What beer are we drinking this week ?

Lapsed Catholic

West Country Ales www.westcountryales.co.uk have some in stock. However it's only the beers under 7.5% abv. I think I read that with the high strength beer duty in UK the brewing of beer over 7.5% for the likes of Moor is uneconomical. Pity

IrishWhiskeyCha

Quick question guys ... is WESTVLETEREN 12 up to the hype ...

i.e. is it worth paying €50 for 6 ... (Just to let you know I don't mind paying it but only if it is truly a top quality beer and not just hyped up to sell)

Seen it compared as "in a similar league to" Rochefort 10 which I do like.

the beer revolu

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

Quick question guys ... is WESTVLETEREN 12 up to the hype ...

i.e. is it worth paying €50 for 6 ... (Just to let you know I don't mind paying it but only if it is truly a top quality beer and not just hyped up to sell)

Seen it compared as "in a similar league to" Rochefort 10 which I do like.

Of the three Westvleterens, the blond was the one that stuck out for me - one of the nicest beers I've tried to date.
The 12 was seriously good too but to be honest, you're paying for the rarity of it . St Bernardus Abt 12 is, apparently, the same recipe and is very good to. Rochefort 10 would be far from it either.

I think it is worth paying €50 for these beers, once - when else are you going to get to try them?

BeerNut

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

Quick question guys ... is WESTVLETEREN 12 up to the hype ...

In a word, no. It did well in a blind tasting I ran a while back, but it's not worth two or three times the other beers in its class, including Rochefort 10, IMO.

the beer revolu wrote: »

when else are you going to get to try them?

I've found the whole range readily available in beer shops in Brussels and Amsterdam, priced in the €7-€10 range, but then you only need to commit to buying one. The downside is whether you feel guilty about buying on the grey market.

Ruben Remus

Am trying to decide whether to order the Westvleteren 12 package also. I paid €10 for a bottle in Bruges and thought it was truly outstanding but, having already tried it, I find myself reluctant to fork out €50 for six more. A 3 x 2-bottle set featuring all three of their beers would be more appealing to me.

This week I've had a bottle of Brewdog's Hardcore IPA. I think some of Brewdog's beers are overrated, but this one definitely hits the spot.

BaZmO*

Ah I just went for it. Sure I'll have one every year for the next six years!

munchkin_utd

Having a bottle of Rathaus pils at the moment - from the deepest black forest as they like to proclaim!

I am not a fan of pils but this take on the beer type is actually quite pleasant.
There's a tinge of bitterness as you are drinking it but t doesn't linger.
And the bitterness there is there is enough to make it crisp but not overpowering enough to block out any subtle taste with a wall of ear wax flavor like most pils seem to achieve.

All in all a nice change from munich lager and weissbier that's my normal beer staple.

Rathaus pils is available in Ireland in the bierhaus in cork iirc. Not sure if there's an importer operating or of they do it themselves.

BeerNut

There's an importer. Loads of it about at the moment. One of the best pils around, IMO, but tends to be quite spendy.

boardsy

Seaneh

Had a lovely bottle of Leann in the Salthouse tonight on my way home from work, was, as ever, yummy.

While there Tar give me a sip of their (Galway Bay Brewery) 3rd batch of Stormy Port.
It's a lot different than the first two, and at 5.3% abv it's no wimp either.
More chocolate and biscuity than the last two batches but a nice amount of bitterness so it's not too sweet.

Worth a try, hopefully they find a recipe they can settle on soon, all this change has be edgy :P

BeerNut

More chocolate? They may as well stick a label saying "Dairy Milk" on it at this stage.

Mr. Loverman

I just left the Bund Brewery in Shanghai.

Tried their dark beer and their lager. Really nice! But expensive, about EUR 7 a pint.

Lapsed Catholic

Had Headless Dog and O'Hara's IPA, not a blind tasting. Prefer O'Hara's.

Very impressed with the quality of Irish micro beer in general. The best is on a par with the best in their styles in UK, USA (imho) The Irish drinker needs to open his/her mind and help the development of local beer.

Seaneh

BeerNut wrote: »

More chocolate? They may as well stick a label saying "Dairy Milk" on it at this stage.

Try it, it's not a bad thing, it's got more going on.

Seaneh

Dark arts in bottles in the Salthouse tonight. Much prefer this to the draft stuff!
Lovely beer.

ciaran76

Finished all my. Xmas stock of O'Haras IPA , Galway Hookers and Helvick Gold and bought a few IPA's for tonight.

Goose Island IPA.
Hop head from Porterhouse.
Brewdog Punk.

Seaneh

Of those the goose island would by my fave, lovely session beer!

ciaran76

Seaneh wrote: »

Of those the goose island would by my fave, lovely session beer!

I like them all for their different tastes.

BaZmO*

Seaneh wrote: »

Of those the goose island would by my fave, lovely session beer!

Goose Island IPA is one of my favourite beers, but at 5.9% I wouldn't class it as a session beer.

johnnyskeleton

Checkpoint Charlie by the Galway hooker people. Very tasty, but the appellation "pilsner" will put off many on the assumption that it is GH's attempt to capture the smithwicks pale ale segment ie those who want a better tasting beer that is widely available.

BeerNut

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

the appellation "pilsner" will put off many on the assumption that it is GH's attempt to capture the smithwicks pale ale segment

That's weird. I took it that Smithwick's Pale Ale is Diageo's attempt to capture the GH Pale Ale segment.

ciaran76

Sunburnt Irish red bottled it's a good beer but I do prefer the draught version. Draught seems to be a stronger taste.

ronano

minus the glass sadly! otherwise gorgeous

HalloweenJack

I've been living in the Czech Republic for a few months now so I've been opened up to loads of new beers. My favourite is Gambrinus, don't think you can get this back home.

BeerNut

You can. Just saw it on the shelves of my local offy.

Are you in Prague?

HalloweenJack

BeerNut wrote: »

You can. Just saw it on the shelves of my local offy.

Hmm, never saw it when I was home, the Czech ones they usually have are Pilsner, Ceske Budjejovicke and Budvar.

BeerNut wrote:

Are you in Prague?

No, Brno.

BeerNut

HalloweenJack wrote: »

never saw it when I was home

Just new here, apparently.

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Brno.

Ah. If you happen to see any Pardubický Porter on your way round I heartily recommend it.

irish_goat

HalloweenJack wrote: »

No, Brno.

If you've not checked out the Hotel Pegas alehouse I'd recommend it. The dark lager is fantastic.

http://www.hotelpegas.cz/hotel-pegas-brno-welcome-page/

Ronan cork

HalloweenJack wrote: »

I've been living in the Czech Republic for a few months now so I've been opened up to loads of new beers. My favourite is Gambrinus, don't think you can get this back home.

Yeah Slovak trade are bringing it in on keg and bottle. Also the likes of kozel dark etc are starting to appear although our last gambrinus order was a 4.1% variation that I am yet to try

BeerNut

Ronan cork wrote: »

our last gambrinus order was a 4.1% variation

Ohh, Gambrinus 10°. Even though it's the Pilsner Urquell budget brand I've found myself preferring it to PU when over that way.

Ronan cork

Had a liefmans kriek on tap earlier. A lot more sour than I remember the bottle being but it's been a while. Just cracked open a humdinger from Joseph holt brewery in Manchester and I really like it. Much more of a honey flavour off it than honey dew and it really goes down well. Not too sweet but a lovely burst of flavour.
Anybody else starting to notice the standard of English ales available here getting better and better?

BeerNut

Still plenty of room for improvement though;)
*cough*Magic Rock*cough*

syklops

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Hmm, never saw it when I was home, the Czech ones they usually have are Pilsner, Ceske Budjejovicke and Budvar.

No, Brno.

We're going to have to organise a pub crawl. I am sure I can find you better than Gambrinus. Velvet for a start. And Krusovice Musketyr.

Edit: And yeah, we need to start from Pegas.

BeerNut

syklops wrote: »

Velvet for a start.

:eek: Each to their own, I guess.

If there's any Kocour or Matuška knocking about, their stuff is usually pretty good, particularly the strong American-style IPAs.

KJ

I picked up a gambrinus 11 and a kozel 11 in sweeneys yesterday. The kozel came with a free pint glass.

Elbow

Had a bottle of Mikkeller Porter last night, quite possibly the nicest porter i've ever tried (needs to be left warm up for a bit before drinking to really appreciate it)...... beautiful!

syklops

Each to their own, I guess.

:eek:

How can you not like Velvet???

BeerNut

It, err, doesn't really taste of anything. *shakes fist at nitrogenation*

ciaran76

HalloweenJack wrote: »

I've been living in the Czech Republic for a few months now so I've been opened up to loads of new beers. My favourite is Gambrinus, don't think you can get this back home.

Gambrinus I love it especially when in Prague.

syklops

BeerNut wrote: »

It, err, doesn't really taste of anything. *shakes fist at nitrogenation*

Are we talking about the same velvet?

Lapsed Catholic

Had Meantime Chocolate Porter. Bit meh. Youngs DCS is better and Leann Follain is much better.

BeerNut

syklops wrote: »

Are we talking about the same velvet?

Reddish nitro ale made by InBev at the Staropramen plant?

irish_goat

BeerNut wrote: »

Reddish nitro ale made by InBev at the Staropramen plant?

Is that anything like the Staropramen Red that Pifko sell?

syklops

Thats the one.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

HalloweenJack

irish_goat wrote: »

If you've not checked out the Hotel Pegas alehouse I'd recommend it. The dark lager is fantastic.

I've been there a few times, can't say I care for any of their beers I've tried. The light ones are a bit too sweet and the dark ones are just muck.

I do agree with the recommendation of Velvet, that's pretty nice.

syklops

HalloweenJack wrote: »

I've been there a few times, can't say I care for any of their beers I've tried. The light ones are a bit too sweet and the dark ones are just muck.

I do agree with the recommendation of Velvet, that's pretty nice.

Tbh, Im not crazy about most of the stuff in Pegas either. The food is good though.

Snake_Doctor

Called into Bradleys North main street Cork on Sat evening, they have stocked up and have a massive range, I was like a kid in a sweet shop!
I mostly stocked up on Knockmealdown Porter, my current favourite, they were doing 6 bottles for 11 Euro, and got a few more to try as well along with some whiskey samplers... I asked him about Writers Tears whiskey, he didnt have it but took my number and is going to get it for me. Excellent service.
Below is a sample of my current selection at home, cant get past the Knockmealdown
I also tried the Porterhouse Celebration, it has a pull ring that reefed one of my fingers, so be careful! (Still drank it though)

Ronan cork

Snake_Doctor wrote: »

Called into Bradleys North main street Cork on Sat evening, they have stocked up and have a massive range, I was like a kid in a sweet shop!
I mostly stocked up on Knockmealdown Porter, my current favourite, they were doing 6 bottles for 11 Euro, and got a few more to try as well along with some whiskey samplers... I asked him about Writers Tears whiskey, he didnt have it but took my number and is going to get it for me. Excellent service.
Below is a sample of my current selection at home, cant get past the Knockmealdown
I also tried the Porterhouse Celebration, it has a pull ring that reefed one of my fingers, so be careful! (Still drank it though)

I havnt seen that celebration... What was it like? Is it a limited edition brew or what?Apart from trying to take your finger!

noby

Over the last couple of nights I have enjoyed a bottle of Fyne Ales' Jarl, and Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne's Porter.

Snake_Doctor

Yeah,
Hadnt seen it before either, there are actually 2 celebration's one is 7% the other is 11%.

I tried the 7%, quite nice but I'm completely biased towards the 8 Degrees at the moment.

They also had a bottle of stout for 69 Euro! 34%, I was temped but got whis key instead.

Ronan cork wrote: »

I havnt seen that celebration... What was it like? Is it a limited edition brew or what?Apart from trying to take your finger!