*The Real Ale Thread

[Bond]

Wychwood?

I think the Hobgob pub in Brixton sells that

 

[J77]

No-ones posted on this for years.

Has everyone gone tee-total

 

[ernestolynch]

Weird! Great minds - I was just about to resurrect it with this:

LAWKS A MERCY!

Dumb pic won't link. Never mind.

We're off on Wednesday evening. Heaven - a Camra virgin me.

 

[proud american]

Still tipping back the ales. Unfortunately nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about and I don't recognise any of the ales mentioned. Maybe its time for me to take a fact-finding tour.

 

[Poi E]

Originally posted by ernestolynch
Weird! Great minds - I was just about to resurrect it with this:

LAWKS A MERCY!

Dumb pic won't link. Never mind.

We're off on Wednesday evening. Heaven - a Camra virgin me.

Cheers for that Ernie-looks great.

 

[Stig]

Waahey the Great British Beer Festival!

We'll be there Friday and Saturday! aaaand, possibly Thursday... but then we could possibly put in an appearance on Wednesday, too....

 

[William of Walworth]

GBBF 2003

We may start a new GBBF thread on the London forum in the next few days, to persuade peeps to come along ...

In the meantme in case ernie's links above don't work for you, the dates of this wonderful Festival of Ale are
Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th August (closes late afternoon/early evening on the Saturday).

See some of you there ...

 

[William of Walworth]

It's a beery time of year!

I've just started this Great British Beer Festival thread on the London Forum -- please add your names to that thread (and/or PM either Stig or myself) if you want to come along for some beer and maybe an Urbanite ale tasting session! Wahey beer! And superb beer too ...

We'll be there Friday 8th (evening) and Saturday afternoon. Possibly Thursday too if we're up for a pint .. oh hang on ...

Note lack of my customary festival weather forecast which will remain absent cos the whole thing is
indoors

 

[Voley]

Sharp's Doom Bar is my current fave.

Walking up to the bar and saying 'I'll have a PINT OF DOOM has a certain something.

 

[povmcdov]

"old spot" and "pigs ear" from Uley brewery are good. The evening star in Brighton has excellent beer, i agree, but is a bit expensive and too small, and hence crowded on the weekend

 

[ernestolynch]

As there's hundreds of ales on offer - I'll probably only be able to drink 5 or 6 (lightweight I know but it's not lager you spivs). What should I head for?

I like dark, meaty ales, and earthy ones. Porters too.

 

[Poi E]

Originally posted by ernestolynch
As there's hundreds of ales on offer - I'll probably only be able to drink 5 or 6 (lightweight I know but it's not lager you spivs). What should I head for?

I like dark, meaty ales, and earthy ones. Porters too.

you'll be wanting a Rochefort 10 at the Belgian beer stand then Ernie. Seriously, I'm all a wibberal-quivering over such a collection of fine real ales.

 

[ernestolynch]

Do you think they'll have that 25% alc strongest beer in the world?

 

[Poi E]

Originally posted by ernestolynch
Do you think they'll have that 25% alc strongest beer in the world?

Wow! Have never come across that. Sounds suicidal.

 

[Sunray]

That'd take some brewing skill to make it even vaguely drinkable. I remember this one called um can't remember, Tom Thumb I think (not sure), it was a bit thick and quite foul an that was 9%. Theres a reason for beer being 3-7%.

They have an Imperial Stout thats 10% I bet its hideous.

Sunray

 

[Poi E]

Originally posted by Sunray
That'd take some brewing skill to make it even vaguely drinkable. I remember this one called um can't remember, Tom Thumb I think (not sure), it was a bit thick and quite foul an that was 9%. Theres a reason for beer being 3-7%.

They have an Imperial Stout thats 10% I bet its hideous.

Sunray

Try some of the strong Belgian ales. Kasteel at 11%, Bush Ambree at 12%, Westmalle Trippel at 9.5%-all eminently drinkable and dangerous, as they hide the alcohol content so well.

 

[ernestolynch]

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_779369.html?menu=

 

[jimmer]

I don't drink real ale much, but I think Honeydew is the nicest beer in the world...

 

[Roadkill]

There seem to be some nice brews on offer in the West Country, if my ten days there's anything to go by.

Had a very drinkable pint of Dartmoor Best at a small pub in Brixham. It wasn't anything very special, but a nice, smooth beer. The second pint of it was a bad idea though, since I was on antibiotics...

I had one from the St Austell brewery at a pub in Exeter as well, but I don't remember the name of that one.

 

[doobs]

Landlord

Landlord is my favourite. I do miss though the bottle conditioned Guinness which was replaced with the filtered variety around 1994. It had a complex flavour. In the past I've used the yeast sediment from bottle conditioned Guinness to brew beer!

 

[Swami Barmi]

Being an Urban newbie, I was strolling around tonight and I thought, “I wonder if there’ve been any beer threads here?” Sorry for the lengthy post, but I just feel compelled to at least throw in some nods to so many comments, particularly since I’m from the States.

Coniston Bluebird

Brilliant beer!

Youngs Special - my fav.

Classic brewery, and as someone mentioned, family owned and VERY intent on staying that way.

I also recommend Spitfire and Bishops Finger.

Ditto.

Dark Star fame (beer of the year at the National CAMRA beer festival a few years back).

Dark Star is great stuff. I got some at the Pitfield ‘outlet’ in London in ’87.

adnams

When I was stationed in Suffolk (1980-1982), this was the favorite of our group of yanks.

Celise ale (American I think). Tried a couple of "Abbey" beers too. Those monks knew their stuff.

Belgian beer is awesome. You’re right: Celis is American, from Texas. But the founder and head brewer is from Belgium. He’s actually the man who started Hoegaarden and repopularized the wit style of beer.

McEwan's 80/- is the finest ale known to man! Unfortunately, I've never seen it on draft anywhere south of Newcastle. You can get bottles of it in a lot of places though.

We get it in the widgeted cans, as we do a lot of beers here.

Gales Ales.........

Just had a Prize Old Ale a couple of weeks ago. The Masterbrew is FANTASTIC as well.

Batemans XXXB

We get this here too and it’s very nice.

I was raised on gravity Abbot Ale. Sadly this beer is now a shadow of it's former, IMO. However, this has forced me to be more adventurous. Ridley's Old Bob is a current favourite,

Greene King is a great brewery. Strong Suffolk is a classic. I’ve waited for years to drink this again and we FINALLY got it here recently!

I'm quite fond of Wells' Bomardier at the moment. . . Samual Smith's Nut Brown Ale

Wow. I haven’t even heard the name of Charles Wells for almost 20 years. My favorite Sam’s is Old Brewery Pale Ale.

I do love Tim Taylor's Landlord too - it's gorgeous

Had this very far from its home at the Sun on Lamb’s Conduit St in London. Is this pub still there?

Can't really fault any Fullers Beer.

Another classic brewery that earns its respect.

Caledonian on tap is lush too but don't know if it crosses the Tweed.

No, we don’t get it on tap! But we get it in the cans.

Although my all time fav is Theakstons Old Peculier. Proper beer

Yes, very nice, but I sense that its character has weakened over the years (or maybe since the brewery was bought out?).

As for home brew –

I used to homebrew. I still have a few bottles of barley wine that I brewed in 1990 (9.5% abv)! It’s just gotten better with age and is one of the best barley wines I’ve ever had if I do say so myself!

I must just say that I used to enjoy a pint or 2 of Ringwood Porter

There’s a brewery in Maine that uses Ringwood yeast, their beers are all British styled, and they even brew Old Thumper.

as for me... i've just moved to belgium and am slowly working my way through the fine beer on offer. those monks certainly know a thing or two about brewing very strong beer. i've also got micheal jackson's book on fine belgian beers, which i use as my bible i'm even beginning to taste the spices and fruits used in the brews.

All his books are worth the price, but his World Guide to Beer is a beauty!

If you are near a Safeways - I can recommend a lovely stout called something's Engine Oil

Harviestoun Old Engine OilJ Great stuff!

For me while I enjoy Ruddles County and Old Speckled Hen…

Both are staples ‘round here.

any fans of weissbier here??

Love them! Both the southern style and the Berliner Weiss.

Hook Norton of erm Hook Norton in Oxfordshire . . . 6X from Wadsworths . . . Shepherd Neame's Red Autumn Ale,

I had the pleasure of trying Hook Norton at a the London Drinker’s Beer Festival in 1987. 6X is a great beer as well, and Shepherd Neame: any old Caravan fans out there? The drummer is the landlord of Sheperd Neame’s home pub.

Do you all think ale is starting to become (slowly) more widespread? I think it has in that there seems to be more and more pubs and bars where a good pint is more likely than 3 or so years back?

I sure hope so. I watch a lot of British telly and it sickens me when I see the majority of characters going out for a pint of lager. It seems the only dude I could count on for drinking ales was Onslo or the Summer Wine characters.

Had a bottle of Marston's Firestoker last night. Very tasty with a kind of vanilla finish.

Haven’t had that but Marston’s Pedigree is very nice.

[/quote]Young's Double Chocolate Stout oh for that slight caramel aftertaste![/quote]
This stuff is like silk!

Young's Winter Warmer

Nothing like old ales and winter warmers in the dead of winter. Old Nick is great too.

Other favourites.... Black Sheep, Riggwelter,

We even get these here!

Then a pint of Scottich heather ale.

The Heather Ale Company is like the beer museum of Scotland. I love their recreations of ancient styles.

anyone know this ---> beerhunter i've got his belgium book, he's well enthusiastic over his ale

And scotch, but that’s another thread. Have you seen the videos? I don’t know if they’re still available but they’re great.

tried st peters organic ale last night. Its a treat.

I love the porter. Brewed in the old style where they mix young and old beers.

edit: what constitutes an ale over a beer?

The two major types of beers are ales and lagers. It’s all beer.

Cheers. Dunno, but have had hints in the past that this thread is more for the English side of things, you know, kiddies' ABV of about 4%

Not all English beers are lightweight! Actually, English beers aren’t necessarily weaker overall than any other country’s aside from Belgium. Or perhaps France if you consider the many French biere de gardes.

Hobgoblin t-shirt!

We get Hobgoblin too!

Dirty Dick's is nice, it also gives me the opportunity when drinking it round whoevers house to say to whichever female is close at hand "Would you like some of my Dirty Dick?"

Is the Dirty Dick’s pub still open? Do they still have those mummified cats in there?

I put in an earlier post that my Dad was a bit of a real ale spotter. I guessed he had tried over 500 different British real ales. When i saw him the other week on his birthday i asked him what his official figure was now.
"932" came the reply. He will actually sometimes go miles out of his way just to try a new/different ale.
Does anyone else have this hobby or know of anyone else who does this.
Is 932(over about 20-25 years)different real ales a lot?

Go dad! Wish I had the pleasure to have tried so many real ales. I keep track of how many beers I’ve tried as well, but I don’t include the Budweisers and the rest of the American mainstream rubbish. I’m almost at 1400.

A good walk in the Dales and Timothy Taylor's Best at dinner.

Ok, it may be corny, but I used to love James Herriot. In fact, my kids are named Calum, Tristan, and Dale.

you'll be wanting a Rochefort 10 at the Belgian beer stand then Ernie. Seriously, I'm all a wibberal-quivering over such a collection of fine real ales.

Rochefort is awesome!

They have an Imperial Stout thats 10% I bet its hideous.

Pass it on to meJ.

Mac

 

[Roadkill]

Bumped from the dpeths of page 4...

... to say that I had ten pints of Rudgate's Old Ruby last night.

What a lovely pint: really dark and rich, but fruity and tasty and not too strong.

Ten pints of it had me duetting folk songs in the pub though.

 

[Roadkill]

Am I the only one posting on this thread now?

Roaring Meg - 5.5%, does funny things to your head and tastes lovely. Sent me and doggy off on a pointless several-mile walk all round West Hull yesterday evening.

 

[ernestolynch]

I thought this thread was binned? I looked for it about six months ago and here it is, cool!

 

[chez]

wow I loved this thread. going up to the lakes tonight so hopefully will be sampling a few real ales. maybe conniston bluebird

 

[ernestolynch]

Oh man! Whenever I buy a bottle of that stuff I always read the blurb - 'best served in a straight glass in the ?? pub in on the shores of Lake Coniston'...that's a wonderful brew.

 

[moose]

I've just discovered there's a microbrewery called Storm Brewing round the corner from my house! I'll be sampling and reporting back. 'Ale Force 4.2' sounds tempting.

 

[TopCat]

The best real ale is sold in...

Weatherspoons pubs! it's true, they sell so much beer it always fresh and well kept, sod the lack of atmospehere, just get pissed...

 

[Funky_monks]

I'm glad this thread has resurfaced.

My current tipple is "Medra" by Brygady Ynys Mon. Very fruity, light and summery, its a true 'session beer'. Best drunk in the beer garden of the Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge, looking out across the strait. It's a snip at £1.70 too!

 

[chez]

had some co op organic ale whilst watching the footy last night.