Beer Is Good – Chang Beer

Published on August 22, 2009 in Food and Review by risu. Closed

Chang_beerChang_labelI tried a Chang Thai Beer from Cosmos Breweries in Thailand with dinner at Saeng’s tonight. This Pilsen-style lager pours golden with a high level of carbonation. The aroma is peaty or musty, and the initial flavor is moderately bitter with a light malt flavor. The malt flavor comes out a little more in the middle, and the flavor tapers of cleanly. It isn’t as smooth as say Wernesgruener, but it is a very well mannered, easily drinkable beer. Tiger is still my favorite Thai beer, but this is my second favorite.

5.0% ABV

Recommended

Three out of four drunken monkeys

Gu Chomps Energy Chews – Blueberry pomegranate

Published on August 22, 2009 in bike and Review by taro. Closed

P8220192New product from GU sport supplements. Decided to try these “energy chews” which is fancy talk for candy. OK, they put stuff like vitamins in it to differentiate it, but they’re largely sugar of one form or another. I’m a fan of the Cliff Shot variety, but the shop no longer brings in the Margarita flavor which featured higher sodium to replace that lost in sweat and assist staving off cramps. GU stuff has been hit or miss, I use their lemon lime and strawberry banana gel supplements. Again mostly because no one brings in my favorite Cytomax gel version. The other guys have not liked their other products flavors, even going as far as eliciting an anger response from one! Continue reading ‘Gu Chomps Energy Chews – Blueberry pomegranate’

Bronchitis Ride

Published on August 22, 2009 in bike by risu. Closed

Chris had some free time Last Saturday, so the fooligans gathered out at the Ditch for some pedal time. The weather wasn’t ideal – Hurricane Felicia had just passed, bringing some heavier-than-normal rains in her wake – and I was coming off a cold from the weekend before. Since we all hadn’t been riding for an extended period, nobody was averse to an easy Ditch ride. Root, Jeff, Sara, and Chris were already there when I pulled in. The ground was a little on the damp side on the climb up Government Road. There wasn’t a lot of deadfall, attesting to the lack of heavy winds associated with Felicia, but there were a couple of new large broken live branches across the trail – one was along this climb, and another out at the end of the Ditch. I was feeling hot, but considering the humid weather, I didn’t feel that it was unusual. Continue reading ‘Bronchitis Ride’

Edible Briefs – Hale Macrobiotic Restaurant

Published on August 22, 2009 in Food and Review by risu. Closed

Hale_fish_burgerAfter last Saturday’s ride, I went by Hale on Makaloa next to the Ghostbusters building for dinner. I had downed some Endurox R4 after the ride, so I wasn’t ravenously hungry, but my body told me that I needed protein and the associated amino acids above and beyond what soy-based products could provide. They had a fish entrée and burger, the fish of the day being ’Ono (Wahoo). I went for the burger because the entrée version was startlingly expensive, and I wasn’t sure what some of the side dishes would turn out to be. Continue reading ‘Edible Briefs – Hale Macrobiotic Restaurant’

Beer Is Good – Deschutes Green Rivers Organic Ale

Published on August 22, 2009 in Food and Review by risu. Closed

Deschutes_green_rivers_aleI had dinner over the weekend at a Macrobiotic restaurant, and they had several organic beers that I haven’t tried before. I gave this one a shot based only on the brewery name recognition. I’ve had a couple of other Deschutes varieties, and I have to say this one is not unlike them. On initial pour, the color of this ale was dark amber, almost red. The server tilted the glass and didn’t’ give a full pour, so it didn’t form a head. I subsequently rectified this. The carbonation level was moderate – bubbles continued to rise throughout the life of the beer. The aroma was hoppy and sweet, and similarly, the first taste was fruity from the hopping. There was only a faint malt flavor in the middle with a bitter note from the hops. The finish faded out on the bitter note. The overall impression was that of Obsidian Stout with a lighter roast on the malt. If you like Deschutes other offerings, give it a try – I didn’t particularly care for it. Specifically, I was disappointed in the underwhelming malt flavor, and the overwhelming hop flavor. Continue reading ‘Beer Is Good – Deschutes Green Rivers Organic Ale’

Beer Is Good – Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale

Published on August 21, 2009 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P8210187Looks like bunch of stores are putting in orders for Kiuchi Breweries Hitachino Nest beers with the distributors. I found this among four varieties at Marukai, and also saw some at Whole Foods a week or so ago. Decided to go with the most conventional sounding one to start with, the Japanese Classic Ale. Continue reading ‘Beer Is Good – Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale’

Call to Arms – Speight’s

Published on August 12, 2009 in Food and Review by risu. Closed

Saw the Foodland weekly ad just now. Apparently, they currently have the exclusive on Speight’s from Paradise Beverages. It’s still at the introductory price of $11.99 USD plus tax and HI5 deposit fees. Go pick some up! I worry a little that too few people will buy it and Paradise will stop importing it.

SAE Is Not Your Friend

Published on August 6, 2009 in bike and rant by risu. Closed

Turner_dropoutWTF?! While working on JT’s Turner Five Spot, I discovered that the screws that hold the derailleur hanger on are SAE – at least the heads don’t fit metric hex keys. 3mm was too big, and 2.5 was almost spinning – 7/64”? It would suck to have to change the hanger on the trail and not have the correct hex key because it isn’t represented on a bike-specific multi tool or metric hex key set.

Kaneohe Perimeter

Published on August 6, 2009 in bike by risu. Closed

Coconut_IslandThe weather was crisp and sunny Wednesday afternoon on the Windward side, so I went for a spin. I was considering riding over to Kailua, but I wasn’t sure if there would be adequate daylight time. Instead, I rode up to the high point of Kamehameha Highway and looped thru Mokulele Drive and Namoku Street to K-Bay Drive. I headed toward the waterfront via the spooky tunnel behind the golf course driving range, but there was a sign where the road to Keana fishpond and the STP passes through a right-of-way at the back of the golf course prohibiting entry. Cars were going in and out, but since bikes and golf courses have a traditionally adversarial relationship, I turned around, not wanting to get hassled by the course marshall. Continue reading ‘Kaneohe Perimeter’

Yammy Mammy

Published on August 6, 2009 in bike by risu. Closed

Weather was good on Monday afternoon, so I met Ckucke and JT up at St. Louis for some dirt time. I got stuck at work late because the alarm wouldn’t arm since Jeff had stacked his stuff against the wall, blocking an alarm sensor. By the time I got to the top, Ckucke and JT had dropped Upper Dumps and were riding up the road. I gave them a tow up to the parking lot. It was a little more difficult than catching a ride on Root’s Corolla, since the FJ80 was almost a foot wider. It was either run Ckucke off the left into the dirt, or run JT off the right into the roots. It was still early, so we were going to hit Upper Dumps again before Root arrived then go down a third time after he arrived. While I was gearing up, Ckucke regaled me with his tale of being at Nordstrom Rack and being visually oppressed by some mother sitting her toddler on the jeans table and lifting her giant tee-shirt to breastfeed the child, exposing her belly and breasts. Continue reading ‘Yammy Mammy’