Beer of the Week: Petty Thieves Dead Reflection

Beer score: 8.1

Company: Petty Thieves Brewing Co.

ABV: 6.8
IBU: NA

A friend of a friend is related to one of the owners of this new brewing company in Charlotte, NC, so I was fortunate enough to be gifted with a few beers from these folks.

This helles bock pours a slightly dark gold color which is followed a scent that's light and a little sweet with hints of malty goodness and just a touch of hops.

Drinking this one, at first it's got a light sweetness and it goes down pretty smooth, reminding me somewhat of spring and summer ales. That sweetness is soon replaced by a light bitter texture that lingers on the tongue and grows a bit the more you drink. There's perhaps the barest hint of citrus way in the back of the taste on this one, and I wouldn't be offended by dropping a lime or even orange slice into this beer.

Is this one worth trying? Uh, hell yeah!

Helping out at GalaxyCon

Over at Rogue Blades I mention that I'll be helping out at a booth at GalaxyCon in Raleigh, NC, this weekend.

Beer of the Week: Sierra Nevada Stout

Beer score: 7.2

Company: Sierra Nevada

ABV: 5.8
IBU: 50

Like many a good stout, this one pours a dark brown almost black and has a smooth, foamy tan head to it. The smell reminds one of coffee and perhaps a little chocolate.

To the taste, this one has a lot of heavy maple and molasses textures. It's strong, but not as heavy as many stouts. Still, it's also very bitter.

If you're a stout drinker, this should be for you. However, this isn't for beginners.

More on Deadlands at Black Gate

My Black Gate article this week takes a look at some of the books for the Deadlands tabletop rpg, mainly books dealing with firearms of the Old West period.

Rituals of the warrior

This week over at the Rogue Blades site I talk about the importance of warrior rituals.

Books read in 2021: No. 26 -- The Emperor's Soul

by Brandon Sanderson

Started: July 21
Finished: July 22

Notes: I've been reading older fantasy of late, so I thought I'd switch things up and read some more modern material. Plus, the girlfriend suggested this novella.

Mini review: That was a damn fine read. The world building is excellent. A magic system based upon forgery of souls ... it's not something I had considered. And while the writing here was easy to read, it was not simplistic, also fast paced. I enjoyed it. I'll have to check out more of Sanderson's work.

Books read in 2021: No. 25 -- Nomads of Gor

by John Norman

Started: June 27

Finished: July 20

Notes: I've never read any of the Gor novels though I've run across them for decades, so I thought now was the time to give one a try. This is the fourth book in the series, originally published back in 1969.

Mini review: Okaaaay. By modern standards, this one is not very politically correct, whether for good or bad depending on one's viewpoint. Issues of slavery and treatment of women are rampant throughout much of this novel, though to be fair the writing doesn't go into detail. For that matter, the writing here wasn't bad ... not great, but quite readable. And honestly, the world building was quite superb. Would I read another Gor novel? Actually, yeah, I might.