MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
This Christmas i have mostly been drinking........
There are only a couplre I've had twice this last week, been awesome too. Finding some great sours this year too
brew dog for me this xmas.
got a dog pack for xmas, and 5am saint on keg in my local.
North Brewing Co Sputnik
Tyskie.
sputnik is cracking.
other leeds stuff is good too, northern monk eternal.
Among others...
Siren brilliance
Wild Weather Punxsutawney Phil. DIPA. Nothing at 9% should be that drinkable!
A rather lovely local(ish) smoked porter.
Something more niche than any of those 😜
Ooo you tease... Don't start a niche off though
B&M had bottles of Oakham Green Devil for £1.39.
I bought many.
Fosters/Carling/Carlsburg
Tasted like drinking burnt treacle! One was more than enough 🙂
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Allendale Wolf.
Leffe. But I have a Beer Wulf selection box to tuck into, Xmas pressie off the kids!
It's been ages since I've had a Leffe now. There is so much tasty beer around
Had sound of Islay by Buxton I think. 13% imperial, tasted more of whiskey. I liked it!
My own. A well-hopped special bitter and a London Porter.
One of my favourites in the supermarkets
Captain Flashheart uses the same shop as me, I believe. Had all of those in the past few weeks.
Delierium Christmas, Delerium Red and Anchor Brewing Christmas for me, plus a selection of mainstream beers (Hobgoblin, Lancaster Bomber, Jennings Cumberland etc). Got a gift pack from Hanlons Brewery as a present. I hate the concept of gift packs but I'll make and exception for beer + glass packs.
Jet Black Heart ..... forget Guinness!
Wild Beer Co. are doing a pretty good offer at the moment on 24 can cases of Bibble and their Sleeping Limes for £30 a case. A really nice ale and lager for £1.25 a can. Obviously, you’d probably want to taste them first if you’re going to order that many. AFAIK, M&S food places do Bibble. Not so sure about Sleeping Limes but perhaps Waitrose? Bibble is a very safe bet though - nice session strength (4.2%) Mosaic so you’re not going to go far wrong.
Also, if you do a quick survey on their site, they’ll give you a 20% off anything (apart from already discounted stuff) code. Any of their mixed cases would be worth a try. Mighty fine beers with some nice experimental and weird ones thrown in here and there.
Newbury, Beej? One of my LBSs, yes!
Oakham is top stuff, as is that Rauchbier. Very good at breakfast, that one. Apparently.
Had a Fallen Angel gift pack, 1 x Scotch Bonnet cider, 1 x Fire in the Hole, 1 x Black Death (Naga chilli infused black stout), went down pretty well. Not outrageously hot.
Yep, Newbury. Go in every couple of weeks to pick up a selection. We're spoilt around here with Siren, Wild Weather, WB/Renegade being local-ish.
newbury
Inn at Home is great. There's also the Grumpy Goat in Reading if you're in the area. Or even just popping out to the West Berks Taproom. They sell all the WBB beers, and the Renegade ones. But also other brewers, and Tutts Clump cider etc
That's it I'm now off for Xmas.
Had some nice ones so far this christmas, Left Handed Giant Flash Flood, Wiper & True Quintet and Milkshake stout, Siren Carribean Chocolate cake and Northern Monk Cherry FLIPA.
Beej, petec, they also do stuff from over the borders, in civilisation! 😉
Including the rather lovely Stonehenge Ales.
DD, I've liked what I've had from Wild Beer to date, a good recommendation.
I just opened my Brewdog Fanzine Mallow Martian - Imperial Milk Stout
Wowzers 🙂 that is a blinder
Though I just found out that there is some beer about from these guys aged in Lark Tassie Whiskey barrels, and that there is a bottle of lark aged in their beer casks floating around the country!!
Some very fun stuff there
I bought a selection of beers from my local farm shop, and I got some more from a mate. A couple I’ve drunk have been Wiper & True’s Quintet IPA, which is superb, very fruity, and at 6.2abv, needs to be treated with a degree of respect.
https://wiperandtrue.com
I’m drinking Corinium Ales 1AD Anniversary Porter, which is bottle conditioned, and delicious.
http://www.coriniumales.co.uk
I’ve got a couple of bottles from Tempest Brewery beers, Red Eye Flight, which is a mocha flavour, which is an... aquired taste, not sure it’s for me, and I’m just about to open a bottle of their Long White Cloud IPA.
I’ve got a bottle of Five Points Brewery Station Porter, which I’m looking forward to, and several different bottles of Two Cocks Brewery’s beers, Roundhead, Puritan, and one other I can’t remember at the moment.
Got a coupe of boxes from my dad which myself and my missus are exploring. Few varieties of Goose Island (the urban wheat is rather nice if not a traditional weiss), a couple of cans of Steph Weiss and some other stuff I've not got into yet.
Williams craft lager isn't all that, Alba Pine ale and Kelpie are what they should stick to. Got a couple of 11 plus bottles who's names elude me right now, will report back later!
Brewdog are arseholes and you should all be ashamed of yourself for drinking their products.
http://garagelandlondon.com/desist.htm
Also who cares what poncy beer you're all drinking. Everyone knows it's quantity that matters. 😉
Just finishing off a mini keg of Loweswater Gold.
garagelandlondon.com/desist.htm
Is that out as an EP?
I drove over to Little Valley Brewery and bought 36 bottles of loveliness to get us through the festive period.
The smoky Moor Ale is lovely but the State Stout is fab too
Is the Singletrack stuff actully anygood? I can imagine this being printed on the back of the bottle!
"Getting the balance of bitterness and self rightgeousness is all down to how heavy handed the magazine is with their moderation and adverts. This IPA dosen't quite nail it (rather like the new classifieds section) but gives you a dark ale with hint of argumentativeness enough to excite the big hitters"
Brewdog are arseholes and you should all be ashamed of yourself for drinking their products.
Guess you won't be purchasing their MTB jersey then?
I've been enjoying the remnants of my last Honest Brew case.... some Epic Saison (Wild Beer), Petite Saison (Burning Sky) and a couple of sours I don't quite remember.
However, it's the last case because of the change to their subscription model; in the past you could nominate what sort of stuff you'd like and they'd curate cases for you based on your preferences (eg: I don't like too hoppy, and don't like smoked dark beers/porters. I did like Saisons and said so so they sent me more / similar) Now you either get their choice or you can pay £20 a month into a beer bank and then order against that at your choice.
Trouble is - I still want someone to choose for me and at £20/mo (plus 10% added by them.....) I don't drink £264 worth of beer to make it worthwhile them holding the cash for me. I know I can withdraw as well, but I still want someone's expertise to say - hey if you liked that, try this instead? I know cake and eat it, but that's why i joined previously and was happy to pay £3 a beer for something that probably retailed for £2-2.50 if you looked for it locally.
Previously I was with BeerBods (a 'their choice' case every 3 months) but they sent me too many that were just disgusting and went down the drain (minus one sip) and while that is part of their MO, to challenge your tastes it didn't work for me.
So..... what other subs based companies are their that i should look at? Or do i find the local bottle shop (which probably isn't local) and just start building my own?
I’ve been trying (in vain I may add) to educate those Harrogate tribe by bringing real beer up North for them.. 8 pints of pure nectar from here...
They moan about how poncy it is, but seem to slug it back like the county is just out of some hard hitting ration period 😜
(I’m still trying to find an equivalent real ale pub up here, if anyone knows one .... and not some glampuss Ginbar neither)
I recently signed up for Beer52. It’s very good.
Six beers on trial pack for only £3.95 p&p.
(I’m still trying to find an equivalent real ale pub up here, if anyone knows one …. and not some glampuss Ginbar neither)
A quick google - what I normally do if I'm going somewhere on a work trip
http://harrogatetap.co.uk/index.php/what-s-on-tap
That looks spot on, good selection of cask and keg, heaps of variety and none of the mainstream breweries getting a look in
Yes it's a decent pint did confuse a few people as it looked like a stout landlord now given me the pump clip for the bike shed
I'm working steadily through a Leffe selection box that came back from France. It's more interesting than the normal Cadbury's selection box.
Ah
No posting of referral links and codes where the poster will benefit financially or otherwise
(I’m still trying to find an equivalent real ale pub up here, if anyone knows one …. and not some glampuss Ginbar neither)
The Coach and Horses is good as is Tap on Tower Street (what used to be Tap and Spile).
Old Bell Tavern is probably my favourite though.
EDIT: +1 for the Harrogate Tap as suggested above.
It's funny to read so much love for craft beer on here. I do like a good session IPA or DDH IPA even when it's got mango juice or something in it, but I live abroad and it's about all there is.
I'm flying into the UK tonight and crossing everything that I'll make last orders at the Swan for a pint of 3.4% ale, served out of a cask made less than a mile away. Hard for me to imagine why you'd drink anything else!
+1 for the Harrogate Tap and the Old Bell.
I have a Wobbly Brewing IPA No 3 waiting for me after tonight's ride home. It's supposed to have a powerful citrus & tropical aroma which is right up my street.
https://wobblybrewing.co/product/ipa-no-3/
The Little Ale House in Harrogate is as good as it gets for fresh local beer. The owner Rich is also a top bloke.
Homebrew -
Just now its an all grain Saison brewed around 6 months ago - 100% Maris Otter, mix of noble hops, self-cultured Saison Dupont yeast.
Its a satisfying pint 🙂
Old Bell Tavern is probably my favourite though.
Hmm.. it was before it turned into a Ginbar. Quite why they had to turn the only real ale pub in Town into some neon GinChaser I’ve no idea. We used to go in there all the time, proper beer, small tables, large selection and cubbyholes.. now it’s just like any other place.. all be it with a couple of real ales thrown in to keep the blokes happy. Very sad day when they tried to turn it into something it never was.
I’ve heard good stories about the Little Ale House, we’re off there tomorrow night for a pint ... I shall let you know how we get on.
Other than that, the Tap is where Harrogate Locals go to turn their noses up at Southerners (like me) when we open our mouths to ask for a Pint ... then get sneered at by some white trainer wearing thickedd. Norrrfanks.
🤷♂️🤳
Beer 52 have sent me some interesting beers. Also tried flavourly but most of them were fairly bland, only a couple of real eye openers.
Other than that, the Tap is where Harrogate Locals go to turn their noses up at Southerners (like me) when we open our mouths to ask for a Pint … then get sneered at by some white trainer wearing thickedd. Norrrfanks.
A Pint grandad!! We are all drinking Schooners or halfs these days 😉 Got to go with the flow
Had a good selection of juicy ipas over the Xmas, mainly from Cloudwater, Wylam, Left Handed Giant, Loka Polly and Verdant. Still have 2 cans of Cloudwater latest DIPA in the fridge for New Years Eve.