ennui, alc ref
I could sorely use:
many, many snuggles
a box of top-tier Belgian ales, ideally including at least one bottle of Westvleteren Abt.12, and assorted dry & medium-dry farmouse ciders and perries, and pretty much anything from To Øl and De Molen
a knit dress suitable for the season that has a design that isn't just a solid color or generic floral pattern
re: ennui, alc ref
@porsupah Always preferred Westvleteren 8 myself. Though it's bitterly hard to get any of their stuff over here.
re: ennui, alc ref
@deadrose Mm, 8's a joy as well. ^_^ I did have the very good fortune to visit their bar a couple times, and leave with a carload of 12 and some 8. =:9
At least there's St Bernardus, with very similar recipes. Still, it would be quite a treat to open another bottle of 12 sometime, without spending scalper level prices.
re: ennui, alc ref
@porsupah We see St. Bernardus over here with somewhat more regularity. We finally found a place that gives us a chance to get some of our Belgian favourites shipped to us, avoiding the problem of the East Coast buying the entire allotment before we even have a chance. It costs an arm & a leg of course, but those are the breaks, I guess. If there are any west coast/PNW US brews you want, maybe we can work out a trade.
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@deadrose I wonder how awful shipping would be, though?
Any idea if Lagunitas' Brown Shugga is still a thing? ISTR it was a seasonal, unless they've since chosen to make it year-round. I adore a good barleywine, and that was a glorious example.
Still surprised cider isn't a bigger thing in the US - there's certainly no shortage of good apple growing regions, Washington definitely amongst them. (Especially the really tart stuff. Gods, but Dunkerton's Black Fox is a joy! So tangy, packed with all that beautiful apple flavor, and unashamedly cloudy. Only trouble is it can sometimes undergo a little secondary fermentation, so one or twice a year, I'll wind up with a bottle that does a Grand Prix champagne act =:)
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@porsupah AFAIK Brown Shugga is still making its seasonal runs. Cider had a little problem with the people promoting it hyping the "gluten-free" aspect, and the amount of mass-market cider that's just sugary alco-pops. One of our fave cideries just went under as a result. They did some brilliant ciders *sigh*.
re: ennui, alc ref
@deadrose Ooh! That's good to hear. Maybe I'll try finding a decent local vendor, and see if they might be able to lay their mitts on some stock. =:9
Ugh, indeed.. whether the severely dull stuff like Strongbow, or the mass of "fruit flavored" ones that may technically have apples somewhere in the process, but may as well be fruity seltzers with a shot of vodka (and plenty of sweeteners).
Ah, to be able to make another trip to Middle Farm.. gods, that place is heaven for a cider lover! One of the buildings - converted farm storage - has something like four shelves stretching the entire length, with very sweet at one end, and very dry at the other. You take all the time you want, sampling as many as you like with your tasting thimble, then fill your 1/2/4-pint containers with whatever you like as you go. Then, eventually, up to the front, and they'll have magically tagged what you took and ring you up completely accurately. =:D
Probably something like 100+ ciders, and another couple dozen perries and blends. And quite a strong selection of local bottled beers, too.
Tragically, no mail order, and they're not great to reach by bus/train either.
(I used to live within reach of them; the conservatory made for a perfect walk-in fridge in the winter, too =:)
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@porsupah That sounds like a cidery/brewery to have fun at! I can only imagine what our beer fridge(s) would look like after a trip to there. We've got one cidery over here (on the island I call home) that makes perry with Asian pears, and manages to capture that amazing crispness.
Not that I'm drinking right now, this past week (and some) has been a pretty rough one health-wise. Currently I've got Covid, caught it in the hospital last week.
re: ennui, alc ref, hospital talk
@deadrose They collect from cider makers all over the country, helping contribute to the diversity of flavors. Definitely worth visiting if you get the chance! (And not far from Brighton, which is just a cool place from start to finish)
Ugh! Hope that passes soon without any major consequences. Most folk seem good about masking in the hospital I visit, though I wasn't thrilled by one visitor coming in (a) coughing vigorously, (b) without a mask. O.o Thankfully, I was only there for a dressing change and getting untethered. (46 hours of fluorouracil after each session, which has all sorts of delightful safety warnings. Still, at least I'm feeling much better than before, but the real test will be in next month's imaging)
re: ennui, alc ref, hospital talk
@porsupah I was sprouting a weird facial appurtenance as a result of the NG tube, and it prevented me from effectively masking.
I was doing the fluorouracil myself, but they've changed my regimen to other drugs with a more general approach. So I know the fun of wearing the pump around for 2 days. We'll see if these new drugs kickstart things back into gear.
