Festive beer, bike rides and a play

The next week long of advent beers:

Beer number 15: Young's Special London Ale - a subtle beer with lots of malt and light, floral hops.

Beer number 16: Brakspear's Triple III - strong (not sweet) malt aromas with fruity hop flavours and late bitterness

Beer number 17: Brew Dog 5 AM Red Ale - sweet malt and citrus hops; light chocolate with grapefruit bitterness to finish

Beer number 18: Red Duck White Garden - deliciously dry and refreshing sour rhubarb with a touch of raspberry

Beer number 19: Founder's Dirty Bastard - rich sweet malt with strong alcohol flavours

Beer number 20: The Little Brewing Company Mad Abbot Tripel - Sweet malt and Belgian yeast with strong alcohol flavour

Beer number 21: Brewcult Thanks Captain Obvious - strong, hoppy, resinous, bitter IPA

Once again, of the few things I did that weren't strictly beer-related, bike-riding around Umbagong District Park on a clear morning (before it turned into a very hot day) was a highlight. The hills are so dry, and with the heat and the strong winds combining to form perfect bushfire conditions, I urge everyone to stay safe out there.

Umbagong District Park

Cara Carissima came to the stage at The Courtyard Theatre, and we played to very respectable audiences, who seemed to enjoy Geoff Page's verse play about public servants and their relationships set in a coffee bar and performed in the round. It was a small cast of five, and we got on well both on-stage and off.

Backstage at Cara Carissima

Nikki's birthday cake

Advent beers, acting and jogging

December brings advent, and the start of our advent beer calendar.

Beer number one: Silly Saison - a Belgian brown with Saison yeast

Beer number two: Brew Dog's Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents - hazy golden with sweet malts and plentiful citrus hops

Beer number three: Mighty XP Old World IPA - strongish, goldenish, IPA-ish beer

Beer number four: Stone Dog Meadery Loud Mouth Braggart - earthy honey tones on a seriously good ale

Beer number five: Hop Dog Abbey of the Dead - Belgian red ale with added hibiscus and marigolds

Beer number six: Woolshed Brewery Judas the Dark - coffee and chocolate on the nose and palate, also gentle spices and roasted wattleseed

Beer number seven: Bateman's Mocha Porter - liqueur chocolates; chocolate malt flavour, some coffee and hop bitterness

A visit to the shop from the sales dude at Prancing Pony

And just to prove that it's not all beer, I went for a jog around Umbabgong District Park.

Graffito at Kippax Playing Fields

Rehearsing for the play Cara Carissima, written by Geoff page and directed by Tanya Gruber.

Peter Robinson as Barry, the public servant

Bruno Galdino as the barista

Cara Irvine as Cara, the EA, and Peter as Barry

Director, Tanya Gruber, with Cara

Tanya films Cara and Nikki, the wife

Bruno having a rest with Nikki in the background

Cara (Cara) and Barry (Peter)

 

 

And another run; this one at Woodstock Nature Reserve.

Bounding up the steps! (Or not)