Brewery Visit) Lucky Bucket

Today, I went to one of Omaha's local breweries, Lucky Bucket. My friend and I took the tour and sampled the single batch can't-get-anywhere-else brews. Surprisingly, there were four different ones available.  

Raven, Test #1, Mango Caliente, Barrel Aged Certified Evil

Raven- Black IPA) True to its name this drink was dark and bitter. However, you can actually taste the malt of the black ale. The hops didn't overpower the finish's flavor unlike some other Black IPAs that I've had. Despite my usual aversion to hops, I liked this one. ☆☆☆

Test Batch #1) I know the name doesn't betray much about it, but this brew was an English style Brown Ale. The color was a bit darker perhaps than something like your normal Newcastle, but what came along with that change was a slightly more robust flavor that still finished with a smooth and lovely nuttiness. I'm looking forward to seeing if this beer does eventually become part of the normal Lucky Bucket line-up. ☆☆☆☆

Mango Caliente) Caliente means "hot" in la lengua español, and this beer stocked with habaneros is going to be pretty spicy for your average drinker. Me though? I can't handle the burn apparently. Aside from a light sweetness to the smell, I couldn't detect anything but heat after the initial sip. The interesting part for me was that the burn started in my throat and not in my mouth. ☆☆

Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged) I'm already a fan of Lucky Bucket's Certified Evil, but this barrel aged variation impressed me. First of all, the beer still pours a thick and heavy black. Secondly, the whiskey barrels somehow mellowed out Certified Evil's usual harshness while keeping that unique complex flavor, and the finish had a great warm molasses touch to it. If the original was just certified, this one is signed and sealed. ☆☆☆☆☆

I liked the Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged brew so much that I bought a growler of it to take home with me. You could call it my "Lucky Bucket" that got to come home with me.

Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged Growler

In the background you can see barrels from Cut Spike Distillery. The distillery is Lucky Bucket's "partner" and the original dream of the founders of Lucky Bucket. Currently, they have a rum, a vodka, and a whiskey available. At this point, I've only tried the rum, but I plan to try the others on a future visit. All I will say for now is that the rum had some interesting whiskey like attributes, including a light bite in the finish.

5/100) Apple, Pear and Pineapple Ciders

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Gold Apple, Blackberry Pear, Pineapple

I just thought that my first week with ciders ought to have some fun ones. All three of these drinks are hard ciders, but that is about all they have in common. Strongbow Gold Apple is a British cider that is apparently a huge chunk of the hard apple cider market. Fox Barrel has nothing to do with "Fox, do a barrel roll!" Instead, the company is based in California and is known for their various pear ciders.The last one by ACE is probably the most unique of the three. There just aren't many pineapple hard ciders.

Strongbow Gold Apple) さすが英国。(Just what I'd hope for from Britain!) The apple flavor is robust but not so dominating that it comes across as harsh. The smoothness is amazing. The level of drinkability is so high that you could finish it without realizing you've reached the last golden drop. As a result of this experience, I'm having trouble deciding which is better, this Strongbow or my long standing favorite of Magner's Hard Apple Cider. ☆☆☆☆☆

Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear) The purple color of the liquid matches that of a light blackberry juice, but it doesn't taste anything like any blackberry or blackberry juice I've ever had. I would say the finish even had an odd metallic flavor to it. I'm partially wondering if I just had a bad bottle. ☆☆

ACE Pineapple Cider) The smell is truly pineapple. You can almost taste the juices in the smell. However, that doesn't come through in the taste. It was too sour to me, and cider aspects didn't seem to marry well to the tropical flavors. ☆☆☆

4/100) Sprecher Brews

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Black Bavarian, Hard Root Beer, Mai Bock

Sprecher. I know little about the company besides that they make an excellent line of sodas. However, the internet tells me that their brewery is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and they do tours. If I'm ever in the area I really want to go on one of those tours. 

Black Bavarian) This black lager is a really dark and heavy beer just as the name would suggest. I would have liked it better if it had been a touch smoother. The malt flavor bit just enough to make one hesitate to drink, but sipping seemed to work well. A good rich beer that reminds me that sometimes you practically have to chew to enjoy the depth. ☆☆☆

Hard Root Beer) Really this was not my first time having Sprecher's Fire Brewed Hard Root Beer. This baby is flame kissed with a sweet root beer flavor that suavely transitions into a bourbon-like aftertaste. I've already made this a staple for those times when I want a root beer that is, in fact, a beer. ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Mai Bock) The Mai Bock is Sprecher's spring seasonal beverage so the timing's a little off, but it looked interesting. Mind you, I don't like hoppy beers that much, and this one is hoppy. However, the hops are of a more floral variety, and I found this beer easier to drink after that bitter initial sip. If you ignore the hops, the general flavor of the beer was a straightforward caramel warmness. ☆☆☆

3/100) Karuizawa (Nagano Micro Brew)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the last of those three retroactive posts.

Black, Clear, Dark

Karuizawa is a brewery in Nagano prefecture. I didn't make it all the way out there to get this beer though. Instead, I found it in a supermarket in Osaka. Unfortunately, I did not have my notebook with me when I enjoyed these beers along the river with a friend. I apologize for my brevity.

Black) My notes simply say "A deep, dark coffee-like taste." Beyond that I can't remember the details of the experience. I do know that I wouldn't mind having it again. ☆☆☆

Clear) Clear may be the first beer I've had that I can say I disliked. The initial to mid had a odd flavor that was a bit like hops but suffered from some sort of distortion, possibly a sourness. However, the aftertaste is what killed it for me. It finished arbitrarily strong. ☆

Dark) Dark had a fairly light and watery initial. In fact it almost reminded me of a Guinness without being as smooth. The finish cut in a littler harsher than I liked, but overall, this one was not bad. ☆☆☆

2/100) Koedo (Saitama Micro Brews)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the second of those three retroactive posts.

Beniaka, Ruri, Kyara

I found these three beers in Tokyo Station. Their bright colors caught my attention. However, even more respectable to me now is their names. A rough translation of the three would be "Rouge Red," "Lapis Lazuli," and "Japanese Yew," respectively.

Beniaka 紅赤) Technically this beer is not a beer, but a happoshu. You'll have to look up the details about how the Japanese taxation system has grouped beer and beer-like beverages into three categories, but basically, a happoshu has a reduced malt content in comparison to a "true" beer. If I had known it was a happoshu, I might not have bought it. My experience with them has not been so good. This one in particular reminded me of a typical red ale, but one with a lot less flavor. I was not impressed. The lightness though made it really easy to drink so I didn't hate it. ☆☆☆

Ruri 瑠璃) This one was a disappointment. I suppose if you like your beers tasting like water, you might have a different opinion. The faint finish reminded me of a wheat beer. I did still finish it, so if that says anything, it wasn't horrible. It's just not what I want in a beer.  ☆☆

Kyara 伽羅) This beer had a unique twist. The initial held an unremarkable brown ale-esque flavor, but the finish burst into your mouth with all the vigor of biting into a fresh orange. I did not expect it at all and rather enjoyed it. Over time though, the simple ale aftertaste overwhelmed the fleeting citrus experience. If it hadn't, I would have rated it higher. ☆☆☆

1/100) Cyonmage (Yamaguchi Micro Brew)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the first of those three retroactive posts.

Pale Ale, Wheat, Alt

These three brews are from the prefecture of Yamaguchi and are from a company called Cyonmage (pronounced Chonmage). If you've ever seen a samurai movie, you have seen a chonmage(丁髷) They are those little knots of hair that characterize the samurai's cliche hairstyle. You can see them on the bottles in the above picture. If I remember correctly, samurai sported this style because it prevented their hair from getting in their way.

Alt アルト) I was genuinely surprised at how good this beer was. It has a warm flavor with a nutty finish that calmly dissipates in your mouth. ☆☆☆☆

Wheat ウィート) Again with this one, I was surprised at how good it was. Because the name was simply "Wheat" I had expected a light, unremarkable taste. Instead it had a smooth semi-sweet initial reminiscent of a generic wheat beer that transitioned into a lightly sour citrus background. ☆☆☆

Pale Ale ペールエール) My friend who I shared this with said this Pale Ale was quite good. Unfortunately, hops and I have a bad relationship. The more hoppy something is, the less likely I am to like it. I wonder if I should even be reviewing Pale Ales, IPAs, or ESBs. So, despite my friend liking it, I did not. The initial has a lightly bitter floral hop taste that rises into a crescendo of bitterness that I found myself fighting against as it continued to linger. It might be a good pale ale, but I just couldn't get into it. ☆☆

Naughty Boy and El Tio

First, please watch the music video if you haven't seen it yet.
Naughty Boy - La La La ft. Sam Smith on Youtube

Well, what do you think?
Before proceeding any further, stop. Look at the ceiling. Imagine what you just saw. Who was the boy?  Who were his friends? What was that man on the street?
(Hey! How are you reading this? I asked you to look away from your screen. If you haven't looked away yet, please do so. Activate your imagination!)

Oh, you're back!

Were you confused by the ending scene? Possibly even disturbed? I know I was, but before you scramble off to google with your questions, let me assure you I will make everything clear.

The figure that you saw at the end of the video is an "El Tio" in the mines of Cerro Rico (The Rich Mountain) in Bolivia. The mines are surrounded by the massive ramshackle town of Potosi. Because of a great silver rush centuries ago, the city has a packed population of over 200,000 people. Being a primarily catholic population, these miners over time developed the superstition of "El Tio" wherein they made statues of the devil in the mines. They believed that since they were entering into the caverns of the underworld that offerings were necessary to appease the devil for their intrusion.

However, that's not what you understood from the video, right? "El Tio" is not common knowledge outside of Bolivia. Perhaps instead of imagining the demonic, you caught the Wizard of Oz elements in the visuals. The boy's clearly a Dorothy-type character. There's a yellow chau chau that could represent Dorothy's Toto, the Lion, or a merging of the two. Then there was the "dusty" tin man who received a heart from a street vendor. And finally, the "cloth man" - who looked like a living sock puppet to me- could be the scarecrow. Then presumably, the four of them journey a great distance to reach a mountain (Emerald City?) where the boy is presented to the deceptive wizard (El Tio)

No

Sorry, no.

Not even close.

The story represented is actually a Bolivian folk tale and not an odd South American parody of Frank Baum.
In the original folk tale, the hero is a deaf boy who escapes from an abusive family situation. In his new freedom, he finds that he can help others with his powerful and healing screams. The short version of the story is that he befriends a stray dog, revives a dusty man by repairing his heart, saves a leper who was a slave to El Tio, and finally enters into an eternal battle with the devil (aka El Tio) to drown out his evil whisperings.

However, don't take my word for it. Kieran Hill, the group behind the video, has their own blog post explaining the tale. Here's the link:
Kieran Hill A2 Media Production Blogspot

Now, if you have the free time, I suggest watching the video again with your new perspective.

A side note:
I would like to say that this blog post was born of my own curiosity. After watching the video, I ran off to google and read this and that to try and figure out what I just saw. Apparently, the Wizard of Oz like elements were not entirely incidental (See The Wizard of La Paz) but were inserted to satiate a likely confused western audience. However, before I found out the truth of the matter, I ran across a number of wild theories. Particularly, a few christian bloggers claimed the video was satanic. They offered rationalizations based on the boy being offered to the devil and on how the song was a message about ignoring the gospel. Oh how Ironic! in that the actual folk tale is a christian story of self-sacrifice and hope.