Category: General

The topics covered here didn't fall into one of my usual categories.

Tröegs Independent Brewing Mad Elf Grand Cru

I am drinking a Mad Elf Grand Cru by Tröegs Independent Brewing at The Continental Tavern @TroegsBeer.

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I am drinking a Mad Elf Grand Cru by Tröegs Independent Brewing at The Continental Tavern

Venue: The Continental Tavern
Venue City: Yardley, PA
Beer: Mad Elf Grand Cru
Vintage Name:
Brewery: Tröegs Independent Brewing
City: Hershey, PA
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11%
IBU: 15
My rating: 3.25/5
Brewer's notes: We’ve been wanting to do this for a while now. Twenty years in just feels right. If you know Tröegs, you know The Mad Elf, the mischievous belle of the holiday beer ball that helped put our little brewery on the map. In your hands is the Director’s Cut. Tart Balaton cherries – loads of them – make all the difference. Bottle-conditioned and flush with notes of cinnamon and clove, this beer begs to be shared. Take a bottle home, gather your friends, and cherish the cherries.

Sky's the Limit (Level 15),Iron Man (Level 6),The Dark Side (Level 4)Mad Elf Grand CruTröegs Independent Brewing

Rogue Ales & Spirits Dead Guy Ale

I am drinking a Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Ales & Spirits at The Continental Tavern @rogueales.

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I am drinking a Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Ales & Spirits at The Continental Tavern

Venue: The Continental Tavern
Venue City: Yardley, PA
Beer: Dead Guy Ale
Vintage Name: Dead Guy (2014),Dead Guy Ale (2016)
Brewery: Rogue Ales & Spirits
City: Newport, OR
Style: Maibock / Heller (Helles) Bock
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.8%
IBU: 40
My rating: 3⁄5
Brewer's notes: An ale inspired by the style of a German Maibock, brewed using our proprietary Pacman yeast, Dead Guy Ale is deep honey in color with a malty aroma, rich hearty flavor and a well balanced finish.

History: In the early 1990s Dead Guy Ale was created as a private tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (November 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon. The Dead Guy design proved so popular with consumers and especially Grateful Dead fans, that we made it the label for our Maierbock ale. Even though the association with the Grateful Dead band is pure coincidence, we have gratefully dedicated Dead Guy Ale to the Rogue in each of us.

The Dead Guy packaging remained unchanged for 25 years until 2017 when we updated the labels with our new design.

I'll Be BockDead Guy AleRogue Ales & Spirits

My Best Images From 2017

Here are my favourite images from 2017.

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Every year at Jim Goldstein invites his readers to his blog project.

... to list the years best photos from my readers and social media followers. I've run this blog project every year since 2007 and each year I've been blown away by the quality of images and the number of participants. This year I will be collecting participants details via this form. If you're a new participant you can see past years results.

Here are my favourite images from 2017. I wanted to narrow these down to 10 but ... I just couldn't. All of these images have special significance for me. They are not technically great images but they are the ones with the most emotional impact.

Bhavna pondering the meaning of Entranced By the Northern Impaled Necrowizards Blasphemous Incantation Admist the Agonizing Abomination of the Lusting Necrocorpse. Hopewell, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G @ 35 mm | f/4.0 | ISO6400
Mo performing with Outsourced at the Green Knolle. Bridgewater, New Jersey. | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G @ 35 mm | f/2.0 | ISO2200
PJ's Pancake House. Kingston, New Jersey. | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G @ 35 mm | f/4.0 | ISO6400
Latin Lessons. Princeton, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G @ 35 mm | f/2.8 | ISO6400
Brick Farm Market, Hopewell Township, New Jersey | Apple iPhone 7 | Apple iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8 @ 3.99 mm | f/1.8 | ISO200
October Morning on Blue Spring Road. Montgomery Township, New Jersey. | Apple iPhone 7 | Apple iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8 @ 3.99 mm | f/1.8 | ISO20
Bhavna and our niece Raina. Morristown, New Jersey. | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G @ 35 mm | f/4.0 | ISO2800
Helping the Bucks clouse out one chapter of their lives. Yes, that's a picnic table. Skillman, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR @ 24 mm | f/25 | ISO100
DSLR selfie with Bhavna and Frank. at Montgomery Fun Fest in the Princeton Airport, Skillman, Montgomery Township, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR @ 18 mm | f/4.0 | ISO100
Last night before the Montgomery Township Independence Day Fireworks at the Montgomery High School, Montgomery Township, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR @ 18 mm | f/4.0 | ISO900
Before the Lamberville and New Hope fireworks. Looking down from Goat Hill.. New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lamberville, New Jersey | Apple iPhone 7 | Apple iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8 @ 3.99 mm | f/1.8 | ISO20
Civial War Trust Memorial Day Re-enactment at Princeton Battlefield Park, Princeton, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR @ 22 mm | f/4.0 | ISO100
In the spring, I was in the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds, Pennsylvania, with some friends for the Jalopy Showdown. We watched as these cars (and motorbikes) raced aroud the restored fairgrounds and race track dating back to the 1920's. | Nikon D5100 | AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II @ 46 mm | f/4.5 | ISO160
Bhavna posing for me at the Roaring Rock . I used the Brenziner technique to create this image. Sourland Mountains, Hillsborough, New Jersey | Nikon D5100 | AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G @ 85 mm | f/1.8 | ISO100

Other favourites lists from around the web.