Currently Drinking...

[roundhouse]

Tonight's ale

 

Harvey's Old

 

Oh yes!!!

[45156]

Harvey's Old

 

Well, is it as good as last year.

Morrisons had no Goose Island today, so I got some of this

Jury's still out on this one, but it's not as pungent and tasty as most of the true American imports.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I mentioned Wild Beer Co a few pages back. Went over there this afternoon to deliver them some wild yeast material (grape skins).

 

Impressive business considering it was only founded a couple of years ago and in a beautiful location. There is a cheese and beer shop on site (they share the premises with a cheese producer).

[roundhouse]

Yes the Harveys Old is, even after the third pint!!

 

 

Brains are doing some very nice beers at the moment.

[45156]

Wasn't sure so went back for a second bottle, and still not sure as the contents were somewhat flat due to a not too tight crown cork, and was not at its best at all.

Might need to get a couple more to be certain.

[roundhouse]

Wasn't sure so went back for a second bottle, and still not sure as the contents were somewhat flat due to a not too tight crown cork, and was not at its best at all.Might need to get a couple more to be certain.

Dont go back too many times otherwise you will fall over!!!

[Bert Cheese]

Wetherspoons autumn ale festival starts on Friday...

 

Love them or loathe them there is no denying they make an effort with these events, I've had some cracking beers in the last few years they have been running.

 

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/static/pdfs/admin-generated/podium/real-ale-festival-285.pdf?t=1413308176

[leopardml2341]

Feedback from Cologne:-

 

BrauhausFruh - Good beer, good food and good service, cynically quite unexpected from a place so popular.

Malzmuhle - superb AND the biggest Schweinshaxe (Roast Pork Knuckle) that I've ever eaten

Beer Museum in Cologne Altsatdt - not actually a museum, but 18 beers on tap and many more in bottles. Perhaps more importantly, but coincidentally, barely 100 yds from hotel.

Zum Alten Brauhaus - a little bit out of town on Severinestrasse and tbh not really worth the effort.

Pfaffern Brauhaus - again in Cologne Altstadt superb food beer and ambience 'some' staff not so good though

 

and in Wuppertal - Wuppertaler Brauhuas slightly disappointing this time, seasonal beer was Oktoberfest bier, not to my liking.

 

Rgds,

[roundhouse]

In the Rake in Borough Market near London Bridge

First of the day is a Porter. Not bad but a bit chewy, certainly not smooth.

 

Next up one of the new fangled cans from Central Coast brewery in San Luis Obispo in California.

A great brewery and tap room right next to the Coast Line where you can sit and watch the Amtrak Coast Starlight head North out of town over the road bridge as it heads for the climb North.

A superb Stout although £7 can

 

[45156]

A superb Stout although £7 can

 

 

Ouch - that makes the eyes water, even if the beer doesn't - I just couldn't justify spending that on a beer now I'm on my pension!

 

Unfortunately, today's offering is just a can or two of Holstein Pils which is pretty mediocre, and is a good reason for having a bottle of lime cordial handy to make the stuff remotely palatable.  It used to be OK years ago, and I got it with the shopping on a special offer, and the first disappointment was to see that this was now Brewed in EU by Carlsberg - with no mention of Germany at all - I remember it from the days when it was actually brewed by Holsten Brauerei and distributed by S&N and I haven't had anoy for over twenty years - but now - yeuch - never again  AND it's had the usual emasculation of strength - I remember it at about 5.4% and now it's only 5%.  Seems to be industry standard now to lower the strengths a tad - Sixpoint appears to be bucking that trend, as I'm told that the latest batch of Bengali Tiger coming in at JDW is at 6.5% - just a nice strength for a single canful.

Edited October 15, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

Well £7 is cheaper than a flight to SLO!!

 

six point Bengali Tiger is very nice

[45156]

six point Bengali Tiger is very nice

My agree is a double one.

 

Very nice indeed - in fact it is one of the most pleasant US brews I've ever tasted, and I've been supping now for upwards of 45 years - I wonder how it would take to being brewed here and served as a cask conditioned ale, as JDW have a propensity to do.  I'd really like to try Sixpoint Resin, but at 9% I doubt that JDW will touch it - also like The Crisp, but the jury's still out on Sweet Action.

Edited October 15, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

That Six Point is far nicer than a similar named brew by Fullers despite being out of a can.

 

I love UK ales but the taste in many US craft beers does often beat them I hate to say!!

 

It's one reason apart from the trains that we keep wanting to go back there.

 

Just give me a decent win on the lottery and I would soon be over there for a good part of each year in between shows!!!

 

Especially after a few beers tonight and loads of problems at London Bridge with both our penultimate train delayed and the last one cancelled.

 

Usual C***p to the end of a good evening out

 

Update

Signalling problems at Sydenham..what a surprise!

Edited October 15, 2014 by roundhouse

[AndrewC]

Last evening spent getting ignored by the local CAMRA branch members at the local 'spoons. The old cow of a membership secretary and her stereotypical unwashed bearded sociopath of a partner don't like us very much for some reason. We must have annoyed them at some point in the past. Maybe its because SWMBO isn't well English innit. So much so that she's removed us from the branch's mailing list. No great loss but annoying as we still pay for the society membership.

 

I did get to meet and chat with the brewer/owner of Bexley Brewing during their launch. They're doing 2 beers as their core range and will look at some seasonals in the future. BOB (Bexley's Own Beer) is ok but needs just a bit of tweaking to the recipe. The after taste is a bit too flowery/soapy for my liking. On the other hand their Redhouse (named after the local home of William Morris) is a different beastie. Well balanced with a clean finish.

 

After that it was back on the Rogue Amber and the Bengali Tiger for me. Sadly they ran out of Tiger. Gee I wonder who drank it all? Like Ian I'm more drawn to the heavy flavoured US and now continental "craft" beers over the rather pedestrian real ales so loved by the twiggy brigade. I'll take a small glass of 11% Emelisse Imperial stout aged in Bowmore barrels, over a pint of 4.5% watery attempt from some factory brewer.  

 

Andy: Koln Brauhauses are renowned for their abrupt and surly staff. Pfaffern is regarded as the worst of the bunch for miserable service.

[roundhouse]

On the train this morning I did a little bit of looking up breweries for a planned trip State side - had a bit more itme to do so as this mornings train also late surprise surprise.

 

Any way the people that I was squashed in between also enjoyed reading my ipad!!

 

There are now five brew pubs/ taprooms in downtown Santa Barbara, three within yards of the station:

 

The brewhouse - best one we have done in SBA

Union Ale House - Their beers are brewed for them by Central Coast brewing which we had last night

Fuegerola Mountain brewing tap room which is the new one for us.

 

As Andrew says the US craft brews have so much taste even Brew Moon cloudy wheat by one of the big brewers (sorry Andrew but we like it) but a decent dark mild porter or Stour real ale is still just as good. All the laighter ales dont generally do it for us but are good to clean the palette in between such ales.

 

There are now quite a few new brewers in the Uk doing US craft style beers although they are generally quite expensive, certainly more than a real ale. Quite a few of these brewers are around Bermondsey. Despite worknig in the area I have yet to visit them although have tried soem of their beers in the Rake.

 

Must do the Bermondsey beer Mile one Saturday.

Edited October 16, 2014 by roundhouse

[45156]

I wonder how many of the Beer Thread followers have visited this place when in Salzburg - the beer has to rate as one to savour and is probably a better reason to go to Salzburg unless you are also a classical music afficionado or a fan of Julie Andrews.  I was reminded of my visits to the monestary when discussing a holiday in Austria, Germany and Swizerland when I was a student.  The beer, ISTR, is pretty potent, and also quite heavy, as I think it may be live beer, but it is one of beer drinking's more unusual experinces being served up huge tankards of beer by monks.

 

http://www.salzburg.info/en/gastronomy/salzburg_beer_culture/breweries/augustinerbraeu

 

http://www.augustinerbier.at/index.php?id=3&L=1

Edited October 17, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

It certainly rings bell that beer.

 

I recall doing a place near the station and another in a garden setting back in 2008 but cant recall which ones.

 

Salzburg is well worth a visit though.

 

Ian

[45156]

It certainly rings bell that beer.

 

I recall doing a place near the station and another in a garden setting back in 2008 but cant recall which ones.

 

Salzburg is well worth a visit though.

 

Ian

I think that the monestary was actually up a hill from the main part of the town, but possibly, the beer can be purchased elsewhere - my memory is blunted by both the potency of the beer, and by the advance of anno domini - but on the same holiday, I sat on the terrace of the Banhof in Kulmbach supping EKU28 while watching the 01 class pacifics arrive and depart - that stuff really was electric soup and no mistake at about 11.3% ABV.  Their pils type beer was a lot more forgiving, and made a great session beer, and was available at the station vom fasse.

Edited October 17, 2014 by 45156

[Mark Dickerson]

I know the Saint, you know. Very partial to a nice pint of Red Barrel.

[chrisf]

I know the Saint, you know. Very partial to a nice pint of Red Barrel.

 

There was no such thing as a NICE pint of Red Barrel!

 

Chris

[AndrewC]

Once upon a time I had a T-shirt that said...... "I thought Puking was a city in China until I tried Watney's Red Barrel"

[hayfield]

There was no such thing as a NICE pint of Red Barrel!

 

Chris

 

 

I once had a super pint of Double Diamond, it was in a little country pub and came from a wooden barrel on a shelf behind the bar with a proper tap at the bottom. It may well have been something completely different, or as it was over 40 years ago still a good drop of beer out of a wooden barrell

[petethemole]

Unlike most keg beers of the 70s that had newly created brand names, Ind Coope used the existing name of Double Diamond, which was a well-known bottled pale ale for many years and also sold in cask. ISTR early GBGs mentioning pubs where it was still possible to find it in cask.

 

Pete

[Siberian Snooper]

About 18 years ago when lodging in Warwick and on a pub crawl I had a pint of brew 11 from the hand pump, a totally different pint to the sh1te that comes out of a keg.

[melmerby]

One of the most annoying thing about giant breweries (and the UK ones are generally no better) is the moving of production from the originally site/city/country to a central factory brewhouse, where all the original character of the brew is usually lost.

 

One of the latest is Inbev's brewing of Beck's in the UK.

Bottles that until recently said "Imported" and "Brewed by Becks Brauerei" now say "German Brewing Heritage", whatever that is meant to mean. And brewed by Inbev listing their Luton headquarters!

 

I have now stopped buying it and will shop elsewhere for a continentally brewed beer.

 

Keith