Branding Myself

Thankfully not with a cattle prod

This was done for an assignment in Advertising.  Thought I would share this with you.  Let me know what you think about it and if it represents me.  Is there something I am missing?  Or is there something in this that I am not?

cenquist - my brand on Prezi

Modern Publishing

The sitcom

For a Creative Writing class presentation Jared Falk and I decided to throw together a quick film skit to help us explain the publishing world.  I wrote the script one night in a beer infused state.  Thankfully Jared looked it over sober.

A few things were improv'd on set.  Thanks to Brett Enquist and Travis Linski for the bit of help on set.

Writer : Colin Enquist
Actors : Colin Enquist, Jared Falk.

Pub Chat: Episode 22 - Half Pints Isolator

And our favourite beers

Adrian and I are joined by Kevin , my adopted twitter brother, and by the Half Pints Brewing Co. doppelbock we just picked up that morning.  Beer talk was the entire podcast as we discussed our favourite beers, rare-one off seasonals we wish we could have more of, and our go-to beers at local pubs.

Download here . Or subscribe in iTunes here .

Old Jackalope

A winter beer for a summer day?

Beer : Old Jackalope

Brewery : Tenaya Creek Brewery

Brewed In : Nevada, United States

Style : Barleywine

ABV : 10.4%

Price : Kevin brought this back from a trip out West

Notes : Available around the winter months

Story : This beer was consumed on a really hot summer day – really hot day.  So the conditions of drinking this were probably not ideal, but Kevin and I still gave it a shot in the heat.

Appearance : The beer poured out a reddish oak colour with a thick cream coloured head.

Smell : Old Jackalope has a strong oak scent followed with a noticeable tinge of alcohol and malt.

Taste : The nose matched up well with what was hitting my taste buds.  This beer has a ton of flavour with oak, malts, dark fruits, and a slight amount of alcohol that is noticeable.  It warmed quickly in the sun and the dark fruits and alcohol became a more pronounced flavour.

Mouthfeel : Considering we switched from a very light summer beer to this my take on the body may be off.  Old Jackalope probably has a medium body but it felt very full bodied due to our inept ability to drink the right beers in the right conditions that day.

Drinkability : This beer was very tasty, albeit not conducive to +25 weather outside – definitely a winter beer.  I would like to check out more beers by this brewery.

Pub Chat: Episode 21 - Pualaner Hefeweizen & Maisel's Weisse Dunkel

Two German beers paired with a German film

Adrian and I park our asses on the couch to discuss the Wachoskis/Tykwer's new film Cloud Atlas.  We actually have a really good long discussion about it.  While discussing the film we drink two wheat beers - Paulaner Hefeweizen and Maisel's Weisse Dunkel.  You can listen to the first half without us spoiling the film.  We warn you when the spoilers happen.

Download here . Or subscribe in iTunes here .

Andrew Ladd And Mike Richards Play Street Hockey

On the rooftops of downtown Winnipeg

Fans wearing Ladd and Richards jerseys.

With the NHL in the middle of a lockout, some of the players are not playing hockey overseas, so they must be bored.  So how does an NHL player locked out keep busy…?

How about organizing a rooftop street hockey game?

That is exactly what Winnipeg Jets Andrew Ladd and Los Angeles Kings Mike Richards did.  Both showed up 15 minutes before the 4:00 o’clock puck drop (technically ball).  The game was organized through social media.

The street hockey game took place on the rooftops of the Forks parking garage.  Winnipeg was the backdrop for this street hockey game on a gorgeous afternoon that saw about 150 people out to watch the game, or join in.

Cabbie on the Street was the referee for the game.  Team Ladd vs. Team Richards – first to five goals wins.  Even Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz came out to join in.  Cabbie mispronounced his name but Winnipegers corrected him to a bunch of laughs.  Media was there as well.  I saw TSN, CBC, CTV and the Winnipeg Sun to cover the game.

Ladd and Richards chose teams from fans who came out with sticks and jerseys ready to play.  Jim Slater was also there to play a few shifts, as was Mark Stuart (but I didn’t get confirmation myself so this is me hearing it from other people).

Below are some photos of the game.

The rooftop where the game takes place.

Pre-game warm up before Ladd and Richards join in.

Cabbie lays down the rules.

Telling the media what's about to happen.

Who picks first?

Players waiting to be picked.

And the first pick in the draft is.... (that little guy)

Puck drop!

The little ones start the game.

Mayor Katz makes his play.

Present and future NHLer.

Big save!

Goalie after making the big save.

Team Richards up 3-2.

Jesse Pelletier puts that ball in the net to tie the game for Team Ladd!

Cabbie making sure everyone gets to play.

Even the Cadets.

Team Ladd winners circle after the game.

Team photos.

The view from the rooftop.

Barrel Full of Monkeys

You need to try this beer

Beer : Barrel Full of Monkeys

Brewery : Paddock Wood Brewing Co

Brewed In: Saskatchewan, Canada

Style : Russian Imperial Stout

ABV : 10%

Price : Not sure it was another gift from Stephen .

Notes : Limited release, beer advocate tells me its brewed once.

Story : I was lucky enough to get this bottle in that 6-pack from Stephen I mentioned when I reviewed their Maibock and was really looking forward to cracking this bottle

Appearance : The Barrel Full of Monkeys pours pitch black with a thick mocha head.  So dark!

Smell : Hints of molasses, booze (which smells like bourbon), dark fruits, and raisin.  It smells so good!

Taste : The booze bites and lingers but the tastes of dark fruits, molasses, milk chocolate, vanilla, and a bit of smokey wood notes are enough to combat the heat from the booze.  I detect a bit of hops in the finish, but not much, an adequate amount to give it a bitter bite.

Mouthfeel : Very thick and creamy, definite full body here.

Drinkability : Wow.  This beer is good.  I will buy this again, well for the first time technically.  You need to get yourself a bottle of this if you can find one.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

I don't think I've ever wanted a beer to be bottomless more than this beer

Beer : Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Brewery : Great Divide Brewing Company

Brewed In : Colorado, United States

Style : Imperial Stout

ABV : 9.5%

Price : $8.99

Notes : This blows my mind that it is brewed year round.

Story : Grabbed in Minneapolis based on the slick label and the fact it was an oak aged espresso stout. A beer has rarely spoken to me like this one has before I've tried it.

Appearance : Wow. The pour on this beer sure makes it look like a beer I want to drink, or chew because it's so thick. It's pitch black, even when held to the light there is not a shred of color. The head is light brown. This is my kind of beer.

Smell : Considering its a Espresso Stout it is no surprise you can smell the espresso, but the roasty chocolate is so dominant and the bit of the booze that bites the nose makes for a wonderful nose.  As it warms a bit of vanilla comes out making it even more complex.

Taste : Tons of flavours, espresso, coffee, chocolate, and nutty, with a hint of dark fruits in the finish. It has a dry finish as well.  As it warned I could verify the dark fruits as raisin. It became less bitter as it warmed too.

Mouthfeel : Definitely full bodied.

Drinkability : Wow. This is. Wow. So good. Can I just order two cases right now?

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

The first Japanese beer I've reviewed

Beer : Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Brewery : Kiuchi Brewery

Brewed In : Japan

Style : Imperial Stout

ABV : 7.5%

Price : unsure

Notes : Rotating availability

Story : Having never tried any craft beer from Japan, and hearing really good things about craft beer from Japan, I grabbed a bottle when I saw one.  This is the first craft beer I will try from Japan and my expectations are really high for this beer.

Appearance : Real dark, pitch black really, with a beige head.

Smell : Tons of espresso, chocolate, dark fruits, and molasses in the nose.  Something else I’m not sure, at first I thought it was black licorice, and then I thought it was smoke, but now I am not sure.  It is also slightly acidic.

Taste : Like the nose the Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout has tons of espresso, chocolate, and molasses.  There are also fig notes and a wine like sourness to this beer.  A little bitterness from the hops comes in during the finish.

Mouthfeel : This beer is full bodied with some carbonation, and it is a bit velvety.

Drinkability : For my first Japanese craft beer I was impressed.  Not the best espresso stout I have had but it was damn good.  Would consider buying more for sure if they ever became readily available to me.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Mmmm stout

Beer : Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Brewery : Stone Brewing Co

Brewed In : Los Angeles, USA

Style : Russian Imperial Stout

ABV : 10.5%

Price : unknown to me

Notes : Brewed for the spring

Story : I brought this bottle back from Minneapolis.  I am pretty sure George gave this to me.

Appearance : Stone Imperial Russian Stout pours a dark brown with a slightly light tan head.

Smell : The nose is prominently bitter chocolate with a bit of roasted coffee, toffee, and booze.

Taste : Following the nose, the strongest flavor was bitter chocolate and roasted coffee, but it had a hint of vanilla.  It was very smooth but the bitterness elevated in the finish, as did the warmth from the booze.

Mouthfeel : This was a full bodied stout with a long finish that left a bit of cloying.

Drinkability : I think its safe to say that this stout is working picking up.  But keep in mind this is a fairly bitter stout.

Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

My first oyster stout

Beer : Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Brewery : Flying Dog Brewery

Brewed In : Maryland, United States

Style : Oyster Stout

ABV : 5.5%

Price : not a clue

Notes : Brewed once but due to demand they are brewing year round.

Story : This beer is brewed with Rappahannock River Oysters.  I was drawn to it by the design on the bottle.  Once I saw it was an oyster stout it found its way into my cart no problem.  If you check out other Flying Dog beers they all have pretty nice labels.  It is suppose to pair with oysters, which I sadly did not have available.  Another time though!

Appearance : Pearl Necklace poured a dark black with a little bit of beige head.

Smell : The aroma was full of chocolate and a hint of figs.  I'd say more of a powdered chocolate aroma.

Taste : Like the aroma it the flavour was full of chocolate.  There was also some dark fruits - dates, figs, and plums - in the watery finish.

Mouthfeel : It was medium bodied and left a resinous feel in the mouth.

Drinkability : I would say this is a good stout, and one worth trying.  Definitely has me more interested in trying oyster stouts.

Happy Stout Day

My favourite day

So today is International Stout Day.  I will review (have reviewed) 5 stouts and they will be posted throughout the day!  Enjoy!

The Great Burger Hunt - Peasant Cookery

A simple burger

I have reviewed Peasant Cookery before, when Adrian , Natasha , and I did that joint blog post back in May . I have never reviewed, or had, the burger and found myself at Peasant Cookery for lunch with a few CreComm folks one day when I decided to order it.

Originally I was heading to Peasant Cookery for oysters, as Wednesday they are on special - $1/oyseter. Sadly the special starts after 5PM, so no oysters for me. I wasn’t too worried though as I have never had a bad meal at Peasant Cookery. It really didn’t take long for me to decide on the Peasant Burger, which I added bacon to it ($1.50).

Nolan joined me in eating the burger while Danielle and Clement tried the pastrami and Taylor the aged cheddar gnocci. We all ordered a beverage while we waited. They have Chimay Reserve, which I mentioned in my other post, so I was happily drinking a bottle of that.

The food came out relatively quickly, which was great since we didn’t have much time. It all looked fantastic – especially the pastrami. I didn’t snap a photo though so you will have to trust my judgment here, or ask Danielle and Clement.

The Peasant Burger is very simple, just a thick and juicy short rib, brisket, chuck patty with a bit of lettuce and the bacon I added on. The best part though – it is on a brioche bun. The patty and bun are incredibly flavourful and it is a solid burger but sometimes you need something a little more complex. It was missing something from being great, although I really thought the sweet bun went well with the burger.

Like I said in my other review . The fries are damn good.

Nolan, who also had the Peasant burger, said, “the patty was the star, which it should be, but it could have used a better supporting cast to truly impress.”

Of course I will return to Peasant Cookery for more eats, but I probably try the pastrami next time. It looked that good.

What I got : The Peasant Burger with fries - $10.49 (before tax)

Burger Taste : 3/5

Fries Taste : 4/5
Menu Selection : 4/5
Price Value : 3/5
Overall : 3.5/5

Kasteel Donker

A Belgian delight

Beer : Kasteel Donker
Brewery : Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Brewed In : Belgium
Style : Quadrupel
ABV : 11%
Price : Just over $4
Notes : available year-round


PHOTO BY BRETT ENQUIST

Story : The MLCC has been doing a great job as of late for bringing in new beers.  Lucky for us they've brought more Belgium beers I've wanted to try.  This one kind of surprised me, and I don't know why.

Appearance : I reviewed this beer in a dimly lit basement but the beer looked really dark brown, although when held to the light an amber colour spread from the bottom.  The head was a bit thin and mocha in colour.

Smell : The nose is mostly raisin, grape, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste : Big wham of molasses in this beer, along with toffee, and a bit of grape.  It was also sweet and sugary with a spicy finish.  This beer is really complex and packs a punch of flavour.

Mouthfeel : The body was high on the medium spectrum but it was a bit thinner than I expected.

Drinkability : I quite enjoyed this beer.  Probably one of the best new beers I've tasted in a while.  Halfway through the bottle I realized it was 11%.... I didn't know why I thought it was going to be lower.