Month: April 2021

Sufjan Stevens hasn’t really stopped moving over the past few years. He released two albums in 2020, Aporia and The Ascension. Now, he’s already coming back with another one, and it’s massive: Convocations is a five-volume ambient album that’s set for release in full on May 6. The first volume, Meditation, comes out on April 8, and ahead of that, Stevens shared “Meditation V.”

A statement about the album was written by Grayson Haver Currin and it describes the project in part:

“As musically erudite as it is emotionally experienced, Convocations can be dissonant, vertiginous, rhythmic, repetitive, urgent, or calm—that is, all the things we undergo when we inevitably live through loss, isolation, and anxiety.

Indeed, Convocations moves like a two-and-a-half-hour requiem mass for our present times of difficulty, its 49 tracks allowing for all these feelings to be felt. The album is divided into five sonic cycles, each replicating a different stage of mourning. Convocations occasionally soothes and sometimes hurts; when it’s done, you’re left with a renewed sense of wonder for being here at all.

In fact, Stevens made Convocations in response to (and as an homage to) the life and death of his father, who died in September last year, two days following the release of The Ascension. It is, then, ultimately an album about loss, and an album that reflects a year in which we have all lost so much.”

Listen to “Meditation V” above. Below, find the Convocations art and tracklist, as well as the full album statement.

1. “Meditation I”
2. “Meditation II”
3. “Meditation III”
4. “Meditation IV”
5. “Meditation V”
6. “Meditation VI”
7. “Meditation VII”
8. “Meditation VIII”
9. “Meditation IV”
10. “Meditation X”
11. “Lamentation I”
12. “Lamentation II”
13. “Lamentation III”
14. “Lamentation IV”
15. “Lamentation V”
16. “Lamentation VI”
17. “Lamentation VII”
18. “Lamentation VIII”
19. “Lamentation IX”
20. “Lamentation X”
21. “Revelation I”
22. “Revelation II”
23. “Revelation III”
24. “Revelation IV”
25. “Revelation V”
26. “Revelation VI”
27. “Revelation VII”
28. “Revelation VIII”
29. “Revelation IX”
30. “Revelation X”
31. “Celebration I”
32. “Celebration II”
33. “Celebration III”
34. “Celebration IV”
35. “Celebration V”
36. “Celebration VI”
37. “Celebration VII”
38. “Celebration VIII”
39. “Celebration IX”
40. “Celebration X”
41. “Incantation I”
42. “Incantation II”
43. “Incantation III”
44. “Incantation IV”
45. “Incantation V”
46. “Incantation VI”
47. “Incantation VII”
48. “Incantation VIII”
49. “Incantation IX”

“It may be tempting to reduce Convocations into a longform ambient anomaly within Sufjan Stevens’ vast catalogue. It is, however, neither an anomaly nor entirely ambient. This is not a side project. From his numerous dance scores for New York City Ballet to instrumental albums such as Enjoy Your Rabbit, Aporia, and The BQE, Stevens spends at least half his working life making largely instrumental music, as he has for decades. And though the first ten pieces, dubbed “Meditations,” unfurl as gorgeous states of reflective new-age grace, this is by no means an ambient enterprise. Stevens invokes the lessons of Morton Subotnick, Maryanne Amacher, Christian Fennesz, Brian Eno, and Wolfgang Voigt here. As musically erudite as it is emotionally experienced, Convocations can be dissonant, vertiginous, rhythmic, repetitive, urgent, or calm—that is, all the things we undergo when we inevitably live through loss, isolation, and anxiety.

Indeed, Convocations moves like a two-and-a-half-hour requiem mass for our present times of difficulty, its 49 tracks allowing for all these feelings to be felt. The album is divided into five sonic cycles, each replicating a different stage of mourning. Convocations occasionally soothes and sometimes hurts; when it’s done, you’re left with a renewed sense of wonder for being here at all.

In fact, Stevens made Convocations in response to (and as an homage to) the life and death of his father, who died in September last year, two days following the release of The Ascension. It is, then, ultimately an album about loss, and an album that reflects a year in which we have all lost so much. One could easily compare this project to Stevens’ album Carrie & Lowell, which he wrote following his mother’s death. But this is something entirely different. A new time, a new season, a new life lost, a new reckoning, a new kind of isolation, grief, despair, frustration, confusion, and the search for happiness and hope for the future. This is not a personal record, but a universal one. Convocations is built on a shared experience that seeks to be honest about how complicated grief can be in these difficult times—the pain, the anxiety, the unknown, the absolute joy of memory. This is also an album made in lockdown, when we were all cloistered in whatever space we had. So long as the science and statistics hold, Convocations arrives just as we begin to emerge from a year whose losses we will calculate for a lifetime. It is, then, right on time, as we begin to process our grief and try to carry on with it.”

Convocations is out 5/6 via Asthmatic Kitty. Pre-order it here.

Emily VanCamp made her Marvel return in “Power Broker,” the latest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and her character, Sharon Carter, is in a much different place than we last saw her in Captain America: Civil War. For starters, any chance of having a relationship with Steve Rogers went completely out the window after the events of Avengers: Endgame, which might have a tiny bit to do with Sharon’s jaded demeanor in Falcon and Winter Soldier. However, that budding relationship didn’t sit well with fans, and while talking about her MCU return, VanCamp opened up about experiencing the backlash from the Sharon and Cap kiss in Civil War. Via Variety:

“There was quite a bit of backlash about that. With Sharon, it was always trying to fit her in and these movies are just too big, and it’s completely understandable. To get to see who she’s become over this long period of time, and independent of Captain America as we know him, is really interesting to me. The intrigue for me was to see who is Sharon now.”

VanCamp got even more honest by admitting that not even Marvel gets everything right. “Some of these storylines play and some of them don’t,” she added. “But, you know, I thought that was an amazing film. It’s just one of those things.”

But it wasn’t just fans who weren’t thrilled with Steve kissing the love of his life’s niece. Peggy Carter actress Hayley Atwell was not feeling the “romantic” scene at all. “I just feel that, you know – I wouldn’t want to date my great aunt’s guy,” Atwell told IGN. “It just feels like it crosses an incestuous boundary. And Peggy just died. That’s even more disrespectful, right? It’s like, ‘don’t touch that.’ You can’t tap that!”

(Via Variety)

John Cena and John Oliver share more than a first name: they were born on the same day, April 23, 1977. This bit of celebrity trivia may surprise you, considering the Last Week Tonight host looks like someone who Roy Kent from Ted Lasso would shove into a locker and John Cena is, well, John Cena.

Oliver thinks about the WWE champion every time his birthday comes around, “specifically thinking, ‘I’m not just one step closer to death, I’m about 20 steps closer to death than he is,’” as he joked during a February episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But what does Cena have to say about sharing a birthday with Oliver?

“Mr. Colbert, do you know what it’s like living in someone’s shadow? John Oliver said he thinks about me every birthday ‘now.’ I’ve thought about John Oliver for 44 years,” The Suicide Squad actor told Colbert during Monday’s episode of Late Night. “I think this is a psychological warfare tactic by my parents. We were born on the same day, in the same year, we share the same first name, and I think possibly if you do a little research, maybe even the same last name, I’m not sure.” Cena has tried to carve out his own identity, but every year around his birthday, he remembers that he’ll “never, ever, ever, possibly going to do anything better than the existence of John Oliver.”

You can watch the clip above.

While the pandemic has obviously been, well, a pandemic and largely not good, it has yielded some silver linings. One of those for Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl has that he was able to write more. He started an Instagram account to share short stories from his life and now he has gone ahead and written a whole book: A Grohl autobiography titled The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music is set for release on October 5.

In an announcement for the book, Grohl wrote:

“There is a common thread that runs throughout everything that I do: storytelling. Whether in song, documentary film or on the page, I have always felt compelled to share moments from my life. This inclination is a huge part of what excites me creatively but also as a human being. In March 2020, realizing that my day job with the Foo Fighters was going to go on hold, I started an Instagram account (@davestruestories) and decided to focus all of my creative energy on writing some of my stories down, something I love doing but I’ve never really had the time for. I soon found that the reward I felt every time I posted a story was the same as the feeling I get when playing a song to an audience, so I kept on writing. The response from readers was as soul-filling as any applause in an arena. So, I took stock of all the experiences I’ve had in my life — incredible, difficult, funny and emotional — and decided it was time to finally put them into words. Now with the amazing people at Dey Street Books I’m excited and honored to announce THE STORYTELLER, a collection of memories of a life lived loud. From my early days growing up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, to hitting the road at the age of 18, and all the music that followed, I can now share these adventures with the world, as seen and heard from behind the microphone. Turn it up!”

He expanded on that in an author’s statement, writing:

“So, I’ve written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (‘It’s a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!’) I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.”

He also shared what seems to be the book’s introduction as well as audio of him reading it, so check that out below and pre-order The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music here.

Jason Momoa often finds himself wearing fur coats or, alternately, going shirtless for roles where he portrays fierce warriors, but he’s got a different type of role going on soon for Netflix. The streaming giant showed off the See and Aquaman star’s newest look, and yes, he’s probably ripped, but not showing it off for the time being. Instead, he’s wearing horns, and I’m not talking about that thing he does with his hands sometimes to communicate his rocker status. Nope, these are actual horns.

The streamer tweeted out a few first-look photos of Momoa filming Slumberland (based upon the Little Nemo in Slumberland comic book), which shows the actor wearing a full set of horns. He’s also peering out of a wardrobe or something? No visible horns there, but they’re showing in the next image alongside his young co-star, Marlow Barkley.

Momoa’s apparently portraying “an eccentric outlaw,” as you can see above. Does he lurk in people’s bedrooms, too? Whatever the case, this looks to be very much in the vein of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s run of kiddie flicks in the aughts. The best thing about that approach is that the grownups won’t mind watching those movies along with their children. Add a dash of The Rock, and everything is instantly better. The same goes for a sprinkle of Momoa.

Slumberland (which co-stars Weruche Opia from I May Destroy You, India de Beaufort, Kyle Chandler, and Chris O’Dowd) will stream in 2022.

Bob Odenkirk is so well known now as Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad universe (and even as an action star in the John Wick-like Nobody) that his work for four years as a writer on SNL is now fourth or fifth on the list of things that we associate with Odenkirk (also behind Mr. Show and even The Ben Stiller Show).

Odenkirk, however, was on the same writing staff with Conan O’Brien, and in fact, Conan was with Odenkirk when he came up with the famous Tom Hanks sketch, “Girl Watchers.” Odenkirk also believes that writing Chris Farley’s “Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker” is the best thing he’s ever done in his career, although that actually originated with Chris Farley at Second City.

Odenkirk, however, has another fond memory from SNL of something he isn’t particularly proud of, namely a monologue for SNL host Jeremy Irons that Odenkirk wrote with Rob Schneider. It’s a March 1991 episode that takes place two nights before the Oscars, for which host Jeremy Irons was nominated. The skit is not particularly successful, and it’s about Irons’ obsession with winning an Oscar. In the monologue, Irons talks about how he’s been trying to take his mind off of the Oscar race with some woodworking (shows a wooden Oscar he made); candle-making (shows a wax Oscar he made); painting (a portrait with an Oscar); fashion design (shows a coat he’s wearing with an Oscar on the back); and playing the piano (sings a song about winning the Oscar).

The good news is, Irons actually won the Oscar two nights later for his role in Reversal of Fortune. The bad news is, he hated the monologue, and he let Bob Odenkirk know it, as Odenkirk explained to Howard Stern this week. “You know who really yelled at me,” Odenkirk asked? “Jeremy Irons.”

“Rob Schneider and I had written this monologue, and it wasn’t great,” Odenkirk continued telling Stern while laughing. “He was really mad. He was so mad.”

Irons told Odenkirk, “I can’t do this. I can sing. I can dance. I can juggle. I am a Shakespearean-trained actor. And you have me doing this!” Hilariously, however, Odenkirk secretly taped the scolding. “I had a little recorder, and I taped it because I loved it so much. I played it for many people. I don’t know where it is now. It’s at the bottom of a bin somewhere.”

“And he was right, God bless him. It wasn’t a great monologue. But he’s a trooper.” Thankfully, I’m sure, after winning the Oscar, Irons never thought about that monologue again.

It wasn’t the only time Odenkirk was yelled at by a host. Odenkirk and Conan O’Brien were also yelled at by former New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner, although that would put Odenkirk is good company.

Odenkirk, meanwhile, can be seen in theaters in Nobody, and he is currently in New Mexico taping the final season of Better Call Saul.

Donald Trump has a complicated relationship with Coca-Cola. And his kids, especially Tiffany, but mostly Coca-Cola. The former-president once tweeted, “I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke,” but he also reportedly guzzles 12 Diet Cokes a day and even had a Diet Coke button in the Oval Office (which Joe Biden has removed). Trump is now calling for a boycott on his beloved “garbage” after Coca-Cola Company CEO James Quincey said that he does not support controversial new legislation in Georgia, where Coke headquarters is based, that “makes it harder for people to vote, not easier.”

“For years the Radical Left Democrats have played dirty by boycotting products when anything from that company is done or stated in any way that offends them. Now they are going big time with the WOKE CANCEL CULTURE and our sacred elections,” Trump said in a statement on Saturday released by Save America PAC. “It is finally time for Republicans and Conservatives to fight back — we have more people than they do — by far! Boycott Major League Baseball, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, ViacomCBS, Citigroup, Cisco, UPS, and Merck. Don’t go back to their products until they relent. We can play a better game than them.” (As long as the game isn’t in Georgia.)

This may come as a surprise, but Trump is not a man of his word:

“Just had a terrific meeting with President Trump!” former adviser Stephen Miller tweeted on Monday, along with a photo of himself in the former-president’s Florida office. If you look closely behind the phone on Trump’s desk, you’ll see an obvious bottle of his carbonated drink of choice. I respect drinking from the iconic glass bottle, but that’s probably because he can’t pick up an actual glass. Needless to say, Trump hiding his Coke after calling for a boycott is being mercifully (and hilariously) mocked on Twitter.

Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was easily the defining song of last week-plus, as it was discussed everywhere from Saturday Night Live to Fox News. Now the charts are mirroring that: “Montero” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated April 10. It’s his first single to debut at No. 1 and his second chart-topper ever, following “Old Town Road.” Lil Nas X now just one of a handful of artists with multiple No. 1 singles since 2019.

Lil Nas X celebrated the feat in a number of ways yesterday. One of those was dropping a new video for the song, subtitled “Official Video except its not the official video at all.” As opposed to the high-production original video, this one is a behind-the-scenes video, showing clips of Nas recording the song and spending time with friends and family.

The rapper also had a lot to say on Twitter. His initial reaction was heartfelt, as he wrote, “y’all told a 19 year old who had just escaped the lowest point of his life that he would never have a hit again. you told him to stop while he’s ahead. he could’ve gave up. but 4 multi platinum songs and 2 #1’s later, he’s still here. thank you to my team and my fans! ily.” After some jokes and meme tweets, he later added, “all jokes aside, we get to control our own destiny, never let the world decide it for you. no matter how dark it may look keep f*cking going!”

Check out the new “Montero” video above and find Lil Nas X’s tweets about his latest accomplishment below.

We’re going to go ahead and say it. Spring is the best season of the year to drink beer. Sure, winter is prime time for the rich, high ABV, chocolatey notes common to porters and stouts, but once you leave Christmas beers behind there’s not much else to drink besides this dynamic duo (and their various offshoots). Fall and summer definitely have their fair share of seasonally appropriate styles too, but spring is so overloaded with great options that there are hardly enough days to try them all.

Plus the weather is turning, the beer gardens are opening up, and brewers are eager to trot out their best stuff after a slow few months. It’s a great time for beer lovers, is what we’re saying.

The champion of spring imbibing is the iconic hefeweizen. Also known as the Weizenbier, this classic German-style wheat beer is yet another brew with its roots in Bavaria. Hefeweizens are made with larger than normal wheat to barley ratio. The result is a highly aromatic, subtly spicy, almost banana-like flavor that’s well suited for wet-but-steadily-warming spring weather.

Since we plan on spending the next few months drinking our fair share of hefeweizens, we figured it only made sense to list ten of our favorites. These beers are so refreshing, crisp, and flavorful that we promise you’ll want to drink them well into summer.

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

No hefeweizen list is complete without Weihenstephaner, the oldest brewery in the world. Hefe Weissbier is 5.4% ABV, cloudy, rich, and filled with yeasty, refreshing flavors. In the pantheon of hefeweizens, it’s hard to beat this classic offering.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of banana candy, spicy cloves, and sweet malts. The palate is overflowing with more cooking spices and ripe bananas as well as very slight bubblegum-like flavors and a nice malty backbone. The finish is hazy, unfiltered, and ends with aromatic spice.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for classic, Bavarian flavors, Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier totally fits the bill.

Funky Buddha Floridian

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $7.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

When it comes to unique, flavorful hefeweizens, you probably don’t immediately think of Florida. But Funky Buddha’s Floridian is the brewery’s outstanding take on the unfiltered German style. It’s a perfect combination of full flavor with a light, easy drinkability.

Tasting Notes:

Take a whiff and you’ll find noticeable aromas of citrus zest, cooking spices, and just a hint of overripe banana. On the sip you’ll be greeted with hints of bready sweetness, orange peel, cloves, and banana bread. It ends with a nice mix of sweetness and bitter hops.

Bottom Line:

This might be the most crushable hefeweizen on this list. Period.

Night Shift Fürth

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $13 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Night Shift’s version of the German-style hefeweizen is brewed with a traditional Bavarian yeast strain and named for yet another beer-loving German city.

Tasting Notes:

The aromas present are those of fresh-baked bread, coriander, and orange peels. On the palate, you’ll find flavors of bright citrus zest, subtle banana, baking spices, and sweet yeasty fruit. The finish is light, refreshing, and ends with more sweet wheat.

Bottom Line:

While this beer is full of flavor, it’s lighter than most of the beers on this list. If you’re looking for something easy to drink on a warm day, this is your jam.

La Cumbre A Slice of Hefen

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $10.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

This beer was created to be as authentic as possible. Made with Pale, Munich, Acidulated, and White Wheat malts, as well as Hallertau Mittelfrühe hops and Andechs Weizen yeast, it’s rich, refreshing, and perfectly hazy.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the scents of crisp apple, spicy clove, subtle vanilla beans, and ripe banana. The palate is swirling with freshly baked bread, bananas, coriander, and various other spices. It all ends with a dry, refreshing, creamy finish.

Bottom Line:

If you’re only going to drink two beers on this list, make it Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier and La Cumbre Slice of Hefen and really take time to compare the flavors associated with each.

Troegs Dream Weaver

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Utilizing open-top fermentation, this hefeweizen might be made by a well-known American craft brewery, but it’s German through and through. Made with Pilsner and Vienna malts, and malted wheat as well as German Northern Brewer hops and German Wheat, it’s unfiltered, hazy, and subtly tart.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of tropical fruits, cloves, bananas, and an earthy freshness. The taste is slightly tart and swirls with spicy cinnamon, clove, bananas, and just a hint of cracked black pepper. The end is a nice mix of tart, sweet, and sour refreshment.

Bottom Line:

Dream Weaver is everything you could want in an Americanized hefeweizen. It’s fruity, slightly tart, and well-suited for spring drinking.

J Wakefield El Hefe

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $13 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

El Jefe begins as a classic, German-style hefeweizen with traditional ingredients. But in true Florida fashion, it turns the style on its head with the addition of fresh coconut flakes.

Tasting Notes:

Give this a proper nosing before taking a sip and you’ll be met with coconut, tropical fruits, and spicy clove. The palate is brimming with hints of sticky bubblegum, cloves, banana, and a subtle marzipan flavor reminiscent of Almond Joy candy bars. The finish is sweet, subtly sour, and finishes with more tropical fruit flavor notes.

Bottom Line:

This is past meets present to the extreme. If you’re open to completely changing your assumptions on hefeweizens, buy a few cans of this unique brew.

UFO Hefeweizen

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

UFO stands for unfiltered offering and that’s exactly what this is. It’s super cloudy, yeasty, and filled with fresh citrus and floral flavors.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’re gonna get crisp citrus zest, sweet wheat, and faint banana cream. Take a sip and you’ll be greeted with bright grapefruit, ripe orange, lemon curd, and spicy clove. The finish is all citrus zest and juicy tropical fruit flavors.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of adding fruit to your beer, this is a great choice. We prefer a slice of lemon, lime, or even blood orange with this particular brew.

Odell Easy Street

ABV: 4.6%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This is an American hefeweizen made in the German style, using American hops, a proprietary yeast strain, and pure Rocky Mountain water from Cache la Poudre River. It’s cloudy, unfiltered, and as easy to drink as the name implies.

Tasting Notes:

Before taking a sip, take a moment to breathe in the scents of bright yeast, baking spices, and bold citrus zest. Sipping this beer will reveal a myriad of flavors including sweet wheat, subtle vanilla, spicy clove, and clean, musty, fruit flavors. It all ends in a crescendo of vibrant citrus undertones.

Bottom Line:

This is as Americanized as the classic hefeweizen can get (without adding unique ingredients). It’s similar enough to the German style to appeal to traditionalists and contemporary beer fans alike.

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Sierra Nevada is well-known for its generation-defining pale ale. But if you’re looking to branch out this spring, opt for its Kellerweis. Made with Two-row pale, Munich, and Wheat malts, as well as Sterling and German Perle hops, and Hefeweizen Ale Yeast, this is a 4.8% hazy, highly crushable beer well-suited for spring drinking.

Tasting Notes:

Give this beer a nosing and you’ll find hints of baked bread, ripe banana, clove, and cinnamon. Take a gulp and you’ll be immersed in a world of slightly bitter, floral hops, bubblegum, sweet wheat, and just a hint of spice. It all ends with a sweet, mellow, creamy finish.

Bottom Line:

Sierra Nevada enjoys making authentic German-style beers. Its Kellerweis hefeweizen is no different. It checks all of the classic wheat beer boxes.

Widmer Brothers Hefe

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $8 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This award-winning hefeweizen gets a ton of flavor from the liberal use of Pale, Wheat, and Extra Special malts as well as the trio of Cascade, Willamette, and Alchemy hops. The result is one of the most well-balanced hefeweizens you’re ever going to taste.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of fresh-baked banana bread, zesty yeast, citrus zest, and a healthy hint of spice. The palate is full of biscuit, cloves, tropical fruits, and ripe grapefruit flavors. The finish is chocked full of citrus and yeasty notes.

Bottom Line:

With the addition of floral, citrusy Willamette hops and other local flavors, this is the best example of the Pacific Northwest-centric hefeweizen.

It’s been nearly a month since Piers Morgan stormed off the set of Good Morning Britain, furious that one of his colleagues called him out over his obsessive hatred of Meghan Markle. Since then he hasn’t apologized. Instead he’s done what most people with dubious opinions do these days: He doubled, tripled, quadrupled down. He’s been quiet for the last few weeks, but in his first proper interview since the incident — with Tucker Carlson, naturally — he revealed that, no, he’s still steaming.

The inciting incident the barnburning interview Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, did with Oprah Winfrey, the onetime CNN host, in which they alleged bullying, even racism from unnamed members of the royal family. (Queen Elizabeth, however, received lots of love.) At the time, Morgan declared that Markle — who said, among other things, that she had grown suicidal while interred with the family — was simply lying.

In an interview that ran well over an hour, Morgan went even further. He demanded she name names. “You’re accusing … people in the palace of being unspeakably cruel simply to protect the brand of the Royal family,” Morgan said. “If that is true, let’s have the names of these people, and let’s go to them and ask them is this true.”

Simply asking people accused of racism whether or not they’re racist may not sound like the most foolproof plan, but, still, Morgan insisted he’d thought this all through. “Here we are a month later, and frankly — I’ve had plenty of time to think about this — I still don’t believe any of what they were saying,” he told Carlson. “Seventeen different claims by the pair of them have now been proven to be either completely untrue or massively exaggerated or unprovable. I don’t understand why I should have to believe people who are not telling the truth.”

Morgan also called Markle “delusional” and brushed off accusations that the royal family was unconcerned with her mental wellbeing. “It’s not for me to say whether she felt suicidal, that’s only for her to know,” Morgan said. “What I was taking issue with, is she claims she went to two members of the royal household — a senior aide and also human resources. And she told both of them she was feeling suicidal, and need help and both of them rejected that and said that she couldn’t get help because it would be bad for the brand of the royal family. I just find that impossible to believe that you would have two people in the palace who would be that callous to a woman telling them that she was suicidal.”

For the record, Morgan did admit that storming off the set of his former regular gig was not a great look. I walked off for a few minutes, then I realized this is stupid,” Morgan told Carlson. “I shouldn’t have walked off. You know, you should always be able to have a debate.”

Alex Beresford, the guest presenter who called out Morgan, later said that he didn’t mean to scold Morgan — that he only wanted to do just that: spark debate. Morgan claims that did happen, albeit later. “I came back. And we then had a pretty lively and quite enlightening, like half hour debate about this.”

In the wake of Morgan’s tirade against Markle, one of his friends, Sharon Osbourne, left her longtime job at The Talk after defending him on air.

(Via Deadline)