Review: Farnum Hill Semi-Dry Cider

My uncle gave me a bottle of this cider from Lebanon, NH based Farnum Hill.  I have had their ciders before, but not in the past 2 years.  The stuff is fairly pricey, but for a truly artisanal product, it is great value.  Made from true cider apples, grown on their own apple orchards in Western New Hampshire, and brewed using traditional methods.  Available in beautiful corked and caged 750ml bottles. 

The appearance is not so dissimilar from apple juice, but the carbonation is extremely lively.  The aromas in my tulip glass are outstanding, and feature almost a tropical fruit smell.  The sharp, bitter taste of apple is followed by a very clean, crisp finish.  This stuff is extremely drinkable, and not at all sweet like a Strongbow or other industrial cider.  It compares very favorably with a white wine or a saison.  I am going to try it with some goat cheese as I am a little hungry, but it can definitely stand on its own.  I am going to look into some other ciders that are from MA, and will report back in the future. 

This is a fantastic beer for autumn.

IPAD 3

Apple's news conference today was in regards to their newest member of the iPad family.  This 3rd generation iPad will have an increased processor, better screen, and better camera.  They are simply improving the product, there is no major addition that is needed at this time.  Tim Cook talks about being at the forefront of the "post PC" effort and I think this is important.  I have mentioned it before, but I think my current Mac Book Pro is most likely the last laptop computer that I plan on purchasing.  I bought it in 2009, but it is still in good condition and working fast enough, I don't need the additional power.  My next internet device will most likely be an iPad like tablet in 2014-2015. Things will have improved to the point where I may not need my laptop form factor anymore.  $499 for the cheapest model, available 3/16/2012.

Opining on the Written Word

A recent post by TED regarding the Kindle sparked my brain to think about the future of literature  I had also discussed Amazon's forthcoming retail outlet, which had prompted me to also consider this.  I have written about books many times on this site, as they are a personal passion of mine.  I love both the literature as well as the actual experience of reading the book.  I am interested in a iPad or Kindle in the future, but this would only be for mobile reading and the ability to carry multiple books at once.  I have tried e-books in the past and always felt something was missing.

I feel my opinion is important and valuable to this discussion, because of my age.  I am 24 years old, and many of my peers do not read for pleasure at all.  Thanks to the fantastic technology that provides us 24 hour news coverage, a variety of television programming, movies, music and social media, literature lacks the exclusivity to a captive audience that it once had.  Books are a time-consuming process especially compared to other forms of media.  A movie is long if it takes 3 hours to watch, and a television show is crammed into 19 minutes (Yes Entourage, I am looking at you!).  In comparison, a book can easily take a week to digest and oftentimes is full of above average vocabulary and a lack of visuals which makes it more of a mental chore.

For all of these reasons, I believe that literature will have to adapt, and may in the short term struggle.  It is going to become a specialized market, not dissimilar to theatre, which was a major draw back in the day, opera, and a number of other leisure activities that have fallen behind the times.   The TV networks have supplanted our need for a book series with well made shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Luck.  All of these shows are intricate and sometimes command multiple viewings.  The episodes are long enough that they can be digested for a period of time and discussed on the internet and at the office.  Everything about books takes too long.  It takes too long to read the book, you can watch an episode of Breaking Bad in an hour, and a season within a month, if you are trying.  Thanks to streaming video this is possible anywhere on the globe!  It takes too long for the next book in a series to get to market and requires a lot more physical production in the printing of the book, while an episode could essentially be released to the web and available instantaneously.

My generation simply does not like to read in the universal sense that our forefathers did.  We are a now nation, with 140 character limits on Twitter, and status updates on Facebook.  Epic books can be well over 500 pages in length!  This is not to say a phenomenon like Hunger Games, Harry Potter or The Da Vinci Code can't become mainstream, but how many of your friends and family will never read the book and "just watch the movies"?

iphone 4s

Holiday Shopping List

This list is by no means exhaustive, and is certainly not going to be the best of the blogosphere, but I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy and potentially utilize this. Anyone who receives one of these gifts is going to be mighty happy. Also, feel free to send this link to your clueless grandmother or significant other...


1.) J.Press - Shaggy Dog Sweater - $165 - A J.Press classic made of Shetland wool, exclusively for Press. I buy my Shetlands here or at Andover Shop but the key decision making factor for me recommending the J.Press variety is the color! Bright colors are a huge part of trad, why wear forest green when you can wear kelly? Navy when this particular shade of blue can be had?


2) Filson - 222 Medium Duffle Bag - $280 - An awesome bag that has been discussed consistently in the blog world, and for good reason. Fine construction, good aesthetics, and amazing utility make this one of the best duffle bags money can buy. Perfect for the hunt or the weekend trip with the in-laws. Tan color, naturally.

3) Apple - Magic Mouse - $69 - Apparently simple, but remarkably sophisticated, courtesy of multi-touch sensor enabled mouse. Watch the video to be convinced quickly.


4) Ommegang Brewery - 10th Anniversary Gift Pack - $23.99 - Satisfy any beer lover with this set from Cooperstown, NY based Ommegang Brewery. Consisting of three 750 ml bottles of their favorites: Hennepin, Three Philosophers and Chocolate Indulgence. Also included is a logo glass, this might seem expensive for beer, but I consider this a bargain.



5) LL Bean - 8" Bean Boots w/ Goretex and Thinsulate - $134 - "Keeping Feet Dry for 95 Years" is no small feat for a pair of boots. Freeport, Maine based LL Bean's signature product, discussed everywhere, but a favorite of mine is by my fellow blogger L.A.S. of Sartorially Inclined. These are one of the most stylish yet utilitarian gifts you can give, unisex and useful. Personally, I have had a pair of these since I was a child, couldn't make it through Boston slushfest (November - March) without them.



6) Field Notes - Colors Subscription of Notebooks - $129 - As a huge fan of Field Notes and pocket notebooks in general, this is an AWESOME gift. I have always wanted to pull the trigger on the colors subscription, which if you read the image above gives you 24 pocket notebooks over the course of the year, 6 of 4 different shades. While I admit that's a fairly high price, these notebooks are the business! Cool details, great quality and always by my side. Moleskine is a viable alternative, also ATL recommended!


7) Supreme - Suede Front Sweater - $179 - The only word to describe this sweater/jacket is RAD. I love the vintage styling, and although it is a small percentage acrlyic, which I usually avoid on principal, I want this sweater so bad. As of now, only available in store, but I assume it will become available before 12/25 on their online shop. Supreme usually puts out one or two dark horse pieces per season, and this is definitely one of them. If you have an art collector on your Christmas list, instead grab him a Damien Hirst x Supreme dot deck, available Monday (11-23)!



8) Clarks Originals - Wallabee Weaver Moccasin - ~$120 - Available across the pond only for now, this revival of a classic Padmore & Barnes design has been making me salivate for months now. I have the original, which I also got from a fellow in London, and although they are getting old, they are still one of my favorite shoes. I may rationalize myself into buying the brown as I already own the sand. Either way, this item of footwear is a sture thing: stylish, comfortable, and timeless.

9) Freestyle Games - DJ Hero Bundle - $98 - Everyone has heard of Guitar Hero, but the newest offering DJ Hero allows the "Disk Jockey" to mix two tracks together from a massive pool of R&B, Hip Hop, Techno and so forth. Samples and effects can be added in via the unique and proprietary controls that mimic a realistic mixer and fader. Check out the video for a demo!


10) Gold Futures - currently a bargain at $1150/oz- according to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard who says Gold could easily reach $6300, which is the equivalent value that it reached in the 1970s when similar economic conditions spooked central governments into the precious metal. With the Federal Reserve and US Government destroying the dollar's value and likely sparking inflation in the near future, gold is going to continue going up. This gift will be appreciated more than any a few years down the road much more than a savings bond, which will probably lose value for your children or grandchildren by the time they cash it.

Supreme x Macbook