As it is Christmas Eve I write this from my work desk awaiting the time when we down tools (aka calculator and keyboard) and head out for the festive session in the pub.
Stronghart, the McMullen seasonal bottle beer is calling to me from my local and as soon as the boss gets fed up with us all and boots us out the door I'll be heading to my local. Hopefully my lovely partner will be there already with one poured for me.
So this is the last post before the big day.
This is Meer For Beer signing off with hugs and beer with Best Wishes for Christmas!
Have a lovely day folks.
Friday, 24 December 2010
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Samuel Smiths
I love the time when a group of people come into one of these pubs and say “I’ll have a pint of Ste…..” which trails off as they realise no, they can’t. The only goods sold in these pubs are the Samuel Smiths brands, even the spirits, crisps and soft drinks are all branded to this brewery. I believe the only brewery to do so in England, in America I see Goose Island have an own range of soft drinks but I bet they haven’t got this far in the branding.
Not everyone’s pint of beer but I rarely find a bad one of their pubs, just recently London pubs have been having a bit of tart up and a new lick of paint. Unlike many other breweries when this company do up a pub there is no danger of it becoming a wine bar affair rather than a pub. The Crown near Tottenham Court Road has fairly recently been done and it now a very nice place to wander into for a drink, many have commented on the work done to the Princess Louise in Holborn which is frankly stunning.
The brewery pubs do have a soft place in the hearts of those who go to them, each pub in unique and many with unusual and beautiful features that the Brewery takes care not to lose. The London pubs have been the focus of many a pub challenge, this one http://www.samsmithschallenge.co.uk/ is one of the best detailed maps for finding their pubs. Good Beer guide is useless for these as brewery’s beers are not considered real beer under CAMRAs guidelines sadly.
Pricewise they only usually put up their prices when duty goes up and when by the same amount which is unusually fair in this day and age. Bottle beers are more expensive than pump but not to a ridiculous point, the range is good too. Taddy Porter and the Oatmeal Stout being personally favourites and they are especially lovely on a cold winter’s day in front of a warm fire in a pub accompanied by a book and my mobile switched off so I can’t disturbed by the Husband who has probably realised I haven’t gone shopping but will be in a pub somewhere. Bliss.
Brewery Webpage: http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/
And yes, it is a webpage not website; they may have joined the 21st century but only just.
Not everyone’s pint of beer but I rarely find a bad one of their pubs, just recently London pubs have been having a bit of tart up and a new lick of paint. Unlike many other breweries when this company do up a pub there is no danger of it becoming a wine bar affair rather than a pub. The Crown near Tottenham Court Road has fairly recently been done and it now a very nice place to wander into for a drink, many have commented on the work done to the Princess Louise in Holborn which is frankly stunning.
The brewery pubs do have a soft place in the hearts of those who go to them, each pub in unique and many with unusual and beautiful features that the Brewery takes care not to lose. The London pubs have been the focus of many a pub challenge, this one http://www.samsmithschallenge.co.uk/ is one of the best detailed maps for finding their pubs. Good Beer guide is useless for these as brewery’s beers are not considered real beer under CAMRAs guidelines sadly.
Pricewise they only usually put up their prices when duty goes up and when by the same amount which is unusually fair in this day and age. Bottle beers are more expensive than pump but not to a ridiculous point, the range is good too. Taddy Porter and the Oatmeal Stout being personally favourites and they are especially lovely on a cold winter’s day in front of a warm fire in a pub accompanied by a book and my mobile switched off so I can’t disturbed by the Husband who has probably realised I haven’t gone shopping but will be in a pub somewhere. Bliss.
Brewery Webpage: http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/
And yes, it is a webpage not website; they may have joined the 21st century but only just.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Attention Those Who Run on Beer!
I would be very surprised if you haven't noticed the charity appeal banner on this blog just recently but there is another side to the charity coin...the London Marathon.
It's the biggest and bestest one in the world and held in London, have your chance to beat the London Pride Bottle's time!
Or alternatively run with the bottle and try and blag a couple of pints at the finishing line! :)
Now for the Serious bit;
Run the Virgin London Marathon 2011 for Whizz-Kidz!
Whizz-Kidz, disabled children’s charity, has places available in the world’s best marathon – the London Marathon 2011.
To run for Whizz-Kidz, you need to fundraise a minimum of £1600. Please contact Jess on j.leigh@whizz-kidz.org.uk (or call 0207 233 9696) for more information.
Closing date: January 2011.
Web: http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/getinvolved/events/floralondonmarathon/
It's the biggest and bestest one in the world and held in London, have your chance to beat the London Pride Bottle's time!
Or alternatively run with the bottle and try and blag a couple of pints at the finishing line! :)
Now for the Serious bit;
Run the Virgin London Marathon 2011 for Whizz-Kidz!
Whizz-Kidz, disabled children’s charity, has places available in the world’s best marathon – the London Marathon 2011.
To run for Whizz-Kidz, you need to fundraise a minimum of £1600. Please contact Jess on j.leigh@whizz-kidz.org.uk (or call 0207 233 9696) for more information.
Closing date: January 2011.
Web: http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/getinvolved/events/floralondonmarathon/
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Anchor Brewing Company – Old Foghorn
8.2% ABV
I enjoy Barleywine beers, for me they are THE winter choice but they are becoming awkward to find. This was the only one I could find in otherwise well packed beer shop and it’s not even a British barleywine. I miss the days of Old Nick from Youngs, that was a great beer that was so wonderful for sipping on a winters evening.
However this was the only one I could find on Friday so what’s it like? The beer itself pours well, a rich cherryique colour with a fluffy off white head that lasts well but will go into a fine lacing towards the bottom of the drink. Dry and sweet like sherry. Unlike British versions which are golden syrupy and coats the mouth with a sweet alcoholic kick. This American version is drier on the end which totally neutralises the sweet first notes from the beer. Not sure I really like that in a Barleywine, I enjoy the lingering sweetness of the British versions.
I will say I am not convinced the bottles I had were kept brilliantly as the tasting notes from American reviewers mention that it is dry but not the level of dryness I had so maybe the batch these were from didn’t travel well or weren’t kept in the best conditions in the shop. So with this in mind I am going to be open-ended in my review, the first notes were gorgeous honey tasting barley maltness that was morish and gorgeous, the slight dryness was appealing but the overwhelming dry almost mustiness is so jarring I will take as a sign of the beer on it’s way out.
All in all I do recommend you try this beer, it is not the same as our versions of this style but it is a lovely version from across the sea.
For More Information: http://www.anchorbrewing.com
I enjoy Barleywine beers, for me they are THE winter choice but they are becoming awkward to find. This was the only one I could find in otherwise well packed beer shop and it’s not even a British barleywine. I miss the days of Old Nick from Youngs, that was a great beer that was so wonderful for sipping on a winters evening.
However this was the only one I could find on Friday so what’s it like? The beer itself pours well, a rich cherryique colour with a fluffy off white head that lasts well but will go into a fine lacing towards the bottom of the drink. Dry and sweet like sherry. Unlike British versions which are golden syrupy and coats the mouth with a sweet alcoholic kick. This American version is drier on the end which totally neutralises the sweet first notes from the beer. Not sure I really like that in a Barleywine, I enjoy the lingering sweetness of the British versions.
I will say I am not convinced the bottles I had were kept brilliantly as the tasting notes from American reviewers mention that it is dry but not the level of dryness I had so maybe the batch these were from didn’t travel well or weren’t kept in the best conditions in the shop. So with this in mind I am going to be open-ended in my review, the first notes were gorgeous honey tasting barley maltness that was morish and gorgeous, the slight dryness was appealing but the overwhelming dry almost mustiness is so jarring I will take as a sign of the beer on it’s way out.
All in all I do recommend you try this beer, it is not the same as our versions of this style but it is a lovely version from across the sea.
For More Information: http://www.anchorbrewing.com
Thursday, 2 December 2010
December's Delights
After last year’s slightly disappointing Christmas beer apart from Loddon’s Razzle Dazzle which was stunning, I have been planning my festive beer drinking. I will have bottles after this weekend hiding around the house and my order of stronger beers will be done to beat the government’s stupid plans for higher tax on some beers.
I think on the whole it is the high percentage beers that cost a lot of money that have attracted the government eye, rather like high earners who have to pay 50% tax do. Makes me glad I am a lowly paid minion, the only reason I am but anyway…..
To get back on track..seasonal beers, here is a sneak ticking list I want to try and get around;
Harvey’s Christmas Ale 8.1%
Wayland’s Marley’s Ghost 5.2%
Fuller’s Old Winter Ale 4.8%
St Austell’s Raisins To Be Cheerful 5.5%
Sharps’ Abbey Christmas 4.6%
Otter Brewery’s Otter Claus 5.0%
Cotleigh’s Red Nose Reinbeer 4.5%
Titanic Brewery’s Deck The Halls 4.2%
Crouch Vale’s Happy Santa 4.3% and also Santa’s Revenge 5.0%
I like Crouch Vale’s duel beers concept. This month should be better than last year, can’t wait.
And remember it can’t be Christmas unless there are puns in some of the beers names
I think on the whole it is the high percentage beers that cost a lot of money that have attracted the government eye, rather like high earners who have to pay 50% tax do. Makes me glad I am a lowly paid minion, the only reason I am but anyway…..
To get back on track..seasonal beers, here is a sneak ticking list I want to try and get around;
Harvey’s Christmas Ale 8.1%
Wayland’s Marley’s Ghost 5.2%
Fuller’s Old Winter Ale 4.8%
St Austell’s Raisins To Be Cheerful 5.5%
Sharps’ Abbey Christmas 4.6%
Otter Brewery’s Otter Claus 5.0%
Cotleigh’s Red Nose Reinbeer 4.5%
Titanic Brewery’s Deck The Halls 4.2%
Crouch Vale’s Happy Santa 4.3% and also Santa’s Revenge 5.0%
I like Crouch Vale’s duel beers concept. This month should be better than last year, can’t wait.
And remember it can’t be Christmas unless there are puns in some of the beers names
Monday, 29 November 2010
Sambrooks - Powerhouse Porter
4.9% ABV
It was rather cold with a stiff breeze on Sunday so my partner and I headed to the Harp in Covent Garden to warm up before going off seasonal shopping. Didn’t see the Thornstar beer on pump which we were there but there was a rather nice mild from Crouch Vale and the newest of the Sambrook beers.
Just the ticket to warm you up on a cold winter’s day, strangely it was only a few months ago that we were discussing Sambrooks and were in agreement they needed a darker beer to complete a triad of good beers. It was great to see they had brewed a rather attractive looking and tasting porter.
This was an enjoyable pint, admittedly my husband’s pint but in marriage you share everything. Tang-wise I can usually always pinpoint certain breweries by some part of their taste, for me Sambrooks has a metallic tang. I assume this must be something to do with the water they use or something in the brewing style as Fullers always has a marmalade tang and McMullen’s a dried herby taste. All enjoyable but sound slightly weird when describing.
Looking forward to what they brew next now.
It was rather cold with a stiff breeze on Sunday so my partner and I headed to the Harp in Covent Garden to warm up before going off seasonal shopping. Didn’t see the Thornstar beer on pump which we were there but there was a rather nice mild from Crouch Vale and the newest of the Sambrook beers.
Just the ticket to warm you up on a cold winter’s day, strangely it was only a few months ago that we were discussing Sambrooks and were in agreement they needed a darker beer to complete a triad of good beers. It was great to see they had brewed a rather attractive looking and tasting porter.
This was an enjoyable pint, admittedly my husband’s pint but in marriage you share everything. Tang-wise I can usually always pinpoint certain breweries by some part of their taste, for me Sambrooks has a metallic tang. I assume this must be something to do with the water they use or something in the brewing style as Fullers always has a marmalade tang and McMullen’s a dried herby taste. All enjoyable but sound slightly weird when describing.
Looking forward to what they brew next now.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Darkstar Green Hop IPA
6.5% ABV
Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this one but I was wrong on so many levels of assumption. It is like many hoppy beers, a light honey golden pint with a fluffy head which disappears apart from a fine lacing around the top of the pint Attractive but usually the only part I find attractive. A lot of the hoppy beers I have tried are unbalanced, nothing to 'stop the hop' from overwhelming everything else. This time the beer was light in mouth, sweet but bitter and really amazing.
Light citrus taste, grapefruit in syrup is the thing that springs to my mind. This is a really gorgeous balanced beer; despite its strength it is really smooth in the mouth. The sweetness is more a honeyed syrupiness which counters the earthy hops leaving a lovely bitter hint of taste in the mouth. Highly quaffable is my other thought, so much so I had drunken half a pint before remembering the strength.
Darkstar once again you have gotten me to change my assumptions and suspicions, well done for such an excellent beer!
Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this one but I was wrong on so many levels of assumption. It is like many hoppy beers, a light honey golden pint with a fluffy head which disappears apart from a fine lacing around the top of the pint Attractive but usually the only part I find attractive. A lot of the hoppy beers I have tried are unbalanced, nothing to 'stop the hop' from overwhelming everything else. This time the beer was light in mouth, sweet but bitter and really amazing.
Light citrus taste, grapefruit in syrup is the thing that springs to my mind. This is a really gorgeous balanced beer; despite its strength it is really smooth in the mouth. The sweetness is more a honeyed syrupiness which counters the earthy hops leaving a lovely bitter hint of taste in the mouth. Highly quaffable is my other thought, so much so I had drunken half a pint before remembering the strength.
Darkstar once again you have gotten me to change my assumptions and suspicions, well done for such an excellent beer!
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