Great beer

This stuff

is great for several reasons:

It doesn’t even need a label to sell itself

It may not actually be the best beer in the world but it really is good and worth trying

Finally, there is something reassuring about the fact that although the monks could sell a load more at crazy (really crazy) prices they still only make what they need and sell it at normal prices but stop it all being bought up by re-sellers by limiting how much you can buy and how often you can buy it.  In a world that seems completely crazy and out of whack this makes me happy.

So, what other great beers are there out there and why?  Doesn’t need to be the most expensive or fanciest but what is worthy of hunting out?

https://toolbeer.dk/product/every-day-once-a-day-give-yourself-an-ipa/

But generally everything Evil Twin do

I was going to add Croucher Patriot but they seem to be having a change around

http://www.croucherbrewing.co.nz/beers.html

8 Wired Semi and Super Conductor

https://8wired.co.nz/pages/beers

Kris’s IPA

https://www.facebook.com/thewinstonbrewingco/

The Barrel Aged Saison

http://www.hobartbrewingco.com.au/our-beer/ and the Red Eye IPA

The 12 is indeed some of the good stuff! As is…

Hopback Summer Lightning

Arbor Why Kick a Moo Cow

Alesmith Speedway/Hawaiian Speedway

Mikkeler Monk’s Elixir  barrel aged with cranberries

Oakham Citra

Evil Twin Even More Jesus

And so many more!

got a bottle of that westleven to drink when my beer free 12 months ends on 31st Dec

Well done RD!

The 12 is indeed some of the good stuff!

It really is.  I know St Bernadus is meant to be similar but it never feels like it

@mikewsmith – I liking the sound of the iron pot rye porter from hobartbrewing.  Could be an interesting challenge to find some of that stuff

got a bottle of that westleven to drink when my beer free 12 months ends on 31st Dec

And that is how it is done – nice

And so many more!

So, choose one.  Which one should I hunt down and why?

(I’m strangely attracted to Mikkeler Monk’s Elixir  barrel aged with cranberries.  Too much fruit beer in Belg I guess)

If you’re hunting, I’d say the Speedway, as long as you like REALLY big stout.

See also Three Floyds Boo Goop

If you’re hunting, I’d say the Speedway, as long as you like REALLY big stout

Oh yes, well chosen sir

I’ll put in a word for you 😉

It’s more of a session Porter, good but not great as it were!!

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Loving my local

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Nov 17, 2016 at 1:21am PST

accommodating folks thought they renamed one of the beers the Mike one Thursday night 😉

Oh and this

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Bottle 10 is no more 🙂 🙁

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Dec 24, 2017 at 8:58pm PST

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Thanks Kris and Winston

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Dec 24, 2017 at 8:57pm PST

if you are there right now I’ll not be happy

checks instagram post dates

whew

chortles at 750ml containing 7 standard drinks….

I wish!!

Great people and good beer, Scott came out of the Colorado scene and Jimmy the other brewer was new to the game but has had some awesome brews in the time I was there!! Stuck in grey wet manchester now but people like Cloud Water and Track are kicking out some awesome stuff

chortles at 750ml containing 7 standard drinks….

Shared on Christmas day on my last month in Tas, was a fine fine creation, planned to keep it a bit longer but was a time to share it. Beer like that is as good as a fine wine

I tried two months worth of being sent “craft” beers x12 in each case ..of which I probably enjoyed 4 out of the 24..totally over-priced too…so I now just stick to what I know I like ..bottled : Hobgoblin Gold & Wainwrights Gold ( Twaites) ..Allendale brewery: Golden Plover …golden ales then..

Locally on draft ..Nels Best .

I tend not to frequent pubs too much these days and will only have a maximum of two beers a night ..but not every night ..but I do like a drink..

oh and the Saison

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@hobartbrewingco as Jono said holy **** that's amazing

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Feb 21, 2017 at 1:37am PST

This also rates highly

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End of day 1

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Aug 4, 2017 at 6:19pm PDT

especially when it’s at the US prices!!

Pina Colada IPA

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Calling that done for the week

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Sep 5, 2017 at 11:09pm PDT

True session beer

the Whey Stout

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Hey there…

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Sep 6, 2017 at 1:28am PDT

Special little number

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When you ask for a fancy glass in the Winston

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Nov 25, 2017 at 4:09am PST

https://www.beerhawk.co.uk/rodenbach-gran-cru The Rosenbach Grand Cru – when you ask in the pub for a fancy glass for your fancy beer

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Time to set a unicorn free

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Dec 23, 2017 at 3:07am PST

Vanilla Ice Cream beer

just a few little favourites

But recently

https://www.brewdog.com/fanzine

3 Beers every fortnight for £11 some wonderful and eccentric beers there

..but I do like a drink..

Me too but I need to drink less so trying to find the good stuff.  Went to a festival a few weeks ago with such gems as ‘salmon and dill’.   There is so much nonsense out there now that looking for the gems rather than the bizarre.  Sticking ‘craft’ on the label doesn’t make it good

Pina Colada IPA?  Straying into dancing pony territory there.  Looking for the great rather than the weird

The saison might be a winner though

Straying into dancing pony territory there.

Nope, perfect summer session beer, IPA with a tropical flavour profile, was a staple at my old local – where the pic is tagged. All these things are worth a taste but the most valuable thing in all this is a good barman who can pick and refer the good stuff and screen it before it hits the shelf

Is it really €100 for 6 bottles? Wow, must be nice.

Is it really €100 for 6 bottles? Wow, must be nice

If you mean Westvletern 12 then yes and no.  If you buy it at the Abbey it it’s 45EUR for a crate of 24, a completely normal price.  But because they only make what they need to and only sell to individuals the rest of the price is ‘beer-touting’.  The beer is great though and their attitude is worthy of respect

Purple Moose Brewery – Dark Side Of The Moose

Moose favourites!

Tiny Riot Brewery – Cwtch

https://tiny-rebel-brewery.myshopify.com/collections/christmas/products/cwtch-bottle?variant=12160742686763

Three Daggers – Blonde

https://www.threedaggers.co.uk/brewery

Quite partial to a Chinwag

Jaipur from Thornbridge

Consistently one of the nicest beers widely available.

I noticed a new Thornbridge beer at Tescos the other day, Fresa.

Its a Strawberry Milkshake IPA, which is rather nice, I’m bored with most IPAs, but this was rather nice, quite subtle and not too hoppy.