Beer

p90fool

WezV said:

p90fool said:

I've kind of gone the other way in my middle age. I used to always look along the real ale pumps in a pub with relish while deciding which one to buy, but nowadays while staring at the last inch of warm brown vinegar in the bottom of my glass I start craving a proper pint of Carling.

I still drink nice bottled beers at home, but pints of the stuff on draught just make me feel a bit queasy these days. 

You may be in the wrong pubs, although trying lots of ales always involves at least one bad one... even if it's a personal taste thing.

My local is the Arvon Ale House, named CAMRA Pub of the Year for the whole of Wales 2016, so it's definitely me not them!

To be honest it helps if I drink halves instead of pints, the first few gulps always seeming delicious compared to the bottom of the glass. Maybe I should just drink it faster.

Sambostar

My local will probably close in about two months.  It's the last of it's kind.

Slow drinkers, still can't get my head around them to be honest.  Just don't understand it.  I need to grow up and become a slow drinker.  Only stop drinking when the bar is closed or you can't stand up any more because you never know how long that barrel is going to last and you know all that'll be left is Summer Lightning.

Deadman

p90fool said:

WezV said:

p90fool said:

I've kind of gone the other way in my middle age. I used to always look along the real ale pumps in a pub with relish while deciding which one to buy, but nowadays while staring at the last inch of warm brown vinegar in the bottom of my glass I start craving a proper pint of Carling.

I still drink nice bottled beers at home, but pints of the stuff on draught just make me feel a bit queasy these days. 

You may be in the wrong pubs, although trying lots of ales always involves at least one bad one... even if it's a personal taste thing.

My local is the Arvon Ale House, named CAMRA Pub of the Year for the whole of Wales 2016, so it's definitely me not them!

To be honest it helps if I drink halves instead of pints, the first few gulps always seeming delicious compared to the bottom of the glass. Maybe I should just drink it faster.

You enormous poof.

Of course, I'm joking. Growing up in the North-East I only ever saw 'big' blokes drinking bottles of Newcy Brown from half glasses. It's the accepted way and agreed in some way tastes better? I do it at home and have a Wychwood Brewery glass especially for it..

 

WezV

Not all beers suit pints.... I like having a rack of thirds when trying new stuff.


whichever beer you like, getting the temperature right is half the battle and it's harder to keep it there with a full pint.  What works for a session ale won't work for the more extreme flavours

p90fool

WezV said:

  What works for a session ale won't work for the more extreme flavours

That's very true, and probably the most often-heard critique in our house, "that's lovely but I couldn't drink it all night".

hywelg

ewal said:

I've always found Hobgoblin to have a bit of an artificial taste. I like a good lager (Schiehallion, Staropramen, Schlappe-Seppel), good IPA (Double Joker, Sierra Nevada, Punk) good export/80- (Lia Fail) porters, golden ales (Bitter & Twisted) and stout. Anything decent really apart from Hobgoblin, Spitfire and these cold tea like beers you get from the likes of Shepherd Neame. Tried Doombar once and it was shite. #beerme

Wiz awarded. Correct statement. It is sweet brown water with absolutely no hops in it.  It's beer for drinkers who don't like beer....

Give em a pint of Oakham Hawse Buckler and see what beer can taste like. 

hywelg

@WezV care to share your Black IPA recipe? I have plans for one next but one brew. Next is an Amarillo/Citra pale. Just about to bottle a 5AM Saint clone  

WezV

hywelg said:

ewal said:

I've always found Hobgoblin to have a bit of an artificial taste. I like a good lager (Schiehallion, Staropramen, Schlappe-Seppel), good IPA (Double Joker, Sierra Nevada, Punk) good export/80- (Lia Fail) porters, golden ales (Bitter & Twisted) and stout. Anything decent really apart from Hobgoblin, Spitfire and these cold tea like beers you get from the likes of Shepherd Neame. Tried Doombar once and it was shite. #beerme

Wiz awarded. Correct statement. It is sweet brown water with absolutely no hops in it.  It's beer for drinkers who don't like beer....

Give em a pint of Oakham Hawse Buckler and see what beer can taste like. 

Absolutely, it's a gateway drug

Doombar is the uk number one cask ale because people who think they don't like beer will happily drink it.  The flip side is it's also easier for pubs to keep and serve it well.

i know you don't like that, and we will disagree on how influential Doombar has been.  That's okay

i rarely drink it now because I prefer the other Sharps brews - there is a lot more than just doombar

rlw

Beer.  Nasty, bitter, horrible, brown liquid, tastes of something indescribeable, gives you a head-ache, makes you piss a lot.

Vile stuff.  YMMV.

WezV

hywelg said:

@WezV care to share your Black IPA recipe? I have plans for one next but one brew. Next is an Amarillo/Citra pale. Just about to bottle a 5AM Saint clone  

its nothing fancy, just this extract kit brewed a bit stronger
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/lo-extract-recipe.html

I kinda went full speed  into homebrewing, had a really successful couple of years messing about with my own recipes and not really writing anything down.  Even got as far as a few small all grain batches.  Then last year nothing quite worked as expected so I am back to  extract  or partal mash kits with a few tweaks... making better  notes.   Back to basics has worked much better for me this year

Longtallronnie

ICBM said:

Longtallronnie said:

Used to predominantly drink lager - Fosters, Carlsberg and similar shite. Once I discovered the plethora of flavours of ale I was hooked.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that 'lager' is all tasteless - in fact those aren't really 'lager' at all.

*Real* lager - Czech, German, Belgian and others - is one of the highest achievements of human civilisation. There are many different flavours and colours too, just like ale - we just don't see a lot of them here, because 'lager' is assumed to mean generic bland pale yellow piss.

Oh I totally agree, I was referring exclusively to Fosters, Carling etc. 

stimpsonslostson

@Deadman I did my beer at Krafty brew here in Edinburgh, I notice your location is Oxfordshire.
A quick Google suggests Hook Norton do what looks like a good day out- take a few like-minded mates & I'm sure you'll have a blast. Having the professionals there means you'll almost certainly get something good (& they'll bottle it for you which is a plus). 
Theirs is £500 for 150 pints... Think I got a REALLY good deal! (They were just starting up the business). 

https://www.hooky.co.uk/visit-us/brew-your-own-beer.ashx

Deadman

125 quid each? That's great value. I'll start asking about, cheers @stimpsonslostson

mudslide73

I'll drink anything, me. The pub we have our band meetups in has just started serving St Austell stuff on guest - very quoffable. My fridge has Beck's, Urquell and Carling in it. I'll drink anything, me.

DiscoStu

Mmm. Beer.

monquixote

Another vote for Adnams. 

If you like dark beer then you will like Broadside.

Budgie

I was quite taken by Hop Twister and Golden Thread from Salopian Brewery. Both golden ales and quite light but a really pleasant after taste. I also tried a darker copper beer - Darwin's Origin.. also nice. I went off Hobgoblin, it tastes a bit like burnt gravy. Some of the other Wychwood beers are nice though, especially Golden Champion.

Nitefly

Remember what Benjamin Franklin said:

"Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy".

I'll drink to that!

JCA2550

A couple of recommendations:
From Lidl - Belhaven 80 shilling ale, nice dark reddish hue the colour of conkers, malty flavour with a hint of sweetness and lightly hoppy tangy  finish. Only 3.8% but no less delicious for the lower alcohol. £1.39 a 500ml bottle or there abouts.
From Majestic Wines- King of Hops Pale Ale, Delicious swiggable alternative to lager with a touch more body and flavour and spicy hoppy finish. Made in collaboration with chapel down winery at their brewery in Kent. 4.8% and £8.99 for a 6 pack.

chrispy108

I love beer, but don't live overly hoppy ones.

Favourites are porters, hoppists and wheat beers.

Don't really understand people who buy the same beer over and over though, there's always something new to try.