life lately man

beer shorts

Cascade Kriek Ale

ABV: 7.2%

Picked up a bottle of the '2012 Project' over the summer. Nice teeth enamel-removing sourness, tart and fresh cherries; though they lean strongly towards tart. Lemons, oak, some vinegar, bready+herbal tones, and a decent dose of funk. Somewhat big-feeling for the style with high carbonation. A good example of an American kriek, though be prepared for an intense sourness stranglehold.

Jack's Abby Pumpkin Crop Lager

ABV: 5.5%

After two seasons of having it around now, this has become one of my must-buy pumpkin beers when autumn hits. Following in the Jack's Abby tradition, it's a lager - which is unique for the style and works well here, adding some bready and grainy tones. The mouthfeel feels a bit on the watery side, but the authentic pumpkin+squash flavors and restrained spices make this a winner for me. The lightness and drinkability is nice too, the low ABV is great. A definite standout in a style that can often be repetitive.

Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.2%

Straight-up roasty and boozy imperial stout, no coffee/barrels/whathaveyou needed, great stuff. The scent is a little tame but the taste improves upon it. Big roasted malt/dark chocolate punch, dark fruits, light molasses sweetness, and perhaps some hops burrowing beneath this deep dark malt attack. Coffee ground-esque finish. Thick and viscous mouthfeel with some alcohol heat, which only compliments the boldness rather than detracting from the beer. Especially at the price, this is a nice 4-pack purchase during these cold months - good for cellaring too.

Dieu Du Ciel Route Des Épices

ABV: 5.3%

A rye ale brewed with peppercorns - unabashed peppercorns, that is. It is indeed a spicy sipper, but not quite overbearing. Other than rye, grassy tones, and general herbs/spices, there are also flavors that resemble ones found in a light brown ale such as nutty malts, toasted bread, and caramel. Carbonation is somewhat on the low side. Probably not for those with little spice tolerance, I love pepper and this still made me break a sweat!

The Alchemist Heady Topper

ABV: 8%

Watching this beer go from a sorta-hyped newcomer to a phenomenon has been an interesting experience to say the least. This has been a classic to me since my first visit to the brewpub (R.I.P.) in 2010, and though it's sort of cliche by now - especially coming from a New Englander - this still holds up as what may be my favorite Double IPA. This was definitely one of the first to nail the whole 'potent and balanced citrus/tropical/earthy/danky hops and warm biscuit malt' thing that so many IPAs go for now, and also remains one of the prime examples of this type. Standout characteristics for me: the level of bitterness, the mouthfeel, and the balance of hop and malt (but mostly hop) flavors. I'm also convinced they pioneered the 'hoppy beer in a 16 oz. can' trend, but that may have to be a debate for a later time.

The Skateparks of Chicopee - Part III (River North)

For the third installment, we will take a look at the smallest park of the bunch, and make a return to the good ol' gray plastic ledges and metal ramps ala Sara Jane.

River North Skatepark

Broadway Street

Besides a few ledges on the other side of the pyramid, these first 2 pictures pretty much sum up this park. It is definitely a tight setup but they've at least managed to stick a decent amount of things to skate considering what they had to work with. This also somehow manages to be the most populated out of the five skateparks - as in, there are usually other people here when I go. I mean, usually it's a 5-year old throwing his scooter around while Dad sits on a ramp texting, or a family of six using the bank as a slide, but it's also common to see actual skatepark enthusiasts - even skateboarders! The main attraction I suppose is the pyramid, if for no other reasons, it's smack in the middle and takes up a bulk of the park.

The pyramid itself is metal and about 2' high, with a 4-stair and handrail on one side, and a plastic, usually EXTRA waxy hubba ledge on the opposite side that is about a foot in height. The handrail is shorter than one you'd usually find at a street spot, and also quite small lengthwise too, making it kinda hard to do anything but tap it via grind or slide. Which is a good and bad thing. The box sitting at the top of the stairs is movable, so in this photo we have a cool example of the many different setups possible with it. The box is identical to the ones you'll find at Sara Jane, plastic, waxy, about a foot high. 

Allowing for some sense of "flow" we have these on either side of the pyramid:

Both are metal and about 4' in height. The quarter pipe is nice - smooth, good width, decent transition and coping. Definitely beats out Sara Jane in this category. The bank is good too, just a little on the steep side which is appreciated.

Off to the sides you only have a few ledges and rails, but they are mostly worthwhile at least. You've got 2 waxy, narrow benches that are a little over a foot in height and a ledge that is close to the same in size, but portable:

For rails, the highlight for me is definitely this killer round rail:

Just so simple, ya know? It's like 10" high, and just…a straight-up rail. No crazy curves, loops, slants, spikes, what have you. The other rail gets a little crazy:

Slants in the middle of flat rails - maybe one of the most frightening sights a skatepark can offer. The shorter half is about 10" high, while the taller half is probably around 16" or so.

That about does it for ol' River North I suppose. The setup is kinda 'take it or leave it' and may get old fast, but I usually have a fun time here. Go skate it, before snow crushes all of your hopes and dreams.