BEERS #2 - Beyond the Pale

[Sebastian Cobb]

Realise it's the beer thread but decided to, quite unusually, mix things up and get some Henry Westons.

[amateur]

I've just finished one of those. Not too bad, but it was very cold. I'm not that keen on how malty it tastes, but I'd buy it again.

It will absolutely do a job. It's by no means my favourite drink, but I could easily see a few of them away in a pub, which isn't easy with a lot of NA beers. One of these straight out the fridge at home will scratch an itch as well.

I don't think any non alcoholic beer could ever hit the spots booze could, as the gang up thread have mentioned. But things are so much better than even a few years ago, we're in relative flavour town here.

Realise it's the beer thread but decided to, quite unusually, mix things up and get some Henry Westons.

Love to know how this went. Don't dabble in cider too often other than the stuff from the West country that tastes of diesel, but quite like it in principle.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Love to know how this went. Don't dabble in cider too often other than the stuff from the West country that tastes of diesel, but quite like it in principle.

It's been ages since I had any cider as well, rarely drink it. This is pretty nice, quite dry, almost like a nicer version of merrydown dry (before minimum pricing forced them to go up market and compete with bulmers etc).

Although I did get seriously tempted by some Westcountry stuff online recently, it looked like it came in plastic milk bottles. I want some stuff that resembles wallpaper paste.

[king_tubby]

Northern Monk Holy Faith Hazy IPA 0.5%

Looks and smells like one of their IPAs but there is no flavour to this at all. It's like drinking soda water.

[amateur]

Although I did get seriously tempted by some Westcountry stuff online recently, it looked like it came in plastic milk bottles. I want some stuff that resembles wallpaper paste.

I had a big plastic boy of some proper cider from the lads at Gwynt Y Ddraig in Cardiff a few years back. Lot of flavour, I'd argue swigging it from the carton only added to the experience. Their Black Dragon is also very good.

[shoulders]

Picked up a Hefeweizen from Raynville Superstore called Farny brewed way south in the Allgau. It's absolutely delicious.

Full flavoured, fresh, balanced. Totally on song.

[amateur]

Terrible Brewdog billboard ad just dropped:

https://twitter.com/callum_t__/status/1524612746423287808

They'd do better to spend some of their marketing funds on Lost Lager, it's rubbish. They've never been able to do a good lager for some reason, This Is Lager was pish as well.

[Psybro]

I quite like Brewdog's product and venues but have given them up because of their PR (including the scandals and how they've handled them, not just marketing).  Is that how PR is meant to work?

Ironically I've recently only had their beers when they were the only vaguely craft-y option available, so they've become a bland product for the non-discerning drinker like they always wanted.

[shoulders]

Terrible Brewdog billboard ad just dropped:

https://twitter.com/callum_t__/status/1524612746423287808

They'd do better to spend some of their marketing funds on Lost Lager, it's rubbish. They've never been able to do a good lager for some reason, This Is Lager was pish as well.

Of course. At their side the best way to keep the graphs going up for their megalomaniacs is to churn out macro lager, but try and pretend it's better than the others to keep their credibility. Meet the new guys, same as the old ones. Macro brewing is all about power, status and profit, because no-one would seek to run a business on that scale except someone with a psychopathic competitiveness.

[shoulders]

Brewd*g positioning their ads for Lost Lager right next to Lost and Grounded brewery (who do actually brew Real Lager) seems to have pissed them off:

https://twitter.com/lostandgrounded/status/1524699076067045376?t=b-v67P14wSPYAPpn05gwag&s=19

[amateur]

Brewd*g positioning their ads for Lost Lager right next to Lost and Grounded brewery (who do actually brew Real Lager) seems to have pissed them off:

https://twitter.com/lostandgrounded/status/1524699076067045376?t=b-v67P14wSPYAPpn05gwag&s=19

Someone pointed out on the thread it's likely they're targeting beer drinkers as they know they'll pass that way. Cynical, quite mucky really.

I stopped drinking Brewdog a while ago because it stopped being tasty, which was reason enough for me. They've never been a great bunch of lads, mind.

[purlieu]

I think Lost Lager is ok, preferable to your average UK macro lager, but there's always at least one better option in supermarkets, and many pubs. My main issue with it is the marketing that good lager hasn't existed for a long time and they've rediscovered it. Given that Pilsner, Budvar and even some German bottles have been supermarket staples for years now, it's remarkably arrogant and utterly wrong.

[Psybro]

That struck me about it, it's very 20 years ago both in terms of the lager market and it's portrayal (in the video version particularly) of what beer adverts are allowed to look like now.

[shoulders]

At my regular haunt in Leeds the owner and staff make me look like a dilettante when it comes to beers.

However, I feel like I was either ahead of the game or pretty much on the curve when it comes to lagers because without much encouraging they are now really into either old fashioned Franconian beers or modern UK revivalist lagers now (eg. Braybrooke, Donzoko, Newbarns, Utopian, Left Handed Giant, Pentrich). Lager in specialist beer circles has ceased to be a dirty word, however there is still a contingency that think lager is the antithesis of why they got into beer and refuse to accept it could be good.

There's a lot of noise from BrewDog as usual but it's all particularly jarring to see them claim ownership of good lager when truly good lager is surging back and sooo much better it is incomparable.

For them to be attacking Budweiser when Lost Lager is basically their attempt to join that market and, while not as bad as Budweiser, is certainly worse than mainstream brands like Budvar, PU, Paulaner anyway, is a classic sleight of hand.

[shoulders]

Spencer, the first US Trappist brewery have lost the right to use the appellation Authentic Trappist Product, joining Achel who were not able to replace the final Monk (who was splitting his time between Westmalle and Achel anyway).

[shoulders]

Ah, it's worse still. The monks are closing the brewing operation entirely after deciding it is viable.

[shoulders]

Schlenkerla Eiche (8.0% smoked Doppelbock) currently available from the wooden barrel at their central pub in Bamberg (one of the greatest beer halls/pubs in Europe), a rare seasonal pleasure.

I've only been lucky enough to be there for one of those season offerings which was the Urbock last November. Hands down one of the most delicious beers tasted in my life.

It's always a rare treat to find any strong dark beer on tap in Germany, even in Franconia with the strongest brewing traditions. From the wooden barrel (Holzfass)? Hen's teeth mate.

The adage in Bamberg is it takes 3 glasses of smoked Marzen in one sitting to make a convert. I dunno about that, it's an acquired taste but it starts to make sense towards the end of the first one, in my view.

[shoulders]

https://twitter.com/MelissaCole/status/1526577542135676928?t=ZAAchyzaQmiZwlsAa077Uw&s=19

Bit of a weird one here, even if the comments are a little shrill for my tastes.

[king_tubby]

Edgelord IPA. Brewdog will be kicking themselves for not thinking of it.

[chutnut]

Pretty cringe but no more glamorising than all those netflix docs about serial killers that everyone bloody loves imo

Schlenkerla Eiche (8.0% smoked Doppelbock) currently available from the wooden barrel at their central pub in Bamberg (one of the greatest beer halls/pubs in Europe), a rare seasonal pleasure.

Stayed literally a few doors down from here when we went to Bamberg in 2012, tried to go a few times but it was always so rammed we gave up. Still regret it now!

[Psybro]

https://twitter.com/MelissaCole/status/1526577542135676928?t=ZAAchyzaQmiZwlsAa077Uw&s=19

Bit of a weird one here, even if the comments are a little shrill for my tastes.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/19/man-24-jailed-for-of-plymouth-teenager-bobbi-anne-mcleod-cody-ackland

Good timing, innit.

[amateur]

https://twitter.com/MelissaCole/status/1526577542135676928?t=ZAAchyzaQmiZwlsAa077Uw&s=19

Bit of a weird one here, even if the comments are a little shrill for my tastes.

Reminds me of that pop-up restaurant in London that was going to do death row "last meals" for £50 a head.

https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/death-row-dinners-cancelled-following-serious-threatening-behaviour-3477412

Objectively deso, even if the food would be delicious.

[shoulders]

Since getting into Czech beer their neurotic obsession with clean glasses is rubbing off.

For context, their bars, as in, the bar area, generally includes whole sinks with taps and a meticulous, if messy looking cleaning operation. Every single beer is poured in a wet clean glass.

Every time I see some tiny bubbles gathering around a glass it just makes me think UNCLEAN.

[shoulders]

Increasingly egregious use of the term craft on show at nouveau riche steakhouse Cut & Craft offering deals to Northerners such as £5.25 a pint of Black Sheep.

Aiming to scythe through the buy to let landlord crowd insulated from the cost of living crisis by making their tenants pay for their jollies out.

[king_tubby]

Ah yes, that famous craft brew Peroni.

Are you actually in there?

As an aside, for the locals, a pint of Veltins is 10p cheaper in Manjit's than the Cardigan, which has amused me.

[shoulders]

Oh christ no!

[shoulders]

18 hours into my return to Czechia, I conclude their pilsner is up there with crisps, chocolate and crack for the effect on your brain. One distinction is the lingering bitter finish with underlying floral, buttery sugaryness. It immediately invites 'Ah, I'm having some more of that.'

Just like the others though, you can collapse in a heap if you're not careful.

[Pink Gregory]

Brewd*g positioning their ads for Lost Lager right next to Lost and Grounded brewery (who do actually brew Real Lager) seems to have pissed them off:

https://twitter.com/lostandgrounded/status/1524699076067045376?t=b-v67P14wSPYAPpn05gwag&s=19

that's a shame, Lost and Grounded were years ahead of the game in brewing 'craft' lagers and this is the thanks they get.

[shoulders]

https://twitter.com/lyndsayva/status/1527996264138383360?t=ATp4hjO_7ukNfSGqxPCS1w&s=19

This was shared by Roger Protz, the most establishment beer writer in Britain. Is he anti-Monarchy? That'd be great!

[phes]

Finally got round to trying a few beers by St Mars of the Desert (Sheffield). All three were very good: A brown ale, a Franconian inspired beer and an IPA that somewhat defied categorisation. I'm not really an expert palate or knowledgeable on most of their style choices but all beers went into the category of drinks that reveal their qualities in time and leave you excited about having a second. Which for me sets them apart from about 80% of the craft market that goes for a flavour explosion that becomes muddy and sad by halfway through.

I haven't visited their tap yet but would have no qualms suggesting it as a must try Sheffield destination