**** Official middle-aged man's Craft Beer thread ****

[big nuts]

The Craft offering 33% on all take outs now.

Grabbed an IPA by Kernel which was tremendous have got another IPA madness by Wild Beer Co and Gammer Ray by Beavertown left to consume.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The Craft offering 33% on all take outs now.

Grabbed an IPA by Kernel which was tremendous have got another IPA madness by Wild Beer Co and Gammer Ray by Beavertown left to consume.

Three of the best breweries/IPAs out there at the moment. Tremendous work.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Welcome! And the answer is cold. And please tell us what you have tasted.

Seems like a wild generalisation to me, but then I rarely drink beer straight from the fridge, with the exception of Weissbier. Probably okay for the two lagers, but the other three would surely benefit from being a little warmer. I would suggest to take them out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes before drinking. It really is down to personal preference though.

 

[Beach Hut]

Good work. Being new to this what do you reckon overall?

Very enjoyable and nice to taste different types of beer at an average price of around £1 per bottle. Very surprised to see Newcastle Brown Ale in the same display however each to their own.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Seems like a wild generalisation to me, but then I rarely drink beer straight from the fridge, with the exception of Weissbier. Probably okay for the two lagers, but the other three would surely benefit from being a little warmer. I would suggest to take them out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes before drinking. It really is down to personal preference though.

Fair comment but I think it is fair to say the vast majority of craft beer is drunk cold. But some do benefit from warming. I like imperial stout and drink this cold from the keg or bottle but drink it slowly primarily because it's stong in alcohol but the benefit is it warms and the flavours start to change and become enhanced. I guess this is an argument for drinking it warm in the first place though.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Very enjoyable and nice to taste different types of beer at an average price of around £1 per bottle. Very surprised to see Newcastle Brown Ale in the same display however each to their own.

I've heard good things about Lagunitas so I'll have to try some myself. I do like an IPA at around the 6% mark as it usually tastes stong in booze and big flavour.

 

[Beach Hut]

Dog Fish, extremely full flavoured

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Dog Fish, extremely full flavoured

An excellent beer, in an excellent first selection you're getting through. If you go back through the thread a page or so you'll see I had a little outing to the Dogfish Head Brewery a week or so ago.

Right now I'm enjoying a Starr Hill Grateful Pale Ale, from Charlottsville, Virginia.

I tend to think that most crafts, cetainly the IPA's and Pales tend to best served cool, as opposed to USA freezer cold - this is best saved for the weak, pi**y cooking lagers that have little or no taste. The better crafts come alive a little warmer than that - in my opinion.

Up the craft.

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Lagunitas is a fine beer, California at it's best - I'm sure they'll be some in NYC later this year ready and waiting for you.

 

[Beach Hut]

Sierra Navada, class act very good

And latest selection to get through:

Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Castaway IPL
Magic Hat not quite pale ale
Shock Top Rasberry Wheat
Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA

 

[lasvegan]

Currently sampling the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, and very nice it is too.

 

[Beach Hut]

So three tonight and first up Samuel Adams Boston Lager and sensational, excellent it is.

Next Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, initially tastes like an alcopop however as you get the flavour very clever craft beer.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So three tonight and first up Samuel Adams Boston Lager and sensational, excellent it is.

Next Shock Top Raspberry Wheat, initially tastes like an alcopop however as you get the flavour very clever craft beer.

A school night craft beer post at 1:20. That's the spirit

Interested to hear about the Dogfish 90 minute.

 

[spring hall convert]

Nice article about craft beer in the Guardian today http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/13/craft-beer-revolution-hops-brewers-flavours

That Godflesh T-Shirt makes me want to drink his beer. A man of exceptional taste I suspect!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Nice article about craft beer in the Guardian today http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/13/craft-beer-revolution-hops-brewers-flavours

That Godflesh T-Shirt makes me want to drink his beer. A man of exceptional taste I suspect!

Nice to see Burning Sky getting a name check as well. BS have gone from stand-still to highly respected and nationwide sales incredibly quickly.

 

[spring hall convert]

Nice to see Burning Sky getting a name check as well. BS have gone from stand-still to highly respected and nationwide sales incredibly quickly.

And deservedly so. I reaquainted myself with Devils Rest last night - some brew.

I also had a couple of bottles of this as well, one of the best things I've tasted in sometime. My head feels a lot better for opting for it rather than an Imperial Stout as well.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24247/102910/

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

And deservedly so. I reaquainted myself with Devils Rest last night - some brew.

I also had a couple of bottles of this as well, one of the best things I've tasted in sometime. My head feels a lot better for opting for it rather than an Imperial Stout as well.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24247/102910/

Totally agree. It's a lovely sight walking into a bar and seeing Burning Sky.

Looks good. I imagine the flavours work well? I have just ordered a case of beers and managed to get 3 bottles of Abstrakt AB15 which is an salted caramel popcorn imperial stout/ale. When Abstrakt works well it is great, but they have made some right honkers in the past-part of the experimentation process I guess.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Here's my current shipment in all its glory

Abstrakt AB:15 (3 x 375ml Bottle) x 1 @ £29.00
Brewdog - U-Boat (w/ Victory Brewery) (3 x 330ml Bottles) x 1 @ £10.40
Brewdog - Electric India (3 x 330ml Bottle) x 1 @ £7.50
Brewdog - Electric India (330ml Bottle) x 1 @ £2.60
Brewdog/Mikkeller - I Hardcore You (6 x 330ml Bottle) x 1 @ £18.50
Brewdog - Jack Hammer (3 x 330ml Bottle) x 1 @ £7.50
Clown Shoes - Muffin Top (650ml Bottle) x 2 @ £10.00
Mikkeller - Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (330ml Bottle) x 1 @ £6.00
Brewdog - Everyday Anarchy (330ml Bottle) x 2 @ £11.00

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Lagunitas is a fine beer, California at it's best - I'm sure they'll be some in NYC later this year ready and waiting for you.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Quick heads-up for all you craft beer bores, sorry, aficionados. I know next to nothing about the subject, me, but just been in to have a noisy at the beers in Hartleys, the new offie at the bottom of Preston Drove where Wine Me Up used to be. I think you'd all appreciate it. Many bottles of brews I'd never heard of, fairly reasonably priced. Eventually settled on a Brewdog 5AM Saint ('hoppy red ale', £1.99 for a 330ml bottle). Purely in the interests of research y'understand I have had to open and sample it - and very nice it is too! Sorry, can't remember any of the other craft beers in there, but to give you some idea of the range and quality of the beers in general, they've got things in there like Shepherd Neame double stout, which I can't recall ever seeing in Kent, let alone Sussex. If you're in the area a visit is highly recommended