Festive beer, bike rides and a play

The next week long of advent beers:

Beer number 15: Young's Special London Ale - a subtle beer with lots of malt and light, floral hops.

Beer number 16: Brakspear's Triple III - strong (not sweet) malt aromas with fruity hop flavours and late bitterness

Beer number 17: Brew Dog 5 AM Red Ale - sweet malt and citrus hops; light chocolate with grapefruit bitterness to finish

Beer number 18: Red Duck White Garden - deliciously dry and refreshing sour rhubarb with a touch of raspberry

Beer number 19: Founder's Dirty Bastard - rich sweet malt with strong alcohol flavours

Beer number 20: The Little Brewing Company Mad Abbot Tripel - Sweet malt and Belgian yeast with strong alcohol flavour

Beer number 21: Brewcult Thanks Captain Obvious - strong, hoppy, resinous, bitter IPA

Once again, of the few things I did that weren't strictly beer-related, bike-riding around Umbagong District Park on a clear morning (before it turned into a very hot day) was a highlight. The hills are so dry, and with the heat and the strong winds combining to form perfect bushfire conditions, I urge everyone to stay safe out there.

Umbagong District Park

Cara Carissima came to the stage at The Courtyard Theatre, and we played to very respectable audiences, who seemed to enjoy Geoff Page's verse play about public servants and their relationships set in a coffee bar and performed in the round. It was a small cast of five, and we got on well both on-stage and off.

Backstage at Cara Carissima

Nikki's birthday cake