Concur. When I lived in Germany many years ago, I, of course, thought their pils were the bomb. Now that my palate is used to IPAs and DIPAs, I can't imagine drinking a lager again. Well, I can imagine it. I could even do it. I just wouldn't like it as much.
IPAs/DIPAs and the like are such a rich experience. It also seems like the higher the IBU I get used to, the bigger IBU I want. I used to be staggered by something with a 70 IBU. Now if it's not at least 90, I'm underwhelmed.
Last edited by Chipper (2016-06-22 07:38:58)
Here's a nice little ditty......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djIXYW9X3Qg
Half Man Half Biscuit - C.A.M.R.A. Man
Last edited by Chipper (2016-07-04 15:33:41)
Last edited by Chipper (2016-07-04 16:32:43)
Chipper, you American guys are getting carried away with your high strength craft beers.
The other weekend drinking at a Thames riverside pub I sampled several Tyneside blonde beers at 3.9 %. Brewed by the good folk of Newcastle the beer proved popular with the Essex locals.
Mild. Hooky mild 2.8% (Hook Norton)
Black Cat mild 3.5%
Plus various other beers at the excellent Ealing beer festival yesterday. Even the weather was nice.
http://www.ealingbeerfestival.org.uk/beers/documents/RealAle2016.pdf
I concur that high gravity does not necessarily a great beer make. I like a good lighter-ABV beer now and then. There is, for me, something wonderful about a complex and flavorful alcoholic double IPA, though, I do have to say. I would rather nurse a big 10-percent hoppy beer over an hour or more than drink a couple of lighter beers. Then again, I'm not much of a session beer drinker. It makes me too full.
Well, it's summertime and my gin loving mother is visiting so its Gin & tonics for her.
And since the gin was flowing I tried a Vesper for the first time.
And now I have tried a lot of Vespers using dry gin, tom cat gin, genever, but since Kina Lillet is no longer available I am now on the hunt for cocci americano.
I feel your pain. I'm not a fan of clear whisky myself. About the only folks I know like gin are the legendary Bond and a few women.
So... I stopped off at a local drinking hole on my way home from work for two premise-brewed French saison ales (happy hour, doncha know, and the place was a/c cooled), and I hafta say, they were tasty. I ate a cheese-jalapeno quesadilla to help the ale go down, then stumbled the rest of the way home. It was 90 freaking F degrees outside.
Last edited by Chipper (2016-07-11 18:14:15)
I always think gin is like a hard drug, you get to that point where you're either going to go with the trip, or resist and fight it with the resulting morbid melancholia.
We enjoyed a bottle of Botanical Gin from Islay Scotland the other night. One glass each for six of us. We only had a standard tonic but the flavour of the gin came through and was very good indeed. It did get the evening off to a good start and we moved on to a German white wine with the meal.
I find the melancholy only kicks in if you have more than one glass. I have seen grown men cry over the drink, though.
A couple of pints of Crouch Vale Brewers Gold from The Pride of Spitalfields which had a good crowd in at lunchtime.
I note their blackboard offered reasonably priced food - ham, egg and chips for £3.50. It was like going back several decades.
That mostly disappeared, so that most pub prices now start around £12 for anything. In which case, I would rather go to a real restaurant or cafe.
If you know of any other London pubs offering sensibly priced food - apart from wetherspoon - let us know.
500ml of Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9 %? From Derbyshire in a Finnish pub. Cost an arm and a leg but I only had the one. Tasted quite good but one was enough.
Returning from visiting my far-flung fairy princess. Question I faced on returning home: How to recover from the bends? Answer; Sixpoint Brewery Hi-Res.
Sometimes I think the modern world sucks. In fact, I'm pretty sure it does.
Last edited by Chipper (2016-07-20 13:37:01)
Heads up for lidl stout. 49p for a 500ml bottle. 3.8% so session strength.
Currently drinking Truman's in a Greenwich spoon. Heading on to a restaurant at 7pm.
^ They had Truman's Runner and Swift on. Similar strengths - Swift is more of a golden ale. I was on Swift.
Back to Sierra Nevada Hoptimum. Loves those hops.
Half of ELB jamboree 4.8% golden ale from east London E10 plus a half of a Welsh beer from Conway. In a local spoon in raynes park. Had a pint in Baker street spoon before £3.50!
Fridge is currently stocked with my three staples: Sixpoint Resin, Great Divide Hercules, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum. All double IPAs. All yum.
Conway beer was California @ 4.4% golden ale again. Conway is a lovely town, full of orientals photographing the magnificent castle. They dont go in the pubs or chippies.
Has anybody heard of Bell's Oracle? A double IPA. Picked it up on an impulse when I stopped at the store on my way home. A little pricey, but it is very tasty.