Dominion Candi - Tasting Gold

I was going through the various newsfeed I follow yesterday evening and came across several headlines like this one, "Dominion Brewing Candi Belgian Tripel Takes The Gold." I then remembered that I had a couple bottles the brewery had sent last Fall and I never got around to trying out. After digging around in the basement a bit, I found them. What better time than now to open them and find out what the judges in Denver liked? Is there a better excuse to have a beer?

Dominion Candi Belgian-Style Tripel pours a bright copper-marmalade color with a thick, but short-lived white head. Immediately during the pour, I could detect the rich aroma of Belgian yeast, bread and honey. The flavor is a mix of clove, yeasty bread and sweet fruit with just a hint of alcohol burn. There's a hint of happiness that comes through near the end as well. Carbonation is on the low side. The mouthfeel is moderately "thick." The finish leaves a dry, lingering sweetness behind.

At 9.5% ABV, Candi is a sipper, especially on a "school night." During our tasting, Colleen asked if we were drinking a high alcohol beer. When I answered in the affirmative, she replied, "Huh, I don't get that burning aftertaste like so many high alcohol beers." It's true, while I could detect a bit of alcohol in the taste, it doesn't burn.

Candi is, as one can deduce from the label, part of Dominion's "Pinup" series. It's available seasonally on draft and in Dominion’s Pinup variety 12-Pack. Despite my lateness in getting to the review, you can still find the variety pack on store shelves.


The beer reviewed here was a promotional sample from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.

April Walnut Ridge USPSA Match

I finally got in an actual, and complete USPSA match, my first this year.  I headed out in the early morning light for the pleasant, but long drive to Summit Point, West Virginia for the Walnut Ridge Practical Shooters April match. Rain was predicted (and arrived) later in the afternoon but it the morning squads were treated to great weather with temperatures in the upper 60's.

The first two stages our squad shot that day made use of the same course of fire. When first approaching the course, I thought "Wow, that's a lot of targets." Then we realized that I was looking at two stages in one— shoot all the steel targets for one stage, and the next stage is all the paper, with steel left laying down. Shooting the two stages required quite different plans. I was pretty happy with how I did both stages, and interestingly did significantly better on the steel version than the paper.

Next up was the classifier stage, CM 03-05 "Paper Poppers." This was going to be a good test of shooting fast with my new shooting glass Rx and seeing how well I've re-trained my brain to accept both eyes open. And, at least for this run, it worked. My time was 7.40 seconds for a hit factor of 6.4865. I'm looking forward to seeing what percentage that ends up in the USPSA system. I put a video of what would be my highest stage finish here. The next stage would involve shooting the same classifier targets again along with a bunch of other paper and steel targets set up across the bay.

Another all-steel stage was next. Shoot 5 six-inch plates, perform a mandatory reload, shoot (the oft dreaded) Texas Star, then another reload followed by five pepper poppers. It took me eight shots to clear the star, but I was very pleased to be able to catch (eventually) the moving plates without squinting my non-dominant eye.

The final stage was an interesting arrangement of 12 paper targets and 6 falling steel. Three tables were also placed around the stage. There was the stipulation that the shooter had to move a small "ammo can" to a second table sometime between the first and last shots. I had what I thought was a good plan for the stage. Unfortunately, when I arrived at my second shooting position I realized I had made an unplanned reload and that "plan" was now out the window. My brain was spinning to trying to recalculate and in my video I can see a brief pause between targets coinciding with the time I was thinking "How do I fix this?" Despite that, I finished okay, and have a lesson learned to have my plan firmly embedded in my head before the buzzer sounds.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my shooting at the match. Preliminary results show me 12th out of 29 Production shooters. I recently picked up a small hat-mounted camera and the reviewing the first-person videos gives me some ideas on what to work on during my next range visit.

The Walnut Ridge Practical Shooters match at Summit Point means a two hour drive, each way. That's at the edge of my limit for a monthly match, but it's well worth it. The stages are always interesting and challenging, and I find myself already thinking about the next match on my drive home. I shoot with a lot of the same shooters at whatever match I'm at, but folks always seem to be enjoying themselves just a little more at this match. Maybe it's the West Virginia air.

Easy IPA Fills the Fridge Gap

With a hundred or so bottles of beer in the basement fridge, and an equal amount in boxes nearby, it's hardly believable that sometimes there's just "nothing to drink." I'll occasionally stand at refrigerator digging through closely packed bottles, looking for the right beer to suit my mood — and come up empty handed. Such was the situation last evening. I was in the mood for a hoppy Pale Ale or IPA, and I couldn't find one. Despite the full fridge, it was obvious that a shopping trip was in order. Almost giving up, I remembered the sample bottle of Flying Dog Easy IPA that arrived earlier this week.

According to the accompanying flyer, Easy IPA is "session IPA" promising a "low-ABV hop bomb." This is the first beer from Flying Dog's Brewhouse Rarities series of limited release beers to make the jump to a year-round offering.

Easy IPA pours a clear light yellow color with a thin white head and lots of bubbles. Looks sort of like your standard American lager. But that's where the similarities end. The aroma gives off sharp citrus, fruit and spice aromas. Despite the mild appearance, the flavor is quite bold. The initial hit is bitter citrus; grapefruit rind comes to mind. That is quickly balanced by caramel malt and piney notes, and a hint of lemon tartness. The finish is a lingering, and somewhat sticky bitterness. As a bonus, all this flavor comes in a low 4.7% ABV package.

My glass was soon empty and I wished I had just one more bottle on hand. (These promotional samples are mere teases.) It's easy to see why Flying Dog Easy IPA was promoted to year-round status. This beer is bold and flavorful, while maintaining a "light" and easy to drink body. I like this one a lot. Now that I've noted the deficiencies in our beer stock, I suspect I'll be filling some of that gap with this one.

The beer reviewed here was a promotional sample from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.

When Is a Cube Not a Cube?

When it's an ice "cube" produced by Suntory Whisky. The Japanese whisky maker is running a campaign featuring what are billed as 3D Printed Ice Cubes.

While the computer engineered ice is certainly attractive, I'm not sure how practical it really ice for chilling your whiskey. But, hey, it's advertising!

Aren't ice cubes 3D by definition?

Adventure Brewing Opens May 15

Fredericksburg's third craft brewery, Adventure Brewing, will open Thursday, May 15. Brewers Tim Bornholtz, Stan Johnson and John Viarella have been hard at work doing construction on the brewery and developing their beers. The Adventure Brewing website describes their vision:

As a micro-brewery, Adventure Brewing Company is primarily focused on bringing full flavored beers to the local area. Initial plans are to produce around 1,000 barrels (about 30,000 gallons) per year. Adventure Brewing's initial lineup of beers will include four year round styles and a number of seasonal or special batches. The year round styles include an IPA, a Pale Ale, a Wheat and a Stout. Specialty and seasonal batches such as Double IPA, Pumpkin Beer, Smoked Ale, Christmas lager and others will, of course, invite more adventurous tastes. We plan to serve samples and full beers in the tasting room as well as fill growlers (64 oz bottles) to take home. We are also working with distributors to ensure our beer is available at many local restaurants.

The brewery's opening schedules will be Thursday, May 15 from 6pm - 10pm; Friday, May 16 fem 6pm - 10pm; Saturday, May 17 - from 12pm - 10pm; and Sunday, May 18 from 12pm - 6pm.

The Free Lance-Star recently made an informative report on the brewery.

Triumph Over Evil

AND in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him. Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see me. --Matthew 28:1-10

It's Easter. This is the fulfillment of Our Lord's promise of eternal life. It is the ultimate triumph over evil. We are reminded that our struggles are not for nought, that our final reward is eternal. The evil one refuses to give up. He knows that if we give in to despair we won't experience the promise of the Resurrection. He fears that we might reject his tricks and lies. He hungers for us to join him in his eternal torment. With his continual attacks on our faith, attacks on our freedoms, attacks on the sanctity of life, he continues in a battle that he's already lost.

So on this most glorious of days, we are reminded that we must continue to face oppression and persecution head on. Satan is hard at work in this world. His minions do his bidding willingly, if naively, deceiving with false promises, twisting the truth until evil passes for good. We are led to believe that evil doesn't exist, and that material happiness outweighs the value of human life. Government fiat replaces personal responsibility. We are tempted to live like there's no tomorrow. But today, the empty tomb reminds us otherwise. The promise of Easter gives us the strength to persevere.

Here's wishing you a blessed and joy-filled Easter. May the joy of the Resurrection remain in your life all year long.

Jesus' final resting place, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Photo by C. Turley, 2010

Introducing a Friend to Practical Pistol

The first match of the year at the Cedar Mountain Youths range was this morning. The group has changed the format somewhat from previous years; the round count is low, there is little movement, and no steel. At first glance, an avid USPSA shooter might think "What's the point?" But giving it more thought, there's an excellent point; it's a good practice match, and also a great way to introduce new shooters to the sport.

To that end, I invited a friend to come out and try his first practical pistol match. Greg has been shooting for a little over a year, with much enjoyment, so I knew he would have a good time. We spent the 30 minute ride to the match going over some rules and procedures. For myself, besides having the pleasure of introducing a friend to the sport, I was looking forward to getting in a little practice. And, of course, just shooting. And what better way to mark Patriot's Day?

The match consisted of 6 stages, all shot Virginia Count, meaning no makeup shots. The first stage was a "Bill Drill" of six shots on the target as fast as you can. The next stage we shot had three staggered targets, each requiring three shots, two to the body and one to the head, with a mandatory reload somewhere during the string. I felt like my first shot was slow, but it was all A's in a nice group.

The next stage had a single target, with three shooting boxes in a straight line perpendicular to the berm. The stage description called for putting two shots on the target from each box, moving toward the target. I ran this one way too fast, and although all the hits were on target, they weren't all A's. We had some time waiting for the other squad to finish so some of us ran the stage again for fun. I did better the second, and realized that I was not slowing my forward momentum enough to get off accurate shots. This is a stage I can easily replicate at my local range to practice that a bit more.

The fourth stage we shot had three shooting boxes and three targets, and a twist. The idea was to put one shot on each target, and repeat from each of the boxes. The targets were widely spaced requiring a wide swing to hit all three. Next up was an unloaded gun start, with the gun and first mag on a table. On the start, pick up and load the gun and put 6 shots on one target, perform a mandatory reload and put 6 shots on the second target. For the final challenge, there were six targets in a wide, staggered array, ranging from 6 feet to 20 yards distant. Putting the required on shot on each target required constantly adjusting speed and focus.

The stages all basic shooting skills to the test, which is the idea behind the match. It's a great place to come out and get some practice with your carry weapon if you so desire, or have a chance to perhaps run a little too fast and test your limits —all without the pressure of a scored match or risking a low score on a classifier. We even had the opportunity to run a couple of the stages more than once. Future matches will provide for an hour or so after finishing for folks to practice even more.

It was a fast match, 48 rounds total. When I got back into my car, the coffee in my thermal mug was still lukewarm and we were on the road home by 11:00PM. This quick match was perfect for a busy Easter weekend. As for Greg, I dare say he had a great time, and he shot well too. I suspect I'll get him to a full USPSA match soon. On the ride home we were discussing other friends we could invite to come out to Cedar Mountain for an introduction to practical shooting.

Cedar Mountain practice matches will be held going forward on the second Saturday of the month, which, conveniently, doesn't conflict with local USPSA matches. I'll use them for practice, or perhaps to run some rounds through my carry gun. I'm also looking forward to bringing out more new shooters and getting them hooked. We'll have our Gabriel Possenti Shooters team before long!

It is a "Good Friday"

Indeed.