Deathsmiles - Xbox 360

    Deathsmiles is a side-scrolling Shoot 'Em Up (also known as a "shump" or Bullet Hell) game created by Cave. Originally released in 2007, the game was began as an arcade machine only title. In 2010 the game was ported to the Xbox 360 in the USA by Aksys Games in a version which incorporated all content that was previously available in Japan plus a bit more.

Saranac Black Forest - Matt Brewing Company

    Saranac Black Forest is a German style Schwarzbier (or Black Beer) brewed by the Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York. This beer was brought back from New York for me by Emily Hohman.

    The Schwarzbier pours the color of molasses, with little to no light making its way through the liquid. A small khaki head forms at pouring, but quickly dissipates.

    Saranac Black Forest smells surprisingly subtle for how dark the beer is. Light roasted malt and dark fruit scents make up the majority of the beer's aroma. A slight bit of citrus acidity can be noted, hinting at light hopping.

     The Black Beer is light to medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. The beer takes on an almost watery feel as you swallow it, washing away most of the flavor. Black Forest has an alcohol content of 5.5% ABV.

    Matt Brewing Company's Schwarzbier has a light flavor, just as the aroma was subtle. Sweet chocolate and caramel malts make up the majority of the beer's flavor. There is only a slight hint of roasted malt flavor in the beer. A slight bitterness from hops briefly shows itself, only to fade quickly. The dark fruits from the scent are also present in the flavor, keeping the beer more on the sweet, than bitter side.

Black Bears enjoy Black Beers in the Black Forest.

     I don't know if you make it to Germany's Black Forest often, but it is a common experience whilst in those mysterious woods to come across a bear enjoying a beer. Most Commonly these bears just look up from their drink and nod at passersby, too relaxed to attack. Unfortunately, a few rowdy creatures just want to fight after imbibing a little Black Beer. It is German legend that if one is mighty enough to defeat these trouble-causers in hand-to-hand combat, that he or she has the right to take this bear's beer and enjoy it themselves. Not only are the Black Bears' Black Beers delicious, but it also is said to have mystical properties, such as giving the drinker the ability to spin the wildest tales in a most convincing manner. If ever you find yourself in a German biergarten around the Black Forest, you may just hear an elderly man weaving such a tale himself!

    Saranac Black Forest's light flavor profile and easy drinkability reminds me more of a Black Lager than more robust, roasted malt brews such as a Porter or Stout. The fact that the Schwarzbier has the roasted malt characteristics, but is not overpowering with them, makes for a great intro to the more intense styles of beer. This beer would be a great transition between Lagers and Porters or light Stouts for someone interested in broadening his or her beer knowledge. While I'm completely fine with the flavors being light in this beer, I'm really turned off by the way that the beer seems to become watery in the middle of the taste, washing away nearly all flavor the beer had up front. I, for one, will stick to the stronger flavors for now.

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Dale's Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

    Dale's Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed by Oskar Blues Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado. Oskar Blues takes great pride in Dale's Pale Ale, not only because of the beer's quality, but because the brew was one of the first craft brews to be packaged in aluminum cans. If you've followed the blog for long, you may already know that I'm a big fan of beer in cans. Oskar Blues actually packages all of their beers in cans, so they get bonus points for that from me!

    The Pale Ale pours a light amber color with a full, off-white head. The head slowly settles down into a nice film that leaves thick lacing on the glass.

    Dale's aroma is nicely hoppy, with pine and lemon rind. There is a sweet, caramel scent underneath the herbal hops smells.

    The ale is medium bodied and has a moderate level of carbonation. There is a slight astringency to the beer, likely due to the hops content. Dale's Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV.

Now that's one portable Pale Ale!

     Oskar Blues's Pale Ale tastes less hoppy that the nose would suggest. That's not saying that this isn't an aggressively hopped Pale Ale though! Bitter lemon rind and resinous pine bite your tongue before being mellowed by sweet caramel malts. The hops leave a lightly bitter, citrus-like taste in your mouth.

    Dale's Pale Ale is a bit hoppier than I would usually recommend for a hot day, camping, or as a "lawnmower" beer, but I really feel that it would be extremely refreshing in any of these situations. Dale's heartiness would make for a satisfying drink after hard work as well. I guess I can see why the can's labeling seems to hint at Dale's being taken hiking quite often.

    Oskar Blues just recently became available here in Indiana. If all of their beers are this good or better, I can see drinking a lot of them in the future. I feel like Dale's is a bit hoppier than the normal Pale Ale, though that's perfectly fine with me. If you're not afraid of a Pale Ale with a bit more bite than normal, give Dale's a try!

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