Redd’s Wicked Apple Ale poured into a standard pint glass has a beautiful rich golden amber color, but no matter how vigorously I poured it no head whatsoever would build. The nose is unsurprisingly dominated by fierce apple notes but on first whiff it is not overly sweet, it has a delicate balance with malt undertones. The Ale that Redd’s Wicked is based on is dominated with maltiness with no discernible hop-bite or bitterness; this will be loved by some and hated by others. I find myself fairly indifferent because it tastes a bit more like an aggressive cider than true fruit ale. The finish is sweet, a bit too sweet but not enough to ruin the crispness of the apples.

The limited release Redd’s Wicked Strawberry Kiwi Ale is very similar to the Apple mainstay but the strawberry and kiwi notes give it a bit more dimensionality. This version brings Redd’s Wicked even further from the Ale category and closer to cider, yet many drinkers will love its purely sweet accessibility. I would recommend the Strawberry Kiwi for anyone looking to get away from beer this spring yet still want something familiar and accessible.

I could easily find myself drinking Redd’s Wicked Apple or Strawberry Kiwi Ale on many warm spring afternoons; it is sweet and accessible and in no way challenging. This sadly result in losing a bit of dimension and complexity that I like in my warm weather brews. I feel that if you go into the drinking experience with the proper outlook that this is more of a malty cider than true Ale you will not be disappointed, plus the 8% abv packs quite the wallop that will get you going in no time.

The post Redd’s Wicked Ale Is Not The Ale You Think It Is appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

In 1961, a young Dieter Rams becomes Head of Design. His approach of “less, but better” helps reinvent how we interact with everyday objects ranging for razors, kitchen appliances, coffee makers, radios, audio systems, and most notably, watches. No matter how arbitrary a product may seem, Rams is able to create a visual language that has inspired the likes of Jonny Ive at Apple. The ability to create timeless design is visible with such Apple products as the iPod, calculator, or Mac, all drawing inspiration from the young Rams, and his work at Braun many decades earlier.

In 1989, Dieter Rams brings the AW 10 wrist-watch to market, a product that embodies Rams’ mantra of a product having “as little design as possible” and irreversibly influences modern minimal design. The Braun Classic timepiece utilizes Quartz 3-hand movement contained within a stainless steel case, water resistant to 50 meters, with leather straps in brown and black. It’s subdued, yet striking appearance exquisitely compliment any outfit –

from your girlfriend’s friend’s wedding, to blasting down the canyon much faster than you tell her you’re going on your Harley, a Braun timepiece is the perfect choice. With its elegance being secondary to function, the watch is never too bulky, or difficult to read at a glance. It satisfies its core objective of presenting the time (and date, depending on model), with clear no nonsense “German-ness”. No matter if tuxedo, vintage leather Ducati jacket, or simple black t-shirt, this classic is always called for.

Below are additional examples of Dieter Rams’ work for Braun, and how his influence on product and industrial design is still very much alive half a century later.

The post The Apple before Apple: Braun. appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Last week we tried out the Element Case Ducati line, so  I gave them a ring and did my best poor college student impression while begging to try out their motorcycle mount. Nailed it. Soon I had their Zip Mount in my hands and a desire to hit the open road – only without getting lost this time. I hunkered down in my garage and prepared for the dirty and painful task of installing this piece of kit onto my mount. And you know what? It couldn’t have been easier. Do you know how to effectively work a zip-tie? Then you know how to install the Zip Mount. My dreams of struggling away in my garage with wrenches and dirty gloves while listening to classic rock dashed, I decided to hit the road.

In theory, what a motorcycle mount needs to do is exceedingly simple. It needs to hold on to my phone. In practice though, at 100mph, this simple task has never been so important. You’ve got to be able to trust that the mount is going to hold on to your precious Facebook machine, and that gentle reader is why you have me. To test these things out on my phone first. You’re welcome.

A couple of notes: The Zip Mount only slides into the Element Case Fuse Dek, which itself only fits onto the Rogue case we tested last week (at least out of the two cases we tested. I’m sure it fits onto other cases of theirs as well). With that realization, I installed my phone into the chunky Rogue case, installed that into the Fuse Dek mounting system/belt clip, and slid the whole contraption onto my bike mount. It sounds clunky, and is clunky to hold, but once installed it looks pretty minimal.

Enough dillydallying, let’s get this mount on the road. My phone didn’t immediately fall when I set off, nor did it drop  when I picked up to 25mph. Still solid at 35 and 45mph. So far so good. 55 and 65 came and went with no issues as well. Now, 65mph is the legally-recognized top speed in the great state of California so I couldn’t possibly tell you how I ramped up to a heady 100mph on my local streets to test the Zip Mount. For science. Nope, couldn’t possibly tell you about that or at attacking intersection corners to test with some lateral G-forces. That would be irresponsible and downright dangerous of me. So I won’t tell you about any of that *alleged* activity. But you’ll be safe to assume that this mount will hold up to canyon carving and street fighting use.

If I’m honest, I’ve been trying to rely on turn-by-turn navigation less and less. I find I don’t remember how I got to places or how to get back if my little hand computer is telling me everything. But this motorcycle mount certainly made a case for itself and I have already found myself wishing it were there now that I’ve uninstalled the tester Element Case provided. If I continue being honest, it’s likely that I’m going to forget to send it back…

The post Mount Up! Let’s Test an iPhone at 100mph appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.