Favorite new thing/ what did you not like? at TRF 2012

[mpullen]

I only drink Thorin's because so far it has been the only one I like. I can not stand Chauncers and that was all I could find Sat so I bought a bottle of that just so the others in my group could try mead for the first time. I am open to mead suggestions and locations I can try new ones!!

Chaucer's isn't a true meade. It's a mixture of white wine and mead (read the label). I previously liked Chuncers but Dunrathy better. Then I tried Thorin's.Never going back.

[KeeperoftheBar]

Favorite thing:   The new deck at the Sea Devil w/ power outlets.  (As I told Terre in the campground)

Worst thing:  The distacne for handicapped parking from the campground.  If you get up early and get the best spot on row 1, it is still close to a 100 yard journey (uphill) to the gate.  Instead, I left the campground, entered general parking and was the first car next to the path, a distance of maybe 15 feet.  So as a solution is all ready realized, this is not a problem but "Handicapped Camping Parking" is a bit misleading.

[Vixara]

I only drink Thorin's because so far it has been the only one I like. I can not stand Chauncers and that was all I could find Sat so I bought a bottle of that just so the others in my group could try mead for the first time. I am open to mead suggestions and locations I can try new ones!!

Glad to hear that you love (what I call) the golden nectar of the gods! (No Im not biased or anything  ) It IS only at the camp grounds this year unfortunately. But that shall not stop us from enjoying it's deliciousness, and with a wonderful price now too. Thorin's is a TRADITIONAL mead so, yes, it is much different, and not for everyone.

Strange: The Knightly is an English wildflower mead. It is not quite as sweet, in fact it is what we call the "semisweet." Some still find that too over powering. In fact I know a few people love to cut it half and half with white wine. If you will be back out I'd be more than happy to give you a sample if we run into each other! 

I realize that you have a bias, and in the interest of not turning this into an argument of preferences, I'll make this my last response re: Thorin and his "mead".
I've been making mead for around 10 years, and been drinking mead from some of the finest meaderies and homebrewers in the nation since well before that.
I know that everyone's tastes are different, and what I like will not always be what someone else likes.
However, I have never, in my own work or with anyone else's, known multiple people to get sick from a mead UNTIL they had Thorin's.
And my acquaintances are not the only ones. Why do you think it got pulled from most of the faire shops?

I get that Thorin thinks it is "traditional" to not filter his mead, but even unfiltered, a bottle should not have a half inch or more of lees in the bottom, or have liquid so opaque that light won't pass thru it.
Even the actual Vikings would not have had that much yeast in the mead they drank.
The mead for drinking was taken from the top of the pot, which left the yeast behind to make more mead.
I think the only thing that makes it worse is that Thorin can't claim it was a mistake due to being a new mazer.
He PAYS a contract winery to make it that way. I actually surprised that they agreed to produce something that could make people sick.

As I said, I might be willing to give the Knightly a try, since it doesn't look foul, but given Thorin's long running history of alcoholic mishaps, I don't have much faith that it will change my mind.

Feel free to respond or defend or whatever. Mods can kill it if they like. I have said my piece.

Yes, yes I am biased. And I do understand that the mead, either flavor, is NOT for everyone. I cannot respond in regards to people getting sick from it, as this is the first I have ever heard about that..(apart from maybe someone drinking too much and just getting drunk)  I personally love having some sedament in my drink, but I have also never encountered as much as you apparently have.
I will be back almost every day that remains apart from some work conflicts, but I do have a couple of bottles of Knightly, that I shall have with me for sampling. It IS much lighter, so if you are willing to give it a chance, I look forward to providing you with the opportunity. There will also be a third flavor in the coming months (I don't know about in time for TRF) that has been described as a semi-dry, so that may be more to your liking. If none of them are, well, then none of them are and that's just fine too!
Oh, and just for the record, Thorne does not pay a winery to make the mead for him. He pays the winery to use the space and equipment. The mead is made by him. Anda gain, I haven't heard of it making people sick, but then again I just started working with him last season, so I cannot really defend or agree upon that statement.

[Yrose]

Favorite thing:   The new deck at the Sea Devil w/ power outlets.  (As I told Terre in the campground)

Worst thing:  The distacne for handicapped parking from the campground.  If you get up early and get the best spot on row 1, it is still close to a 100 yard journey (uphill) to the gate.  Instead, I left the campground, entered general parking and was the first car next to the path, a distance of maybe 15 feet.  So as a solution is all ready realized, this is not a problem but "Handicapped Camping Parking" is a bit misleading.

I agree with you Keeper. We will have to do the same.

[Glaodian]

Yes, yes I am biased. And I do understand that the mead, either flavor, is NOT for everyone. I cannot respond in regards to people getting sick from it, as this is the first I have ever heard about that..(apart from maybe someone drinking too much and just getting drunk)  I personally love having some sedament in my drink, but I have also never encountered as much as you apparently have.
I will be back almost every day that remains apart from some work conflicts, but I do have a couple of bottles of Knightly, that I shall have with me for sampling. It IS much lighter, so if you are willing to give it a chance, I look forward to providing you with the opportunity. There will also be a third flavor in the coming months (I don't know about in time for TRF) that has been described as a semi-dry, so that may be more to your liking. If none of them are, well, then none of them are and that's just fine too!
Oh, and just for the record, Thorne does not pay a winery to make the mead for him. He pays the winery to use the space and equipment. The mead is made by him. Anda gain, I haven't heard of it making people sick, but then again I just started working with him last season, so I cannot really defend or agree upon that statement.

I enjoy drinking Thorin's.  But that is me.  Never had an issue with it.

[Tudor-Diva]

Did you know that there is a mead tasting each day at 5:00 p.m.?  In addition to two daily wine tastings, I host this show as well.  The Taverna di Vino is a wine shop owned by the Merchant Prince, who also owns The Sea Devil, Prince of Wales Pub, and the Feast Hall, and is located right across from the glassblower.  We sample four meads (host choice, usually based on availability) and everyone takes home a lovely ceramic mead cup made in the same manner as the feast hall mug.  The tickets are $20 a person and can be purchased at the shop the day of the show.  It's a relaxing, low key, fun way to spend 45 minutes drinking mead, hearing some poetry, watching some magic, and unwinding.  We would love to attract more audience to the show and grow our audience for seasons to come.  After doing two wine tastings back to back right before this event, it is certainly a welcome way for me to wind down for the day.  We've many meads from many countries (including Bunratty) and you might be surprised how very versatile mead is.  I encourage you all to come give us a try and hopefully it will become one of your favorite new things at the festival!  Here is a link for the wine tasting.  For some reason, there is nothing for the mead tasting:  http://texrenfest.com/entertainment/wine-tasting

Someone had asked about a pub sing, and indeed there is one, but it is not on the entertainment schedule.  There is a pub sing outside of the Prince of Wales pub around 6:30 each evening.  The Pride o' Bedlam, the Beefeaters, Jenny O'Manion, The Bard O'Neil are all in attendance and leading the fun.  Other acts participate on occasion when they are available.  You should check it out.  It's always a fun time.

[Queen Bonnie]

 favorite thing- mead tasting!
Least favorite thing- Why is the faire open until 9PM?  I miss the parade going by the Prince of Wales too!

[PollyPoPo]

Not like:

I just took a look at the main TRF website, texrenfest.com, for the first time in a few weeks.  I notice on the top photo slides, showing the various themes, there is a "sponsored by" in the lower right hand of each photo.  Never noticed this before, so I'm wondering when that showed up.  Has it been there since the pix went up for 2012 and I just never saw it?  (I do have a built-in brain turnoff-radar for advertising in general and might not have seen it before.  Either that or my screen zoom was set too big for me to notice it on the side.)  There has been the Sponsors box in the lower left for years.

The advertising spots on the front page combine with all the other in-your-face advertising going on with TRF now.  It's gone past the unobtrusive sign telling us what beer is being served, or which cola, or who is paying for the website.

As for the white tent out front, it was an annoyance, but I have no idea what they were pushing.   We were going to faire, not a supermarket parking lot.

For advertising to be effective, it has to get a person's attention, literally stop that person from seeing anything around the advertising for at least a split-second.  In this instance, that anything is TRF itself.  Somehow I do not think that was the intention of whoever made the decisions to increase non-Faire presence.

[Breandan]

Polly, it's worse- there are "sponsored by" and corporate logo tags all over the signs throughout faire. Nothing breaks immersion faster than walking by a stage or location and seeing "Sponsored by Randalls" with the blue Randals logo plastered across it, for example. This I am NOT a fan of, and I heard a lot of 'dane patrons make displeased remarks about it ranging from the trite ("Huh, didn't know they had Randalls back in Ye Olde Medieval England") to the very critical ("What's next, tattooing ads onto my damned turkey leg? This is just ridiculous, its worse than Disney Land")

Note the examples I gave are what I overheard from regular (non-Playtron) patrons in less than five minutes standing next to the aforementioned sign. Corporate sponsorship may be a necessity, but at LEAST try to make it fit in with the feel of faire. I point you to the old beer ads and sponsorship logos that were done in a renaissance style twenty years ago or so. Otherwise, no one- from the ED to George himself- has any legitimacy griping about breaking immersion when they themselves are the most egregious perpetrators of such.

[PollyPoPo]

Breandan, I was at Faire opening weekend.

I truly am one of those people who has learned to almost completely ignore the advertising.  Don't know if rest of family noticed or not.

When I actually become aware, it's usually way past the point of annoyance or anger on the part of other people so I know this is really getting to people.

Hopefully TRF management is getting an earful on this issue.  

[Tudor-Diva]

favorite thing- mead tasting!
Least favorite thing- Why is the faire open until 9PM?  I miss the parade going by the Prince of Wales too!

Yea Bonnie!  I am so glad you had a good time with us.  We really want to promote the mead tasting and we are working, literally this minute, to produce a show that will be gratifying for everyone.

That's it, I'm starting a new mead thread.

[Queen Bonnie]

 Huzzah! Good to let all know about it! It was fun and a bargain! The mead cup was nice too!

[Zardoz]

I actually signed up to win the car on my way out. I know, I know, I'm blaming the beer!
Here's what the car thing is about; Right after you sign up they give you a pitch about vacation rentals, then about a week later you get a letter telling you you've won a prize that you need to go to their property in Conroe to collect. If you ignore the letter they are kind enough to remind you by ringing your cell phone,(I know, beer again )  twice a day, every day, till you set up an appointment.

So be sure and avoid ye olde timeshare scam on your way in or out!

[PollyPoPo]

I actually signed up to win the car on my way out. I know, I know, I'm blaming the beer!
Here's what the car thing is about; Right after you sign up they give you a pitch about vacation rentals, then about a week later you get a letter telling you you've won a prize that you need to go to their property in Conroe to collect. If you ignore the letter they are kind enough to remind you by ringing your cell phone,(I know, beer again )  twice a day, every day, till you set up an appointment.

So be sure and avoid ye olde timeshare scam on your way in or out!

Question for you, Zardoz.  Did you notice anything on the sign-up paper, signs, anything at all to indicate it was a time-share solicitation?  

Edited: Never mind.  I did some Googling and found that this is a time-share solicitation, with info in small print on back of the entry card filled out.  

People are questioning the contest on the TRF FB page.


Edit Oct 23, 2012:  Management has posted that the car drawing in December will go to an entrant who is a TRF fan, indicating that the drawing itself is just for entries submitted at TRF. 

[gaerdon]

I actually signed up to win the car on my way out. I know, I know, I'm blaming the beer!
Here's what the car thing is about; Right after you sign up they give you a pitch about vacation rentals, then about a week later you get a letter telling you you've won a prize that you need to go to their property in Conroe to collect. If you ignore the letter they are kind enough to remind you by ringing your cell phone,(I know, beer again )  twice a day, every day, till you set up an appointment.

So be sure and avoid ye olde timeshare scam on your way in or out!

Try playing them right back.  Agree to show up for meeting but you cant afford to go over there could they comp you a free room and a $50 gift card for you gas.  You would be surprised how often it works, just pay attention to when they tell you how long the sales pitch is and dont let them convince you to sit there longer and wait.  When you hit that point just say nah im not buying have a good day and get up and leave.