Ale

Beer score: 6.6

The Columbus Brewing Co. of Ohio is still with us and turning out some great beers, but they retired this pale ale a few years back.

Which is too bad, because this was a decent beer and a bit different from most pale ales.

It had an immediate strong taste with plenty of hops. Went down pretty smooth though had just a tad too much carbonation for me, though not a harsh brew but with some kick. A little rougher around the edges than most pale ales. Perhaps a touch of fruity in the tasting. Poured a nice, light amber color.