Poems and a Review in PB$

The Poetry Bus
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I am very happy to have a poem, a haiku and a review published in the latest Poetry Bus, the 5th issue published by Peadar and Collette O'Donoghue. The Poetry Bus continues to be a very attractive magazine, with high production values and striking full colour imagery.

Its content is broad, but the work inside the Bus normally has quite an edge to it, in content or style- for better or worse. It reads more quick fire than meditative, but an attentive editorial eye has selected pieces that not only demand you chase them down the page but are crafted well enough to stay in and stimulate your mind.

From cover to cover the artwork is bold and intermissions the poetry just enough to avoid distraction either way. Though the images themselves are catching the quality of their reproduction in the magazine is not always up to standard, more likely due to the images supplied rather than the printers or editors fault. The continued presence of comic strips is good to see and I hope more comic writers come to see the Bus as a platform for their work.
The 'My Writing Life' section of the Bus gives writers carte blanche beyond the title which prompts indulgent and flowery lifestyling to honest reflection of the role writing plays in an author's life. Another article in this Bus tends towards more flowery indulgence- a vent against rejection letters which can be seen as an unnecessary feature in a magazine which, I imagine, has a backlog of work waiting to be published.


I feel the role of poetry journals and magazines to discuss the state of the art or the state of the scene it exists in and draws from is currently underplayed in the Bus. But I am optimistic that this role will be optimised in time, as its reputation grows and its understanding of itself increases.

Hornbeer: Hops, Vikings and Stouts

Hornbeer manages to encapsulate the Danish micro-brewing scene while at the same time setting themselves apart from the others with some very distinguished beers.

It is made on the grounds of a fine house an hours drive from Copenhagen.

It is a Husband and Wife operation; Gunhild and Jørgen have 39 beers listed under the Horn brand since they opened in 2008. Most of their output has been IPA's and stouts/porters with a smattering of wheat, bock and fruit beers. But it must be said that when Hornbeer hits the mark it does hit it higher than most.

Tasting

Their capacity has steadily increased as has their recognition in the form of awards (They have as many awards and merits for their beers as they have beers!). This has gained them some needed distinction in a market crowded with Danish breweries producing variations of the same strong IPA's and porters under multiple labels.

Hoping to buck this trend Jørgen told me he plans on a few more sessionable beers with lower abv's and has done so successfully so far with Top Hop and Dry Hop at 4.7% and 5% respectively.

Context aside, Hornbeer's big strong stouts are consistently gratifying and indulgent. Their rightly praised Fundamental Black Horn and Black Magic Women are deep flavoured and flawless, though maybe too straight-forward to warrant their 10% abv.

Viking Chilli Stout is without a doubt the jewel in their crown, a truly world class beer. The chilli is well hidden in its chocolate maltiness. At first it is all truffle and coca fruit and by the time it gets to your belly the chilli comes into play with a sharp, then warming spice.

With their impressive track record so far and a pragmatic approach to evolving beer tastes any new beers from Hornbeer should be drank with optimism!

Fermenters and new brew kit

Old and new bottling lines