Reviews by Friends of brian

aleconner says "Hop Stoopid is a smart buy for lovers of IPA" about Lagunitas Brewing Hop Stoopid Ale

aleconner — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:50:33 GMT

Consumer Note #1: This beer has an I.B.U. rating of 102! (International Bittering Units are a means of measuring bitterness in beer)

Consumer Note #2: This beer contains 8% alcohol by volume

* Slightly hazy orange-gold with dense and rocky light tan head (with great elasticity and lace).

* Spicy hop nose gives way to luscious toasty maltiness.

* Foretaste is rich sweet malt, followed by layers of toastiness, hop spiciness and, ultimately, bitterness.

* Finish is dominated by resiny bitterness, but is more than adequately backed by malt complexity.

* Body is medium; mouthfeel is dryish due to bittering astringency.

Synhopsis:

This beer was actually quite a bit better than I expected it to be simply because it was not as outlandishly one-dimentional as I thought it would be. As it turns out, it had great balance between the malt and hops and a commendable level of malt complexity at that.

A beer with the name "Hop Stoopid" and 102 IBUs sounds like it would cause the enamel on...

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aleconner says "Unique and interesting hybrid brew" about Schmaltz Brewing Co. Rejewvenator

aleconner — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:34:36 GMT

Consumer Note #1: This beer is a blend between a Doppelbock and a Belgian style Dubbel

Consumer Note: #2: This beer is made with "natural date concentrate"

* Briliant, beautiful burnished copper color with creamy light tan head.

* Odd phenolic (plastic-like) character partially masks fruity-malty aromas.

* Rich, malty foretaste expands with unusual fruitiness and late bittering.

* Finish maintains rich maltiness but exposes medicinal flavors.

* Body is full and viscous. Throat-warming is pleasant and it complements (7.8% abv) the malt intensity well.

Synhopsis:

In 1996 (or 5757 on the Hebrew calendar) the fledgling Schmaltz Brewing Company introduced He'Brew "the chosen beer" to the beer market to a chorus of snickers and guffaws. Needless to say, it was looked upon as a gimmick. All these years later, SBC has not only proven itself legitimate and worthy of praise, it has continued to push the boundaries with beers like Genesis Ale, Jewbelation and Rejewvenator.

This edition...

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Matt says "The Four Seasons in Costa Rica is serene and beautiful" about Four Seasons Costa Rica

Matt — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:20:12 GMT

Our extended family of 14 people recently went to the Four Seasons in Costa Rica over the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a fantastic time. I would highly recommend this Four Seasons to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous luxury resort.

The Setting
The Four Seasons Costa Rica is set at the end of a Peninsula about an hours drive away from the Liberia airport. The best word to describe the surrounding area is lush and green. The first day we got there is was really hot and muggy but it quickly got better. But make not mistake it is hot in Costa Rica in November. The lobby of the hotel is pure Four Seasons. Modern, clean, sleek and calming. Immediately on the other side of the lobby there are the restaurants and pools. To the right and left there is an ocean beach on one side of the resort and a very short three minute walk up a small hill and around the pool, there is a beach on the bay. We went swimming on both sides with the kids. The waves are not overly strong. ...

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Matt says "The Ritz Carlton Maui is near perfect for families" about Ritz Carlton Maui - Kapalua, HI

Matt — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:35:29 GMT

I am writing this review from the porch of our 1 bedroom unit at the Ritz Carlton Maui. Although I will go into more detail later in the review, let me lead by saying we have been here for 7 days and the time has flown by. The weather has been near perfect, the natural beauty of Maui breathtaking and the grounds of the hotel have been great for three boys who love to run around. Although I will be critical of the Ritz at times during this review, all in all we have had an amazing vacation that compared favorably to many other five star resorts we have stayed at.

Basis of comparison
As a point of comparison we recently stayed at the Four Seasons Costa Rica and are regulars at Esperanza in Los Cabos. I would consider the Ritz Carlton to be a peer hotel of these other five star beach resorts.

My wife and I first stayed at the Ritz Carlton Maui fifteen years ago when it first opened. We fell in love with it then, and then last year when we were staying in a house in nearby Kanapali...

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Matt says "The Lenovo T500 Review - so far so good!" about Lenovo ThinkPad T500 (20564RU) PC Notebook

Matt — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:12:47 GMT

This is my first impressions review of a Lenovo T500 laptop I started using a few days ago. I will add to the review as I gain more experience with the machine.

First, a bit of background. I am a demanding laptop user. I rely very heavily on my laptop for both constant e-mail web surfing, and office applications such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I am not a gamer and don't care that much about the high end graphics features of some gaming laptops. My priorities are: a) a long battery life, b) a nice screen, c) fast and worry free and d) a nice solid well built feel. I use a computer 12 hours a day so it I have no problem paying a premium.

For the last year or so I have used a Dell XPS 1330. It performs like a champ and I am a big fan. However, Dell recently discontinued the XPS in favor of their Studio line but I was still interested in upgrading to Windows 7. My reasons for wanting to upgrade were: a) I had read that the Lenovo in particular had very fast boot up and...

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Matt says "Last Man Standing is enjoyable but formulaic thriller" about David Baldacci - Last Man Standing

Matt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:14:14 GMT

Last Man Standing is a formulaic thriller that was decidedly easy to read that and was enjoyable but it did not rise to the level of memorable or distinguished for what it was. That said, I am not a regular reader of this genre of fiction, but I was generally underwhelmed with the quality of writing in David Baldacci.

I found the plot to be both predictable and ridiculous which frankly is not such a good combination. On one hand I knew what was coming next, on the other hand the string of coincidences stretched the thin line of believability so much that the end of the book just felt like he was tying up a whole mess of loose ends.

Bottom line? A good very light vacation read but you can do better.

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aleconner says "Great non-wine beverage from Italy" about Peroni Peroni

aleconner — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:52:49 GMT

NOTE: This review is for Peroni Nastro Azzurro (not the standard Peroni beer)

* Brilliant light gold color with elastic bleached white head leaves tight, clingy Belgian lacing on glass.

* Fragrant caramel / malt nose includes classic spicy-metallic European hop aroma.

* Rich semi-sweet caramel malt flavor bathes the palate. Bright and clean malt midtaste is highly drinkable.

* Finish mirrors the palate, but with a bit more hop emphasis. Malt wanes slightly.

* Body is medium, carbonation is soft.

Synhopsis:

This beer was a complete surprise and revelation -and one of the best beers I've enjoyed this year (within its style). There are very few Italian beers that are imported to the U.S. and even fewer that are worth the effort or the price. This beer is one of those few.

Peroni has done a great job emulating the finest Pilsners from the Czech Republic with Nastro Azzurro, and if had been served to me in a brown paper bag, I would have bet that was from Prague or Plzen.

My two small...

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Meredith says "Big Star wins!" about Big Star - Chicago, IL

Meredith — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:48:05 GMT

I really love the new Tex-Mex cantina in Wicker Park - Big Star. The owners of Avec started Big Star... nice group. Let's just say I went there 3 nights in a row so it must be good. Located across from The Violet Hour on Damen near Milwaukee. Great vibe, greater food and drinks. I'm in love.

The highlights...

- $2 tacos (chicken, fish, pork, veggie)

- Impressive tequila & bourbon list. Plus, a ginger & beer cocktail that I love. Most cocktails are $7.

- On tap: Goose Island's Matilda ($6), Lagunita lager ($4) & Schlitz ($1)

- Super fresh quacamole, handmade tortillas

- Chill atmosphere, friendly staff

- Good music. They play records. Yes real records on a record player! Mostly rockabilly, old country (think Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash)

Go early-ish for any hope of getting a seat at the bar or seats anywhere, for that matter.

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Matt says "Chimney Rock Cabernet was not a crowd pleaser but I liked it" about Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon

Matt — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:35:37 GMT

We held a wine tasting in our office yesterday with all of our employees. All age ranges and all different tastes in wine. I thought the Chimney Rock Cabernet was plesant, smooth and packed a punch in the back of your mouth. I would describe it as having a medium body with a hint of plums. I like a nice full body red wine without a lot of tannins that make your mouth pucker. Apparently a few other members of the staff thought the Chimney Rock Cab was a little boring and light for what they expected from a Cab.

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aleconner says "Wonderfully complex fruit-infused beer" about Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Rouge

aleconner — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:10:39 GMT

* Ruddy brown liquid appears scarlet red when held to the light. Light tan head dissipates quickly.

* Candied cherry aroma dominates (think Luden's cough drops). Subdued caramel malt in background.

* Sweet cherry-malt foretaste is immediately ameliorated by lightly sour cherry flavor. Sweet-sour interplay through midtaste is intriguing.

* Finish is complex and well-balanced. Suggestion of warm brown spices adds to complexity.

* Body is medium; carbonation is soft and finely beaded.

Synhopsis:

As Belgian fruit beers go, Kastel Rouge is very tasty and enjoyable, and priced a bit more moderately than its competitors in this class. Having said that, this beer is not quite as complex as some of the more acidic fruit Lambics that Belgium is known for and, perhaps, lacks that added dimention that might nicely contrast the sweetness in this beer.

Kasteel is a well-respected brand of secular Belgian beer brewed in a small variety of styles, but it doesn't get the same attention as...

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aleconner says "Another great beer at an incredibly low price " about Trader Joe's * 2009 Vintage Ale

aleconner — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:52:32 GMT

Consumer Note #1: the beer label says "Dark Ale on Lees", this means there is yeast contained in the bottle.

Consumer Note #2: this beer contains 9% alcohol by volume; drink with care.

* Dark mahogany colored, topped by a towering, creamy light tan head. Impressive intricate lacing.

* Sweet-sour nose boasts of bubblegum, citrus, ginger and brown spices. Yeastiness is also evident.

* Palate is sweet malt coupled with light coffee-like roastiness. Citric tang kicks in late. Hints of bubblegum and brown spices linger.

* Finish focuses on citric tang and yeastiness -a bit of an odd combination.

* Body is medium-full with minor warming notes. Carbonation is soft.

Synhopsis:

As in previous years/vintages, this beer is brewed for Trader Joe's by the Canadian brewer Unibroue. Unibroue is well-known and well-repected for their Belgian-inspired beers, and this series of Vintage Ales produced for Trader Joe's. Unibroue beer sold under its own label cost considerably more

I didn't enjoy...

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leon says "The best sheet feed scanner ever and the best gadget I own!" about Fujitsu Scansnap S510M

leon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:17:52 GMT

About a year ago I purchased a Fujisu Scansnap S510M. For some reason I never spent much time with it until recently, and I've fallen in love with it...it's the best desktop feed scanner I've ever owned or used. As a well known geek-about-town in most of the circles I travel in I get a lot of questions about my favorite hardware and software. This fast scanner is now at the top of any list.

The Fujitsu Scansnap S510M is probably the single most critical component of my home office. It is a feed scanner (not a flat bed) that scans pages so fast it is mind boggling.It only rarely jams, and when it does, I just hit one button and the entire front component flips out for easy clearing. It could not possibly be any faster or easier to get documents scanned.

I can stack 40 pages of two-sided documents, hit one button, and walk away while the documents are scanned at an insane 18 pages per minute. It can handle documents as small as business card or as big as legal pages and it scans both sides...

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