Latest batch in the bottle (Choc Raspberry Stout)

Stass and I have just bottled the latest brew, so have 3 weeks (exactly the time til my birthday) before it is ready. Ok, so it is an attempt at a choc raspberry, and with the lactose sugar comes out as a creamy raspberry with a very little hint of choc on the tip of the tongue, but will see how it comes up after second fermentation.

Before bottling, I was feeling like some fruity light beers, so Stass brought around a Stone and Wood Draught, that smelt just like pineapple and had a light body but not watery, but no pineapple in taste. He also brought around a Cantillon Iris, which after a settling sip was alright. Maybe the whole bottle was a bit much for just us two, but as I have found with the lambic tasting I had at Slowbeer, is fairly tame compared to others.

With my birthday approaching, I have been getting back into stuff I grew up with, and so got back onto Bargearse. No matter how crude the humour is, it still gets me on the floor, and while he isn't normally drinking great beers (hey, how much harder would it have been to find decent beer in Australia back in the 70's/80's?!), Bargearse is definitely a beer hero for me (eg, 'breakfast?...excuse me while I do my morning exercise...liquid inspiration...[and of course]...beer daquiri').

Also something to laugh at, just saw the start of the 20/20 game with VB as a sponsor and nearly brought my dinner up laughing at the ad campaign for it. Just has 'VB...Real'. The only thing real about it is that it exists and is somehow the biggest selling beer in Australia (ok, there is quite a sadness lurking behind my laughter as well). Still, am actually happy to see they are playing Phoenix's '1901' between balls in the first over of the cricket.

Anyway Jarrod and Harriet, Stass and I are not far from our choc raspberry experiment being ready for testing, where's yours?!

Beefy