Ok. Ive never been a real ale drinker. And in some respects I will never be. Tonight, I've had a couple of cans of Brewdog. (Loko, sit down haha) And to be fair, I really did enjoy it. I don't think I could have a session or night on it, but I can probably now say, and appreciate, for a casual drinker, who may just have one or 2. I'll hold my hands up and say I can understand it. What the chuff have I just said lol
Welcome over to the decent beer club which Brewdog beer there are quite a few and they have quite significant differences
Strictly speaking, Brewdog doesn't produce "real ale". The term refers to a living beer, where fermentation is still in progress, in the barrel or in the bottle. Most bottled beers are not classed as "real ale", though some are. Brewdog, in common with lots of other breweries, refers to its beers as "craft beers". There is no precise definition of "craft beers" though. The term usually means "expensive beers". If you enjoyed a Brewdog beer, you may like to try beers from Vocation Brewery, of Hebden Bridge. "Life And Death" is a fine example. It is usually available in Tesco and Morrison's.
I did have a selection box bought. Tonight I tried the dead pony club and planet pale ale. Almost disappointed that they were the last 2 I had lol
Very much echo VoR’s mention of Vocation. Loads of really good Yorkshire breweries to have a dabble with and the supermarkets tend to have a decent range at very reasonable prices. Try a couple of things and see where your tastebuds take you. And before you know it, you might be trying tamarind and lime leaf sours! ;-)
Trouble with Brewdog cans is that they are very small, one big glug and they're gone ! Thus the need to have several, tins not glugs. The best I've found at the moment is the 3 for £19.99 at Morrisons, the mixed variety boxes with 8 tins. So it's 24 tins ... keeps you going.
Another good brewery is Northern Monk which you can buy from the supermarkets. If you are over Penistone way head over the Strings to High Bradfield and pay a visit to the brewery there. You can't beat the Farmer's range.
We get the monthly box from Northern Monk. Had it at the start of the pandemic and it was a bit sketchy. So we stopped it, but then started it up again and it's really very decent now and nice to have a random selection to try. Magic Rock and Brew York also good Yorkshire brewers. And you've Thornbridge in Derbyshire.... though my morals mean I'm loathe to feather their nest too much given the owners former connection with the A4E debacle/scandal. Really enjoying some of the Scottish brewers of late too. Overtone and Fierce in particular.
I just buy a selection of bottles from Aldi, Lidl or Morrisons if I'm in the mood for ale. I sup Spitfire, Speckled Hen, Bishops finger, Hobgoblin, Black Sheep, Banks' and Marsdens Pedigree. As you can gather my pallet takes in anything alcoholic.
I think the size of the Brewdog cans will suit me tbf. I'm usually an all or nothing kind of bloke when it comes a having a drink. Never been a couple of pints and that's it. However, because I'm not exactly wanting to be off my face on a school night, I genuinely think the odd can or 2 like I did last night would work. Especially as it's completely different to what I'm used to, I wouldn't be able to gulp it if I wanted to. I especially liked (the name escapes me) the one which was infused with grapefruit. One can of that, was nice. But I know I wouldn't be able to have a session on it for example. So. Who knows. I could in a few months begin to join in the debates on all these weird brew names etc. I'll always remain a weekend blaster on the "witches piss" as it's sometimes referred to haha
I do quite like the darker hobgoblin beers now and then, usually when it's more autumnal. I also got some banana bread beer from Eagle which was ridiculously cheap. We struggle to make good authentic wheat beers in this country, and though its not a wheat beer, it's probably the closest flavour I've found of late to the Germanic/Polish wheat beers I really have a taste for.
And the winner of Understatement of the year is ........... I tend to be an early adopter of their new releases. Every now and again one will really hit the spot and I'll order a bigger batch. I keep trying their stout experiments - they have never really satisfied but I got one a couple of weeks ago that went down well - Jet Black Heart. Not as sickly sweet as the Velvet Cake. Currently got a mini fridge full of Hazy Jane and the last of the Hoppy Xmas, which still tastes good. And tried their new release 'fizzy pops' too - cherry, lemon, grapefruit and cola. Not bad but I think they should stick to making beer.
Agree on Brew York. Always enjoyed them, though they tend to be on the pricier side. They do a really strong stout - Japanese sounding name - but you need to work a couple of hours overtime to buy a tin. In the Canaries last year, most of the beer shops were big on bottles of 'Red' or Malt beer. Didn't try many, but it was the same in Italy last month - tried several and was fairly impressed with the flavour.
Me too. I sometimes get blotto on a school night and suffer eating mints for my beer breath the next day. If there's a big game on or something. I tend to sup ale more through the week rather than a weekend as it's a drink I don't tend to down after the first couple. On a weekend after George has gone to bed I'll knock cider back like it's going out of fashion.
There are some stunning stouts out there, particularly "dessert ranges" which have all sorts of flavours going on. Wiper and true milk stout takes some beating, but have a little look at Hammerton in London, their Oyster Stout is good, and they did a small can which was a peanut butter stout. Not usually a fan, but really enjoyed that. And if you like things a bit more experimental, look at Vocations barrel aged series, though their banana one this year wasn't a patch on their cherry version. Though the king of imperial porters is still pohjala from estonia in my mind.... though brexit has properly knackered that avenue.
Hazy Jane and Dead Pony Club are my 2 defaults for home drinking - though I do like the Clockwork as something a bit different- If driving and still want a beer the Nanny State is drinkable too Got one can of Elvis Juice left which is OK but not one of my favourites
I don't know if its the same, but a fair few years ago, I think it was Bologna in their Eataly, they had a bar concession that had a Doppio Malto (i'm assuming thats double malt!) and have to agree it was very enjoyable.
It was Bologna that I sampled a few. One place on earth I cannot wait to get back to for a long weekend. Stunning, and a foodie's paradise.
