Guest book
Drop in here to leave your thoughts, comments, recommendations, and general chatter.
I’d love to hear from you.
If you’d like to contact me, offering your beer to be reviewed, please address your correspondence to:
masonhellcat AT hotmail.com
Cheers,
Mason Hell-Cat
Comments
Hell-Cat's beer blog 
G’day Mason – my name is Pete Mitcham (Prof Pilsner) from Australian Brews News. Hoping I can use some of your thoughts for a Beer of the Week piece I do. I showcase a beer by bringing together thoughts that many writers have had on each beer. I’ll acknowledge your work of course and hopefully drive some traffic your way as well.
Cheers,
Pete
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G’day Professor,
I am very keen to be involved with your venture. Let me know what you need from me.
Cheers,
Mason.
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Check this out, Mason: http://sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/news/272057/this-cluey-new-app-knows-which-beer-or-wine-youll-.htm?s=newsletter?s=newsletter&utm_source=Concrete+Playground+Sydney&utm_campaign=309b6cece1-SYDNEY_12_4_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a099cccd65-309b6cece1-202083229
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Just your kind permission to ‘cut-&-paste’ thoughts on beers you’ve reviewed. Here’s what the finished product looks like http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2014/12/21529/
Cheers
Prof
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Please ensure that whenever you mention Mason you add the tagline “Australia’s leading beer aficionado” and if possible, an address where free beer can be sent (minimum one case, maximum 1 pallet – of mixed varieties).
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Hey,
very great blog. Makes fun to read through the many reviews. I still have to go a long way to reach this. You got a new follower. Keep on drinking !
Prost from Germany !
http://www.tabier.wordpress.com
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Cheers Tabier! Thanks for joining the chaos!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on some of the previously reviewed German brews.
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Searching them could take up a lot of time 😉 maybe some clues in which month you taste them. Otherwise, I will read through your blog anyway 😛
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hey Mason.
just want you to know that that Luke is not me.
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This blog is HORSE SHIT!
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Thanks Luke – appreciate your input, pal.
Btw, if anyone would like to befriend Luke Grogan based on his eloquence, you can find him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/luke.grogan?ref=ts&fref=ts
Don’t you just wanna give the little tacker a cuddle?
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Pretty sure this kid is way to young to have an opinion about beer. Horseshit maybe. If this was 1922 and he was a stable boy. If I was his mother I would take away his ipod and make him responsible for the kitty litter tray for the rest of the year.
Meanwhile Tania Who has Issues and I drank lots of beer tonight and now we both now need some eggs on toast.
You there stable boy fetch me the cook.
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Hey bro, good work. I like your blog. What’s doing with light beer, which one has the best flavour in your humble opinion?
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Hey Jeremy – thanks for stopping by.
Sorry, but I don’t believe in the light stuff. Which ones do you enjoy?
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When’s the wife gonna put her next 2-cents-worth in again, eh?
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G’day Mase. Given the outstanding public service that is this blog, here’s a public service announcement. I’ve just found a list of seven ingredients/production agents which are commonly found in foods and beverages which are pretty gross. Sadly, beer has not escaped unscathed. Please don’t click on this link if you’ve recently eaten, or are sipping a beer:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/grossest-things-food/story?id=16824388
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Nice work BD – though it’s hardly turned me off beer. I’m drinking a cup of isinglass as I type…
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Howdy Mase, some suggestions for beer reviews: James Squires IPA (widely available and, simply, bloody good; Coopers Sparkling Ale (see previous); Vale Ale IPA (recently released, interesting, perhaps could be reviewed alongside the Squires IPA in an IPA-off death match); and what about some ciders (which of course aren’t beers but will probably appeal to many beer drinkers, I’d be suggesting St Helier’s Pear Cider and any Scrumpy you’d chose to go for).
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Thanks BD – I love a good IPA so I am keen to review any of these.
With regards to cider, stay tuned. I am thinking to open this area up for contributions from readers – yourself included of course – as I’m a bit cider-uneducated.
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Hi Mason, love the blog tho must confess I drink Cascade Premium Light, or any other “light” beer…tho I tried a Pear Cider in Melbourne, at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club and loved it. So, great to see your writing and a pic of you…one of these days we’ll meet you at a TLC fm100.3 thingo. Cheers Catriona
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Great blog; I’m a wine person myself, with a beer loving husband and we’ve started combining our booze fests to include beer tasting and beer nights at the local boutique suppliers. Hubby has a tendency to try to convert everyone around him onto the finer brews, earning himself the coveted (if slightly feminine) nickname of ‘Boutique Haden’ at his engineering firm. 🙂
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Hi Kate – sorry I missed your post.
Thanks for stopping by!
Say G’day to ‘Boutique Haden’ for me, and tell him to drop by with his thoughts on beers reviewed. Always keen for more input!
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Hiya, still familiarising myself with your great blog; as I’m not sure what you’ve sampled, 3 fab brews I enjoyed recently, found in my homeland -the U.K. First ‘Raging Bitch’ {India Pale Ale} a great beer-at 8.3%-to be savoured! A fab label, which I should imaigine the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, who did ‘Floyds’ ‘The Wall’ illustrations, did. Brewed by ‘Flying Dog’ brewery-check website out; top guys!! Second is ‘Henry’s Original I.P.A’, Wadworth Brewery, and Joseph Holts’ ‘Maplemoon’, from Manchester. I should Imagine the 2 latter hard to get in Oz, but ‘Raging Bitch’ is American… Glad I stumbled accross your blog, but it makes me soo thirsty/late for work reading it!!!
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Hey Willow – thanks for climbing aboard the rusty ol sea-dog known as ‘Mason Hell-Cat’s Beer Blog’. Thanks for the top suggestions! I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for those suckers.
Stick around, leave your thoughts, comments and suggestions, and if you’re the last one to leave, don’t forget to turn the lights off when you go.
Cheers,
Mason.
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Holy crap! I just had a thought….Willow, you aren’t Warwick Davis by any chance are you??!
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Love Gerald Scarfe’s work.
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Ahoy-hoy, Hellakazoo. I’ve had an idea for the blog. It’s similar to your ‘Song of choice’ bit, but instead of music, it’s cheese. You could call it ‘Where’s the cheese?’
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I’ve had another idea. You could do the same thing as my cheese proposal, except with trousers. I dunno why it is, but beer tastes much better when you’re wearing the appropriate pantaloons.
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Now I’m just plain bragging, but I’ve enjoyed some quality beers with a good mate sans trousers on a nude beach (Maslins, on the south coast of the Adelaide suburbs), and we enjoyed them just as much as if we’d been wearing pants. Again, this is pure bragging, but the mate in question was female as opposed to myself, who is male, and I was having a very happy, even unforgettable, afternoon. My wife dropped us off, so no risk of being accused of cheating or similar dodginess even!
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What have I walked into here? I leave you guys alone for three minutes and everyone’s got their wife’s permission to take their pants off and eat cheese! Aye carumba!
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Hey Hell Cat,
Had a few days off around Newcastle (NSW) and discovered some great beers in 2 fantastic pubs. The Albion Hotel in Wickham has a brilliant range of beers (Stone & Wood, Kosioscko (SP?), Montieths, Coopers etc) and the Honeysuckle Hotel had ‘Boston Mill Pale Ale’ – all in all a great day out!
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Hi Gordon – always glad to have you drop by!
Thanks for the pub suggestions. Definitely keen to check them out when I am next in the hood. Any place that has Stone & Wood on tap is a good place in my books…did they have the pale lager or the draught ale on tap?
Hopefully you’ve seen my reviews for S&W, Kosciuszko, Monteiths and Coopers?
The only one I am yet to try (and keep seeing it pop up everywhere of late) is Boston Mill. Stay tuned.
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Dunno if you’ve seen this, Mason.
It gives you the price of a pint of beer all over the world:
http://www.pintprice.com/
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Great find! Those “Top 10 Most Affordable Countries” are on my ‘must see before I die’ list.
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I drank some Stone’s Premium Alcoholic Ginger Beer by mistake today, but it was unexpectedly good. I’d be interested to see what you thought. Though it be slightly “out of scope”, if it has alcohol and the word “beer” on the label, does it qualify for your attentions?
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Firstly Robbie, I think the question needs to be asked….how did you drink it ‘by mistake’?
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Well, it was the middle of the day and, as you are well aware, I NEVER drink in the middle of the day, and, well, I thought it was, um… ginger beer
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Robbie, I agree with your assessment of Stone’s Ginger Beer. Great on a hot day. Have you tried the old Stone’s Green Ginger Wine, or its higher-alcohol cousin Stone’s Mac? They’re great on a cold night. So basically, whatever the weather, there’s a good Stone’s beverage for anyone who likes the taste of ginger.
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Hey mate,
Just came across your blog while searching for a Sheperd Neame Spitfire review.
Accurate I thought although I didn’t enjoy too much myself.
Anyway, Old Fart, buy it, drink it review it. I love it. If it weren’t $8 a bottle I’d drink it all the time. I am actually willing to say it may the best British beer I’ve had.
Cheers dude,
– J
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Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for stopping by!
What was it about Spitfire that you didn’t like?
I’ve seen ‘Old Fart’ out there on the shelves….you’ve convinced me to overlook the unsettling name and label (I didn’t take much convincing). Will check it out real soon.
Cheers,
Mason.
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Have to admit that I’d had a few different beers beforehand and my palette was prob not so fresh. Also, right now I can’t exactly remember why, that might be why I was looking for reviews.
I’ll give it a go again sometime and perhaps have a different opinion. As you know taste and scent are heavily affected by mood, food and whatever else you’ve been drinking at the time.
Having a Barossa Valley Brewing Organic Ale at the mo. The dude in the store said the brewers were calling it an IPA style but other than the slightly resinous hop finish I’m not sure I would class it as such. Closer to an amber ale IMO.
Anyway, get on to that Old Fart dude. 🙂
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Mase, just a quick note to say how much I’ve approved of your last few beer selections. All (including next week’s Spitfire) are beers I’ve been meaning to recommend, but you’ve completely beaten me to the punch. Seriously, beyond a few choice IPAs and some Belgian (or Canadian Belgian impersonator) ales, and of course Coopers Stout (with or without Coopers Ale to make a world-class black and tan) I can’t think of any more beers to suggest. Top stuff.
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Thanks BD! I always welcome your continual input and critiques on this site.
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check this out: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/beer
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Excellent find, Luke!
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Love the blog!
Have you tried Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA?
It is my favourite beer that is available somewhat nationally in the US.
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Hi Dvid – welcome!
No I have not tried Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA – but damn if that isn’t the coolest name for a beer, I don’t know what is! Where does the 90 Minute component come from?
I definitely haven’t seen it in Australia but I will be looking out for it for sure.
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That refers to the hopping. It is continuously hopped (their website claims they were the first to do that) for 90 minutes. They also have 60 minute and a 120 minute varieties, but 90 minute was their first.
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Ahh! Interesting!
I may have to get a bottle (or 6) if I make it over to the US next year!
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I can’t believe no-one has called you a cock here yet!
Please allow me to be the first.
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Thanks Luke!
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its great that this website leaves up all posts, not just the good ones. it kinda makes luke look like a penis shaped object. Great site Hell Cat, the best drink in the world needs more appreciation!
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Thanks Jansos. Luckily I know who Luke is or I’d be hunting him down and skinning his cat.
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Good looking blog mate. I like the idea of including a label rating in your reviews. I’ve added you to my blog roll.
Cheers!
-Anthony
abeerforeverybody.wordpress.com
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Welcome Anthony! Always good to have fellow beer lovers on board.
Speaking of labels, the label on your latest reviewed beer “La Maudite” is my kind of label! That would almost score a perfect 10 round these parts.
I look forward to having you contribute further on this blog.
Cheers,
Mason.
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Love the Maudite, also love the other Unibrou ales I’ve tried. World class.
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Hey Uncle Mase, have you reviewed tooheys old? It’s my fave right now.
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Hi Uncle Neil, welcome!
No I haven’t yet reviewed Toohey’s Old – but I’ll add it to the list and review it soon!
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Great call uncle. Tooheys old is an all time aussie classic. though i must admit it is twice as good from a pub tap than its bottled cousin. the tap version also goes great mixed with 50% tooheys new (for young peps, its called a 50-50). get out and try it!
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Neil, I remember being a young bloke myself once and reckoning Tooheys Old was alright. Compared with many mainstream beers it’s pretty good. But if you enjoy the Old, you will enjoy checking out Coopers Dark Ale, the Baron’s Original Ale (as reviewed in these pages recently) and Coopers Vintage (also reviewed). It’s also worth saving up your coins and purchasing the occasional Belgian ale (Chimay and Leff ales are a good starting point) to enjoy one of the best aspects of being a drinker of great beer – at a high-point of around $10, you can enjoy a decent drink of one of the world’s great beers, wheras wine drinkers pay 100 times as much to enjoy the high-point of their hobby.
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My favourite Australian beer which I’d like to see reviewed is Coopers Vintage Ale. It’s a genuine ‘grand ale’ style, heavy on flavour and alcohol. I claim it’s the best beer brewed in the entire southern hemisphere and recommend it to all my mates. Best drunk at 5-8 degrees, not fridge-cold, because it’s big on esters and you need a little higher temperature to get them all happening. Drink from a glass for the same reason.
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Thanks BargeDave – I’ve wanted to try this sucker for a while. Will keep my eyes out for it and review soon.
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The other suggestion is a really-hard-to-find number called Cascade First Harvest. It’s apparently only brewed one day per year. I found some in a drive-through last night, so it’s probably available for the next couple of weeks only or you’re waiting another twelve months. Very nice ale, interesting hops and good rounded malt characters.
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The other thing I have to say about Coopers Vintage Ale is that it is indeed vintage – it has the year it was brewed printed on the label. The 2009 hasn’t been released but the 2008 is now ageing nicely. If you can get your hands on an earlier vintage, go for it. It improves with age (several Coopers beers actually have a ‘best after’ date printed on them, not a ‘best before’). The 2008 retails for around $20-25 for six and if you find a 2007 (or earlier) at a similar price it’s an absolute bargain. When it’s released, I’ll quite possibly find the 2009 disappointing for several months and avoid it until it’s got some maturity.
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Dude, don’t tell me you’re reviewing your second wheat beer before you’re reviewing either a stout or a strong ale! Come on, give us big beer fans a bit of a go before you give those wussy wheat-beer-fans another bash! This is my favourite blog; don’t let me down! (whoa, how many exclaimation marks can I justifiably use? This comment is far from grammatically correct.) Anyway, give us some stout and strong ale reviews soon.
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BargeDave you’ve made a good call (despite me still trying to understand the term ‘big beer fans’)….it’s just that I am trying to get through a back-log of beers. Hang in there, and thanks for your contributions.
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“big beer” refers to beers heavy on malts and alcohol. it’s literally the opposite of “small beer”.
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Mase, you gotta get your hands on these to review:
Fat Cat Beer:
Dow Ale:
And Queer Beer:
-Brett
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Thanks Brett – will definitely keep my eyes out for those! Stay tuned.
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Mase,
Perhaps i could be your UK beer correspondant – not sure i can be a witty as you, but you never know…
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Thanks for the offer GD but for continuity sake I’ll continue the reviews on my own. However, if you know of some UK beers that you’d like me to cover, let me know and I’ll try to find them. I’d be keen to compare notes with ya!
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Hey Hellcat, this conversation does give me an idea for you actually. I think I’m right in saying you haven’t yet reviewed a good, traditional English bitter yet. They don’t travel particularly well, but you could buy a can with a ‘widget’ inside it, and the beer should still pour nice and smoothly. I’ve seen cans of Boddingtons over here, for instance. Anyway, I’m sure you’re not sure of suggestions for your reviews, but mark me down as ‘interested’ if you venture into the world of English bitter.
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Loving the word from the wife section… Keep it coming!
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Mase,
Thoroughly enjoying reading your beer blogs. Possibly your best work since the great ICAA exam results mail out of 1998.
Keep it up.
I went to a Degustaion (spelling??? who cares) night at the Red Oak brewery (cafe really) in the city and loved all the beers. However by the end of the night I was too far gone to remember them. I would love to hear your thoughts on what they have to offer so get in there.
G Clay
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Thanks for stopping by, Greg! Glad you like the site.
I’ve tasted a few of the Red Oak range and was plenty surprised with each of them. I will definitely track down a few and give them a review.
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I respectfully request you try “Barefoot Radler”. Altough a great Summer beer I still find it refreshing after a bit of work around the house. The ABV is lower than normal so you can even enjoy a few & not get to guilty about lunch time beers!
PS Love your work!
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Thanks Gordon. I have tried Barefoot Radler before and found it a little too citrus like. But, I admit my tasting was after a couple (!!) of other ales so I am willing to give it another go.
Stay tuned for a review!
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I am very interested to try the Pepperback ale. What’s the damge on a six pack of those Mason?
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From memory the Pepperjack cost about $18-20 for a six pack.
I definitely do recommend that drop….just thinking about it is giving me head spins.
Mason.
[EDIT: this post was originally posted on 02/04/09. I moved it today to be a reply rather than a separate post]
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Top stuff Mase, great read and everything I’ve ever wanted to read in a beer bog.. umm blog I mean…
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