Spectre’s Sayings

Coniston Brewing Co.’s Bluebird Bitter pours a lovely honey color with a small head and gorgeous lacing. It has a citrus-like fruity aroma with a hint of …something. The bottle says it’s geraniums, but I can’t quite tell. There’s a rich maltiness that provides a nice mouthfeel and contributes good things to the flavor, and the hops are somewhat understated for a pale ale. There’s a spicy note and a bit of a flavor of pine resins. When the beer warms up to the recommended serving temperature, that note is actually pleasant, but if you serve the beer cold - as in, directly from an American refrigerator - then it becomes a stumbling block to enjoying the beer. The low alcohol level allows this beer to be a nice session beer.

Do yourself a favor and let the beer warm up to cool, not cold, before you drink it.

To sum up: not bad, but nothing to get excited about.

Ed Morrissey has a good article about the future of the U.S. in Iraq at Hot Air entitled Iraqis aren’t stupid — and they’re watching us. Go read it.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

I’ve added a link to Time’s Pictures of the Week feature to my blogroll. Many of the photos are quite stunning visually.