My local has Axe Edge on at the moment (and Moor Top and Spa) I haven't tried them yet as I was getting stuck into 7.5 ABV stout the other night - can't remember the name.
I'm lucky, my local is a real ale pub with beers kept in top condition. It has 10 eclectic varities on pump, a different beer put on after each barrel is finished.
I'm very partial to Marble Chocolate porter and Itchen Valley Russian Winter.
Sharp's has been owned by Coors since 2011 and as a result Doom Bar is everywhere. I'm not a huge fan of it myself (it's not horrible, I just find it fairly average) so can't say whether it's changed at all since Coors took over.
Doom bar is nowhere near as good as it used to be.
I tried a bottle of Doom Bar the other night and it was very nice.
I usually like Golden ale and anything darker is usually too bitter so I wasn't sure about an Amber ale.
Shame I didn't taste it before if it used to be even better.
Aw, as I'm Welsh I thought you were referring to the Reverend James being fine taste!
Which it is, as is Broadside.
I once had two pints of that with a full "English" at 9.15am before the coach arrived for a trip to the races
I agree about John Smiths et al.
Someone once brought cans of it to a party at my house the got stuck in to my Speckled Hen.
He still has the laser dot on his forehead whenever we meet up and the bloody John Smiths is in the garage.
Just remembered the great pub I loved at Ings near Windermere - The Water Mill.
We stayed at a B&B in Ings a few years ago and had a great night @ The waterwheel! Highly recommended.
Sharp's has been owned by Coors since 2011 and as a result Doom Bar is everywhere. I'm not a huge fan of it myself (it's not horrible, I just find it fairly average) so can't say whether it's changed at all since Coors took over.
I agree about Doombar, if there's no choice I'll drink it, but I much prefer Sharp's Own given the choice although you don't find it too often outside of Cornwall.
Vile stuff not sure how or why people drink it. Worst is then there are a row of real ales on with great beers yet they pick that shit
Nothing wrong with a good pint of cider. The problem in most pubs, though, is actually finding a good pint of cider. More often than not it is usually only the mass-produced fizz on sale.
Nothing wrong with a good pint of cider. The problem in most pubs, though, is actually finding a good pint of cider. More often than not it is usually only the mass-produced fizz on sale.
I can't speak for the rest of the UK but most pubs in London seem to have a much better range of cider than they used to.
It blurs the line though as I would say it was an amber ale. I'm sure it's something to do with the process that defines them but taste wise for me it wasn't a lager, even a good Polish or Czech one it was far deeper and stronger in flavour, moreso than many of the golden ales i've tried.
To be honest they all tasted very similar to me, but i'm more of a lager or golden ale man.
Didn't like the ones from Brooklyn. Too perfumey.
Lagunitas IPA was nice but also 6.2% which might have helped.
Tried DoomBar and thought it was similar to the bottled offerings. Although i've read they've changed the recipe and it used to be better.
One other I tried which I thought was lighter and nicer than DoomBar was called Bedfordshire Clanger.
For the cirders, Angry Orchard tastes like stong apple juice. That may sound stupid with cider being an apple product but it's the most appley cider i've tasted and doesn't taste alcoholic.
Badgers Golden Glory, Jennings Snecklifter or Cumberland, Newcastle Brown. Number 3.
All are staples though Specled Hen nis maybe the all round regular ale. Of old I liked Kimberley Classic and Castle Eden but imagine they have been more destroyed by corporate ownership.
Not talking about me, but as you can tell from my username I am a fan of good old British bitter. None of this John Smiths smooth malarkey though, I am talking about your Marstons Pedigree, Speckled Hen or Wadsworth 6X etc.
Don't get to frequent the pubs as much as in my formative years but still look forward to a good pint with a proper head. Anyone else?
I much prefer real ale to lager or cider, thats not to say I don't partake in all (shame on me) But yes normally when i go out i'll have proper real ale. I tend to go for the more unique ones though, if not I do like a good pint of everards tiger. I recently reviewed a place in Leicester called th o'bar actually, they have an amazing craft beer selection which is totally unique to the area, I was pretty worse for wear I can tell you.
It's the time of month where I start getting excited about my impending beer delivery. 12 bottles appear on my doorstep from a different small craft brewery every month. Always exciting and like a little present!
Any beer lovers should check out the app "Untappd" . It lets you log, check in where you had it and score your beer. The database is huge and constantly updating, even tiny local microbreweries are on it and even some obscure imported Scicilian stuff I had at my favourite restaurant was on there. I've been using it for a year and a bit and am approaching 300 different beers.
Had my monthly meet up with two mates in Cardiff this week.
Brains Reverend James - a round each in The Cottage, then two pints of the same in The Market Tavern and a pint of Brains SA in the Goat Major.
Tidy, as we say round here. :cool:
Went in Yates yesterday for a pint and asked for Doombar, no Doombar at that time, since a mate was paying I said, get what ever is close to it, The barman gave him Tetley.
That barman should be re-educated in his trade.
It's the time of month where I start getting excited about my impending beer delivery. 12 bottles appear on my doorstep from a different small craft brewery every month. Always exciting and like a little present!
Any beer lovers should check out the app "Untappd" . It lets you log, check in where you had it and score your beer. The database is huge and constantly updating, even tiny local microbreweries are on it and even some obscure imported Scicilian stuff I had at my favourite restaurant was on there. I've been using it for a year and a bit and am approaching 300 different beers.
300 - pretty impressive. I've been trying not a repeat a given bottle of ale in my purchases for home, and have reached 130 since I started keeping track, and that has taken me 18 months.
300 - pretty impressive. I've been trying not a repeat a given bottle of ale in my purchases for home, and have reached 130 since I started keeping track, and that has taken me 18 months.
I'm pretty lucky to have quite a few good real ale pubs right on my doorstep. My local has 10 different ales on that change weekly. Try to go to the local beer festivals too. It's getting to the point where I sometimes have to check my app first as I sometimes see something and aren't 100% sure if I've had it or not!
Treated myself to a box from the Brewdog shop, they have some great guest breweries on. They were mostly good but the following were great:
Brewdog Jackhammer - Incredibly bitter IPA, probably the most bitter beer I've ever had, beautiful though.
Brewdog Hop Fiction - Lovely citrusy pale ale.
To Ol Non Stop Music Techno Pop - An amazing pilsner brewed with orange and mango peel.
Lervig & To Ol Kentucky Uncommon - A lovely sour collaboration between the two breweries.
Mikkeller Chil Pils Yuzu - A pilsner brewed with Yuzu.
Mikkeller Ris a la M'ale - A beer based on a Danish dessert, cherry, almonds and vanilla flavours.
Almanac Golden Gate Gose - A really nice Gose with San Francisco Bay sea salt.
I only drink real ale and I'm also a supporter of CAMRA, tried many many different ales but usually have the same 5 ones on rotation in my cupboard:
Theakston's Old Peculiar
Leed's Brewery's Midnight Bell
Wychwood Hobgoblin/King Goblin
Black Sheep Riggwelter
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Obviously all bottled so not as good as their cask counterparts, when I'm out and about I like to seek out Samuel Smith's pubs, their Old Brewery Bitter is ace (and ridiculously cheap) as is their Taddy Porter.
Not strictly real ale but I'm partial to a pint of Cameron's Strongarm as well (the brewery is only 20 miles away from where I live.)
I generally go for any of the original beers from Oakham Ales. JHB, Bishops's Farewell and especially Mompesson's Gold are all wonderful, but their 'award-winning' Green Devil is one of the most unpleasant beers I've ever tasted in my life. I had to have a pint of Guinness in an attempt to get the taste out of my mouth.
Comments
I'm lucky, my local is a real ale pub with beers kept in top condition. It has 10 eclectic varities on pump, a different beer put on after each barrel is finished.
I'm very partial to Marble Chocolate porter and Itchen Valley Russian Winter.
I usually like Golden ale and anything darker is usually too bitter so I wasn't sure about an Amber ale.
Shame I didn't taste it before if it used to be even better.
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/old-bear-enchanter/240767/
and bloody lovely it was too!
We stayed at a B&B in Ings a few years ago and had a great night @ The waterwheel! Highly recommended.
I agree about Doombar, if there's no choice I'll drink it, but I much prefer Sharp's Own given the choice although you don't find it too often outside of Cornwall.
Nothing wrong with a good pint of cider. The problem in most pubs, though, is actually finding a good pint of cider. More often than not it is usually only the mass-produced fizz on sale.
I can't speak for the rest of the UK but most pubs in London seem to have a much better range of cider than they used to.
I mean The Watermill & Brewing Co, of course!
It blurs the line though as I would say it was an amber ale. I'm sure it's something to do with the process that defines them but taste wise for me it wasn't a lager, even a good Polish or Czech one it was far deeper and stronger in flavour, moreso than many of the golden ales i've tried.
http://m.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/drink/menu/craft-beers
To be honest they all tasted very similar to me, but i'm more of a lager or golden ale man.
Didn't like the ones from Brooklyn. Too perfumey.
Lagunitas IPA was nice but also 6.2% which might have helped.
Tried DoomBar and thought it was similar to the bottled offerings. Although i've read they've changed the recipe and it used to be better.
One other I tried which I thought was lighter and nicer than DoomBar was called Bedfordshire Clanger.
For the cirders, Angry Orchard tastes like stong apple juice. That may sound stupid with cider being an apple product but it's the most appley cider i've tasted and doesn't taste alcoholic.
All are staples though Specled Hen nis maybe the all round regular ale. Of old I liked Kimberley Classic and Castle Eden but imagine they have been more destroyed by corporate ownership.
Only one pub in town served it.
I much prefer real ale to lager or cider, thats not to say I don't partake in all (shame on me) But yes normally when i go out i'll have proper real ale. I tend to go for the more unique ones though, if not I do like a good pint of everards tiger. I recently reviewed a place in Leicester called th o'bar actually, they have an amazing craft beer selection which is totally unique to the area, I was pretty worse for wear I can tell you.
http://www.thebritishmenu.com/a-bleary-eyed-look-at-leicester-obars-new-craft-beer-range/
SO I guess Whitbread owned the now closed/demolished Castle Eden brewery.
Any beer lovers should check out the app "Untappd" . It lets you log, check in where you had it and score your beer. The database is huge and constantly updating, even tiny local microbreweries are on it and even some obscure imported Scicilian stuff I had at my favourite restaurant was on there. I've been using it for a year and a bit and am approaching 300 different beers.
Brains Reverend James - a round each in The Cottage, then two pints of the same in The Market Tavern and a pint of Brains SA in the Goat Major.
Tidy, as we say round here. :cool:
That barman should be re-educated in his trade.
Had some doombar later on in a different pub.
300 - pretty impressive. I've been trying not a repeat a given bottle of ale in my purchases for home, and have reached 130 since I started keeping track, and that has taken me 18 months.
I'm pretty lucky to have quite a few good real ale pubs right on my doorstep. My local has 10 different ales on that change weekly. Try to go to the local beer festivals too. It's getting to the point where I sometimes have to check my app first as I sometimes see something and aren't 100% sure if I've had it or not!
Brewdog Jackhammer - Incredibly bitter IPA, probably the most bitter beer I've ever had, beautiful though.
Brewdog Hop Fiction - Lovely citrusy pale ale.
To Ol Non Stop Music Techno Pop - An amazing pilsner brewed with orange and mango peel.
Lervig & To Ol Kentucky Uncommon - A lovely sour collaboration between the two breweries.
Mikkeller Chil Pils Yuzu - A pilsner brewed with Yuzu.
Mikkeller Ris a la M'ale - A beer based on a Danish dessert, cherry, almonds and vanilla flavours.
Almanac Golden Gate Gose - A really nice Gose with San Francisco Bay sea salt.
Theakston's Old Peculiar
Leed's Brewery's Midnight Bell
Wychwood Hobgoblin/King Goblin
Black Sheep Riggwelter
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Obviously all bottled so not as good as their cask counterparts, when I'm out and about I like to seek out Samuel Smith's pubs, their Old Brewery Bitter is ace (and ridiculously cheap) as is their Taddy Porter.
Not strictly real ale but I'm partial to a pint of Cameron's Strongarm as well (the brewery is only 20 miles away from where I live.)
Well there is your first mistake.