Thursday, 26 October 2017

Squires Connivance (Baytown)

Squires Connivance (Baytown)
Name: Squire's Connivance
Label: "Robin Hood's Bay - Porter"
Brewery: Baytown
ABV: 5.0%

Label notes: "Even in the 18th century, local gentry tried to avoid central government control. They worked hand in glove with Baytown's residents. Celebrate the local free spirit. Be Independent!"

Game: The big fella has arrived at GamingAle Towers. All 32cm (12.5 inches) of Eaglemoss's MEGA Alien Xenomorph.  Amazingly detailed and stunningly painted, this is a quality slavering slice of badassery.  The base includes Brett's cap and shedded Alien skin.

Rating: 9.5 / 10
MEGA Alien Xenomorph
MEGA Alien Xenomorph

Hobgoblin (Wychwood)

Hobgoblin (Wychwood)
Name: Hobgoblin
Label: "The Unofficial Beer of Halloween - Season of Mischief"
Brewery: Wychwood Brewery
ABV: 5.2%

Tasting notes: "Listen up, Hobgoblin is the Unofficial Beer of Halloween. No Hobgoblin, no Halloween, it's as simple as that. But I'm bored of all the tasteless paraphernalia that comes with this time of year so I'm asking you to help me smash for cash. Go to my website, choose your weapon & smash the hell out of my pumpkin parade, the best destroyer wins! www.wychwood.co.uk/smashforcash"

Game: So I played the above "Smash for Cash" game on the Hobgoblin website. It was rubbish. I even smashed for a spooky 666 times to see if that won me a prize, but no. Cool limited edition bottle label for Halloween though.

Game rating: 1 turnip out of 10
Bottle and beer rating: 9 pumpkins out of 10

Sunday, 15 October 2017

Circadian (Ringwood)

Circadian (Ringwood)
Name: Circadian
Label: "Every Day IPA - A hoppy & full flavoured session India Pale Ale"
Brewery: Ringwood Brewery
ABV: 4.5%

Tasting notes: "It's a refreshing 'All Day' IPA jam-packed with American hops producing pine-like aromas."

Game: Assassin's Creed Syndicate Big Ben Collector's Case here ladies and gentleman. Apparently this is exclusive and prestigious and is the "definitive collection for the ultimate fan". I happen to agree, it looks the bees knees - Jacob Frye init. Quite varied price-wise - look to pay around £80 - £200!

Rating 8/10


Assassins Creed Syndicate Big Ben Collectors Case

VIPA (Tatton Brewery)

VIPA (Tatton Brewery)
Name: VIPA
Label: "Real Cheshire Ale - Big bold British-hopped pale ale"
Brewery: Tatton Brewery
ABV: 6.3%

Tasting notes: "Our 5th anniversary brew is a strong pale ale, balancing exotic fruit character with a modern British hop aroma. Brewed with British and European malts, Cheshire honey, and hopped with Bramling Cross and UK Cascade"

Game: More Assassin's Creed figurines, this time we have Blackbeard The Legendary Pirate and Edward Kenway The Assassin Pirate. Both stand together to form a unique diorama. Both figures look pretty cool, Blackbeard being quite rare nowadays, expect to pay around £60 - £80. Kenway is still knocking about so expect to pay around £40 - £50.

Rating: 8/10
Blackbeard The Legendary Pirate and Edward Kenway The Assassin Pirate

Saturday, 14 October 2017

Cornish Mutiny (Wooden Hand Brewery)

Cornish Mutiny (Wooden Hand Brewery)
Name: Cornish Mutiny
Label: "Brewed and bottled in Truro Cornwall"
Brewery: Wooden Hand Brewery
ABV: 4.8%

Tasting notes: "This fine beer enjoys a dark rich colour with a distinctive 'hoppy' character and slightly 'biscuity flavour'"

Game: Telltale's Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 2 – The Pact now sits before our beady eye. This feels like a stop-gap episode, it's over quite quickly but contains some great fight sequences and interesting character development. Specifically between Harley and Bruce. I tried my best to get Bruce and Harley together to see how this would affect the Joker. It didn't pan out as planned but here's hoping that possible storyline can be weaved into the overall arc in later episodes.

Rating: 7/10

Pirates Gold (Wooden Hand Brewery)

Pirates Gold (Wooden Hand Brewery)
Name: Pirate's Gold
Label: "Brewed & bottled in Truro Cornwall"
Brewery: Wooden Hand Brewery
ABV: 4.0%

Tasting notes: "Easy drinking pale coloured ale, a tempting hop aroma with light fruit notes. Strong malt and hop flavours with a dry tangy fruit finish."

Game: Xbox Live Games with Gold time! This fortnights freebie is Gone Home. It's a walk-em-up. It's about a girl who comes home and the house is empty and her sister has left lots of diary entries around so you build up a story of what's happened. Nothing interesting has happened from what we could tell [maybe you just didn't get it? - Ed]. The game can also be completed in less than 1 minute. There's an achievement for it and everything.

Rating: 5 slow strolls out of 10

Press Gangs Arrival (Baytown)

Name: Press Gang's Arrival
Label: "Robin Hood's Bay - Pale Ale"
Brewery: Baytown
ABV: 3.8%

Label notes: "The Press Gang was a constant threat throughout the 18th century. Baytown's residents used subterfuge and brawn to thwart the Navy's recruitment process. Celebrate triumph over adversity. Be Resilient!"

Game: Still waiting for Assassin's Creed Origins, and it's still just under two weeks away until release!  So here's Arno from Assassin's Creed Unity Notre Dame Edition box set.

Rating: 8/10

Arno from Assassins Creed Unity Notre Dame Edition box set

Golden Bolt (Steam Box Brewery)

Golden Bolt (Steam Box Brewery)
Name: Golden Bolt
Label: "Beautifully Engineered in Wiltshire - A straw coloured hoppy bitter"
Brewery: Steam Box
ABV: 3.8%

Tasting notes: "Golden Bolt is a straw-coloured bitter with a tropical fruit nose and a light but satisfying hoppy aftertaste"

Game: Still waiting for Assassin's Creed Origins, but look what just arrived in our display cabinet!  This is Aya combined with the figurine of Bayek to form a unique Assassin’s Creed Origins diorama. We've not read much about them lest there be spoilers for the game. But again, more quality figurine goodness from Ubicollectibles!

Rating: 9/10

Aya combined with the figurine of Bayek

Cornish Buccaneer (Wooden Hand Brewery)

Cornish Buccaneer (Wooden Hand Brewery)Name: Cornish Buccaneer
Label: "Brewed & bottled in Truro Cornwall"
Brewery: Wooden Hand Brewery
ABV: 4.3%

Tasting notes: "A golden coloured quenching beer with great hop character. Full fruit in the mouth with good hop balance and a long dry finish."

Game: Assassin's Creed Origins is less than two weeks away! To go with this Cornish Buccaneer beer, here's Captain Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed Black Flag Buccaneer edition. Another classic figurine from Ubicollectibles. Currently a steal at only £19.99!

Rating: 9/10
Captain Edward Kenway

Snowdon (Great Orme Brewery)

Snowdon (Great Orme Brewery)
Name: Snowdon
Label: "Craft Lager"
Brewery: Great Orme
ABV: 4.7%

Tasting notes: "Flavoursome craft lager brewed with European noble hops and Snowdonia Water."

Game: Part two of yet another Eaglemoss Alien and Predator collection delivery! Issue 15: Red Xenomorph Figurine. We haven't read the comics so we'll hang our heads in shame whilst looking at this fabulously rendered nasty. And then go buy the comics!

Rating: 9/10

Issue 15 Red Xenomorph Figurine
Issue 15 Red Xenomorph Figurine