Advantages: A tasty and warming winter ale.
Disadvantages: Little aroma ~ a seasonal beer so availability is limited.

...We had rather a MERRY Christmas this year thanks to a polypin of Bete Noir delivered from one of our local breweries. ~~~THE BREWERY. Bete Noire is brewed by the Kelham Island Brewery, founded in 1990 at a purpose built site in Alma Street, Sheffield (next to the Fat Cat pub). Brewing began using equipment from the old Oxford Brewery and Kelham Island was the first new brewery to start up in Sheffield during the 20th century. In 1999, due to increased demand and production, the brewery moved to its present location very close to the old site. The old Brewhouse still exists as a visitor centre ~ tours can be arranged in the evenings for £4.50 a head and for that you will also get a beer. Kelham Island Brewery is now Sheffield’s largest brewery and has won many awards for their beers ~ the most famous and prestigious of them... Read review

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Advantages: Distinective French music at it's most brilliant
Disadvantages: At some point it has to end

...Long Live Noir Desir! Noir Desir is dead! Well, kind of. It’s probably not particularly PC to like Noir Desir as their charismatic singer, Bretrand Cantat is currently about to stand trial for manslaughter (of then girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant), the story behind which is rather hazy; but this should not get in the way of recognising what an utterly sublime band Noir Desir were. It is very easy to dismiss European rock music and often it is pretty bad; mainland Europe flourishes in all other art forms but contemporary rock music seems to be one item that is missing. So it is just as easy to accept something slightly less than great as great because of general paucity of skill. Not so with Noir Desir and especially Des Visages des Figures, for this has to be one of the great albums. In truth I’ve been listening... Read review

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Advantages: Great balance of value and quality, lovely delicious flavour
Disadvantages: Boring label, only at Marks and Spencer

...I really enjoy Chilean Pinot Noirs because of their clean red berry flavours and have of course sampled quite a few of them. One that has performed the best for me in terms of all round quality, value and sheer quaffability is Secano Estate Pinot Noir which is only available from Marks and Spencer for £6.99. It is made for M&S by a decent producer called Vina Leyda from grapes grown in the Leyda Valley. This area is an up and coming coastal area which is responsible for some very tasty Pinot Noirs as its cooler climate gives better ripening conditions for the temperamental Pinot Noir grape which produces better wine in moderate to cool climates. I first tasted the delicious 2006 vintage while watching the film Sideways in order to pay homage to the main character Miles and his love of Pinot Noir. I am sure he would have revelled... Read review

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Advantages: Mindtwisting plot , Exccessive overdose of humour and the funniest characters around
Disadvantages: If you're a fan of Discworld 1 and 2 you may see this one as a horrible shock!

...The Discworld is back filled with dwarfs, trolls, Terry Pratchetts Witty original humour, trash graphics , the most complicated plot ever, and rock hard puzzle solving activities! For those whove played Discworlds 1 and 2 youll have been familiar with the persuits of our fun lil hero Rincewind the wizard his cynical wit and walking luggage. The bright coloured sprites and odd storyline Well say goodbye to all that and welcome woth Discworld Noir the Black "Erm..is that me or a tree" graphics beyond the repair of changing the contrast settings on your TV,Say Hi to the ugly and I mean ugly characters, and wave your middle finger to the most irritating of all controlls!The game lasted only bout 3 days anyway and the ending was soooooooo not worth it about as bad as the ending to Soul Revear (though without the fantastic game B4 it... Read review

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Advantages: Beautifully controlled, deceptively inventive music
Disadvantages: Err... it's not bad Euro-pop, if that's what you like

...filtered through the communal Noir Desir Gallic musical sensibility. The result is powerful and unique, some think there are overtones of Nirvana on the album and I can recognise a slight Nirvanaesque tinge to the third track: Un Jour en France and yet it is an entirely Noir Desir creation. It is a problem in much English speaking culture that we have a tendency to assume that this music, or that film are harking to English/American culture without thinking that they could well have come by their own style their own way. Certainly there are clearly influences at work on 666.667 Club, but after all it is a very French album, grounded in Gallic culture and resonances, though without the concomitant Euro-pop awfulness. The album opens with the title track: 666.667 Club, which is perhaps the oddest track on the whole album. It begins... Read review

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Advantages: Great characters, strong story & script, very funny, good to play
Disadvantages: compatibility problems on windows XP?

..."I've had some bad days since I started work as a Private Investigator, but I've never woken up dead before..." - Lewton For those of you who are familiar with the discworld novels, here comes all the warped humour of Terry Pratchet but in a point and click adventure, the third discworld point and click adventure to be precise. And in my opinion the best Discworld adventure yet. Setting the scene ******************* The game is set in the dark town of Ankh Morpork, on the discworld. A town apparently full of crime, fear and the amount of trust there "wouldn't fill a cup - and it's a small cup I'm talking about"(Lewton). The game starts of a cold, dark and rainy nightm outside a dingy set of offices. This sets the scene perfectly for the rest of this "Noir" style detective game. Storyline ********** You're a private... Read review

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Advantages: Good flavour and an instant cup of coffee
Disadvantages: A bit pricey.

...On scouring the instant coffee shelves a while ago for something a little more interesting than Nescafe I came accross Carte Noire. I think it was the jar which caught my eye. The jar is tall, square and black with a gold band around and a white label with Carte Noire and 'Un cafe nomme desir' written in black on it. For those of you who speak French no doubt you will be able to translate it (something along the lines of a coffee named desire). The label is plastic which can easily be removed before you take the jar down to the glass bank. The lid is something which is totally unique. It is also black and sort of dome shaped. Quite attractive with its only drawback the fact that when you replace the top you can never line it up with the jar sides properly once it has been opened, so it always looks bit wonky. Once the lid... Read review

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Advantages: Strong, enjoyable
Disadvantages: Can be pricey for instant.

...Carte Noire un café nomme desir Carte Noire is a freeze-dried instant coffee, imported exclusively by the Kenco Coffee Company. I have been drinking Carte Noire for a few years now, it is our coffee of choice. It is an arabica coffee and has a full-rounded heady aroma, and makes for a strong aromatic cup of coffee. Yes it is an instant coffee but it has a distinctive flavour and aroma. It has quite a bitter taste, but doesn't leave an unpleasant aftertaste. I love opening a new jar of this coffee, there is a strong almost chocolatey smell when you first pierce the inner seal covering the jar. When making my coffee I add one good sized teaspoonfull to a large cup/mug pour on just freshly boiled water add a small drop of milk and enjoy. I like my coffee very hot and with only a small amount of milk. Carte Noire comes... Read review

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Advantages: A good place to share with fellow members.
Disadvantages: Sometimes, you can share too much.

...When I first joined up as a member of Ciao, I really did not know where to write opinions which are called "cafe opinions". It was all a mystery to me, until one day I followed someone elses review to see where it lead, and came across quite by chance, the cafe section of Ciao. WHERE IS THE CAFE LOCATED The cafe section of Ciao is located on the Members Centre Page. When you are logged in you will find links to the Member Centre at the top of your screen. Press this and you will be taken into the Member page and at the bottom on the left hand side, there is a heading "cafe". Press this to open up a whole new experience on Ciao. This site is primarily a site for consumer products of course, and that is the principle aim of the site, to produce good quality reviews for the public. However, the cafe section is a little luxury... Read review

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Advantages: perfect spot to watch the sunset
Disadvantages: none

...Sitting on the rocks, sipping a drink, the only noise is from the bar behind playing tranquil and serene music, watching the sun slowly disappear below the sea. Its beautiful. A trip to Ibiza isn't complete with out a visit to San Antonios sunset strip in the bay of Calo des Moro. Café del mar was built in the 1980s. Is is now joined by Mambo, Savannah and Kanya at al but Café Del Mar is still the most renowned. Café Del Mar produces its own music and was responsible for starting the chill-out trend with its trademark mellow Baleraric beat. Since 1994 Café Del Mar has been releasing annual chillout albums. For those people who are running low on euros !....you can bring your own drinks and sit on the rocks in front of the café, you can still hear the music. Once the sun has left us, there is usually entertainment... Read review

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