Hemel & Aarde von Brouwerji De Molen

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Tonight, I stopped by The Four Firkins to meet Nick Anderson from Rush River. I quite enjoyed hearing the story of Rush River – and the challenges they’re having keeping up with the demand for their beer (there’s a reason their Unforgiven and ÜberAlt are #1 & #2 on my all-time beers list). On the way out, I picked up sixer of ÜberAlt and asked Alvey to recommend something peaty like Sam Adams’ Wee Heavy.

Without hesitation, he hands me a bottle of Hemel & Aarde von Brouwerji De Molen.

‘We just got this in’, he adds.

Exactly what I was looking for: peaty, roasty, dark as midnight, with a nose like campfire.

“Made with the most heavily peated malt in the world from the Bruichladdich distillery. Almost pitch black and opaque, small head. Furiously peated aroma, hiding the malt, licorice and dark chocolate somewhat. Very full bodied, thick mouthfeel, like fluid bread. Dark chocolate, loads of peat, lapsang souchong tea, chocolate cake, culminating in an almost endless aftertaste that also has licorice.”

Whereas the Wee Heavy is like zipping into a sleeping bag next to a campfire on a chilly night, the Hemel and Aarde is telling ghost stories, roasting marshmallows, and celebrating the sunset.

Besides, it’s hard not to love a beer with a label proudly exclaiming: ‘enjoy within 25 years’.

3 Surprises from my recent Pandora listening

I’ve been listening to more music via Pandora lately. To be accurate – I’ve been listening to a Less than Jake & Might Mighty Bosstones seeded, late-90s ska station.

  1. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones get better with age.
  2. I really dig Social Distortion much more than I remember
  3. Ska-punk covers of ska-punk tunes are delightfully meta (e.g. Linoleum from Streetlight Manifesto)

Give it a listen

Off

“Perhaps one of the biggest advancements technology can make in our lives comes when we realize the power of simply turning it off for a while.” – James Shelley

(ht patrickrhone)

Personally, I keep my phone not in my pocket, but in my bag with the rest of my connectivity gadgets. When it’s charging on the wall, there’s a pretty good chance its in Airplane mode and I’m elsewhere.

When the telephone was first introduced, it was a synchronous medium. Today – with voicemail, text messages, and the like, it is much more of an asynchronous medium. Giving us the power to use it on our terms.