Supporting craft breweries

the beer revolu

BeerNut wrote: »

Not really. If you want a custard emulsion you'll be disappointed, but if you're expecting something completely clear you won't get that either. Both have a decent level of bitterness.

For me, both these beers belong firmly on the East Coast divide.
There is bitterness there but I really dislike the mouthfeel of these beers and there's way too much grapefruit juice going on.
Not for me, I'm afraid.

White Hag, unfortunately, goes on the list of breweries not to be trusted with their labelling.

BonnieSituation

BeerNut wrote: »

They differ hugely. "Pumpkin beer" isn't really a useful term for the consumer. It doesn't even tell you whether it's made with pumpkins or not.

I have this natural ambivalence towards pumpkin and Christmas brews regardless of ingredients. Even if they have no cinnamon or spice near them I just can't get over the hump.

breezy1985

BonnieSituation wrote: »

I have this natural ambivalence towards pumpkin and Christmas brews regardless of ingredients. Even if they have no cinnamon or spice near them I just can't get over the hump.

Erdingers Christmas beer is a favourite of mine and generally I like most Christmas beers as the tendency is to go dark but ya cinnamon has no place in beer

Black Sheep

Anyone get an email from White Hag about the Clann subscription service... Anyone doing it?

irish_goat

Black Sheep wrote: »

Anyone get an email from White Hag about the Clann subscription service... Anyone doing it?

I got the email but I just can't feel like it's worth it. I can get my hands on White Hag beers easily enough so not sure how a monthly subscription would really benefit me. Would be interested in the guest beer but again, can get a good selection from the likes of Craft Central anyway.

Basq

I'm doing it... supporting local and great beer at the end of the day. It's a win-win!

irish_goat

Basq wrote: »

I'm doing it... supporting local and great beer at the end of the day. It's a win-win!

I was thinking that, but I'd only end up spending less on other Irish breweries...

Mickeroo

Do you need to get an invite for the subscription service? Can't see it on the site. Was thinking it might make a good christmas present.

Black Sheep

I was on the fence about it but I decided to do it.

I'm not drinking that much beer these days anyway, 12 cans a month would actually come close to doing me I think.

Black Sheep

Mickeroo wrote: »

Do you need to get an invite for the subscription service? Can't see it on the site. Was thinking it might make a good christmas present.

They're signing up 100 people, and yes, I got an email on it. I think just because I was registered on the site. I'm sure if you email them they'd offer it.

Macy0161

They were posting about it on instagram/ facebook yesterday to sign up. I'm more tempted by the Dead Centre "Collective", as I use beer cloud a fair bit and like the Dead Centre brews I've had, but pay day won't come for the early bird.

These things are still a lot of beer money to commit, when I enjoy trying new ones. But then I look in the home bars facebook group and see how much people commit for a single commercial beer (even before kegs) and think in the scheme of things...

Basq

Mickeroo wrote: »

Do you need to get an invite for the subscription service? Can't see it on the site. Was thinking it might make a good christmas present.

TheWhiteHag.com/Clann is where you can sign up.

flended12

Black Sheep wrote: »

Anyone get an email from White Hag about the Clann subscription service... Anyone doing it?

Yup few days ago. Signed up. Their service and beers are excellent. Hope theres not too many sours though, thought there were about 6 too many sours in their hagstravaganza box earlier in summer.

youcancallmeal

flended12 wrote: »

Yup few days ago. Signed up. Their service and beers are excellent. Hope theres not too many sours though, thought there were about 6 too many sours in their hagstravaganza box earlier in summer.

All the sours in the hagstravaganza actually changed my opinion on sours in general. Previously I would always avoid them, now I would throw a few into any orders from craft central. Got some Kinnegar sour lime gose in my latest order and it's really nice.

flended12

youcancallmeal wrote: »

All the sours in the hagstravaganza actually changed my opinion on sours in general. Previously I would always avoid them, now I would throw a few into any orders from craft central. Got some Kinnegar sour lime gose in my latest order and it's really nice.

Each to their own and all that. Enjoy!

BonnieSituation

flended12 wrote: »

Yup few days ago. Signed up. Their service and beers are excellent. Hope theres not too many sours though, thought there were about 6 too many sours in their hagstravaganza box earlier in summer.

Blasphemy

DrZeuss

Signed up too.

Their

Cousins once removed, brothers from another mother, beers from some of our favourite breweries. You’ll find one in every box.

could be very interesting if their choices from Boxtravaganza are anything to go by...Salt Sabro for instance was a proper stand-out to me.

Also not sold on the Sour's myself, Pilot - Lime and Pepper Gose was such a struggle to get through, facial expressions akin to sucking on a lemon!

youcancallmeal

DrZeuss wrote: »

Signed up too.

Their could be very interesting if their choices from Boxtravaganza are anything to go by...Salt Sabro for instance was a proper stand-out to

The Green Cheek beer they included was incredible. An expat friend of mine in California was amazed I got my hands on a can of Green Cheek outside the states as they don't export

Basq

DrZeuss wrote: »

Salt Sabro for instance was a proper stand-out to me.

Was my favourite from the box too.

CraftCentral are now selling some of the Salt stuff, but not Sabro unfortunately.

Used to like sour's occasionally, but tired of them a lot. Although the Gipsy Hill Triple Fruited Sour (as featured in Boxstravaganza) was absolutely delicious!

https://craftcentral.ie/products/gipsy-hill-outlooker-triple-fruited-sour-440ml-can-5-4-abv#:~:text=Outlooker%20is%20a%20Triple%20Fruited,night%20skies%20and%20Northern%20Lights.

DrZeuss

Basq wrote: »

CraftCentral are now selling some of the Salt stuff, but not Sabro unfortunately.

Oooh, nice one. I may keep an eye out on there so.

Have you tried any of the other Salt offerings?

Basq

DrZeuss wrote: »

Have you tried any of the other Salt offerings?

Two..

Huckaback - their NEIPA.
Tupelo - a collab Hazy Pale Ale with Thornbridge.

Both very good but didn't hold a candle to Sabro. Unfortunately.

the beer revolu

Unfortunately, mixed boxes are a no, no for me - way too many styles of beer that really aren't for me, these days.

I looked at a White Hag box when their Heather sour came out but I couldn't buy a box with the sour but without juicy beer.

I used to cry out about the lack of diversity in beer in Ireland - now I'm, "that's not beer!"

Things that excite people but leave me cold : butterscotch, treacle, peanut butter, maple syrup, marshmallow, coffee (in beer), pastry, milk, ice cream, salted caramel etc.
And, controversially, barrel ageing - don't really like them.

Things that (as people already know) Annoy the shlt out of me :
Juicy/hazey/East Coast/NE/Vernon style IPA labelled as just IPA. Beers labelled as sour that are actually cloyingly sweet. Beers that don't have any flavour of malt or hops whatsoever - Green Zebra, I'm looking at you, Mr alcopop.
The fact that dry hopping now means NE style and, it seems, double also means NE, style now.

So, imperial stouts are now, mostly, extremely sweet and flavoured with something sticky and IPAs just aren't anything like IPAs that I know and love. Too many beers are glorified alcopop, imo.

But, oddly, I love fruited sours (or any sour, really).

So, I'm finding it harder and harder to support very many Irish breweries these days - I'm mostly sticking with what I know as I just don't trust breweries to describe their beers properly anymore.
As a result, I'm buying a lot of Kinnegar.

Sorry if I'm repeating myself but I'll keep shouting in the hope that the breweries will listen if enough people complain.
I got a rant in with a beer distributor I bumped into this week!

s8n

the beer revolu wrote: »

Unfortunately, mixed boxes are a no, no for me - way too many styles of beer that really aren't for me, these days.

I looked at a White Hag box when their Heather sour came out but I couldn't buy a box with the sour but without juicy beer.

I used to cry out about the lack of diversity in beer in Ireland - now I'm, "that's not beer!"

Things that excite people but leave me cold : butterscotch, treacle, peanut butter, maple syrup, marshmallow, coffee (in beer), pastry, milk, ice cream, salted caramel etc.
And, controversially, barrel ageing - don't really like them.

Things that (as people already know) Annoy the shlt out of me :
Juicy/hazey/East Coast/NE/Vernon style IPA labelled as just IPA. Beers labelled as sour that are actually cloyingly sweet. Beers that don't have any flavour of malt or hops whatsoever - Green Zebra, I'm looking at you, Mr alcopop.
The fact that dry hopping now means NE style and, it seems, double also means NE, style now.

So, imperial stouts are now, mostly, extremely sweet and flavoured with something sticky and IPAs just aren't anything like IPAs that I know and love. Too many beers are glorified alcopop, imo.

But, oddly, I love fruited sours (or any sour, really).

So, I'm finding it harder and harder to support very many Irish breweries these days - I'm mostly sticking with what I know as I just don't trust breweries to describe their beers properly anymore.
As a result, I'm buying a lot of Kinnegar.

Sorry if I'm repeating myself but I'll keep shouting in the hope that the breweries will listen if enough people complain.
I got a rant in with a beer distributor I bumped into this week!

is everything ok at home ?

Macy0161

St Mels have launched their online shop, including a one of everything mixed box. More tempted by a Brown Ale mini keg myself!

the beer revolu wrote: »

Things that excite people but leave me cold : butterscotch, treacle, peanut butter, maple syrup, marshmallow, coffee (in beer), pastry, milk, ice cream, salted caramel etc.
And, controversially, barrel ageing - don't really like them.

You're going to love the forthcoming Wicklow Wolf and Lough Gill collab Peanut Buttercup Imperial!

Maybe it's because most of my buying is online at the moment, but generally enough info out there to get a reasonable handle on the beer imo. I think the breweries are going for the market though - I think the fruity hazy beers are the gateway beers into craft for a lot of people. I know the NE IPA's are what my better half will default to. She loves the milkshake ones as well. (just to clarify, so do I, but I'd drink a broader range)

Kinda with you on the barrel ageing tbh. I think what made Pointy Shoes exceptional for me was the hint of the barrel - far to often the dominant flavour is the barrel. If I wanted to taste whiskey, I'd just have one! I've heard brewers discuss it though - they really don't know the impact of the barrel until after it comes out.

Ivefoundgod

Got the trouble brewing mini keg bundle from The Beer Club, came with a nice glass too. Only minor complaint is I ordered it Wednesday evening but it didn't arrive until yesterday, was hoping to have it for the bank holiday but no big deal really.

Pen Rua

What are people’s view on Craft Central vs Craft Beers Delivered.

I used to order a lot from the former at the height of Lockdown 1.0 due to the having one of the more competitive ranges, flat €5 delivery fee.

I’m just joined a Facebook group that seems to have shifted to the latter. Their comments include references to Craft Central holding out on more exclusives, as well as being dearer.

Have many people ordered from Craft Beer Delivered? They seem to have some smaller breweries but a smaller range overall. Their delivery is on par.

EDIT
Had a poke around their site and threw in an order. Pricing is extremely reasonable (on par with Bradley’s, cheaper than Craft Central) and they had a lot of beers out of stock in other places including limited edition runs from the Spring / Summer I missed. Delighted with some of the bits I picked up.

Basq

Customer service and speed of despatch from Craft Central is incredible..

Last Christmas, I put in an order with CraftCentral and they forgot to include 2 cans in the rush of the White Hag Brett IPA. They apologised profusely, refunded me and said that they'd hold them for me and to email on my next order and they'll include them au gratis.

A few months pass and completely forgot about the whole thing and I place an order with them. The delivery arrives next day with 2 additional cans of White Hag's Brett IPA and a handwritten note essentially saying "we never forget!".

They range and offers are superb and am going to keep giving them business based on this tbh.

I just buy from whoever has what I want.

youcancallmeal

I haven't ordered from craft beers delivered yet, it does seem cheaper but not by much. Maybe 10-20 cents on a can here and there, probably adds up to a couple of euro on a big order. I'm going to put an order in with them soon as they do have some of the smaller Irish breweries in stock

Pen Rua

Basq wrote: »

Customer service and speed of despatch from Craft Central is incredible..

Last Christmas, I put in an order with CraftCentral and they forgot to include 2 cans in the rush of the White Hag Brett IPA. They apologised profusely, refunded me and said that they'd hold them for me and to email on my next order and they'll include them au gratis.

A few months pass and completely forgot about the whole thing and I place an order with them. The delivery arrives next day with 2 additional cans of White Hag's Brett IPA and a handwritten note essentially saying "we never forget!".

They range and offers are superb and am going to keep giving them business based on this tbh.

Their turnaround time is unrivaled - almost guaranteed next day delivery (save for DPD issues).

We'll see how Craft Beer Delivered go. They had quite a few beers I missed over the last couple of months, so glad to get my hands on those.