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How do?

So since that brutish virus means we’re not allowed to visit pubs, I thought those of us with a taste for beer could discuss our supermarket findings. Because these are Interesting Times, and we can’t necessarily find our favoured booze upon the shelf. This can lead to marvellous discoveries, and perhaps disastrous discoveries.

Now, whilst I don’t want to hear about mass produced Lagers, because they all taste the same, Lager is not otherwise taboo in this thread, despite me using CAMRA in the title. I only did it for a cheap pun.

Anyways.

Currently counting myself lucky, as my preferred tipple, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord is stocked locally. But I’ve also filled up my basket then belly with a couple of others.

First? McEwan’s Champion.

Dark and malty, as is my preference. Picked up at first as the dregs left of the shelf. Probably because they’re 7.3% abv. So a potent brew to be sure. But doesn’t taste it. Very smooth, hints of fruit. One to be very much enjoyed in moderation.

Second? The Cranborne Poacher, from Badger Brewery.

Oh my. This is a good beer. Again, darker and maltier as is my preference, but with a distinct taste of juicy plums/damsons. Sweetness of those cuts through the must of the malt, each flavour complimenting the other. Discovered in the same manner as McEwan’s Champion, but now a firm favourite. At 5.7% it’s a bit more session than Champion, yet still a beer to be savoured rather than necked.

Badger are literally just down the road from my wife's uncle and aunt, I really ought to go for a tour at some point.

I got some Fuller's Lime Gose a while back from Waitrose entirely speculatively, and it was awesome. Fantastic light, citrussy, refreshing summer beer.

https://untappd.com/b/fuller-s-brewery-lime-gose/3294216

I did an order from Beer 52, as my Hello From The Magic Tavern code got me 10 beers for a fiver.

Already through a few.
Next on my list for tonight when the kids are in bed is Geary’s Summer Ale.

I grabbed a couple bottles of Batemans Mocha from the supermarket during my last supply run - very nice but I can only manage one or two of them at a time.

hobgoblin all the way, but I also like spitfire.

Ooh, if that’s coffee flavoured beer, I can totally understand the easing.

Whilst I need to steer clear of coffee (triggers migraines, or at least did 18 years ago and eff finding out if it was a phase) I can see how the flavour combo can be good for a pint, but also why it’s far from a session pint.

That’s the second time I’ve mentioned a session drink. Should probs offer a definition.

A session beer is basically Easy Drinking. A nice, steady beer. A crowd pleaser. It’s neither weak nor strong in ABV. It’s taste is a welcome middle ground twixt hoppy (yuck, for me) and malty (oh yeah!). The sort of beer you don’t really need to count your intake on.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
hobgoblin all the way, but I also like spitfire.

Do you feel HobGob has gone downhill since the takeover?

Don’t get me wrong, it remains a good beer, but....not quite the full Shilling?

Vibrant Forest (New Forest brewery not far from me) do some great work too. I was particularly keen on their salted liquorice stout. https://www.vibrantforest.co.uk/beer/pupa-59kwe

We've got a great little micro-pub near us that stocks weird and wonderful local stuff like that...

Tasting notes!

Whenever I'm in Scotland I always treat myself to a couple of Red Kites from the Black Isle Brewery. Can be hard to find away from Inverness, but it's a lovely reddish ale.
If you can find some, try either Belgian special beers - there's too much variety there to narrow it down, and they're definitely not session beers- or a Hefeweizen. Paulaner or Erdinger are best (and probably fairly easily available) but there are other good ones, and they're fairly good session beers as well.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Ooh, if that’s coffee flavoured beer, I can totally understand the easing.

Whilst I need to steer clear of coffee (triggers migraines, or at least did 18 years ago and eff finding out if it was a phase) I can see how the flavour combo can be good for a pint, but also why it’s far from a session pint.

That’s the second time I’ve mentioned a session drink. Should probs offer a definition.

A session beer is basically Easy Drinking. A nice, steady beer. A crowd pleaser. It’s neither weak nor strong in ABV. It’s taste is a welcome middle ground twixt hoppy (yuck, for me) and malty (oh yeah!). The sort of beer you don’t really need to count your intake on.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
hobgoblin all the way, but I also like spitfire.

Do you feel HobGob has gone downhill since the takeover?

Don’t get me wrong, it remains a good beer, but....not quite the full Shilling?

Youl'll have to forgive my ignorance, I didnt even know it had been. I only just started drinking it regularly quite recently.

They were bought by Thatcher’s a few years back.

At first, I felt the recipe suffered. But over time, not so much.

Either I’ve tuned to the new taste (which is by no means bad), or the brewery has wised up and gone back to the original.

We’ll likely never know!

Going slightly OT - I've found it interesting that a couple of my local 'micro' brewers (Saints Row & Three Brothers) have started doing home deliveries of beer. I've resisted the urge so far...

Give in......give in.

It’s genuinely the right thing to do!

I'm drinking Asahi Zero atm.

A zero alcohol beer that actually tastes like a beer.
(Japan has a ZERO blood/alcohol limit for ALL drivers, so it was developed so that Sararimen could go out for beers with workmates and not have to worry about DUI).

Don't get me wrong, I like a good dark beer, but it's too warm hereabouts for them atm.

I've mentioned this one before and it's local to a few of the guys on here (kilkrazy, Queen Annes revenge) - Abingdon Bridge is a lovely session drink. Just enough taste and bite, and not heavy on the stomach. Lush.

All my local Breweries are doing local delivery, as is my local craft beer shop.

I stocked up on the day the closures was announced, so haven't needed to take them up.

I got a box of Kirkstall Brewery's Providence, a New England IPA. It's a fruity one, especially enjoyable when I was able to grab a beer in the sun last week.

Tonight’s tipples.

Old Tom, The Blandford Fly, and Butty Bach.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Butty Bach. Was....alright. Not quite the full shilling, but far from repulsive. If offered it, I’d happily drink it. But don’t see it being added to my own basket again.

Blandford Fly is great. Gingery.

Just about to have that one now. Been building more walls and columns for my Zone Mortalis!

Old Tom was quite nice. Pretty pokey at 8.5%, but a smaller bottle than most Ales.

Perhaps one to enjoy with a decent Sunday Lunch?

8.5, jeez.

Yeah. Defo not a session beer! Tasty though!

 Henry wrote:
I've mentioned this one before and it's local to a few of the guys on here (kilkrazy, Queen Annes revenge) - Abingdon Bridge is a lovely session drink. Just enough taste and bite, and not heavy on the stomach. Lush.

Oh yeah? not that we can go to pubs atm, but do they do that as local drafts? I had a nice one in the George in Wallingford, I think it was Roasted nuts by rebellion?

Blandford Fly, from Badger Brewery, 5.2%

Really rather nice! Slightly fruity, and a hint of Ginger. Enough to give a bit of a tingle, without overwhelming the other flavours.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Oh yeah? not that we can go to pubs atm, but do they do that as local drafts? I had a nice one in the George in Wallingford, I think it was Roasted nuts by rebellion?

Couldn't say if the pubs around you have it. Obviously they do in Abingdon and one of my locals does it on draught (the Packhorse - just outside Steventon, off the A34 Milton interchange - foods pretty good in there too).

sweet. I've been meaning to get out and about to some of the more remote pubs around south oxfordshire. theres tons around here, but obviously thats on hold right now.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference ‘Traditional Kentish Ale’, 4.5% ABV.

Not gonna lie. First swig? An ‘ooooh!’ of appreciation escaped my lips.

Very, very nice!

Another for Blandford Fly and Poachers Choice. Badger really knocked it out of the park with these two. Easily my favourite beers.
I will, however, drink Hobgoblin or Abbot Ale when funds are a bit tighter. Very nice.

But, for real budget friendly tipples, my local Lidl does a range of beers from the Hatherwood brewery. A decent selection, particularly the Ruby Rooster.

Living in an area wot considers itself posh* I don’t have a particularly local Lidl.

But I’ll see if I can find one in reasonable driving distance,


*cant be that posh. I mean, they let me in!

Sneaky bottle at the tail end of work.

Sainsbury’s ‘Taste The Difference’ Yorkshire Bitter.

It’s more than OK, but falls short of being Good. If that makes sense. Definitely an easy session ale, and at an easy going 5%ABV one can have a few bottles fairly care free.

Would buy again, but depends what else was available.

I bought one from lidl called 'derail ale' one of those ones with a nice label and an interesting historical story. this one featuring a 'john chiddy' of bristol (which is where my wife is from) who sacrificed himself whilst removing a stone block from a railway as the flying dutchman express approached, preventing it from derailing and plummeting down the avon valley.

It was nice. would buy again, and have done so.