Beer - #177 - Invercargill - B.Man Pilsner

Somewhat oddly named b.man is a really smartly presented 330ml bottle of a 5.2% ABV beer (thats about 1.3 standard drinks) with an IBU of 42 making it near the high end for a Pilsner.

Brewed by Invercargill Brewery in the style of a  Pilsener and that's of course in Invercargill, New Zealand

One of this country’s finest aromatic Pilsners and a showcase for New Zealand’s uniquely herbaceous hop varieties, B.Man pours an attractive bright gold beneath a lingering fluffy white head. In both the aroma and palate biscuity sweet malt provides the luscious canvas on which the hops play and their citrusy and tropical (passion) fruit flavours lead into an emphatic, resiny, dry finish. Lip-smackingly good and the perfect match for a hot Thai curry!

Pungent hops on opening. Rich orange golden colour, with a very lively head of fluffy white, and it retains the hoppy aroma.

It's quite sharp as a drink, dry on the palate, the abundance of hops adds a nice bitterness, You can tell why it's won awards. You get the citrusy flavour too, all very neatly delivered.

The pdubyah-o-meter says easily 8.25 making it very good but not quite great. I'm glad that I chose to only have the one beer today and that it was this one that came out first. From the colour, to the aroma, the head and the lacing, this was a pretty nice beer to experience. I bet it's cracking with a Thai curry as suggested.

I don't however think I'd enjoy this as a session beer though, the flavours are all pretty crammed together in one package, it's not a drink of many layers, it does what it says it does, very well, but that's all it does. There isn't a journey and an unfolding of taste. Again you can tell why it won awards.

The less of me for May

The less of me for May- A moth where it ended in abruptly and in tragedy

• 8Runs - that's half of what I expected


• 42.06 kms kms in total


• 5.2kms average per walk-out


• Fastest 5km improves all the time 32:53  - remembering back that it was 44:03 in December when I really started to go for it.


• Weight  dropping slowly - now at 94 kg, but only because I ate to comfort myself in the last two weeks.


• New shoes - I brought some more New Balance shoes M1010, They're still in the box unworn.

So to recap then.

I hurt myself.

I'd got to 498 kms and wanted to get to 500 (in total), and I went out in the morning. I had a "tight" right calf, but stretching seemed to ease it, in my head. I'd got less than 500 meters where I stopped to stretch it again, and nearly gave up, but mistaking the pain as being similar to the pain that shins sometimes give me I pushed ahead.

Then at the furthest point from home I'd stopped to walk a bit, the calf was quite "knotted" and I thought I'd walk it off, but I came to a junction and then the gentle downhill bit that I really enjoy. So I ran accross the road, in the way you do to beat the truck that's coming up. and that's when the tears started :-(





The burning stabbing that indicates some part of your body has given up.  For those of you that know this is both painful, embarrassing and confusing.

So there I was in comparative agony  by the side of the road, unable to walk, and some kind passerby stopped and offered me a lift home, I was sweaty and grimacing but still they stopped. It was incredibly kind and thoughtful and I hope that i'd be as charitable if ever I had the chance.

Cold pads and hot water bottle's for a few hours, compress bandage and rest.

Oddly I had no problems standing on top toes had a full range of foot motion but I couldn't walk in any coherent way, and getting down stairs was pretty impossible for the first day.

In the week since, it's calmed down a lot, only aches if I've been sitting for a while, and doesn't like being cold. I massage it daily and use deep heat (you know that stuff that smells like locker rooms, the opposite of chick-magnet"

I'm really itching to get back and exercise, and will have a gentle walk tomorrow.

And there you have it - May done and dusted, some wins, a few set backs, a few compliments about how less fat I am becoming. It's all good.

Beer - #176 - Schneider - Aventinus

Schneider Aventinus - Tap 6 - Brewed by Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in the style of a  Weizen Bock in Kelheim, Germany.

bit like me then ----- Deep and complex – for big and relaxing moments by the fire.

Dark-ruby colored wheat doppelbock with a creamy fine head. Strong notes of ripe bananas, raisins and plums meet liquorice and roasty aromes. Full-bodied and warming, with a well-balanced and smooth finish. The ideal companion for hearty roast meat, venison and also fruity chocolate desserts, “Kaiserschmarrn” (pancakes), “Elisenlebkuchen” (christmas cookies) or blue cheese.

Oldest wheat doppelbock of Bavaria. Since 1907.  500ml bottle of an 8.2% ABV beer - making it 3.2 standard drinks - and I don't have a roast meal either. I have rice crackers, this may end badly :-)

I get the same slightly sour aroma on opening, it's a very dark pour, I got a smidgin of a head, and it settled to a lovely fruit aroma. Rich like raisins.

The think I noted on the mouthfeel was the alcohol astringent. It kind of looms over the taste a bit. Perhaps I have it too cold, there are fruit notes in there but aren't being forthcoming.

And for that though the pdubyah-o-meter thinks this is a bit of a fail, and comes up an arbitrary 6 on the scale of arbitrary- making it at the low end and just above average.  I might be having an off day, I didn't get any of the notes that I was expecting to get - the plums, the liquorice,  and it's not full bodied by my understanding.

I'd be reluctant to have another.

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Beer - #175 - Schneider Weisse - Original

Schneider Weisse Original, Tap 7 - Unser Original - Brewed by Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in the unsurprising style of a German Hefeweizen in Kelheim, Germany.

Thus is a 500ml of a 5.4% ABV beer (2.1 Standard Drinks), this one came recommended to me.

With its amber-mahogany coloring and streaked with fine top-fermented yeast, this beer has a fine, persistent head that adheres well to the glass. It is pleasantly fruity with a typical top-fermented smell, an aroma of clove and nutmeg apple tantalizes the nose. On the tongue it is fresh, clean, full-bodied, harmonious and well-balanced. It finishes with a light, delicate taste of bitters leaving behind a sour impression.

Sort of both sweet and sour aroma on opening, It's a much darker beer than you'd expect, and it has a whopper of a head. The aroma stays the same, sort of a sweet malt but with a peppery thing going on.

Although you'd think that there's a mouthful of sweet malt this isn't exactly what happens, you get a warm sweet that somehow turns into a sweet bitter. I'm a bit betwixt and between on this. It's ok, the taste is good, but there isn't a lot of length in it. It then occurs to me that this is a "dry" tasting beer. See sometimes I get it!

I don't know however if I get the alleged "banana" or "vanilla" that might be expected, it would have been something to have experienced.

Probably more a summer beer than a first of winter tipple, but this is an easy drink, there is nothing that is offensive or that you'd find distasteful, and I can see why it's successful .

The pdubyah-o-meter says I should rate this at 8 being as how it's all a bit good but not spectacular. If I had a mind to have a party I'd probably get some in because it'd go down well. The nice caramel note invites you in and the little sour back means you're actually enjoying  and experience.  I had no trouble drinking this, and I know lots of people feel the same way.

Beer - #174 - Renaissance - Enlightenment Series - Scotch on Rye 70/- Ale

For a Friday then, the Renaissance Enlightenment Series Scotch on Rye 70/- Ale.

..it means ’70 shilling’ (sigh, OK, I will tell the whole story). We were asked to make a big malty beer that is lower in alcohol than a Scotch Ale so we went to the source and brewed another Scottish style, the 70/- Ale. Malty and satisfying without too much kick. Oh and we brewed this one with Rye... because Rye not! We also used oats and wheat in the mash for flavour and mouth-feel and then left the brew to age on Oak until it was smooth and mellow.

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Scotch Ale in the most unlikely of places - Blenheim, New Zealand. A  500ml, 4.8%ABV bottle of beer. (2 standard drinks worth).  and an IBU of 17 - which is in the range for Scottish Beers. Best drunk at between 8-10 degrees C. Well it's pretty cold out so lets try it.

Light bready yeast on opening, surprisingly dark brown colour, plenty of carbonation fizz, and a meagre head.  the aroma settles to a sweet fruit.

There is a lovely maltiness and balanced bitterness, with a pretty long note. You know you've had a mouthful of beer. Surprisingly multi layered and very entertaining!

I like it but there is a 'tang' in there somewhere, perhaps the Rye? it's sort of in the middle, might be mistaken for "rubber".  I'm not saying it'll put you off, but it's something you might need to be aware of that is a character of the beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this 7.5 of things - making it a better then good beer.  It's a quirky beer, and it might be a one shot deal. It is different, it isn't "strong" in terms of alcohol content, and therefore relies on a taste profile. Not sure that it hits any of the marks well, but close enough is good enough.