Beers of 2015

[ViolentPanda]

Been trying a few others from the Bristol Beer Factory seeing as the Southville Hop is my favourite beer this year so far. This one stood out:

Their Milk Stout is a very nice "easy-drinking" stout. One of those stouts where you notice your glass is empty and are disappointed that you've already finished it.

 

[chilango]

Had a couple of pints of this the other day. Cornish Crown SPA. Very nice. Light, delicate and easy drinking. Which was good as I arrived in the pub at 11.30 am.

 

[starfish]

Just been out for lunch with ms starfish, saw this in the pub & had a couple of pints. I'm not an ale drinker by any stretch of the imagination but this could be the one that changes that. Really enjoyed it, nice crisp flavour with a gentle lemony aftertaste, I think.

 

[chilango]

The good run continues. This is fucking lovely. Light, refreshing, tasty.

 

[chilango]

Neck Oil is still on, so have been largely sticking to that.

Went to the Reading Beer Festival yesterday, I'd love to be able able to list all the wonderful ales I sampled...but I can't. I can't even remember the names.

But Gyle 59's "Mighty Hop's Happy Daze" and Clouded Minds' "Rye Session Pale" do stand out in my foggy mind.

 

[badseed]

The good run continues. This is fucking lovely. Light, refreshing, tasty.

Their black IPA is pretty good too.

In Australia the market is currently flooded with pales and IPA's.
We need more black beer...

 

[Pickman's model]

one unsung beer of 2015 is TopCat's homebrew, which is delicious and potent

 

[chilango]

Gamma Ray is on tonight. As is Bibble.

 

[MrSki]

 

[chilango]

Had this yesterday. Not bad. Not bad at all.

 

[butcher]

Astounding beer. If you like Islay malts this the closest thing in beer terms:

 

[chilango]

Sat at home with one of these. Very nice.

 

[chilango]

Found these in a nearby pub last week. Not bad, not bad.

 

[chilango]

Fucking lovely!

 

[Roadkill]

Had a couple of pints of Consett brewery's Red Dust this evening:

I like a ruby ale, and this is about as good as it gets. Highly recommended.

 

[gareth taylor]

Sat at home with one of these. Very nice.

strong stuff ?

 

[chilango]

strong stuff ?

6+%

...but still a relatively "easy going" flavour for a strong American IPA. Ok, it still has a very hoppy imbalance that some might not like. But less blunt than say Sierra Nevada's Torpedo or the Brooklyn East IPA which both veer slightly towards Special Brew notes.

 

[chilango]

Hmm. An excellent, flavoursome Cornish beer on tonight.

But, y'know what? It's not going down well. It's too hot. I've a thirst for a crisp, cold, lager

 

[chilango]

Have I mentioned the Brooklyn 1/2 Ale yet? It's a "session saison" apparently full of sorach ace hops fwiw. Definitely nice and only 3.4%.

 

[chilango]

Oh...and whilst wandering the snowbound mountains of the Hardangervidda in the Norwegian interior a week or two back, deep snow and floods confined me to hiking out and back from one mountain hut - serendipitously it had its own microbrewery "Finse 1223". A very drinkable ipa and a special which was explained to me as half IPA, half Weissbier.

Very nice.

But you can imagine the sort of tab I ran up....

 

[ViolentPanda]

Had a nice bottle of Pivovar Herold black beer last night - a rather tasty Czech dark lager.

 

[chilango]

I'll also vouch for Founders "All Day Session IPA". Good haul from the offie today.

 

[chilango]

Brooklyn 1/2 on special at the pub tonight. Happy days

 

[chilango]

I got generously bought a box of ales by the in-laws the other day. Thoughtfully knowing I like my "ale" but resolutely full of old school ruby ales packed with fuggles and goldings a la Hobgoblin. Not really my thing, a little malty and sweet...but I tell you what, Brakspears Bitter isn't bad at all out of that bunch. I'd happily drink that again.

 

[davesgcr]

Purple Moose -Porthmadog.

Very fine , especially their "Dark Side of the Moose" - 4.2%

 

[Nice one]

brought out as a limited edition summer special. They describe as “a refreshing pale summer ale with a crisp finish, hoppy bitterness gives way to an explosion of citrus and pine, a full on hop attack for weekend connoisseurs or any other day of the week”.

https://uniceone.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/hoppy-mondays-beer/

 

[chilango]

I love Hawkshead beers, haven't made up to their brewery (yet) this year. But this is a current fave.

 

[chilango]

And another winner from Beavertown:

 

[chilango]

Another Cumbrian hit:

 

[chilango]

Easy drinking.