Beer of the Week

The beer: Maple Pale Ale

Brewed by: Out.Haus Ales, Northwood, New Hampshire

Description (from Untappd): "Single Malt Pale Ale brewed with Maple Syrup." (Not very exciting there.) 

Would I buy it again?: The maple part of this beer was what really intrigued me (and their tag line is top notch). I love maple syrup–flavored beer, and the prospect of a light pale ale flavored with maple syrup was something I couldn't resist. Unfortunately, this beer is a pale ale first, with the maple syrup finishing a very distant second. You can taste the maple, just barely, but otherwise this is a pretty standard pale ale. It's fine, but I'm a little disappointed. If they take another swing at it and add some more maple syrup, I'd definitely try it again. 

Now That James Webb Is Active, What's It Been Up To?

Obviously, the big space news this month is James Webb, and the numerous images it's sent back. You've probably seen that iconic first image, the deep field view of a tiny corner of the universe, peering back billions of years. But it's done more than that, and this is a good review of the telescope's first couple weeks of activity. I'm excited for what's to come: James Webb has imaged the TRAPPIST-1 system, well known for hosting multiple potentially habitable planets. The data's still being analyzed, but we'll know soon.

James Webb's iconic first image.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Frail English Dark Mild

Brewed by: Lua Brewing, Des Moines, Iowa

Description (From Tavour): "With its soothing notes of toasted biscuit, toffee, and baker’s chocolate, this brew will cozy right up to your taste buds. Intense nuttiness and just a touch of malty sweetness make this a beer you’ll want to get right up next to. And with its smooth body and sessionable ABV, you can cuddle with this easy sipping dreamboat all evening long!"

Would I buy it again?: Usually malty beers are reasonably sweet, but this one is decidedly not. Toasted biscuit isn't quite right, it feels like this beer has been roasted. I'm not sure it's an easy-sipper though, I didn't find myself drinking it very quickly. In a completely different way to the beer from last week, this is also a heavy light beer. It's closer to being light and easy to drink, but still not quite there. So again, I'd probably pass.

Review: Manchester Country Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Manchester Country Club, go here to see the front nine.

Up to this point, Manchester has been quiet and subdued, reminiscent of a Golden Age course. That changes on the back nine. Most of the back is up on a plateau, but to get there, the tenth has to traverse a wide marsh and pond, and it doesn't pull off the transition well. The hole is only 330 yards, so you don't need to use driver, but still, there is precious little room to maneuver on the tee shot. Even ignoring the forced pond carry, there's a smaller pond right of the fairway eating into the landing area and dense forest immediately left, and a large tree covers the section of fairway you'd ideally aim for. If you're fortunate enough to find the sliver of fairway, the second shot is a wedge over a cluster of bunkers to a large, undulating green. 

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

After a long climb up a hill, the eleventh hole is a fairly long par 4 winding through groups of pine trees. The fairway is quite undulating as it slowly descends, so you may not have a flat stance for the approach. The second is the real challenge here: It's a short or mid iron to a long, narrow green (actually a double green shared with the sixteenth) wedged between a pair of bunkers right and a steep dropoff into a close-cut chipping area left. It's no easy green to putt either.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh and sixteenth holes share a green.

The twelfth hole is the shortest hole at Manchester, playing just 150 yards. It's a classic short par 3, playing to a small, slightly elevated green guarded by several bunkers all around. There's not much room for error, but since the hole is short, it still plays well.

The twelfth hole.

The thirteenth hole is the longest hole at Manchester, playing 565 yards into and back out of a valley. The fairway looks pretty wide from the tee, but as it bends right, the fairway narrows considerably, squeezed between forest left and a hidden pond right at the bottom of the hill. That pond can catch out long drives, though it is at least partially obscured by trees right of the fairway. A 3 wood up to the edge of the valley may be the best play, followed by a lay up short of a second pond that narrows the fairway about 100 yards from the green. That will leave a fairly long third shot, and the green certainly isn't an inviting target either, but you can't really lay up any closer, since there's about 15 yards to work with in between the pond and the hillside right. Long hitters can go for it in two, but the green is small, tucked behind a bunker, and guarded by forest on two sides. That's not an easy task either. So there's really no good or simple options. Par is something you'll have to work for, which is not something you see very often with par 5s. This may actually be the toughest hole at Manchester.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

When you're building a golf course on terrain that isn't exactly suited for it, you have two options. You can either stick holes in odd, inappropriate places, completely ruining all flow of the routing, or you can do what the fourteenth hole does, and simply move a bunch of earth to make the hole work. Looking at this hole, you can instantly tell that nature did not make this fairway. The left side was lowered and the right was raised (a lot) to provide a fairly flat and quite narrow fairway, with a dramatic dropoff into forest waiting right. A good drive on this 425 yard hole will leave a shortish iron into a undulating green protected by three small bunkers right. It's not a bad hole, it just doesn't really look particularly natural.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a long par 4, the longest on the course at 445 yards. The tee shot is pretty straightforward, though there is a cluster of fairway bunkers right if you hit an especially long drive. You will need that solid drive to gain view of the green, which is very blind from the tee. The second shot is steeply downhill to a small green protected by a pair of bunkers short right, a single bunker left, and a steep falloff in front (almost a false front, but not quite). It is quite tricky chipping up to the green if you end up in the fairway just short.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a fairly long, slightly uphill par 3 playing to the second half of the double green it shares with the eleventh. Most uphill par 3s don't have a particularly dramatic view, but this is a notable exception, with the big mountain looming in the background. This is actually quite a tough tee shot, there are four bunkers around the green, which is really not that big all things considered. At the very least, the green itself is pretty flat, so the hole isn't quite as difficult as it looks from the tee.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole wins the award for "most mystifying tree on a golf hole." I get that it's big and old and it would have been a shame to cut it down, but it is so ridiculously in the way. If you hit a fade with your driver, it's not the biggest deal, but if that's something you struggle with, then good luck with the 20 yards of fairway you have to work with between the tree and the forest immediately left of the fairway. The only saving grace is that the seventeenth is a sub-500 yard par 5, so you don't necessarily need driver to get home in two. If you do find yourself in decent position, the second will be a long, slightly uphill shot to a semiblind green protected by five bunkers. I'm not sure it's a good hole, but it's got some charm and quirk to it, and I can appreciate that.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is also memorable, but not in the same way as the previous hole. From high atop the mountain, you hit down into a thin ribbon of fairway doglegging almost 90 degrees between marshland left and a pond right. The hole isn't very long at 410 yards, so thankfully you don't need driver, and I sincerely question anyone who does. You might as well just throw the golf ball into the marsh at that point. Providing you do hit the fairway, the second shot is at least a bit easier. The green is narrow, but it's nestled in a little bowl, so you do have some leeway, and there are no bunkers directly against the green.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

Manchester is really the story of two nines. As I mentioned earlier, the front nine is gentler and flows with the land better. If I hadn't known any better, I would have believed the front was designed by Donald Ross. It's solid in a quiet way; not spectacular, not especially memorable, but it works well. The back nine is more in your face, more modern, by virtue of the fact that it traverses more extreme terrain. Now, that does make for a more memorable experience, but that's not necessarily a good thing, since I think the golf itself is a step down from what the front offers. Also, the tenth and eighteenth are just bad golf holes. I would classify Manchester as a bit better than average, but if you're looking for a round in Manchester, Vermont, and can't get onto Ekwanok, I would prefer Equinox over this, just by virtue of Equinox's occasional madness. The seventeenth and its tree can't compare with the pit hole at Equinox.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Radiant Luxe

Brewed by: By All Means Brewing, Billings, Montana

Description (from the website): Radiant Luxe is an Imperial variant of our refreshing Witbier. Aged in Foeders, Peach Brandy, Orange Liqueur, and VSOP Cognac Barrels; this brew is packed full of refined flavors that carefully evolve over time.

Would I buy it again?: This is an interesting one. Witbiers are usually very light, easy drinkers, and I've never seen an imperial witbier before. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a barrel-aged beer, it's got a very different taste than what you might expect, and this reminded me more of a wine than a beer. As for buying this again, I'm kind of on the fence. On the one hand, it's very unique and the taste was good. I enjoyed drinking it. On the other, it's filling a niche that I wasn't really looking to be filled. It's a heavy light beer, if that makes sense. I would probably lean toward no then.

Review: Manchester Country Club (Part 1)

After playing Equinox in October 2020, I very much wanted to return to Manchester, Vermont in the future to play Ekwanok, its more famous and far better cousin, but I didn't see any way to get onto such a private golf course. In 2021, my brothers and I came back to Manchester to play a private country club. Unfortunately, it wasn't Ekwanok we would be playing, but Manchester Country Club, designed in the 1960s by Geoffrey Cornish, a very prolific designer who worked mostly in New England. His most famous design is the now-defunct International, notable for being the longest course in the United States; it measured over 8,000 yards when it opened in the late 50s. That's a lot, even by today's standards.

Manchester CC is not 8,000 yards, though at 6,800 yards from the back tees it isn't a pushover. It's a bit north of town, though still in the same valley as Equinox. That means the views of the surrounding mountains are roughly similar. Combine those mountain views with typical mid-October fall foliage, and we end up at a point where the golf is really not the main attraction. But it's still nice to have a good golf course, so let's find out if Manchester CC has one. 

The first hole is a classic gentle opening par 4. It's 360 yards and the undulating fairway plays gently uphill. It's not a wide hole, but there aren't any hazards in play save for a few trees. You can use driver, but it isn't really necessary, since a solid fairway wood will still leave just a wedge up to the green, which has bunkers left and right and slopes significantly from back to front. 

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is 535 yards, and the hole tumbles down the hill we just climbed on the first, the fairway threading between trees and a single fairway bunker, with O.B. lurking left. The fairway bunker is pretty easily cleared though, especially when the hole plays downwind. The green is quite tough to hit if you're going for it in two, with three bunkers scattered around, but since it's a fairly large green, if you've laid up, the wedge third is pretty simple.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a 370 yard par 4 that plays downhill to an undulating fairway. It's pretty wide, unlike the previous two holes, although there are fairway bunkers on both sides, plus the O.B. left continues on from the previous hole. You can hit a big drive, but you'll be left with a hanging lie; using a fairway wood leaves a longer second but it'll be from a flat lie. The green has three bunkers around it and also has two big tiers. It's a fun green, unless you end up on top when the hole's cut at the bottom. That's less fun.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a long straightaway par 5 that plays to a partially blind fairway. There is a fairway bunker right, but it's pretty easy to clear with a solid drive. The second is complicated by a bunker about 75 yards short of the green that eats into the fairway, so you'd probably want to lay up short of that. The green isn't large and has two bunkers left and one right, so while long hitters can reach the green in two, actually hitting is a tall order.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is a mid length par 4 that doglegs right, then drops down a big hill. If your drive goes too far, you may be blocked out by trees, but you'd have to hit a pretty big drive, so unless you hit it 300 plus, driver should be fine. That will leave a wedge or short iron into the green, which is domed, making it tough to hit. It's also got bunkers left and right, and there's a pond short, which is extremely tough to see if you're playing here for the first time. Not a big fan of blind water hazards, but it's less of an issue if you end up on the right side of the fairway. 

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is the first par 3 at Manchester, playing 210 yards over a pond to an elevated green. It's also guarded by two bunkers, one right and one behind. It looks like a pretty tough hole, and that's because it is. The green isn't very big, and there really isn't any good place to miss. Obviously, short is the worst, but no matter where you miss, the chip back onto the green will be tough. Par is a good score here.

The sixth hole.

The seventh hole is a short par 4, only 325 yards, though since it plays uphill (parallel to the first) it's not really driveable for most people. A cluster of bunkers about a hundred yards short forces a decision off of the tee: Either you use a long iron to stay short of them or you try to clear them with a driver, fading the ball around trees right. Either way, the second shot will be up the hill to a semiblind green that's wide but shallow and guarded by bunkers on each side. 

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a downhill 200 yard par 3 with quite a dramatic view. If you can keep your head down long enough to focus on the tee shot, it's actually not a particularly difficult hole. The green is decently sized and receptive to longer irons, and while there are three bunkers around the green, recovering from them isn't hugely challenging. That just means you're more free to enjoy the view.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 435 yards from all the way back (it's a much milder 355 yards from the tees most people use), and is squeezed between a hillside left and marsh right. It's not a very wide fairway, and the second shot isn't much easier. The marsh isn't in play, but the green is small, elevated, and protected by two bunkers on the right side. 

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Martin Denny Complex

Brewed by: TrimTab Brewing Company, Birmingham, Alabama

Description (from the website): "So good we had to bring it back! Martin Denny Complex quickly became a fan-favorite so we figured it was time for a return. This Imperial Sour Ale is brewed with fresh Passionfruit and sweet Peach. Tropical aromas and flavors and a subtle, smooth tartness.. Available now in select markets while supplies last!"

Would I buy it again?: Well, we've got another fruity sour ale, this one from down south in Alabama. This one is a bit better than the Braaaaaaaains, and it is ever so slightly more beer-y than that one, but still, I'm just never going to be a big fan of fruited sours. So no, I would not buy it again.

Voyager Probes Begin Their Long Goodbye

Voyagers 1 and 2 have lived a remarkable life. We're at 45 years now, 15 years longer than I've lived, and yet they're still out there, still reporting back to an increasingly distant Earth. And if NASA has its way, they will continue to do so for another 10 years. But the Voyagers were not made to live forever. Their plutonium power supply is losing potency at a rate of 4 watts a year, and so, to keep the probes going as long as possible, some of their instruments will be shut down. The power just cannot be spared. 

But while the Voyagers will eventually run out of power, let's not forget all the work they've done over their long lives. That's a long article, but very informative. I didn't know that the engineers essentially snuck one over on the government, utilizing slightly more expensive parts to make the probes much hardier. They were only supposed to last a few years, not 50. Just think what we would have missed out on if they hadn't bent the rules.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Westbound Italian Pils

Brewed by: Westbound & Down Brewing Company, Idaho Springs, Colorado

Description (from Untappd): "A bright, floral hop aroma meets crisp crushable Pils from the use of Hallertau Blanc, Saphir, and Saaz with Italian-grown pilsner malt."

Would I buy it again?: Dry hopping worked really well for this beer. It's got that hoppy, floral taste, but it's not bitter at all. This beer is quite refreshing, as befitting a good pilsner, and if I ever find it again I would buy it again.