John Sciacca Writes...

Features, Reviews and a Blog by John Sciacca
Random Thoughts (Blog)
Random Thoughts (Blog)
Random Thoughts (Blog)
Batorukyandiba! Battle, Kit Kat! Part 2!
Posted on November 5, 2016 at 9:25 PM |
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Previously our family did a Kit Kat battle with several Japanese flavoured bars sent courtesy of Chris Heinonen. (You can read that battle here.)
For those out of the candy loop and only familiar with the regular US wafer bar (along with the occasional White Chocolate version, the bastard of the candy bar world), it turn...
Read Full Post »11 Ultimate Dolby Atmos Demo Scenes
Posted on May 6, 2016 at 2:20 PM |
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I've been fortunate enough to watch nearly every Dolby Atmos encoded Blu-ray movie at this point, somehow tricking lucking my way on to the disc reviewer's list. Believe me, friends, there are few greater feelings than to come home and see a Fed-Ex envelope on your doorstep holding a new Blu-ray that isn't going to be released for several more days!
Recently someone at Dolby asked me to compile a list of my top...
Read Full Post »Three Pumpkin Ales Reviewed: Tricks or Treats?
Posted on November 21, 2013 at 1:30 PM |
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Like a cozy, hand-knit snowflake-design sweater, nothing heralds the coming of fall/winter like the arrival of the latest batch of pumpkin inspired things. And no true beer lover* can let fall pass them by without trying a few of the season’s latest pumpkin beer offerings, and this year I snatched up a trio of pumpkin infused brews to get into the pumpkin season and nutmeg seasoned and cinnamon season and, umm, other similarly spiced seasons.
Once, Twice, Three Times a Bastard
Posted on November 15, 2013 at 1:50 PM |
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It's not every day that I come home to find packages on my porch. It's even less likely that I come home to find packages of beer on my porch. And the rarest event of them all is when I discover not one but TWO packages of beer on my porch! It's like a solar AND lunar exclipse occuring simultaneously!
When I opened the boxes and saw that both beers were Bastard ales, I knew it was more than just serendipity, it was a sign; cl...
Read Full Post »The Hunt for RedHopToberfest: Three random beers
Posted on November 12, 2013 at 4:40 PM |
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I have a backlog of beers that I’ve drank. Beers that I’ve photographed. Beers I’ve reviewed. And beer reviews I’ve yet to post. I think there are like 30 of them. In an effort to clear the backlog, here are three beers I drank but neglected to post up. Why? Who can say. Let’s stop trying to figure this all out and just move on to the beers, shall we?
Great Divide Brewing Co - Fresh Hop Pale Ale
Read Full Post »Singling Out Trader Joes Beer Singles
Posted on October 30, 2013 at 2:10 PM |
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While not specifically mentioned by name, White People do love them some Trader Joe's. (Which is kind of just lumped under Whole Foods and Grocery Co-Ops as stuff white people like.)
White People also like Microbreweries. To whit:
"White people don’t like stuf...
Read Full Post »Raid Flying Dog's Secret Stash
Posted on October 25, 2013 at 9:10 AM |
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"Good people drink good beer." - Hunter S. Thompson
A wonderful little package arrived on my porch the other day. Carefully wrapped inside was a new release from the good folks at Flying Dog Brewery, with the note starting, "To those who spread the gospel of craft beer..."
As one of the true believers in the many wonders of craft beer, I drank Flying Dog's latest offering, and share my findin...
Read Full Post »Gravity: Sandra Bullock's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Posted on October 13, 2013 at 6:15 PM |
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“Oh, gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down.
Oh twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could.
It's wanting more
That's gonna send me to my knees.
Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me
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Stone Brewing Co - Suede: Smooth is as smooth does
Posted on October 10, 2013 at 6:05 PM |
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I get a lot of things in the mail – mainly packages with electronics to review – but nothing gets me more excited than seeing a small box with the “Stone Brewing Co.” return address. I mean, free frickin’ beer! It is literally the height of civilized awesome!
So, when I saw a package by the front door, I gingerly carried it to the kitchen, pulled out my “has a taste for blood” Leatherman and care...
Read Full Post »It's a Beerniversary! Let's Celebrate! (ie Drink!)
Posted on September 13, 2013 at 5:00 PM |
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It’s amazing to think that craft brewing has been around so long that breweries are celebrating seventeen, nineteen and even twenty year anniversaries! It’s important to give a tip o’ the cap nod of respect to Samuel Adams at this point, who in many ways began the modern craft beer movement. (I really have nothing to back that statement up, so I welcome any of your more knowledgeable beer historian types want to slap me back into reality...) Sam Adams was foun...
Read Full Post »Samuel Adams - 5 Summer SAMpler Ales
Posted on September 4, 2013 at 5:00 PM |
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Summer may be quickly drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop drinking summer inspired ales. As we ease into the warm, lazy days of fall, the humidity just starting to break and lessen its crushing grip on our dampened spirits, it’s the perfect time to pop open a brew meant for a nice relaxing sip by swimming pool while gently rocking with your best girl on a porch swing.
When I stumbled on this Summer S...
Read Full Post »Review: Kaleidescape Cinema One Movie Server
Posted on August 23, 2013 at 10:40 AM |
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Unless you run in crowds that discuss the merits of fractional jet ownership versus the full commitment of buying your own G5 whilst sipping drams of 30-year old single malt or complain over the outrageous charges levied for docking your mega yacht in Monaco, then you probably haven’t experienced a Kaleidescape system before outside the pages of a Robb Report.
In fact, you might be surprised that Kaleidescape has been in busi...
Read Full Post »Product Review: Escort Radar Passport 9500ix
Posted on August 22, 2013 at 10:15 AM |
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True story: I applied for my first credit card when I was 17 so I could buy a radar detector via mail order. My dad was staunchly against the purchase and would not let me use his card, so I intercepted a credit card application that came in the mail for him – we have the same name – and filled it out with my information. A few weeks later I had my card and my detector.
Years later, my life is surrounded by some of the coolest...
Read Full Post »Prepare for IPA Day Now! Five IPAs to enjoy!
Posted on July 31, 2013 at 12:45 AM |
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While practically every day is IPA Day in my home, tomorrow is the third annual actual IPA Day; a movement dedicated to celebrating the unquestioned awesome which is a fresh, hop-juice filled IPA. That sweet, sticky-icky resinous, pine-juice that engages your entire mouth in a taste sensation of liquid heaven.
Lagunitas - Browns, Caps, and WTF
Posted on July 18, 2013 at 4:25 PM |
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I have been accused, perhaps even fairly so, of being an IPA snob. Someone even told me that I should learn to appreciate other beers, that I need to broaden my horizons to embrace real beer, dark beer.
To these people I say, “Suck it!” I likes what I likes! And also, if by "snob" you mean I believe that other beers are inherently inferior to DIPAs for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed, then, ...
Read Full Post »Lagunitas - An IPA By Any Other Name
Posted on July 5, 2013 at 4:25 PM |
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I’ve been remiss in posting beer reviews with the vigor that I previously had. I fear that some of you might misinterpret this as the fact that I have cut back on my beer consumption, and I want to allay that fallacy right now with a quickness. I assure you; I am drinking just as much beer as ever. And am cataloging my reviews. It’s just the posting that I’ve become a little lax in. In fact, I have about 30 beers that have been opened, photographed, swilled an...
Read Full Post »Totally RuinedTen by Stone Brewing Co
Posted on June 20, 2013 at 10:20 AM |
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By this point, I’ve drank and reviewed close to 200 beers. Very few have been awful, many have been middle of the road, several have been good, a few have been great, and a couple have been truly epic.
But of all the beers I’ve had so far, only one can stand alone at the top of the awesomeness tast...
Read Full Post »Home Reviews of Home Brews
Posted on June 3, 2013 at 11:10 AM |
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As much as I enjoy enjoy drinking, writing and talking about beer, I actually have no interest in trying to make any for myself. It’s kind of like sausage. Huge fan, don’t want to know or be involved in any part of how it is made. (I’m sure it’s a totally non-gross process that wouldn’t involve bits and scraps and snouts or anuses at all...)
My first encounter with home brewing was none too impressive. My fr...
Read Full Post »Terrapin Beer Co - Three Tripping Turtles
Posted on May 20, 2013 at 6:50 PM |
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“See the TURTLE of enormous girth!
On his shell he holds the earth.
His thought is slow but always kind;
He holds us all within his mind.
On his back all vows are made;
He sees the truth but may’nt aid.
He loves the land and love the sea,
Read Full Post »Here Be Imperial Stouts of the Blackest Three
Posted on April 24, 2013 at 6:00 PM |
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It’s true, I’m not much into beers that don’t have I, P and A in the title. Well, that’s not totally true. I like to think that I’m open to a great beer in whatever style it comes. You got a great blueberry ale, I’m gonna try it. You got a good Boch, I’ll drink down those hearty and bready malts with the best of them. And I’m really starting to get into Belgian Triple and other styles.
Howev...
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