Happy Birthday to the lady who always;
Encouraged me to walk my own path and not follow others
Is always there
and I guess most importantly for a beer drinker:
Allowed me that first sip of beer (ok admittedly she thought I wouldn't like it because it was bitter)
Happy Birthday!
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Monday, 13 August 2012
What a Fab Games!
Third place in the medals table and I don't care about the other ones, especially biased ones. :)
We did well, despite a slightly shaky start, but to be fair we weren't likely to win that first gold medal for cycling....our guys were probably cream crackered from the Tour de France!
So in a vague hint at the games I wonder what would your top three beers be for this Olympic period?
Hmmm mine in the tried and tested manner:
Gold: McMullen's Castle (this has been my stable beer of choice thoughout the games)
Silver: Fuller's 1845 (Thank you to the Beer Gods who made this 1.99 at the supermarket)
Bronze: Goose Island's Bourbon Stout Vanilla (despite it's flaws it is a memorable beer)
We did well, despite a slightly shaky start, but to be fair we weren't likely to win that first gold medal for cycling....our guys were probably cream crackered from the Tour de France!
So in a vague hint at the games I wonder what would your top three beers be for this Olympic period?
Hmmm mine in the tried and tested manner:
Gold: McMullen's Castle (this has been my stable beer of choice thoughout the games)
Silver: Fuller's 1845 (Thank you to the Beer Gods who made this 1.99 at the supermarket)
Bronze: Goose Island's Bourbon Stout Vanilla (despite it's flaws it is a memorable beer)
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Harvey's Sweet Sussex Stout
2.8% ABV
This was another beer I had on Saturday night and the one I can’t help think of ever since. This stout is not only amazing drinkable but also a lower percentage beer making it excellent sessionable beer.
It pours from the bottle a dark brown/black with a dark tan fluffy head which soon disappears leaving a nice lacing with a small proportion of foam. Taste wise this is quite lovely, roasted malt with a sweet liquorice finish, a bit thin in the mouth but the taste which lingers more than makes up for it. There is no chocolately flavour in this beer but smooth sweet liquorice takes the main stage and does a lovely job on the taste buds.
Ratebeer users say this beer is too sweet, strange, as I dislike things that are too sweet and yet I really enjoy this beer. If you are used to hoppy beers then I guess this beer would be a bit of a shocker for you, it does remind me of the milk stout style of beer but doesn’t have that milky undertone that they have and this beer is far more satisfying than the 2.8% milk stout I had awhile back!
My only real complaint about this beer is the fact it comes in a 275ml bottle, I would love to see this beer on pump so I could order a pint.
This was another beer I had on Saturday night and the one I can’t help think of ever since. This stout is not only amazing drinkable but also a lower percentage beer making it excellent sessionable beer.
It pours from the bottle a dark brown/black with a dark tan fluffy head which soon disappears leaving a nice lacing with a small proportion of foam. Taste wise this is quite lovely, roasted malt with a sweet liquorice finish, a bit thin in the mouth but the taste which lingers more than makes up for it. There is no chocolately flavour in this beer but smooth sweet liquorice takes the main stage and does a lovely job on the taste buds.
Ratebeer users say this beer is too sweet, strange, as I dislike things that are too sweet and yet I really enjoy this beer. If you are used to hoppy beers then I guess this beer would be a bit of a shocker for you, it does remind me of the milk stout style of beer but doesn’t have that milky undertone that they have and this beer is far more satisfying than the 2.8% milk stout I had awhile back!
My only real complaint about this beer is the fact it comes in a 275ml bottle, I would love to see this beer on pump so I could order a pint.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Harveys - Bill The Brewer
Less than 1% ABV
Lower ABV beers, we have all been trying them because the governments brain fart of an idea. Fullers Mighty Atom was the best of the bunch, well until now.
Saturday night after a long day wandering around Kew, we came across The Cats Back in Wandsworth, only the second Harvey’s Pub I know of in London and even better they stocked a majority of Harvey’s bottled beers as well as having four pumps of differing beers including the mild, two seasonal (one for the Olympics and the monthly one) beers and the other was Sussex Best.
Now I don’t know about you but I didn’t know that Harvey’s did not only one under 1% abv beer but two and also several 2.8% abv beers. Their 1% beers are brewed normally then before bottled the alcohol is removed, I don’t know if people view this as a cop out but for me this makes sense they end up with a balanced beer and no/low alcohol.
Bill Brewer for me is the better of the under 1% beers, it is a dark beer which has more taste than some higher percentage beers I have tried, full of chocolately liquorice flavours but a tad flat maybe a (shock horror) gentle carbonation would lift it a bit more but as the flavour coats your mouth it has a better mouth feel than you would think. Considering the heat of the afternoon it also was a refreshing drop.
John the Hop the other small beer was more like the others I have tried on the 2.8% level, pale and hoppy looking but instead of having the too bitter edge and over carbonation of the other this was actually quite sweet but not in a cloying sense. Quite a clean sweet note to the beer with a gentle hoppiness to it, better than most of the 2.8ers I have tried from other breweries but Bill wins the day between the two mainly because I prefer my dark beers.
Lower ABV beers, we have all been trying them because the governments brain fart of an idea. Fullers Mighty Atom was the best of the bunch, well until now.
Saturday night after a long day wandering around Kew, we came across The Cats Back in Wandsworth, only the second Harvey’s Pub I know of in London and even better they stocked a majority of Harvey’s bottled beers as well as having four pumps of differing beers including the mild, two seasonal (one for the Olympics and the monthly one) beers and the other was Sussex Best.
Now I don’t know about you but I didn’t know that Harvey’s did not only one under 1% abv beer but two and also several 2.8% abv beers. Their 1% beers are brewed normally then before bottled the alcohol is removed, I don’t know if people view this as a cop out but for me this makes sense they end up with a balanced beer and no/low alcohol.
Bill Brewer for me is the better of the under 1% beers, it is a dark beer which has more taste than some higher percentage beers I have tried, full of chocolately liquorice flavours but a tad flat maybe a (shock horror) gentle carbonation would lift it a bit more but as the flavour coats your mouth it has a better mouth feel than you would think. Considering the heat of the afternoon it also was a refreshing drop.
John the Hop the other small beer was more like the others I have tried on the 2.8% level, pale and hoppy looking but instead of having the too bitter edge and over carbonation of the other this was actually quite sweet but not in a cloying sense. Quite a clean sweet note to the beer with a gentle hoppiness to it, better than most of the 2.8ers I have tried from other breweries but Bill wins the day between the two mainly because I prefer my dark beers.
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Brewery Tap - Brighton
Brighton seems to be in the middle of a craft beer explosion at the moment, each time the Hubby and I go down to it's sunny shores we find more different beery places to enjoy.
When we stayed recently (at the lovely 21 B&B), we were down there for a conference and from looking at the day's rather packed schedule I knew lunch was going to be 'interesting', the organisers allowed 45 minutes for lunch.
45 blooming minutes seriously, on a Saturday, in Brighton, in July, to order and eat without getting indigestion...... Right so they must have been in cahoots with Tescos down the road as normally getting anything nice to eat in that time frame is not really happening.
But having said that we lucked out with a discovery of this pub, Brewery Tap, which was a tiny 4 minute walk away in another street from the venue, they serve a lunchtime snack menu with Hotdogs, burgers and sarnies which come out fast from the kitchen allowing us both to sit back and relax with a couple of beers, eat at a normal pace and chat about the talks we had just heard. Fantastic.
The staff are friendly here, chatting and knowledgable about the beers they had on, which seemed to change very regularly over the two nights we stayed in Brighton. Peaceful place in the day to chat and drink beer and very very busy in the evening but at both ends of the scale, the staff were fast and great at managing the customers at the bar.
Great place and we will be back next time we are in Brighton.
http://www.mybrewerytap.com/bars/brighton.html
When we stayed recently (at the lovely 21 B&B), we were down there for a conference and from looking at the day's rather packed schedule I knew lunch was going to be 'interesting', the organisers allowed 45 minutes for lunch.
45 blooming minutes seriously, on a Saturday, in Brighton, in July, to order and eat without getting indigestion...... Right so they must have been in cahoots with Tescos down the road as normally getting anything nice to eat in that time frame is not really happening.
But having said that we lucked out with a discovery of this pub, Brewery Tap, which was a tiny 4 minute walk away in another street from the venue, they serve a lunchtime snack menu with Hotdogs, burgers and sarnies which come out fast from the kitchen allowing us both to sit back and relax with a couple of beers, eat at a normal pace and chat about the talks we had just heard. Fantastic.
The staff are friendly here, chatting and knowledgable about the beers they had on, which seemed to change very regularly over the two nights we stayed in Brighton. Peaceful place in the day to chat and drink beer and very very busy in the evening but at both ends of the scale, the staff were fast and great at managing the customers at the bar.
Great place and we will be back next time we are in Brighton.
http://www.mybrewerytap.com/bars/brighton.html
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Dear Spambots and Spammers
I seriously doubt anyone with an ounce of intelligence would post your comments on their blogs when you say you have a better idea about beer than their post on your computer website.
Please stop attempting to spam my blog and others, you are as bad as the twitter hackers who hack in just to tweet about dieting aids.
It's not big nor clever, stop it.
Yours
Meer
Please stop attempting to spam my blog and others, you are as bad as the twitter hackers who hack in just to tweet about dieting aids.
It's not big nor clever, stop it.
Yours
Meer
Monday, 30 July 2012
Goose Island's Vanilla Bourbon County Stout
13% abv
Now to be honest I didn't even remember to take a picture of this one... Should have done as Goose Island have stopped producing this beer alongside several others sadly.
We got this one from Tap East on Saturday during a quick pop to the shops for a couple of items, not cheap but discontinued so worth the price in my eyes to try it.
It pours like the original Bourbon County, like oil into the glass but unlike the original this one didn't really have much of a head on pouring, not that the others have a massive one but they at least have a thin dark tan foam lacing. The smell of course is vanilla, not buttery vanilla, more your vanilla pod soaked in whisky and treacle. Lovely but very strong.
The taste is similar but with a harsh smokiness to it that seems at odds with the vanilla and treacle smell/taste. It's not a smooth beer as it's stable mates, both the coffee and original ones are strong but very smooth. This one is a tad harsh although this would be a batch thing for all I know as this is the first one of this one I have tried. The bourbon from the aging barrels is quite strong and accounts for the big vanilla hit but I love the tangy treacle flavour that develops as this beer warms up.
All in all a nice stout but I do prefer the Original Bourbon County Stout.
Now to be honest I didn't even remember to take a picture of this one... Should have done as Goose Island have stopped producing this beer alongside several others sadly.
We got this one from Tap East on Saturday during a quick pop to the shops for a couple of items, not cheap but discontinued so worth the price in my eyes to try it.
It pours like the original Bourbon County, like oil into the glass but unlike the original this one didn't really have much of a head on pouring, not that the others have a massive one but they at least have a thin dark tan foam lacing. The smell of course is vanilla, not buttery vanilla, more your vanilla pod soaked in whisky and treacle. Lovely but very strong.
The taste is similar but with a harsh smokiness to it that seems at odds with the vanilla and treacle smell/taste. It's not a smooth beer as it's stable mates, both the coffee and original ones are strong but very smooth. This one is a tad harsh although this would be a batch thing for all I know as this is the first one of this one I have tried. The bourbon from the aging barrels is quite strong and accounts for the big vanilla hit but I love the tangy treacle flavour that develops as this beer warms up.
All in all a nice stout but I do prefer the Original Bourbon County Stout.
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