The nationwide battle over libraries initiated by self-righteous moral crusaders still hits close to home. This neo-puritanical posturing is getting truly disgusting. I may have under-sold it in my prior posts. From the biggest Spokane, Washington newspaper, the Spokesman-Review: Kootenai GOP ad makes baseless insinuations about library ahead of election. If such people claim to be standing up for virtue, how can they be so openly dishonest? Why are voters falling for these muckraking lies so easily disproven by actually visiting the library?
This whole mess is almost enough to drive me to drink. I need a hug. A bear hug. No, a beer hug! So I bought another one. It was still insufficient. There's a distinct boozy taste at 9.9% ABV. It's just a bit off-putting.
Time to look elsewhere. Maybe the Voodoo Ranger can bring reinforcements with the Juice Force IPA? Does dialing back the ABV a bit help?
It's not bad. I have to say following up a 9.9% ABV IPA with a 9.5% IPA doesn't feel like drinking two beers though. Have I over-done it? I feel good at least. Sessionable these ain't. Imperial IPAs tend to be pretty high-octane brews. The Voodoo Ranger definitely has some dark magic hiding the alcohol content from the taste better than the Bear Hug did. Juicy, hazy IPAs also seem a lot more approachable in general.
From their website, the stats are as follows:
- ABV: 9.5 (stronk!)
- IBU: 30 (not stronk!)
- YEAST: Ale (A is for Ale in 'IPA!')
- HOPS: Mosaic, Chinook, Phato, Galaxy, Strata, Lotus, and Sabro (whatever!)
- MALT: Pale, Oats, and Wheat (another whatever!)
I don't speak beer snob, but I say it's pretty damned okay. New Belgium is one of those former microbreweries with nationwide distribution, a bit like Boston Brewing Company, a.k.a. Samuel Adams. Voodoo Ranger is their IPA lineup, and they try new stuff. Give it a shot if that's your style. They may be big, but they haven't totally sold out.
I wonder how much overlap there is between the alcohol prohibitionists and the book banners? Moral crusaders always want to punish innocent people for the failings of others, and project their own weaknesses on strangers who object to authoritarianism. Don't ban booze, and don't ban books. Instead, encourage people to be responsible consumers of both.
