I buy far too much Joker IPA (Williams Bros), and a lot of their other stuff. Aldi seem to have a really good selection, even outside Scotland - but many other places up here sell it.
Proper Job is a solid choice and is bottle conditioned from the supermarket for £1.50
As above, Oakham Citra is fantastic, the Green Dragon is another step up if you can source it.
Ghost Ship is worth a look too.
For traditional, Marstons Old Empire is a tasty example...
I would expect the quality of Marstons beer to drop off a cliff now they're owned by Carlsberg (if it hasn't already!)
+1 Wye Valley HPA. Got a mini keg in the garage for Christmas
https://www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk/shop/mini-kegs/minihpa01-hpa-mini-keg.html
Marstons owned by Carlsberg
Lagunitas is owned by Heineken. All the big boys are getting in there.
yeah I wouldn't drink any of that shite personally 🤣 Doesn't matter though, for every brewery thatLagunitas is owned by Heineken. All the big boys are getting in there.
Pressure Drop, Verdant, DEYA, Pomona Island, Cloudwater and Northern Monk all do some brilliant American style IPAs. Some do relatively small weekly releases so worth signing up their mailing lists.
Good things brewing co enki is my current favourite. £4 a can though but it’s absolutely hoplicious
https://goodthingsbrewing.co/collections/our-cans/products/enki-4-5-pale?variant=33147611021389
You can disappear up your own arse very quickly with this subject. There is a big difference between a lot of IPAs. Some using more "traditional" hops that taste like a strong amber bitter and those that embrace all manner of fruits that at times can almost resemble an alcopop. I like those that use cascade, chinook or critra hops and are often described as American Pale Ale.
Brewdog are a bit controversial in how they go about things so, without starting the oft repeated row, I avoid them and choose companies i like. YMMV.
My personal fave is this. In fact it gets me going even thinking about it. Best served on draft obviously https://www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/beers/apa
Pressure Drop, Verdant, DEYA, Pomona Island, Cloudwater and Northern Monk all do some brilliant American style IPAs.
**** yeah. Loving all that. Favourite this week is this from Verdant.
https://untappd.com/b/verdant-brewing-co-neal-gets-things-done/2183923
Though at about six quid a can, many round here would lose their shit over it. Life’s too short to drink bad (or even mediocre) beer.
Big difference between USA IPAs. I’m much more a fan of cloudy murky New England/North East style than West Coast or NZ style.
likley already recommended, but beavertown beers are nice. neck oil for every day duties at 4.3%, gamma ray at 5.4% american pale ale with a more toasted flavour, lupaloid at nearly 7% for a straight up IPA (and lovely) or nanobot at 2.8% for light refreshing not really drinking drinking
Thing of the past for the time being, but beer festivals were very popular round my neck of the woods, buy tokens and exchange them for pies and (half) pints if you want much of a chance of trying the many differnet verieties.
Once tried a welsh cider i'd never heard of and it tasted just like fresh apple joice, not like cider at all, until after 3 or 4 halfs I felt a bit squiffy...I then checked out the brand at the counter and it turned out it was like 11%...oops hahah.
I quite like beavertown neck oil and magic rock highwire grapefruit.
Jaipur is also lovely but a wee bit strong for a session.
Anarchy brew co,. do some good ones also.
Saltaire cascade is quite a nice session type beer.
I'm also partial to timmermans cherry beer and Baccous cherry beer whenever I see it on draft, it's pricey but bloodly delicious.
Thats the wonderfull thing about beers and more modern trendy craft beers - theres millions to choose from, some you won't like, some you'll love, and it's good fun finding out 🙂
Though at about six quid a can, many round here would lose their shit over it. Life’s too short to drink bad (or even mediocre) beer.
Don't get me started. I was recently told I'm a champagne socialist (wrong drink surely?) by someone from this forum who drinks red stripe and San Miguel.
https://untappd.com/b/verdant-brewing-co-neal-gets-things-done/2183923
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Tor Beers in Tod has a lot of verdants and cloudwaters in right now. I'm off there tomorrow with a credit card and a large bag to stock up for xmas and NY. 🙂
Tor Beers in Tod has a lot of verdants and cloudwaters in right now. I’m off there tomorrow with a credit card and a large bag to stock up for xmas and NY. 🙂
Definitely. Great selection. I spend about £30 a week with Liz at Drink. Just tried the Lidl Steam Bar IPA and it’s fairly revolting. Their Argus import lager drinks better.
Cheers to good beer.
I spend about £30 a week with Liz at Drink
I spend about the same in Tor Beers. I figure I'd spend that in a pub in Manc after work without even thinking about it so now Jake at Tor gets it instead. 🙂
I'm probably a heathen as I prefer keg beer to cask.
Magic rock is particualry troublesome as after a few I forget the difference and they usualy have high wire on both keg and cask, so sometimes end up buying the wrong one hahah!
Boc Bàn from Ardgour Ales Very tasty and reasonably strong
https://www.ardgourales.scot/
Another vote for DEYA beers. I missed them off my earlier list.
Also, worth finding a decent Freehouse to drink at/follow on the twitters etc as they will have a broader range of suggestions. May I suggest The Southampton Arm, Kentish Town (in that there London). Only serve independent breweries and run by knowledgable staff.
On the budget front.....
Lidl - green gecko (slightly sweet)
Lidl - Hatherwood American Craft IPA - my fave at the mo.
Tesco/Home Bargains - Shipyard - enjoy Wetherspoons from home.
Aldi - 1097. Not a IPA but fairly modern flavoured (longish/lowish/slackish). Low%, very cheap, very session.
Plenty of great west coast IPAs mentioned already surprised no one's suggested Brewdog Vs Cloudwater little dangerous as it drinks like it's in the 5% range when it's 6.8% think it's £2.50 in Sainsbury's at the moment.
Morrisons stock a few by Northern Monk - all of which are delicious. Order of the faith is great.
A couple local to me are also good; Buxton Brewery (Lupulus X range) and Red Willow (Shameless).
Laldi have a nice Belgian Blonde at the moment called St Pierre I think it's around 6.2% and nigh on 800ml...which is nice.
I've just trolley-raided the beer aisle in Morrisons and thrown some of these suggestion in. Already was a fan of Northern monk and Vocation. My beer fridge is stacked and the reserve beer bookcase is groaning under the weight of 'spares'.
Roll on Xmas eve.
Special mention for Black Iris Little Nipper. Amazing for its strength at 3.8%.
At the other end of the spectrum, Cloudwater Thanks Again For Your Support is possibly the best beer I've had all year. Only being sold through independent retailers.
Looks like a trip to Morrisons is on for me too. If I can slope off from the family for a moment.
Northern Monk and Vocation are brewers I'm partial to, look forward to investigating further.
That Brewdog v Cloudwater is good. Hop Stepper and the other one from Aldi are okay. Aldi do one in a green can (forget the name) which is quite good, a bit of traditional-esque ipa in there along with the new worldy stuff. The grapefruit IPA in Aldi is great as well, if you can find it..
Signed up to the Beer52 Xmas offer (case of 10 mixed for £5.95 postage) and got 10 Polish beers (mainly IPAs and a couple of stouts). Not too bad all told, including one that was a wheat IPA which was stunning. Part of the deal is that you sign up to the monthly case. I'll give it one and see, as you can cancel at any time.
Cloudwater definitely in the top tier of the UK beer scene! Our local craft beer place is still doing deliveries, had a couple of pints of (last years! aged by the tap room 😃) One Slice To Yule Them All which is now incredibly smooth @ 11%! Obviously not an IPA though 🤣
Ghost Ship is worth a look too.
I like it but Mrs dB turns her nose up and asks if I want another pint of ghost shit - sadly looks like my favourite pub where I drank it is shutting up shop for good because of covid.
Haven't seen any fullers golden pride anywhere recently but looks like waitrose stock it 👍
Christmas can start now. 🙂
Trying some Goose Island, Goose IPA today... It's pretty good, similar to Brewdog Punk I would say.
What's the Overtone stuff like? I know of them through a pal, but he is paid to promote them so not so objective
Haven't tried the Overtones yet but the last ones I got a while back were good. Maybe not up there with the Cloudwaters and Verdants but that's just my preference. Cloudwater and Verdant seem to have a knack for producing fruity tropical flavoured IPAs whiich is my major weakness.
I helped left handed giant and northern monk when they were crowd funding and also bought some brewdog shares. In a blindfolded test I wouldn't have a clue what I was drinking.
Ella is one of my favourite hops, high alpha acid content and lodas of oils that once bio transformation is complete smell like apricots.
Great selection, they do get abit weaponised though, more is better. More hops, more alcohol, more haze more, more more.
End result is still the same, you just arrive there sooner
On recommendation of this thread I just tried a Vocation Life & Death.... Very nice definitely be having that one again
What’s the Overtone stuff like?
The Ella-mentary was extremely good. Up there with the others (which I've had before) if you like fruity stuff. Far too drinkable to be honest for something that's 7% 🙂
Jaipur, whilst still lovely, ain't a parch on what it was.
I underatand they can't get the old ingredients in the volumes they require, but whatever it is it doesn't sparkle like it used to.
Northern Monk New World is another hit.