The Less of me for March

March Update :

I tried again to get to 100kms, just falling short at the month end where I tailed away on the days I actually got out an did something. I changed to new shoes as well with a resulting really poor few days where I was struggling, but it came right.

• 16 Runs


• 95.65kms in total


• 5.98kms average per walk-out


• Fastest 5km was 35:54, when you consider back in January this was 47:39


• Weight 96 - 96.4kg

Although the chart above is wrong!, count the gree lines you'll see 16, I have no idea what one it thinks is missing.

Onwards and downwards.

Beer - #140 - Harrington's - Big John Special Reserve

Harrington's Big John Special Reserve, which after the disastrous Belgium Tempest I'm slightly wary of.  This however a Limited Edition, and at the same time a Special Reserve !  Cover both bases.

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) Styled as a Dunkler Bock and as always that's al majicked in Christchurch, New Zealand.

500ml of a 6.5% ABV beer, (2.6 standard drinks), in a standard brown bottle.

Dunkler Bock - The dark Bock has a deep copper to dark brown color. Medium to full-bodied, malt sweetness and nutty or light toasted flavors dominate. Hop flavor and aroma can be light to non-existent.

but they say in the notes - Strong dark ale, full flavoured brew with a hint of spiciness. Smooth roast malt flavour balanced well with hops.

Sets some expectations.

Aroma is sort of chocolate, and I thought faintly of orange  but it's not insistent, or overpowering, dark beer, reasonable head, not overly excitable carbonation.

They're right that the flavour in this is mellow and low key, you can get the roasted/chocolate -notes, you get a mouth of fizz, and a linger on the palate. There's a fairly decent lacing on the glass as well, not something I mention enough.

The top of this though carries an alcohol note, and that's not something you generally look for in a beer of any kind, sure some have it and you know that you're likely to find it, but I wasn't expecting it with this.

The pdubyah-o-meter finds it a struggle to get to a 6 from 10 on this in it arbitrary way or all thing. My bottom line with this is that I have a friend, oh yes I do, called John, and would I give it to him as a novelty gift? And I think not.  I rate it better than 'meh' as it really isn't very offensive, it'd be ok to share with a friend and might spur you forward to try other dark beers, the porters, stouts etc.

But I'm glad I don't have another if I was being honest.

Beer - #139 - Schipper’s - Scallywag

Schipper’s Scallywag - a Rich Amber Ale - From the Schipper’s Beer Company Brewed at Aotearoa Breweries in Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand

5.5% ABV in a 500ml bottle. (2,2 Drink units) of either an  Amber Ale or ESB ?

This beer has a velvety balance of malt and hops that makes it very easy to drink.

Seems they dropped the premium packaging and went for comedy label ?

Brewery in Newmarket - let me guess..... Lion!

But I had a pif of a day and perhaps a comedy beer will make things better.

So: Light, Amber, no so bitter, and a bit chemical is what I have in mind....

It's actually decently hoppy!, I could be eating my own words (or drinking my own beer), very decently hoppy and has a fair bash of sweet malt note too. a decent off white head and me licking my lips, Seems like a bit of a winner.  Lovely dark chestnut colour too. All round goodly good.

This already has session beer all over it, an IBU of 45 means that you're not going to end up puckering every moutful and a bit looking forward to the next one. And at low/mid strength this will carry you all evening.

There's no hint of the alcohol or any additive that I was afeared of, and I'm refreshed and altogether in a much better place than I was earlier.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 7.5 things good on it's scale of arbitrary, making this a beer to reach for if you have any doubts about the other offerings in front of you .  It could do with a bit more malts and a bit of length on the palate if it was to push through and become a benchmark, as it is though it's a good solid if unspectacular beer.

If only I had another !

Beer - #138 - Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin

The second of a pair for this afternoon - a Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin. Brewed by Duvel Moortgat in the style of a Abbey Dubbel Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

300ml of an 8% ABV beer - Bottle conditioned.

A brown or brune ale brewed under the supervision of the monastic community of Maredsous. Top fermented beer, brewed according to Benedictine tradition. Refermented in the bottle;, and conditioned for two months. Maredsous Brown should ideally be served at a temperature of 6-10 C

I'm really hoping for more malts and sweets in this and less alcohol note.

There is a fruit aroma, like sultana, and it's a very dark brown pour, with a magnificent fully head. The aroma settles to a rich malty note, but like the Tripel it carries a sourness about it.

There's nothing of anything in the palate for this, it's fairly soft, and unassuming. I could get why you loved this beer, it's not a challenge and it's fairly strong, you could impress your mates with it.

However when push comes to shove this is a struggle to get to the same 5 on the pdubyah-o-meter  that the Tripel did. This is a beer that's comes with a reputation, one that I might have even made up in my own head, but I was expecting something with a bang and got a whimper.

I can take that it's a beer brewed at commercial levels if it ended up being true to itself, but this isn't that, it seems to be brewed to be inoffensive and to maximise an audience. The dinky bottle and the indication that it should be special are just  not enough.

Beer - #137 - Maredsous 10 Tripel

Back to the Belgium beers with a Maredsous 10 Tripel - Brewed by Duvel Moortgat In the style of a Abbey Tripel in Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

A bottle conditioned  Golden beer with a characteristically fresh bouquet and sweet after-taste. 330ml of a 10% ABV beer.

There's quite an alcohol aroma up-front. It's a lovely chestnut golden with loud carbonation that gives up a decent head,

The aroma, as I can discern it changes to sour almost a vinegar.  There's a maltly sweetness that you expect but it's not prominent or pushy.

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the sour note in this, and by loudness of the alcohol. Not something that you expect to get, and frankly a bit difficult to enjoy. The strength of this beer does not make up for the shortcomings that are in it.

As a consequence the pdubyah-o-meter only slides to a 5, making this an also ran beer in the big scheme of things, which doesn't make me happy at all. But then I come to this expecting fireworks and that's not what I'm getting.

I'm having the sister beer the Maredsous 8 Brune next, I hope that puts more a smile on my dial