Death by beer

You don't usually see Death personified as a woman. Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series is a notable exception. Death, in those lovely comic books, is a scrawny-but-sexy goth with punk overtones. Very cool. Sierra Nevada Brewing has added another Lady Death with the label on their new Ruthless Rye IPA. She's in cape and cowl and is carrying a scythe, but she's dressed in dark brown, like a monk. And the hood is pulled back enough to show shiny black hair and a beautiful profile. High thunderclouds are behind her, with a farm house and sown field in the background. In the foreground are stalks of rye and what appear to be sunflowers. It looks like an Ingmar Bergman film, only in sepia tones and set somewhere in the Great Plains. It's a tasty beer, too. Full and sweet at first, then dry and hoppy on the tongue, finishing with a spicy rye flavor reminiscent of Canadian whisky. I've often said that the wonderful brews from Chico are like mother's milk to me. I've been drinking them since they hit the shelves way back in the day, and they are still great. The new Ruthless Rye IPA is killer!