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Siletz Chocolate Porter - Siletz Brewing And Public House
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 25 | Reviews: 25 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by Iguana:
2.05/5 rDev -34.5%
I was thinking today that I should try a Siletz beer since the brewery is about 30 minutes from me and I have never actually tried their beer before. Pour is jet black with a 1cm head that was only produced by a hard pour. Smell is faint hints of roasted malt so not too bad. Taste is really not right, sour bitter choclate like the previous reviews. The start is like this tart lactic taste and the finish is bitter dry chocolate. I dont even detect the faintest hint of porter in this. Mouthfeel is dry, and not much to it. Drinkability, I wont dump it, but I wont buy it again, this isnt even in the ballpark of what I expect from a chocolate porter.
10-31-2006 01:00:33 | More by Iguana
More User Reviews:
4/5 rDev +27.8%
Appearance This porter was super-dark in color, damn near black, with a light white ringing head.
Smell The bakers chocolate is huge at the nose. It smells like a nice chocolate double-layer cake. The roasty malts proved a pleasing compliment to the chocolate.
Taste The double dark chocolate cake comes out nicely at the taste. I can also pick up some good yeast, which makes this a fine dessert.
Mouthfeel This medium-bodied American Porter is well-blended and supplies a nice, finishing chocolate bitterness.
Drinkability This is like a smooth chocolate cake (I know, Ive said it a dozen times already but its true) that manages to provide a good buzz. Not too much, though, because you wont get much of this with a room full of Beer Advocates!
Comments Thanks to skyhand for supplying dessert at the First Annual Bodacious Bavarian Bier Extravaganza.
08-31-2005 01:08:40 | More by RoyalT
3.6/5 rDev +15%
Pours a brown tinged ebony with 1 finger of tan colored head. Above average head retention & lacing
S: Some coffee & cocoa
T: Chocolate milkshake, roasted malt, & dryness
up front. More of the same as this warms, the dryness, starts to assert & annoy me. Finishes with coffee & mocha, almost pulled a 4.0
MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation.
Drinks alright, this had the potential to be so much better, a pretty good rendition of the style
05-12-2008 07:03:12 | More by russpowell
4.35/5 rDev +39%
i accidentally happened upon the brewery in siletz, oregon on my way back from the coast. cool little place. the whole brewery is run out of a barn by two locals that were a lot of fun to talk to. one thing he noted (which may explain the bad bottles people seem to be finding) is that they're really just interested in making beer, so they leave all the distribution up to someone else. the brewmaster didn't even know where all you could find his beer.
anyway, about the beer, i actually picked this one up at a specialty shop in southeast portland.
appearance - pours pitch black with a nice brown head.
smell - like sniffing a chocolate bar. a faint roasty something, and a hint of hops, but mostly just straight ahead chocolate.
taste - oh man, this is desert. loads of chocolate, touch of coffee and a hint of hops to remind you its beer. finishes a little bitter, like dark chocolate.
mouthfeel - nice and smooth, feels more like a stout as it sits on the tongue (and the brewmaster admitted to me it is, his boss just wanted it to be a porter because there are "too many chocolate stouts already").
drinkability - good stuff, very drinkable. like a chocolate milkshake.
i feel bad for the people who got turned off by bad bottles, cause this is a great example of a chocolate porter (or stout). i guess you've got to live close to the source to get the good stuff..
04-02-2008 06:44:05 | More by Sorgasm
2.93/5 rDev -6.4%
As other reviewers have stated this beer shouldn't be listed as retired, I just picked up a fresh bomber at a local store.
This beer pours an inky black with a dark tan head that faded quickly. The aroma is amazing and grabs you right away. It filled the room with a rich chocolate aroma, and upon further inspection has some sweet and burnt notes. Up to this point this beer was very inviting, but then came the first sip. Yikes, what happened? The aroma built this beer up to be something it isn't, it is sour and thin, with a burnt aftertaste. The mouthfeel is more of a light lager than a porter with decent carbonation, but just not right. This one was hard to drink, I can't imagine having more than one. Not a very good chocolate porter, there are many others out there that I would recommend before trying this one.
05-18-2007 22:22:51 | More by wingman14
4.03/5 rDev +28.8%
Deep brown to black with mild orange highlights and topped by a thin tan head. There seemed to be plenty of carbonation in the beer, but the head did not last as long as I wished. The nose is deep, dark chocolate. I get a little espresso too, just a touch of dark berry fruit, and the lightest bit of citrus. Wow, not what I expected, but still nice. Im getting a citrus orange flavor right as I sip the beer. The chocolate, and a light espresso follow in a bit, the finish has some of the chocolate covered cherries I found in the nose. Nice bitterness on the finish. Slick mouth feel, not all that rich. Still a very drinkabkle beer.
06-08-2006 22:36:41 | More by carln26
4.15/5 rDev +32.6%
From a 22 oz bomber "1st Place : Peoples Choice Award- KLCC Eugene Microbrew Festival 2005"
Very rich dark brown coloured porter, cant see much light through it, small tan head.
Very rich aroma of malts and dark roasted coffee and dark chocolate.
Quite a coffee -like porter in taste, though the roasted barley is very well defined, then at the end the chocolate flavours come through, nice dark not too sweet chocolate.
Very nice on the palte, its a rich, thick beer but never cloying, quite a long lingering after taste, which for me is a good thing.,
Quite drinkable for one so complex. Good stuff hope Siletz makes this a regular in their line up.
06-27-2005 05:06:51 | More by Reidrover
New Hampshire
1.7/5 rDev -45.7%
Pours a four finger light tan head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving a little lace. Totally black color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Bitter chocolate nose. Starts sour/bitter chocolate, stays that way to finish, bitter bakers chocolate aftertaste. Worst chocolate porter I have had. Must be the same batch as previous reviewer. $4.05 for a 22oz bottle from Liquid Solutions Tigard, Or.
07-23-2006 22:26:25 | More by jdhilt
4.68/5 rDev +49.5%
thanks erik for the sample
fresh 22oz bomber carried back from the PNW region. dark beer, showing crimson highlights in the light. humongous hershey nose with a creamy toffee sidenote and overall caramel luxury. there is no cocoa here, just chocolate. buttery and light.. slightly oily. coffee notes with cream. what an indulgent drink here, but still not quite girly. finishes smooth with a touch of bubbly. carbonation is the only thing holding this fine brew down. if it was my choice, id probably sit and smell this all day rather than drink it.. kind of like that aroma from the inside of a chocolate factory. excellent.
08-30-2005 22:55:54 | More by goodbyeohio
2.6/5 rDev -16.9%
I had thought that I acquired an old bottle of the beer until many other BA's describes the same characteristics that I find in this beer. Begins with an overly carbonated bottle pour with a loose-knit head formation that erupted from the glass as expected from Belgians, but not American Porters- makes me anticipate an infection. Aromas give boost of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and a lactic acid / citrus note. Flavors alternate between the nice cocoa-coffee notes and a tart-sourness that proves to be distracting. A thinner than normal mouthfeel keeps the beer from becomming creamy, round, or full. Finishes with the mix of cocoa, coffee, and lemons. Hops are noticed throughout, but weave into the astringent character of the acidic flavors and textures. Not a particularly pleasurable experience, but not a quite a drain-pour either.
07-06-2008 04:01:57 | More by BEERchitect
2.2/5 rDev -29.7%
Found this in a brown bomber with no freshness date. Poured at cellar temp it looked oily and black. Putting a 100 wt bulb behind it showed no light at all (the sun's never around when I'm tasting). The dark tan crown looked fantastic on the black body, but only about a finger's worth with an aggressive pour in a freshly rinsed snifter. The half creamy smooth, half rocky bubble surface soon faded to a consistent surface of dense lace.
The nose started right out with black licorice with some moderate phenols. Unsweetened bakers chocolate and prunes on toasted whole wheat bread came behind. A pleasurable snort, spent a long time swirling this one before tasting.
The first sip was like a bull-whip. The hop bittering sang louder then the roasted astringency, but it was certainly off-key. The sharpness on the pallette made it is hard to find any nuances. I tasted more all-night diner coffee then chocolate followed by a long lingering bitterness in the mouth coating. The medium body wasn't as heavy as it looked but I wished there was more carbonation to help clear the stickiness in the mouth.
The sharpness on the palette surly hid any subtle complex flavors that may have been underneath but I wasn't getting the pot odds to keep the hand. I fold.
08-04-2007 08:33:29 | More by smttycty
3.05/5 rDev -2.6%
10/19/05- Purchased at Liquid Solutions in Portland, OR.
Presentation- 22oz bottle with a cool silk screen design of a chocolate hand print on the bottle. No freshness info to be had. Poured into my Moylans pint glass.
Appearance- Dark brown, approaching black in color. Nice dirty brown head about 1/2 inch in size. Lacing is a bit lacking though.
Smell- This is one of the most wonderous scent I have had from a beer. Huge milk chocolate scent with a nice cocoa backing. Amazingly chocolaty.
Taste- Damn, was hoping the taste would line up with the scent. There is a chocolate flavor, but there is a huge and I mean huge bitterness behind the taste. Almost salty in taste.
Mouthfeel- Kinda like gargling with a low range salt water solution. The carbonation is too high as well.
Drinkability- Not that drinkable. Awkward taste and feeling. Oh well, I guess if you just want to pour it in a glass to smell it, might me worth it. That's about the only good quality here.
10-20-2005 02:46:35 | More by GClarkage
3.83/5 rDev +22.4%
On tap at Redbones as my "dessert beer" after dinner.
A: Pours a jet black color with a one finger caramel colored head. Dissipates pretty quickly with no retention.
S: Big milk chocolate aroma. Chocolate notes of cocoa and nestle. Burnt coffee notes, but extra smooth.
T/M: Very large milk sweet chocolate and caramel notes with a slightly bitter finish and a nestle milk chocolate aftertaste. Extra sweet milk chocolate. Roasted and burnt coffee notes are also noticeable. Medium body, which is interesting considering I hoped this body would be extra big. Low carbonation allows the malt and bitterness to come through.
D: Drinkable, but as a dessert beer only. This is a bit thin in the mouthfeel unfortunately, but still a good beer to try if you're on the east coast as it's not readily available. Cheers to Chris for putting this on tap!
11-17-2006 02:10:57 | More by bjohnson
North Carolina
3.48/5 rDev +11.2%
On-tap at Redbones with my lunch on November 15.
Almost had the look of chocolate milk this beer was such a perfect chocolate brown. No head but there was some scum sitting on top and floating about. No lace.
Nose was more like cocoa than chocolate.
Very sweet and chocolate tasting. However, the chocolate flavor was more like powdered hot cocoa mix. Slight bittersweetness rises at the end. Not sure if those are the hops or more likely the chocolate--dark chocolate. Kind of a sour milk flavor too.
Medium body that was hairs away from being watery. A bit acidic. However, this beer grew on me as I worked my way through the glass.
11-16-2005 03:23:49 | More by MuddyFeet
3.58/5 rDev +14.4%
Pours with a frothy, three finger thick, chocolate cream colored head that has some staying power to it. The beer itself looks quite clear as I pour it, but sits in the glass an opaque black color. The aroma is quite chocolate dominated; sweet a bit chalky with a chocolate malt ball aroma. In the finish, aromatic notes of toasted & even roasted malt are found as well as a touch of burnt grain huskiness.
The taste has a light creaminess to it up front, it is fairly dry though and has quite a burnt barley / dark chocolate bitterness to it that linger on into the finish. The beer is lightly tart as well, and despite the up front creaminess is quite light and easy drinking. The tart acidity almost takes on a fruity edge to it, though I can't really quite say what fruit it would be.
The finish really has such a lingeringly bitter note to it that is joined, perhaps even magnified, by a the tartness. This beer is pretty tasty, but the strong notes in the finish are a bit to big for the rest of the beer to balance. This could be quite good if brought a bit more in to balance, though not too much as the sharp biting finish is nice and needed, just at a lower level.
01-22-2007 05:08:19 | More by Gueuzedude
2.78/5 rDev -11.2%
Poured from 22oz bottle into a beveled pint glass. I can only assume this beer is a 2005 vintage due to the advertisment on the side for a brewery party sometime that year.
Appearance- Beer pours a solid black with an impressive thick two and a half finger deep head of creamy beige foam. Very nice looking beer from the pour.
Smell- Smells of chocolate and cocoa. A slightly roasted malt presence with a hint of sourness that I can only hope is not a sign of what is to come with this beer.
Taste- Oh. This beer is well past its prime. I would go as far as to say the beer is terrible. The smell was as good as it got on this one. Thin sour malts with a hint of cocoa. This one may just be a drain pour for me.
Mouthfeel- Sour and lingering. Well carbonated and full bodied unfortunately so it sticks on the tongue and throat.
Drinkability- The third sip is the clencher. I'm sad to see it go, but the bottle will house a better homebrew. This one is going straight to the drain. Pretty bad for the kickoff. I'll find something better for halftime.
02-03-2008 23:48:18 | More by blakesell
2.88/5 rDev -8%
The Siletz Porter looks like it is going to be a winner when you pour the deep dark brew into your glass and it gives you the nice foam head for a spell. The smell is very aromatic of chocolate, that is for sure. The taste has the roasted malt coffee and chocolate but leaves the mouth with quite a bitter taste. It is thin in the mouth and doesn't do much for mouth feel. I would expect better from the coast.
11-09-2007 03:51:47 | More by cswhitehorse
2.28/5 rDev -27.2%
Pours a dark chocolate brown with a massive about 4 finger deep head. Seems something is off with the carbonation here.
Smells of roasted coffee, chocolate, toasted/roasted malts, sweet & bitter coffee.
Has a big off putting soured/spolied milk flavor that covers all the chocolate & porter flavors the nose suggested. This tastes no bueno.
Overly carbonated, medium bodied, lingering sour flavor.
Think something went wrong with this one. Not recommended.
11-11-2008 01:55:53 | More by bbothen
2.17/5 rDev -30.7%
A: Dark mahagony brown. Poor carbonation, literally fizzed at the surface. No head to speak of since then.
S: Lactose, cafe au lait, cola, dried cocoa powder, black patent malt and marshmallow cream.
T: First thing that grabs me is the sourness....same sort of sourness I had in the cream stout. Is it supposed to be this way? Moving on...Tastes like cocoa powder added to sour milk. Pungent, acidic...yuck. I can't take another sip.
M: Medium body with NO carbonation.
D: This is going down the drain. So far Siletz is 0/2 in my book. I've got the Spruce ale and Wooly Booly to try next and they better not suck. Since I got both of these other terrible Siletz beers from the same online store, I'm wondering if they haven't been taking care of the beers properly. Or perhaps they got a bad batch. Regardless, the beer I'm tasting is not the beer others are reviews, straight up.
07-10-2006 03:36:14 | More by Westsidethreat
4.43/5 rDev +41.5%
WOW! What a potent eruption of real chocolate flavor and smell. Theyre not holding out on us here. And just when you thought the sensation of chocolate has made its play, the finish kicks in and takes you further with a long, lingering resolve.
If you embrace the concept of a chocolate porter, youll embrace this one soundly. Not just chocolate; good chocolate and plenty of it.
07-27-2005 00:02:08 | More by RedDiamond
3.25/5 rDev +3.8%
This beer pours a dark brown color that lets only a peek of light through. Medium light brown head that lasts pretty well, and patchy lacing. Dark chocolate aroma, along with some malt. Medium-bodied and somewhat smooth, with a flavor profile that does not seem to match up with the aroma. Sweet chocolate and a mild sour fruit flavor do not mesh very well. Some roasty malt characteristics keep it from becoming a complete disaster, but still the overall flavor seems off. The finish is chocolatey with a mildly sour fruit aftertaste. Kind of a letdown overall.
10-05-2007 19:39:13 | More by Dogbrick
2.13/5 rDev -31.9%
Darkest walnut with a faint hint of crimson. At first I thought the beer was opaque, but another look with really bright sunlight behind it proved otherwise. The golden ecru cap is filling exactly half the glass at the moment, giving the beer a perfectly proportional 'black and tan' look. I love the way that a nearly solid sheet of lace is visible from the upper rim of the glass downwards as the cap begins to recede.
Chocolate Porter smells like a chocolate porter... imagine that. It's a pretty good nose that I hope is repeated on the palate. Only thing is, there's an underlying tartness present that I've actually been fearing. Some Siletz beer that I've had lately has had a case of the sours. I hope this isn't one of them. It's probably too much to hope for that tangy, citrusy hops are the culprit.
Wow! One sip is all it takes to tell me that something is wrong with this beer. It doesn't taste old (why is it still listed on the website if it's actually retired?) and it doesn't taste infected. Not exactly anyway. It's both intensely, green apple sour and bitingly bitter with very little malt to calm down either one of those out of control flavor sensations. Did some joker dump a few hundred pounds of Sour Patch Kids into the brew kettle?
Somewhere down deep is a faint trace of chocolate porterishness that really has no chance given what else is going on. My masochistic streak isn't that wide, but I keep going back again and again to try to figure out what the hell went wrong here. Maybe this beer is retired. If the brewery brings it back, the least they could do is change the recipe from top to bottom. Or get some quality control that actually controls the quality of what they release.
The body/mouthfeel isn't that bad I guess. It's so hard to filter out the yowling from my taste buds long enough to determine whether I like the way the beer feels in the mouth or not. My best guess is that it's still too light for the style and is too fizzily carbonated. I'm about halfway through the bomber and that's plenty far enough. I feel like I deserve some sort of medal for getting this far.
Chocolate Porter--this particular batch at least--is ghastly beer. The folks at Siletz are fully capable of brewing good beer and I refuse to believe that they intended for this offering to taste the way that it does. If so, then good riddance. If not, then I'd welcome a return engagement when they finally get it right.
09-05-2006 15:46:00 | More by BuckeyeNation
2.55/5 rDev -18.5%
Appearance: Pours out a dark brown body with a small, tan-colored head.
Smell: Potent, intense chocolatey aroma - much like a Godiva-type liqueur. There's some roastiness and notes of pine in there, too, but first and foremost its chocolate.
Taste: I do wish I had a Sam Adams Chocolate Bock on hand to compare this to. Oh well.
The taste is chiefly that of a mouth full of dry, dusty cocoa powder. Any flavor in here turns suddenly to a sharply tart sourness that is rather long-lasting.
Mouthfeel: Medium-body, with a watery texture. Low carbonation. Very chalky on the finish.
Drinkability: A bit of a stomach-churner. Now I wish even more that I had that Sam Adams Chocolate Bock, so I could go ahead and dump this and switch to that.
03-26-2007 02:48:22 | More by ChainGangGuy
3.63/5 rDev +16%
This is a beer of (at least) two faces.
At the Oregon Brewers Fest, this beer was a rich dark brown with the terrific chocolate nose, flavor, and smoothness that the name implies. My wife's favorite by far and gone when we went back two days later.
Sooo.... sprung for a bottle, and apparently a completely different beer. This one was really much more like a stout.
The chocolate was very underplayed. Most of the flavor imparted was roasty and bitter (not bitter chocolate or hops, but caraffe malt, which was not bad, just not what was advertised).
Out of the bottle, this was black, very little effervesence.
Rather than being creamy, it was a little oily. Again, very different, but a difference that came out well.
Watch out where you get this one, it WILL effect your experience. The bottled version is by no means bad, just not as advertised.
08-26-2005 16:39:27 | More by unklesyd
1.83/5 rDev -41.5%
A : Pours a black with a thin tan head. Decent lacing on the glass
S : Chocolate aroma with a hint of hops. Not much else going on
T : The taste is really off. There's a sour malt taste to it along with the chocolate flavor.
M : Full bodied, good carbonation.
D : Drainpour. I was hoping for better but this was extremely disappointing.
06-29-2008 00:11:13 | More by mhewes
Siletz Chocolate Porter from Siletz Brewing And Public House
75 out of 100 based on 25 ratings.


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|You are here > About \ History of GGA
History of GGA
A brief history of the Good Gardeners Association from
The following article is a work in progress. The intention is to create an historical record of major events in our history and at the same time reveal the sequence of events that has led to growing food for nutrition.
The information used here has been extracted from GGA minutes, various files that remained when I took over in 2000, personal conversations with past Directors and from various published material. References are given to substantiate claims where possible however, errors and omissions are accepted and will be updated if stronger evidence comes to light.
1966 - 1982 - Founding of the GGA by Dr Shewell-Cooper (MBE)
Dr. Wilfred Edward Shewell-Cooper MBE (1900 – 1982) established the Good Gardeners Association which officially became a charity in 1966 with the aims:
The no dig approach was adopted (not invented) refined and made popular by Shewell-Coopers great enthusiasm and work for the charity. Note I have heard reference to no-dig gardening as far back as the mid 1800's but the earliest text I have seen to date was published in the late 1940s. [1],[2]
Shewell-Cooper was a Christian and the original meaning of the word 'Good' was taken to mean that 'members of the association were good because they carried out Gods plan for the Soil.' The title for one of his many published books was 'God Planted a Garden' in which every reference in the bible that relates to the principles of organic gardening and good soil management has been extracted and made relevant. Whilst many Christian gardeners were attracted to the GGA, this emphasis has become lost in modern times, however it is still a part of our history that is of great interest.
Before the GGA, Dr. Shewell-Cooper gained his diploma in Horticulture at Wye College and was involved as either Director, Principle or Fellow of many organisations connected to horticulture. He was a prolific author with over 70 books on gardening published; wrote articles for many newspaper columns; and was garden editor for the BBC North Region. [3] As Command Horticultural Officer (1940-1949) during the Second World War his charge was to investigate the art of composting and to encourage people to grow their own food. [4]
|In 1946 the Soil Association began to form and Shewell-Cooper was invited to sit on the council along side Lady Eve Balfour during these early stages of development. According to his son Ramsay, his father argued that they should also include and appeal to the interests of gardeners and horticulturists by incorporating the GGA. The Soil Association council disagreed. They wanted to focus on farming only and so after approximately 20 years he left to develop his own ideas that would eventually lead to setting up the GGA.[5]
|In 1950, as Principle of Thaxted Horticultural College, Essex he and his Australian wife Irene, and son Ramsay, went to work on the farm and market garden to experiment with minimum-work compost gardening where he could test his theories to see if they worked. After ten years he moved to Arkley Manor in Barnett, Hertfordshire to begin a demonstration garden so people could see and experience it working.[6] Set in ten acres this became the official Head Office as well as research and display gardens for the GGA in 1966.
|He travelled the world promoting his theories on gardening and the word spread. At its peak over 10,000 visitors a year including many international visitors were attracted to the garden. GGA offices were established in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Bahamas [7] and there was a great interest to set up more in Canada, America and in many European countries. In the early 1970's the UK membership reached an all time high at around 4,000.
|It's very difficult to say just how many people were influenced by Dr. Shewell-Cooper but obviously a great many were. For example, a meeting with Bill Mollison (founder of the Permaculture movement in the late 1970s and advocate of the no-dig method) was arranged during one of his visits to Australia in the late 70's [8]. It's not clear from the archive if this meeting ever took place but clearly the GGA must have made a positive contribution to the world of organic compost no-dig gardening and horticulture.
In the mid to late 70's membership began to decline. According to the record of minutes this was blamed on external factors. The main form of communication at that time was by letter but this was disrupted due to an ongoing postal strike. Also there was a general feeling of rising prices as VAT was introduced and people began cutting back on their personal spending.
To see your membership fall can create a very negative effect in an organisation and in particular for Dr Shewell Cooper, this must have felt very personal. To revive spirits perhaps, and inject new vigour a two year study was commissioned in 1981 that was to be undertaken by Wye College. The question for the research was 'What is the difference in cropping between conventional and organic methods". As yield was, and still is, considered paramount a study of this nature had the potential for high impact.
|1982 - 1987 - The founder passes but ideas continue
In 1982, a year before the research was concluded, Dr. W.E. Shewell-Cooper died and his son Ramsay stood in as Honorary Director. We can only imagine what a terrible blow this must have been for family, friends and supporters. The house and gardens had to be sold to pay Death Duties and the family and Office moved to a smaller location next door. A year later the results of the study concluded 'THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE' which certainly would not have helped morale. These events correlate to the rapid decline in membership to around 400 in 1986 where it has remained, more or less, ever since.
However, whilst membership declined ideas did not! The GGA continued to evolve quietly in the background as other organic organisations (and very good ones) for example HDRA (Garden Organic) and Permaculture increased their membership by focusing on the promotion of organic gardening and living.
1987 - 2000 A new Director, mycorrizha, schools project begins
In 1987 David Wilkin became the new Director and moved the Head Office from Hertfordshire to Gloucestershire. With his medical background and interest in natural healing he worked hard to establish the idea that better nutrition comes from food that has been grown in a healthy soil that is alive with worms and microscopic life (the result of not digging).
David also introduced a commercial element to the charity with 'Cumulus Organics' suppliers of organic gardening products. Cumulus no longer exist but David independently continues to supply organic gardening products through a small mail order company called Pinetum Products and continues to offer GGA members discounts. Today there is no connection or influence over the GGA by any commercial organisation what so ever.
|David attracted the attention of independent researcher, John Reeves who brought with him his passion and knowledge of mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship between soil fungi and plants. John's unique research, which is yet to be fully realised, introduced the idea that this special relationship can greatly increase the mineral composition, including trace elements, of many crops. However, whilst this mutual relationship has existed ever since plants first colonised the land millions of years ago, it is very delicate. Not only is it killed by chemicals but also it's susceptible to being reduced or killed, if turned on its head and exposed to light. [9]
|During the 1990s David updated and changed the logo and in 1997 staged a nutritional conference at Warwick University called the Food-Health Connection: a diet for our children's future. With eminent speakers such as Patrick Holden (Director of Soil Association) Dr. Neil Ward and Dr. Peter Mansfield the GGA established a new niche for itself as the charity concerned for 'growing nutritious food'. Inspired by success David began to develop the idea of a schools project that would teach children about nutrition from food.
|2000 - Present
In 2000 myself, Matt Adams, became the new director and brought with me my skills, knowledge and experience of twenty years in Mechanical Production Engineering and more recently a four year education as an 'environmental manager' which I completed in 1996. My remit was to take the GGA forward into the 21st Century and revive its good fortunes. Accepting the challenge the office was moved from North to South Gloucestershire in Wotton Under Edge.
The style of my environmental education was diverse, enjoyable, sometimes depressing but overall it helped me develop a better sense of the whole picture and how connected we all are to nature. I consider myself to be a 'novice gardener' with no formal training in horticulture. What I have to offer however, is inspired by nature and a philosophy called Deep Ecology [10] which aims to stimulate debate around our current world view. I hope to build links and information on Deep Ecology in the future but for now you may begin to recognise what it is from the practical examples we are beginning to develop.
In the early days I spent a lot of time thinking about and consulting with all concerned to see if the GGA could develop a unique focus that no one else was doing. This included GGA governing members, the membership and even Patrick Holden, Director of the Soil Association. The message was clear. No one else was concerned about nutrition in the same way that the GGA were. While this process was ongoing it was in 2000 that Sir John Crebs, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency stated publicly that:
"organic food is no more nutritious than conventionally grown food."
The response from the Soil Association in 2002 was based on a paper review of all the studies carried out to date that have considered this question. Their conclusion was that whilst there tended to be a leaning towards organic food being more nutritious, there was insufficient evidence to be really sure. This led to call for more research to be carried out with particular emphasis on not just quantitative but qualitative data as well. [11] Qualitative refers to more subjective tests that can not be measured so easily such as taste and vitality along side data such as mineral content, which can.
Another event which happened around this time was a publication by Geologist and Nutritionist David Thomas (Honorary Advisor to GGA) who had discovered and published a report which found that on average 40% of minerals from the UK food chain have been lost over a fifty year period between 1940 and 1991. [12] This work was based on the Government's own research where every ten years they took a selection of vegetables, fruit, meat, milk and cheese and analysed it.
Could there be a possible link between modern farming, including some large scale organic processes, which attack soil ecology every year in particular mycorrhiza and the subsequent loss of nutrients? And if so is there a link between this and the quality of health in the UK? An internet research by the GGA established that in 2004 83% of all deaths were as a result of degenerative disease and that this is not just a result of people living longer but that children are now developing these very same diseases – a worrying trend. [13]
These events helped confirm our direction that we should focus on nutrition. In line with our aims and in tune with current issues we modified the schools project David had begun to include experiential learning and research. The research was based on modifying an original question posed by the GGA which instead of considering yield we asked - is there any nutritional difference between organic food that has been grown in the same soil but managed differently i.e. no-dig, versus digging. We added a few more methods as well to arrive at a total of six where one was conventionally grown another was control but the other four were all accepted methods of growing organic food.
In 2003 we received a little funding to help run our first pilot project and test the idea with key stage three pupils at Newent Community School, Gloucester and Bristol Steiner School. Using the same soil to grow carrots and peas we tested them for visual appearance, taste, yield and mineral content. Results suggested no-dig to be best.
This was impressive but before continuing in schools it was felt that more needed to be done to develop the methodology and test this idea in a real garden setting. Working on a shoestring we found support from the Bio-dynamic Agricultural Association and Hiram Trust. A partnership project called GREEN (Gardens for Research Experiential Education and nutrition) was established in Stroud which began in 2004.
Designed to last four years in a Bio-dynamically managed garden we carried out comparative research between no-dig, single dig and double dig. We introduced more testing such as measuring the micro-life in the soil (an emerging science), and methods to test vitality of soil and crops as well as measuring the minerals present in both soil and crop. This original test ended in 2007. Results are currently being written up however, key findings suggest:
A knowledge of soil biology is far more useful than soil chemistry if what we want to grow is nutritious food.
The food we have produced has more minerals than anything grown or eaten since the 1940's
We believe this work is significant but not conclusive. We need to expand the GREEN model so we can begin to test the same idea in different soils and climates to see if a consistent pattern emerges. This we would like to do in collaboration with recognised research bodies and where appropriate, with schools taking part in our Sowing the Seed project.
The title of our project, Moving Beyond Organic naturally emerged at the end of 2004. Inspired in part by the projects we had begun and aware of current and topical issues that connect nutrition, health, sustainability and issues surrounding the erosion of organic standards. In short we believe the time has come to move beyond organic which is popularly perceived as chemical free to actually grow food for nutrition which includes so much more. To develop this we need to consider the following areas:
I am proud of what the GGA has managed to achieve to date and feel that after twenty years in the background we are ready, once more, to stand up confidently and talk about new ideas that promote a new relationship and approach to growing food for nutrition. The idea of Moving Beyond Organic, I hope, will literally question our basic assumptions as we develop its potential and learn new things.
It has evolved after years of consultation and thinking about issues that surround and connect soil, biology, health and the environment. It challenges the current way we think about and understand nutrition and act towards nature. As our research and education projects unfold we have already begun the process - But there is so much more to learn and we need support to do it.
In 2007 we developed a business plan to collect our thoughts and begin applying for funds to help increase our profile, membership support and development of our projects GREEN and Sowing the Seed. We believe now is the right time for such a project and hope you too will support us. Thank you.
[1] F. C. King; Is Digging Necessary?, 1946, Reprinted in 1948 by Levens Gardens, KENDAL, Westmoland.
[2] A. Guest, Gardening Without Digging, 1949, Reprinted in 1999 by Marshalls in association with The Good Gardeners Association.
[3] Shewell-Cooper, Dr. W.E., The A.B.C. of Gardening, 1936, The English Universities Press Ltd.
[4] Shewell-Cooper, Dr. W. E., Picture and text taken from, Composting Correctly, non dated, Published by The Good Gardeners Association.
[5] Personal conversation with Ramsay Shewell-Cooper 19/02/08
[6] Shewell-Cooper, Dr. W.E., GGA Year Book 1970-71, Published by the Good Gardeners Association.
[7] Shewell-Cooper, Dr. W.E., GGA Year Book 1970-71, Published by the Good Gardeners Association.
[8] GGA Archieve file, letter dated 1979.
[9] Reeves, J., Natural Agriculture and Health, 2004, Self published, Copies available from the GGA
[10] Deep Ecology is the opposite to what is often called 'shallow ecology' which is used to describe the current approach to tackling the environmental issues we face today such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, none of which appear to be working very well. Deep Ecology literally encourages us to ask ever deeper questions about ourselves and our position with in the natural world and how we impact on it. It questions our current world view (human-centred) and aims to stimulate open debate around this topic so we may at some point develop a view that is more respectful and in tune with all living and non-living things (non-human-centred). By encouraging individuals to ask ever deeper questions about themselves, nature and how inextricably linked we all are to it. The logical conclusion it argues is self-realisation that to harm nature is to harm ourselves. If we find this to be true the greater the chance we will have of creating policies for a sustainable future.
[11] Organic Farming, food quality and human health. A review of the evidence, 2002, written and researched by Shane Heaton, published by Soil Association.
[12] Thomas D. E., A study on the mineral depletion of the foods available to us as a nation over the period 1940 to 1991, Nutrition and Health Vol. 17: No. 2, 2003, Published in The Journal of the McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health. Note: The data used as the basis for this study was published in 5 Editions, initially under the auspices of the Medical Research Council and later the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods and the Royal Society of Chemistry: Authors R.A. McCance and E.M. Widdowson.
[13] Adams, M, 2007, GGA News journal Autumn 2007, Issue 165)

subset: commoncrawl


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As noted, the rest of this list will be ranked by special guest previewers. Please enjoy the 61st through 70th most interesting games remaining in the NFL season, and please welcome our special guest, Someone Who Is Really Bad At Fantasy Football.
81. Cleveland at Houston (Week 9)
I kind of wish I got Arian Foster. The thing is, he was kind of hurt at the beginning of the season. When Bo Jackson was hurt, he didn't play anymore. Kind of got the willies about it. I used my first pick on Darren Sproles instead. After the draft I realized I had gotten confused and thought he was C.J. Spiller. Dang it! :(
Winner: Texans.
82. Cleveland at Pittsburgh (Week 14, Thursday night)
Wait, this game is on a Thursday night? I don't think it counts in fantasy. Man, if I don't have Peyton Hillis I'm basically done for that week.
Winner: Steelers.
83. Denver at San Diego (Week 12)
Tim Tebow is basically a running back and a quarterback all in one. Everyone says "Tebow Time" but I prefer to say "Tebo' clock"! Haha! I wanted to change my fantasy name to that, but I got stuck in an ad and I think I have health insurance now.
Winner: Chargers.
84. Washington at NY Giants (Week 15)
Did you know that Eli Manning is Peyton Manning's brother? I saw it on Wikipedia. Let's see whether quarterback talent runs in the family!
Winner: Redskins.
85. Houston at Jacksonville (Week 12)
Winner: Jaguars.
86. San Diego at Jacksonville (Week 13, Monday night)
Wait. Wait, so you get points based on what the players do in real life? That doesn't make sense. They're all on different teams in real life, so how does that even make sense?
Winner: Jaguars.
87. New Orleans at Minnesota (Week 15)
Sigh. I don't know. I guess I thought it was all done in a computer equation or something.
Winner: Saints.
88. Minnesota at Atlanta (Week 12)
Well, then, I'm screwed! I'm totally screwed. I think I should be able to just get my league fee back, because I didn't get how it worked and nobody told me.
Winner: Falcons.
89. Oakland at Minnesota (Week 11)
Well fine, then. Keep the league fee. That's sad. You guys are all pathetic, playing this stupid make-believe sports game. You know what I'll do? I'll just give make really bad trades to Matt on purpose so that he'll win, and then I'll get a take from his winnings! He'll do it, too! You think you're so football-smart, well, you're just a bunch of stupid jocks. I'm the one with the real smarts.
Winner: Vikings.
90. Minnesota at Detroit (Week 14)
Wait, so the commissioner can just keep you from... GOD! This game is STUPID! This is just... you're all STUPID.
Winner: Lions.
Stay tuned to this StoryStream for the rest of the rankings.


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Scottish sights, sounds come to Ventura for Seaside Highland Games
To prepare for throwing a 42-pound weight up 14 feet above his head and over a rail, Roger Sauders, of Newcastle, adjusted his kilt, moving the wool cloth out of the way, revealing black bicycle shorts underneath.
"You know the difference between a kilt and a skirt?" Sauders asked at the Seaside Highland Games going on this weekend at the county fairgrounds in Ventura. "Women wear underwear underneath their skirts. But this is a family event, so we have some decorum."
The 10th annual games that celebrate everything Scottish, with English and Irish events and wares, as well, kicked off today. All of the clans marched in the opening ceremonies, led by the 1st Marine Division band. A Scottish evening Friday ahead of the games featured a dinner and "whisky" tasting at Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor.
According to Nellie Lowry, whose husband, John, is the chief of the Seaside Highland Games, the Marines were a perfect addition to the event.
"The Scottish are very patriotic, Nellie Lowry said. "To see the Marine band with the bagpipers is really something special."
She said the Ventura event is one of the nicest in the area.
"The Scots love the weather here," she said. "They can wear their heavy wool kilts and not get hot."
She said the event is designed to appeal to the whole family, with a Children's Glen area where young ones could enjoy storytelling and wool-spinning demonstrations.
People formed long lines after the opening ceremonies to enjoy the food choices, including such favorites as fish and chips, grilled bangers, meat pies, haggis, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas.
Jerry Doran, of Camarillo, was enjoying his fish and chips while sitting on the grass because the tables were occupied.
"I'm really looking forward to watching the athletics," Doran said, adding that he and his wife, Teresa, were curious to see the Scottish competitions because of depictions in popular movies.
Carson McKay, of North Hollywood, was competing in his second heavy athletic games.
"I do have some Scottish heritage on my mom's side, so I thought this would be fun," McKay said, although as an animator for DreamWorks specializing in color and textures, he said hurling huge rocks, anvils and poles is outside his comfort zone.
"I've done nothing to prepare," he said. "Most of these guys train and work out."
In the fairgrounds' Home Arts Building, Ray Pearson, of Buena Park, was offering one of the popular "whisky" seminars. Pearson explained the difference between what most people think of as "whiskey," or fermented alcoholic beverages made from cereal grains, and the single-malt whiskies that were being sampled by the near sellout crowd.
" 'Malt' is the word used for the processing of the barley grain," he explained as bagpipe music competed from outside. Pearson said "whisky" refers only to the single-malt alcoholic beverage that comes from Scotland, while "whiskey" is the more generic version.
Troy Edwards, of Los Gatos, said he was at the games dressed in his kilt, with his 3-year-old sons Austin and Andrew Edwards wearing smaller versions.
"They just got their first kilts from their grandfather," Edwards said, adding that his father-in-law is the chieftain of the Clan Graham. "We are having a wonderful time. These are beautiful games so close to the ocean."
In Santa Cruz Hall, a number of area bars were sponsoring dart games as part of Ventura County Darts Association Gold Coast shootout No. 5. Clem Watts, of Port Hueneme, said this year's shootout was overshadowed by national dart tournaments.
"They are generally on different weekends, but it just worked out that way this year," he said.
Entertainment included a Scottish fiddle competition, piping and drumming, dancing and herding-dog demonstrations. In addition to booths representing various clans, vendors were offering such treats as Irn-Bru, a soft drink that tastes like bubble gum, according to Irene Thomson, of Carlsbad, who was selling it at her booth alongside canned haggis, baked beans and tea.
The 2012 Seaside Highland Games continue from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 Harbor Blvd. Admission is cash only at the box office and is $16 for ages 13 through 61, or $14 for seniors 62 and older and military, $5 for children 6-12 and free for children under 5.
On the Net: http://www.seaside-games.com
Subscribe to the Ventura County Star
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6182.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 6:30am-10:30am / Sunday: 7am-11am


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Are you tired of life beating you up right when you think things are turning around for the better?
Change your Life
I know I am. I've been up and down more times than Charlie Sheen. Bwahahaha
It can be hard to change your life…to change your circumstances. When you're up, you're up and when you're down, it's hard as hell to get back up again. Maybe that's why some people don't even try at all? They stay down, dragging their way through life, appreciating what they have, and not expecting much more than that.
It seems to me, at least from my perception of things, and the physical environment that encompasses me–people don't expect much out of life.
They have given up!
Given up on trying to do something more with their life and truly want to live.
It took me 25 years to meet someone who was actually living their dreams.
Now how sad is that?
Where I'm from, (just like so many other environments) people don't follow their dreams…they just try to get by. They are forever engulfed in the bubble–society presents them. A bubble filled with negativity, inertia, mundane, routine, misinformation, mis-education, narcissism, pessimism, boredom, lack of freedom, suffering, etc, etc, etc…
Let's face it. It's way too easy to quit on your dreams.
What's more messed up, is most people think of dreams as just that. Dreams. Something you had a good time in your mind with, but at the end of the day, isn't even a possibility for them. It's because of this, the masses never even attempt to dream. They've lost their ability to dream, before they've even tried.
How do you say to someone, "Hey, you should follow your dreams", when they are having a hard enough time, getting through the struggle of their everyday life?
Take this random case for example:
There's this girl who as a child, dreams of traveling the world. She wanted to see the Great Wall of China, the infamous city of Paris, the feel of the ocean water running between her feet, and the scenic views of the Redwoods in Northwest America. She had a collection of pictures in a chest, of all the places she wanted to travel to when she grew up.
Can you guess what happened?
I'd like to tell you she is somewhere out there, nomading around the world, seeing all the places she has collected in her chest.
I'd like to say that she followed her dreams, and lives a life full of adventure, joy, love, and fulfillment. I'd like to say it, but I can't.
Nope, this story ends, like most in today's society. After graduating high school and taking a break before deciding whether or not to go to college, the girl met a guy, fell in love, got married, had 3 children, and faced the day to day struggle, billions suffer on a daily basis…
She became another victim of circumstance. The same circumstance millions and billions of people are held down by;
- An insufficient amount of funds.
- She was poor.
- She didn't have much money.
Just like the countless others who live day to day, paycheck to paycheck, the girl and her husband were trying hard just to provide shelter, food, and some form of life in between. If you asked here why she never visited the Great Wall, she would say, "how? with what money?"
She and her husband have tried to put some form of savings in place, but between the costs of raising a family of 5 on a single yearly income of $30,000, and the reality's of circumstance which life brings–they're lucky if they can afford a vacation once every 5 years. And that's only for a 3 night stay somewhere within driving distance.
Being able to fly to Paris, ha! Yeah right! Not in this lifetime, the girl would say.
Isn't that just sad?
All the girl sees is how much money it will cost to see all the places she has ever wanted to go. She looks at her life, her responsibilities, her options, etc.–but to her, it's not a possibility, because she will never have that kind of financial freedom.
Sadly, that's just the problem, isn't it? The status quo, strikes again!
Yet, the girl's story isn't that far different from millions of others, playing the same game, with the same type of circumstances. What saddens me most is the girl, (and the millions of others who are victims of the same circumstances) are practically clueless as to how or where even to begin changing their life and following their dreams.
Outsmarting Circumstance
I've been talking a lot about circumstance. Allow me to be a little more specific. The circumstances we face in our life, and the choices we make during those circumstances, can either lead us to where most of us want to be;
(happiness, fulfillment, freedom, joy …)
they can lead us to a state of being, which delivers more;
suffering, negativity, doubt, fear, …
"The choices you make in life's circumstances, give you the opportunity to change your life, and alter the perception of your reality, one circumstance at a time."
Letting Go
First things first. Before I get to the part where you stop being a helpless victim and begin to take on those circumstances, and change your life like a boss–you have to understand something.
The circumstances we put ourselves in, (either willingly or not) and the choices we make, do not matter as much as how we progress and evolve as a person because of them.
The real changes happen after we stop looking at what we see on the outside for answers, but how we find those answers from within.
You are the co-creator of your perception of reality. This interview with Will Smith explains this a lot. Enjoy!
Letting go of anything you think you know about the reality you see outside yourself, will allow you to have an open mind, and let in the possibility to change it.
How to Change your Life Like a Boss!
If you're still with me, I'll get to the good stuff.
Below are some actionable steps you can take;
- Learn, Understand, & Use
It's amazing how life can change in the blink of an eye or over the duration of many, many years. If you're like me, you're sick and tired of being broke, sick and tired–and want that to change. Unfortunately, life doesn't change for you, you have to change it.
You need to educate yourself on the fact that your life is your's to change, but you must consciously participate in those changes. You should understand that you are a slave to your very own mind.
Eckhart Tolle explains it like this,
"You are unconsciously identified with it, so you don't even know that you are its slave. It's almost as if you were possessed without knowing it, and so you take the possessing entity to be yourself. The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity – the thinker. Knowing this enables you to observe the entity. The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace – arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken."
Learning how to separate yourself from "the thinker" will help you to understand how to change your life. You then begin to understand and use the knowledge you have gained. Eventually, if you keep moving forward and progressing as a conscious human being, you'll become more equipped to owning those circumstances.
Because you know something many do not…in order to change your life, you must first change your thoughts. If you're to the point of changing your thoughts, you'll already be a boss.
What about you? What is holding you back from discovering some of the depth, which this world holds inside of yourself? Share below.


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Terrence Williams Sent to the D League
The New Jersey Nets sent T Will down to the D League today. His recent behavior drew a post on this site a couple days ago, and now that his suspension is over, the Nets demoted him. Here is a quote. "After discussing the situation with Avery over the last several days, I feel the best course of action for Terrence and the team at this time is for him to play in the D-League," Nets GM Billy King said. "He is currently on the inactive list and this move will allow him to play until he is once again placed on the active list. There is no timetable on his return to the active list, and Terrence's future status will be addressed at the appropriate time."


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Oct. 4, 2009
Box Score
Final Stats
DEKALB, Ill. -
The Northern Illinois women's soccer team outshot Akron (3-5-2) 15 to five, but the Huskies (4-6-2) were unable to score on any of their opportunities as they dropped a 1-0 decision to their Mid-American Conference foe, Sunday, at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
The Huskies dominated play, outshooting the Zips 15 to five in Sunday's contest. Controlling the ball for the majority of the game, the Huskies recorded a season high nine shots on goal against the Zips. The Huskies also recorded three cornerkicks to Akron's one in the contest.
Lisa Maier (Orland Park, IL/Sandburg) led the Huskies with three shots on goal and four shots in the contest. Micaela Damas (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley North) recorded two shots on goal, while Kelly Mullany (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley), Shelbi Johnson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley), Christen Schuler (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) and Mo Smunt (St. Charles, IL/East) each recorded a shot-on-goal for the Huskies.
"That's soccer for you," head women's soccer coach Carrie Barker said. "You can dominate the game and play well, but if you don't score it doesn't matter. We played very well as a team and had several individuals play especially well, we just need to find the back of the net."
Akron's Katie Wise found the goal in the 61st minute of play, when she dribbled the ball into the box and fired a shot into the top center of the goal. Akron's Jordan Baranowski assisted Wise on the play.
"It just wasn't our day today," said Barker. "We controlled the game, and we gave them one good opportunity and they were able to capitalize on that to get the win."
Goalkeeper Lindsey Curnock (Batavia, Ill,/ Batavia) recorded three saves in the contest, allowing only one goal.
The Huskies will take MAC play on the road next weekend as they face Kent State in Kent, Ohio Friday, before traveling to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on Buffalo Sunday.


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When you're a fan of a team that's just won 14 straight games, any loss is problematic. Still, there are far worse fates for your team than losing on the road to a fellow Top 25 club.
Cougar fans over at SB Nation's BYU blog Vanquish The Foe understand this, which is why they're not terribly concerned about yesterday's loss. Instead, they're looking forward to getting New Mexico in their own building later in the season.
Overall, this wasn't a shabby loss (if that makes any sense). New Mexico is a very good team. More than likely they'll finish the conference season ranked, with over 25 wins and likely a high seeding come tournament time. The good news for Cougar fans is you'll get a chance to see the Lobos come to the Marriott Center on February 27th. And on that day may Jackson Emery rain three's and then look into Dairese Gary's eyes and say, "I am Jack's smirking revenge." Mark your calendars peeps.


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I didn't know what this was when we saw it in the garden.
The garden. I should phrase that more carefully, before those of you reading might think we are early planners with green thumbs. Today may have been warm in western Washington, but it was one of the first days of rolling down the windows as we drove around the island, music playing, the baby blinking against the breeze in her eyes. The skies have slanted grey for months, the rain coming down, hard. Even the most experienced gardeners don't have much blooming, yet.
And we are certainly not the most experienced of gardeners. In fact, we know nothing.
I have this working theory: life keeps you humble when you try to learn something about which you know nothing, or at least very little. No matter how good you are at one activity, if you fumble and falter in the face of something new, you're never going to walk around with a swelled head. And so I take on these little projects, a new passion that fills me and threatens to knock vigorously from the inside until I pay attention.
This spring, I want to start using film again, instead of digital in the camera. That scares me. So many blurry photos. But I love the imperfections of film, the wonky stripes, and the rich textures. Digital is starting to feel a little too shiny for my taste.
But the biggest lesson, the one I feel like I'll be learning — and humbled by — the rest of my life? I want to learn how to garden. As Lisa wrote in this inspiring photo essay (and the conversations that followed it), "If there's a heaven, I hope it smells like basil and dirt."
As much as I love buying vegetables directly from the farmers, I cannot wait to pluck carrots from the black dirt and run them into the kitchen for dinner.
Of course, we don't know what we're doing, so there's no guarantee there will be anything edible this year. But we'll try.
(And if you have suggestions on how to start, fire away.)
No, the garden surrounding our house was, in part, already here. The landlords of this house we are renting lived here before us, for years. And they built raised beds, planted rose bushes and raspberry canes, pruned the giant cherry tree for its health, and created herb beds. We have volunteer strawberry plants, a fennel bush, baby apple trees, and bulbs bursting from the earth all over the yard. We are, in a word, lucky.
Still, we didn't know what this stretching leafy green was, until we ate some. Danny reached down and plucked half a leaf, then popped it in his mouth. "Hm. A little lemony." And then he scrunched up his face. "Peppery. Like arugula. More acidic." We looked at each other. "Sorrel."
(And then we googled it, to be sure.)
So we have sorrel.
Later that evening, Danny sliced some up and flash-sauteed it with a little olive oil, and some onions. The leaves melted into a dark khaki green softness. He finished the puree in the blender, and then dolloped it over the first halibut cheeks of the season. Roasted potatoes and fresh coleslaw made the meal the best one of the spring so far.
But there are more to come. And more with sorrel. Any suggestions? Let's all help each other out.


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About Us
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide.
Executive Committee
Mike Sturdivant- Chair
Susan Forsyth- Secretary
Jack Slattery- Treasurer
Lamar Forsyth- At Large
Tony D'eramo- At Large
Dan Haefner- At Large
John Cross- At Large


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Lymph node enlargement is not limited to lymphoma at all. In fact, there are several more common reasons for lymph node enlargement than lymphoma.
The most common cause of enlarged lymph nodes is infection. As lymph nodes are a part of the immune system that fights infections in the body, the presence of infection often causes lymph nodes to increase in size. All kinds of infections can cause node enlargement. As infections are far more common than cancers, enlarged nodes in the neck or groin are more often a sign of infection than a cancer. Learn more about the lymph system.
Some other immune diseases like sarcoidosis or lupus can also cause lymph node enlargement all over the body.
Some medicines and allergies can occasionally cause enlarged nodes.
Cancers other than lymphoma are also a common cause of lymph node enlargement. Throat cancer, oral cancer, and cancers of the lung or breast often spread to nodes in the neck. Breast or lung cancer can spread to nodes in the armpits. Uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, and anal cancer can spread to the lymph nodes in the groin. Leukemia can also cause enlarged nodes in different parts of the body.
Children with some diseases that affect the body metabolism (called storage diseases) can have enlarged nodes.
Thus lymphoma is only one of the many possible causes of enlarged lymph nodes. A doctor will test you for many of these diseases before calling your enlarged lymph node a lymphoma.
The best test to determine whether a lymph node has lymphoma is a lymph node biopsy. If the lymph node tests positive for lymphoma, special tests may be carried out on the biopsy material to determine exactly which type of lymphoma it is, using the molecular markers for lymphoma.


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A new paradigm for African American breast cancer involving stem cell differentiation
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Population Specific
Scientific Abstract:
Breast cancer survival among African-American (AA) women 5 years after diagnosis is 74% compared to 88% among white women. Increasing data, including the higher incidence of ER negative tumors in AA women, supports the hypothesis that intrinsic biologic differences exist in AA breast tissue compared with white breast tissue. Our laboratory has developed and published a novel tissue engineering system for human mammary epithelial cells. It allows for unusually long-term (>3 months) establishment of normal primary cultures that differentiate into complex organotypic architecture including branching ducts and lobules. The ability to form human ductal structures is unprecedented in the literature. We show that tissue from AA women forms ductal structures significantly faster than tissue from white women, and that, samples from AA women are 40% more likely to show this differentiation. This is consistent with the idea that stem cells provide the capacity to form ductal structures. We hypothesize that intrinsic biological differences exist between AA and white breast tissue. We further hypothesize that differences in the proportions of pluripotent adult stem cells or stem cell potency are responsible for the observed differences in differentiation potential. Using a prospective study design, we will investigate the behaviors of cultured breast epithelium derived from AA and white women. Samples of breast tissue from breast reduction mammoplasties will be obtained from 38 AA and 38 white women. These numbers will provide us with >80% power to observe a difference similar to that seen in the pilot study. Culture over 30 days will be evaluated for time and onset of differentiation, harvested, labeled with stem cell markers and evaluated by flow cytometry. With this sample size, we will extend our analysis to potential modifiers of differentiation, including age, parity, BMI and hormone usage. Using a standard questionaire we will obtain data on other modifying factors: breast cancer risk factors and environmental exposure data. If our hypothesis is true, then one might expect a higher incidence of breast cancer in the AA population or a higher mortality (with a stem cell population more likely to form an aggressive tumor type). Our unique breast tissue engineering system, combined with the efforts of the Pittsburgh Center for Minority Health will enable our laboratory to address a fundamental issue involving the etiology of AA breast cancer.
Lay Abstract:
African-American (AA) women are more likely to die from breast cancer. Increasing data, such as the higher incidence of ER- tumors in AA women, supports the hypothesis that there may be fundamental differences in AA breast tissue. Our laboratory has developed a new tissue engineering system for human mammary epithelial cells. This system allows for unusually long-term establishment of normal primary cultures that are capable of re-forming breast architecture, including ducts and lobules, in the culture dish. The ability to form ductal structures from human breast tissue is absolutely unique to our laboratory. Preliminary work done in the lab showed that tissue from AA women formed ductal structures faster than tissue from white women, and that samples from black women were 40% more likely to show this development in culture. We believe that stem cells are the basis of the ductal structures observed in our culture system. We hypothesize that fundamental differences exist between AA and white breast tissue that can be demonstrated by the ability of this tissue to form ducts in culture. We further hypothesize that it is the proportion or activity of the stem cells present in the breast that is responsible for these differences. Samples of breast tissue from equal numbers of AA (n= 38) and white (n= 38) breast reduction mammoplasties will be obtained using the community outreach initiative BWHOLE of the Pittsburgh Center for Minority Health. This tissue will be cultured for 30 days, evaluated for the formation of breast architecture, and analyzed for the proportion of stem cells present. With this sample size we will have the statistical power to analyze potential modifiers of the capacity to form ducts in culture, including age, number of live births, body mass index and hormone usage. We will also obtain data on breast cancer risk factors and environmental exposure from a standard questionnaire. We have found a specific characteristic of AA breast tissue that may tell us why AA breast cancer is more aggressive and more lethal than breast cancer in white women. Knowing this we can develop treatment regimens that are targeted to the AA community. This unique breast tissue engineering system combined with the efforts of the Center for Minority Health will enable our laboratory to address a fundamental issue involving the cause and incidence of African American breast cancer.
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Hebron Court Retirement Community
Starting to think about the future; to move to a place where there is more security, like-minded neighbours and be part of a community? Hebron Court can offer you this and much more in a compassionate and relaxed Christian atmosphere.
Situated on Hill lane in Southampton with landscaped gardens and nearby woodland, it offers a whole host of attractive features. From a mini bus for those of you who don't drive, trips to the local theatre and afternoon tea in one of the lounges.
We know how important it is to remain independent. At Hebron Court you are able to live life how you wish, knowing that there is support there should you need it. Hebron Court has good access to Southampton city centre, Southampton train station and local amenities with off-road parking.


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After one week, 66 readers joined up. The Texans were the most popular pick. They didn't disappoint. The Eagles and Lions were the next two popular teams. Those who picked them probably were very worried. But they move on. 12 are already done. Sorry.
Here is who move on:
Toneyman121, hadrarius, KDean75, CardinalsKid, pthesz, redking90, Arizona Retiree, Peter Jacob Hornig, az78true, J Steezy, Tucson cards fan, Jesse Reynolds, EnglishCard, dedalius001, Thomaldo, Iowacardinalshawkeye, forget, Dem_Cardz, Ghettoboxx, Patwm, Drullin'OverDaCards, wyatt.morgan9, Sgt. Friday, Donwhon121, ajotanelsona, Cardinalbrown, tylerste85, Jess Root, jeff550, Fansincejakenrob, Skii, Randy Fields, TBru, b0rd3rlone, Steel34D, Similyago, Eurocard, Cardzfan, Blank_38, GreaZzy, psknapp, CardsFan1976, Tyler Nickel, Robloosi, SmartCard, cuckoo For Coco Puffs, mbtokyo, SenSurround, StuckinColorado, manphibian, KHoldStare88, crisco219, AlaskanCard
We already say adiós to:
Shawnsass, Turd_ferguson, Gamesguy1, Old "Bird" Dog, BIGRED CARDINAL, Cmcnaz, MooseTheDog, kj197728, DaCards, billydacardsfan, NativeWood, Amethaul
Pick'em Survival is relatively straightforward:
- You pick ONE team to win each week. You don't pick every game, just one team that will win each week out of one game. If you pick a team and they fail to win, you are eliminated, with no chance to join again (it's a thrill-ride I know).
- Another determining factor in the Survival Pick'em League is that you cannot select a single team more then once in the season. So save a "hot" team for a week of unfavourable match-ups. You are responsible to remember which teams you've used in previous weeks. I'll check your submissions leading up to game day and if I note you're using a team for a second time, I'll ask you to change. If you don't change or I don't notice until too late, your steak ends.
- The winner of the league needs to have the longest stretch of games picked correctly. You can start your picks late, depending on a favorable match up that starts later, but be careful you don't start too late. You can also end your streak whenever you want but don't end it too early, or somebody could pass your stretch. So if Cuckoo for Coco Puffs picks week 1 through week 11 correct, then Cuckoo has lasted through 64% of the season. If CardsIrish doesn't start till week 3, then picks through week 17 correct, he lasted 88% of the season and he would win. If we end up with a tie, the tie breaker is the lowest winning percentage of the teams used to survive. If it's still a tie, we'll get creative.
- You cannot skip a week once you start the streak. You miss a week your streak is done.
- Submission are simple: post your ONE team every week. You are responsible to remember which teams you've used in previous weeks. The only deadline is to submit your pick before that game's opening kick off time, so it's feasible to party hard all weekend and still use one of the MNF teams to keep the streak going..if either of those teams haven't already been used earlier in the season.
Keep up with Cardinals news and opinions when you are not on the site. Follow Revenge of the Birds on Twitter at @revengeofbirds and "like" us on Facebook. You can follow me individually at @senorjessroot.


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|no reviews
Oasis Dar Ouanou is located in the village of Tigzmert, just 3 km north of Tata. Onsite you can organise excursions to visit the area, hiking trips and camel rides. The rooms at Oasis Dar Ouanou combine a Moroccan and modern style. Each one is air-conditioned, has a seating area and also includes an en suite bathroom with bathrobes. A continental breakfast...


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At just about every college you can think of, there is a tradition uniquely identified with the football team. Some of them are historic while others are almost hysterical.
The first church hymnal I remember was the 1956 Baptist Hymnal. I still can remember the page number of hymns in that great old book.
Climate experts have all sorts of explanations each year about how much rain we have or have not received.
It is easy to blame television for a lot of things. We have seen many things that were once taboo become acceptable because we saw them happen on TV.
The folks in Hollywood seem to run short on ideas from time to time. They seem to thrive on remakes of old movies. I saw a story last year that said movie studios were looking at 50 potential remakes.
If you're in the church business, this is the big week. It's hard to make comparisons, but if you used sporting events, this would be the World Series, Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and the Masters all rolled into one giant happening.
There were two religious announcements last week. First, the Roman Catholic Church has a new pope, Francis I.
Recently, my wife and I visited a couple of antique stores. We were just browsing.
We used to have this drawer where we kept all of the trading stamps. There were S&H Green Stamps, which were given by the Big Apple supermarket. You also had Top Value Stamps from Winn-Dixie and Gold Bond stamps from Colonial stores.
On a recent weekend, my wife and I visited an estate sale. If you've never been to one, an estate sale is a garage sale of dead people's stuff.
I was surprised to hear that the folks who run the Olympics are doing away with wrestling.
There is a commercial on TV for some diet plan. In the spot, the heavy version of a woman is having a conversation with her thin version.
When the first Super Bowl was held in 1967, it wasn't even known by that name. It was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. There was no Vince Lombardi Trophy because Lombardi was coaching one of the teams, the Green Bay Packers.
TIFTON - Like many communities in the South, Tifton and the towns nearby had an influx of Jewish merchants in the early part of the 20th century.
Every weekday morning, I take a walk through the Georgia Capitol. There is nothing new about it; in fact, next year the old girl will be 125 years old.
Several books of music claim to be "The Great American Songbook."
We were never people with fancy cars. Our first family car was a 1955 Chrysler with lots of chrome. It was a big thing.
In recent days, I have seen pictures of children beginning their first days of school.
I can't see or hear as well as I used to, but my nose seems to work pretty well. The trouble is, things don't smell like they used to.
Death is the one event in life that will eventually happen. It is also the one for which we are least prepared.
If you have a fancy house and your refrigerator has wooden panels to make it look like the rest of your cabinets, you can stop reading.
I've never been good at crazes. Some of them were over before I found out.
Summer is the season that gives us so many good memories, especially from our childhood.
In my early days of Sunday school, I remember hearing about Paul and Silas, who were singing and praising the Lord in prison.
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Discover Adionomy, Your Online Radio Advertising Campaign, Fast, Easy and Custom-Made!
The Daysleepers were formed in November 2004, in Buffalo, New York, by Jeff Kandefer who gathered some friends - Scott Beckstein, Elizabeth Kandefer and Mario Gimbrone - from other bands in the local music scene that shared a love of ambient, ethereal indie rock. The Daysleepers self-released their first two EPs on their Rain Delay Music imprint. The Daysleepers Debut EP "Hide Your Eyes" (December 2005) won the band many fans around the world (selling out the first pressing), and praise from shoegaze legends such as Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins)...
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And lo, the wanderer Gonzo trekked deep into the wilderness. Upon a fortnight of journey, the weary traveler came forth and behold, a placid desert became his place of deep meditation. A multitude of thoughts ran through his mind, yet only were they misty swirling dreams, and not the clear vision of the revelation he had sought for so many cycles of the earthly orb in it's endless pursuit around the solar globe. Still, the seeker Gonzo rallied his unquenchable spirit and intensified his inner will to find the answer that had so long eluded him.
By and by there came a presence upon this desolate plain to cause a rift in the incessant silence surrounding the lone figure dwelling there so long unfulfilled. A mighty Falcon soared above, announcing the arrival of a visitor to the waiting wanderer.
Gonzo raised his gaze to view the one who now descended to confront him. And yea, indeed, the timely entrance of none other than the heralded Prophet Abraham did on this day become reality. The Prophet knew the longing and dedication of which the one called Gonzo was consumed. And so it came to be that Abraham reached out to him and simply spoke these words:
"Verily, my brother, I say onto thee, your epic pilgrimage shall not be in vain. For you do not travel this troubled road alone. In the coming battle, the elemental powers shall be at your side. Yea, the power of Ice will lead you in the person of one Matthew Ryan. The power of Fire shall Burn through those that oppose you in the person of one Michael Turner. The power of Earth shall be represented by the two who gain the ground held by the enemy in the form of those known as Julio Jones and Rowdy White. The power of Air shall be there in the form of that mystical and enigmatic avian, the Falcon. And yes, I too, will be at your side to defend you in your lifelong quest."
And lo, the Prophet Abraham concluded his message to the wanderer Gonzo with these pearls of wisdom, "So now, brother Gonzo, your time is at hand. Rise Up! Go forth this day and claim your destiny!"
And so the vision became crystal clear to Gonzo, and verily, did he Rise Up and go forth to vanquish his foes ....


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High School basketball play will heat up with key Sectional play Tuesday night in the Heartland.
Here's a look at Tuesday's Missouri Sectional and Southern Illinois Super-Sectional action.
Missouri Class 1 Sectionals
6pm...Naylor vs. Delta (Girls)
7:30...Risco vs. Scott Co. Central
Illinois Class 1 Super-Sectionals
6pm...Meridian vs. Woodlawn
Illinois Class 2 Super-Sectionals
8:00pm...Harrisburg vs. Breese (Central)
Kentucky Region 1 Final
7:00pm...Marshall County vs. Paducah Tilghman
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Welcome, it's simply the good life!
Situated in the picturesque village of Aublain, this old stoney family cottage (6-8 per) will delight you.
It is located in a region of Belgium that has yet to be explored by the greater public, so we're inviting you to discover this beautiful village by the river "l'eau blanche" and its rolling hills, secret meadows, rich historical backgrounds and breathtaking walks.
Calm, serenity and relaxation await you....


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Clark, Lance, and Alexander for Turk, Rojas, and McRae
On 8/8/1997 -- standings linked above -- the Mets traded SP Mark Clark, CF Lance Johnson, and UT/SS Manny Alexander to the Cubs (who were well out of the race) for RP Turk Wendell, RP Mel Rojas, and CF Brian McRae. At the time, the Mets were 6.5 games behind Atlanta and 2 games behind Florida, and in third place in the NL overall. I recall the trade being the Mets "White Flag" that year -- a sign they were looking forward, and not looking toward winning in 1997. But is there any evidence that I"m right?


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We all know the details that CC Sabathia won it in 07 and Cliff Lee took the honors while pitching for the Tribe last year. Making it fairly obvious that Cleveland will be the home of the 2009 Cy Young.
Let's examine the candidates-
Cliff Lee- Lee won the award last year with an impressive performance that Chuck couldn't have even seen coming. Chances are he'll fall slightly back to Earth.
Fausto Carmona- Arguably Fausto was a better pitcher than Sabathia in 2007 but he didn't have the name value or the K's to win over the writers. Carmona struggled with injuries all through out 2008.
Anthony Reyes- Reyes was brought over from the Cardinals in the middle of the season. He worked well in the few starts that he had before being shut down due to elbow pain.
Carl Pavano- The greatest wild-card of them all. Pavano has done nothing of note since before he signed with the Yankees. Now the oft-injured pitcher hopes to cash in on an incentive laced one year deal with the Tribe.
Aaron Laffey- The most likely candidate to start the year in the five spot. He's a soft tossing lefty that pitched well at times early last year. Laffey is an LGT favorite
Jeremy Sowers- Another soft tossing lefty, Sowers hasn't reclaimed the success he found in the summer of 2006. He's in the race for the fifth spot. He's the anti-Laffey in that he is also a soft-throwing lefty but few people among the board like him.
Kerry Wood- If stupid K-Rod can get votes why not Wood?


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Honors Film Series #2: The Bucket List
Starts On10/28/2013 6:30 PM
Ends On10/28/2013 9:30 PM
Come join the English department's Wes Davis and your fellow Honors peers to screen the second of four movies in the Honors Program Film Series. ***** THE BUCKET LIST ***** Pizza will be served. RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com
Buckman Hall, Room B120


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Home » Opinion » Editorials
Rand's stand: An act of real leadership
At 11:47 a.m., Paul rose and began a genuine, old-fashioned, 12-hour filibuster. It was no juvenile publicity stunt. It was no politically calculated display of mock outrage, ala the senior senator from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell. It was a moment of clarity offered with conviction and savvy. And it might have been a turning point in what the Obama administration refuses to call the War on Terror while still waging it with gusto.
Paul took the Senate floor to block President Obama's nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director. Brennan, a career CIA man who is unquestionably qualified for the job, was not the issue. At question was the administration's position on when, where and how American citizens can be snuffed out on the President's orders.
Paul wanted to know the answer to a simple question: Does the President believe he has the constitutional authority to use drones to kill American citizens on American soil without trial? He and other senators asked the administration this question numerous times. They got no straight answer, which is alarming.
Attorney General Eric Holder treated the question and questioners with contempt, choosing to play silly semantic games rather than give a straight answer. The White House refused to give Sen. Paul a direct answer. So he used the best tool at his disposal to bring the nation's attention to this serious question. It worked beautifully.
In war, the President absolutely has the authority to kill enemy combatants. Paul's question gets to these finer points: How is "enemy combatant" status determined, and what protections are American citizens afforded if their government claims the ongoing authority to secretly make that determination and act upon it anywhere at any time, forever?
Those are immensely important questions, and Rand Paul should be applauded for the way he led his party in pursuit of answers.
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Manchester educator explores history of anti-semitism and the HolocaustREADER COMMENTS: 0
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- Two injured in late night car crash in Londonderry - 0
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- Route 101 plaza unanimously granted two variances for improvements to property - 0
Some sexual assault charges dismissed against Nashua caretakerREADER COMMENTS: 0
Market Basket: On the brink again
Target: Obamacare
Pope's call-out Where's the Muslim outrage?
Judge slams spice search
ISIS beheads NH journalist
Hanover St. building has a buyer
'Chicken' arrested at Londonderry parade
ISIS beheads NH journalist
Editorial: Garcia gains Lambert lies


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Oktoberfest - Rahr & Sons Brewing Company
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 100 | Reviews: 37 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by tubeyes:
3.75/5 rDev +10.6%
09-26-2013 01:21:37 | More by tubeyes
More User Reviews:
3.75/5 rDev +10.6%
10-04-2013 03:31:44 | More by SmellsofMahagony
2.78/5 rDev -18%
The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a white head. The aroma is actually fairly nice, with some caramel and toffee notes. The flavor is not too great. There is nothing wrong with it, it is just very bland. I get some toffee and bready malt, but that is about it. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
I had heard the beers from Rahr's were better after they renovated their brewery, but this is the same, bland beer that they have always brewed.
10-11-2010 00:00:05 | More by Mora2000
1.95/5 rDev -42.5%
Rahr you got me again! I used to buy the blonde lager quite a bit when it was $6.99 and at that price accept the occasional flat or sour bottle. Now that Rahr beers are priced in line with Great Divide, Sierra Nevada and others I don't take the chance however I saw the Oktoberfest and being a sucker for something new picked it up.
The description on the bottle says a large fluffy head - I was greeted with a dismal off-white scum, kind of like what you see lapping at the edges of Lake Lewisville. The beer itself was murky and uninspired. A marzen lager should snap and this just squatted listlessly in my glass. The taste was faintly malty with a touch of sweetness but I was distracted by an overriding watery mouthfeel.
09-19-2009 13:25:19 | More by randal
2.95/5 rDev -13%
I originally bought a 6 pack that was obviously bad. Contacted Rahr's and someone from the brewery drove from Ft. Worth to North Dallas to check it out, and then after tasting a few of the beers he replaced the store's supply with fresh from the brewery beer. BIG PROPS to Rahr's for that.
So I'll be reviewing the fresh beer.
Poured in a pint class to a very nice amber color with a small amount of of white head, with minimal lacing.
Smell is ok, nothing great (but not as bad as the first beer I opened that was bad).
Taste is also ok. I've been drinking many different Oktoberfests this fall and I would have to say this is not a very good contender.
Rahr's customer service is top notch. However, they need a little work on this seasonal.
10-12-2008 00:24:15 | More by whoneeds8
3.35/5 rDev -1.2%
Pours a delicious looking beer-bottle brown with red highlights around the edges. Turns a little redder in stronger light. Limited head with no retention and pretty much no lacing. Lots of carbonation. Good color, but the lack of foam hurts.
All chocolate and caramel. A little toasty. A nice smell. With much agitation, some hoppy (spicy, piney) notes just peek through.
It's like dipping your tongue in carbonated liquid chocolate. Some toasty caramelized notes come through here and there too. A good taste, but nothing to write home about.
Fairly light on the palate. Good crisp carbonation prickle. Actually reminds a little bit of Rahr's Ugly Pug, which I find quite tasty. It's lighter though. Mostly sweet. Just a little bitter bite here and there.
Tasty. I won't have trouble finishing my sixer. But I have to think there are better Marzen/Oktoberfest brews out there (I haven't tried too many myself).
10-13-2007 23:13:49 | More by skillerified
3.33/5 rDev -1.8%
Had a few of these at the brewery last night. Medium dark amber color poured with almost no head but good lacing. Very clear.
Nothing too special or strong on the smell.
Tastes like a standard oktoberfest beer with a mild malty flavor and a bit of caramel. Very slight bitter aftertaste.
A little bit thicker than others but smooth and dry.
Pretty nice beer to drink I had three. Not sure the ABV but must be decent as I could feel it pretty good by the last one. Overall not a bad beer at all.
09-07-2008 00:18:13 | More by willyumlong
4/5 rDev +18%
12-07-2011 03:54:16 | More by jheezee
1/5 rDev -70.5%
11-16-2012 03:09:48 | More by dgrauwiler
2.58/5 rDev -23.9%
Served in a standard pint glass. Has a below average tan head that doesn't stick around long and doesn't leave any lacing to speak of. Appears a brown color with some haziness.
Nose is full of coffee and other malts. Just not what you expect from a Marzen. Some sweetness from the caramel malts. Taste is very similar. All sweet, no balancing factors. Just not right for a Marzen. The flavors were decent, but just doesn't fit into the style.
Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied. Too thick and heavy when going down, again, just not quite right. Overall, a decent brew, but nothing above average. Got stuck drinking this all of last week because it was the best they had to offer where I was staying. Don't seek it out..
10-02-2011 19:24:29 | More by zimm421
3.5/5 rDev +3.2%
10-31-2012 19:57:48 | More by ejfreed
New Jersey
3.73/5 rDev +10%
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.
Pours a very brilliant amber color, which shines in the light. Little foam. Very sweet malty nose, and loads of esthers. Quite buttery malty taste, and a lot of caramel in the mix. Sweet finish, with just a nutty hint of hop at the end. Very good,.
12-02-2012 22:34:56 | More by KTCamm
3.5/5 rDev +3.2%
10-07-2013 14:45:30 | More by JamLand
3.5/5 rDev +3.2%
04-22-2013 17:57:00 | More by bmurray10
3.7/5 rDev +9.1%
I drank this at a BBQ in Texas. Poured this in a large mug.
It poured an amber color with a light tan head.
S: not very strong, some malt aromas - nothing to outlandish.
T: Not bad. It seemed like a typical Oktoberfest beer. Some sweet malt flavors.
Overall: For the price, $8.00/six-er, this was a fairly solid Oktoberfest beer. It didn't knock me over with taste, but I found it to be very enjoyable.
10-26-2011 21:59:05 | More by LacquerHead
2.25/5 rDev -33.6%
Pours out like a dark, raspberry flavored iced tea with a tiny head that fizzles quickly into nothing. Smell has some nuttiness from the malts and a brown sugar aspect to it, but this is all drowned out by a harsh graininess and a weird butter/rubber band medley that I can't put my finger on. This odd characteristic comes out right at the gates in the flavor accompanied by heavy toast and even a bit of roasted malt flavor, it seems. The graininess shows up in the middle along with that weird rubber thing (which stuck around all this time). Finishes sticky sweet with a touch of marshmallow flavor. Mouthfeel is awfully light and prickly with a stickiness that follows each sip. Not impressed at all. I was really hoping for a good local O-fest.
09-29-2007 03:09:48 | More by goochpunch
3.75/5 rDev +10.6%
07-23-2013 01:05:16 | More by Sazz9
1.6/5 rDev -52.8%
Got from Lone Star after the brewery/distributor had replaced the bad batch that got shipped there so this one is factory fresh. Poured from a 12oz bottle (no date) into a pint glass. It was an orangish amber color with a ton of little yeast bits floating in it. Lots of carb. No lacing. It had a small beige head that quickly fizzled to nothing.
The aroma was very weak. A bit of caramel malt and just a bit of hops but that faded very soon after pouring. Not very appetizing. The taste was also very bland and what was there was off. Had a slightly bitter taste and none of the sweetness you usually find in a Marzen. Also had a very weird aftertaste. Can't pin it down but makes you dread the next drink and kills the mouthfeel.
Overall, a terrible beer - avoid. This supposed to be the fresh batch but sure tastes off to me. Not sure what the problem with Rahr is but over half of the beers I get from them are spoiled. When they are on the make a couple really good beers like the hefe but when they are off they are bad. And unfortunately they are off more than they are on. I want to support them since local but tired of spending good money on spoiled beer. They need better quality control, dates on the labels and non twist off caps.
10-14-2008 01:32:13 | More by TexIndy
3.5/5 rDev +3.2%
04-02-2014 17:12:50 | More by Thanx4AllDaFish
4/5 rDev +18%
10-04-2012 20:54:19 | More by buzzed
3.13/5 rDev -7.7%
A: The beer pours a nice amber color with a thick tan head.
S: The beer has some coffee, malt and some
T: The taste wasnt as strong as I was hoping. It has some sweet maltyness and some caramel, but not really much else.
M: The beer mouthfeel isnt anything special. I drink it and just feel like I am missing out on something.
O: This a decent average Oktoberfest beer, but nothing to go out of the way to get.
11-19-2011 07:35:55 | More by gtermi
3/5 rDev -11.5%
09-20-2012 05:15:51 | More by WritersBlock
3.5/5 rDev +3.2%
09-26-2013 02:17:53 | More by JGlitz87
3.75/5 rDev +10.6%
10-27-2013 21:08:08 | More by jkn09
4/5 rDev +18%
Appearance: Cloudy, deep amber in color, with a large, persistent, off-white head, thin, broken lace.
Aroma: Earthy notes, and toasted malt, with a slight herbal hop presence.
Taste: Opens with strong toasted malts, mild caramel and toffee, lots of bread and nut malt, solid malty notes throughout the taste. Finishes with a wave to toasted bread flavors.
Mouth feel: Pleasant and full body, no carbonation sting.
Drinkability/notes: A very solid example, quite representative of the style.
Presentation: Packaged in a twelve-ounce brown glass long neck bottle with a pop-off crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.
10-02-2011 14:27:56 | More by Pegasus
Oktoberfest from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company
78 out of 100 based on 100 ratings.


text:
Closing arguments will start first thing Friday
in the murder trial of Shan Cheley, the man accused of killing 18-year-old Amber
Deloach in 2012.
The strongest evidence so far that connects Deloach
with her accused killer is surveillance video, which the prosecution showed in court on Thursday.
Prosecutors say Amber Deloach's car can
be seen driving through downtown Savannah in the early morning hours of September
30, 2012. Minutes later, you see a man walking down that same street.
Investigators say Cheley admits that it was
him walking in the surveillance video.
Cheley is accused of raping and killing Amber
Deloach, then putting her body in the trunk of a car and lighting it on fire.
The trial will continue Friday at 9:30 a.m.
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PO Box 8086
Savannah, GA 31412
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