Craft beer

[OriginalFDM]

RizzoTheRat said:

OriginalFDM said:

Had La Trappe last night, first Dutch Trappist I’ve had. Taste wise was very similar to Leffe blonde but was surprised at how uncarbonated it was.

The other Dutch Trappist being Zundert which is also very good (well the 8 is, I've not found the 10 yet). If you like trappist try some of the Dutch Bok/Bock's as well.

I'm thinking I might have to book to go to 2 sessions at the Dutch Beer Festival next year as one evening was nowhere near enough.

Thanks for the recommendation!

[badgerade]

PurpleTurtle said:

RemyMartin81D said:

C70R said:

Only handy if there's a way to get between which doesn't involve driving!

Über ftw.

Siren lay on buses from Wokingham Station on a Saturday I think.

I sense a PH-ers do Siren tour coming on!

There’s also Double-Barrelled in Reading, I’ve been to a couple of their tap room functions but they’ve become a bit of a victim of their own success, far too many people there, takes forever to get served. Best advice is to just go on a regular Saturday, far less busy then.

My local The Fox & Hounds in Caversham is a great craft beer pub, constantly rotating lines of very interesting beers.

Siren do buses when they have an event on, but otherwise it's the normal bus from Wokingham Station and then the walk from the bus stop to the tap room.

Double Barreled are learning I think. Their birthday event last weekend was ticketed, and as such had really reasonable queues. Think I waited 2 or 3 minutes at the most. They're also advertising for Christmas staff, so hopefully the mental queues are a thing of the past. (They've also managed to poach one of the decent bar people from the Siren tap room!)

Another place in Reading worth checking out is the Weather Station, formerly the Eldon Arms. Run by Wild Weather but also has a good selection of guest beers. They do have those annoying upturned barrel tables though which are pretty uncomfortable to sit at.

[Driver101]

Brewdog AGM tickets will be up for grabs in the next week or two.

Anyone heading along to that?

[badgerade]

Driver101 said:

Brewdog AGM tickets will be up for grabs in the next week or two.

Anyone heading along to that?

I will if I can get tickets! They were in short supply last year, although I think it;s at a different venue this year..

[Driver101]

badgerade said:

Driver101 said:

Brewdog AGM tickets will be up for grabs in the next week or two.

Anyone heading along to that?

I will if I can get tickets! They were in short supply last year, although I think it;s at a different venue this year..

The Saturday went in about 8 hours last year, but they then put the Sunday on. There was always tickets available for the Sunday.

The new venue is huge. Hopefully it'll make for an even bigger and better event.

[Arranguez]

Ever since being introduced to the “expensive” fridge in Ambleside Beer while visiting the inlaws, all I buy now are Cloudwater and Polly’s Brew Co (formerly Loka Polly). And I buy more Polly’s than CW. Really nice stuff. Quite expensive mind you and they run out of beer quite quickly!

[Rollin]

Will definitely be getting some Polly's. I can tell just by the colour that I'm going to love that.
I found a photo on my phone taken at the last Manc Beer Fest of a beer tap for a mosaic hopped beer from Thirst Class Ales in Stockport. I must have enjoyed it so will pop down and pick some up.

Just found 2 cans of this at the back of a cupboard. 2 years after the best before date so not exactly sticking to the Cloudwater 'drink fresh' mantra Think I'll stick with the Seven Brothers IPA tonight.

[Driver101]

Beers for all.

[Rollin]

Just got back from Bents Garden Centre in Glazebury. Well known for their Christmas decoration displays and not my favourite place at this time of year. They do, however, have an excellent choice of beers. Managed to pick up a couple of cans of Pollys!






and my Alpaca was waiting on the doorstep when I got home...

Edited by Rollin on Saturday 16th November 15:59

[C70R]

Arranguez said:

Ever since being introduced to the “expensive” fridge in Ambleside Beer while visiting the inlaws, all I buy now are Cloudwater and Polly’s Brew Co (formerly Loka Polly). And I buy more Polly’s than CW. Really nice stuff. Quite expensive mind you and they run out of beer quite quickly!

Polly's are another favourite - some excellent cloudy IPAs both before and after the rebrand.

[PurpleTurtle]

badgerade said:

PurpleTurtle said:

RemyMartin81D said:

C70R said:

Only handy if there's a way to get between which doesn't involve driving!

Über ftw.

Siren lay on buses from Wokingham Station on a Saturday I think.

I sense a PH-ers do Siren tour coming on!

There’s also Double-Barrelled in Reading, I’ve been to a couple of their tap room functions but they’ve become a bit of a victim of their own success, far too many people there, takes forever to get served. Best advice is to just go on a regular Saturday, far less busy then.

My local The Fox & Hounds in Caversham is a great craft beer pub, constantly rotating lines of very interesting beers.

Siren do buses when they have an event on, but otherwise it's the normal bus from Wokingham Station and then the walk from the bus stop to the tap room.

Double Barreled are learning I think. Their birthday event last weekend was ticketed, and as such had really reasonable queues. Think I waited 2 or 3 minutes at the most. They're also advertising for Christmas staff, so hopefully the mental queues are a thing of the past. (They've also managed to poach one of the decent bar people from the Siren tap room!)

Another place in Reading worth checking out is the Weather Station, formerly the Eldon Arms. Run by Wild Weather but also has a good selection of guest beers. They do have those annoying upturned barrel tables though which are pretty uncomfortable to sit at.

I went to the Weather Station in its opening week, very impressed as I love Wild Weather Ales in general, so good to have them under one roof.

In my enthusiasm to get a few down me (I only had an hour before a gig elsewhere) I failed to notice that most of their beers are priced by the 2/3 of a pint, so for the first time ever paid 8 quid for a pint!

[5pen]

I noticed recently that my local 'craft' place is using Untappd to generate the notes and ratings on its listings.

http://www.fugglesbeercafe.co.uk/taplisttonbridge

Huge choice and I've tried a fair number, but I still find the traditional English cask ales more to my taste. I've yet to find anything I prefer to Harvey's Sussex Best.

[ElectricSoup]

Another brewery tap room opening in Reading:

https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-n...

I'm still a bit meh on cloudy/fruity craft beers, but I'm coming round. A bit. Still prefer a proper, clear, hand pumped real ale.

Best one I've had is the Mango IPA at Clays Hyderabadi Indian restaurant in Reading. Brewed exclusively for them. Goes with their food incredibly well.

[Jonny_]

Tonight's post-work treat is an Amundsen Dessert In A Can Cookies and Cream stout.

[Bert Cheese]

I've tried to ease off craft ales recently as the amount I was buying was getting out of hand, and I simply never had time to drink half the cans I bought...
Locally we are spoiled for choice with decent craft bars in Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth and even Eastleigh in easy reach, as well as long standing ale shops such as Bitter Virtue that has been a constantly evolving Aladdin's cave of beer since around 2000 or so.

However I couldn't resist this pair on popping into the excellent Steel Tank Alehouse in Chandlers Ford last week..part of a Siren tap takeover, though I was driving at the time so had to get take outs...9.4% & 9.1% respectively I think...every version of CCC I have ever tried has been beautiful too so looking forward to cracking these open perhaps this weekend if its a quiet one.

[RizzoTheRat]

OriginalFDM said:

RizzoTheRat said:

OriginalFDM said:

Had La Trappe last night, first Dutch Trappist I’ve had. Taste wise was very similar to Leffe blonde but was surprised at how uncarbonated it was.

The other Dutch Trappist being Zundert which is also very good (well the 8 is, I've not found the 10 yet). If you like trappist try some of the Dutch Bok/Bock's as well.

I'm thinking I might have to book to go to 2 sessions at the Dutch Beer Festival next year as one evening was nowhere near enough.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Just found a bar with the Zundert 10 on tap. Very nice.

My wife is on the Kompaan No Nuts No Glory which is very interesting, very strong peanut flavour.

[jep]

Given that I have 2 craft beer bars in Cheshire, this thread is right up my strasse

Other breweries to watch out for: Salopian, particularly their black label beers. Torrside, their barrel aging programme is bloody superb. Buxton for their stouts, and Axe Edge (one of my fave's). Track, Sonoma is one of the best session pale ales there is. Marble, their pub, the Marble Arch is a Manchester institution. Pressure Drop, since they opened up a joint tap with Verdant, they've been putting out some consistently good murky beers!

[C70R]

jep said:

Given that I have 2 craft beer bars in Cheshire, this thread is right up my strasse

Other breweries to watch out for: Salopian, particularly their black label beers. Torrside, their barrel aging programme is bloody superb. Buxton for their stouts, and Axe Edge (one of my fave's). Track, Sonoma is one of the best session pale ales there is. Marble, their pub, the Marble Arch is a Manchester institution. Pressure Drop, since they opened up a joint tap with Verdant, they've been putting out some consistently good murky beers!

Couldn't agree more about The Experiment in Hackney. The PD-Verdant collab has produces some of my favourite cloudy IPAs.

[PurpleTurtle]

Bert Cheese said:

I've tried to ease off craft ales recently as the amount I was buying was getting out of hand, and I simply never had time to drink half the cans I bought...
Locally we are spoiled for choice with decent craft bars in Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth and even Eastleigh in easy reach, as well as long standing ale shops such as Bitter Virtue that has been a constantly evolving Aladdin's cave of beer since around 2000 or so.

However I couldn't resist this pair on popping into the excellent Steel Tank Alehouse in Chandlers Ford last week..part of a Siren tap takeover, though I was driving at the time so had to get take outs...9.4% & 9.1% respectively I think...every version of CCC I have ever tried has been beautiful too so looking forward to cracking these open perhaps this weekend if its a quiet one.

I'm going to pay Siren a visit very soon, or at very least get a mate with a shareholding which gives him free delivery to get me some cans before Xmas.

My local had a load of Siren on last weekend for a craft beer festival, unfortunately the childcare gods conspired that I could only nip in for half an hour so sneak 2/3 of White Caribbean Chocolate Cake, it was outstanding.

[AmiableChimp]

Another craft beer fan here.

Just passed 500 unique beers on Untapp'd (I also subscribe to must be at least 100ml to qualify - reason to follow).

I live 9 minutes walk away from Stewart Brewing, Black Metal and Top Out breweries - didn't know that when we bought the house!

Have gone to the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival last 4 years (where beers are served in 100ml samples hence reasoning above), also tend to go to Stewart's Mayfest and Oktoberfest events, last year went to Tempest Brewing's Oktoberfest (in Tweedbank, near Galashiels), have been to CAMRA Beer Festival twice, also a couple of other festivals.

Have a big passion for sours, gose, IPA, weissbier, pales and blondes - not so much stouts and porters.

Favourite breweries are Stewarts, Northern Monk, Tiny Rebel, ABC, Left Handed Giant, Campervan, Tempest and Gipsy Hill also a big fan of Vault City, a small brewery that put out almost exclusively sours.