Blind Squirrels of Radio

The early news on KSTP AM1500's plans replace Dave Thompson and Bob Davis is not promising:

KSTP Radio, having booted two of its talk show hosts in the past week, is filling four hours every weekday with a duo from Madison, Wis., the AM station announced this morning.

Shawn Prebil and Chris Murphy debut today at 9 a.m., leaving behind their gig at WTDY (AM 1670).

In a news release, KSTP station director Todd Fisher said the two "will bring a dose of skeptical humor and subtle sarcasm to the Twin Cities' airwaves."

Skeptical humor and subtle sarcasm on the radio? Groundbreaking stuff there. Why, all the Twin Cities airwaves offer today is earnest humor and obtuse sarcasm. This is a most welcome change.

"While tackling even the most serious of topics, they are sure to hit a laugh in there somewhere."

Whoa, be careful not to over promise there. Are you really sure you want to guarantee that if we listen to a four hour broadcast there will be "a laugh in there somewhere"? Maybe that could be a promo to introduce the show: Find the laugh in today's Prebil and Murphy Show and win a pair of Twins tickets. Something tells me the pair's "hitting a laugh" will be about as common as Nick Punto hitting a home run.

UPDATE-- Just in case you were thinking I was being a bit premature in my judgement, we now learn a little more about KSTP's new dynamic duo from the Strib's revised story:

KSTP Radio (AM 1500), having booted two of its politically conservative talk show hosts in the past week, is filling four hours every weekday with a left-leaning duo from Madison, Wis.

A left-leaning duo from Madison? What are the odds?

When Prebil joined WTDY in 2003, he was described as the station's "newest voice of progress" by a 40,000-member labor union in southern Wisconsin. In a recent blog, he wrote: "What I love about the current political climate is Democrats are finally willing to stand up to fools like Sean Hennity [sic]."

Murphy, on his MySpace page, scolds Republicans for being too critical of President Obama: "To my elephant friends. You had your shot, your deregulation got us in this mess, you lost power, deal with it by working together with Democrats to fix it."

Four hours a day of skeptical humor and subtle sarcasm with an occasional laugh, all from a left-wing political perspective? Why am I suddenly longing for the days of Willie Clark talking about moving his cat?

We're Little Black Sheep Who Have Gone Astray

Steve from Grand Forks e-mails on "Riptide":

Loved your post on "Riptide," you magnificent bastard yourself. Made me laugh. great line.

I never watched one minute of that show, I don't think.......But I am a Cannell fan, more or less... all he had to do was Rockford for me.....

You are conspicuous, however, in your failure to mention the ambiguously gay trio vibe of the Riptide guys. . . . .. hmmm, strange, that failure.....

Steve's ignorance of the glories of "Riptide" is evidenced by his audacious claim to be picking up a "gay vibe" from the cast. Had he been more familiar with the show, he would known that when the two main characters weren't cracking cases, they were banging tourist boat waitresses two at a time. And while Boz may have been the shy nerdy type, I'm sure he had know problem picking his way through the leftovers.

Speaking of the glories of Stephen J. Cannell, looking through the impressive list of shows that he created I can find several classics from my youth:

* 21 Jump Street

* Adam-12

* Baa Baa Black Sheep (at the time it aired, my favorite show)

* Baretta

* Hardcastle and McCormick (another one that I had forgotten about--great theme song)

* Hunter

* Quincy, M.E. (another guy living on a boat, solving crimes, and having his way with the ladies--many half his age!)

* Riptide

* The A-Team

* The Rockford Files

* Wiseguy

If you think about the countless hours of entertainment delivered by those shows, you realize that those of us who grew up durng that time owe Mr. Cannell a debt of gratitude. Thank you.

UPDATE: Steve e-mails with a rebuttal:

so you're saying the Riptide boys were really deep in the closet.....it's called ACTING.

your coverup of it all is, well, of a vibe of its own....

one way to stop the vibe would be to hype the Beavers a lot more.....I've been arguing we haven't even done enough of it....

Although it did lead one local TV anchor to get racy: "Even those who aren't (B)eaver fans are hoping for a happy ending," he said.

There's really no such thing as too much Beaver talk is there? Since today's semi between Miami and Bemidji State starts in just a few hours, you should consider Fraters Libertas as your home for prime Beaver conversation.

UPDATE II-- Andrew e-mails with more on Cannell's creations:

Boy, your Grand Forks guy is *WAY* off; any producer who creates shows that featured the greatest fighter aircraft in the history of the Second World War (the F4U Corsair, if just for the cool look and waaaay overpowered engine); an opening line like "Welcome to the world of forensic medicine!" and pulling back a sheet, only to have a student pass out; George Peppard gleefully chomping on stogies while Mr. T. pitied fools and fired various automatic weapons...no, no, there could be *no* underlying homoeroticism in any of Mr. Cannell's shows.

If anything, he helped remind us that it was okay NOT to be a Jimmy Carter/Phil Donahue-esque weenie, and for that, I thank him.

Obama Administration Idea Resembles Dystopian Science Fiction Movie

Barack Obama's science advisor's idea to combat the threat of global warming:

John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geoengineering the climate is being discussed. One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort.

Some future president's science advisor's idea to combat the threat of global machine tyranny. From The Matrix:

What is known is that it was the humans who "scorched the sky", blocking out the sun's rays, in an attempt at machine genocide -- since the machines needed solar power to survive. In response and retaliation the machines subdued the humans and made them into sources of energy -- batteries, in effect. Each human now floats in his or her own personal vat, a warm and womblike environment, while the machines feed in essential nutrients, in exchange for the energy they need.

Why do I get the feeling that this outcome wouldn't be all together awful as far the current Administration is concerned? It's the ultimate in nanny statism! And think of the health care savings.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Yesterday, during an e-mail exchange JB Doubtless pulled a classic Eighties television show from the clear blue and hit us with a reference to Riptide:

The series featured Cody Allen (Perry King) and Nick Ryder (Joe Penny), two former army buddies who decided to open the Pier 56 Detective Agency (later known as the Riptide Detective Agency) in Los Angeles. However, realizing that computers and technology play a major role in many investigations, the guys recruited the help of Murray 'Boz' Bozinsky (Thom Bray), a brilliant but socially inept scientist and computer hacker whom the guys had met while serving in the military. Riptide was created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell, and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. The main theme was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.

The team operated out of Cody's boat, the Riptide, which was moored at Pier 56 in King Harbor, California. The guys had several other tools in their fight against crime and injustice. These included Murray's robot (The Roboz--which, unlike most television robots, did not talk), Nick's aging Sikorsky S-58T The Screaming Mimi[1] helicopter (which Nick occasionally used for his sideline business, aerial harbor tours), and Cody's speedboat, the Ebb Tide. (Nick also had a classic red Chevrolet Corvette and Cody had a "Woody" station wagon.)

I literally haven't thought about this show for close to twenty-five years, but when JB mentioned it the memories came flooding back. The two cool guys living on a boat in California solving crimes and chasing chicks. The nerdy side-kick. The pink helicopter. And the robot, yes the frickin' robot. How could that formula not succeed? Stephen J Cannell, you magnificent bastard! I watched your shows!

Feeding Frenzy

As the government prepares to dump billions of "stimulus" chum into the economy, the tech sharks are beginning to circle the water (WSJ sub req):

With the recession forcing corporations and institutions to cancel projects, technology suppliers are eyeing the economic-stimulus package as an elixir to keep revenue flowing. It earmarks more than $100 billion that could be spent on information technology, according to research company IDC.

The stimulus legislation doesn't provide checks directly to tech companies. Instead, it will parcel money out to needy health-care providers, school districts, governments and rural phone companies, among others. It is too soon to tell whether providing a grant-writer will produce a bonanza for any institution, but that hasn't stopped Cisco, Microsoft Corp., or Oracle Corp. from offering advice that could help customers land stimulus grants.

Might neighborly of them, isn't it? Offering advice to help customers out like that. Big business and big government working together to make things better for all of us.

What's About Bob?

At True North, Brad Carlson passes on the very sad news that Bob Davis Is Gone At AM1500:

Contents of an e-mail I received from AM 1500 KSTP:

Bob Davis is no longer with AM1500 KSTP. His last show was today, April 7.

Bob's contributions over the last eight years are appreciated and we wish him well. His effervescent demeanor, his always-ready belly laugh and his iconic head of hair leave a lasting impression on all who meet him.

Starting Thursday morning at 9am, we will have a brand new radio program for the Twin Cities. I could tell you their names (yes, a two-person show), but you have not heard of them. They are new to Twin Cities radio, but not new to upper Midwest radio and both guys have personal ties to the Twin Cities metro.

Sounds like Willie Clark times two. KSTP has now canned Dave Thompson (who is reportedly now in the running for MN GOP Chair) and Bob Davis within a week. Two of the few hosts on the station that I could listen to for more than five minutes with being bored or annoyed.

Who's On The Beat?

Interesting story in today's WSJ on what the decline of newspapers means for sportswriters (particularly baseball writers) and the teams they cover. It includes this classic picture of the Yankee Stadium press box in 1962.

The problem for those who make their living scribbling about sports is obvious:

For some papers looking to eliminate redundancies and cut costs, baseball, with its 162-game regular season, is low-hanging fruit. Tom Jolly, sports editor of the New York Times, says it costs the Times about $6,500 a month during the regular season to have a reporter follow the team on the road. Adding spring training and a trip to the playoffs, one baseball reporter costs the paper more than $50,000 per season on top of his or her salary.

Beginning this season, the Washington Post will rely on the Baltimore Sun to cover the Orioles, while the Sun will leave its Nationals coverage to the Post, part of a broader content-sharing deal being replicated at papers around the country. The Hartford Courant quit sending a reporter on the road with the Red Sox, and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette has cut its Red Sox road presence to between 35-40 games from 70 last year. And the New York Times now sends only one person on certain road trips that in the past would have called for two, Mr. Jolly said.

You won't find me shedding many tears if newspapers pare back the coverage they get from both beat and feature sports reporters. Over the years, far too many sports writers have become spoiled, coddled, and over-indulged. They've become far more interested in the sound of their own voice or the supposed importance of their written word than they are in simply performing their job. Which essentially is to tell me what happened in the game. Instead we've been forced to wade through piles of sanctimonious politicizing, self-aggrandizing philosophizing, and endless nostalgic waxing to try to figure out who won and who lost and why.

More concerning is how teams and fans will connect without the conduit of the daily newspaper:

Some teams and organizations say the decrease in newspaper coverage may hamper their ability to promote themselves. Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, wrote recently on his blog that to let newspapers die is a "recipe for disaster" for professional sports leagues because newspapers, however weakened, remain the leagues' best and only link to a mass audience. He said he has spoken to other sports executives about creating a league-backed "beat writer cooperative" to guarantee a minimum number of daily stories on each local team.

In Detroit, where the city's two largest newspapers recently cut home delivery to three days a week, research conducted by the local professional hockey team, the Red Wings, shows 65% of season-ticket holders get their Red Wings coverage from the printed newspaper.

We cancelled our subscription to the Minneapolis Star Tribune almost five years ago. And while I have never regretted the decision or seriously considered "taking" the paper again, the one thing that I have missed the most is the daily sports coverage. For football, it hasn't made much difference. When you're playing one game a week, it's pretty easy to keep up with the team with radio, television, and internet coverage. But for hockey, not having local coverage from the paper has had a noticeable impact in my ability to follow the Wild.

For baseball, it's even worse. When your team is playing 162 games over the course of a season and is in action most days of the week, the daily paper has always been the way that fans kept up with their local nine. The box scores, the standings, the league leaders, that day's pitching matchups, etc. There has always been something comforting about opening up the morning paper and reconnecting with the baseball world. Yes, you can get everything you do in the paper on the internet, but it's not the same.

As newspaper shrink or fold up entirely, it will be a challenge for teams to figure out news ways to keep that connection alive.

Profound Gratitude For a Grace Received

Been trying to catch up on my reading and have finally gotten around the cracking open the April edition of First Things. It's a memorial issue dedicated to Father Richard John Neuhaus, the magazine's founder who passed away in January. Reading the various tributes to Father Neuhaus, one is struck once again by just how wide-ranging and deep his influence on religion and public life truly was and just how much his presence in the public square will be missed.

The issue also contains a previously unpublished essay from Neuhaus called The One True Church:

Before we can get anywhere with this discussion, two stipulations must be firmly in place. The first is that we are not engaged in a rivalry between our side and some other side. Some years ago, when William F. Buckley heard that a prominent Protestant had entered into full communion with the Catholic Church, he exclaimed: "This is great news. It's like the Yankees stealing the star pitcher from the Red Sox." That is an understandable tribal response, but it takes us back to the squabbling of boys on the playground. Questions of great theological moment are at stake. In these matters, Catholic and non-Catholic alike should have as their one concern the question of what Christ intended, and still intends, for his one Church--it being understood by all that, in the deepest meaning of the term, there can finally be only one Church, since the Church is the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the head, and there is only one Christ.

Tribalism has no place in this discussion. As John Paul II reminded Catholics in his 1990 encyclical Redemptoris Missio, being a Catholic is not reason for proprietorial pride but for profound gratitude for a grace received, all undeserved on our part. Moreover, a Catholic who does not earnestly want to recognize and rejoice in the gifts of grace to be found in other Christian communities will almost certainly be more hindrance than help in this discussion.

The second and related stipulation is that we are not comparing an ideal depiction of the state of Catholicism with less flattering depictions of other communities--or vice versa. It is not a matter of what we like or dislike in this community or that. I have decided views on certain Orthodox and Protestant virtues that Catholics might well emulate. As Malloy writes, in reflecting on the uniqueness of the Catholic Church "one can affirm both the essential fullness of the ecclesial reality of the Catholic Church and the concrete poverty and woundedness of her lived life, together with her practical need of the expressive ecclesial riches found outside her visible boundaries." Not only can one affirm both, one must affirm both.

As we begin the most holy of all weeks on the Christian calendar, these wise words from Father Neuhaus are more timely than ever.

They also lay a nice foundation for next week's Argument of the Month forum:

David Deavel (associate editor of Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture and a contributing editor for Gilbert Magazine) challenges Michael J. Matt (Catholic author, editor of The Remnant Newspaper, and fierce opponent of anti-Catholicism) on Ecumenism, the religious dialogue between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians! Can there be hope of reunion among Christians? Who should accept what beliefs or is "watering down" theology and morality the right answer? Join us and find out!

April 14, 2009 6:30pm-8:30pm St. Augustine's Catholic Church South St. Paul

If the prospect of a lively discussion of ecumenism isn't enough to tempt you, perhaps the food fare for the evening is:

All AOTM Forums are served buffet style. It is all you can eat and drink.

The AOTM "Coronary Kitchen" will be serving up their Annual Pig Roast! The men attending will have their choice between traditional Southern BBQ and Cuban style--but only after eating some mouth-watering Louisiana Buffalo Wings for an appetizer.

While not being overly spicy, jalapeño honey glazed corn bread will also be served. And one can never forget the elegant and delicious Peach Pie and Ice Cream at evening's end.

For Just $12 at the door (The total cost for the night) you will get great appetizers, beverages, and hear a challenging debate while you enjoy a fabulous "Manly Meal." Men of all creeds and ages are welcome to join in the good humor, food and fellowship. Priests and seminarians get in free, but will not be shown partiality in debate. Fathers are encouraged to bring their sons.

All that for twelve bones? You'd be hard pressed to find a better or more fulfilling (in many respects) deal than that.

Day of Valor

Happy Araw ng Kagitingan! Okay, technically it's April 9th, but since the Philippines are celebrating it as a holiday today so are we.

SP OBSERVES: Separated at birth, Filipino national holidays and the call of Chtulu:

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh C'thulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Northern Alliance Radio Network

Join us beginning at 11AM today for another episode of the Northern Alliance Radio Network.

John Hinderaker and I will kick things off at 11AM. Jam pakced show today, in addition to our normal carnival of witty, urbane dialog and opining, we have two special guests scheduled.

First, the return of Rep. Michele Bachmann. Can we dumb things down enough so that the partisan press doesn't have an opportunity to misunderstand, misrepresent, and misreport? Should we even try? Find out at noon.

Also, tentatilvey scheduled to appear, Clark Griffith. Former MN Twins and Major League Baseball executive, and current commission of the independent Northern League. Talkin' baseball with one of the great baseball men in Minnesota.

It all starts at 11AM Central locally on AM1280 the Patriot. Streaming LIVE worldwide at the web site. Following us, as always, at 1 PM, Mitch Berg and Capt. Ed Morrissey, then at 3PM, the dismal yet jolly scientist himself, King Banaian. Don't you dare miss it.

UPDATE: Details on Rep. Bachmann's upcoming town hall discussion on cap and trade here.

UPDATE: An essay by Clark Griffith, Baseball's Timeless Appeal

Still More McCollum

Thanks to Mitch Berg and the First Ringer for their support of my Congressperson Ridicule Parity Initiative. It is clear that my fellow bloggers have a fever for curious comments by our local Representatives and the only cure is more Betty McCollum. Their wish is my command.

Once again, all of these statements are available to mainstream media members wishing to apply the Bachmann treatment of context stripping and out of proportion blowing.

Following on the last episode's pattern of absurdly grandiose plans and irresponsible treatment of tax dollars, we get more from McCollum on what she thinks should be a PRIORITY in spending of our money.

It is the power of women and their work that must be made a priority of the United States in not only in speeches and congressional resolutions, but our policies and the dollars we put behind those policies.

Not something that would be nice in a perfect world. Not something to get to if and when all the Constitutionally mandated responsibilities are adequately addressed. Not something to do only after we get our economic heads above water again, or even when we manage to plug the deluge surging into our lower decks. No, the power of women and their work across the world gets put to the front of the line.

Until our sisters around the world are made a priority, our foreign policy goals of fighting poverty, disease, and hunger, and promoting democracy, economic opportunity, and human rights will not be achieved. Maximizing the enormous potential of women and girls to transform societies and economies will, I hope, become a top priority for the Obama Administration.

Our prospects for success in saving the world are dependent on achieving a feminist utopia. And you thought merely fighting poverty, disease, and hunger, promoting democracy, economic opportunity and human rights across the globe was going to be easy!

The President also recognizes that as the world's superpower we also need to be a "super partner" and I will work to support his agenda of expanded engagement and his efforts to increase the foreign assistance budget.

Note, this speech was made on March 10, when all of our government leaders were painfully aware of the economic crisis we face. And she continues to write out more blank checks for this utopian agenda.

In case you thought the responsibilities of being a "super partner" might still be reasonable, abandon all hope by reading these details:

So what should be done? How about a long-term strategy, a generational strategy? Let us focus on girls from birth to 20 years and women between 20 to 40 years old. Let's dedicate a continuum of investments which can yield success for individuals, families, communities, and entire countries.

Let us start with investments in successful birth outcomes for moms and newborns and keep going by focusing on nutrition, water and sanitation, education, and delayed childbearing.

As girls transition to adulthood there must be an economic foundation for them to use their education, earn income, and stay healthy and productive -- an adult continuum.

To unleash the full potential and power women have to contribute greater efforts are needed to promote violence free homes, to expand access to reproductive healthcare, and to increase participation in political decision making.

To summarize, she's pledging our tax dollars to yield success for entire countries by feeding, watering, cleaning up after, educating and providing condoms and abortion services to women from birth to age 40 across the globe. Oh yeah, and provide violence free homes, don't forget that. Not bad for a day's work. But her neglect of the needs of women for premium cable TV packages and a decent manicure tells me there is still room for something in next year's budget increase proposal.

Amid the cash register ringing, note her emphasis on "delayed childbearing" and "reproductive healthcare." I suppose the inclusion of these items in an economic and foreign aid bill isn't surprising for a liberal feminist. They are virtual sacraments for them. In fact, she might be willing to compromise on the feeding and health care stuff, as long as those other important items gets funded.

Her record on the life issues is clear. Unyielding, unwavering, unrepentant support for the contrary positions. A short summary from the non-partisan web site, On the Issues:

Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.

Voted YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research.

Voted NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions.

Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime.

Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life.

Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research.

Voted NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info.

Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad.

Recommended by EMILY's List of pro-choice women.

Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record.

Starting to see a pattern here?

Betty McCollum is also a Catholic. I don't know to what extent she practices the Faith and I don't care. She may be ardent and practicing. She may be ardent and practicing in the Nancy Pelosi sense. Either way, she has a right to privacy in her exercise of her personal religious beliefs.

The problem, fellow citizens, is that she doesn't keep her faith private or separate from her public responsibilities. She wraps herself in Catholicism when convenient, and advertises it for the purpose of furthering her political career. For example, this "Statement of Principles" she signed on to, which begins:

As Catholic Democrats in Congress, we are proud to be part of the living Catholic tradition ...

Apologies to Archbishop Nienstedt and his now sodden computer screen if he happened to be drinking a cup of coffee while reading this.

Another example, her promotion of attending Mass and Catholic shrines on her official Web site.

McCollum will also attend Palm Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Final example, this jaw-dropping statement released during the Pope's visit last summer:

McCollum expressed hope that Pope Benedict would speak out about his moral
opposition to capital punishment in meetings with high-level U.S. officials and during public appearances around the country. "The Supreme Court's decision
today was painful for those of us who believe the death penalty is immoral. No one can respond with greater moral authority or spiritual wisdom on this subject than His Holiness."

To be clear, that would be this subject and this subject ONLY. On embryonic stem cells, abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, artificial contraception, etc. please ignore the man beneath the white mitre.

They hypocrisy evident in using the Pope's moral authority in support of one of her pet causes while stridently rejecting his views on a multitude of others is astounding. The positions are irreconcilable. If the press is paying attention to anything this woman says, and believes they have a responsibility to hold our public officials accountable for their logical and policy related inconsistencies, this issue should play some role in press conferences, media interviews, and debates.

Speaking of accountability, St. Paul, and the rest of her district, is full of Catholics. She couldn't be elected without their support. Yet she gets huge majorities all the while making a mockery of Church beliefs on these issues. How does this happen? Archbishop Chaput of Denver recently addressed this, with regard to Obama's election:

"Some Catholics in both political parties are deeply troubled by these issues. But too many Catholics just don't really care. That's the truth of it. If they cared, our political environment would be different. If 65 million Catholics really cared about their faith and cared about what it teaches, neither political party could ignore what we believe about justice for the poor, or the homeless, or immigrants, or the unborn child. If 65 million American Catholics really understood their faith, we wouldn't need to waste each other's time arguing about whether the legalized killing of an unborn child is somehow 'balanced out' or excused by three other good social policies."

The point being, if politicians like Betty McCollum knew there would be electoral consequences for such lockstep adherence to anti-Catholic policies, most probably wouldn't bother with it. They value their cushy jobs and power even more than advancing their vision of world wide "delayed child bearing" and "reproductive health". And even if they didn't and still wanted to push it, a Catholic electorate which cared would never allow them access to power in the first place.

Those reviewing McCollum's margins of victory may despair that it's too late now to do anything. But Chaput provides some additional words of wisdom:

After listing the ways to be a more faithful Catholic in the public life, the archbishop reminded his audience that even if they haven't adhered to the Church's teachings in the past, "every breath we take is an opportunity for conversion and a new beginning."

And:

"Catholics in America, at least the many good Catholics who yearn to live their faith honestly and deeply, can easily feel tempted to hopelessness," he concluded. "It becomes very burdensome to watch so many persons who call themselves Catholic compromise their faith and submit their hearts and consciences to the Caesars of our day."

But Archbishop Chaput closed by encouraging Christians to remember the words of Jesus:

"In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Beer Of The Week (Vol II)

Week Two in the recently expanded beer tasting series. Once again, today's post is made possible by the fine folks at Glen Lake Wine and Spirits. That establishment has generously agreed to provide beer for weekly reviews and every brew featured here is available at Glen Lake Wine and Spirits. These reviews will be an expansion of the beer rating that I've been doing for years and will be more in-depth look at particular beers using the same rating criteria. And in addition to the just the beer itself, I'll be examining the whole aesthetic package; the bottle, the label, the name.

This week there are actually two beers under the spotlight, both produced by Samuel Smith Brewery in Yorkshire, England. Even though they are fairly widely available, I haven't had a chance to try any of Samuel Smith's products in some years. Now, I realize just what I was missing out on.


Let's start with their Nut Brown Ale:

Often called "mild" if it is on draft, brown ale is a walnut-colored specialty of the North of England. A festive-occasion beer, brown ale is one of the oldest English brewing styles, mentioned in literature in the 16th century. Beers brewed at the old brewery have a round, nutty flavor because of the Yorkshire square system of fermentation.

Quite a few American craft breweries produce some version of Nut Brown Ale and its a variety of beer that I enjoy. Samuel Smith's offering rises to the head of the class. It comes in a classic brown bottle with a golden foil wrapped cap. The label has a traditional olde English look fitting for a brewery founded in 1758.

COLOR (0-2): Dark, rustic brown. 2

AROMA (0-2): Pleasant if a bit light. 1

HEAD (0-2): Ample, rich, and foamy. 2

TASTE (0-5): This beer packs a mouthful of flavor. Nice balance of malty, hoppy, nutty taste. Has some bite too, but in a good way. 4

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Smooth, strong finish. 2

OVERALL (0-6): An excellent brown ale. 5

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16


Next, we move on to the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout:

Originally a drink for lactating mothers, oatmeal stout was described as nutritional on early labels. Oats are in the same family as barley, and a small addition yields great flavor. Popular in the late 1800’s, the last oatmeal stout was brewed before the First World War until Samuel Smith reintroduced this style in 1980.

Tastes good and it's good for you. You don't see a lot of Oatmeal Stouts out there. Summit produces an excellent one that's only available from the tap. It's a bit difficult to compare a beer straight from the tap with one from a bottle and I don't know how Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout would fare against Summit one on one. I do know that it would be tough to choose one over the other.

COLOR (0-2): Silky black. 2

AROMA (0-2): As with the Nut Brown Ale, good but a little faint. 1

HEAD (0-2): Creamy and opulent. 2

TASTE (0-5): The beer has a thick yet smooth hearty flavor. It's hefty yet very drinkable. 4

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Nice follow through. 2

OVERALL (0-6): Another top notch beer. 5

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16

After tasting these two beauts, I regret not having discovered them sooner. And I look forward to exploring more of the Samuel Smith offering.

Next week: Another double header with New Belgium Brewing's Trippel Belgian Style Ale and Kingfisher Premium Lager Beer.