Pickled Partridge (Badger)

Name: Pickled Partridge
Label: "Rich tawny ale"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.6%

Tasting notes: "Suspecting his fate as the centrepiece of the Sunday roast, our cunning partridge escaped his captor with a snappy peck. This plump tipple balances roasted malt with fruity citrus hops."  The beer looks to be a slightly stronger remake of this 2009 classic!

Game: It's a bumper Eaglemoss delivery this month! Here's part 1 of 3. Issue 20 Masked Predator Figurine (Predator 1987). There's some good detail on this figurine but the paintwork seems a bit rushed on the netting and the dreads. Overall though, it looks cool, especially the skull and spine trophy.

Rating 7/10

Masked Predator Figurine (Predator 1987)

First Call (Badger)

Name: First Call
Label: "Rich & Hoppy Beer - Single English Hop"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.0%

Tasting notes: "A classic country ale, First Call is brewed with a single hop variety for purity and character. The dwarf hop First Gold grows in low hedgerows enabling a better quality harvest. A clean, fresh, distinctive beer with hints of orange and spice from the hop, perfect with traditional English roasts and pies."

Game: Remember Silkworm? Well Heavy Weapon on Xbox 360 is similar. It's a side-scrolling shooter, except you're in a tank instead of a jeep. It's got explosions, nukes and more enemies than you can shake a retro game at.  What more do you want. It's great, but it gets dead hard like in the 80's and 90's.

Rating: 8 out 10 

Daring Diver (Badger)

Name: Daring Diver
Label: "New beer in the sett"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.7%

Tasting notes: "Other ducks stick to rivers and ponds, this mischievous mallard bravely ventures to the brewery gates to pinch prized hops blown wayward from the stores. His boldness inspires this amber beer, brewed with Slovenian Celeia hops. Enjoy with chicken pie and creamy pasta dishes."

Game: New game time! And Quantum Break is about time! Great timing, Battlefront is starting to get on my tits!  Quantum Break is utterly brilliant. It's super-slick with TV show quality production values. And there also a TV show with TV show quality production values in between each chapter to flesh out the story.  It's about a bloke who is suddenly really ace with guns but can manipulate time as well. And in the story you go back in time and it turns out you're actually your own mum. It's crazy-good. Rating: 9 out of time.

Wild Wader (Badger)

Name: Wild Wader
Label: "New beer in the Sett"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.2%

Tasting notes: "In the lagoon of Brownsea Island, you can find the Wild Wader striding proudly in the morning haze. This amber brew combines an aromatic collection of British, Slovenian and New World hops for a refreshing easy-drinking beer. Great with fish & chips."

Game: Right, first off, I totally loved Wolfenstein: The New Order and The Old Blood. Bethesda did great, which makes the Doom Beta all the more surprising. It's terrible. Your avatar feels like you're floating around the map rather than running, it looks and plays like a last-gen title and everything seems twice as fast as it should be. At one point I was circling around a bit of scenery shooting at an enemy and it felt like a sped up Benny Hill nightmare in hell, thankfully without the sexism. Weapons have no visual punch and enemies just pop in a shower of disappearing blood and gaudy looking pickups.  If the single-player campaign has the same feel to it then we're Doomed. And not in a good way. Back to Star Wars Battlefront we go... 2/10.

Leaping Legend (Badger)

Name: Leaping Legend
Label: "New beer in the sett"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.8%

Rating: "Should you pass the hamlet of Bincombe and hear a slow ticking sound, look closely for the valiant grasshopper leaping further than any other, clattering his wings mid-flight. This light-coloured beer balances the citrus character of Amarillo hops with Fuggles hops for a refreshing and punchy beer. Great with Spanish style tapas dishes. We've been brewing in the heart of Dorset since 1777."

Game: Five reasons why Dark Souls 2 sucks:
1. It's a port of a last-gen game
2. It's got crummy graphics
3. There's little to no story and everyone you meet is so damn... vague.
4. I want to feel like a boss, not be cowering constantly too scared to do anything.
5. Witcher 3 is out.

Ok, it doesn't really suck, it's great but... Witcher 3!

Firkin Fox (Badger)

Name: Firkin Fox
Label: "Auburn citrus-hopped beer"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.6%

Rating: "Inspired by the cunning countryside fox, this moreish auburn ale combines the biscuity and aromatic qualities of our speciality malts with the citrus hop charge of Celeia and Cascade hops. A refreshing beer ideal with spicy Mexican dishes. We've been brewing in the heart of Dorset since 1777. Discover more Badger beers on cask, on shelf or at badgerales.com." Fox hunting SUCKS. They should go beer hunting instead. It's a heck of a lot more fun.

Game: Xbox One just keeps on giving! It's been a year since the Xbox One was released and they are showering us Day One'rs (I invented that term) with gifts a-plenty. Today I got some exclusive Xbox backgrounds for various devices; desktop, tablet, mobile and Xbox. BIG WOW you may be thinking in your usual sarcastic mind-voice (and that thought would be justified to be fair), but they've also sent messages out informing us of a free copy of LIMBO on Xbox One when it's released. Free game! Xbox is teh best!!!1!!

Blandford Flyer (Badger)

Name: Blandford Flyer
Label: "A bite of spicy ginger"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 5.2%

Rating: "With the hot summer sun beating down, the patient fly-fisherman of the Dorset Stour await their catch. These 'Flyers' are celebrated in this warming ale with ginger overtones, rumoured to be originally included to remedy the bites of the infamous Blandford Fly. The rounded sweetness of this medium-bodied brew makes it an ideal and refreshing accompaniment to a hot lamb biryani or spicy crispy chilli beef."

Game: Crikey, Mass Effect 3 has caused some controversy! Now it's all about the 'rubbish' endings, which I actually happen to quite like. I didn't really understand what was going on but there was explosions and stuff which looked ace. Anyway, there's been a petition to get the endings changed and now Bioware are releasing DLC to make it happen. An horrific turn of events, I'd sooner have the Reapers destroy Earth than let mob rule choose the endings of the games I buy. Fans are fans, not writers, writers are writers and that's why they write games. Hopefully you can see the logic there.

England's Own (Badger)

Name: England's Own
Label: "Staggeringly Good"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.6%

Rating: "This award-winning brew's spirited origin is reflected in its uplifting white grape and elderflower flavours. A fitting accompaniment to Sunday roast chicken or a whole baked trout with a squeeze of lemon."  I don't have any roast chicken and I'm fresh out of trout, but I do have some Sunday!

Game: One of my new years resolutions was to wait until prices drop before purchasing new games. Well I've failed thanks to The Darkness II. The first big release of 2012 arrives cold on the heels of the horrifically underrated first game. With a swish new look and some amazingly gory gameplay, I'm finding it incredibly difficult to put down. At last, something to help get me over my Skyrim addiction! Gangster sci-fi has never been so much bloody fun! 8.5/10

Poacher's Choice (Badger)

Name: Poacher's Choice
Label: "Notes of Damson & Liquorice"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 5.7%

Rating: "The wily poacher knows the temptations the lush Dorset countryside has to offer. Just like the Badger, the Poacher craftily seeks out its treasures and makes the most of sumptuous local ingredients. This rich, smooth brew has softly spiced sweetness with dark liquorice notes and a fruity damson aroma. A gutsy ruby ale that is well matched with hearty game pie or a tangy mature cheese." I think my Badger collection with revamped labels is complete now... *hic*

Game: You're no doubt aware that Dark Souls is a pretty tough game. You should definitely know now as I've just told you in that surprisingly informative preceding sentence. Whilst unboxing Dark Souls I could see the control-pad start to cringe at the prospect of being launched through the telly in a fit of game-rage. The telly is just glad the game's not Kinect enabled as potentially I could be launching myself through the telly in a fit of game-rage. Fear not though my little beige controllery-type device and slightly aging HDTV. Its true, the game is absolutely and horrifically solid, however upon death there's more a sigh of resigned inevitablility than a bout of full on anger. You're supposed to progress a little bit at a time as you get better. Last night I got killed by a massive dragon, then some ghosts, then I fell down a hole a bunch of times and got absolutely nowhere in the process. So I put Dead Island on and mashed some zombie heads for an hour. Love it! I will master Dark Souls though, mark my words...

First Gold (Badger)

Name: First Gold
Label: "Single English Hop"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: The last of the Badger re-labels. "First Gold are dwarf hops that grow in low hedgerows more reminiscent of a vineyard, enabling a better quality harvest.  A clean, fresh, distinctive ale with hints of orange and spice from the hop, perfect with traditional English roasts and pies."

Game: Up to the final chapter of Gears of War 3. Now, either I'm suddenly really awesome at Gears or the difficulty is a lot easier in this third instalment. Months ago I think a vaguely remember that salesman from Epic (Cliff Bellicky or something) saying that the difficulty was going to be easier in order to try and cater for a wider audience. It does seem easier, so for my second play through I'm ramping it up to Insane difficulty, baby. On a more worrying note (for me anyway), I've just realised I'm nearly out of new ales to try! Big sad face thing.

Golden Glory (Badger)

Name: Golden Glory
Label: "Gloriously peachy"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "On a crisp winter's day, a cloudless sky fills the Dorset coastline with sunshine. Above a White-tailed Eagle can be seen soaring above the sea - the silhouette of its majestic wings a sign that Spring is near. This is the perfect time to enjoy the deliciously balanced peach and melon flavours of this award-winning classic. An ideal compliment to sticky bbq ribs or an indulgent vanilla cheesecake." Here's the original label and review. I absolutely love this beer. The fact I've not drunk it that often is bordering on criminal.

Game: Hey where the living heck did my evening go?  Oh yeah, I've just spent five hours totally transfixed by Deus Ex. Vaguely remember mumbling "G'night" to the wife about three hours ago.  This is how it's been for the past week or so now.  I've had to start setting my alarm to go off when it's sleep time as well as setting it to go off when it's time to get up for work. I hate my alarm clock.

Tanglefoot (Badger)

Name: Tanglefoot
Label: "Mischief's afoot - Since 1777 - Legendary"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 5.0%

Rating: Badger have relaunched their beers with new labels so it's only right that I try them all again. On the back label it says that years ago Head Brewer John Woodhouse got up to leave after sampling the ale and "his mischievous companion, believing a walk was imminent, tangled his owner up with the lead and Woodhouse fell upon the perfect name for this new beer". I'm sure this is a different story than the last label but who cares, it's still great. Here's the old version.

Game: It's dead hard being God. I know because I'm currently playing From Dust, an Xbox Live Arcade game. This is where you have to get your tribes to set up villages and capture totems in order to escape the territory and get to the next area. Trouble is there are tsunamis, lava, water and other stuff to hamper your progress. I haven't played a God game since Populous and I'm beginning to remember why they're so great. Because the tribesman are a bunch of good folk, there are no smiting, disease inducing, or locust sending God powers included unfortunately. 8/10

Golden Champion (Badger)

Name: Golden Champion
Label: "Thirst place - Countryside ales - Brewed in Dorset"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 5.0%

Rating: Golden Champion - a headstrong but loyal stallion who enjoys the warm days grazing in the fields. The subtle elderflower aromas of this delicately floral brew are reminiscent of a summer's evening. This divine all-rounder is a great companion for smoky, chargrilled chicken and peppery rocket salad.

Game: Noel Gallagher seems to have added his two penneth into the mix blaming brutal video games for the UK riots.  Considering he used to be a nobody from inner-city Manchester (and as such used to have the opinion that if you're not good at music or football then you have no hope in life), you can't help but suspect that had he not found fame and fortune in music, himself and his brothers would have been at the business end of the looting and rioting.  I think Noel's rubbish music is to blame for the UK riots anyway. His radio-friendly pop mush is enough to drive anybody to violence.

Hopping Hare (Badger)

Name: Hopping Hare
Label: "Since 1777 - Refreshingly hoppy - Thrice hopped"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.4%

Rating: "It is a terrific match with roast lamb and spicy Thai dishes" it says on the back, I bet it's a good match with actual hare as well. Does anyone eat hare?

Game: Ordered back in January, L.A. Noire has finally landed. Homicide detectivity (new word) never looked so good!  The game really does need to be seen to be believed. The level of realism and storytelling makes the whole experience considerably more immersive than your average triple A blockbuster. And like a great book it's so, so difficult to put down.  Gaming has turned a corner again it seems and it's so exciting I'm getting car sick.

Applewood Cider (Badger)

Name: Applewood Cider
Label: "Oak aged - Scrumptious to the core - produced in Somerset"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 6.0%

Rating: Its not real ale but its made by Badger so I thought I'd give it a try (and it does have "Dorset Ales" embossed on the bottle). When I was a teenager I went to one of those horrible parties round at some persons house and drank rancid cider. I was sick, the party was shit, I had a terrible hangover and I hated cider from that day forth. Thanks to this I can now drink cider again without fear. "Its oaky, wood-infused notes are created by maturing the cider in oak vats - hence the name Applewood."

Game: Finished all the Christmas games. Kane & Lynch 2 was pretty good but can't really get into the multiplayer, which seems to be its focus after a relatively short single player campaign. 7.5 out of 10. Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions was pretty good but its no Batman Arkham Ayslum 7.5 out of 10. Finally got Need for Speed Hot Pursuit which is difficult to put down. Just one more race....

Original Ale (Badger)

Name: Original Ale
Label: "Classic English Country Ale - Delicate Notes of Fruit and Spice"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: An original ale with the unlikeliest of original names. Delicate is also pretty accurate.

Game: Downloaded a new DLC level pack for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  Its the Hoth level but with the Apprentice taking the place of Vader and *SPOILER* turning Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side before he's even had chance to get to Dagobah! Who'd have thought it. The Tattooine mission level was miles better though, visiting Jabba's Palace, kicking Rancor ass, killing Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the same afternoon = win.

Dandelion (Badger)

Name: Dandelion
Label: "A refreshing, well-rounded ale with dandelion natural flavour"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "A fine and dandy ale" = true

Game: Defeated the Collectors, Mass Effect 2 finished.  Just in time because Bioshock 2 has arrived closely followed by Dante's Inferno.  Both awesome so far. Dante's Inferno is surpassing expectations - the only game I've seen where it rains burning people, there are waterfalls of people and people are impaled on spikes. Hell never looked so cool!

Golden Champion (Badger)

Name: Golden Champion
Label: "Award winning finsest quality ale - Summer in a glass all year - delicately strong and refreshingly light"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 5%

Rating: So easy to drink it was gone in the blink of an eye

Game: Took about ten goes to defeat the Archdemon. Eat Grey Warden blade fiery dragon dude! Game over. Forty five hours well utilised and superb value for money in an age of five to seven hour single player campaigns at £39.99. Dragon Age: Origins rocks. Roll on Mass Effect 2.

Golden Glory (Badger)

Name: Golden Glory
Label: "Absolutely glorious - delicate floral peach & melon aroma"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: Must drink more of this

Game: Started to avoid side missions now in Dragon Age and instead focusing on the main story line because Mass Effect 2 is fast approaching. Storyline certainly picks up the pace when not messing around with other missions. Good stuff. 8/10

Pickled Partridge (Badger)

Name: Pickled Partridge
Label: "Perfectly plump - With roasted malt character and a noticeably hoppy, slightly spicy linger"
Brewery: Badger
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: Woohoo - a new beer, and seasonal as well!

Game: Back on Need for Speed Shift. Sticking with it because of the slight suspicion that Forza 3 is a bit over-rated and that any racing needs are catered for right here with Shift.  Reached Tier 4 now and the cars are stupidly fast, and as such, staying on the tarmac now seems an impossible task. Practice, practice, practice....