What beer are we drinking this week ?

Son0vagun

BaZmO* wrote: »

I was over at a gig in Manchester recently and really wanted to go to the Brewdog Bar. I convinced the lads (mainly Guinness & Heineken drinkers) to go. Believe it or not they loved it. So much so that we even went back the next day. Pretty cool looking bars so ya might get lucky!

I wanna go so bad, and taste everything.

Colonel Sanders

Son0vagun wrote: »

I wanna go so bad, and taste everything.

Go for it, life's too short to drink rubbish beer

Ravelleman

Confab wrote: »

Bought a selection of a few beers last night and was uniformly disappointed. Brooklyn Breweries' Chocolate stout had nomouthfeel compared to Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Sierra Nevada IPA tasted like hoppy dishwater and the 8 Degrees IPA, while nice, just felt like it wasn't trying hard enough.

I think Brooklyn's Chocolate Stout is much richer than Young's.

And Sierra Nevada pale ale is an established classic, albeit perhaps overshadowed by other pales on the market, first of which among them is their own Celebration.

BaZmO*

Ravelleman wrote: »

And Sierra Nevada IPA is an established classic

Indeed. One of the best beers in the world imo. For what it is, it's hard to beat.

Seaneh

BaZmO* wrote: »

Indeed. One of the best beers in the world imo. For what it is, it's hard to beat.

Ah, it's a good beer, but it's not one of the best in the world, a great effort at an American Pale Ale but not even the breweries best beer.


You did say in your opinion of course, so I will qualify my post by saying you are entitled to your own opinion and taste

stuchyg

Had a bottle of kentucky bourbon barrel ale, as nice as I remember from the RDS

Ravelleman

Seaneh wrote: »

Ah, it's a good beer, but it's not one of the best in the world, a great effort at an American Pale Ale but not even the breweries best beer.

I agree. It's a solid effort but there are lots of other pale ales that I prefer out there.

Seaneh

Ravelleman wrote: »

I agree. It's a solid effort but there are lots of other pale ales that I prefer out there.

Yup, and if you throw American IPA's in the same boat it's well down my list.

Martyn1989

Seaneh wrote: »

Ah, it's a good beer, but it's not one of the best in the world, a great effort at an American Pale Ale but not even the breweries best beer.


You did say in your opinion of course, so I will qualify my post by saying you are entitled to your own opinion and taste

Yes but it is the definitive American pale ale that all others are compared to (IMO), theres loads better and loads worse. Its also the beer that gets so many people into craft beer in the first place in my experience.

I drink SN pale ale when I can't deicide what I want, its just consistently good.

_blank_

Son0vagun wrote: »

I'm heading to Edinburgh next weekend on a stag, is the Brew Dog bar hard to find?

If you are on a stag night, you'll probably be in the Three Sisters at some point. Leave this bar, quickly, and turn right, walk fifty yards and there it is. The street is called Cowgate, and I think won't be hard to find - the BrewDog bar has a BrewDog outside.

Son0vagun wrote: »

Would it be suitable for a stag party gang?

It's kind of small and intimate, it reminds of me The Brew Dock in Dublin actually, I wouldn't say it's suitable for a gang of rowdy lads, no. Especially given the fact that some of the draught beers are served in wine glasses, or only in halves - it may cause some issues if the lads are not used to being told "no" in bars.

I went with my brother, Dad and uncle, and another friend. Myself, the brother and mate would be "into" beers, and were able to prepare the other two for what to expect.

The staff are great though, and when a few more lads arrived down, they were able to recommend beers to them based on what they usually drinks.

Good, friendly atmospehere in there, you should definitely head in.

************************

Drank a Goose Island Nut Brown Ale and a Greens Bottle Refermented Blonde last night.

The Ale was delicious, and the blonde had a lovely sharpness.

Ravelleman

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Yes but it is the definitive American pale ale that all others are compared to (IMO), theres loads better and loads worse. Its also the beer that gets so many people into craft beer in the first place in my experience.

I drink SN pale ale when I can't deicide what I want, its just consistently good.

I think that that's a very reasonable system!

the beer revolu

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Yes but it is the definitive American pale ale that all others are compared to (IMO), theres loads better and loads worse. Its also the beer that gets so many people into craft beer in the first place in my experience.

I drink SN pale ale when I can't deicide what I want, its just consistently good.

I agree, it is a benchmark APA.
I always have a few bottles of it at home (even though, nowadays it is the same price as Torpedo, which I love) - it is so often the 'just right beer' when you don't want something too big, heavy or strong and when a 50cl bottle is just too big. It never fails me!

Grayditch

Trying a Brew Dog Tokyo. Cannot finish it, that's far too sickly sweet for me. Syrupy!

Seaneh

Grayditch wrote: »

Trying a Brew Dog Tokyo. Cannot finish it, that's far too sickly sweet for me. Syrupy!

I agree, really dislike it.

Mr Benevolent

I honestly believe that BrewDog is trolling beer snobs drinkers with some of their beers, ironically pretentious recipes for the sake of it.

Seaneh

Confab wrote: »

I honestly believe that BrewDog is trolling beer snobs drinkers with some of their beers, ironically pretentious recipes for the sake of it.

I just think a lot of it is gimicky ****e.

They have a lot of really good beers and then a lot of absolute muck.

KJ

Seaneh wrote: »

I agree, really dislike it.

I disagree. I really think its lovely stuff.

Grayditch

I like that they try new things, and I actually like their Hardcore, but that Tokyo is like sweets left in herbs and bin juice for a week.

stuchyg

I love punk, saint, & 5a.m but some of their stuff is undrinkable, Dogma i'm looking at you

Seaneh

Yeah, brave and fair play to them, I like Punk, Hardcore, 5am is my favourite of theirs, I actually liked Toyko Horizon, but stuff like Dogma, half of the last IPA is dead pack was rancid.

Martyn1989

Seaneh wrote: »

Yeah, brave and fair play to them, I like Punk, Hardcore, 5am is my favourite of theirs, I actually liked Toyko Horizon, but stuff like Dogma, half of the last IPA is dead pack was rancid.

Agree with Dogma, completely undrinkable.

I liked most of the IPA is dead pack, it was a little uninspiring for what it could be, why they put challenger in there I don't know, it could be just me but I really don't like it. If memory serves there was a Challenger pale ale at the 2011 All Ireland Craft Beer Fest in the RDS, was that the same as Dungarvan's Commeragh Challenger thats available at the moment?

Today I had a bite to eat in the Black Sheep (lovely chicken wings).
I had one each of Kinnegar's Devils Backbone and Limeburner. Love the DB and pick it up from McHugh's when I can, a fantastic, easy drinking, malty, fullbodied ale with just enough hoppy bite. The Limeburner seemed to lean towards an understated weiss, with not enough hops for a pale ale. Not to my taste but a decent beer. Kinnegar were sorely missed from the All Ireland Beer Fest this year, but apperently they are looking to expand their brewery soon.

johnnyskeleton

Confab wrote: »

I honestly believe that BrewDog is trolling beer snobs drinkers with some of their beers, ironically pretentious recipes for the sake of it.

Their one offs are getting very expensive and therefore dissappointing. They also aren't as funny as they used to be eg Their royal wedding Beer with natural herbs with Viagra type qualities was a good marketing ploy. Whereas never mind the anabolics seems like a bad pun gone wrong to me.

KJ

I'm having some Knockmealdown Porter. Great drink and only €1 a bottle as they are "out of date".

Seaneh

KJ wrote: »

I'm having some Knockmealdown Porter. Great drink and only €1 a bottle as they are "out of date".

Ah, that old chestnut!

Mr Benevolent

Anyone got some suggestions for nice malty beers? I'm treating myself to €30 on DrinkStore.ie and would like to get some interesting malty beers, or nicely balanced anyway.

Martyn1989

Confab wrote: »

Anyone got some suggestions for nice malty beers? I'm treating myself to €30 on DrinkStore.ie and would like to get some interesting malty beers, or nicely balanced anyway.

Id say definatly go for a Whitewater Belfast Black and Clotworthy if you haven't had them before, maybe a Fullers London Porter or Meantime London Stout?

I had a Harringtons Big John a couple of weeks ago and loved it, its really biscuity with light coffee flavours on top, a little pricey though at €5.99.

If your not into dark beers I enjoyed Helvick Gold the last few times I had it and St Austell's Proper Job is a nice little UK IPA.

Seaneh

Odell Cutthroat Porter and 90 shilling are yummy.
Anchor Porter is a favourite of mine, and Brekle's Brown is pretty malty.
Sierra Nevada Porter and Stout are both lovely.
Williams Brothers 80 Shilling is super malty.
Brooklyn Brown Ale is nice and malty.
Goose Island Nut Brown Ale is lovely.
Thornbridge Saint Petersburg is well worth a try too.
Fuller Black Cab and London Porter are both great.
Whitewater Clothworthy Dobbin is a must, belfast black is yum too.

Grayditch

Clothworthy tastes amazing after a Belfast Black in particular.

emco

Had a Porterhouse Celebration Stout (the 7% version) and 8 degrees Ochtoberfest tonight, both great, celebration in particular. They had the 11% version of the Celebration stout but this greenhorn was a bit intimidated by it!

Confab wrote: »

Anyone got some suggestions for nice malty beers? I'm treating myself to €30 on DrinkStore.ie and would like to get some interesting malty beers, or nicely balanced anyway.

I would definitely reccommend the Ochtoberfest Confab, I bought it in Drinkstore so they have it. Its delicious, very malty, and as its a seasonal and Irish can't imagine they'll make too much of it.

BaZmO*

KJ wrote: »

I'm having some Knockmealdown Porter. Great drink and only €1 a bottle as they are "out of date".

When I see those type of offers I am bit delighted and saddened.

I initially think, "Great cheap beer!" But then I think, "Oh no, this beer doesn't sell so this is the last time I'll be able to buy it here!"

It happened with a pile of Brewdog beers in my local offie. They don't stock them any more.

the beer revolu

Hands down, the most interesting English beer that I've tried.
Complex, floral, fruity, intense and oh so hoppy:D

Also tried a Summit IPA from Kernel too which at the time I was drinking it seemed almost too much. Would love to try some more of these beers but I've never seen them in Ireland.

Also enjoyed a few pints of Seafarers Ale on cask after The Great River Race in London. Nothing mindblowing but a good solid cask refresher.

Wasn't too impressed with Fuller's Wild River on cask - just meh!!

I did enjoy a couple of Young's cask offerings in Richmond too (Special and London Gold)

Not a bad beer weekend considering I was with company and not really seeking out special beer.

Seaneh

Tesco galway have fullers london porter in their 5 for 10 deal today. Got 6 of them, 2 Dobbin a moon raker and an O'Hara's IPA in a bag :-) best €20 ive spent in agrs!

the beer revolu

St. Bernardus Abt 12 in The Abbot's, Cork on draught.
Fantastic once it warms up a bit!
10% ABV €3.50 a half pint.

Seaneh

the beer revolu wrote: »

St. Bernardus Abt 12 in The Abbot's, Cork on draught.
Fantastic once it warms up a bit!
10% ABV €3.50 a half pint.

Jealous.

Martyn1989

Confab wrote: »

Anyone got some suggestions for nice malty beers? I'm treating myself to €30 on DrinkStore.ie and would like to get some interesting malty beers, or nicely balanced anyway.

Although Drinkstore don't currently have it keep an eye out for Fyne Ales Maverick, had one tonight, it's a firm favourite, light brown and beautifully malty but still easy going. The right balance of sweet caramel and roasted, bitter malt.

I'm yet to try a Fyne Ales beer I don't like, their Jarl provides so much crisp refreshing hoppy bitterness and citrus flavours in a ridiculously sessionable 3.8%, and the Avalanche will stand toe to toe with any other UK hoppy beer in my book.

I'm now sipping Southern Tier's IPA, you wouldn't know it was 7.3%, not too hoppy but nice flavourings and a little bitterness, theirs a lovely sweet caramel flavour that makes the body seem greater then it is, I found it much greater in ST's Pumking when I had it ages ago and get it off some Odell's, anyone know where that flavour comes from?

donadoni

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Augustiner Oktoberfest (2012) : stunningly smooth, velvety possibly. Absolute pure joy to drink.
After taking one sip, you actually need to take another to confirm how nice the previous one was, and that you weren't just imagining it. No joking.
Augustiner are the only brewery in Bavaria still doing their own malting so I do wonder if they save the best for this beer. Also, the expiry date is a very short, only 6 months so its possible they let it lager for longer than normal and it's probably also been maturing since the spring somewhere or other.
Either way. Its the king of Munich lagers, not just Oktoberfest beers.

While I have hardly ever seen a nicer testimonial to a beer (which happens to be one of my favourites too) it is not quite true that Augustiner is the only brewery in Bavaria that does it's own malting. There are indeed very few left , but some of the smaller breweries do still malt.
Like these ones:

http://www.brauerei-gutmann.de/hp1/Startseite.htm

http://www.schweiger-bier.de/Rohstoffe

http://www.autenrieder.com/index.php?content=4

http://www.brauerei-horneck.de/

http://www.krautheimer.com/Brauerei-Rundgang_Brauerei_Rundgang_19_kkmenue.html

http://www.die-freien-brauer.com/mitgliedsbrauereien/schwarzbraeu.html

and there are a good few more....

munchkin_utd

donadoni wrote: »

While I have hardly ever seen a nicer testimonial to a beer (which happens to be one of my favourites too) it is not quite true that Augustiner is the only brewery in Bavaria that does it's own malting. There are indeed very few left , but some of the smaller breweries do still malt.
Like these ones:
<snip>
...............
and there are a good few more....

good man! You learn something new every day!
Still, they are (reportedly) the last brewery in EUROPE to use traditional floor malting, a process where the malt is laid out thinly and turned by hand. They still use the original vaults under the brewery courtyard!
http://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/texte/anzeigen/36284
So maybe that is their claim to fame more than plain malting on site?
Either way, their Oktoberfest beer is something to behold, not that the normal Helles or Edelstoff isnt bad either!

matrim

I had a Brewdog Paradox Jura earlier this week.

Very tasty, an imperial stout so similar to the Nogne O I had a couple of weeks ago. Had a unexpected sweetness to it and the whiskey made it port like at times, with a heavy almost syrupy hint to the body, but some nice chocolate and fruit flavours in there too.

donadoni

munchkin_utd wrote: »

good man! You learn something new every day!
Still, they are (reportedly) the last brewery in EUROPE to use traditional floor malting, a process where the malt is laid out thinly and turned by hand. They still use the original vaults under the brewery courtyard!
http://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/texte/anzeigen/36284
So maybe that is their claim to fame more than plain malting on site?
Either way, their Oktoberfest beer is something to behold, not that the normal Helles or Edelstoff isnt bad either!

That's more than possible munchkin. Furthermore I guess they are the only big, well known brewery in Europe (probably the world) that does its malting itself.
Together with some of the hundreds of small breweries it is the best Bavarian style beer one can get. I have never met anyone that didn't enjoy it.
Unfortunately it is very hard to get here in Ireland.

the beer revolu

Had a To Øl First Frontier IPA
If you like your IPAs citrusy rather than malty this one is for you.
I like!! But like most of these 'Gypsy' beers is a bit expensive.
Would be very keen to try more of their offerings all the same.

Heroditas

Popped into Carry Out in Rathborne just now and their selection of beers has improved once again! They have a considerable amount of fridge space and shelving dedicated to the more "exotic" beers.
Delighted to see that they have Trouble Brewing in stock now. Woohoo!

Overall, their selection of beers might not be as good as Drinkstore but they're most definitely getting there.

GristlyEnd

V Cense by Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille. Opened a 750ml bottle that I brought back from my Belgium trip earlier this year. Gorgeous saison.

Mo14

Am I the only one here who actually liked Dogma?

matrim

Mo14 wrote: »

Am I the only one here who actually liked Dogma?

I've only tried it once and liked it. I don't get all the hate for it

DenMan

Having some Nobelander right now from Lidl. Very nice beer. @4.8% vol it's quite strong. Very nice I have to say!

Mo14

I think I'm going to have to resign to the fact that sour beers just aren't for me. Just tried a bit of Liefmans Goudenband that's been in my cupboard for a good year now, and I hate it, smells like something died in the bottle.

Others I've had this week (and enjoyed) were Raging Bitch and Anderson Valley Amber Ale.

Now to pour this stuff down the sink.

Son0vagun

Made it to BrewDog Edinburgh. Having a Nanny State cos that's all I'm fit for. It's very nice. Very hoppy. I'll be back again tomorrow! Back to three sisters now!

blarney_boy

Drinking the Leffe Blonde my parents brought back from France last week, very hoppy taste and 6.6 % so you get light headed very quickly . . .

ciaran76

Beacon Bitter - Everards Brewery Ltd nothing special really. Very thin malty feel and tiny bit of ginger I thought.


Sloeber - Brouwerij Roman N.V. Nice Belgian beer not a world changer but pleasant enough. You know you are drinking a Belgian beer all the same. Nice hop and slightly spicy.

Mr Benevolent

Kinnegar Limeburner - Northern Pale Ale.

Awful stuff. Tastes like a first attempt at homebrewing. No body, barely any aroma, zero flavour. On my first taste I got worried - I thought my taste buds had shut down. But no, this stuff is blander than Budweiser. Never touching this again. Ugh. Last week I described Sierra Nevada IPA as dishwater, but I was wrong. Kinnegar NPA defines insipid. Shared it with a friend and he thought exactly the same.

Leffe Vieille Cuvée

Fantastic. Complex flavours that hide the 8.2% very effectively. Well worth the money.