Coming soon, 2 June

Seen before Tornado at AMC Fitchburg.

Relay. Cannot find a trailer for it. Huh

 

Back to the woods: Oakriginal Lager by Goldfinger Brewing Co. & Revolution Brewing

Has it really been nine and a half years since I've had a wood aged beer, Heart of Oak by Leine's? Bourbon barrel aged brews don't count as I think the idea is to infuse your beer with a spirit rather than a strictly arboreal flavor. While I'm on the subject, kudos to Lakefront for Wendy, a doppelbock which utilized bourbon-soaked oak chips that imparted a more subtle bourbon taste that complemented rather than overwhelmed the beer.

Plain, unspirited/unwined barrel/wood aged beers are hard to come by. Even more rare than Rauchbier. It's not exactly a mega popular flavor and dealing with wood must be a pain. You don't want any microbial thingies on your chips, staves, logs or whatever that would give your brew an off taste. Wood is a major flavor in wine so why isn't it in beer? And, as barrel aging goes, why is oak so popular?

When I saw this wood aged beer sans bourbon, a collaboration between Goldfinger and Revolution, I just had to try it. Goldfinger is a great brewery that combines care and tradition to make very tasty lagers. While Revolution dances with many an IPA, they brew other beers more to my taste. For example, not only did they throw my favorite grain, rye, into a stout, they also put some neat Repo Man artwork on the label.

The Oakriginal can doesn't say exactly how this beer got its oak flavor. Was it aged in oak barrels? Were oak chips involved? Did the brewmasters head to the woods with Husqvarna in hand, cut down a random oak, and throw some of the resulting cordwood into the fermenter? Now that I look closer, I see that Creative Oak is listed on the label and this California company's website notes the work of their master coopers.

The can does note, though, that "single forest French oak" was used. If horizontal lagering tanks weren't enough, this is definitely getting into hoity-toity wine territory. French oak apparently has more tannins than American oak which perhaps explains its use in winemaking. In addition to bitterness, oak has a clovey, vanillay, and, well, woody taste. How will these flavors fare in a Helles?

My pour produced a big, white head that I could hear. The bubbles churned away in a micromaelstrom like they do in soda, my cat's pleading meows for dinner were barely heard above the din. As with any Helles, the beer was a lovely yellow but had a slight haze which I presume was protein whatever you call it as Goldfinger's lagers have always been clear as day as is conventional. Maybe something is imparted by wood that gives a touch of cloudiness. There were a few bubbles here and there inside. My first sniff caught a luscious bready scent followed by wood, and then grassy hops.

My first sip revealed a medium-light body with the perfect fizz. Those Maillard reactions done good as I tasted that precious toasty bread flavor along with those grassy hops. A fine Helles indeed. Then I tasted the oak underneath it all. It was rather mellow but it added a smoothness that took the edge off the hops a shade, I think. Plus I like the flavor of oak so it had that going for it as well.

On the finish, the malt and oak flavors had one final flourish and then quickly faded as the hops, now with a herbal, almost minty, taste, made things fairly dry and slightly less bitter.

Goldfinger makes great beers so I was totally unsurprised that this was a mighty tasty Helles. The oak was subtle but easily discernible and its taste accented the grain flavor very well. Same with the hops. The oak gave flavors unlike the ones hops do yet they played nicely together. An excellent brew.

Junk food pairing: Pair Oakriginal Lager with Jays Hot Stuff potato chips. Their earthy flavors complement the oak while the Helles with soothe the burn.

Not for the faint of tongue: Uncle Ray's Salt & Vinegar (Flavored) potato chips

On my recent venture up to the Black River Forest I stopped in at a gas station and lo and behold I happened upon a new brand of my beloved salt & vinegar potato chips - Uncle Ray's. 

Although I'd seen Uncle Ray's chips before, I never ran into their salt & vinegar flavor. I think my brain conflates Uncle Ray's with Sweet Baby Ray's because, whenever I see a bag of the former's chips, I envision some guy studiously tending to a smoker full of ribs. While the Uncle Ray's website talks up their namesake as a fine man of moral rectitude, it doesn't go into his story very much or, at least, not into much detail, unlike the websites of many other potato chip makers. Wikipedia, however, notes that Uncle Ray is one Ray Jenkins, a denizen of Detroit, who got into the snack business in the mid-1960s. Today the brand is owned by a privately held grocery wholesaler called H. T. Hackney Company.

Right. Let's get to the chips.

If there were potato chips in The Conformist, that's how they'd look.

I found that the chips were of a nice yellow hue with a fair number of tan spots as well as lots of well-done ones. The edges were brown and presumably skinned. Taking a whiff, I caught potato and a strong smell of salt, oddly enough. Then came oil and just a hint of vinegar.

These chips were a bit thicker than your regular ones and had a good, solid crunch. No wonder there was that salty aroma - my blood pressure shot up on the first bite. Do not, I repeat, do not drop these on your lawn because grass will not grow where it has been touched by these chips. The vinegar tang was just as potent. Not only did my tongue get numb but I felt something at the back of my throat too. We are talking near or at Vintner's levels of salt & vinegar.

Before my tongue lost all feeling I managed to taste the potato and it was a fine earthy flavor. I have no idea how sweet it may have been because of the Wieliczka-like salt levels.

These are some mighty fine chips. I think they are just below Vintner's on the S&V scale as in a couple salt crystals and a few micrograms of malic acid. I like the cut of your job, Uncle Ray.

Gypsy folk, punk, jazz - the whole 9 yards

A couple weeks back I trekked out to the Red Rooster to catch Chicago's Fugu Dugu who were billed as gypsy folk rock or some such thing. Opening was Alfonso Ponticelli, a gypsy jazz guitarist. Or something like that.

Ponticelli was accompanied by a couple members of Fugu Dugu: Madam Broshkina on violin and their bassist whose name I cannot find. I bought their album at the show but methinks he's new.

Think Django Reinhardt and that gets you in the ballpark. Ponticelli's fingers worked magic as he went from slower, mellower passages to shredding. If I recall correctly, his set was mostly originals with a cover or two thrown in.

When his opening set was done, Fugu Dugu got their gear together and patrons filled the remaining open seats. 

Fugu Dugu began by playing a trio of songs from their first album, Lunatic Parade, followed by three new ones that are set to be on their next album. The band are reminiscent of Gogol Bordello and, for any Madisonians reading this, the late lamented Reptile Palace Orchestra. Indeed, I suspect that the group of people dancing in a circle in front of the stage did so at many an RPO performance.

As with Ponticelli, Fugu Dugu displayed great dynamics going from softer passages with aching violin to manic dance music. Madam Broshkina was the front woman and she displayed a great droll sense of humor and, hailing from Moldova, gave the occasional brief cultural lecture.

I hope to see Ponticelli and Fugu Dugu again.

Sadly, it will likely not be at Red Rooster as the venue's liquor license was not renewed. What a shame. It's a great, intimate venue and, being off the beaten path, attracts an older audience, which I appreciate. But it appears that the owner is guilty of mismanagement. Hopefully a new owner steps in or something else happens to save the place.

Milwaukee seen in the classifieds

Scanning the classifieds of County Highway an issue ago I noticed that Milwaukee was well represented.

Ooh! Hidden thoughts! Interesting. 

An old fashioned pen pal. Nice!

Pertwee marathon anon

Look what I got yesterday!

I buy my Doctor Who media from Who North America which is run by a guy named Keith Bradbury. Keith and company do a great job as my orders usually arrive in a mere 2-3 days. Prompt and efficient, I suspect Keith is part German.

My Pertwee marathon will start soon(ish). At least the marathon for season one.

R.I.P. Martyn Cornell

While writing my post on Dovetail's Grodziskie, I discovered that Martyn Cornell died recently.

I never met the gentleman nor corresponded with him. But his blog was a joy to read, especially when he put paid to various myths about IPA and porter. I think I also gained a vicarious respect for English beer and pub culture from reading him. I never drink porter without thinking of him.

My sincerest desire has come true here: Grodziskie by Dovetail Brewery

Tales of a Grodziskie by Chicago's Dovetail have long been told in these parts but I had never encountered it face to face until last month. I am guessing it's been my poor timing. Either I'd never make it down to Chicagoland when it was in season or the Binny's website proclaiming its availability had not been updated to reflect its absence. I also suspect that part of the problem is that Dovetail takes a very, um, European approach to seasonality. While most American microbrewers adhere to a strict release schedule for their seasonals, e.g. - their Oktoberfests hit shelves in late June, Dovetail seems to be the opposite and release their seasonals whenever they get around to it - within reason, of course.

Or maybe that's just my view from Madison.

Anyway, I was excited, perhaps a bit too excited, to find this Grodziskie. Being made with 100% smoked wheat, it was right up my uliczka as smoked beers are like manna from heaven for me. It is also perhaps the only native Polish beer style left these days and having some Polish blood in me means it's like drinking for the home team. Doubly so since Chicago is my hometown.

The Platonic ideal of Grodziskie was passed down to me from Ron Pattinson, if memory serves. It is to be light, smoky, hoppy, and fizzy. And I judge every Grodziskie style ale based on his description. Can one interpretation that doesn't exactly conform to this ideal still be tasty? You betcha! Tis but a starting point.

With a hazy yellow color and a very modest 3.8% A.B.V., this brew fit the light bill. A big, firm layer of foam rested atop the tantalizing liquid and, not being in a hurry to go anywhere, I was able to get a decent photograph. The aroma was of smoke along with a little bit of citrus.

My tongue was not surprised at the beer's light body which also had a very pleasant smoothness to it underneath a fairly mellow dose of fizz. The smokiness was delicious and not overwhelming which allowed for a tad of a grainy taste to come through. For their part, the hops tasted herbal-spicy and complemented the smoke well without overpowering it.

The smoky taste held fast for a bit on the finish before the herbal-spicy hop flavor came in to deliver moderate dryness and slightly more bitterness.

Since I don't know how to say "Oh mama, this stuff was good!" in Polish I'll just say oh mama, this stuff was good! While I am not sure, I do believe that the wheat used in the Grodziskie was traditionally smoked with oak. However, I am not sure what wood was used to smoke the wheat here. I don't think it was applewood or cherry, though. But, oh mama, it tastes great! And the smokiness is not particularly strong despite the whole grain bill having been given the treatment.

I'll never know how this stuff compares to the brew the inhabitants of Grodzisk Wielkopolski drank back in the day but I love Dovetail's take on the style. Maybe a touch more fizz but that's a very minor quibble. This is a fine brew and made the perfect companion on a few spring evenings.

Junk food pairing: Pair your Grodziskie with a bag of Old Dutch Onion 'N Garlic potato chips. They provide a nice contrast to the smoke taste yet somehow also complement the beer perfectly. 

Farewell Ncuti Gatwa

Well, I have to admit that I didn't see that coming.

Only 2 seasons for Ncuti Gatwa? Was he given the Colin Baker treatment or did he depart on his own terms? Hopefully the latter.

While I've been keen on the return of the Rani for a while now, I was disappointed that she was largely portrayed as another moustache-twirling villain like the Master as opposed to the amoral scientist of the classic series. But her outfit - the new new Rani's outfit - was suitably Rani-like and her osseous HQ had some Faction Paradox vibes for me.

When it was revealed that Rani was trying to release Omega, I was intrigued. But the co-inventor of time travel and co-founder of Time Lord society was just a big monster who eats Rani. Timothy Dalton as Omega's partner in crime, Rassilon, got to chew scenery till the cows came home in the new series but Omega just takes a snack before he is sent back from whence he came. Not only that, he eats the Rani not far into the series finale.

That is, he eats the latest incarnation of Rani but, because she bi-generated earlier, her previous incarnation lives on.

It all felt very anti-climactic.

And the whole bi-generation thing has got to go. It appears to be an on-demand talent. Too gimmicky for my taste. It seems like the Doctor bi-generated for no good reason at all. David Tennant already had 3 stories to gives his imprimatur to the struggling ratings-wise(?) show. Here the Rani bi-generates for no discernible reason. Well, I suppose it allows future story writers the option of continuing to use the character yet allowing Omega to have his Rani cake and eat it too.

Speaking of gimmicks, having the Doctor regenerate into Rose was ridiculous. We'll see what the next season brings, I guess. But this new reversion back to the David Tennant era is unneeded, in my opinion. Gatwa began his tenure in the shadow of Tennant and now he has been consumed by it. It'd be one thing for the 15th or 16th Doctor to run into Rose but to regenerate into her? Silly.

One thing that occurred to me after the finale ended was that Ncuti Gatwa has a wonderful smile.

Hopefully it will become iconic for Nu Who in the way that Tom Baker's is for the classic series.

Before the tariffs: Keogh's Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar crisps

A friend of mine, aware of my salt & vinegar potato chip addiction, snagged a bag of the Keogh's Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar variety while in Chicago not too long ago. I was pleased to discover that they were imported from Hibernia and don't think they were unduly expensive so they must have reached these shores before the tariffs kicked in. At first I thought that these would be my first foreign salt & vinegar chips but then realized that I have sampled some from our friends up north in Canada. And so these would be the first to traverse the Atlantic Ocean.

How does one pronounce "Keogh's"? (Apologies to any Irish folks out there.) The name refers to the family that owns and runs the company that grows potatoes somewhere in the vicinity of Dublin, it looks like, and has been turning them into chips/crisps since 2011.

Going in, I was curious as to what kind of potatoes Keogh's uses for their crisps. Presumably a different variety or varieties than American chip makers use. Keogh's doesn't say but, then again, neither do most American purveyors of this tasty snack. But it would be interesting to taste if there was something unique about the potato flavor here. 

These crisps looked mighty fine. They generally had a medium yellow hue, although there were some that veered towards tan, and, with the skin on, had brown edges. I spied an occasional bubble. Putting my nose in the bag, I smelled a nice earthy potato aroma followed by oil and a hint of vinegar.

"Thick cut" said the bag and so the crisps had a good, solid crunch to them. Perhaps not quite as stentorian a chomping clamor as kettle chips but darn close. The Atlantic Ocean's salinity does not suffer from these chips as the salt level seemed average to my taste. Vinegar was on the mild side. My tongue tasted the tang but didn't feel threatened by it.

The potato flavor was excellent - earthy with a bit of sweetness. I couldn't really distinguish these Hibernian spuds from their North American cousins. Perhaps the vinegar got in the way of being able to taste fine distinctions. But I'd guess not. And about the vinegar: what makes it sweet? Is it actually sweetened or is apple cider vinegar, which the website says is used here, considered "sweet"?

These were tasty chips. Despite needing a bit more vinegar they had a nice crunch and I'd eat them if they were to come my way again or if I found myself on The Emerald Isle.

The owls were what they seemed

At 4 o'clock this morning I got up to use the bathroom. Scratching my side I noticed a small bump. Instantly I recognized it as a tick. My best guess is that it somehow survived my searches after my trip up north last weekend. Where had it lay hidden? Or was this a local vermin?

There were a lot of ticks up in Jackson County and the trip made me realize that I need to practice applying Deet. On the plus side, the mosquitos were held at bay and I enjoyed fine company and great scenery.

Arriving before our campsites were available, I took a stroll in the Black River Forest. I had unknowingly chosen a trail that had recently had controlled burns.

These stretches had a Dante vibe and I felt like I would run into a group of unbaptized pagans at any second. 

However, the areas spared the purifying flames were gorgeous.

Once at the campground, we pitched our tents and started a fire. 

Despite a chance of rain in the forecast, the evening was lovely and dry. We chatted the night away as the beer flowed freely.

The next morning was gorgeous despite a slight haze in the air from those Canadian wildfires. 

 

 

I was up early and so, while everyone else slept, I went for a walk. The forest was quiet and still outside of a deer just off the road that quickly scampered away at the sight of the human. When I got back into camp, folks were rising and coffee was needed.

 

 

A few of us walked down the short nature trail whose trailhead was at the east end of the campground. It was lovely as most of it followed the Black River.

This day's hike would be out at Wazee Lake. We ran into a snake enjoying the sun.

After traipsing the trails, the ladies went for a swim while we men went to the scenic lookouts.

 

It was another beer-soaked night around the campfire. Lying in my tent in the wee hours, I heard two owls having a hooting match. What a wonderful serenade to deliver me into the arms of Morpheus. The next morning was again just gorgeous. The trip came to an end all-too soon.

 

Spring Fever

I saw this at Mad City Music last month. Maybe April.

It's just a little pamphlet with vernal/nature artwork. 

It's incredibly neat that someone would print up some of their artwork into a small pamphlet and leave copies for anyone to take. That someone appears to be Tim Brenner so thanks Tim. Made my spring day.

Mother and Kit

Madison has a new Director of Transportation

 

When I read that Christof Spieler was appointed as our Director of Transportation, I did a double take. The Christof Spieler?

While I am not sure if there is anyone who can rightly be called a superstar in the realm of public transit and urban planning but, if there is, Spieler is one of a very small group. I know him for various articles/interviews on the interwebs and his book, Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit. As a denizen of Houston, I believe he was involved with various land use projects and their bus network redesign several years back.

I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes. To the best of my knowledge, Houston isn't hated by the Texas state government the way Madison is by the Republicans of this state. While I don't know anything about Houston's budgetary matters, Madison doesn't seem to have a lot of money or, at least, not an increasing amount, to turn master plans into reality.

Well, we shall see how it goes starting in July.

Critters, 29 May 2025

A couple opossums wandered in this morning. I think they left after finding that the space under the deck was already occupied by either lumber or rabbits.

A well-groomed rabbit. 

Every squirrel in the neighborhood broke their fasts underneath our bird feeder.

Mr. Cardinal stuck around long enough for me to get a decent photo. 

One white duck on your roof

Mallards continue to perch on my roof's peak.

A distant performance

As a boy, I was entranced by György Ligeti's music that was featured in the films of Stanley Kubrick. I got the itch to hear any and all of these pieces performed live. Back in 2004 I jumped at the chance to hear the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra perform Atmospheres which was featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was glorious!

It took nearly 21 years but I finally saw that another of Ligeti's pieces, Lontano, was going to be performed by the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Again, I jumped at the chance and bought a ticket.

I swung into town a little before showtime and took the opportunity to wander the Fox River shore. The performance was to take place at the Hemmens Cultural Center so I strolled around a bit north of where I did the same last year.

There is an island that has been all gussied up for some lovely scenery on your stroll.

You can get right up to the water and there were several people, including a couple families, taking advantage of the opportunity to take in the scenery or do some fishing.

Canada geese were everywhere. This family were not impressed by the human and I ended up with a photo of all of their butts.

Showtime neared and so I headed to the hall where the great and the good of Kane County and beyond were filing in.

The performance was the ESO's season finale and was sold out.

The Music Director, Chad Goodman, is a young fellow and he introduced the pieces with exuberance and humor.

Lontano was sublime. It's eerie shimmering entranced me and would have been perfect for the soundtrack of Annihilation. I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me and take me somewhere else.

Mozart's "Paris" symphony, which followed, was a total 180 with its allegro movements standing in stark contrast to the ethereal moodiness of Lontano. Holst's The Planets closed out the program. I'd never heard it performed live so it was a real treat. "Mars, the Bringer of War" was just spectacular! The way it builds with such force was just fantastic to behold in-person.

Now onto finding performances of Lux Aeterna, Aventures, and Requiem for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Two Mixed Choirs and Orchestra.

Coming soon - 17 May 2025

Seen before Blade Runner: The Final Cut at Flix. They were mercifully few.

Drinking Tiger Mountain by Zymurgy

Somebody help me out here with a more clever Brian Eno pun.

What is the fate of the Weimar Replublic?

Last month my Frau and I went down to Chicago to see the play Berlin. It was at the Court Theatre in Hyde Park on the University of Chicago campus. I don't know that I had ever been on the U. of C. campus before. It was a lovely day and the campus was in bloom.

The play was a world premiere and is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Jason Lutes that was published between 2000 and 2018. It takes place in the German capital in the late 1920s through the early 1930s as the Weimar Republic unravels while Hitler and the Nazis are ascending to power.

I read the novel in the weeks before attending the play and was eager to see how it had been adapted for the stage.

The set was dark and foreboding with tables sitting before a row of imposing arches. On the tables were microphones that characters used for introductory remarks, exposition, and interior monologues.

The novel features a big ensemble of characters and, while it's been trimmed down a bit here, the play still has several protagonists with various cast members assuming multiple roles. Hitler is seen only very briefly in the novel but here Elizabeth Laidlaw, who portrays him, is given a much greater presence. She dons the infamous mustache and black leather uniform leaving a trail of fear behind her wherever she wanders onstage. Menace hung thick in the air even when Laidlaw simply stood silently behind the arches.

A journalist named Kurt Severing stands in for the masses. Throughout most of play he brushes off the notion that Hitler and his brown-shirted followers could amount to anything more than a nuisance. By the end, however, he has become our conscience with a monologue declaring, essentially, that evil triumphs if good men do nothing.

With Donald Trump turning this country upside down by executive fiat, Berlin is a play for our times.

Critters, May '25

With the hawks having moved on - to the north side, according to a friend - our critter quotient has greatly increased. The other day a trio of rabbits were relaxing out on the terrace.

A curious squirrel joined them at one point.

One morning I walked into the dining room and saw that every critter in the neighborhood was at our smorgasbord having breakfast.

After gorging themselves, they dispersed and a grackle popped its head up from the long grass, seed in beak.

Eventually everyone went their own way.