Audio Review 09 // Judge Dredd: The Big Shot!

First audio book of 2020! Now Fridays are meant to be my novel review day, but every now and then an audio book will drop into the slot instead. This is because I am a slow reader by nature and a book could take me a week or two to get read and then another week to get blogged about. So these audio books can fill the void. These titles will mostly range from Judge Dredd to Warhammer to aliens to Terry Pratchett, so the themes will still be the same. These are easier for me to complete as well as I enjoy them on my walk to work and listen to them during work.

But enough about this scheduling, let's just dive into this review.

Details

Name: Judge Dredd: The Big Shot!
Author: David Bishop
Cover Artist: Henry Flint
Cast:
Toby Longworth (Judge Dredd / Tannoy)
Clare Buckfield (Cadet Amy Steel)
Peter Sowerbutts (Quentin Quail)
Nicholas Briggs (Jarvis / Control / Elevator)
Teresa Gallagher (Chief Judge Hershey / Assassin)
Regina Reagan (Enigma Smith)
Kerry Skinner (Sabrina Mills)

Director: John Ainsworth

Duration: 64 minutes

Commercial Fluff: For decades Brit Cit's Quentin Quail has been a legend among Tri-D film-makers. Reclusive, self-obsessed, a perfectionist - Quail is an award-winning auteur… and very probably one of the most annoying men alive. Now he is coming to Mega-City One for a retrospective of his work at the Museum of Post-Modern Art.

Reluctantly accepting his assignment as VIP bodyguard, Judge Dredd finds his diplomatic skills tested to the limit. While protecting Quail, Dredd and Judge Amy Steel must track down a shadowy assassin whose deadly intentions threaten to strike at the very heart of the Big Meg's Justice Department. But their task proves almost impossible when the target refuses to acknowledge the threat and it emerges that the assassin may have a hidden agenda.

The bullets are soon flying, and Judge Dredd must decide which way to shoot…

Chronological Timeline: This story takes place in August 2124.

Review

As always Big Finish kill it with another great audio tale. The script is truly something out of a 2000 AD strip. Judge Dredd is forced to be the bodyguard of one of the most annoying celebrities of the time, Quentin Quail. Lucky for Quail he has Dredd as it would seem a score of assassins are after him!

One standout of the tale for me, was Dredd and Quail's first meeting. Quail barely in MC-1 for a minute and Dredd wants to arrest him for lighting up a cigarette in a public space. This seems to be the running theme as Dredd is constantly reprimanding Quail and wondering why he got lumped with being the bodyguard.

Basically another hit. Great story, great action, great acting and no narrators A+

Meg 212 // 2000 AD Megazine 212

Now hitting November 2003! What a time to be alive a whole 16 years and two months ago. God damn I would of been 20 at the release time of this. Straight out of the bat I am excited for this issue as the cover is dominated by Armitage, second only to Dredd in my opinion. Armitage is holding a head in a jar and I am super intrigued to see what on earth is happening!

On the story front we have Judge Dredd: Sturm and Dang (Part 2), Judge Death: The Wilderness Days (Part 4), Devlin Waugh: Red Tide (Part 11), Xtnct (Part 4), Armitage: Apostasy in the UK (Part 1), Harry 20 on the High Rock and Charley's War.

Story: Judge Dredd: Strum and Dang (Part 2) - Dredd, Koburn and the Rookies are seriously outnumbered and gunned. After fleeing the battle to a local ghost town, Dredd is wheelchair bound after taking a shot to the legs. Now the role of leader falls on the shoulders of Koburn.

One of my favourite parts is Dredd rolling out of a hab unit in his wheelchair to blow up a tank. Only Dredd could pull that move off.

Story: Judge Death: The Wilderness Days (Part 4) - Judge Death has finally reached a centre of civilisation in the Cursed Earth, Las Vegas. Here gambling is the law and the town is rife with crime and gluttony.
After being arrested for killing a citizen, Judge Death is lead to be judged by the God-Judge (think Godfather), here Judge Death strikes a deal with the mafia boss. Work 10 nights in the boxing ring in exchange for details of weapons of mass destruction!

As always the art work is dark, highly detailed and beautiful! The above image is the perfect example. Just look how gloomy and dark the Judge looks. Love it!

Story: Devlin Waugh - Red Tide (Part 11): We are still running and being chased! What is that 4 issues so far? Come on this tale started so strong and since then it's just become a massive chase scene. Plus side we have finally reached the hold cell of Lilith and hopefully are actually reaching a point to the story.
As always the artwork is great and Devlin gets some great lines.

Story: Harry Twenty in the High Rock - Story is starting to pick up finally. Harry, Genghis and Old Ben have finally escaped the Rock and landed on Earth. Only issue is it seems just a dangerous down here!

Story: Charley's War - Pretty straight forward tale set in the WW1 setting. It's a harmless enough tale but doesn't excite me. So let us just move on.

Story: Xtnct (Part 4) - This story is dieing rapidly! What I thought was going to be a real cool story is just turning into a dull read. Though the artwork is brilliant and the social commentary is fun, I am just finding it a real dull read so quick as I can, I will move on.

Story: Armitage - Apostasy in the UK (Part 1): Armitage and Steel are back. There seems to have been a string of murders with the the mutilated bodies laid out in some form of religious symbolism. Now the only real issue is how to workout which religion as they were all band in 2057, and no one remembers much info on them. The tale ends with Judge Steel being jumped by four religiously robed people. I can see this becoming a race against time with Armitage rushing to the rescue.

This tale is filling me with hope, beautiful art, interesting story and one of my favourite characters....so I am here with fingers crossed.

Story: Apocalypse Soon: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have arrived in Casbah and the city has changed since they last visited! Barely into the town the group is confronted by a suicide bomber and blown to bits!! Local military units are then called in to support. I am excited to see what happens next.

Wow what a hit and miss issue. First two stories great, then a nose dive for four tales and then finish strong for the last two tales. This is exactly a 50/50 split issue. I am extremely excited for the Armitage tale to continue and I wonder what Dredd is getting up to next.

As always thanks for joining! 

Beer Review 80 // Flat White by Alphabet Brewing Co.

Excited for this brew as it was specially brought back for me from England. I am a pretty big fan of Flat Whites so this brew has a lot to live up to.

Details

Name: Flat White

Style: White Breakfast Stout

Brewery: Alphabet Brewing Co.

Country: England

ABV: 7.4%

Artwork: Unknown

Commercial Fluff: Cold brew coffee, milk sugar and a huge amount of oats almost makes this beer a justifiable alternative to breakfast. You Won’t Believe It’s Not A Dark Beer!

Own Opinion

Label: Nothing too crazy, looks like they are trying to achieve a coffee shop vibe.

Pour: Dark orange pour, with a lively and healthy looking white cap. Head dies away to nothing surprising quick.

Aroma: Impressive hit of the coffee and a subdued vanilla aroma.

Taste: Unsurprisingly coffee up front and centre. With a sweetness I assume comes from the lactose. Not as creamy as I was hoping for with the mention of lactose and oats in the making of the beer. Very carbonated as well giving it a lightness on the tongue. Finish was not bitter at all which surprised me.

Would I buy it again: For my first time from this brewery I have to say I'm impressed. Just wish I could experience more from them over here in Canada.

Have you tried it? Drop me a comment!

Comic Review 73 // Fire and Stone: Aliens vs Predator

Okay so the library was quick this time and I was able to go straight in and pick up part three of the Fire and Stone series. Please take a moment to check Part 1 Prometheus and Part 2 Aliens if you haven't already. Of course this is a continuation of those that went before and though the plots are a bit muddled I am enjoying the artwork. Let's see if this continues into this tale.

Details

Title: AVP Alien vs Predator: Fire and Stone #3

Author: Christopher Sebela

Illustrator: Ariel Olivetti

Type: Graphic Novel

Publisher: Dark Horse

Page Count: 126

Commercial Fluff: As the mercenary crew of the Perses leaves the horror of LV-223 behind them, one passenger reveals a terrible new danger and the crew soon find themselves in a deadly struggle between predator and prey! Collects issues #1-#4 of Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone!
Aliens, Predators, and Engineers will come together in 2014 when the Aliens, Predators, and Aliens Vs. Predator comics get completely rebooted, along with the first Prometheus comic series, and joined together in a single continuity.

Review

Okay got to be clear early on the plot has crashed hard, real hard. I feel they lost their vision completely in this issue and have just started throwing things into the mix to see what would stick.

AVP: Fire and Stone continues the story started in Prometheus. Elden the synthetic droid injected with the black goo has now completely mutated and is on a journey of working out his place in the universe. All the while attempting to hunt down the man who infected him. This leads us back to the Geryon ship which is now heading back to earth.

It's during this period that the Predators finally show up and the battles start. We have a whole three way happening of Preds vs Aliens vs Humans and as you could imagine we are left reading pages of gory scenes, once again I feel the gore is a bit over done. Sometimes less is more.

A highlight for me once again is the artwork. Though the gore scenes are over used in the tale, they are actually beautifully brought to life by Ariel Olivetti. And even Elden looks like a creature that could exist in a truly messed up world.

Lowlight of the tale is Elden. I'm board of him struggling to find himself and his identity. I'm also really board of Francis who should have been killed off a lot sooner.

Overall read for the artwork and try not to get wrapped up in the dubious plot of the comic. Only one volume left to go.

Have you read this? Drop me a comment and follow too see more comic reviews.

Miniature Monday // 1987 GW Talisman Pirate

Something a little bit different this week as I delve into the past. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 1987 Talisman Dungeon Pirate via ebay. Now don't worry I am not about to start collecting Talisman, I wanted this model to represent a kookie undercover "Wally" Judge. I can see him hanging out at the bars and slums of sector 102 gaining info on the local gangs.

For the paint scheme I went classic pirate, with a neat little red jacket and enough blue and white strips to last till 2021. I have to admit this was a lot of fun to paint, not sure how I will get him into my games but it is definitely getting a pride of place spot on the display shelf.

Name: Judge Jennings
Department: Wally Squad
Sector House: Sector 102
Alias: Bersheba
Known hideout: Angles Shuggy hall

Notes: Serving as a member of Wally Squad now for five years, Judge Jennings was stationed at Sector 102 to aid Judges with an influx of harbour-side gangs.
Playing the role of a Pirate called Bersheba, Judge Jennings soon discovered people liked to talk to him and share synth-rum. Now one of the main informant gathers in the sector Judge Jennings role has become a permanent role.

As always let me know your thoughts and drop me a comment below. Thanks for reading.

Book Review 69 // Dreddlocked by Stephan Marley

Been a while since we dived into a Judge Dredd novel. This one has sat in the collection for far to long so it is feeling good to get it read and completed. It's also helping my push to start building my Dan Abnett block and the collecting of the Warlord Games Judge Dredd series. This time we are on book three in the virgin series, so let us dive in.

Book Details

Title: Dreddlocked
Author: Stephan Marley
Publisher: Virgin Books
Type: Paperback
Page Count: 288
Commercial Fluff: Mister Cairo, private-eye and wild-psi talent, has been hired to find a missing alien call-girl. But following her trail into the dark Undercity, Cairo realises that more than one girl's life is at stake.

Review

Where to begin. That is the truth of this tale I don't know where to begin. It doesn't feel like a Dredd novel. For over 95% of the book we follow a character known as Mister Cairo. Mister Cairo was born to a whore in the pleasure districts. His initial entrance into the world was brutal as his mother was soon killed by Judge Dredd or at least that is Cairo's belief, he is also a twin but more on that later. Left to grow up in the system Cairo became a private eye in MC-1, and even developed psi abilities that even the Justice system couldn't find. As a character in a world of unemployment he seemingly is financially sound as he owns a hi-tech personal vehicle with state of art clocking devices and A.I systems. I can't workout if it is all bought with his cases payments or if he got them by using his psi abilities.

The story starts as a murder and kidnapping that leads Cairo to discover his mutant twin brother and head into the Undercity to rescue the lady. Ultimately throughout the tale Dredd randomly turns up to remind us this is a Dredd, tale but I don't see the point. The story reads like a pulp novel that just happens to be set in MC-1. Cairo seems to be the luckiest, most skilful man in the world and even a comment is made that he can outdraw Dredd. I'm just left feeling Marley wanted to showcase Cairo and this was his best chance at getting him into the real world.

It would be an easy tale to ignore and not miss anything from. I doubt I will revisit anytime soon. A real shame. Sadly the characters seemed flat and dull and the real lack of Dredd hurts this tale.

Oh well can't win them all.

Meg 211 // 2000 AD Megazine 211

Pretty happy with the pace of my comic reading and blogging so far into 2020. This time we get back into the Megazine at issue 211. This issue differs from the others as it has two different covers! The first is a creepy greenish blue and red cover, showing Judge Death torturing two people, whilst the other is seemingly a copy of a famous Joker cover and has Judge Death with a camera snapping pictures.

This time we have the following stories Judge Dredd - Sturm und Dang (Part 1), Judge Death - The Wilderness Days (Part 3), Devlin Waugh - Red Tide (Part 10), Xtnct (Part 3), The Bendatti Vendetta - Blooded (Part 3), then all new Charley's War and Harry 20.  I have a good feeling about this issue and it's not because there is no Darkie's Mob.

Judge Dredd - Sturm und Dang (Part 1): Following the destruction of Hope Rising, Judge Dredd heads out into the Cursed Earth as part of a hotdog run, to discover the threat. But if he is to successfully lead the run he will need a guide - here enters Koburn, a disgraced Judge who Dredd believes should have been sent to Titan.
With the guide in place the group head off to hunt down the Mutie army. 10 Judges versus 100 muties I like the sound of those odds. Got to say the artwork is just stunning Carlos Ezquerra is just so perfect in visually describing the world of Dredd.

Judge Death - The Wilderness Days (Part 3): Judge Death is still wandering the Cursed Earth on his one ghoul mission to rid the earth of all human life. With his ride broken, Death is seeking a new way to cross the Cursed Earth, lucky for him he meets two crazies on a drug fuelled killing spree. A fun little tale showing of Death's more fun loving side. Once again the artwork is dark and moody and full of silly quotes.

Charley's War: As might already be known I am not the biggest fan of World War comics, so I won't go too far down this rabbit hole. All I will say is that it is more interesting than Darkie's Mob and Charley is a likeable if stupid character. I won't say I'm super into it, but I am interested to read the next instalments.

Harry Twenty on High Rock: Nope. Just can't do it. I want to enjoy this, it's like classic 80's scifi but I just can't get into it. I'm sorry and disappointed in myself, maybe I will look back and enjoy it in the future.

Devlin Waugh - Red Tide (Part 10): For me the highlight of this tale is the artwork still. The chase and running story arc has been over done in this tale. I'm ready for some real action! Another highlight has to be the weird ass Mudskipper Vampires. It's so quirky and so Waugh. But I seriously hope they move the story on soon.

Xtnct (Part 3): This tale is rapidly losing me. I just don't see where it is going anymore. Even the way the characters talk is starting to anger me. Come on Megazine, let's have a real story beyond the Dreddverses!!

Apocalypse Soon: The horsemen are now on their way to start the Apocalypse, but first they have to drop a ton of horse shit on Tony Blair! Love it, the one pager is out classing the other tales at the moment.

The Bendatti Vendetta - Blooded (Part 3): This tale is at least moving along nicely. Frank has now come face to face with the man he has been chasing. We are also finally treated to the back story of the main character and how his wife and child died in a car crash. Having now enter the Bendatti officially I am excited to see where we go!

With this tale we end the issue. Got to be harsh and say this issue was a miss. With less than half the tales being a hit, I fear we are hitting a bit of low point for the magazine but hopefully it will pick up again.

Let me know your thoughts. Are you a 2000 AD fan?

Beer Review 79 // Agamemnon by Omnipollo

Sometimes the world is glorious and one of your favourite breweries start to contract brew out of the country you live in. This is what has happen with Omnipollo brewing, who now brew out of Toronto and sell their beers in the LCBO. So whilst I was buying red wine last week (yes I drink wine), I spotted a can of Agamemnon and knew I had to have it!

Details

Name: Agamemnon

Style: Imperial Stout

Brewery: Omnipollo

Country: Contract brewed in Canada

ABV: 12.5%

Artwork: Karl Grandin @karlgrandin

Commercial Fluff: Invited to brew in the US I wanted to use local ingredients. Agamemnon is an Imperial Stout brewed with maple syrup. Boiled 7 hours - Henok

Own Opinion

Label: I'm a big fan of Karl Grandin's work, and the choice of colours really helps it standout on the shelves. It is definitely getting added to the collection.

Pour: It's thick, it's chewy, it's beautiful. Pitch black, tar like pour with a melted hot chocolate foam head. So beautiful.

Aroma: Maple slaps you in the face faster than fast. Also a nice chocolate and vanilla hit before a roasty coffee aroma kicks in. Mouth is watering.

Taste: It delivers! This is not the light hearted as the sweet notes will overwhelm you. Big sweet hit from the maple, vanilla tag team. Then we get as it warms a little more chocolate and coffee force through. But damn a lot of sugar sweetness in this.

Would I buy it again: Hell yes! Loved it. Delivered everything I hoped for and more. Whilst drinking it, it seems like a melted dessert. But a few moments after finishing the alcohol hit came bringing with a warmth and the feeling of happiness. This beer is great, I really loved it.

Have you drunk it? Let me know in the comments or hit the follow button.

Comic Review 72 // Fire and Stone: Aliens

Been a while since I read Fire and Stone: Prometheus. But here we find ourselves delving back into the series as the comic became available via the library. I highlight recommend checking out the first review to refresh yourself on my first thoughts of the series. Then come back and see if issue two is an improvement.

Details

Author: Chris Roberson

Illustrator: Patric Reynolds

Type: Graphic Novel

Publisher: Dark Horse

Page Count: 128

Commercial Fluff: Directly tying in with the Prometheus and Aliens films, this excursion into terror is not to be missed!

An unlikely hero tries to save a small group of researchers and miners from the doomed, deep-space Hadley's Hope colony--which is now infested with vicious xenomorphs! Terraforming engineer Derrick Russell takes control during an outbreak of aliens and leads his desperate survivors onto the Onager, a rickety mining vessel. This role is new to Russell, as are the horrors he and his crew will face both in space and on the strange planet they crash on.

Review

This is part two in the Fire and Stone Series, but you need to understand it is actually the prequel to the Prometheus issues. Which is a little confusing and strange way to go about the series. Up first the artwork is beautiful and sucks you into the tale and makes it worth the cover price for the artwork alone.

Story is pretty standard as seems to be the case with Xenomorph titles. Where this changes a little is the fact that it ties into the Aliens movie. Set on LV-426 we see some of the colonists dealing with the infestation that the marines end up dealing with. A hand full of survivors manage to escape off world using a rundown ship called the Onager  and escape to LV-223.

It's soon discovered they didn't arrive alone and the group fee into the jungle to escape the xeno threat. Here the shit hits the fan with the group coming under constant attack and the discovery of black goo as well. The story is definitely a bit confusing at times as the black goo can seemingly mutate and alter DNA and the whole piece ends on a cliff hanger that I can only assume is answered in either Aliens vs Predator or the Predator issue.

Worth the 30 minutes of reading for the eye candy alone. Now to find the next issue. Have you read the series? Let me know your thoughts below I would love to hear it and I guess I really need to rewatch Prometheus and Covenant again as I find the whole black goo confusing.

Miniature Monday // Street Judge Part 3

Finally finding some time to get some paint on the model! Pretty excited to have made some more progress on my Warlord Games Street Judge. If you want to keep up with project here is part 1 and part 2. Now in no way am I a pro painter, but I feel like I've mastered the tabletop standard.

When I was planning out the model I honestly thought I was going to go down the pure black leather look, but ultimately found it a bit to hard to highlight. Meaning I chicken out and went to the blue side (the shame). Overall I'm pretty happy with the outcome and I would love to hear any thoughts on this.

Street Judge Silar is now up and roaming the streets of Sector 102. Watch this space Spugheads!

Book Review 68 // Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Following hot on the broom stick of Wyrd Sisters come Pyramids. You know you've read a good book when you find yourself diving straight into the next one without a moments pause! I really hope this one fairs as well as Wyrd Sisters. But enough chat lets jump in!

Book Details

Title: Pyramids (Discworld #7)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Publisher: Corgi

Type: E-Book

Page Count: 380

Commercial Fluff: t's bad enough being new on the job, but Teppic hasn't a clue as to what a pharaoh is supposed to do. After all, he's been trained at Ankh-Morpork's famed assassins' school, across the sea from the Kingdom of the Sun. First, there's the monumental task of building a suitable resting place for Dad -- a pyramid to end all pyramids. Then there are the myriad administrative duties, such as dealing with mad priests, sacred crocodiles, and marching mummies. And to top it all off, the adolescent pharaoh discovers deceit, betrayal - not to mention a headstrong handmaiden - at the heart of his realm.

Review

Pyramids is lucky number 7 in the Discworld series, and I'm still enjoying them! This time Pratchett turns his humour to religion, faith and what loyalty is all about. Set in the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi aka Egypt. Where this tale differs from the others is that it is a stand alone adventure, no classic Discworld characters in this one. Giving Pratchett a bit of freedom to play around with what he is doing.

As a slight non believer, I enjoyed Pratchett's tongue-in-cheek view point on faith, his over the top attack on organised religions and the how stupid traditionalism is when it goes beyond what should be accepted in modern society. He also introduces the idea that camels are in fact amazing mathematicians and playing us dumb humans for fools!

Definitely not the strongest novel in the series but for sure a must read for Pratchett fans.

Meg 210 // 2000 AD Megazine 210

Welcome back to another Megazine review, hitting the big 210. Which was released in September 2003. The cover is striking with the bold red blood splatters and the rip off of Reservoir Dogs. Can't wait to see what happens in this issue with Mr. Woo and Hong Tong.

So unsurprising there is no new tales in this issues. We have Judge Dredd - Hong Tong Part 2, Judge Death - The Wilderness Days Part 2, Devlin Waugh - Red Tide Part 9, Xtnct Part 2 and The Bendatti Vendetta - Blooded Part 2. Let us jump in and enjoy the issue.

Judge Dredd - Hong Tong Part 2: Holy crap so much action in one strip. Judge Dredd and Mr. Woo finally team up in the ultimate shoot out. So many blam, bdam and daks, in so few pages is crazy. The story pretty much wraps up in a straight forward way, with the criminal captured and a body count that would make a serial killer blush. But of course Dredd can't just leave this alone, and bluntly tells Mr. Woo to book a flight to MC-1 so they can have a rematch, but this time to leave his diplomatic protection next time. Another highlight for me was the Sino-Judges, how on earth do they catch anyone with those crazy ass helmets!

Judge Death - The Wilderness Days Part 2 : Judge Death is slowly crossing the Cursed Earth bringing his form of law to the lawless. In this tale we see a different side to Death. We see a side that is troubled and seconded guessing himself and his purpose. That is until he meets a blind mutant who lends a friendly ear. After Death states his concerns the Mutant still not realising the being is Death, shows him to his special mine, a book mine. With a whole library at his finger tips Death rediscovers new ways to the kill the guilty and is reborn with a new passion. This is a fun tale as we get to see a different side to the superfiend, which we rarely if ever seen.

Devlin Waugh - Red Tide Part 9 : The constant running and being chased is starting to wear thin for me, I get what they are trying to portray but come on! Let's get moving with this tale I want to see where it is going. As always the artwork is gorgeous and a true highlight of the strip.

THE GOLD SECTION

For me this is the most dull part of the meg, with the WW2 Darkie's Mob strips and then Harry 20. I got to be honest and say these do nothing for me and though I read them I don't want to waste time reviewing them. Let's just move on and hope they end soon.

Xtnct Part 2 : Having officially gone the team are seeking a way to bring down father and get their revenge on the last human. For reasons unknown the team are heading towards an underwater sea fortress containing research scientists cloned from the original founders of the lab. These scientists have discovered a virus that would affect all life but would only kill humans, their goal is give earth a chance by killing those who cause the most damage. Unfortunately this doesn't fit with the teams plans, so they capture the base, killing all inside and destroying the virus. What is the team planing?

The Bendatti Vendetta Part 2 : Following on from the killings of the first issues, the story jumps forwards and we finally start getting some details. The assassin of part 1 is called Faulkner and it would seem the woman who saved him is part of a vigilante group called the Bendatti. An underground group who fight the criminals the normal justice system can't reach. I can see this becoming a full on vigilante strip with some double crossing happening down the road. Either way I am excited to read more of this strip.

Apocalypse Soon: The horsemen of the Apocalypse have finally caught up to their steeds and are back on track to starting the end of the world. Only issue is the US government are watching them and if any apocalypse is going to happen it will be on the USA's terms. Considering these are one page stories I am really enjoying them and can't wait to see where it is all going.

And with that the issue is at an end. Got to be honest this is a 50% mix of enjoyment and boredom. Highlights include Judge Dredd, Judge Death, Xtnct and Bendatti. Low lights shockingly include Devlin which is becoming stale and the entire Gold Section, I am finding that part so pointless and dull.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this. SO drop me a comment below. Until next time enjoy some Sino Judges!

Beer Review 78 // El Camino by Lowertown Brewery

New year, new beers. This year I am attempting two things when it comes to beer blogging:

1- Get more of my older posts up and clear my back log.
2- Try out breweries I haven't visited in a while and give them a second chance.

With this in mind I am revisiting Lowertown from Ottawa. The last time I tried a brew from them is from about three or four years ago. I am not going to lie the last time I tried their beers I did not enjoy it, hence the long space between trying beers. Here are the details:

Details

Name: El Camino

Style: Lager

Brewery: Lowertown Brewery

Country: Ottawa, Canada.

ABV: 4.5%

Artwork: Unknown

Commercial Fluff: The El Camino Cerveza takes Bavarian brewing tradition of Caribbean/Mexican Lagers we know today to make a full-flavoured lager at the Lowertown Brewery in Ottawa.

Crisp, smooth, pleasant, and refreshing. This lager is best enjoyed on the patio with some sun and maybe even with a lime on the side.

Pairs well with chicken, tortilla-based dishes, light vinaigrettes, and grilled pub fare.
Own Opinion

Own Opinion

Label: Not the most exciting of artworks. Basically a drawing of the car and the title done in cinema style writing. Got to be honest and say it is a very basic label, seriously doubt it would standout on a shelf.

Pour: Light golden colour, with a healthy white cap on it. Looks clean and clear and is a nice looking beer in a glass.

Aroma: Oh no. Smells like corn. Seriously over the top corn smell coming from this. Not sure I can even drink this.

Taste: Sweet, biscuit malt taste and corn. What a weird combo, it is leaving a stickiness in my mouth which is unpleasant. Send water asap!

Would I buy it again: Nope! No. This ended it's days as a drain pour. I just couldn't get behind the taste. It was way too sweet. I drank like they were attempting a Corona style beer, but failed really bad. Normally I try to find a positive but this time I seriously can't.

As always leave me a comment of thoughts. Especially if you have drank this one. 

Comic Review 71 // Aquila - Blood of the Iceni

Sometimes you are just browsing an isle at your local library when something takes you by complete surprise. This happened to me when I saw the tale tell sign of a 2000 AD comic. I was expecting a Judge Dredd tale to appear before me but instead found it to Aquila. Aquila is a tale I have own seen and read a few times pages off. With it seeming set in roman times and leaning heavily on fantasy. So with such little knowledge I thought it would be the perfect read.

Details

Title: Aquila

Author: Gordon Rennie

Illustration: Leigh Gallagher & Patrick Goddard

Type: Graphic Novel

Page Count: 192

Commercial Fluff: He was one of the rebellious gladiator-slaves crucified by the Romans for being part of Spartacus's uprising, and in his dying moments he called out to the gods for vengeance. Something heard him, and brought him back from the dead in exchange for his soul.

He is Aquila, and he is now the unstoppable instrument of Ammit the Devourer, who hungers for the souls of evil men – and Aquila will cross the Roman Empire, from Londinium to Jerusalem to Rome itself, to feed her until his debt has been paid! A stunning historical fantasy from writer Gordon Rennie (Rogue Trooper, Dept of Monsterology) and Leigh Gallagher (Judge Dredd).

Review

Do you like blood? Do you like dark fantasy? A fan of violence? Then guess what! This is the comic for you. It is seriously gore ridden tale, almost to the point of being over done. Our Hero(?) Aquila was once apart of Spartacus' failed rebellion and whilst he cried out at being crucified an angry god answered. In exchange for an immortal life Aquila now hunts down souls for his new master Ammit the Devourer.

During his adventures, we meet Romans, Celts and the founders of Christianity. A true highlight of the comic was the sidekick of Aquila, Felix Fortunatus. A complete coward and self absorbed character he plays well against Aquila and how he manages to survive the fighting is beyond me!

Lowlights of the comic for me has to be the main character Aquila. I found myself not caring, he isn't likeable or even interesting. Then there is magic, how come it exists? What made it exist, why are the gods so active.

It was definitely a fun read, not necessary one I would buy for my collection. It just over did the gore aspects for me, whilst not working on the plot or background. Would love to here your thoughts on this. As always drop me a comment and hit follow! 

Miniature Monday // Warlord Games Judge Dredd - Street Judge Part 2

Quick update on my Street Judge. It now has a second colour! That's right I've blocked out the colour sections with an off white. It's really exciting ha!

To be honest I struggle to pick up a brush at the moment with two young kids. And this properly the most I've painted in 6 months! Up next I want to try and block in the colours if I am able to do so. Starting with the Flesh, Red, Green and finally yellow.

Then at least I will have a tabletop ready model that I can highlight at later date.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope to have a more exciting looking model for the next post. Until then let me know if you are playing the game by leaving me a comment, would love to find other blogs working on this game.

Book Review 67 // Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Wow it's been nearly seven months since my last adventure in Discworld (Link). But we are finally back, riding the great turtle all the way into book 6: Wyrd Sisters. Rather than hang around to be cursed by a witch lets jump into the details.

Book Details

Title: Wyrd Sisters (Discworld #6; Witches #2)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Publisher: Corgi

Type: E-Book

Page Count: 305

Commercial Fluff: Things like crowns had a troublesome effect on clever folks; it was best to leave all the reigning to the kind of people whose eyebrows met in the middle.

Three witches gathered on a lonely heath. A king cruelly murdered, his throne usurped by his ambitious cousin. A child heir and the crown of the kingdom, both missing…

Witches don't have these kind of dynastic problems themselves – in fact, they don’t have leaders. Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders they didn't have. But even she found that meddling in royal politics was a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe, particularly when the blood on your hands just won't wash off and you're facing a future with knives in it...

Review

Such a good read, it is basically Macbeth given a Discworld twist. In this novel we see the return of Granny Weatherwax (from Equal Rites) and she is not alone. This time she has a coven, made up of Nanny Ogg (a local matriarch with a large family) and Magrat Garlick (newest witch to the country). These three seemingly make up the Witches of Macbeth representing the Crone, Mother and Maiden.

Through out the story Pratchett leans heavily into the realm of Shakespeare clearly referencing Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. Which is great to read and adds to the whole idea of an alternate universes. It is also nice to see the return of Death and of course the Unseen University's banana loving Librarian.

As I mentioned at the start this is a seriously good read. The humour is spot on for me and really brought a smile to my face as I read it. I can't recommend a better book in the series so far. Truly an A+ piece of writing. Do yourself a favour and go pick it up!

Meg 209 // 2000 AD Megazine 209

Following on from last weeks return to reading my Judge Dredd Megazines I have decided to push on and read more from 2003. The cover straight away is eye catching with a beautiful image Judge Death thumbing a ride through Death Valley, with a hitch-hiker dead at his feet. I have to admit early on I am very excited to see what this tale is all about. This also seems like a good jump on week with four new stories starting.

Enough intro blurg let's jump in!

The tales included in this issue include: Judge Dredd- Hong Tong (Part 1), Judge Death - The Wilderness Day (Part 1), Devlin Waugh - Red Tide (Part 8), Xtnct (Part 1), The Bendatti Vendetta - Blooded (Part 1) along with some gold age tales and the mini series Apocalypse Soon.

Judge Dredd - Hong Tong (Part 1) - Following a massive shoot out in a dive bar in MC-1, Judge Dredd discovers known perps are travelling to Hong Tong to get complete body mark overs. And is soon headed to Hong Tong to investigate. Highlight of this strip comes in two parts. One is Hong Tong itself, a city of two cultures split between Brit-Cit and Sino-Cit making it a hotbed of cultures. Two is Inspector Liu Chan Yeun aka Johnny Woo a known hitman and Enforcer for the Triads, who has met Dredd before! This is a great opener, with action, old grudges and a new to me location to enjoy and investigate. Excited to see where this goes.

Judge Death - The Wilderness Days (Part 1) - Not sure the background to this tale or even when it is set. All I know is Death is for some reason wandering the Cursed Earth! The real eye catching part of this tale is the artwork, Frazer Irving has really created a dark and moody experience for me which adds volume to the tale. Highlight for me is how Wagner has made the super-fiend seem vulnerable. Due to the low tech nature of the Cursed Earth, Death can't take risked like he did in MC-1. Lose his body out here and he may not be able to find a new host! Excited to see where it leads but would love some background as to why he is there.

Devlin Waugh - Red Tide (Part 8) - By far my favourite strip in the previous issues. The story continues but actually seems to be ramping up to something big. The action is still gory and Devlin is still dishing out tongue bashing's left and right (which I love). But it does finally feel we are heading to the conclusion of the tale and look forward to seeing how all the pieces come together. Highlight is still Devlin and the samurai sword, it's just such a bad ass look!

Harry Twenty on the High Rock - A bit of a classic 1980's sci-fi adventure. Harry is sent to the High Rock, a orbital space station that is home to some of the roughest prisoners around. As soon as Harry arrives he is already making plans to escape, but can he survive the guards and the other inmates? Nice enough tale but a pretty straight forward tale. Seems to be the first half of the adventure and I guess the second part will be in 210?

Darkie's Mob - I still struggle with these adventures! Never really got into these WWII tales as a child. They just don't hold my interest, so let us move on.

Apocalypse Soon - The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are still trying to find their horses and have arrived at the sex cult camp. Death after dropping acid sees a glimpse of a fun future and starts early on killing people! As always beautiful artwork, but I feel they should give it an extra page or two.

Xtnct (Part 1) - In an alternative future mankind in on the brink of extinction. With only 200 people left alive on earth and seemingly owing allegiance to a Tyrant known only as Father. In this opening tale it would seem on colony of 6 people has attempted to go it alone. Father in classic Tyrant style decides to wage war on the colony to regain control of them. It would seem the different colonies have grown or cloned creatures to fight for them. Father for example seems to like dinosaurs, whilst the rogue state likes bears. By the end of the issue one of the dinosaurs has over stepped this programming causing Father to turn on them and attempts to kill them! I see this becoming a comical revenge tale and I am excited to see were it will go.

The Bendatti Vendetta - This is an interesting tale as it is set in 1999 Britain and follows at least one British mob and some corrupt police. The piece starts off at a funeral and has a mob boss chatting with a corrupt cop about all the latest killings, and how they are possibly linked to a job gone bad in Richmond. It's at this point a biker attacks the car causing a crash and killing the cop. Facing off against the Mob boss the mystery biker is injured and flees the scene before being picked up by an unknown female character. I'm interested to see where this goes as I like a good mobster tale.

And with that this megazine is over. Overall it was strong showing, with every tale apart from Darkie's mob gaining or holding my interest. I am definitely excited to continue reading the megazine.

I hope you are enjoying this trip down memory lane. If you are enjoying let me know in the comments, or hit the follow button!

Beer Review 77 // Dream Pop by Fairweather Brewing

Today's beer possibly has one of the prettiest labels, but will the beer inside live up to the labels. Time to crack open the beer and find out.

Details

Name: Dream Pop

Style: Kettle Sour

Brewery: Fairweather

Country: Canada

ABV: 6.2%

Artwork: Unknown

Commercial Fluff: Dry hopped American kettle sour. Notes of lemon, lime, fuzzy peach and cranberry.

Own Opinion

Label: Bright, light and colourful. Big fan of the label, would make a great wallpaper.

Pour: Beautiful golden pour topped with a white foam cap. Looks great!

Aroma: Lemony citrus and little grain note coming through.

Taste: Uh sour. Sharpness from the lemon and I do get the fuzzy peach. Don't really get the lime though that maybe hiding alongside the lemon citrus notes. The cranberry though is none existent to me. It's drinkable but not something I want to drink quickly.

Would I buy it again: Probably not. Nice notes of lemon and I got the fuzzy peach, which was nice. Didn't really notice the cranberry and it finishes quite clean and crisp. It was enjoyable just not a standout.

Would love to hear your thoughts, drop me a comment below or hit follow.

Comic Review 70 // Aliens: Defiance, Volume 2.

Coming in hot on the coat tails of our last comic review come Aliens: Defiance, Volume 2. If you haven't read last weeks review, do yourself a favour and go read it. I will be honest and say the last comic was pretty standard.
One strong woman lead, supported by an android fighting the xenomorph menace whilst trying to stay one step ahead of the evil Corporations. I am interested to see where the tales goes from here.

Details

Title: Aliens: Defiance, Volume 2.

Author: Brian Wood

Illustrators: Stephen Thompson (Illustrator), Tony Brescini (Illustrator), Eduardo Francisco (Illustrator), Dan Jackson (Colorist), Nate Piekos (Letterer)

Type: Graphic Novel

Page Count: 152

Commercial Fluff:
Colonial Marine Private First Class Zula Hendricks is on an AWOL mission to prove her mettle by eradicating the alien species before they can be exploited as weapons on Earth. She must battle with aliens, fend off space pirates, and elude the insidious Weyland-Yutani corporation that wants their freighter back, all while facing rehabilitation from an old war injury.

Review

Well Aliens: Defiance, kind off drifted off to a slow end.

It's not that it has a bad ending in anyway. It just felt like a very organised, all the t's crossed and i's doted kind of finishing. With no real loose threads left behind, you aren't left wondering the meaning of the tale. Instead you are left feeling this is just a leading tale to a future script.

But hey, it's a xenomorph comic, it's not meant to be a tale for the ages. Instead you get a solid story, once again delivering a strong female character in the lead. Zulu continues to be an interesting heroine and Davis (the now freed android) continues to search for the meaning of his life and if he is able to function in a galaxy of caring humans. Personally I think Davis was the strongest character in series and I would have loved to have seen him with more page time.

But back to the story: nothing goes well for the trio, in classic Alienverse fashion the xenomorph's constantly mess things up and I do feel the final pages were rushed and led to a blunt ending and possibly not the ending I felt the story was heading to. Though the biggest peeve for me, was the changing of the artists between strips. It completely drew me out of the story and really affect my overall enjoyment of the series. In what to me seemed like a short strip to change artists four times, really annoys me, Dark Horse please stick to one artist please!

Ultimately you should read it if you are a fan of aliens, but just remember it's not going to blow your mind or change your view point on the franchise. What it will do is entertain you for the thirty minutes read. Leave me a comment below of your thoughts and then hit follow!

Sector 102 // The beginnings of Dan Abnett Block

Welcome to an exciting new project I am undertaking. To coincide with the Warlord Games - Judge Dredd miniature game, I have decided to build a gaming. But no ordinary table, this will represent the inside of Dan Abnett Block located in Sector 102. For those not up to date with my blogging; Sector 102 represents my corner of MC-1. It is rarely mentioned in the comics and so gives me great freedom for creativity.

In the comics especially the older ones, city blocks normally were named after celebrities or people recently in the papers or news. For me Dan Abnett is one of my favourite Authors and comic book script writers. So it just felt right to have a block named after him. What it does mean is that I can combine a couple of loves into the setting. So expect things like the Cit-Def being known as the First and Only led by the ruthless Commissar Ibram. There will be a gang known as the Bluebloods and the Private investigators Eisenhorn and Ravenor for hire. But this is just the iceberg of ideas I am brewing.



But back to the main point of this post. I am starting work on a gaming table that will be made up of 2'x2' sections. The first 2'x2' will be the shopping arcade. The base is made from a thin layer of wood topped with pink insulation foam. This gives me a nice light weight base to build off. The next job was to build some walls to give me a basic skeleton, once these were in place I covered them in filler to give them an added strength.

As you will see I have nice entrance way that can lead to a more street style section in the future. I then have a wide open open plaza space. Whilst the far wall (the non plastered piece), will quickly become shop fronts, expect a Ugly Clinic, a kidney hut and a Luke Warm Topic in the near future. I am also thinking of creating a central statue in the plaza using the the Dredd vs Death figure, to represent a memorial to the Necro days. But the real issue I'm stuck on is what colour to paint the mall? Do I go standard grey and rely on the shops to add pops of colour? Or do I go brighter and more colourful and give it a richer block vibe? Would love some thoughts on it, if you would like to share some than drop me a message in the comments.

From this base I hope to build off it, adding a second level that would lead into the other boards. Maybe even make shop interiors. But for now I want to concentrate on this one section first. Next step is the flooring followed by the statue and some clutter around the locations.

If you want to stay up to date on this project make sure to click follow to stay in touch.

Book Review 66 // Thrill Power Overload: The First Forty Years

A bit of a different book review this week as I read Thrill Power Overload from 2000 AD a look at the history of my favourite comic and the creators of Judge Dredd. Here are the details:

Details

Title: Thrill Power Overload: The First Forty Years

Author: David Bishop & Karl Stock

Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Limited

Type: Hardback Book

Page Count: 400

Commercial Fluff: The definitive history of the most influential British comic ever!

From 2000 AD's humble and rocky beginnings to its current position as the Galaxy’s Greatest comic, Thrill-Power Overload charts the incredible history of this ground-breaking comic. With exclusive interviews, hundreds of illustrations and rarely-seen artwork, former 2000 AD editor, David Bishop and journalist Karl Stock, guide the reader through four decades of action, adventure, excitement and the occasional editorial nightmare!

Told by the people who were there, this is the definitive history of the comic that launched a thousand talents including legends such as John Wagner, Pat Mills, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Carlos Ezquerra, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Mick McMahon, Grant Morrison, Kevin O'Neill, Simon Bisley and continues with 21st Century breakthrough talents such as Jock, Rob Williams, Andy Diggle, Al Ewing, Henry Flint, Frazer Irving - and many many more.

Unfiltered, uncensored, and with remarkable frankness, Thrill-Power Overload demonstrates how 2000 AD’s creators went on to change not only British comics, but also the American comic book industry and its multi-billion dollar movie franchises.

Review

First up this is a weighty book. Printed in hardback and made in a size that fails to fit most standard bookcases this is a book to be feared! Charting the successes, failures and in-between stages of 2000 AD's life. If you are not a fan of 2000 AD (the shame) then I recommend skipping this book, though it is fun for a fan I am sure it would come across as dull to the uninterested. The true highlight of this book for me is the pretty pictures and the walk down memory lane.

We learn of the inception of the magazine and how it soon started absorbing other British comics into it's franchise. We also learn of some of the hard to believe rocky moments that could have lead to it's demise, before finally hitting the here and now of how it is going from strength to strength with the help of Rebellion Publishing. But as I mentioned it is the artwork in the book that steals the show as it showcases characters from across the 40 years and explains why they exist and in a lot of cases why they no longer exist.

This book is just jam packed full of interviews and quotes, from artists, designers, editors and fans of the comics. Which help to give some real character compared to say a DC history book. The interviewees are candid and honest, sometimes hilarious and sometimes painfully blunt on their opinions. It's interesting to read how the creative energy ebbed and waned throughout the years and how honest they are about it all it is truly a refreshing read.

As I mentioned at the start this is a piece for 2000 AD or comic book fans. But for me it was a peek behind the scenes of one my favourite comics and for me it changed my view point on the comic and made me appreciate the team behind it even more.

Have you read the piece? Drop me a comment and let me know or better yet follow me here or on instagram via the @adventureswithpeps. Thanks for reading.

Meg 208 // 2000 AD Megazine 208

Welcome back to a way over due Megazine review. The last being in November 2017 with issue 207. Could give you some bullshit excuse as to why it's been so long, but like everything life gets in the way and projects forgotten. So let us dust off the old project and breath some life back in the old dream of reading Megazines. Let's dive in.

Megazine 208. The cover shows the loveable Bato Loco with some chain cutters and what seems to be Judge Dredd's badge. I wrote a review a while back of this rogue and it will be fun to reread his story again. So the main features to this issue is. Judge Dredd - Shakedown Part 2, Bato Loco - True Romance, Black Siddha - Bad Karma Part 7, Repo Mex - The Worst Job in the Galaxy and Devlin Waugh - Red Tide Part 7. Then alongside this we have some mini tales and articles so let's get going.

Story: Judge Dredd - Shakedown Part 2: Final part of the tale I started reading in 2017! Judge Dredd and a team of Judges are raiding Paradise Heights, conducting room to room searches and arresting all criminals found in the block. To make matters worst Homer Blint and his Wife Oola Blint are also there carrying out Grud's will and euthanizing citizens right under Dredd's nose.

Highlight: Got a few. Up first the pro-democracy group destroying the stairwell and making a real amazing last stand against the judges and of course the Blint's amazingly escaping under Dredd's very nose before escaping on a plane to OZ. Love this pair.

Story: Bato Loco - True Romance: A one hit tale, which I've reviewed before. Bato has really done it this time. Needing to find some money for an engagement ring he resorts to dealing with off world aliens to get cash, but soon like most of his plans it back fires in a mass way.

Highlight: Bato Loco being saved by his future wife who happens to be a hired killer. Can only see this going bad for Bato in the future. Not my favourite tale, but at least it is a one shot and done.

Story: Apocalypse Soon?: The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are searching for their missing steeds, who have wondered off into desert and found some random sex cult.
Highlight: God smiting the Horsemen for their failings. Not really sure were this tale is going?

Then we enter the Gold section of the comic where the megazine goes back in time.

Story: The Other Slab Tynan: Someone is killing Judges but using the same style of killing as a perp located in a suspended animation cell. How can a perp possibly be in two places at once?
Highlight: A time travelling adventure for Dredd that can only end up in comical ending.

Story: The Greatest Story Ever Told: A year on since Fergee assisted Judge Dredd in bringing the reign of Chief Judge Cal to an end, a cult has arisen around the hero. But during a routine operation the Fergee statues have suddenly sprung into life and are rampaging around MC-1, but who is controlling them?
Highlight: The Cult of Fergee - Such a weird cult as they dress, look and smell like the hero of the big smelly. Was fun to revisit this hero of old.

Story: The Big Itch: A superflea is infesting MC-1 and nothing can stop it! Can Dredd and the tech Judges Discover a cure or will the whole city be brought to it's knee by the mini villain?
Highlight: Miracle Food Munce holds the cure. So repulsive to all forms of life apart from humans who eat. The citizens wear munce on their bodies to drive the fleas away and upon discovering their origin point the Judges nuke the sector destroying all traces of the flea.

We then get a few strips of Darkie's Mob, which I'm going to just skip as I am not a fan of this strip. With the end of Darkie's Mob we get a few pages of content about Bad Company and come to an end of the Gold section.

Story: Black Siddha - Bad Karma Part 7: Rohan Bhandara is still attempting to avoid his fate of becoming the Black Siddha, but it seems truly impossible as the Karma Lords seem intent on causing misery. Unless Rohan agrees to be the Black Siddha and takes the fight to his best friend Rak Shasa.
Highlight: The Gods telling Rohan he can't hide from them. Even on the toilet they can get to him and cause a methane explosion!

Then there is a five page spread on the amazing Big Finish Production audio adventures set in the 2000 AD worlds. Which I am happening to review on here! A great piece and fun read to see into the studio and the mind set of the actors including Simon Pegg who plays Johnny Alpha.

Story: Repo Mex - The Worst Job in the Galaxy: A scifi caper set at the Stargateway Hotel, located next to a wormhole. The story follows the ill fated adventures of the robot bell hop and how he is about to experience more than he could ever imagine.
Highlight: The end. Not a fan of the tale. Luckily it seems to be one shot plot, I do wonder if it made a come back. I guess time and reading the megazines will reveal it's fate.

Story: Devlin Waugh - Red Tide Part 7: Devlin and his team of survivors are still on the run through the holiday park being hunted by a pack of Vampires. The group are hoping to make it to a UV safe zone, but find themselves soon outrun by the chasing vampires. Now it's time to fight!
Highlight: The main man Devlin Waugh with the final frame of the tale getting a full page image to himself. He is turning to face the vampires and is wielding a samurai sword. Goes into a monologue about be the celebrated Occult Adventurer and how the vampires are now fucked! Great way to end this part.

It is also a great way to end issue. This was pretty solid issue with only a few duds like Darkie's Mob and Repo-Mex acting as blips. It does seem the next issue has four new tales with strong hints of Judge Death being in one of them!

You best come back soon and I promise not to leave a year gap between the reviews. As always drop me comment and follow, it's a small act of kindness that would mean the world to me.  

Beer Review 76 // Cacao Cosmos by Microbrasserie 4 Origines

It's cold, it's dark, it's a frozen wasteland in Ottawa. When the weather is this dull what you need in this life is a chocolate porter!

Details

Name: Cacao Cosmos

Style: Porter

Brewery: Microbrasserie 4 Origines

Country: Canada, Montreal

ABV: 6%

Artwork: Unknown

Commercial Fluff: A collaboration between 4 Origines and Cacao70

This beer is about cacao. In the process of creating chocolate, much is transformed from the original cacao bean. So we teamed up with Cacao70 to salvage some lost components of the bean, infuse its heavenly scent and flavor into our process and brew a cacao-rich porter!

Own Opinion

Label: A beautifully designed label and very fitting for the style of beer.

Pour: Dark, dark pour. The head was lively as seen in the picture but settled quickly.

Aroma: A nice chocolate aroma and sweet brown sugar.

Taste: Smooth, roasty and chocolatey. Has a nice warmth about it and I really enjoyed the slight linger chocolate taste.

Would I buy it again: Yes. This is not the first time I've bought this beer and I am sure it will not be the last. This is one of my favourite breweries in Montreal and for very good reason. The brewery is beautiful the staff friendly and welcoming and the beer on point. So next time you are in Montreal go treat yourself. I promise you want regret it.