What beer are we drinking this week, too?

BaZmO*

Bourbon County is one of those beers that you pay a bit extra for but you can taste the quality. Just a spectacular beer.

Insect Overlord

I got 2 bottles of Bourbon County last year and kept one for this Christmas. Might have it tomorrow evening after a walk.

Last year's bottle was too much for me, so I hope my taste-buds have adjusted to it since!

BaZmO*

It's the quintessential sipper and it gets nicer as it warms, not one to be rushed. I doubt I would've liked it that much when I first started to get into craft beers, would've just been too full on and boozy for my tastebuds back then.

RasTa

Goes great with a fat cigar too, was sipping away weeping for 2 hours

strobe

Had me a Decadence IIPA by Ska brewing of Modus Hoperandi fame last night. Really lovely beer, not overly sweet like some of them can be, gorgeous colour and smell, nice and piney, reminiscent of, well, all good DIPA's, I guess, they can be a bit samey, although I do like em. At 12 quid a pop I won't be stocking up on them any time soon though.

MonkstownHoop

Starting on this tonight, finally got an ipa glass :-)

BaZmO*

The FIL brought over a few bottles of Bacchus Framboise on Christmas Eve to have with dinner. We never got around to having them though.
Having a bottle of it now and I'm surprised at how nice it is. Very jammy/fruity with a sweet kick that's balanced by the heavy carbonation and sour/tart finish.
I think he picked them up in Sainsburys on his travels.

the beer revolu

Those Bacchus beers are better than you'd expect, alright. Well priced too.

jsa112

Had a brooklyn cuvee de noir, belgian stout with orange peel and aged in bourbon barrels. Was pretty good, but not worth the cost of 22-24 euros. Not getting any orange taste, but the bourbon and belgian yeast comes through nicely

matrim

Having a Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter. Lovely chocolately and roasted malt flavours, and hides the strength very well. Would not have expected it to be 7.7%

Lovely Bloke

matrim wrote: »

Having a Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter. Lovely chocolately and roasted malt flavours, and hides the strength very well. Would not have expected it to be 7.7%

had one on Xmas Eve myself, really liked it.

For my money, it's more complex than the Russian Imperial from 8 Degrees. I had one of those tonight, followed by an Amber Ella and I'm just about to crack open a Hurricane.

BMJD

Rascal's Chocolate Ginger Porter

Lovely Bloke

BMJD wrote: »

Rascal's Chocolate Ginger Porter

I couldn't find much to differentiate it from the usual Ginger Porter.

It's nice and tasty alright, though.

n97 mini

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

I couldn't find much to differentiate it from the usual Ginger Porter.

It's nice and tasty alright, though.

At 9 quid a bottle it's too expensive for my tastes.

Heroditas

Wine with dinner (lots of it)
Then onto the beers:
Started off with a Wicklow Wolf IPA - first time I had it and enjoyed it.
Then onto a Full Sail
Sipping on an Of Foam and Fury now.

writhen

Kinnegar Swingletree - poor - tastes like a bad homebrew - which at €4 a pop is dissapointing.

Knifey Spoony

A Full Irish followed by a Double Irish.

I am in flavour country.

Herb Powell

Draught glass of White Hag's Christmas ale.

A curious brew. Smells a bit like mulled wine, and it's a little bit spicy as the smell would suggest. Warm, and round is how I would describe it, without being too strong. Very enjoyable. This is the only time I've seen anything from White Hag, looking forward to trying more of their stuff.

thesandeman

Experimenting with a cocktail of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (which I find is impossible to drink on its own) and Beavertown Smog Rocket (which is the only thing I would bring to a desert island).
Really takes the sting out of the BCC if mixed ⅓-⅔ and sipped.

Redsoxfan

Last night, all new to me

Munster Brewery Fir Bolg and Blackguard - I definitely preferred the latter. Both well made. I will revisit in the summer.
White Gypsy Emerald Fresh Hop Beer - I can appreciate what they have done, but it's quite bland. If this is a limited release, it's completely the wrong time of year although maybe it's related to the fresh hops.
Left Hand Twin Sisters DIPA - not really for me. Verging on Barleywine?
Sierra Nevada Celebration - I liked it.

Redsoxfan

Oh and the biggest disappointment was the Blackstairs Ruby Red 'IPA' - it tastes like a red ale and that's it.

Grayditch

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Oh and the biggest disappointment was the Blackstairs Ruby Red 'IPA' - it tastes like a red ale and that's it.

I kinda like it. But yeah it's red ale, but a good one I think.

ciaran76

Really enjoyed the Rascals Chocolate ginger porter. A little bit sweet but once it warmed a bit it was perfect.

Just a hint of ginger too.

GristlyEnd

Had a Firestone Walker Double Jack last night which was amazing. Today I'm following up with an Opal. Gorgeous saison. Firestone Walker don't do much wrong.

PropJoe10

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Oh and the biggest disappointment was the Blackstairs Ruby Red 'IPA' - it tastes like a red ale and that's it.

You'll find that a lot of red ales taste fairly similar. Had a nice Sierra Nevada red ale a while back that was a bit different from the norm, but I find a lot of red ale's to be fairly generic.

L1011

Working my way, rather slowly, through O'Briens Irish Craft box - http://www.obrienswine.ie/mixed-cases/mixed-cases/craft-beer-mixed-cases/irish-craft-beer-case-20-bottle-case.html - courtesy of a work gift

Had never had Amber Ella or Green Bullet before, the others I'd all had in the past. Sabotage is still probably my preferred of the 5 there though; and I've remembered that I really don't like the Black IPA.

Heroditas

Heroditas wrote: »

Had a White Gypsy Emerald earlier - very disappointing.

Just to follow on from this, is bought two bottles. Ended up having a sip from the second bottle and poured it down the sink - awful muck

n97 mini

Heroditas wrote: »

Just to follow on from this, is bought two bottles. Ended up having a sip from the second bottle and poured it down the sink - awful muck

Redsoxfan wrote: »

White Gypsy Emerald Fresh Hop Beer - I can appreciate what they have done, but it's quite bland.

I didn't think it was awful muck, but I did find it very bland. Thankfully I wasn't buying.

BaZmO*

Yeah it was boring and a bit bland but not awful. I was more disappointed than anything else as it promised so much but failed to deliver.

BMJD

BaZmO* wrote: »

Yeah it was boring and a bit bland but not awful. I was more disappointed than anything else as it promised so much but failed to deliver.

I said the same a few weeks ago, it wasn't cheap either which makes it all the more disappointing.

Getting through a few Eight Degrees brews tonight - Double Irish, Belgian Dubbel and Hurricane. They are in the running for my Irish Brewery of the Year title.