Game Day Beer Review: Bell's Winter White Wheat Ale

Photo by cursedthing on Flickr

Winter White poured a murky golden color with a thin white head that left behind almost no lacing. Active carbonation was visible in the glass.

The beer smelled of yeast and citrus, especially oranges.

The yeast and a white pepper spiciness were the first two flavors we noticed upon tasting.  The taste then went all citrus all the time in the middle, before ending with a long, mellow finish. It's not our favorite from this Kalamazoo-based brewery, but it's not bad, either: B

Thoughts from a Cup-filled Weekend: FA Cup Round Three

photo by Matthew Wilkinson	via PhotoRee

Thoughts from a Cup-filled weekend:

o If you dropped in from outerspace, or were watching, say, from the United States, it may have been difficult to tell which was the top flight team when Newcastle fell to Gus Poyet's Brighton Hove and Albion on Saturday. Then again, if the Magpies keep up their current form, the two squads may be playing each other again next year -- twice -- in the Championship.

o Somehow the all-Premier League ties just don't carry the same type of "magic" as the David vs. Goliath contests.  No doubt West Ham vs. United was an excellent game -- how could you not admire Joe Cole's inspiring return to where his career began, and Robin Van Persie's artful catch and release in stoppage time -- but for our money we'd much rather be watching Liverpool vs Mansfield Town any day of the week, especially when the "bigger" team has to travel to the smaller side's ground.

o And speaking of Liverpool vs Mansfield Town, did you take a look at that pitch?  That's what this FA Cup thing is all about.  That pitch was pure goat patch, and Liverpool had to go in there and make the best of it.  Tiny Mansfield almost pulled off the upset of the round, but a helping hand from Liverpool's Uruguayan superstar was enough to see off the Stags and put the Reds through to the next round.

o Of all the parties involved in the latest Suarez brouhaha, however, it was ESPN which managed to embarass themselves the most -- quite a feat, this, given that both Luis Suarez and the Liverpool FC press office were involved.  After ESPN commentator Jon Champion  branded Suarez' latest piece of handiwork "illegal," "nefarious," and the "work of a cheat," the political correctness police pressured ESPN into disciplining their announcer for offering his forthright opinion on the matter.  Compounding their error, ESPN then went on to extol their right to free speech, as follows: 

"We take our responsibility to deliver the highest standards of coverage to our viewers," said an ESPN spokesman. "ESPN's editorial policy is for commentators to be unbiased and honest, to call things as they see them (italics added). Inevitably this can involve treading a fine line on occasion, especially in the heat of the moment."

o To which we say, we guess you can call 'em as you see 'em, as long as you're not being critical of Liverpool FC.  

Game Day Beer Review: Brouwerij De Ranke Père Noël Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Tasting notes from the holidays, during which time we sampled this delicious small production beer:

(7.00% ABV) Père Noël is the color of toffee, with a thick white head, much the same color as Santa's beard.

Smells of yeast and citrus.

Very yeasty and lemony upon swallowing.  Peppery spices noticeable, too .  Extremely dry, muted finish, with virtually no aftertaste.

Bubbly, and medium bodied. B

Game Day Beer Review: Wychewood Brewery Hobgoblin Extra Special Bitter

(5.20% ABV).  Hobgoblin poured a reddish amber color, which was darker toward the top of the pint glass. The beer was served on tap at Yard House in Hallandale, and drunk outside in glorious 80 degree sunshine.

Hobgoblin had a thinnish, watery off white head, and smelled of malt and sweet sugar.

The beer was bitter up front, with a strong malty backbone. It displayed a slightly floral hop undertone throughout, which became more apparent in the middle of the taste. 

Hobgoblin was medium bodied. It turned out to be a decent thirst quencher -- not overly complex -- that did the job. B

Twenty Questions: Manchester United 2 - West Ham United 2

Photo by Lore & Guille on Flickr

20 questions (or thereabouts), to celebrate goal number 20 for United's number 20:

o If De Gea starts in the Cup, when does Anders Lindegaard play?  Or is he still in Sir Alex's doghouse from his last performance?

o With Chicharito scoring 11 goals in his last 14 games, does Rooney automatically go back into the lineup when he returns?  If so, for whom?

o If Danny Welbeck can't score more often than once in 23 games, how long will Sir Alex keep the faith?

o Is Joe Cole's fancy footwork at a predominantly kick-and-run West Ham side the football equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig?

o If a striker such as Chicharito can cross the ball like he did for Tom Cleverley's goal, which gave the visitors a 1-nil lead after 22 minutes, why have United's wingers had such difficulty putting in deliveries of similar quality this season?

o Why is it that, despite Vida's return, the United defense still looks weaker in the air this season, as it did for James Collin's equalizer just before the half hour mark?

o Did it ever dawn on the United midfielders that they should stop giving away free kicks to West Ham, as it appeared the only way the Hammers were capable of threatening the United goalmouth?

o Did Welbeck's lack of goals this season cause him to be more selfish than usual when he chose to shoot rather than pick out a wide open Chicharito on one of the Red Devils' typical lightning quick counterattacks?

o Was Shinji Kagawa actually on the pitch in the first half, or did someone from the stands borrow his kit and jog around in his stead?

Game Day Beer Review: Bear Republic Brewing Racer 5 American IPA

Racer 5 was poured into a Manchester United pint glass, a vessel of real distinction to match a beer of similar quality. The beer poured a brilliant gold with a hint of orange, with a thick head of pure white.

Racer 5 smelled of piny hops and tropical fruit, including pineapple.  It's mellower on the taste than you might expect, given the reputation for American-style IPAs . The beer offers a very nice mixture of hoppines -- but not overly aggressive hops -- and a clean biscuity flavor. It finished with a just right mixture of fruit and hops.   Drink it: A

Something to Behold: Rounds 20 & 21 in the BPL

photo by maessive	via PhotoRee

o Led by their wantaway striker Demba Ba, the Newcastle offense is something to behold: seven goals in its last three games, and against top opposition at that. The only unit currently more adept at putting the ball into the back of the net is whichever team happens to be playing the Magpies on any given day.

o Dimitar Berbatov looked like a chess Grand Master against West Brom on New Year's Day. Gesturing where he wanted the ball passed -- and not alway to him -- Berbs was thinking three to four moves ahead of anyone else on the pitch. And warping the time /space continuum, Bebatov seemed to float above the game, consistently popping up in the most unexpected places for a man who is reputed to move at very leisurely pace.

o Resting Ashley Cole, Ramires, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard at the same time may not have been the smartest decision by Rafa Benitez, but the real dope of Round 22 was Referee Lee Mason, who chose to flash only a yellow card at Chelsea's Marko Marin for his clear-as-day red card offense, which could easily have resulted in a broken leg for Stephen M'Bia.

o Player of the Week Javier Hernandez bagged a brace against Wigan on New Year's Day, but that's not what won him the Award -- or else his Flying Dutchman teammate would have been in contention, too. No, instead it was the Little Pea's superb movement off the ball and stunningly quick reaction time -- in which the mexican appears to speed up just as others slow down -- that gave Chicharito the honors and have made him one of the most lethal predators in the League today.

o The shirt message thing hit a new low when Edin Dzeko took a yellow card to display the latest words hidden under his kit. And for those of you wondering what's happened to City's offensive creativity this term, the answer, it seems, is written on the shirt. Last year was all about Super Mario's "Why Always Me?" display. But apparently the best a City striker could come up with this season was "Happy New Year...?!" We guess Dzeko's not the imaginative type.

The Critics Corner: A Book Review of The Anatomy of England

photo by Môsieur J. [version 3.0b]	via PhotoRee

Ed pops in with a book review:

Having found Jonathan Wilson's "Inverting the Pyramid" both enjoyable as well as an extremely informative account of the history of soccer via the change of formations (really, it's that good despite telling the tale in that manner), I went back for more and just finished Wilson's follow-up, "The Anatomy of England." Anatomy is an interesting book, not just for what it tells us about the history of English football, but also because of what it tells us about the English people themselves.

It's always be fascinating to me how a nation such as England have sunk from intense "rule the world" self-confidence down past humility into full self-loathing. Wilson picks up on this from a different angle. To him, England falsely believes that they should and historically were the best in the world at football, England falsely believes they are the best because of their rah-rah spirit, and England ultimately could be the best (or at least much better) if they played in more of a continental, possession style instead of just booming it up the field and running hard. These themes run through Pyramid as well, though obviously the first book is not nearly as thick with them.

Wilson looks back at England's performances through the years and cycles through 10 games in particular, beginning with a loss to Spain in 1929, moving through their defeat at Wembley in 1953 by Hungary, through three games of the 1990's -- highlighted by what could be considered a peak inflection point in England's 4-1 thrashing of the Dutch, and finally to the crash and burn of the "Golden Age" team's defeat in 2007 to Luka Modric's Croatian side. The Epilogue then speaks of Fabio Capello, the author's initial belief that he might end up the most successful of England managers, which belief was of course dashed by what the author believes were the result of bad luck, injuries, and, well, who knows what else. But ultimately, it would seem that the author thinks one of the toughest things that England has to push through is its own culture -- the impatience of not allowing for development, combined with a carnivore-like press, and finally with their constant return to their roots as a boot it and run it team.

Statement of Intent: Manchester United 4 - Wigan 0

photo by kevindooley	via PhotoRee

Manchester United began the New Year with a clear statement of intent -- here's how it went down....

Minutes 0- 10: The opening ten was even steven, with Wigan giving as good as they got, maybe even having the slightest of advantages. There were no real chances for either side as they both eased their way into the New Year's Day contest. Lots of open space on the pitch.

Minutes 10- 20: Chicharito had an offside goal overturned, but the striker's clean finish showed the Little Pea has hit the same sparkling vein of form he displayed in the 2010/11 season. Otherwise the action was slow to develop, with both goalkeepers acting largely as spectators.

Minutes 20-30: An Ashley Young penalty shout was denied as both sides settled into the match. United struggled to create opportunities in the Wigan box, with Van Persie and Chicharito reduced to bit roles. A fizzing Giggs' cross was the first sign that the Reds were beginning to turn up the heat, while only a full pitch sprint from Jonny Evans saved United from a dangerous Wigan counter. Just before the half hour mark Giggs was unable to turn in a Van Persie cross, but the eagerly anticipated opener appeared to be getting closer.

Minutes 30-40: Wigan 'keeper Ali Al-Habsi appeared as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as United sought to sustain their first period of real pressure in the match. The corners mounted, and after Wigan bungled a clearance, Chicharito -- right place, right time, yet again -- turned in a deflected Patrice Evra shot for a deserved United lead on 35 minutes. Wigan continued to offer their own offensive efforts, but the United defense -- led by Ferdinand and Evans -- appeared exceptionally solid.

Minutes 40-45: Chicharito to Robin Van Persie was as good as it gets for the game's second goal. Unlike the rested Antonio Valencia, the Dutchman didn't even need his left foot, controlling the Mexican's pass and shuffling it to his "less good" right foot before curling it past Al-Habsi.  Despite taking a half hour to warm up, the visitors appeared good value for their 2-nil lead when the teams headed off the locker room.

Happy New Year

The farlieonfootie staff wish you and yours all the best in 2013.

photo by jurvetson	via PhotoRee

Happy New Year!