2012 Movie Review Roundup: The Raid, 21 Jump Street, The Cabin in the Woods, Damsels in Distress

Posted by Eric — May 9, 2012

I caught a handful of movies at the cinema last month but didn’t get a chance to write full reviews for them. Here are some quick thoughts on each:

The Raid: Redemption [dir. Gareth Evans]
I am a little surprised by the massive amount of love The Raid has been getting. There is no doubt that it is a crazy intense action film, arguably one of the most entertaining of the genre to come out in years, but I never quite fell in love with it as so many others did. The first act of the film, which focuses heavily on redundant gun warfare, is not much different from a Call of Duty game. However, once the characters drop the guns in favor of hand-to-hand combat, the film really kicks it up a notch. This is when the beautifully choreographed action setpieces shine, stunning in their execution yet grotesque in their aftermath. This is a violent movie, no doubt about it, and it’s not going to please everyone. In the end, I enjoyed The Raid, but it took me a little while to really get into the film. 7/10

21 Jump Street [Phil Lord, Chris Miller]
I never watched the 80s TV show that this movie is loosely based on, but this reboot is a hell of a lot funnier than I ever could have expected. Who knew Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum would make a formidable comedy tandem? The story of two cops going undercover in a high school is hardly anything new (and not just because this is a reboot), but it helps that the movie is self aware. There are several jokes about its concept, as everyone involved knows just how ridiculous it sounds. The two leads are likable, and both know how to bring the laughs. Some of the jokes have been recycled from elsewhere, but on the whole, 21 Jump Street is a fun, light comedy that most will enjoy. Keep an eye out for two awesome cameos near the end. 7/10

The Cabin in the Woods [Drew Goddard]
Speaking of self aware, how about The Cabin in the Woods? I wasn’t expecting much, if anything, from this horror film, but I left the theater with the biggest smile on my face. Original horror films are a rarity these days, but this one takes the cake. The film-within-a-film of a group of kids taking a weekend vacation at a relative’s mountain cabin is one we have seen a million times, but Cabin goes all meta with this and plays with all of the familiar tropes. There is a second, deeper storyline that makes the film what it really is, and once the big twist is revealed, it really kicks into another gear. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen the movie, but the final act is a freakin’ blast. My only real beef with the film comes from Fran Kranza’s uninspired performance as the token stoner. 8/10

Damsels in Distress [Whit Stillman]
I went into this film pretty much blind. Unfortunately, my first Whit Stillman movie left me unimpressed. I loved the beginning of the movie, as we are introduced to a peculiar group of college girls (led by the brilliant Greta Gerwig) who take a new transfer student under their wings, but it quickly spirals out of control after twenty minutes or so. There is no real purpose to the film, as it just meanders along aimlessly, jumping from subplot to subplot with no real connection. To call this film disjointed is an understatement, which is a shame since the dialogue is generally witty and enjoyable. Props to Gerwig, though — she is always fun to watch. 5/10

What do you guys think of these movies? Were you able to see any of them as well?

Movie Project #14: To Kill a Mockingbird [1962]

Posted by Eric — May 7, 2012

Due to the surprising success of my initial Movies Project, I decided to do a part two for 2012. This time around I put a greater emphasis on directors I am not familiar with, but I also tried to compile a mix of different genres and eras. This will be an ongoing project with the finish date being sometime this year.

To Kill a Mockingbird [1962]
Director: Robert Mulligan
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Brock Peters
Runtime: 129 minutes

Way back in high school, in one of my English classes, I was assigned to read Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Already tired of reading less-than-desirable books (in my teenage eyes) such as ‘The Scarlet Letter’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’, I opted to stick to Cliff Notes for that particular classic. Looking back now, many years later, I wish I had read Lee’s famed novel, especially after finally viewing the 1962 film adaptation.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a snapshot of the 1930s Deep South as seen through the eyes of a six year old named Scout (Mary Badham). Our young protagonist and her brother Jem (Phillip Alford) enjoy life in their small rural town, playing around and making new friends, but they are also wary of this shady character named Boo Radley (Robert Duvall) who lives down the street. Legend has it that Boo is chained to a bed and only comes out at night. He’s also six and a half feet tall, and boasts a diet of raw squirrels and “all the cats he can catch.” Gotta love kids and their wild imaginations.

While the first act of the film focuses on the playful nature of the kids and their rural upbringing, the film takes a stunning turn once their father, town lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), is assigned a new case. Atticus is selected to represent a black man, Tom Robinson (the terrific Brock Peters), who has been accused of raping a young white woman. Racism is running rampant during this time period, so naturally Tom doesn’t have much of a fighting chance despite there being an extraordinary amount of evidence to prove he is innocent.

During the actual trial, we are shown an absolutely incredible scene where Atticus delivers a powerful speech that any sane, non-bigoted person would believe and approve of. This is where Gregory Peck is at his finest. He delivers this speech with a sense of conviction in a way that makes everyone in the courtroom (viewers included) give him their full attention. It’s a shame that this moment is wasted shortly after when the jury finds Tom to be guilty anyway.

After the trial, life changes quickly for Atticus and his children. Many of the locals are irate over Atticus defending a black man, regardless of whether he was innocent or not. This hatred is defined by the movie’s villain, Bob Ewell (James K Anderson), the victim’s father and her true assailant. In a drunken stupor, he attacks Scout and Jem, only for them to be saved by the same man they were once scared of, Boo Radley. Funny how that works out.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an intriguing film that carefully tackles the issue of racism while also providing a nostalgic look at childhood. If I have any reservations, it is that the transition from playfulness to a serious court trial is a bit jarring, as it almost feels like two separate movies were merged together as one. Still, there’s no denying the film’s importance in history, and not enough can be said about Gregory Peck’s unforgettable performance.

While researching this, I learned that the film also had a lasting impression on its cast members. Gregory Peck received the pocketwatch of Harper Lee’s father, became the surrogate father to Mary Badham, and Brock Peters delivered Peck’s eulogy after his death in 2003. If that doesn’t show the lasting importance of this film, I don’t know what would.

9/10

Poll Results: Best ‘Best Picture’ Winner from the 2000s

Posted by Eric — May 5, 2012

Tough competition in this one, but there was one clear winner for the best ‘Best Picture’ winner of the 2000s:

THE RESULTS:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: 9 votes
- Gladiator: 6 votes
- No Country for Old Men: 5 votes
- The Departed: 2 votes
- Slumdog Millionaire: 2 votes
- Million Dollar Baby: 1 vote
- A Beautiful Mind, Chicago, Crash and The Hurt Locker: 0 votes

I must say I am a little surprised by this outcome. I thought No Country for Old Men would find a way to win, but the LOTR fans were loud and made sure their voices were heard. I shouldn’t have underestimated you guys, but hey, at least Crash didn’t get a single vote!

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

I am changing gears a little bit this week. Instead of the usual movie poll, I am going the TV route. HBO consistently puts out amazing shows from all sorts of genres. My question for you is, what is your favorite HBO series? You don’t need to have seen all of them to be able to vote — just let us know your personal favorite.

Happy voting!

Quick Thoughts on… Mass Effect 2

Posted by Eric — May 3, 2012

This post contains spoilers.

After a month of devout playing, I finally finished Mass Effect 2. One word sums up my thoughts: WOW.

Seriously, this has undoubtedly become one of my favorite games from this generation. Mass Effect 2 builds upon and improves its predecessor in every way imaginable.

Gone are the tedious Mako driving sessions, weird graphical glitches and framerate issues. The occasionally shaky combat has been drastically improved, with a better covering system and more intelligent squad AI. The inventory system has also been revamped, and there are far less items to have to worry about (a good thing).

The game’s structure is tried-and-true, but it works oh so well. The game plays out in simple fashion: Shephard is brought back to life and sent on a “suicide mission” to defeat the evil Collectors who are hellbent on destroying humanity. In order to increase the chances of surviving this epic mission, Shephard is given the task of recruiting several team members and later gaining their loyalty. It’s a long process, but it always feels like you’re working toward something BIG. I felt like I needed to do absolutely everything I could in the game to secure my chances of defeating the Collectors.

It paid off.

With a full and loyal crew, I successfully destroyed the Collector base and made it with the entire squad in tact. It was an intense mission and one hell of a way to close the game.

I made a few changes to my Shephard character this time around. I tweaked his appearance, changed his class (from soldier to vanguard) and swapped romantic partners. My love interest from ME1, Liara, was not willing or able to join the Normandy again (at least it appeared that way), so I went after the wild biotic convict Jack. I have already heard spoilers about her character arc, unfortunately, but it will be interesting to see how that develops in the third game.

Now I am at a crossroads. Do I start up Mass Effect 3 immediately or do I look into picking up ME2′s DLC? Or maybe I’ll take a break from Mass Effect entirely, at least for a little while. I made the mistake of buying ME2 used, so I would have to cough up the $15 for the Cerberus Pass. Is it worth it? Are there any pieces of DLC that I absolutely have to play?

Either way, I am pretty excited to play the conclusion. I just don’t want to get burnt out on Mass Effect at the same time.

My rating for Mass Effect 2: 10/10, easily.

Movie Project #13: Blue Velvet [1986]

Posted by Eric — May 2, 2012

Due to the surprising success of my initial Movies Project, I decided to do a second round for 2012. This time around I put a greater emphasis on directors I am not familiar with, but I also tried to compile a mix of different genres and eras. This will be an ongoing project with the finish date being sometime this year.

Blue Velvet [1986]
Director: David Lynch
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper
Runtime: 120 minutes

I have been thinking about Blue Velvet quite a bit since I saw it two weeks ago, and I have struggled to put my thoughts into words. How does one write about a film so dark and peculiar, one that turns Middle America upside down on its head?

The classic opening scene sets the tone for this neo-noir. We see glimpses of blue skies, white picket fences, vibrant flowers, school children crossing the street, a man watering his lawn while his wife watches television inside. Suddenly, the man’s garden hose becomes tangled, and in the fuss to get it loose, he suffers a stroke and falls to the ground. A dog playfully sticks its head in and out of the still-flowing water as a child wanders onto the scene. The camera then makes its way through the blades of grass on the lawn before digging deeper into the beetle-infested dirt, no doubt a metaphor of the seedy underworld to be found in this glimpse of suburbia.

The old man’s stroke serves as an introduction to our protagonist, his son Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), a college student who comes into town to visit his ailing father. After walking home from the hospital, he spots a severed ear near the side of the road. Jeffrey takes the ear to Police Detective Williams (George Dickerson), and meets the detective’s daughter Sandy (Laura Dern) for the first time. She gives Jeffrey a tip about the missing ear, and the two of them decide to do some sleuthing on their own.

The investigation leads them to the apartment of nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), and this is where the movie takes a bizarre and unexpected turn. Jeffrey sneaks into the singer’s apartment and unexpectedly finds himself the witness to a violent S&M excursion, as a wild and out-of-control Dennis Hopper (as Frank Booth) bursts into the room and has his way with Vallens. What transpires from this moment on is just crazy, as Jeffrey gets caught up in a strange sexual relationship with Vallens, all while trying to stay hidden from the dangerous Booth.

It really is strange how the movie flips a relatively standard mystery plot into a violent S&M freakshow, but would you really expect anything less from David Lynch? The movie zips along as it pleases, throwing all sorts of odd behavior at the viewer, and it even includes a seemingly random (but incredible) lip-syncing scene featuring Dean Stockwell:

No matter how weird the movie gets, it is always entertaining. This is helped by the addition of Dennis Hopper, in an absolutely deliriously over-the-top performance as the psychopathic Frank Booth. The man is a gas-huffing lunatic who has a strong affinity for Pabst Blue Ribbon:

Seriously, that line had me in hysterics. Isabella Rossellini is also fantastic as her character gradually evolves over the film’s running time, leaving her bare and broken along the way. Her performance drew much sympathy from Roger Ebert, who surprisingly gave this film a negative review.

The bottom line here is that Blue Velvet is quintessential Lynch. I found the movie to be fascinating, but I am still trying to wrap my head around some of its ideas (and reading other theories just muddied my thoughts even further). As expected, this seems to be a film that will reward further on subsequent viewings, and writing this post has made me eager to see Blue Velvet again. If there’s one thing that can be said, it’s that Lynch has a way of sticking around in your brain.

8/10

Movies Watched [April 2012]

Posted by Eric — May 1, 2012

1) Young Adult [2011]

2) Captain America: The First Avenger [2011]

3) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer [1986]

4) Blue Velvet [1986]

5) The Raid: Redemption [2011]

6) Machete Maidens Unleashed! [2010]

7) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol [2011]

8) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof [1958]

9) My Week With Marilyn [2011]

10) A Dangerous Method [2011]

11) 21 Jump Street [2012]

12) El Mariachi [1992]

13) The Cabin in the Woods [2012]

14) To Kill a Mockingbird [1962]

15) The Seven Year Itch [1955]

16) Heathers [1988]

17) Damsels in Distress [2011]

18) Stuck [2007]

19) All About My Mother [1999]

Movie of the Month: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Lots of candidates this month (Young Adult, Henry, Blue Velvet, Cabin in the Woods, To Kill a Mockingbird, All About My Mother), but I went with the 1958 classic featuring jawdropping performances from Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives.

What’s your favorite movie out of the ones listed above? Did you guys see anything amazing last month?

2011 Movie Mini-Review Roundup: Captain America, A Dangerous Method, Mission Impossible 4, My Week With Marilyn, Young Adult

Posted by Eric — April 30, 2012

I am nearly caught up with the movies I wanted to see from last year. Here are some mini-reviews of the handful of 2011 releases I saw in April:

Captain America: The First Avenger [2011, Joe Johnston]
Captain America’s origin film is pretty much paint-by-numbers superhero fluff. A handful of quality performances, led by Chris Evans as Cap, can’t save this from plodding along and resorting to the same tired action moments. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for the movie or maybe I’m just not the right demographic, but this didn’t do anything for me. A shame, too, because I really enjoyed Iron Man (and to a lesser extent, its sequel). Captain America has made me lose most interest in The Avengers. 5/10

A Dangerous Method [2011, David Cronenberg]
Students and followers of psychology (particularly psychoanalysis) will get the most out of this disappointing Cronenberg effort. Michael Fassbender was on a roll in 2011 and delivers a strong performance as Carl Jung, as does Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud. The examination of their friendship and mutual respect is intriguing, but the film suffers badly whenever the overacting Keira Knightley is on screen. As such, a potentially interesting subject becomes tedious as the script never really goes anywhere. The highlight of the film is Vincent Cassel’s small role as the cocky, free-wheeling Otto Gross. Again, this film is one perhaps best reserved for psych majors. 6/10

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol [2011, Brad Bird]
Brad Bird’s live-action debut is a riveting affair with at least one unforgettable scene (climbing on the side of the Burj Dubai is just insane). Tom Cruise proves he still has “it” as secret agent Ethan Hunt, who along with the surprisingly formidable team of Simon Pegg and Paula Patton is sent on a mission to stop a nuclear launch. The villains (led by the unfortunately misused Michael Nyqvist) are a bland and uninspiring bunch, but the movie itself is still a fun ride with plenty of action and cool gadgets. Arguably better than it had any right to be. 7/10

My Week With Marilyn [2011, Simon Curtis]
Starry-eyed Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) weasels his way into a movie production job and gets to spend a week on set with Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). All of Monroe’s idiosyncrasies are on display here, and the legendary actress is played expertly by the always captivating Williams. The film itself is entertaining enough, but unfortunately starts to dabble in tired cliches during the third act. A solid, albeit forgettable endeavor. 7/10

Young Adult [2011, Jason Reitman]
Charlize Theron is brilliant as a thirty-something young adult fiction writer who still acts like a teenager. With her main goal being to seduce her ex-boyfriend (who is now happily married with children), she is not exactly the most likable character. Regardless, it is hard to look away from this dark comedy, even as it sometimes gets uncomfortable. Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody make a great pair, and this movie is further proof of this. Special mention must be made of Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson, both of who deliver strong performances in their supporting roles. One of last year’s more underrated films. 8.5/10

Did you see any of these movies? Did any of them stand out to you?

Poll Results: Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie

Posted by Eric — April 29, 2012

I ran this poll a little longer, but the result was never really in doubt. According to you guys, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie is:

THE RESULTS:
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day: 11 votes
- Predator: 5 votes
- The Terminator: 4 votes
- True Lies: 2 votes
- Conan the Barbarian: 1 vote
- The Running Man: 1 vote
- Total Recall: 1 vote
- Kindergarten Cop: 1 vote (no joke)

Can’t say I am terribly surprised by this one, as the early consensus seemed to be T2 all the way. Great to see Predator get the runner-up position (my vote), as well as a few scattered nods for his other films. What do you guys think? Happy with T2 winning, or do you prefer another film from Arnie?

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

What is the best “Best Picture” winner from the 2000s? I don’t think this one will be as lopsided, though I could see one particular film taking control of the #1 spot. I am not sure what I will be voting for, though.

Hope you guys had a great weekend!

PC Game Review: Out of the Park Baseball 13 [2012]

Posted by Eric — April 26, 2012

Out of the Park Baseball 13
System: PC (also on Mac/Linux)
Genre: Baseball Simulator
Publisher: Out of the Park Developments
Release Date: April 9, 2012

All hardcore baseball fans, no matter who they root for, have one thing in common: they believe they could run a professional team, sometimes even better than the actual general manager does. Of course, some are more vocal about their beliefs than others, but diehard fans especially love to nitpick every move their favorite team makes. I am guilty of this myself, so I turn to baseball simulators to prove that I can successfully manage a professional team. While there are a few options available, there is one franchise that is a clear cut above the rest, and it is one that I keep coming back to every year: Out of the Park Baseball.

This year’s version, lucky #13, has the same in-depth simulation offerings but is also packed full of upgrades. Immediately, the most noticeable difference is the brand new interface. The traditional menu system and its core buttons have all been switched around, with a shiny new right-side toolbar providing easy access to the most important screens. If you’re familiar at all with previous versions of the game, this graphical overhaul definitely takes some time getting used to. I did enjoy its changes in the long run, however, and I like this particular direction the series is taking.

The biggest, perhaps most impressive, addition to the game is the real-time simulation mode. Basically this means that you can follow each game pitch-by-pitch, adjusting the speeds as necessary, and even jumping in to play the game if you want to. It’s pretty cool to keep an eye on several games at once, especially when you happen to stumble upon a rarity such as a no-hitter in progress. This is especially convenient for those running leagues as the commissioner.

Quite a bit of attention has been given to the core engine as well. Trades are noticeably tougher — a good thing — and teams can be labeled in three stages: Win Now!, Neutral, and Rebuild. This makes it slightly easier to find a trade partner, although it is still difficult to pry away their talent without giving up some big-time players or prospects of your own.

If you were a fan of the newspaper/mail system in previous editions, you will love the improvements in OOTP 13. Several unique storylines have been added, offering a much-welcomed freshness to the articles. One of my personal favorites so far was a story about a veteran on a struggling team taking it upon himself to hold his teammates accountable for their actions. A couple weeks later I was sent an article about this leader holding a kangaroo court about some minor action (I believe a teammate stepped on the team logo) and charging him a $100 fine. Brilliant. Little things like that give OOTP a touch of personality that just cannot be topped. I love this stuff, and would be very pleased if more of it seeped into future updates/versions.

Of course, Out of the Park also comes pre-equipped with all of the latest MLB rosters, and new seasons are built with the recent rule changes in mind (i.e. more wild card teams, and Houston’s move to the AL West in 2013). Player photos are missing initially, but there are countless mods available to fully customize the game any way you see fit. Seriously, if there is any one thing you don’t like about the game’s setup, you can change it. The official forums are a great source of information for the game, with all sorts of awesome expansions and goodies available. The creators of OOTP are also very active in the community and regularly provide patches to fix many of the bugs that users come across. Rest assured, if there is a significant glitch discovered (unlikely), Markus and the guys will be on it ASAP.

There are so many ways to dig into OOTP that everyone will play it differently. I chose to import my association from last year’s game and immediately continued playing as if nothing had changed. It was terrific — my settings were transferred over, and I played through the rest of my season while also getting to enjoy the new features of the game. Of course, if you don’t have an association to import, you can create a new league (real or fictional) starting at any year you desire. You can play the games individually or sim them in bunches — it’s up to you. You can even join an online league with other GMs, which is an absolute blast with a good group of guys.

I have been speaking nothing but praise for the game so far, but there are a couple of minor flaws I feel I should mention. For one, the in-game text is a little difficult to read. I have a 19-inch monitor and occasionally have to squint to accurately read the team lineups and current statistics. While the in-game interface can be switched around, there is no way to increase text size. I have gotten used to it, but it would still be nice to adjust as needed. Also, while the trade engine is certainly improved, I was able to manipulate the system in one area. I noticed that it was a little too easy to sign a free agent to a minor league contract halfway through the season and then flip him to another team for a superior option. It was strange to me that I was able to do this. After all, if a team had any interest in the player I signed, why didn’t they just sign him on their own? Not a huge deal, but it is tempting to take advantage of this.

Again, those are two unbelievably minor flaws in the grand scheme of things, and they do not lower my rating at all. Folks, this is a 10/10 if I have ever seen one. Easily the best baseball simulator I have ever played, and it is one with infinite replay value. For only $40, you will get your money’s worth and then some. If you are into baseball statistics or are a diehard fan of the sport, do yourself a favor and give it a shot.

I will leave you with this warning, however: this gets addictive, FAST.

10/10

Beer Review: Rogue & Voodoo Doughnut – Bacon Maple Ale

Posted by Eric — April 25, 2012

My birthday was last weekend (April 15, to be precise), and to celebrate I flew out to Portland, Oregon with my girlfriend. We drove out to the coast, stuck our toes in the Pacific Ocean, spent a day exploring the Columbia Gorge and its glorious waterfalls, and also took some time to gallivant around the eclectic city that is Portland. One of our stops was the famous Voodoo Doughnut — “The Magic is in the Hole!” — home to many odd endeavors.

Eric standing outside Voodoo Doughnuts

Here, take a look at a few of their most popular items:

Captain my Captain: Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and Captain Crunch
The Loop: same as above but with Fruit Loops instead
Triple chocolate penetration: Chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting and coco-puffs
Memphis Mafia: Fried dough with banana chunks and cinnamon sugar covered in a glaze with chocolate frosting, peanut butter, peanuts and chocolate chips on top

But, to me, most intriguing was the Bacon Maple Bar (even Anthony Bourdain is a fan!): Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top

It’s as awesome as it sounds.

Later on our trip, we stopped in at Rogue Ales Public House, the downtown brewpub for one of my favorite breweries. I couldn’t believe my eyes when, as soon as I walked in, there were a dozen large pink bottles of beer sitting out. Pink bottles of a Rogue & Voodoo Doughnut collaboration: Bacon Maple Ale! This sounded so ridiculous that I had to bring back a bottle home with me.

Tonight, I couldn’t resist the urge any longer.

Bacon Maple Ale
Brewery: Rogue Brewery [Newport, OR, USA]
Style: Smoked Beer
ABV: 5.60%

The Bacon Maple Ale has 13 ingredients: (list courtesy of rogue.com)
Malts: Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt, Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt, House-smoked Hickory Malt, Great Western 2 Row, Munich, C15, C75 Malts
Speciality: Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Pure Maple Flavoring
Hops: Perle, Sterling
Yeast & Water: Pacman Yeast, Free Range Coastal Water

Three smoked malts and applewood-smoked bacon… yeah, smoky doesn’t even begin to describe this beer. When poured into a glass, it doesn’t look much different than your typical ale (clear amber appearance), but the taste would be quite the surprise for the unsuspecting drinker.

Breakfast. That’s what this is. Bacon and lots of maple syrup. The syrupy taste makes this an awfully sweet beer, but the smokyness helps balance things out. It’s definitely a two-headed monster, however. The bacon/maple combo appears first, followed by a smoky finish. A hoppy aftertaste also lingers on the back of the tongue.

My initial impressions were glowing — I was surprised at how drinkable this novelty beer actually was. Subsequent tastings became a little too sweet for my liking, but not to the extent that I didn’t want anymore.

A bottle of Bacon Maple Ale will pour two tall pints, so it is a good option to share with another curious beer drinker. I probably won’t go out of my way to drink this again — it is available mostly in Portland, after all — but I am glad that I was able to try this unique brew. Bacon lovers, give this a shot.

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