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I’m no fan of Brewdog these days. I think their beer used to be much better than it is now.
After over a year of not getting anything from them I put an order in before Christmas and yeah it's not what I remember it being, so it's not just me. Vocation seem to be my go to for putting a sensibly priced order together now, nice mix of session beers and a few of their more experimental brews.
They changed the hops to a cheaper variety once Tesco picked up Punk
Interesting - I heard something similar but didn't know the reason why..
James Watt was also getting a hard time on LinkedIn recently for attempting a green wash with some new biodegradable bottle (or something along those lines). He didn't like actual packaging experts picking apart that the bottle must still have a liner inside that certainly wouldn't disappear quickly.
I still drink it now and again if I have to, if it's a choice of Tennents (or any other tasteless lager) or Punk, Punk wins every time.
I won't mail order it though, I'm another fan of Vocation stuff, Williams Bros do some tasty beers too.
Jet Black Heart (that you shouldn't drink in America) is actually pretty nice.
That and Layer Cake.
They changed the hops to a cheaper variety once Tesco picked up Punk.
Yeah, the hop bill definitely changed a few years ago.
I might be wrong, but I'm sure they used to be quite vocal about using whole hops back in the day. I was surprised they were using hop pellets when I visited the brewery a good few years ago (although understandable given scale).
Jet Black Heart is okay until you taste a real stout and you realise it's just thin dark pish.
Shout out to 3 of my locals - Windswept in Lossiemouth and The Black Isle Brewery and Cromarty Brewing on the Black Isle if you are after something from the north of Scotland and a little more small scale.
Probably had to make a decision on price v availability for long term production.
Whilst still being able to turn a profit and being on the tesco offer line. You sell nearly double the amount if your included in the deals on the alcohol line.
Hop production hasn't kept up with demand for 6 or so main varieties for years
Yes you cam fwd contact but if its not been grown or the crop has suffered with downy mildew or red spider mite then your nicest hops suddenly smell cheesy.
So you pick amore reliable disease resistant variety, pitch a few more kgs and blend in a bucket of the best ones where they will be most utilized.
Eg 20kg od citra in a brew could be cut with azzaca and comet and the resulting beers would be similar but not the same
The Black Isle Brewery
Extra kudos to The Black Isle Brewery for Jocktoberfest. A brilliant Weekend the last time I went.
Nice guy that James fella...
Agree loads of better beers about these days but roaster coaster 9% nitro stout (available in Tesco) is very good.
Just listed my three favourite breweries Convert! St Andrews as well and Fyne misses out because I have scunnered myself with Jarl.
I wonder if the Beeb will cover the estate workers that Brewdog have chucked out of their homes near Aviemore.
Vocation seem to be my go to for putting a sensibly priced order together now, nice mix of session beers and a few of their more experimental brews.
I like their beers. Their rise has been pretty meteoric. I remember it starting as a v small operation in Calderdale only a few years ago and now they are available in most supermarkets. Could be the hipster in me but I'm not sure they are as nice as they used to be.
So it seems on top of a toxic management culture, lying about ingredients to bypass US regs etc, James Watt might be a bit of a sex pest. Linky.
Surely the brand is irreparably damaged by all this? At the very least he needs to go if the company is to have any kind of future, I'd have thought?
Surely the brand is irreparably damaged by all this?
Hmm, so the "free beer" adverts on FB could be a coincidence but...
I'm not sure if you've notice but the general public don't care. He could dip his nob in the kegs and people would still buy it.
He could dip his nob in the kegs and people would still buy it.
Maybe that's how the beers get their distinctive taste with depth of taste dependent on when he last showered...
Hmm, so the “free beer” adverts on FB could be a coincidence but…
It isn't free, you will never,ever get the time back that you wasted drinking lost lager.
Their Twitter feed should be interesting after that... 😉
@duckman Glad it’s not just me. I found Lost Lager to be totally insipid and disappointing.
Loch Lomond Brewery based in...
Dumbarton but it's Scottish.
Their Exiting Piers cherry saison is definitely moreish but I don't have any more.
Gah, just discovered that I really like their Hazy Jane after receiving one for crimbo. Then read (enough of) this thread. Any pointers elsewhere for similar? In fact I should rather support local brewers.
Overtone have some delicious options. Based in Yoker, but they taste much better than that would suggest.
Vocation do a similar brew to Hazy Jane - hop, skip and jump?
Tempest do a couple of really nice hazy beers.
highly recommend another north east brewery, Fierce Beer
Their Cafe Racer is amazing
Just read the sex pest story.
Can't see a smoking gun in there, but it paints a (quite credible) picture of the bloke as a creepy MF.
Unlikely to be the final nail in his coffin IMO.
Agree Fierce make some nice beer. 66 North are another Aberdeen brewery doing excellent work.
I really don't rate Fierce Beer. Find it a bit underwhelming although I haven't tried it all and their Private Universe DIPA looks good. That's the problem with IPAs I find, I love the really strong beers. One can of 8.5% IPA and I have to go to have a lay down these days.
They are also quite expensive. Hence, I ordered some from here:
https://lowcostbeer.com/
Found it very hit and miss to be honest. Some of the beers were ok, a couple good but some had no flavour at all. They didn't taste bad as such - I find some really bad IPAs manage to taste bad despite tasting of nothing - but they just didn't taste of anything.
But anything is better than giving my money to James Watt. I used to like Punk IPA when it first came out but I bought some a year ago or so and found it insipid. Really hoping he gets what he almost certainly deserves but somehow I doubt it.
66 North are another Aberdeen brewery doing excellent work.
6 Degrees North. Brewed five minutes from my house, which isn't in Aberdeen 😉
Oh yeah 6. And they're in Dundee aren't they 🤦♂️ More coffee needed.
Well Black Isle brewery if you want more north east then 😉
Spey Valley is more North east than the Black Isle 😉
Lerwick Brewery surely wins that particular competition?
"Gah, just discovered that I really like their Hazy Jane after receiving one for crimbo. Then read (enough of) this thread. Any pointers elsewhere for similar? In fact I should rather support local brewersx"
Thornbridge Green Mountain is similar (but better I think). I too am boycotting Brewdog - there is both better beer and beer from better people to be found elsewhere!
And they’re in Dundee aren’t they 🤦♂️ More coffee needed.
Pretty much mid way between Dundee and Aberdeen 😀
I like their beer but have stopped buying it. The choice of great beer we have today is in part due to them, but there are far too many negative stories emerging about their behaviour.
think I'm in this position to! Mainly down to JW who appears to be a weapons-grade bell-end. He really needs to step down or take a back seat for Brewdog to be able to move forward tbh. The revelation about him owning a lot of Heineken shares is the nail in the coffin!!I like their beer but have stopped buying it. The choice of great beer we have today is in part due to them, but there are far too many negative stories emerging about their behaviour.
@p7eaven Northern Monk have some nice Hazy options, as do Vibrant Forest. Both will deliver if you can't find them in a shop
What's the score with families being kicked off the estate?
What’s the score with families being kicked off the estate?
gamekeepers, gardeners, farming and domestic staff, who were employed by the previous owner, have been laid off and the properties they lived in put up for sale.
P & J link
Times paywall link
I’m no fan of Brew Dog but that press and journal piece is a terrible bit of propaganda by the huntin’ and fishin’ lobby
That’s terrible fancy wanting to replant forests and stop grouse shooting.
Anyway, he does seem to some what of an odd character.