"He is Risen"

AND on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared.And they found the stone rolled back from the sepulchre. And going in, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were astonished in their mind at this, behold, two men stood by them, in shining apparel. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their countenance towards the ground, they said unto them: Why seek you the living with the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spoke unto you, when he was in Galilee, Saying: The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. And going back from the sepulchre, they told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. And it was Mary Magdalen, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women that were with them, who told these things to the apostles. And these words seemed to them as idle tales; and they did not believe them. But Peter rising up, ran to the sepulchre, and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths laid by themselves; and went away wondering in himself at that which was come to pass --Luke 24:1-12

During the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening I found myself thinking about the sense of awe and wonder experienced by those women and men at the empty tomb that morning. Fear and sadness was replaced with joy as they witnessed first hand the reality of the Resurrection. Two thousand years later, the truth of the Resurrection of Our Lord stills bring us joy and the promise of eternal life. The Resurrection of Our Lord gives hope of better days ahead. The hope of salvation that Easter brings is sorely needed in these troubled times. While it may seem as if the world around us is failing into chaos, as we reflect on the events of Easter we are reminded that the biggest battle has already been fought and won on our behalf.

Hope you have a joy-filled and blessed Easter!

Mad Fox Irish Red

Last weekend we joined our friend, aka "Checkered Flag" for dinner at Mad Fox Brewing in Falls Church. This time I remembered to bring along an empty growler in order to take some beer home with me. After enjoying a couple of pints of Rock Star Irish Red Ale with dinner, I had my Blue & Gray growler relabeled and filled with the Irish Red Ale.

Mad Fox's Irish Red Ale pours a very attractive mahogany red with a thin, short lived head. The aroma of bready malt backed is mixed with a hint of nuttiness. The taste is rich with sweet and caramel malt flavors. A mild hop bitterness comes through in the finish. The mouthfeel is lightly carbonated with a slightly oily finish. 

I don't bring growlers home too often. Once you crack it open, it's best to finish the beer off within a few days, if not sooner. Fortunately, with Mad Fox Rock Star Irish Red Ale, that won't be a problem.

Bell's Hopslam

Colleen and I headed down to Capital Ale House Wednesday evening for their Hopslam Ale tapping. This seasonal beer from Bell's Brewing is very popular and six-packs on the store shelves go quickly. So quickly in fact that I never even bother trying to claim one. The CAH event was a great opportunity to enjoy this sought after beer.

Hopslam pours an attractive translucent golden orange color with a white, sticky head. The extreme clarity is atypical for a Double IPA. The aroma is a blend of citrus and honey sweetness. It's pleasant enough, but in the taste is where this beer truly shines. So many Double or Imperial IPAs tend to extremes; either towards bold hops or very sweet malt. Not so Hopslam, which is extremely well-balanced.

There's a blend of citrus and pine hops provide a bitter start which is quickly mellowed by the sweetness of the malt and honey. The 10% ABV is carried well, showing its warmth respectably. Mild bitterness lingers in the finish, but is short lived. In the end, the palate is left clean. A sticky lacing remains behind on the glass.

We ordered an appetizer of Rauchbier Cheese Dip served with warm pretzel bread to enjoy with our beer. The smoky, slightly bitter dip and salty bread complimented the beer nicely. When I finished my glass, there was still plenty of dip and bread left. I had no choice but to enjoy a second glass of Hopslam while we finished the food.

There's a mystique that surrounds Bell's Hopslam that gives it the reputation of being a "flavor bomb" or "palate wrecker." Personally, I find all the flavor components to be in balance. This is a big flavored beer, but hardly overbearing. However, it is one of those beers where you just keep repeating, "Wow, this is good" through the whole glass. The Hopslam "legend" and reputation is well-deserved. Who knows, maybe one year I'll make the effort to acquire some for my home refrigerator.

Holy Thursday

Oh, what these olive trees have witnessed.

The Garden of Gethsemane, Israel, August 2010

And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. --Luke 22:43-44

Taste Is Subjective

Seen on Overheard in DC:

Beer nerd facepalm  

At the Iron Horse Taproom: 

Girl: "Can I have a Blue Moon?"

Bartender: "We don't have that but I do have something similar."

Girl: "Ok!"

Girl sips beer

Girl: "Yes! This tastes just like a porter, thanks!"

Who loves ya, baby?

That was the message I received from Colleen via Facebook yesterday afternoon. I clicked the alert and saw this:

I think we all know the answer to that question. :-)

The Starr Hill Jambeeree! is a rarity among beer assortments. All of the beers I am looking forward to enjoying; no filler beers are included. Northern Lights, The Gift, and Cryptical have all been mused over previously. I guess I owe you readers some notes on the Amber Ale. Stand by...

About That Ammo Shortage

I'm long overdue for some range time. Between a busy schedule and inclement weather, the opportunity for live fire practice has been nonexistent. However, Sunday afternoon I found time to load up the car and head over to the range. Despite Spring "officially" arriving, it was cold outside. A rain and snow storm was approaching, and there's a widely reported ammunition shortage, so there would be no problem getting on a range. Right? Wrong!

As pulled up to the gate I heard rapid fire of something large caliber coming from the rifle range. In addition I could see several cars at one of the pistol bays. Okay, I thought, looks like I'll use the small, and often muddy, pistol bay. No sooner did I unlock the gate when I heard the crack of a .22 from that range. Pulling through the gate I could see a bunch of cars parked at this bay as well. I drove through the park and saw the waiting lines at each bay and came to the disappointing conclusion that there would be no shooting for me today. Interestingly, there was no one using the shotgun range, despite shotgun ammo being in plentiful supply. (Note to self; always pack the shotgun heading to the range.) As I exited the gate, there was a long line of cars still streaming in.

I've been answering a lot of questions recently regarding ammo sources and availability. Fortunately I've had fair success in finding reasonably priced pistol ammunition, and in building my stock. Nonetheless, I was still shocked by range attendance on Sunday.

In summary,
It was quite cool outside.
A rain and snow storm was approaching.
There's that widely reported ammunition scarcity.
And still the ranges were filled beyond capacity.

It just goes to show, those who desire to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights are a dedicated, and resourceful, lot.

National Medal of Honor Day

This doesn't seem to getting any coverage in the media.

March 25, 2013, marks the 150th anniversary of the first Medal of Honor awarded.

Our nation’s greatest war heroes – Medal of Honor recipients – will personally present awards to four unsung citizen heroes who’ve saved lives in extraordinary circumstances, during a special ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Approximately 20 Medal of Honor recipients are expected to attend the ceremony.

The recipients will first commemorate Medal of Honor Day, on the 150th anniversary of the Medal’s first presentation, with a wreath-laying at 2:00 at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The recipients will then present the Citizen Service Before Self Honors (CSBSH) awards at 2:30 to four honorees selected from a nationwide campaign for going above and beyond for their fellow man. 

More...

The Medal of Honor was first awarded on March 25, 1863 to 6 Union soldiers for their actions in the "The Great Locomotive Chase."