Cisco Brewers - Whale's Tale Pale Ale

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Whale's Tale Pale Ale
Cisco Brewers 
5 Bartlett Farm Road
Nantucket, MA USA
Est. 1992
www.ciscobrewers.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber to copper color.
Smells biscuit malt, slight sweetness and a scosh of hops.
White two fingered head, covers quickly to wisp.
Fair amount of lacing down the side of the glass.
Malt forward body with a nice grippy finish of hops.
Medium carbonation.
Light to medium bodied. Super enjoyable to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
American brewed, but and English Pale Ale. And a classy one to boot. The fresh tasting English malts combine nicely with the domestic American malts. A good dash of Kent Golding hops and viola'! Nice working pale ale.

I've had their Blonde Ale, which was brought back from a trip up north, closer to where it is brewed. The best part for me is that Cisco now makes it's way into my state. Now I don't have to search for it any longer. The name makes a double pronged statement. On the one hand, Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world. On the other hand, "Whale's Tales The Prince of Wales" is an age old drinking game. Yours truly just happens to know all the sorted rules, having played it fairly extensively during ditch digging school. Back in the day. Check it out on their website and you'll see.

Whale's Tales The Prince of Wales, in a stationary court of two, calls on YOU!

Oxfordshire - Pride of Oxford English Ale

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Pride of Oxford English Ale
Oxfordshire Ales
Unit 12
Pear Tree Industrial Estate
Marsh Gibbon, Bicester
Oxfordshire England
Est. 1995
www.oxfordshireales.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 4.2% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9


Postmortem Brew Review
Slightly cloudy gold/orange color.
Mostly smells of malts with some hop aromas.
Near-white, two finger head. Fair amount of streaked lacing and head retention.
Malt and hops are balanced and not overpowering. Slight watery finish.
Active amount of carbonation.
Light and crisp bodied. Easily approachable and flavorful session ale.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A new find in the area, Oxfordshire Ales did impress. It was not the most outstanding beer ever reaped by yours truly, but it reminded me how 'small beers', (those low in ABV), can have depth of flavor. This one held my interest from start to finish. Nothing about it was over-the-top. Simply stated, it was a fine everyday ale that is approachable by even those that prefer yellow lagers. Luckily for me there is another in the bottom of the chiller.

See what you've been missing, whether you're a seasoned beer drinker or if you are in search of something bolder than your current brand of macro.

Brooklyn - Summer Ale

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Summer Ale

Brooklyn Brewery

#1 Brewers Row

79 North 11th Street

Brooklyn , NY USA

Est. 1988

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Pale golden straw color.

Grassy, piney and citrus lemony in aroma.
Off white foaming head is about one and a half fingers high.

Minimal lacing on the glass.

Bready malts,soft hops and lemon zest taste on the palate.

Active amount of carbonation.
Light and airy mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

According to Brooklyn, this English "dinner" ale is a common form of summer ale served there.  reading on, they were also know as "luncheon ales" or "family ales". Wow! I think they left out breakfast! Yet it is light and flavorful as it picks up the lemon citrus that blends so well with the hops. The malts give the whole thing stability. There you have it; summer in a can for lunch or dinner. And for the whole family, to boot.

The Pre-Prohibition Style wording on the packaging throws me for a loop. If this is an English style, then who's prohibition? If it is the US prohibition, then did we ever produce such a soft and balanced summer style ale as this? Confused? Don't worry. Crack one open and see what's inside.

Orlando Brewing - Olde Pelican English Style Pale Ale

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Olde Pelican English Style Pale Ale
Orlando Brewing
1301 Atlanta Avenue
Orlando, FL USA
Est. 2002 
www.orlandobrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.82 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color with slight haze.
Malt presence; sweet and caramelized scent.
Off white, two finger head with ringed lacing. 
Soft, sweet malts in the taste with a slight hops bite. Dry finish.
Soft carbonation. 
Medium bodied flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I had the good fortune to visit Orlando Brewing this past October as part of a Florida Beer Bloggers group invite. You can read more about that visit at my other blog, Firkin Around. While there, we were treated to a grand assortment of their brews.  This one in particular stood out for me. I enjoyed its English style malting and was surprised to see a slightly more than mild twang of hops at the end of the sip.  It left a nice, dry finish with each sip that I found very enjoyable. Overall, it's just a really well put together ale. This bottle came from one of the sample-mixed six packs, that I grabbed from the fridge in their tasting room, before we left for the day.

Orlando Brewing is Florida's first and only USDA Organic brewery. That means the barley malts are unadulterated by any pesticides or animal based fertilizers. This leaves a beer with no proteins in the final product. All you get are Mother nature's carbohydrates. Nature and beer at its best!

I put a tweet out on Twitter today asking readers to choose between a couple of beers to review for the evening. This one, won the poll. Perhaps it's the beer's exclusivity that caused others to want to see it reviewed.  We Floridians are fortunate to have such a brewery in our home state. It's a stone's throw from the downtown area and worth the visit, should you find yourself in the Orlando area.

Wychwood - Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale

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Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale
Wychwood Brewery
Whitney, Ofordshire, England
Est. 1990
www.wychwood.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden copper color with slight haze.
Biscuit and grassy smells with touch of hops and some fruit.
Off white, two finger head with ringed lacing, but it disappears quickly. 
Grainy and yeasty taste with a slight hops bite. Tastes envelop tongue.
Very lightly carbonated. 
Light bodied flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Scarecrow is an organic golden pale ale from the chaps across the pond. Not scary enough for the old Reaper, but pleasant enough to have a proper pint in the bottle. The clean and refreshing taste signifies the mark of a true organic brew, and it really shines in the taste of this ale.

From their label, "Scarecrow Organic Ale is brewed using organically grown Plumage Archer barley malt & Target hops to create a refreshing tasting beer of exceptional flavour & character. Ingredients grown to organic standards prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides & fertilizers."  

That means only good things from the ground, my faithful! Nothing scary like insecticides, that can kill you, er, uh shall we say, prematurely? Muahaha. But you're gonna' have to do better than a scarecrow to frighten me. Musahahaha!

Mercury - Ipswich Original Ale

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Ipswich Original Ale
Mercury Brewing Company
23 Hayward Street
Ipswich, MA USA 
Est.1991
www.ipswichalebrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.4% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep orange amber color.
Malt, biscuit and bready nose with aromas of finishing hops.
Frothy off white head with good lace.
Malt taste and hops finish with more malt in the balance.
Medium carbonation.
Medium body. Clean finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
A real find at the local watering hole.  What can I say, mortals? Here is a brew that has heretofore been unseen in these parts of the southeast. I tried this one first and then his big brother, the IPA. It was truly a nice amber colored English Pale Ale. Quite tasty indeed!

A great lead in to the IPA and it also helped that it quenched my thirst. Sail out of the store with some of these any time at all.

Coopers - Original Pale Ale

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Coopers Original Pale Ale
Coopers Brewery
461 South Road
Regency Park, South Australia
Est. 1862
www.coopers.com.au

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Light yellow color; very clear in body.
Grainy nose with light hops aroma.
One finger tightly bubbled white head with fair retention.
Moderately carbonated.
Crisp and dry, refreshingly good.
Light flavor. Any easy to drink ale.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A thick fistful of brown glass surrounds this pale ale from down under. The Aussies are a hard chargin', hard fightin' and likely a hard drinkin' bunch. This stump of a bottle rests nicely in my bony paw.

These pale ales are naturally concocted with no preservatives and are also bottle conditioned. They suggest that you gently roll the bottle about three rotations before opening and enjoying, to swirl any yeast sediment caused form upright storage. It's a pale ale like no other that you might be used to drinking. It looks and drinks more like an average American yellow lager. But with a bit more clean clear flavor of grain and hops. All in all it's pretty good turps and goes well with just about any kind of tucker.

These blokes don't only make some good beer, but they can also help you make it. Coopers is a standard for home brewing, selling full kits and after-market supplies to assist the home brewer in their quest to quench a thirst the size of the Aussie Outback. And they have a long tradition of brewing, dating back to 1862.

Check out the bearded gentleman that greets you at their website, then get some, mate!

Summit - Extra Pale Ale

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Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Company
910 Montreal Circle
St. Paul, MN USA
Est. 1986
www.summitbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color.
Sweet, malty and slight grain smell.
Two finger crisp white head that leaves a very nice amount of lacing.
Fresh tasting with just a nudge of hops over malt, as is proper in Pale Ales.
Modest amount of carbonation.
Light bodied; refreshing.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
The flagship beer from this brewery since 1986.  That seems to be the year the general explosion in micro breweries happened.  And this Extra Pale Ale will not let you down.  It has just the right amount of gentle rolling hops to balance with the malts, to make an exceptional easy drinker.

I found this to be a pleasant start to my days chores.  It works with you, not against you. Done nicely in the style of an English Pale Ale.

Brooklyn - Summer Ale

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Brooklyn Summer Ale
Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn , NY USA
Est. 1988
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light airy golden color, similar to pilseners.
Dry aroma of  malted barley; hops bitterness present in nose.
White, one fingered head that was quite fizzy.
Spots of lacing down the glass.
Malt flavors with some lemony taste along with some crisp hops bitterness.
Good amount of active carbonation.
Light bodied mouth feel; so easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Brooklyn has redefined the term English Pale Ale to come up with an English Light Dinner Ale, or Luncheon Ale. Or Summer ale! Bother!  What ever you call it, get some of this for the summertime pool and beach outings.  Its light airyness makes it very very easy to session and its flavor will bring you back for more.

We had a big move over the Memorial Day holiday and this easy to drink brew went down easy and was refreshing.

So get a move-on and go try it now!

Saranac Pale Ale

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Saranac Pale Ale
F.X. Matt Brewing Company
811 Edward St, Brewhouse Square
Utica, NY USA
Est. 1888
www.saranac.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper amber color.
Bready, fruity overtones on the nose.
Sweet hops aromas.
Off white good forming head with modest lacing.
Average carbonation.
Surprisingly a bit heavy flavor. Dry and wheaty tasting.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Pale Ales abound and some stand out more than others.  This one unfortunately does not.  It is worthy of a session, and is enjoyable enough, just not particularly amazing.  One thing that does stand out though is half the hops are East Kent Golden hops.  That puts it in the English Pale Ale category instead of American.

It's good enough for a try.  I know Matt's/Saranac makes other fine brews. We will review more later.

Tommyknocker Pick Axe Pale Ale

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Tommyknocker Pick Axe Pale Ale 
Tommyknocker Brewery
Idaho Springs, CO USA
Est. 1997 (?)
www.tommyknocker.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Translucent amber pour.
Caramel malt with pine hop scent.
Two finger head that is caramel in color with lots of bubbles.
Spiderweb lacing down the side of the glass.
Medium bodied flavor hops in the finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I am glad to see that my first Tommyknocker brew must have been an aberration.  This Pick Axe was a pleasure.  It had a nice amber color with some suspension.  A great hops smell on the nose, balanced by some maltiness, was also in the mix. 

The biggest surprise came after letting the empty bottle stand for a minute, and then dumping that last bit of collected goodness into the glass.  A little yeasty clump splashed into the glass and exploded like an upside down mushroom cloud.  I wasn't expecting that.

Overall, the beer had its merits.  Nicely done and not over done for a standard pale ale.  It was refreshing and hoppy; all good characteristics of a pale ale.  I will be looking forward to the next Tommyknocker brew I can lay my hands on.

Great Divide - Denver Pale Ale

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Great Divide - Denver Pale Ale
Great Divide Brewing Company
2201 Arapahoe Street
Denver, CO USA
Est. 1994
www.greatdivide.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep amber, nearly copper in color.
Mild malt and fragrant hops aroma.
Two finger tall, tan head with great retained lacing.
Easy session drinker.
Medium mouth feel, splash of hops with each sip.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another visit to WOBUSA and another claimed beer. This is such a good English IPA and went well with dinner. Spicy hops tinge each sip. Great Divide has a made this an easy to drink session IPA.

Al and Brogan hosted this evening and helped me continue my knowledge in their new establishment, while broadening my knowledge in beers and ales.

Another notch in my Loyalty Card and another great beer from Great Divide.

Odell - 5 Barrel Pale Ale

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5 Barrel Pale Ale

Odell Brewing Company

800 East Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. 1989
www.odellbrewing.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Solid orange to copper color.
Hints of citrus in the bouquet with pleasant malt and hops aroma.
Foamy off-white three fingered head.
Continuous, small bubble nucleation in the liquid beneath the head.
Excellent clinging lace down the side of the glass.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel; gentle nudge of hops in the finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Making unexpected acquaintances is one of life's great pleasures. I made a new best friend in Adam, from the Odell Brewing Company today when visiting a rather large Ft. Collins beer and spirits emporium. While perusing the refrigerated aisle for suitable liquid victims to harvest, we stumbled upon his display of Odell finery. I had already made a selection prior to meeting him. Back into the mortuary fridge it went escaping my clutches to live another day. Instead we strolled out with two different six packs of Odell's, along with some mighty nice swag.

This 5 barrel ale is done in their small batch style where only five barrels are brewed at a time until they are satisfied with the formulation. Once this pilot system is perfected, they let the bottling begin! Also interesting to note is that hops are added specific points during the fermenting process, leaving a very flavorful ale as the finished product.

As we say around the crypt, "...life's short." So while you can, go do something refreshing today. Make a point of introducing yourself to some of the Odell family, either in the flesh or in the bottle! It will be a rewarding experience, indeed.

UPDATE 9/23/09 - Arrived Denver this evening for GABF weekend. A fine Irish pub was close by to our hotel and had 5 Barrel on tap. Even more marvelous to behold by the pint, fresh from the keg.

Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55

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Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55
Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn , NY USA
Est. 1988
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber brown color.
Nicely roasted malted barley aroma.
Decent foaming head with strings of lacing.
Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Liked this beer....and then it occurred to me! Since being knee high to a grasshopper, I've been a lifelong Yankees fan! Oh the humiliation of the 1955 World Series. It's when the Dodgers reached back and finally won a series from my beloved Yankees. Can't win 'em all. How sad. But this ale put me in a good mood. And it has a baseball on the label. Let's see...baseball, apple pie and Brooklyn Beer. Let's hear it for the USA!

So let's hear it for 'dem bums at Brooklyn Brewery. They certainly hit one outta' da' ballpark with this finely crafted ale. Good thing that I won't have to wait 'till next year to get another one of these great beers.

Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale

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Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Black Sheep Brewery
Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Est.1992
www.blacksheep.co.uk
Brewed in
Rochester NY, USA
www.eurobrews.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
The color was golden brown, more gold than brown.
Very pungent smell and was slightly bitter to the back of the tongue.
Rich foamy white/yellowish head.
Medium mouth feel...heavy for a pale ale of note. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
And now, for something completely different! We have a new feature in this posting...a "ghost writer." When I get around to some of this ale, I'll add my two cents. The following comments do not represent my personal views, so tough noogies if you don't like them:

Ghost Writer's Eulogy
I am not a huge fan of ales to begin with. I didn't hate the beer like I dislike Samuel Adams ales, but I wouldn't drink it often to enjoy. The appealing label may be the only reason I would ever choke down the taste again.

The beer is very much like the movie itself, low budget and corny, but distinguished and classic all at the same time. The ale makes you happy when you least expect it, just like the movie. It starts off with a good entry taste and leaves you with a bitter after taste like most ales I've drunk in the past. A good experience to try, but I wouldn't start a crusade to get one.
---EA

Michelob Pale Ale

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Michelob Pale Ale
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
St. Louis, Missouri USA
Est. 1852
www.michelob.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Tawny, rusty amber hue.
Aromatic maltiness and taste.
Long lasting, finger high head.
Spiderweb lacing with notching down the side of the glass.
Medium bodied. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Wow! It's been a while since I've been nicely overwhelmed by a beer (ale). This is a fine example of what ales should taste like. There is a wonderful flavor from start to finish...yup, just tasted it again and had to be sure, without pinching myself! I would enjoy one of these again and again and again. And I can because I bought a Michelob sampler...so I will. The question is, will you do likewise?

Tetley's English Ale

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Tetley's English Ale
Carlsberg UK Ltd.
Leeds/Yorkshire, England
Est. 1822
www.carlsberggroup.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 3.6% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 14.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Opaque caramel color.
Double leveled, creamy head during pour.
Lacing so complete the entire glass is draped in foam.
Distinct smooth, creamy sweetness (vanilla?) throughout.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
As the say, it's...
1 for the money ($6.44 for four cans)
2 for the show (nitrogen widget with double foaming head)
3 to get ready (caramel color looking yummy)
........but this ale just doesn't go.

I tasted the malt....but not a bit of bitters. There's a hint of something sweet throughout but I can't make it out. It has a "widget" in the can to give the foaming action of the double tiered head during the pour.

Also disappointing; it has a very low alcohol content. I have heard of 'near beers' but not 'near ales'. Might as well add the NA (non-alcoholic) moniker and have a strong cuppa' Tetley's tea instead of this weak ale. It's even lost on the mother-of-all-beer-websites. Good luck finding the link.

Black Sheep Ale

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Black Sheep Ale
The Black Sheep Brewery

Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Est.1992
www.blacksheep.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.4 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Rich golden brown in color.
Meringue-like foaming head.
Superb lacing.
Sweetness to the brew with a pleasant hops finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Being that I am a bit of a 'black sheep' myself, I was curiously drawn to this ale. It had wonderful taste with a bittersweet aftertaste, which I found very refreshing. Enormous body and flavor that lasts. A small brewer that takes great pride in crafting their beer; as it states on the label, "...the culmination of five generations of brewing expertise. Brewed at The Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire --- and nowhere else." The bottle cap and bottle had interesting artwork. The cap appeared to be scribblings at first glance, but the words Black Sheep Ale, rose out of the scribblings. The base of the bottle neck had hops vines encircling the bottle just above the label. Both are great touches.

Greene King - Abbot Ale

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Abbot Ale
Greene King - Morland Brewery
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk, England
Est.1799
www.abbotale.co.uk

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden red color.
Deep forming head from bottom to the top of glass on pour.
Liquid marshmallow like head that continuously coats glass.
Malty aroma start and mild bitter hop finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Fella's, if you can find a more beautiful, mature, rich and creamy, smooth bodied, strawberry blond that you can hold in your hand without upsetting your current girl one iota, let me know. Inside the confines of this proper pint is a plastic nitrogen ball,(widget). Says so on the can. Pop open this 'big-unit' and the widget will rupture, giving forth a frothy creamy, smooth tasting ale.

I must say, this is an ale to experience. Sit back a while and watch the full head form from bottom to top. As it goes down, it doesn't just lace the glass, it coats it. As the comical talent Lou Costello (more than) once said, "Hey, Abbot! ! !" Must have wanted one of these ales.

Felinfoel - Double Dragon

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Felinfoel - Double Dragon Ale
Felinfoel Brewery Co. Ltd
Llanelli, Wales UK
Est.1878
www.felinfoel-brewery.comest.1878

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review
Full drinking premium ale.
Malty aroma with only a hint of hops.
Rich amber color.
Frothy, lacing head.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Being light on the alcohol side, offers you to imbibe this 'big boy' without fear. And though it's 500ml would be easy to share with a mate, you'll tell them to get their own. Yum!