Beer daan Saaf
Discussion
Spitfire on draught, if kept properly, is a fabulous pint, not to be confused with the bottled pish in the supermarket. Also as previously mentioned, a well kept 6 x will bring a smile to anyone's face. If you ever find your way down to my home county of Dorset, (I am now exiled to France, don't even ask!)Ringwood brewery do some belters. Notable amongst was/is Olde Roger! The deal in my ex local was if you could drink four pints you could drink it for the rest of the night for free. No one ever made it. Lethal! God I miss good English pubs.
Russwhitehouse said:
Spitfire on draught, if kept properly, is a fabulous pint, not to be confused with the bottled pish in the supermarket. Also as previously mentioned, a well kept 6 x will bring a smile to anyone's face. If you ever find your way down to my home county of Dorset, (I am now exiled to France, don't even ask!)Ringwood brewery do some belters. Notable amongst was/is Olde Roger! The deal in my ex local was if you could drink four pints you could drink it for the rest of the night for free. No one ever made it. Lethal! God I miss good English pubs.
Owd Roger (for it is he) was a staple in the Royal Standard of England in Knotty Green. T'was my local for more than thirty years. Technically there was a closer 'pub' but as it is a Harvester I dismiss it as unworthy of the title. Owd Roger was once on draught there but these days it's bottled only. I didn't like it - if I wanted a drink the strength of wine I'd drink wine. It's 7.6% ABV now but was 10% in the draught days.Edited by motco on Friday 12th February 18:12
Ah, what an emotive subject. It is fair to say that there are great beers made in all corners of this land, it's just that the best of them are all made and served best up North! Now, whether that's because they are server closer to the source or just because pubs are better in the rugged North, I don't know.
On the subject of sparklers, it is highly dependent on the beer. Many pints benefit from being sparkled at the pull. I'm sure many are designed to be pulled through a sparkler. I've had beer from various sparklers and I've usually found it to have a pleasing effect on some level, be it visually, taste-wise or on the formation of a good head. Not all sparklers are equal, some have tiny holes that jet the beer out at a very high pressure like a shower head, whereas others just loosely 'tumble' the beer for a creamy, stormy pour. I've went to the trouble of comparing pints pulled with and without a sparkler (hard work, I know!) and the sparkler pulled pint was usually better. I don't like massively over-hopped beers and the sparkled beer usually has less hoppy harshness. Is this because the sparkler agitates the mix and draws the hop flavours into the head? I don't know, but the sparkled pint is usually smoother, with a better head, creamier mouth feel and a better balance of flavours.
There is still a distinct geographic trend for style of beers brewed in the UK and the South deems unduly affected by the current (awful) trend for s
t American style IPA that are dehydrating, over-hopped and poorly finished. Just give us a decent bitter. Sadly, Mild is all but done for, even in it's last stronghold of the North. Whilst I'm complaining about beer down South, can you even get a pint for £2 there anymore?
The best beers I have found, that must be tried by all drinkers, are in the Lake District and Northumberland. My absolute favourite is Coniston Bluebird Bitter, served on draught after a day climbing the fells. There are many more great local breweries there. In Northumberland, I'd go for Allendale, High House Farm and Wylam as good choices with the Hadrian Border Brewery being the pick of the lot.
On the subject of sparklers, it is highly dependent on the beer. Many pints benefit from being sparkled at the pull. I'm sure many are designed to be pulled through a sparkler. I've had beer from various sparklers and I've usually found it to have a pleasing effect on some level, be it visually, taste-wise or on the formation of a good head. Not all sparklers are equal, some have tiny holes that jet the beer out at a very high pressure like a shower head, whereas others just loosely 'tumble' the beer for a creamy, stormy pour. I've went to the trouble of comparing pints pulled with and without a sparkler (hard work, I know!) and the sparkler pulled pint was usually better. I don't like massively over-hopped beers and the sparkled beer usually has less hoppy harshness. Is this because the sparkler agitates the mix and draws the hop flavours into the head? I don't know, but the sparkled pint is usually smoother, with a better head, creamier mouth feel and a better balance of flavours.
There is still a distinct geographic trend for style of beers brewed in the UK and the South deems unduly affected by the current (awful) trend for s
t American style IPA that are dehydrating, over-hopped and poorly finished. Just give us a decent bitter. Sadly, Mild is all but done for, even in it's last stronghold of the North. Whilst I'm complaining about beer down South, can you even get a pint for £2 there anymore?The best beers I have found, that must be tried by all drinkers, are in the Lake District and Northumberland. My absolute favourite is Coniston Bluebird Bitter, served on draught after a day climbing the fells. There are many more great local breweries there. In Northumberland, I'd go for Allendale, High House Farm and Wylam as good choices with the Hadrian Border Brewery being the pick of the lot.
Murph7355 said:
I'd certainly be up for helping you nail some Sussex Best (Harvey's... That others are noting) on a Tues-Thurs evening.
Sadly family life saw me move out to the sticks (where there are quite a few pubs with 6 fingered folk with webbed feet) so weekend beers in The Big Smoke are very rare now.
There are some cracking places to eat around Borough Market too. Though I'm still mostly of the view that eatin's cheatin'!
I think i might have to accept that invitation. If and when i'm working from the London office i'll drop you a line and we can have a good chin wag over a pint ' sither'Sadly family life saw me move out to the sticks (where there are quite a few pubs with 6 fingered folk with webbed feet) so weekend beers in The Big Smoke are very rare now.
There are some cracking places to eat around Borough Market too. Though I'm still mostly of the view that eatin's cheatin'!
... actually how does the PistonHeads Good Beer Appreciation Society Sound? I think there's something in this......
Ollie_M said:
Murph7355 said:
I'd certainly be up for helping you nail some Sussex Best (Harvey's... That others are noting) on a Tues-Thurs evening.
Sadly family life saw me move out to the sticks (where there are quite a few pubs with 6 fingered folk with webbed feet) so weekend beers in The Big Smoke are very rare now.
There are some cracking places to eat around Borough Market too. Though I'm still mostly of the view that eatin's cheatin'!
I think i might have to accept that invitation. If and when i'm working from the London office i'll drop you a line and we can have a good chin wag over a pint ' sither'Sadly family life saw me move out to the sticks (where there are quite a few pubs with 6 fingered folk with webbed feet) so weekend beers in The Big Smoke are very rare now.
There are some cracking places to eat around Borough Market too. Though I'm still mostly of the view that eatin's cheatin'!
... actually how does the PistonHeads Good Beer Appreciation Society Sound? I think there's something in this......
motco said:
Owd Roger (for it is he) was a staple in the Royal Standard of England in Knotty Green. T'was my local for more than thirty years. Technically there was a closer 'pub' but as it is a Harvester I dismiss it as unworthy of the title. Owd Roger was once on draught there but these days it's bottled only. I didn't like it - if I wanted a drink the strength of wine I'd drink wine. It's 7.6% ABV now but was 10% in the draught days.
Indeed it was, how shall I put it, an"acquired taste". One that would be ticked off the list as having been sampled as opposed to something one would elect to spend the evening quaffing, unless of course waking up in a pool of your own vomit is a measure of a good evening out.Edited by motco on Friday 12th February 18:12
Tanglefoot is another one I have fond, albeit a bit hazy, memories of along with proper draught speckled hen.
PoleDriver said:
We don't put fake heads on our beer down here. We do, however, put plenty of alcohol in them ! (And flavour!)
This. Awful creamy Northern ste- you can keep it. In London Fullers have a superb range of beers easily found, still brewed on the original site (only brewery left to do so in London). Search out Adnams, Timothy Taylor etc for well known brands sold widely (not London brewed) or just google real ale pubs and you're tripping over them. Sprinklers are for lawns!truck71 said:
Sprinklers are for lawns!
Our haunt serves hundreds of beers during the year, and John serves them all sans sparklers. They all have natural "life" i.e. fizz and are never lacking flavour. If the beer is well kept, then it doesn't need a sparkler.
Even ones brewed North of the M4
If you are ever around Surrey or Hampshire keep an eye out for Hogsback TEA. Lovely, lovely beer.
https://www.hogsback.co.uk/
https://www.hogsback.co.uk/
truck71 said:
This. Awful creamy Northern ste- you can keep it. In London Fullers have a superb range of beers easily found, still brewed on the original site (only brewery left to do so in London). Search out Adnams, Timothy Taylor etc for well known brands sold widely (not London brewed) or just google real ale pubs and you're tripping over them. Sprinklers are for lawns!
Timothy Taylor is from Keighley, very much northern. te- you can keep it. In London Fullers have a superb range of beers easily found, still brewed on the original site (only brewery left to do so in London). Search out Adnams, Timothy Taylor etc for well known brands sold widely (not London brewed) or just google real ale pubs and you're tripping over them. Sprinklers are for lawns!
CrutyRammers said:
truck71 said:
This. Awful creamy Northern ste- you can keep it. In London Fullers have a superb range of beers easily found, still brewed on the original site (only brewery left to do so in London). Search out Adnams, Timothy Taylor etc for well known brands sold widely (not London brewed) or just google real ale pubs and you're tripping over them. Sprinklers are for lawns!
Timothy Taylor is from Keighley, very much northern. te- you can keep it. In London Fullers have a superb range of beers easily found, still brewed on the original site (only brewery left to do so in London). Search out Adnams, Timothy Taylor etc for well known brands sold widely (not London brewed) or just google real ale pubs and you're tripping over them. Sprinklers are for lawns!Oilchange said:
If you are ever around Surrey or Hampshire keep an eye out for Hogsback TEA. Lovely, lovely beer.
https://www.hogsback.co.uk/
One more to be added to my list. https://www.hogsback.co.uk/
Ollie_M said:
We've got some good ones too you know. Saltaire Brewery with it's Pale Ale and Copper Dragon with their Golden Pippin.. They deserve a mention!
With sprinker!!
Saltaire do some belters although I've always found Copper Dragon a bit 'earwaxy' although that's probably my own palate. With sprinker!!
I am genuinely spoilt where I live though. I've got Magic Rock, Golcar, Here Be Monsters, Mallinsons, Nook and countless others here in Huddersfield and many many more just outside!
Where I am in Holmfirth we even have our own vineyard and cider press so you can drink locally all day long!
Northern beer can be very good - Black Sheep in particular.
But Southern beer is wonderful too, different, but wonderful.
Get thee to The Flower Pots brewery/pub in Cheriton for a proper Hampshire beer experience. If they have the Cheriton Porter on it's heavenly...and the IPA...well...Mmmmmm.
But Southern beer is wonderful too, different, but wonderful.
Get thee to The Flower Pots brewery/pub in Cheriton for a proper Hampshire beer experience. If they have the Cheriton Porter on it's heavenly...and the IPA...well...Mmmmmm.
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