Beer Thread

[TuffLuff]

On 01/05/2020 at 21:32, uttoxram75 said:

Sounds worth a try although I usually prefer bottles if not drinking in the pub.

This is a nice pint,

 

Peak Ales are a great local brewery. They’ve recently brought a range of new beers and the stout and IPA are very very good 

[TuffLuff]

On 09/05/2020 at 23:10, Coconut said:

I still don't understand why Derbyshire brewery Thornbridge don't appear to have a single pub in Derbyshire, but poo loads in Sheffield and now (apparently) one in Birmingham. It does actually put me off them a little bit!

Anyway, currently sipping a Buxton/Omnipollo Yellow Belly Sundae (their peanut butter & biscuit imperial stout, this time aged in bourbon barrels, at 12%). I say sipping, but I have no self control and it's only taken me about 20 minutes to drink it.

They have a small pub in Little Longstone but that’s about it.

My local in Sheffield is a thornbridge pub and overall we don’t mind it, in fairness they do have a very good and varied selection of beers.

Saying that, Thornbridge in relation to Derbyshire is a strange one, brewed in Bakewell but isn’t sold in the pubs and doesn’t attempt to get locals into their brewery bar (which has all the potential to be a brilliant addition to the area, I’ve been to Hawkshead brewery bar and I think it was the highlight of the lakes for me!). I think the Wednesday beer sums up how they see themselves. Fortunately there’s plenty of other good breweries about the area, Peak Ales, Buxton and the new Riber brewery all do good beer without even considering the ones in Chesterfield and closer to Derby.

I still wish a Derby brewery would do a DCFC beer that was sold in and around the ground. That’s what that thornbridge Wednesday beer is really for and it’s very popular.

[Eddie]

Public Service Announcement

Man cannot live by Belgian beer alone (well, this man cannot) - sometimes, my taste buds scream out for English beers (Robinsons Old Tom, Tynt Meadow, anything from Eyam Brewery etc), and rather frequently, German beer. So I was quite interested when a friend of mine (yes, I have at least one friend) told me about a website who specialise in beers from the Munich district. I love Doppelbocks, Maibocks and Oktoberfest beers, and the Memsahib loves Hellas/Hell, Pilseners together with the aforementioned Doppelbocks, Maibocks and Oktoberfest beers - especially when she doesn't realise that I've counted them into the crates.

The website is http://www.web-bier.de/shop/

Anyway, the first thing that you should know is that they only ship multiples of 24 bottles - but that can be any 24 bottles - 24 singles all different if you like. The second thing you should know is that the delivery cost is €16.90 to ship said box of 24 bottles to the UK. At this point, I had a look at what that looks like in real terms, adding on basically 70c to the price of each bottle, taking the exchange rate into account and comparing that price to my usual supplier of German beers, Beers of Europe.

The answer was - extremely favourable.

So I ordered the following:

• 6 x Paulaner Salvator 50 cl
• 6 x Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock 50 cl
• 6 x Augustiner Beer Munich Edelstoff Export 50 cl
• 2 x Spaten Muenchener Hell Lager Beer 50 cl
• 2 x Andechs Lager Beer 50 cl
• 2 x Augustiner Heller Mai Bock 33 cl

Total cost, including shipping and allowing for the current very stingy exchange rate through Paypal - £51.33.

The same beers through Beers of Europe (which is based in Kings Lynn and offers free shipping for orders over £60) was a little over £75. So basically £1 a bottle cheaper - and it's coming around 800 Km.

It would have been rude not to.

[Curtains]

I’ve been enjoying this beet in lockdown 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Curtains

[Steve How Hard?]

2 hours ago, Curtains said:

I’ve been enjoying this beet in lockdown 

 

'Ave it!!!

[Eddie]

Moving on from @Curtains and his John Smiths (actually, 30 years ago I loved John Smiths on draught, especially on the rare occasions I was in the Tadcaster area. If we had been fishing in Brid or Scarborough, we would head back home via York and stop off in a pub in Tadcaster for dinner), tonight I am having a couple of utterly world-class German beers.

Both Doppelbocks (my favourite German style - malty and magnificent), I started with Paulaner Salvator (7.9% abv), and finished with a Hacker-Pschorr Animator (8.2% abv). If you have never tried one, do yourself a favour and get one. Don't chill it too much - about 12 degrees C is perfect.

German glasses tend to be tall and slender, but these beers have a wonderful aroma, so I prefer to use a wide, short goblet so I can get my nose in. A Chimay glass is perfect.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Eddie

[Curtains]

8 hours ago, Eddie said:

Moving on from @Curtains and his John Smiths (actually, 30 years ago I loved John Smiths on draught, especially on the rare occasions I was in the Tadcaster area. If we had been fishing in Brid or Scarborough, we would head back home via York and stop off in a pub in Tadcaster for dinner), tonight I am having a couple of utterly world-class German beers.

Both Doppelbocks (my favourite German style - malty and magnificent), I started with Paulaner Salvator (7.9% abv), and finished with a Hacker-Pschorr Animator (8.2% abv). If you have never tried one, do yourself a favour and get one. Don't chill it too much - about 12 degrees C is perfect.

German glasses tend to be tall and slender, but these beers have a wonderful aroma, so I prefer to use a wide, short goblet so I can get my nose in. A Chimay glass is perfect.

Mate are you the original Eddie on this site. 

[RoyMac5]

One for you @Eddie? 

https://www.brewdog.com/uk/barnard-castle-eye-test

 

[Boycie]

On 26/05/2020 at 10:18, Curtains said:

Mate are you the original Eddie on this site. 

No, the old one was grumpy and tended to snap at people.

[Anag Ram]

On 01/05/2020 at 23:04, Eddie said:

There's a new Duvel tripel hop with Cascade as the third hop. I'm told it's an improvement on Citra, which is sooooo grapefruity. I used to use it myself in home brewing a few years ago, and it's not very subtle.

If hoppy beers are your thing, then a couple of Belgians I would definitely recommend are Hommelbier and Troubadour Magma - subtle but quite hoppy all the same.

Corsendonk Agnus is very nice, so you are definitely on the right track. 

A few beers which are regular go-to beers for the wife (she is an absolute tripel nut, whereas I'm more into the maltier dubbels and quads, but I do love each of the following):

• Tripel LeFort
• Waterloo Tripel Blond
• Tongerlo Prior
• Straffe Hendrik Tripel
• Westmalle Tripel
• Tripel Karmeleit
• La Trappe Tripel (actually Dutch, from the monastery of Koningshoeven)

If you like sour(ish) beers, Straffe Hendrik Wild is worth trying. It's basically their 'normal' tripel with an injection of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis for the secondary fermentation. I think it's remarkable, and the sourness is very subtle. There is also one Trappist monastery who only brew one beer, and that is Orval. It's not so much sour as 'funky' - well worth getting your hands on a bottle to try.

There is a style of Belgian beers which are specifically 'summer' beers, blond like the tripels, but not as strong (although most are in the 6-7% range so hardly 'session' beers, and that is the Saisons. You can get your hands on one at Tesco, believe it or not, and it will only set you back £5 for 3 bottles - the beer is called 'St Feuillien Saison' and it's quite delicious. Serve it cold on a summer's day. Other saisons worth looking for in decent beer shops include Saison Dupont, Urthel Saisoniere and the wonderfully named Saison Silly.

Another style which Belgium is renowned for is the spontaneously fermented Gueuzes and Lambics (think about the way that cider is fermented), but that's really for another day.

One other style which is worth a mention is Gruut. This is a style that is pretty well exclusive to Ghent, and its history goes back 400 or so years and originated because of extremely high taxes on hops - so the Ghent brewers turned to a mixture of herbs as a bittering agent.

 

Just ordered another 16 LaTrappe tripels. Delicious and so drinkable right up to the point when I fall asleep! 

[Curtains]

28 minutes ago, Boycie said:

No, the old one was grumpy and tended to snap at people.

Has he been reincarnated lol

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

One for you @Eddie? 

https://www.brewdog.com/uk/barnard-castle-eye-test

 

I'm not a fan of many Brewdog beers at the best of times, so I'll pass.

[Eddie]

On 26/05/2020 at 10:18, Curtains said:

Mate are you the original Eddie on this site. 

Yes. I got utterly fed up with the bullying and general rancour, so I asked David to delete my old account (contrary to popular opinion, I did not get a life ban, but I did catch a couple of time-outs). After a few months I set a new account up (again, I told people what I was doing) using the name 'Montgolfier' (people from way back will remember me as 'Dirigible' and 'Balloon' on the old DET site - and of course the Montgolfier brothers were the pioneers of ballooning, so it was a deliberate clue), then after a month, I changed the display name to 'Eddie'.

When I started posting again, I had nobody on 'ignore' - but now, I have precisely the same six I had on 'ignore' as back in the old days. It will stay that way, because there is something about me that winds them up - and believe me, the feeling is mutual. I don't know the people concerned, but I utterly loathe the online personas they portray. I don't think that will change, because I am stubborn to the point of intransigence, and I'm too old to change.

Enjoy your John Smiths - I did 30 years ago, although as far as Tadcaster beers are concerned, I prefer Sam Smiths.

There's an interesting story how the breweries evolved...

https://newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/2009/08/battle-between-brewing-smiths.html

[Curtains]

7 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Yes. I got utterly fed up with the bullying and general rancour, so I asked David to delete my old account (contrary to popular opinion, I did not get a life ban, but I did catch a couple of time-outs). After a few months I set a new account up (again, I told people what I was doing) using the name 'Montgolfier' (people from way back will remember me as 'Dirigible' and 'Balloon' on the old DET site - and of course the Montgolfier brothers were the pioneers of ballooning, so it was a deliberate clue), then after a month, I changed the display name to 'Eddie'.

When I started posting again, I had nobody on 'ignore' - but now, I have precisely the same six I had on 'ignore' as back in the old days. It will stay that way, because there is something about me that winds them up - and believe me, the feeling is mutual. I don't know the people concerned, but I utterly loathe the online personas they portray. I don't think that will change, because I am stubborn to the point of intransigence, and I'm too old to change.

Enjoy your John Smiths - I did 30 years ago, although as far as Tadcaster beers are concerned, I prefer Sam Smiths.

There's an interesting story how the breweries evolved...

https://newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/2009/08/battle-between-brewing-smiths.html

Thanks.   Nice to have you back mate. 

[Curtains]

I might just have a small glass of this tonight as I’m rather partial to it. 

[Eddie]

3 hours ago, Curtains said:

Thanks.   Nice to have you back mate. 

I'll be good.

[Eddie]

I like Maibocks and Doppelbocks. 

OK, I am obsessed with Belgian beers, but other countries do get a look-in occasionally.

Tonight, I am drinking one particular beer for the first time. It's Austrian, and technically, it's a lager (which means that suddenly, I've got the interest of more than half the people on here, so I'll try and give you a proper review.

First things first, the beer is Samichlaus Helles. All Samichlaus beers are brewed on one day of the year only, and that is (predictably) St Nicholas's Day, December 6. They are brewed by Brauerei Schloss, at Eggenberg Castle, and there's about 5 different varieties. All of them are aged in oak for almost a year before bottling. They are not cheap - the one I'm currently sipping cost me £6 for a 33 cl bottle, but it tips the scales at a liver-worrying 14%.

Appearance: Absolutely crystal-clear bright amber liquid, the colour of sunset. It almost sparkles - it's a glorious colour. There is no head - it burst into life when I poured it but then disappeared instantly. Consequently, there is no lacing.

Smell: Freshly-baked bread - a wonderful wheaty aroma reminiscent of the bread my Granny used to bake 60 years ago. The crusty type of loaf that she used to hold under her arm, butter and then cut a doorstop off. The greatest bread I ever tasted. It's malty too, with a very pleasant fruitiness - think over-ripe pears.

Taste: Initially sweet and boozy. This is like a barley wine on speed, but all the time the maltiness is struggling to break through - and then it does, all at once. But it's warming - as it trickles down the throat, it feels more like a whisky on the way down than a beer. It's huge, and it lingers an awful long time after each sip.

Mouthfeel: Slick and oily. There is a word in Derbyshire which describes how a pie feels when it is almost magnetically drawn to the roof of your mouth, and that is 'Claarty' (double'a'). With a pie, it's not exactly great - but with a beer, it's almost comforting. It's definitely reaching the parts that other beers don't reach. It just seems to linger there, long after the rest of the liquid has headed South. Perhaps it's the booze, but it's lovely.

Overall: I've died and gone to beer heaven. This is up there with the finest beers I have ever tasted in my life - and I have been drinking an awful long time.

Do you know the best part? I'm only a quarter of the way down the glass, and I've got five more bottles (A couple of which I think I'll lay down for a couple of years).

 

 

[Kinder]

I’ve made my first foray into Belgian beer. Favourite so far was a Westmalle Dubbel. Right up my street as you suggested Eddie, dark, strong (compared to beers I usually drink) and very, very tasty.  Not sure if it’s a yeasty flavour but I loved it, will definitely be getting more.

I then had a Saison Dupont and didn’t much like it.  Tasted too sour for me.  Is it a typical saison? If so I’m not sure they’re for me.

Next up was a Rochefort 6. It was nice but very dry and a bit gassy.  It looked like a nice dark ale but I was surprised with the bit of fizz. I’m on the fence but have a Rochefort 10 to try this weekend which looks like a bit of a headbanger!

And I’ve had a couple of Duvels.  I absolutely love them so any more recommendations similar to this would be much appreciated.

[TuffLuff]

For the most part during lockdown I’ve been keeping my beer choices pretty local. Mainly Peak Ales as they kept their visitor centre open as a bottle shop. I’ve mentioned it before but the Cebula by their side business ‘Off Peak’ is worth a try if you see it. A very good first attempt at a more craft style

Been keeping up with the Beer 52 boxes too although I might take a rest period before my next box unless it’s anything interesting though. Some ok choices in the last box, this was probably the highlight 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Kinder said:

I’ve made my first foray into Belgian beer. Favourite so far was a Westmalle Dubbel. Right up my street as you suggested Eddie, dark, strong (compared to beers I usually drink) and very, very tasty.  Not sure if it’s a yeasty flavour but I loved it, will definitely be getting more.

I then had a Saison Dupont and didn’t much like it.  Tasted too sour for me.  Is it a typical saison? If so I’m not sure they’re for me.

Next up was a Rochefort 6. It was nice but very dry and a bit gassy.  It looked like a nice dark ale but I was surprised with the bit of fizz. I’m on the fence but have a Rochefort 10 to try this weekend which looks like a bit of a headbanger!

And I’ve had a couple of Duvels.  I absolutely love them so any more recommendations similar to this would be much appreciated.

Prediction - you will post on here next week that Rochefort 10 is the best beer you have ever tasted in your life (or not far off it).

Saisons have a sour edge to them, but they are nowhere near as sour as some styles (gueuzes, lambics and Flemish red beers and Oude Brunes). It's a bit like a mild drinker having his first taste of bitter - you just don't see how anyone could ever like that muck. Dupont is considered to be the marker against which all other saisons are judged, but it would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing.

So, recommendations. 6 dark, 6 blond/light, 6 oddments...

Dark beers: Achel 8 Brune, St Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Blue, Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel, Corsendonk Pater, Malheur 12

Lighter beers: Brugse Zot Blond, Triple Karmeleit, LeFort Tripel, Tongerlo Triple Prior, Kappitel Watou Tripel 10, La Chouffe Blond

Oddments: Kwak (an amber beer, usually served in a glass that looks like a yard of ale, but smaller); Barbar (best honey beer I've ever tasted); Barista Chocolate Quad (the clue is in the name - all 3 bits of it, coffee, chocolate and strong); Peche Mel (a fusion of peach juice and Bush Tripel - either magnificent or awful, and sometimes both at the same time); Bush de Noel (utterly fabulous spiced seasonal beer); Troubadour Magma (it's sort-of a blond, sort-of a tripel, sort-of an amber beer and sort-of a fruity, hoppy IPA all at the same time).