Beer Review 40 // Milk IPA by Brasserie Vrooden

Hard to believe I've hit number 40 already. So for this one I've picked a weirder beer I've drank recently. The beer in question is a Milkshake IPA, similar to the Blackcurrant one I reviewed from Bicycle Craft. Why this one? Well the label is covered in Cows and made me laugh when I saw it. It's also a brewery I know zero about, hailing from Quebec I did a bit of googling, discovering they primarily do german inspired beers. This could mean one of two things: One- it's going to be bad, stepping out of their comfort zone style wise or Two- could be amazing using their knowledge of original styles to enhance this newer style. But which will it be? Let jump straight in and findout:

Details

Name: Milk IPA

Style: Milkshake IPA

Brewery: Brasserie Vrooden

Country: Canada, Quebec, Granby.

Price: $6.99 CAD

ABV: 6.5%

Commercial Fluff


"IPA Milkshake with Azacca and Mosaic Hops. Authentic Project Collaboration."

Own Opinion

Bottle Art: Stupid and funny, covered in Cows eating hops to really push home the milk ipa theme.

Sight: A cloudy off yellow murk. Full of chunks and floaters. The head is a solid off white that hangs around. At first sight it is not a pretty beer.

Aroma: Sweetness hits you straight away, vanilla adds to this effect, whilst the floral, citrus hops help out the aroma but it reminds me of sweet cheap yoghurts.

Taste: Vanilla overwhelms everything, they really went to town with that flavour. Once your tongue gets use to the vanilla overload the citrus hops start pushing through. Giving hints of lemon and orange. It is a sweet beer meaning I would only ever want the one, but it is a tasty beer.

Would I buy it again? Maybe. I'm very 50/50 on this beer. Plus side it was more interesting than most Milkshake IPA's I have tried. It also delivered on a milk inspired flavour and I was happy to drink it all and enjoyed the after taste. But it had it's errors, which I struggle to forgive and it puts me on the fence. Examples include the particles which could have been cleaned out to help presentation and the vanilla could have reeled back to help the hops shine more. So I really don't know about this one.

Have you had it? Let me know, also let me know if you enjoy Milkshake IPA's in general.

Cheers!

Comic Review 18 // Judge Dredd Complete Case Files 04 (Part 1) - The Judge Child Saga

Welcome to Judge Dredd Complete case Files 04 (Part 1) aka The Judge Child Saga. If you haven't read the others leading to this one be sure to click on the comic review page above and have a nosey around.

The timeline setting for this book is the years 2102 till 2103 and represents the works of Progs 156 to 207. So with no more time wasting let us jump the Drokk in!

Commercial Stuff

"Judge Dredd – the future lawman with the powers of judge, jury and executioner at his disposal – faces some of his most challenging cases yet in this fourth volume of his earliest adventures. From the all-time classic Judge Child saga to the first appearance of legendary perp Chopper in Un-American Graffiti this collection is heaving with thrills and action-packed entertainment!"

Pages: 387
ISBN: 1907992537
Writers: Alan Grant, John Wagner and Kelvin Gosnell.
Artists: Brett Ewins, Brian Bolland, Ian Gibson, Mike McMahon, Ron Smith and Steve Dillon.

The Strips

The first section of the book is all about the Judge Child Saga and takes up Pages 7 to 180!

Story: The Judge Child (Part 1)-  Dredd is set the task by Chief Judge Griffen to locate an Owen Krysler aka the Judge Child. This child according to the dieing visions of Psi Judge Fey would save Mega-City One in the Year 2120.
Highlight: Seems a very promising start to this series. Better let it is all set in the Cursed Earth!

Story: The Judge Child (Part 2)- Dredd visits the Neutron Flats, home to a large slave market. Can he hope to find the Krysler Child here? It's at this time we get introduced to the Brotherhood of Trash and their leader Faro, a religious cult built around the finding of 21st century junk.
Highlight: Dredd agreeing to be sold as a slave in order to gain access to the trash mines of Faro. Along with how Faro has took on the ideals of the ancient egyptians and has built pyramids in Memphis!

Story: Judge Child (Part 3)- Judge Dredd has arrived in Memphis home to the Brotherhood of Trash. Dredd watches a sphinx statue is built in honour of Faro the Garbage King. Faro has been told by the Bird Boy that he will die tonight and has prepared a send off worthy of the Gods of Old. Dredd is happy to hear he has finally found the Judge Child.
Highlight: Faro himself. Hailing from Texas City, Faro discovered the junk mines and has become filthy rich. But with the great wealth has come a pure madness. Love this dude!

Story: Judge Child (Part 4)- With Dredd now captured and the Judge Child unconscious the Faro funeral can begin. But as soon as Faro enters the Pyramid all hell breaks loose amongst the slaves. Dredd capitalises on the moment and escapes to hunt down Faro and the Bird Boy. After a showdown with Faro and the Brotherhood of Trash, Dredd discovers he is too late to save the boy! Leaving the tomb with the boy in hand a rainstorm starts overhead. As the rain pours down the marking on the boys head disappears. Where is the Judge Child?
Highlight: The Brotherhood of Trash's Dancing Dervishes a band that plays trash instruments truly beyond belief.

Story: Judge Child (Part 5)- Dredd still on the trail of the Judge Child has arrived at Texas City. We also find out about Pa Angel and the Angel Gang (eeek!!), along with the fact that TC Judges are rounding up all mutants and shipping them out of the city. After checking the city's database Dredd discovers a new Pre-Cog working at mutie land and decides to pay it a visit.
Highlight: Mutieland- a theme park where Norms could pit themselves against Cursed Earth Mutants. Also had freakshows, pre-cogs, animals etc..a sci-fi version of the old traveling circus.
Hightlight: The Angel Gang: The first outing of the Angel Gang consisting of Pa, Link, Mean and Junior. These guys will soon form the main villains of the piece. Also Mean will go on to become a fan favourite villain (expect a character fact file post soon).

Story: Judge Child (Part 6)- As Dredd confronts Brother Death on the location of the Judge Child, he is ambushed by a mutant monster unleashed by the Angel Gang. Having to defend himself from two threats Dredd misses his chance to capture the boy and the Angel gang escape into Texas City. Later that day Dredd is informed they have solden a spaceship and left the planet! The tale is heading to space!
Highlight: The Thing from the pit- Found in the Cursed Earth Swamps, this creature has one eye, small bird like legs, a tiny claw arm and one massive human arm, this thing is truly terrible and more than a match for Dredd. Would like to attempt to build this creature.

Story: Judge Child (Part 7)- The adventure is moving into space, only previously dealt with during the Luna tale. It will be great to see what the galaxy has in store. Before we even leave the solar system we get our first adventure. Missing mining rig Echo Bravo 4. Dredd and Hershey go to investigate and discover the Rig has become fully sentient and has killed the crew out of fear of being upgraded.
Highlight: The crew we get introduced to four new Judges. Larter the pilot, Lopez Engineer, Hershey Street Judge and Winslow Accounts. Instantly Dredd throws Winslow out off Justice One as he can't stand accountants. Dredd also takes a instant dislike to Lopez because he has a mustache!

Story: Judge Child (Part 8) // An Alien Tale- This story introduces us to a race known as Om from the planet Ombra. Buggo is the hero of the tale and it's basically a love story. Dredd appears in the last few panels and watches Buggo celebrating.
Highlight: Seemed more a filler piece for the writers to catch up on the tale. Funny enough and very 2000 AD.

Story: Judge Child (Part 9) // Body Brokers- The Judges have arrived at Lesser Lingo, a world that makes use of Bio-Chipping, a means to prolong life for the wealthy. Having lost the trail Dredd strikes up a deal with the locals, in exchange for finding their President they will tell Dredd the location of Oracle Spice- a drug that when taken will give you important information.
Highlight: Alien Constabulary- An alien race forced into a form a slave labour, they do most of the work on the planet including the police force. If they work in the city they willingly amputate their wings, whilst the Wild Ones keep theirs and live outside the city.

Story: Judge Child (Part 10) // Body Brokers 2- Dredd is hunting down the Aliens who stole the president's bio-chip. Heading out into the wilds Dredd comes face to face with the warrior tribes and learns of the blight of this species.
Highlight: 49- Love the Alien Constable, in his british bobby inspired outfit.

Story: Judge Child (Part 11)- Justice One has entered the Hadean System and has come across a planet that shouldn't exist. As they move closer to investigate the planet suddenly opens up and tendrils come out to attempt to entrap the ship! Justice One is swallowed whole and has become the newest lunch offering for this creature.
Highlight: The weird hungry planet. Like the idea of a lifeform that looks like a planet, tempting in explorers before eating them. Was kind of  like a venus flytrap.

Story:  Judge Child (Part 12) // Battleground- Dredd and his continue the search for the Oracle Spice in hopes it's powers will lead them to the Judge Child. Still in the Hadean System the team have come across a world called Argos. A world inhabited by twelve races all super aggressive!
Highlight: The races on Argos seem to organise televise War Games, randomly selecting an equipment option and a battlefield. They then fight a battle as if it was sport.

Story: Judge Child (Part 13) // Battleground 2-  Dredd and Hershey are stuck in the middle of strange Alien Wargames. As the death toll rises Dredd decides to take matters into his own hands in hopes of bring this death game to an end.
Highlight: The program hosts are a race of frog creatures all with names like Dik and Doc. Wearing cheesy 1940's news reporter outfits.

Story: Judge Child (Part 14) // Battleground 3- Dredd and Hershey have claimed one of the Alien flags now they just have to survive to claim the other. This arc of the tale for me has been dragged out one part too many. Glad to see it end in all honestly so let us move on.

Story: Judge Child (Part 15) // Necromancer- Having finally secured the where about of the Oracle Spice the team head for the Planet Necros. A planet locked in an age of darkness and ruled over by Murd. The planet seems to be locked in a medieval era, with castles and creepy monsters controlling the human population.
Highlight: Murd the Oppressor- Necromancer of Necros- Lord of Darkness- keeper of the sacred toad. A wide eyed troglodyte, with a powerful voodoo magic about him/her/them.

Story: Judge Child (Part 16) // Sagbelly- Dredd has been captured by Murd and discovers some of the secrets of Oracle Spice. Mainly that it comes from a giant wart on a massive toad called Sagbelly. Soon Dredd is fighting for his life as Murd attempts to feed Dredd to Sagbelly.
Highlight: Sagbelly- A massive toad that eats human flesh, has a crazy long lifespan (well until it meets Dredd) and produces Oracle spice. What are the writer tripping out on?

Story: Judge Child (Part 17) // Jigsaw Man- With the oracle spice secured, Dredd forces Lopez to take a sample of drug. Whilst under the influence Lopez visions lead the team to the planet AB located in the Warp System. Here Dredd discovers a human male was dumped on the planet and was waiting deportation when he developed a wasting illness called the Jigsaw Disease.
Highlight: The deportation building known as the The Foot Hospital is shaped like a foot. In fact all the architecture of this world is to be admired.

Story: Judge Child (Part 18) // Jigsaw Man 2 - Dredd is chasing down Prosser aka the Jigsaw man. Prosser in the earlier stripped robbed the alien doctor of some pills that he believed would cure him. Unfortunately for Prosser they are in fact mercy pills and speeds the process up. Dredd now has only one hour to hunt down Prosser before the final piece is gone!
Highlight: More of sadlight? Judge Lopez finally succumbing to the Oracle Spice :( But at least Dredd knows where the Judge Child finally is, Xanadu!

Story: Judge Child (Part 19) // Salesman - As Justice One heads for Xanadu they pick up a distress call and recover an alien called Rinus Limpopop Quintz a collector of rarities what could possibly go wrong?
Highlight: Dredd, Hershey and Larter being shrunk down to the size of a miniature. Excited to see where it all goes.

Story: Judge Child (Part 20) // Salesman 2- Dredd, Hershey and Larter have all been shrunk down in size. We are then treated to a B-Movie adventure as they struggle to regain their height.
Highlight: The creepy Justice Robots, don't know why but they creep me out!

Story: Judge Child (Part 21)- Finally the return of the Angel Gang. Haven't seen these guys since part 6, in 2000 AD terms that was fifteen weeks ago! But what a come back now on Xanadu the Angel Gang are making themselves at home, firstly crashing their spaceship and then taking over as the sheriff in a local town. Plus side Dredd is also on Xanadu and seems to be catching up with them.
Highlight: Mean Machine Angel- Love this dude. In this strip he headbutts and destroys not only a car but also a building. Pure mania!

Story: Judge Child (Part 22) // Blind Hate! - Dredd is on Xanadu attempting to get info on the whereabouts of the Angel Gang, unfortunately the locals aren't being to helpful. Whilst elsewhere the Angel Gang are ruling Drybone with an iron fist, having first become sheriffs and now the towns Justice system.
Highlight: The introduction of Old Joe Blind and his blind horse. Their backstory is truly sad, but finally Dredd is chasing the Angel Gang down!

Story: Judge Child (Part 23) // Fallen Angels! - With Old Joe Blind leading him Dredd has finally caught up with Mean Machine and Link Angel, we finally get get a gun fight we are waiting for! During the chaotic fight Mean gets his dial stuck on 4.5 and goes on a headbutting rampage that results in the death of Link Angel and Mean as his headbutts a gas station!!
Highlight: Dredd is quick of the draw and blows Mean's arm off! Lucky for Mean it was his real one and not metal one.

Story: Judge Child (Part 24) // Grunwald's Kingdom- Grunwald is a Kingdom for Fugitive Robots and not a great place to be a human in. Pa, Junior and the Angel child are racing towards their goal of reaching the Grunwalder himself but with Dredd close behind can the Angels reach their goal?
Highlight: All the droids, first up the mosquito droids that act as watchdogs and then the hairy droid you implant their victim hair onto their bodies. Such creepy and cool ideas.

Story: Judge Child (Part 25) // Hell's Angel - The Grunwalder is in directly aiding Dredd in his hunt for the surviving members of the Angel Gang. Know/Fearing Dredd was gaining on them too quickly Pa sends his last son to set up an ambush. Laying in wait Junior is able to kill poor Old Joe Blind and then attempts to lead Dredd into another trap. Sadly for Junior Dredd ambushes him injuring the crazy Angel member.
Highlight: Dredd lifting Junior above his head sentences the crazy villain to death before throwing him into a river of lava. Justice Served.



Story: Judge Child (Part 26) // Judgement on Fire Mountain - We've made it to finally, with the strip doing doing a recap of the last scenes as Dredd launches Junior into the Lava stream below. Seeing his final boy die Pa Angel goes into a rage and charges at Dredd. But before Dredd is able to do anything the Angel Child takes his revenge and plunges Pa into a lava pool, whilst the child laughs maniacally.
Dredd has finally reached his goal and as he stands in front of the Judge Child he passes his Judgement: "The Boy is Evil, he could only bring disaster upon us!" and with that he leaves a bitter Judge Child with the Grunwalder and takes a disappointed team back to MC-1.
Highlight: Dramatic finale to this saga. Wish Pa had took a bit longer to finish off.

Overview

So here endth the Judge Child Saga, it span 173 pages, 26 weeks in 2000 AD! Truly an epic tale. The standout parts of the saga for myself was: Texas City, The Angel Gang, The Necromancer of Necros, The Salesman and The Jigsaw Man. Disappointments of the tale include the deaths of every Angel Gang member and the Judge Child himself.
The Judge Child being Evil was of no surprise, being so heavily hint at throughout the last third of the story arc and when Judge Dredd makes the call to leave him with the Grunwalder you are left wondering 'why we bother reading all this?'. Personally I would have loved Dredd chasing the down the Angel Gang across the galaxy and giving them a better showdown worthy of the villains they are. Also the Angel Gang deserved more page time, I wanted to see them get up to more crazy stuff and see them visit some of these planets. I could imagine them having an amazing time on the War Planet for example.
Overall though this was a great piece, we experienced life outside of MC-1, getting to return to the Cursed Earth, we visited a different city, along with seven different planets. The cast of characters in this tale alone was staggering and has inspired my modelling and painting for the foreseeable future. It also left me wondering what Dredd has against mustaches (RIP Judge Lopez). But ultimately it has left me wanting to be back on the streets MC-1. Which will be covered in part 2 of this review.

This section gets a 4 out 5, as there was room for improvement.

Beer Review 39 // Ete Indien by Dieu Du Ciel

Welcome to another beer review. For this review we are heading back over the river to Quebec Canada and enjoying a Du Dieu Ciel beer. These guys for me are producing some amazing beers, including the absolutely amazing Peche Mortel. They have a little brew pub in Montreal which is always worth a visit, especially for the cheeseboards! So let us jump on in:

Details

Name: Ete Indien aka Indian Summer

Style: Mango Sour Wheat Beer

Brewery: Dieu Du Ciel

Country: Canada, Quebec.

Price: $3.50 CAD

ABV: 5.9%

Commercial Fluff
The dominant sourness of Été Indien is a result of letting the un-boiled mash do its thing for a few days. The interesting sour character this develops is further complemented by the addition of a heaping pile of fresh fruit shortly thereafter. The result is an incredibly refreshing sour ale where the fruit is allowed to carry through without restraint.

Own Opinion

Can Art: Some the bottles from Dieu Du Ciel are a miss on artwork but this time they nailed the theme of Summer into Autumn. The artwork evokes sunny warm afternoons as the leaves turn golden.

Sight: Damn I've conned this must be Mango juice. It pours like juice from a carton, opaque yellow, hardly no head even if you attempt a hard pour. Looks amazing.

Aroma: Mango, lots of mango, but not your canned variety. I mean like fresh sweet mango, freshly sliced, hidden just behind this is a subtle hint of wheat.

Taste: Well I'm sure you can guess, it tastes amazing. Mango up front with a juicy acidic sourness from it. The acidity of the beer is quite pleasant and adds to the flavour profile rather than overpowering it. The drink ends dry making you want more and is overall a very refreshing beer.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Well that was a great beer, refreshing, delicious and did exactly what it's meant to do put a smile on my face. It may have lacked the puckering sourness some look for, but for me it was a tropical late summer masterpiece. If you can get your hands on some do so, if not enjoy my pictures over on social media as I finish up a case this week.

As always thank you reading and I would love some follower love either on here (see sidebar) or on the social media platforms I use: Instagram and Facebook

Cheers

Beer Review 38 // Mashing Pumpkins by Calabogie

As far as seasonal beers go halloween sucks. We get a surge of these "pumpkin" infused or inspired ales. Which in my opinion always miss the mark, you either get spicebomb beer of cinnamon and clove or you get a sweet drink like a Pumpkin Latte. Neither of which actually showcase the pumpkin. This year if I'm honest I had planned to avoid all Pumpkin beer, but when I saw today's review beer I was drawn to it. So let us jump in:

Details

Name: Mashing Pumpkins
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Calabogie
Country: Canada, Ontario, Calabogie.
Price: $7 CAD at a bar for a 473ml can.
ABV: 5.5%

Commercial Fluff

"This beer pours a reddish brown with a big off white head. The nose is cold pumpkin pie and warm spice. The mouthfeel is creamy with a medium to heavy body.  Flavours of raisins, and dark fruit, are balanced with the perfect touch of pumpkin and spice.  The perfect fall and winter warmer. BOO…"

Own Opinion

Can Art: Like most of their cans the artwork is simple and to the point which I like. The colour palette screams Halloween and then the little Pumpkin mascot helps push it all home.

Sight: The boardgame cafe glassware was bad hence no pictures. It poured a dark brown with a hint of red if held to a light. A nice white foam of a head appears and hangs around which is nice.

Aroma: Instantly hit by spices you would find in a pumpkin pie. Cinnamon playing a big role once more.

Taste: As it hits the tongue you get that classic cinnamon hit, lucky for this one it's backed up with some darker malt which adds character. It's a very pleasant mouthfeel but I'm not getting pumpkin. What I am getting is a tasty christmas fruit cake.

Would I buy it again? Surprisingly yes.

Hands up I'm not a pumpkin beer fan and thought I would truly struggle with this. I was wrong I actually enjoyed this. I enjoyed it because I couldn't taste pumpkin at all, instead I good a beer with a spicy warmth that reminded me of delicious cakes, full of raisins and spice. Maybe if they changed the name and didn't mention Pumpkins I would have tried it sooner and would be raving about.

What are your thoughts on Pumpkin beer? Is it a hit with you? Am I missing something? As always drop me a comment below and if you are feeling kind please do hit follow.

Sector 102 // Restricted Tek Files- Spy in the Sky

Spy in the Sky

+++ Accessing Technology Files +++
+++ Searching......Spy in the Sky +++
+++ Code Confirmed....Welcome +++

Justice Department: Support & Surveillance.

Tek-Division: Spy in the Sky satellite camera.

History: An essential part of Justice Department hardware-the “Spy-In-The-Sky” satellite camera,used extensively by PSU (Public Surveillance Unit) to hover and follow, usually at a discreet distance, a questionable vehicle or suspected ’perp’.

Technical Specs 

The “Spy-In-The-Sky” has many useful citizen-watching features:

1. Viewfinder 
2. Transmitter 
3. Auto-focus 
4. Telephoto 
5. Anti-redeye lens 
6. Zoom lens 
7. Data pack 
8. Main drive 
9. Positional drive 
10. Battery 
11. Date/time recording 
12. Auto white balance 
13. Backlight compensator 

There you have it, big brother is always watching you! Just need to find some bits and bobs to try and make own in game spy units. I hope these articles are of help with any roleplaying ideas you have? Let me know if you enjoy these articles by dropping me a comment below. Or better let hit follow :)

Beer Review 37 // Super You by Grimm Artisanal Ales

Breaking out a beer from further afield today. Picked up in a Boston on a recent field trip to the states. So let's get drinking!

Details

Name: Super You
Style: Gose
Brewery: Grimm Artisanal Ales
Country: USA, Brooklyn, New York.
Price: $10
ABV: 5.3%

Commercial Fluff:

"This is the first time we’ve experimented with pineapple, and wow what a delight this beer turned out to be. Slight coconut-like character from the oak combines with the pineapple on the finish for a distinctly pina colada-like effect. Tart, vivid, and refreshing, this is the perfect summer crusher."


Own Opinion

Sight: Pours a hazy cloudy yellow, capped with a solid white head that slowly dissipated.

Aroma: Straight away pineapple hits you, the sort of tangy smell you get from a can. Alongside this comes some citrus (orange, grapefruit), smells delicious.

Taste: Tart citrus and pineapple upfront. Followed by the oaky wood and sea salt. I'm also getting a yoghurt taste from it but not sure if it was just me. Good carbonation that helps lift it all as it drunk.

Would I buy it again? Yes. It was delicious, so easy to polish of a bomber of this with ease. The flavours are bold without being overpowering and it just left you wanting more. Downside it's a little pricy for me especially at the speed I could drink it at. But truly an A+ beer.

Book Review 12 // Tyrant of the Hollow Worlds by Mark Clapham

Looks like I'm finally catching up on my book blogging for 2017. This time it's the turn of September's book Tyrant of the Hollow Worlds. Unsurprisingly it is a sci-fi book and yes it is by Black Library, just can't stop myself reading their books. So let us jump in:

Tyrant of the Hollow Worlds

Book: Tyrant of the Hollow Worlds
Author: Mark Clapham (couldn't find a website so it is the wiki page)
Publisher: Black Library
Commercial Fluff:
"Chaos Warlord Huron Blackheart and his Red Corsairs launch a devastating conquest of the Hollow Worlds of Lastrati.

When Huron Blackheart leads his warband of Red Corsairs to attack the Hollow Worlds of Lastrati, the human defenders can do little to protect themselves against such powerful enemies. By the time the Space Wolves Chapter arrives, the Red Corsairs are already well entrenched. With neither side prepared to withdraw nor concede defeat, the battle spirals out of control – will the Hollow Worlds be destroyed by the forces of destruction that have been unleashed?"

First up the book itself is pretty standard for the Space Marine Battle series. It has a white cover with a battle scene playing out along the bottom. Showing the main Man himself Huron Blackheart the ruthless leader of the Corsairs. Then about halfway through the book we get treated to some maps of the Hollow Worlds and some pictures of Huron and his weaponry.

The story itself is a pretty straight forward battle from A to Z. We start with the Red corsairs preparing to invade, they then invade, the Space Wolves arrive, then the Corsairs leave vowing vengeance upon the Sons of Russ. If you are looking for a good train/bus read or a holiday book this could be for you. If you more interested in deeply themed story to sink your teeth in then maybe skip this one. For the most part characters worth remembering are few and far between, with a lot them playing just bit roles to allow battles to happen or take place.

What really shines in this book though is Clapham's descriptions of locations and features. The Hollow Worlds sound amazing, built by someone other than the Imperium of Man, the Hollow Worlds are exactly that. Accessible only via one world that has a port drilled through the planet. The battle for this location was a great read, along with how once inside you could see the entire World from the ground (just picture seeing the other side of Earth above you), then as the story progress we get Jungle Worlds, Frozen Planets, Clockwork Planets and a security train that never stops moving. For me these were the highlight of the book and I kind of wish Clapham had picked just one world to battle over. Huron and his advisors seemed believable if a bit too invulnerable and the infighting of the Corsairs is something we can all get behind. At some points I even felt sorry for the Wolves as they took a real beating by the Corsairs. In one battle they lost an entire army without killing a single Corsair!

Highlights

• Easy to pick up and read
• Huron Blackheart is a badass
• The World's seem amazing when explored
• Imperial Lapdogs on the losing side

Lowlights

• Characters not fleshed out enough or killed off quickly
• Too many Worlds. Think we travel through five in total
• Space Wolves came across as weaklings
• Story rushed in places

Overall a fun read, great for Red Corsair fans not great for Space Wolves fans. I feel there are better tales in this series but in no way is this a book to skip if you enjoy 40k.

As always thanks for reading and if you missed the other reviews here are the links: Jan, Feb, March, April, May, June, July & Aug

Craftworld Iyanden 05 // New Rules Incoming

So unless you don't read the blogs or Games Workshop's own community page, you may have missed the news that Codex Craftworld is coming up for pre-order this weekend! Better than that they are releasing some hints on what is in the book starting with my Craftworld of Choice, Iyanden. So I am going to go through the news and give you my thoughts. Sooo let us jump in.

From the GW Website:

Iyanden is a craftworld renowned for its tragic history and its serried Spirit Hosts, making heavier use of ghost warriors than any other. Wraith constructs will still be an important part of Iyanden armies, but their Craftworld Attribute is versatile enough to allow for a range of powerful builds focused around elite units of all kinds, including tanks and aspect warriors.

(Good start as it seems GW want to focus on fluffy attributes and the true lore of the armies)

The Craftworld Attribute

Stoic Endurance helps shore up the Craftworld’s vulnerability to Morale tests. Perhaps nothing is worse than watching a couple of casualties on a costly unit of Wraithguard turn into a devastating rout, and with this trait, you won’t have to worry. On the other side of the coin, 20-strong units of Guardians become much more efficient and make for an excellent target for Psychic Powers without having to worry about being mauled in the Morale phase.
The second part of Stoic Endurance helps your tanks and larger constructs keep kicking even after heavy damage. Enemies will need to chip 17 wounds off of an Iyanden Wraithknight before seeing any appreciable difference in its combat effectiveness!

(liking the sound of this a lot. I personally use a lot of Guardians and wraith units so all this is working for me. I excited to march my 20 man guardian blobs once more).

Best Unit: Wraithblades

It’d hardly be an Iyanden army without some ghost warriors, would it? Wraithblades in the new codex are just as deadly as they’ve always been, with some added bonuses. Smaller Wraith units have received an additional point of Toughness in the new codex, bringing Wraithguard and Wraithblades up to Toughness 6 and Wraithlords to Toughness 8, making them markedly more resilient against incoming enemy fire.

(This fills me with excitement, as I have three squads of Wraiths- 1x Blades, 1x cannon, 1x Scythe and then 1x Wraithlord and 1x Wraithseer)

Best Unit: Spirit Seer

The perfect accompaniment to a Spirit Host unit is a Spiritseer. These guys are already an efficient HQ choice for a Craftworld army, and have even seen a reduction in cost, now a steal at 45 points, only 10 more than a Warlock! Use yours to cast the new psychic power Empower on your Wraithblades, trigger the Psytronome of Iyanden and throw in the Guided Wraithsight Stratagem and you’ll be dishing out 60 Strength 7 AP -3 attacks, hitting on a 4+ with a reroll and D3 damage apiece – enough to scrap even a Baneblade in close combat.

(Sounds like a deadly combo)


Overview

Sounds like my Iyanden army is coming back! Looks like this Saturday GW will be eating up a paycheck and I need to finish painting some Wraiths. But in all seriousness this is the boost I needed to get playing again and I'm excited to pick up this new book.

What are your thoughts on the sneak peaks, what are you looking forward too. If you are an Eldar player with a blog please do drop me a link in the comments as I would love to follow your blogs. As always thanks for stopping by and remember to follow.

Beer Review 36 // The Count by Stray Dog

Today's beer review is from one of the newest breweries here in Ottawa- Stray Dog. Was lucky enough to meet one of the great team members who handed me this beer to try. So let us jump straight in:

Details

Name: The Count
Style: Spiced Autumn Ale aka Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Stray Dog
Country: Canada, Ontario, Ottawa.
Price: N/A - 473ml Can
ABV: 5.6%

Commercial Fluff:
"In the spirit of Halloween, we decided to brew a beer in honour of Orleans' most ravenous, undead, blood sucker...our accountant, *Yann Brisebois, AKA The Count! Nothing strikes fear in our hearts more than Yann when he starts talking about beer tax. It's truly frightening (especially when he's wearing his Anthrax t-shirt)! This spiced autumn ale gets some of its alluring colour and character from the generous helping of pumpkin puree added to the mash, plus the brown sugar, fresh cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice added to the boil. The Count balances the wonderful flavours and aromas of Thanksgiving with the insatiable excitement of Halloween. 5.6% ABV, 27 IBU and ready to par-tay. *Yann is an amazing accountant who has helped bring our brewery to where it is today. We are truly thankful for him; however, we can neither deny nor confirm if he is undead."

Own Opinion

Look: Not a topic I always discuss but how on earth did they get permission to use the Count? It will help it stand out on the shelf for sure.
Sight: Darker amber, orange pour. White foamy head that quickly dissipates, not the prettiest looker (bit like me lol).
Aroma: The spices are definitely there on the nose. Cinnamon, clove, a sweetness. But like many in this style why add the pumpkin as you could get all these aromas without it.
Taste: Definitely getting all the spices, nicely balanced and reminding me of a pumpkin spiced tea/latte. As like a lot of this style I just don't get the pumpkin flavour. The spices are all there though and fill you with the flavours of Autumn. Has a warming spice in the finish, no bitterness and very balanced.

Would I buy it again? Maybe. It wouldn't be a first a choice, but I would happily spend money on it and recommend it to people who enjoy this style or are after a festive drink.

Overall a solid beer. Has definitely peaked my interest in the brewery and I will have to either take a ride out there soon or find some of their other beers on tap. It's also great to see such a young brewery experimenting like this and taking some risks to stand out in an area with a lot of breweries.Thumbs up guys!

As always drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts. Happy drinking!

Sector 102 // Random Events for use in JDMG

John here with another JDMG update, this time we are dealing with some experimental rules from Mongoose Publishing. This set of rules could originally be found on their blog with some searching, so I am shamelessly copying and pasting here (So I can find them along with others). I hope you enjoy and that these add hours of amusement to your games. If you are from Mongoose and wish for me to take this down (why would you though) please feel free to contact me.

Many forces clash in Mega-City One and in the Cursed Earth beyond the walls, each fighting for their own values, beliefs or because they are just plain mean. However, firefights are rarely simple affairs and there always seems to be something making life harder for the people of Mega-City One.

Random events introduce this unpredictability into your games. They are a series of arbitrary events and occurrences that players can take advantage of or try their best to avoid!

Random Event Triggers

There are certain incidents that can happen during a firefight that may encourage close-by forces, inquisitive perps or fate itself to take an interest in an ongoing battle. For example if very large explosions start going off, you can be sure someone is going to start investigating.

Rules: Whenever one of the following triggers take place, a random event may occur. To see if it does, roll a die at the end of the Turn in which one or more of these things have happened – only one die is rolled, no matter how many times one or more triggers take place.

• Whenever an action is performed to use a Psychic Talent. 
• Whenever a shooting weapon with Damage 2 or more is fired. 
• Whenever a critical hit is scored. 

On the roll of a 1, a random event happens and is rolled for on the table below. The random event takes place immediately at the start of the next Turn.

In addition, once per game each player may automatically trigger a random event at the start of any Turn. No die roll is needed, he just need roll on the table below.

Using Random Events
Many random events use models in addition to those in each player’s force. The following rules are used for all of these extra models, unless otherwise stated.
Deployment

One player rolls a die when the model first appears. On a 1-5, the model appears in the middle of the table edge to his left. On a 6-10, it appears in the middle of the table edge to his right.
Control and Movement

If a random event says a model is moved randomly, both players roll a die at the start of each Turn, re-rolling ties. The highest rolling player will have control of the model for that Turn. At the start of the next Turn, the players roll off against one another again.
Random Model

Sometimes, an event will call for something to happen to a random model in one of the players’ forces. A quick way to resolve this is for both players to roll off against one another, with the loser having the event happen to one of his models. This model can then be selected randomly by a simple die roll, starting with the model at the top of his roster sheet as 1, the next model as 2, and so on.

Random Events Table

Roll a Dice for Event

1. Hi Mom!
2. It's Just Too Much!
3. Zombie Contagion
4. Green-eyed Monster
5. Boing Attack
6. Memories of War
7. One Shot, One Kill
8. From Beyond
9. Who Loaded This?
10. Dreaming of Electronic Sheep

Hi Mom!

A vid-reporter from low-rating Channel 5 turns up, drawn to the scene by the sounds of carnage. Hoping for a scoop on the latest violence to befall the city, he starts filming the action. However, he is a distraction for lower ranking members of both forces as they see their chance to fame and fortune!

The vid-reporter (use the rules on page 161 of the main rulebook) is moved randomly. All Minions within 12” of him, in any force, suffer a –2 penalty to all rolls they are called to make except Armour rolls, as they show off in front of the camera. Heroes are unaffected. No Minion is allowed to attack the vid-reporter in any way but Heroes can.

It’s Just Too Much!

Confronted with the realities of life in Mega-City One, one random Minion in one of the forces cracks, and goes Futsie instantly!

The Minion is subject to the Completely Mad! rule on page 154 of the main rulebook. If the Minion survives the battle, the other members of his force manage to calm him down and he is no longer subject to this rule.

Zombie Contagion

Perhaps it was a pool of experimental toxins dropped by a mad scientist, or perhaps a real zombie scrambled out of the ruins and took a bite out of a passer-by. Regardless, a zombie is on the loose, and the contagion is spreading…

One random Minion in one of the forces turns into a zombie, instantly gaining the Dead Flesh and Mindless rules on page 86 of the main rulebook. All other characteristics stay the same but the Minion may no longer perform Shoot actions. The model is now randomly moved. If it removes a hit from a Minion in close combat, that Minion will also turn into a zombie, as detailed above. New zombies are also randomly moved but will never attack another zombie. Minions turned into zombies are dead and may not be recovered at the end of the battle.

Green-eyed Monster

The life of a minion can be hard, and they will never get any of the glory (or rewards) that Heroes take for granted. Most understand that they will never be leaders but a few become insanely jealous of those above them…

One random Minion in one of the forces has harboured his jealousy of a random Hero in his force, and now his hatred is overflowing. If the Minion makes a shooting attack that traces a line to its original target that runs within 2” of the Hero (and the Hero is in range and Line of Sight), the attack will be made against the Hero instead!

Boing® Attack!

The miracle substance has many uses, but none are so thrilling as using the entire city as a pinball table! A Boing® user bounces straight into the battle and then, just as quick, bounces out again!

Both players select one of their own models and roll a die. If either rolls a 1, their model has been struck by the Boing® user (if both roll a 1, both models have been hit – the Boing® fanatic has brought a friend). If neither rolls a 1, both players select another model in each of their forces and roll again. This continues until at least one 1 has been rolled, or all models have been rolled against. If a model is hit by a Boing® attack, it must pass an Agility check or roll a die – it will lose that many Hits. Armour does not protect against Boing®!

Memories of War

So many disasters have befallen Mega-City One over the years, and unexploded ordnance from wars and invasions lies hidden in many sectors, both ruined and otherwise, waiting for the wrong citizen to set it off…

For the rest of the battle, whenever a model is hit by a Blast, Explosive or Power Shot weapon, roll a die. On a 1, the loud noise or sudden explosion detonates a nearby unexploded bomb, shell or charge. This is treated as an Explosive 6 weapon whose Impact Point is centred on the model that was hit by the original attack. The ordnance automatically hits every model in range, dealing Damage 1 with AP+0. 

One Shot, One Kill

When two forces go to war, there will always be other rivals interested in affecting the outcome. One of these hidden enemies has mustered enough Credits to send an assassin after someone who is currently fighting and, hopefully, distracted.

One random Hero in one of the forces has had a contract put out on him. An Assassin (see page 58 – the model has Shoot +2, carries a high velocity rifle, and has the Aim and Stealthy Talents) appears in the battle. The model is controlled by the player whose Hero has not been targeted.

From Beyond

There are many breaks in reality within Mega-City One, though most are hidden and extremely difficult to use by beings from any dimension. Unfortunately, the dimensional rift close to this battle is not one of those, and something has come through…

A demonic entity has appeared in this battle Roll a die. On a 1-5, it is a minor entity (see the minor demonic pact on page 90 of the main rulebook), on a 6-8, it is a class II entity, and on a 9-10, a major entity (for both, see page 91). The entity is moved randomly.

Who Loaded This?

Illegal weapons may be easy to come by in Mega-City One, but they are not always reliable. Even the most fastidious cleaning and care cannot account for the fact that, sometimes, things just go wrong…

Choose a random model in one of the forces. If the model has no shooting weapon, roll again. The next time the model makes a shooting attack, roll a die. On a 1, the weapon explodes, hitting the model once (no need to roll Shooting Dice, just go straight to the Armour roll). In any case, the weapon has been destroyed and must be removed from the force roster. Judges will be able to automatically get a replacement at their Sector House, but everyone else must pay for a new gun…

Dreaming of Electronic Sheep

Sometimes, the strangest things can happen in Mega-City One. Today, someone is going to find out that they are actually an android, and not one that was particularly well put together at that.

One random Minion in one of the forces is actually an android. This would not normally be a problem but this particular model is a bit… twitchy. If the Minion is attacked (either by a shooting or close combat attack) and survives, it must make a Will check. Failure means the Minion goes berserk until the model that attacked it is removed as a casualty or the battle otherwise ends.
A berserk android temporarily gains +2 Hits, +2 Armour and +2 Melee Dice. It may not perform Shooting or Special actions, and must always attempt to move closer to the model that attacked it, using a Melee action if possible. Once the target is removed as a casualty or the battle ends, the Minion android is no longer berserk and loses its temporary characteristic increases (which may result in it being a casualty if it lost Hits while berserk!). However, it may now perform Shoot and Special actions once more. 

 
If the Minion rolls a 1 for its Will check, it explodes. This counts as an Explosive 2 weapon that automatically hits every model in range with Damage 2 and AP-2.

A Minion that discovers it is an android will remain as such for the rest of the campaign, using the rules above!

Designer’s Notes

These random events are intended to be fun and to introduce a little of the chaos of daily life in Mega-City One to your games. They will not usually tilt a game in favour of one force or another, though it is possible – through a combination of bad luck and poor judgement, it is possible that you could lose almost your entire force to a zombie outbreak!

However, so long as you are aware that such things could happen in Mega-City One, you should be able to take them in your stride. Most balanced forces can deal with the worst that can happen on this table and treat them as they are intended – unexpected boons or inconveniences that are all part of life in Mega-City One.

There is, of course, the potential to have a much larger table of random events. Or maybe a whole bunch of tables, tied to specific forces, locations, terrain, and so on. You are very much encouraged to come up with your own and share them on here.

Thanks for reading.

Beer Review 35 // Zodiak Omnipollo

Welcome to an exciting Beer Review. I was visiting my local LCBO over the summer and noticed a very familiar looking can. As I excitedly ran at it, my hopes were confirmed. Omnipollo has reached Ontario!

So I scooped up six cans and quickly drank them all. Luckily I remembered to take some pictures so here is the review!

Details

Name: Zodiak
Style: IPA (India Pale Ale)
Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Designed in Sweden, brewed in Toronto, Canada.
Price: $3.69 CAD - 473ml Can
ABV: 6.2%

Commercial Fluff:

"Our house IPA. A blend of grains, untouched post fermentation and aspiringly hopped with Simcoe, Citra and Centennial."-Henok

Own Opinion

Sight: Pours a wonderfully murky golden yellow, with a good strong white head. Looks great and delicious.

Aroma: Quite a fruity smelling beer with some big hitting aromas of pineapple, passionfruit and peach. Mouth is watering just getting ready to try this beer.

Taste: Hops break through filling your mouth with tropical fruit flavours before departing leaving a good bitterness on the tongue. I found it to be a little sweet as well. Extremely morish.

Would I buy it again? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Once again Omnipollo have proven their skill in making pale ales. This beer is very well rounded out by the choice of hops. The aroma is amazingly sweet and juicy and the taste is like a fruit pastels. So overall a pretty great bloody beer again. Compared to the other beers they produce the packaging is not my favourite, but that is being really picky about this stuff. I look forward to trying to get some more in the near future. Hopefully it is sign that more Omnipollo beers are heading this way. Fingers Crossed!


 If you enjoyed this review please share or +1 it. Thanks for reading.

Beer Review 34 // Down to Earth by 21st Amendment

This time we leave the Canadian borders and head to the slightly crazier states. The following beer I actually picked up whilst visiting family in Boston, a trip I get to do once every four months. The sole reason for wanting this beer was due to the can art. It just puts a smile on face and I can't help but love it! Cheeky monkey's just always makes me smile.

Details

Name: Down to Earth
Style: Session IPA
Brewery: 21st Amendment
Country: USA
Price: $12 (US) for 6 cans
ABV: 4.4%

Commercial Fluff:

"Whether you have a long mission behind you or a full afternoon ahead, this session IPA will help keep things real. More relaxed than an IPA, but with all the hop aroma and flavor. Down to Earth is our Tribute to unsung heroes and unplanned adventures. Down to Earth is the natural evolution (pun intended) of Bitter American, our original session ale. We thought it would be fitting to bring our space chimp home and let him chill. Down to Earth is available year-round in six-pack cans and on draft and pairs nicely with a variety of things, including lunch."

Own Opinion

Sight: Pours a Golden straw yellow with a foamy white head that lasted for the whole drink.

Aroma: Quite sweet with aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and other tropical inspired sense. Rather pleasing.

Taste: A good crisp mouthfeel full of citrus pith, piney resin and a pepper spice on the tongue. Finishes with a good strong bitterness. Really enjoyable.

Would I buy it again? Yes. After destroying the six pack I can say I would buy again. It makes for a great lazy afternoon drink and is perfect for boardgames and house parties!

What more can be said. This is a perfect example of a Session IPA, lower alcohol but still packs a massive flavour punch! This beer is true competition to my favourite Session IPA called Neck Oil by Beavertown Brewery.

So have you tried this beer? What did you think of it? Hit me up here or on google+ I would love the feedback. Cheers.

Comic Review 17 // 2000 AD Finn

Hey we are back again for a comic review! This time it is the turn of 2000 AD Finn Book One. I have fond memories of Finn and was glad to pick up a free copy of Finn Book one. Set in modern day times (I like to still call the 90's Modern Times), Finn is an up to date version of Slaine (who I have a love/hate relationship with). The Tale is written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, with artwork from Jim Elston and Kevin Wicks.

The cover is quite a moody affair, showing Finn squatting on a chemical pipe whilst a fuel refinery burns in the background. This sets the scene perfectly for what I can remember of the tale and fills me with excitement to read it again.

The opening pages show a pagan style ritual going on and we learn of the Newts, an alien race that came to Earth in the primitive days and separated man from nature. We also get introduced to Mandy, the high priestess and Paul who at the end of the ritual becomes Finn the Beast.

Finn's mission is to seek out the Newts and show them the errors of their way. The rest of the opening strip introduces us to the Shining Ones; helpers to the Newt's these creatures are human in form and have manipulated mankind's progress for centuries. Shining Ones are a cruel bunch of monsters who view humans as mere cattle or play toys, to be abused and discarded at a whim. The main two in this opening strip for example, invented Poll Tax (google it kids) and are currently discussing the idea of implanting identity chips into humans.

Now the true story begins. The scene is Plymouth England and Paul (a.k.a Finn) is a taxi driver by day and a White Witch by night. As his day job draws to a close Mandy (the High Priestess), gives Paul the location of the two Shining Ones from the opener and tells him to kill them. At this point Paul dons the beast mask and becomes Finn the beast. Once fully equiped Finn looks like a Paramilitary soldier, his horned helmet comes with a built in gas mask and he also has a few witch tools to play with: like a spiral vine- for focusing magic and climbing, and a Black Dagger- which at this point I have no idea what it does, but it's magical. Soon Finn is face to face with the Shining Ones and is getting his arse kicked! These guys have some crazy powers that let them manipulate humans at a cellular level. Downside to this is that when they power up they can't get too close to each other. This issue Finn uses to his advantage and tricks them into a trap, causing them to touch one another. The resulting effects are very similar to a small nuke, causing the two Shining Ones to explode! After surviving the explosion, Finn slightly worse for wear returns to his car to find a beautiful women inside. This woman turns out to be possessed by Mandy and tells Finn this is just the first step on a path to killing a newt.

The pair then travel to St. Michael's Mount. Where Finn learns this was the site of an ancient battle, between the Newt's Shining Ones and Rebel Shining Ones. As I'm sure you've already guessed it didn't go well for the rebels and after this failure the World belonged to the Newts. The next few pages introduces us to The Free Mariners- The organisation of the ruling Shining Ones, the power that controls the world. During this section we hear about their traditions, like wearing amphibian style feet at meetings and how older members wear fish outfits to look more like the newts. We also get introduced to an Anchorman (a james bond style hitman). His job, to kill Finn. Whilst this has been happening, Finn hasn't been resting. Mandy has decided that Finn will act as bait to lure a Newt out of hiding and the best way to do this is by killing Shining Ones. The book ends on an action packed fight scene, as Finn goes after a higher ranking Shining One and we get to see Finn using some witch magic and a submachine gun to good effect.

The final pages reveal where a Newt lives and sets us up for Book 2.

Overall I loved this comic, always been a big fan of Finn and was sad to find out the character had been retired, due to it being too much competition for Slaine to handle (dumb barbarian!). I'm now in the process of trying to find Book two so watch out for more Finn action. It has also inspired me to attempt to make rules for him in JDMG, so Finn shall return!

As always thank you for taking the time to read these. Please comment below any feedback and hit follow.

Beer Review 33 // Blackberry Milkshake IPA by Bicycle Craft Brewery

Beer review time and it's a really local brewery for me: Bicycle Craft Brewery. I always enjoy visiting these guys as they have a great team and are always coming up with some fun beers and hosting great events. For me their Jalapeno beer is truly a highlight of their beers and worth getting when they brew it. But for today's review I will be drinking Blackberry Milkshake IPA. The newest flavour in their milkshake range.

Part of my Friday the 13th Marathon.

Details

Name: Blackberry Milkshake IPA

Style: Milkshake IPA
Brewery: Bicycle Craft Brewery

Country: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Price: $6

ABV: 6.7%

Commercial Fluff:

"Brewed with lactose, vanilla beans and a pile of blackberry puree, this IPA is fruity, refreshing and subtly sweet. Aromas of fresh berries and vanilla are complemented by a tropical and fruity flavour with a subtle vanilla aftertaste. Generously hopped with Mosaic, the tropical fruit and blackberry flavours linger."

Opinion

Sight: Pours a light purplish/pink. Capped with a nice white foam head. Looks interesting enough, though if it had been an intense purple it would have been amazing.

Aroma: Blackberries in the aroma, smells like a time when I use to add blackcurrent to my beers in my teens. A hint of tropical fruit hidden in there too.

Taste: Blackberry is definitely there along with a bitter finish I wasn't expecting. Not as sweet as the other ones they have produced and the vanilla was sadly lost on me. Easy drinking thanks to the blackcurrent.

Would I buy it again? Don't think I would, it was fun to try but the other flavours: Guava & Mango they have produced so far, have been a lot more superior in flavour and style.

Final Thoughts

I'm excited to see what flavour they come out with next, raspberries or cherries would be great. I also hope they revisit the Guava flavour again as that was by far my favourite. So if you are ever in Ottawa go visit them and purchase a flight!

As always thanks for checking my review out. Cheers.

Beer Review 32 // Great Lakes Brewery Octopus Wants to Fight

Welcome once again to a brew review! I'm happy to writing about and drinking a big favourite of mine today. Great Lake Brewery's Octopus wants to Fight IPA. Now I orginally tried this beer at the Ottawa Beer Festival in 2015, but since then it seems to be released every summer in can form at the LCBO's. Since then this has been by far my most bought beer of 2016/2017. So before I gush too much here are the details:

Details

Name: Octopus Wants to Fight.

Style: IPA (India Pale Ale)

Brewery: Great Lake Brewery (Link) 

Country: Ontario, Canada

Price: $3.25

ABV: 6.2%

Commercial Fluff:

“Our pet octopus is a bit of a jerk. He’s that guy who has a couple then either tells you how much he loves you or threatens to fight you. So we brewed this IPA, with 8 varieties of hops and 8 types of malt. We targeted 88 IBU and 8.8% to appease him. Sadly, when he found out that we’d fabricated all of the above info, it only made him more volatile. We are starting to realize that Octopus was a poor choice for a pet.”

Own Opinion

Sight: Pours a hazy golden yellow, with a good thick white head. Classic looking IPA.

Aroma: Grapefruit and mango straight away, plenty citrus aroma going on here with a bit of grassy note in there too. Malts have a subtle biscuit aroma to them.

Taste: Citrus, bitter, punchy, dangerously drinkable. Reminds to of BrewDog Punk IPA, or a fresh Thornbridge Jaipur.

Would I buy it again? YES.

This beer is rarity in that I would buy and drink it again and again. Personally I could drink this all day and not get bored. From the first sip it instantly reminded me of BrewDog Punk IPA, the bitterness in the beer makes you want more. Also how can I not mention the can art, it is so funny and really stands out on the shelf. All I can really say is more please!

Sector 102 // Character Fact Files Max Normal

Time for another Character Fact File from the pages of Judge Dredd. This time we explore the life of JD's number one Nark- Max Normal.

+++ Sector 102 Judges +++
+++ Morning Shift Briefing +++
+++ Shuggy Tournament at Angle at 19.00 +++
+++ Be aware Max Normal shall be attending +++
+++ Know info to follow +++

Max Normal

Known as 'the Pinstripe Freak', he was once Judge Dredd's most reliable informant, passing on information gathered in his 'day job' playing shuggy (a 22nd century version of billiards - more on this in a later post) for money. Eccentric even by the standards of Mega-City One, Max preferred to distance himself as much as possible from his own era (aside from habitually using bizarre futuristic slang terms) by dressing as a mid-20th century businessman, complete with bowler hat and umbrella.

His refusal to drink anything but Shampagne (real champagne is illegal in Mega-City One) protected him from the Block Mania virus introduced into the city's water supply by Orlok in 2104. He also ceased working for Dredd after he was used as a hostage by criminals attempting to kill the Judge, but was later drawn back into Dredd's life under similar circumstances.

He has since become involved with the schemes of former Judge turned criminal Lenny Zero, whose associate Shuggy Bear runs a shuggy hall which Max frequents.


Max Normal JDMG Rules

Credits: 30 creds
Type: Level 4 Infantry Hero
Equipment: None
Talents: Luck of Grud x3, Stealthy, Silent Action, Nark

Move: 5"
Agility: +0
Shoot: +0
Melee: +0
Melee Dice: 1D
Will: +1
Armour: +0
Hits: 5

Available to: Apocalypse War Resistance Unit, Justice Department.

As always thanks for stopping by, next up Rhode Island Red and the Red Leg Raiders.