I know the guys at Brick Brewery. Great beers but I’m not sure many would put them in the ‘king’ realm for sours. If lambic is your true love then BrewDog Overworks and Burning Sky need to be next on any shopping list.
I've got a share in BrewDog but i've rarely drunk them for a few years, thought they'd gone a bit safe after their last funding push. Burning Sky, had a few decent ones, but the sours haven't made their way to me yet. There's Nunhead Beer Shop and Hop Burns & Black close which have a few seats a few on draught and then lots of cans and bottles, Burning sky tends to appear there but cans are often extortionate so stick to the pumps. As Brick are literally a mile away (as well as BBNO), they obviously have an increased sample size (for me at least) and the Missus loves their Peckham Pale. If you know any good wits or wheats (proper banana/clove/bubblegum flavours), I'm all ears. Just don't seem to be able to find any in UK. Though hoping to hunt down A&H Wit later if they've still got any left when I trot down Camberwell later
It is if you drink it in small measures and from a proper brandy style snifter glass. They have Sink the Bismarck too which is even stronger. Limited releases obviously
Burning Sky are definitely up there - I'm yet to taste a British saison that can compare to any of theirs. Their core range is very good as well. I've head decent things about Overworks (I guess that's what spending a metric flipton of money can do for you) but I won't drink it on principle. I'd add Wild Beer, Little Earth Project and Chorlton to the list. I expect big things from Duration too, once their new brewery gets up and running.
I'm not a wheat beer drinker, but Moor's Claudia is one that I saw recently, and seemed to go down really well. I think they've got some sort of a tap thing going on in Bermondsey, which might be worth checking out.
Cheers Mister Yes, they're on Bermondsey Beer Mile, though sadly its heaving with stags now so we don't often go there. I'll look out for Claudia ;-). Crossing my fingers Anspach and Hobday have their Wit on, but its a very small batch apparently
I called out Duration and Little Earth Project in previous replies. Little Earth Project were at the recent BrewDog AGM so got to taste three or four of their special releases. Not just about the money you spend, in regards to BrewDog Overworks. The person making the beer has to know what they’re doing and they’ve got arguably the best on the planet when it comes to sour beers. Hired from Wicked Weed who were bought by ABi
I’ve heard that the head on a pint is to do with the dispenser. The preference down here is for no head and it seems to me that when you want to take your time over a pint you are left with a flat quarter of a pint at the end. My impression is that when you have a head that stays all the way down a pint the liquid underneath it retains some of its life.
No wits at anspach (booo hissss) but getting free Aussie beers... not great as able to down pales and ipas, nice guy mind you
The head is undoubtedly formed by the method of dispense, and although a big creamy head may make the pint appear to have more life, it's quite the opposite, all draught beer tends to contain a similar level of naturally produced Co2, the northern way of serving using the sparkler on the end of the handpump spout agitates the beer and actually knocks some of the Co2 out...as it comes out of solution it brings the gums and resins out of the liquid and forms the head. The southern way agitates the beer less and leaves more Co2 in solution...with no head it looks as though it is flat ie no sparkle, but in fact there is more...so its largely a perception of the eyes rather than fact.
