Discussion
Bert Cheese said:
The last of a Vault City batch purchased during dry January, saved till last and finally cracked open tonight.
A sticky texture with lots of blackberry covering the Bucky, not that sour really but still good stuff.
4 months old is never going to taste its best. Hopefully its been refrigerated all that time?A sticky texture with lots of blackberry covering the Bucky, not that sour really but still good stuff.
ecsrobin said:
Bert Cheese said:
4 months old is never going to taste its best. Hopefully its been refrigerated all that time?I appreciate the whole chill chain principle etc, but feel it mostly applies to the new generation of IPA's and in particular the decent/pricey stuff from the likes of Verdant etc...the majority of supermarket craft beers are unchilled and in my experience at least seem to sit around for weeks or months without moving in some cases.
I've mostly given up on the whole craft thing, and gone back to buying bottles of Fullers ESB etc at half the price and less chance of disappointment.
On my annual motorbike tour of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and now expanded to Colorado. Pretty much every stop has to have some decent beer at the end of it.
Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Edited by Rollin on Sunday 28th April 01:59
My absolute favourite beer will soon be available in Asda. Sadly it’s not in stock in their Colchester shop yet.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
Bert Cheese said:
The whole lot including this went straight into the fridge on arrival and this is the last can out, has a BBE of 30/05/2025 so I don't think there was any risk of spoiling.
I appreciate the whole chill chain principle etc, but feel it mostly applies to the new generation of IPA's and in particular the decent/pricey stuff from the likes of Verdant etc...the majority of supermarket craft beers are unchilled and in my experience at least seem to sit around for weeks or months without moving in some cases.
I've mostly given up on the whole craft thing, and gone back to buying bottles of Fullers ESB etc at half the price and less chance of disappointment.
Ive also had some shocker supermarket beers. They do tast fresher when always chilled. I appreciate the whole chill chain principle etc, but feel it mostly applies to the new generation of IPA's and in particular the decent/pricey stuff from the likes of Verdant etc...the majority of supermarket craft beers are unchilled and in my experience at least seem to sit around for weeks or months without moving in some cases.
I've mostly given up on the whole craft thing, and gone back to buying bottles of Fullers ESB etc at half the price and less chance of disappointment.
I’m also with you on the craft thing, as someone who spends far too much time in a brewery I stick generally to the most basic of IPA’s as everything else isn’t enjoyable in quantity. Ive just come back from a trip to Germany and Austria and I just enjoy that at any time of day you can have a really simple clean beer. Got to love those German beer purity laws!
Zio Di Roma said:
sean ie3 said:
I have a fridge full of it. It is beer heroin. Just one at the start of the evening and I am fighting to stay awake, if I drink anything at all afterwards.It is quite normal for my local supermarkets to have shelves plump with every other beer, but one or two bottles of Chouffe blonde so far back that you have to be nine feet tall to reach it. It would otherwise be sold out I suspect.
I even saw a youth wearing a Chouffe teeshirt last week.
I don’t like things that I astutely determine are good being picked up upon by the hoi polloi. My children used to source it specially for my birthday. The only benefit now being that I no longer need to pay £5 per bottle.
One of the big advantages of living in Europe, my local small supermarket stocks La Chouffe, Kasteel, La Trappe, Chimay, Duvel, Cornet, Leffe, Affligem, Westmalle, St Bernadus, Gulden Drak, etc, as well as some more local ones like Jopen, Uiltje, Texel, 't Ij and Kompaan.
British supermarkets seem to have improved a lot in the last 5 years or so though and now seem to stock quite a few Belgian beers.
British supermarkets seem to have improved a lot in the last 5 years or so though and now seem to stock quite a few Belgian beers.
I love the way a few of these micropubs seem to be springing up these days, does it do plenty of business?
The trouble with those kind of Belgian beers though is it's quite a different drinking culture. Much as I love Kasteel Donker, it's 11% so I'm not going be drinking that many in an evening. I sometimes find myself craving a 3-4% ale/bitter which is quite rare over here
The trouble with those kind of Belgian beers though is it's quite a different drinking culture. Much as I love Kasteel Donker, it's 11% so I'm not going be drinking that many in an evening. I sometimes find myself craving a 3-4% ale/bitter which is quite rare over here
We went down to Permbrokshire in March. I usually have a search for any local breweries before going away, so stopped in at the Bluestone Brewery on the way down to pickup some beers to try.
Really enjoyed their Al Fresco hazy pale and Stone Cold IPA. So much so, we called in again on the way home to re-stock The brewery (and tap) is a few miles down some narrow country lanes but well worth the detour IMO.
https://www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk/
They also co-run a bar / pizza place in St. Davids called Grain which is easier to find (with really good pizza as well).
Really enjoyed their Al Fresco hazy pale and Stone Cold IPA. So much so, we called in again on the way home to re-stock The brewery (and tap) is a few miles down some narrow country lanes but well worth the detour IMO.
https://www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk/
They also co-run a bar / pizza place in St. Davids called Grain which is easier to find (with really good pizza as well).
Rollin said:
On my annual motorbike tour of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and now expanded to Colorado. Pretty much every stop has to have some decent beer at the end of it.
Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Next time you're on a tour and if you're anywhere near Santa Barbara, I can highly recommend the Island Brewery just down the road in Carpinteria.Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Edited by Rollin on Sunday 28th April 01:59
https://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/
Always a favourite when we were at HQ in SB. Good beer but even better atmosphere, always full of "classical" Californians who always had a story to tell. It's a warehouse next to a railway with a bar in the front, but it's so much fun.
bad company said:
My absolute favourite beer will soon be available in Asda. Sadly it’s not in stock in their Colchester shop yet.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
I saw this in a supermarket - I'm sure it was in pint cans or something ?https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
bodhi said:
Rollin said:
On my annual motorbike tour of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and now expanded to Colorado. Pretty much every stop has to have some decent beer at the end of it.
Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Next time you're on a tour and if you're anywhere near Santa Barbara, I can highly recommend the Island Brewery just down the road in Carpinteria.Highlight of the trip has to be Helper Beer in Helper, Utah.
Just look at the place..
Very small town that also has an interesting bar called the Regis Club...
Edited by Rollin on Sunday 28th April 01:59
https://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/
Always a favourite when we were at HQ in SB. Good beer but even better atmosphere, always full of "classical" Californians who always had a story to tell. It's a warehouse next to a railway with a bar in the front, but it's so much fun.
Wild Edge in Cortez and a Cidery in Mancos, both in Colorado, were other highlights of the recent trip..
https://www.wildedgebrewing.com/
https://www.fenceline.co/
I'm at the Mikkeller beer festival in Copenagen and it's definitely worth a visit if anyone's on holiday in this direction. 225 beers on in this session, and over 500 across the weekend. Mikkeller, Pohjaler and Aben are the only ones here I've heard of, and I've only come across Aben because we went there last night
SimonTheSailor said:
bad company said:
My absolute favourite beer will soon be available in Asda. Sadly it’s not in stock in their Colchester shop yet.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
I saw this in a supermarket - I'm sure it was in pint cans or something ?https://groceries.asda.com/product/ip-as/stone-ipa...
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