Caledonia Smooth

Big Nasty

New beer being launched by Bulmers later this month. Will only be available to the on-trade apparently. Described as 'Triple hop with a smooth finish'. I'm sure it's been tested in a couple of pubs already - anyone had it?

BeerNut

I haven't. Here's a little about why it was created and the market niche it occupies in Scotland.

No idea what C&C were thinking launching it here.

Big Nasty

Not sure if it's the same beer though. The link you posted mentions 'Caledonia Best, a 3.2% “balanced” (i.e. hopless) ale to be served from nitro-keg'. While Caledonia Smooth is 'triple hop'. I have a pic of it here in front of me and it is a much lighter colour and slightly cloudy. Not sure if I like the sound of it either way but we'll see!

BeerNut

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Caledonia Smooth is 'triple hop'.

"Triple hop" is marketing-speak. It doesn't mean anything.

Caledonian Best is what's normally described as "Smooth" in the UK. It's not a big jump to suggest that they're calling it Caledonian Smooth in Ireland. Anyway, we'll see. Thanks for the heads-up.

Big Nasty

Was at the launch of this beer this evening and I gotta say I was well impressed! Not as strong in flavour as you would get from any Craft or Trappiste beer but has a distinctive flavour all the same.

I'm not too sure which sction of the market they're going after and they don't seem so sure themselves either. The 'triple hop' gig is actually the three different types of hops they use in the brewing process.

In my opinion it would be a good additition to any pub that serves alternative beers. Settles in two part pour like a stout and would be favourd by both Guinness drinkers in summer and lager drinkers in winter.I would be happy to drink it above any main stream beer and it's miles better than Smiths 'Craft'.

irish_goat

Was it launched at a pub? And do you have an interest in the product if you don't mind me asking?

BeerNut

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Was at the launch of this beer this evening

Where was the launch and have you any idea where they'll be selling it?

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The 'triple hop' gig is actually the three different types of hops they use in the brewing process.

:rolleyes:

Can you confirm that they're calling it "Caledonia Smooth" and what the ABV is?

yknaa

The launch was in The Palace in Fleet St. Dublin. Tonnes of freebie pints.
It reminded me of Caffreys or Kilkenny ale. Inoffensive but pretty bland to my taste buds (none of which however stopped me hoovering up free pints)

Big Nasty

irish_goat wrote: »

Was it launched at a pub? And do you have an interest in the product if you don't mind me asking?

The Palace as stated above - and no, I don't have any interest in it.

BeerNut wrote: »

Where was the launch and have you any idea where they'll be selling it?

As above in The Palace and I've no idea which accounts they'll be pushing it in but they had signs up saying 'contact your rep......'

BeerNut wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Can you confirm that they're calling it "Caledonia Smooth" and what the ABV is?

Why the rolleyes?

It is called Caledonia smooth and I think it's 4% but could be wrong on that. It's certainly higher than Caledonia best and lighter in colour.

BeerNut

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Why the rolleyes?

Because "the three different types of hops they use in the brewing process" is meaningless marketing nonsense. Does it mean that they use hops for bittering, flavour and aroma like pretty much every beer on the planet? Or does it mean that they use three different varieties of hops, a fairly common practice in brewing but there's not much point in saying so unless they're going to say which hops they are -- a butcher who advertises his sausages as containing "three different meats" could be producing a gourmet delight, but unless he specifies which animals are involved it's more likely to be viewed suspiciously than as a selling point.

There's no conclusion to a sentence which begins "Ah, I see it's triple-hopped, just like..." The phrase, on its own, tells us nothing about the beer.

Playoff_Beard

BeerNut wrote: »

There's no conclusion to a sentence which begins "Ah, I see it's triple-hopped, just like...."

How about:

"Ah, I see it's triple-hopped, just like Caledonia Smooth"

Big Nasty

BeerNut wrote: »

Because "the three different types of hops they use in the brewing process" is meaningless marketing nonsense. Does it mean that they use hops for bittering, flavour and aroma like pretty much every beer on the planet? Or does it mean that they use three different varieties of hops, a fairly common practice in brewing but there's not much point in saying so unless they're going to say which hops they are -- a butcher who advertises his sausages as containing "three different meats" could be producing a gourmet delight, but unless he specifies which animals are involved it's more likely to be viewed suspiciously than as a selling point.

There's no conclusion to a sentence which begins "Ah, I see it's triple-hopped, just like..." The phrase, on its own, tells us nothing about the beer.

Ah, I see - I thought it was directed at me personally.

BeerNut

Playoff_Beard wrote: »

How about:

"Ah, I see it's triple-hopped, just like Caledonia Smooth"

I pray that day will never come. Actually, I think there was a very similar phrasing used by Diageo for the marketing of Toucan Brew back in 2006.

Ah yes, here we go:

the triple hopped brewing technique delivers a smoother, crisp taste that invigorates the palate.

Not enough rolleyes in the world.

Big Nasty

I'm not going to get in to the technical side of it - it's a pretty good beer in my opinion. It's not gonna set the world on fire but it's way better than most main stream beers. I would gladly drink it in a pub and take it all day every day above Smiths pale.

Bigcheeze

BeerNut wrote: »

Does it mean that they use hops for bittering, flavour and aroma like pretty much every beer on the planet? Or does it mean that they use three different varieties of hops.

It means they use three hop cones per batch.

n97 mini

It looks like another Kilkenny/Caffreys/Boddingtons/John Smiths/Murphys Red nitro red beer.

I won't prejudge it. I'd like to taste it, and who knows, it might be decent.

Just because it's not "craft" doesn't mean it's not good, and God knows there are one or two car crashes in the craft beer line-up.

Having said all that, while I'm not prejudging it, I'm also not holding out any real hope either.

Bigcheeze

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I'm not going to get in to the technical side of it - it's a pretty good beer in my opinion. It's not gonna set the world on fire but it's way better than most main stream beers. I would gladly drink it in a pub and take it all day every day above Smiths pale.

I expect it'll taste just like the nitro John Smiths or Boddingtons that's in almost every pub in the UK but I'll be happy to give it a try. The Smithwicks drinking locals will label it dishwater without ever tasting it and it'll disappear in 6 months.

Leinsterbren

n97 mini wrote: »

It looks like another Kilkenny/Caffreys/Boddingtons/John Smiths/Murphys Red nitro red beer.

I won't prejudge it. I'd like to taste it, and who knows, it might be decent.

Just because it's not "craft" doesn't mean it's not good, and God knows there are one or two car crashes in the craft beer line-up.

Having said all that, while I'm not prejudging it, I'm also not holding out any real hope either.

I was in my local tonight and as I was leaving I saw the tap. They didn't have the kegs for it. The batman told me it was a 'lager'!. So it's a 4% ale and is going to be priced the same as Guinness. Smithwicks pale is priced the same as lager.i can't see this caledonia taking off. The new ale drinkers are looking for something distinctive.

BaZmO*

They had it in The Foggy Dew when was I there last Saturday. Didn't get to try it as I only noticed it at the end of the night.

Gotta agree with Beernut though, the "Triple Hopped" tag is marketing nonsense. It's the same as Smithwicks Pale Ale being labelled as "Craft"

Red Setter

Ryans Arbour house in Dundrum also has this stuff on draught... not a bad pint - very smooth taste with low carbonation if not a little bland, the taste is somewhere between Kilkenny and McCaffreys, and its not far behind the Messrs Maguire "rusty" brew... nice to see something different coming onto the market for a change...

furryvision

nice surprise to find this in the new Eamon Dorans on stephen's green yesterday, really liked it similar to Worthingtons or John Smiths which i would always drink when in the uk while moaning that theres a lack of anything similar in Irish pubs.
Cant find much info about it online, no website and their facebook only has a list of pubs up north that have it

irish_goat

Had a sip of a pint of this in the Globe last night, watery and bland were my two thoughts on it. Tasted similar to John Smiths, not in a good way...

Ted Mosby

Red Setter wrote: »

Ryans Arbour house in Dundrum also has this stuff on draught... not a bad pint - very smooth taste with low carbonation if not a little bland, the taste is somewhere between Kilkenny and McCaffreys........

I stopped reading at that point, tells me all I need to know to avoid this pretend beer.

redarmyblues

I am going to prejudge this beer because no ale called Caledonia Smooth can be good it just shouts Marketing Department brew. 'Our master chemists, (shurely you mean brewers, ed) have designed this beer to be as bland and insipid as possible, served at a temperature too cold to taste, however if you are stuck to describe the flavour to a friend we have included a hint in the name.

donaghs

Had it in a pub in Limerick about a month ago. Was hoping for something more tasty, so it seemed incredibly bland or tasteless. I'm always keen to try a new micro-brew or multination equivalent. This one has possibly less flavour than John Smiths smooth bitter.

Each to their own, but I cant see the point of it. Would prefer a clean tasteless lager to a pint thats cloudy and tasteless.

calvin_zola

I'm looking forward to trying it. Had a feed of Kilkenny in a bar in Milan recently and i have developed a taste for this kind of stuff

BaZmO*

calvin_zola wrote: »

I'm looking forward to trying it. Had a feed of Kilkenny in a bar in Milan recently and i have developed a taste for this kind of stuff

You've developed a taste for tasteless beer? Good man.

Muilleann

Is this on draught anywhere?

BeerNut

Yes. It's draught only, I think.

grimbergen

I was in Fade Street Social at the weekend and they're serving this as "Fade Street Ale". It's not bad, maybe a bit plain. As someone said above, it could be a nice summer alternative to Guinness

squonk

I had a pint of it in Monroes last year at some stage. It was very inoffensive to be honest. It certainly was smooth and that was grand but I like my beer a bit rougher if that's the word! I'm more of a Galway Hooker man myself and Hooker is quite different in style. Very mild and hard to even realise you were drinking beer would be my opinion from memory. I'm not sure if Monroes still have the tap. I was in at the weekend and forgot to check but they had Hooker so I wasn't looking any further.