Back at last for a traditionally-belated ‘Year in Review’ episode, George and I called in a few guests to help ponder what 2014 meant to us in beer, since we were both extra-busy in everything else. Now-recidivist Friends Of The Show Jono and Hadyn graciously took up the challenge and joined us in searching our memories for the year’s highlights, disasters, themes and oddities — and, just for good measure, they also threw in bonus musings on professional wrestling and the sociology of Palmerston North.
As always, a direct download is available, there’s a podcast-specific RSS feed, and you should be able to get us on iTunes. George and myself can also both be reached on Twitter, or you can leave comments here or on Facebook. You can also now point people at podcast.beerdiary.nz and the show has its own Twitter handle — which you can use for feedback, suggestions and whatnot. Cheers!
— Show notes:
- (1.30) In the guest chairs, two returning Friends Of The Show: Jono Galsuzka (who joined us for s03e07) and Hadyn Green (who first appeared a little earlier, in s03e03).
- (2.10) Cracked’s ‘Year in Review in Review’ episode.
- (3.50) Beer of the Week #1: Townshend ‘Thunder Drum’, supplied by Hadyn. A gusher, and properly weird. But not ruined.
- (8.10) Blog of the Year: The Bottleneck, by Dylan Jauslin. Again — and (almost) unanimously. Posts cited: 20 Beers…; Recycling Bin Bingo; ‘Epic Lupulingus’ review; . His ‘Year in Review’ posts are great fun, too. Hadyn’s stuff from Fishhead, sadly isn’t all put online. But if you can find the most-recent issue, this episode gets a write-up. Nice.
- (16.40) An article on Indigenous Malaysian words for smells.
- (18.20) Worst Beer Writer: Gordon McLauchlan, one of our absolute dinosaurs. But not in a good way.
- (22.00) Beer of the Week #2: Emerson’s ‘Taieri George’ 2011.
- (27.00) Pleasant Surprise: Emerson’s, under Lion.
- (37.00) Beer of the Week #3: Billy B’s Apple Stout, via our comrades at Ale Of A Time, and from South Australia as I later get totally wrong.
- (40.40) Pleasant Surprise (cont’d): Homebrewing (at work).
- (44.50) Unpleasant Surprise: The Chillsner™ — an abject failure of design, which I did at least have fun testing; see below.1
- (49.30) 2014, Year of the x: Session (according to Beer Without Border’s ‘Beer Word Of The Year’); or Community; or Oligopoly — “thanks” to the rise of the Asahi-Boundary-Founders-Etc. hydra (via clever positioning, and bastardry); or Attack of the (Pacific Ale) Clones (with a trademark shitfight on the horizon); or of the Wheat (slightly jumping the gun…); or of the Tin (as beer-in-cans goes mainstream).
- (1.15.40) Glossary of professional wrestling terms.
- (1.18.10) Beer of the Week #4: Schneider Weisse ‘Tap X — Meine Porter Weisse, courtesy of Jono.
- (1.23.20) Beer of the Year: Stone & Wood ‘Pacific Ale’ (again— plus its descendants and clones, and applause for the company); or non-Hefe-non-Wit-Wheat (more generally); or Garage Project ‘Garagista’; or Yeastie Boys ‘White Noise’.
- (1.32.00) A profile of Tim Gibson, and his website. The Hops On Pointe can-factory-ballet video.
- (1.35.50) The Ballast Point re-brand / tightening-up.
- (1.40.30) Matthew 27:53.
- (1.41.30) Useful Thing: Taking notes. Seconded, obviously.
- (1.42.00) Dish Magazine’s Drinks section (there doesn’t seem to be a handy catch-all spot for Alice’s columns, sadly). The Boysenbeery float.
- (1.43.40) Beer of the Week #5: St. Bernard’s Jet. Wayback at Malthouse. My Greater Elaborated Theory Of Session Beer is still undergoing beer-review.
- (1.46.00) One of Manuka Magic’s many failed crowdfunding efforts.
- (1.46.20) Glass of Beer of the Year: Probably-a-Tuatara-Pilsner (on the occasion of fatherhood); or Yeastie Boys ‘Minimatta’ (post-run, dying); or Garage Project ‘Beer’ (with dirty-licious burgers); or Matutu ‘Mai’ (on holiday in Rarotonga); or — among surprisingly good company in what I thought was a quiet year — Yeastie Boys ‘Gunnamatta’ (a UK-brewed cask, on an excellent evening).
- (2.04.50) I hasten to add: people (i.e., George, Hadyn, and co.) were taking crotch-shots of their own pants and beaming them to my phone.
1: While writing up these notes, I gave the Chillsner a good test, and can report on its spectacular crapness. It doesn’t fit all common bottlenecks (ParrotDog: no, Panhead: yes, Tuatara: yes-but-only-after-a-sickening-cram) and the uneven (and mysterious) ribbing makes it impossible to judge in advance. It displaces a good 10% of the beer; either an initial warm sip or a bunch of wastage. And even when cooled to minus nine, itself, it could only take two or three degress Celsius off a bottle — five degrees at best. The physics is just way off: it just doesn’t have the mass or the conductivity, and the water in beer (i.e., most of the stuff) is just too damn hard to shift in temperature. (And if, as they might retreat to as last resort, it’s for keeping already-cold beer cold longer, then stubby-holders already exist.) ↑
Marvellous, if long, stuff.
I was glad to be reminded of that Beer Options night. Good times.
I hosted a private Beer Options the other night and realised I’m already kinda nervous for this year’s contest. Must start lowering expectations…
Great to have you back. That entire epsisode was basically a segment of Mid-Strength News.
I choose to take that as a compliment… And Cheers! Good to be back.
Yes, it was meant as one. Also notable for how much has changed since the 6-8% hop bombs of a few years ago.
Have yet to listen, as I have a 14 hour flight to fill with entertainment soon, but what happened to S04E06-07?
Ah! Good spotting. I meant to do a Show Note to explain that, but the short version is that there are a couple of Lost Episodes between this and the Women & Beer double feature — episodes which hit technical and/or timing glitches, but may yet one day be unearthed.
Just caught up on this. Cellared ETG is priced as standard because that is how we roll, not at all a reflection on it’s quality.
Awesome. That is an excellent way to roll. Very civilised!