The Beer You Are Drinking Right Now

[JMN2]

Goldmark American Hop Idol 4.4% Hoppy Ale

[CommissarJones]

Just finished a Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted. Moving on to a Bath Ales Wild Hare.

[AleisterCrowley]

Purity Mad Goose , reliable . Got a few bottles of Salopian in the garage back home, 120 miles away...

[Clitheroekid]

It's not far from Reading to England's best unspoilt secret pub, The Black Horse at Checkendon.

On the basis of this recommendation we visited the Black Horse last weekend and we weren't disappointed.

It's a really good traditional pub, but not in a self-conscious way. I had a couple of pints of Mr Chubb's Lunchtime Bitter from the West Berkshire Brewery, and they went down very nicely. It was in excellent condition, and I'd imagine it would be a good session beer. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option ...

I'll definitely be back next time I'm in that neck of the woods.

[tea42]

It's not far from Reading to England's best unspoilt secret pub, The Black Horse at Checkendon.

On the basis of this recommendation we visited the Black Horse last weekend and we weren't disappointed.

It's a really good traditional pub, but not in a self-conscious way. I had a couple of pints of Mr Chubb's Lunchtime Bitter from the West Berkshire Brewery, and they went down very nicely. It was in excellent condition, and I'd imagine it would be a good session beer. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option ...

I'll definitely be back next time I'm in that neck of the woods.

Excellent! In the winter it's great with roaring fires, no fruit machine and lively conversation. But, the bluebells right now are particularly stunning.

[UncleIan]

Saturday night, Hop Back Summer Lightning, bit early in the year for that, but a strong pale ale, I like it. Also Triple fff (so that's fffffffff then?) Moondance, another decent pint. Plus chatting to a mate I may well have snagged a ticket that might be spare for the Farnham Beerex next weekend. Fingers crossed.

[redsturgeon]

Saturday night, Hop Back Summer Lightning, bit early in the year for that, but a strong pale ale, I like it. Also Triple fff (so that's fffffffff then?) Moondance, another decent pint. Plus chatting to a mate I may well have snagged a ticket that might be spare for the Farnham Beerex next weekend. Fingers crossed.

I'm off to my local next weekend for their festival...50 ales, 20 ciders, hog roast, live music, 5 minute walk! What's not to like!

http://www.thequeeninnwinchester.co.uk/ ... ocial.html

John

[stewamax]

Ah.. Hop Back Summer Lightning... a pint (or two, or...) of which in the Head of Steam at Euston station used to keep me going when I was working late in London in the late 1990s. Summer Lightning wasn't a resident beer but was on regularly enough. (I was sometimes a bit naughty and sneaked a sandwich pack in as well.)

[didds]

Although people made a big deal of Doom Bar bottles being brewed in Burton, it's worth remembering that >80% of Doom Bar is still brewed in Cornwall, over a million pints per week - Coors have poured £10m's into the brewery since they bought it.

Its still naff though.

Beer squash.

YMMV, and clearly many people's do.

didds

[AleisterCrowley]

Reading Beer Fest this weekend - I may pop along, although £21-40 for priority admission, two pints, and a glass is not cheap

http://www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk/

Lots of beers on, although the popular stuff has a habit of running out before I get there on Friday night
http://www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk/index.php/drinks
Purple Moose Ysgawen would be my first drink
RedSturgeon: I see Red Cat of Winchester have five beers on the list

[redsturgeon]

Reading Beer Fest this weekend - I may pop along, although £21-40 for priority admission, two pints, and a glass is not cheap

http://www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk/

Lots of beers on, although the popular stuff has a habit of running out before I get there on Friday night
http://www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk/index.php/drinks
Purple Moose Ysgawen would be my first drink
RedSturgeon: I see Red Cat of Winchester have five beers on the list

Excellent stuff, they have really come on in the past year since they recruited a brewer from Siren Brewery. I shall be sampling them this weekend among others for no entrance fee at my local beer festival!

John

[Hallucigenia]

Its still naff though.

Beer squash.

YMMV, and clearly many people's do.

I wasn't particularly defending Doom Bar - it is what it is.

I remember drinking it 20 years ago when it was still an obscure microbrew and I take my hat off to Bill Sharp for making some great beer over the years and building a great business. Not many people manage to do both. You kinda know what you're letting yourself in for when you sell to a multinational but again I'd suggest that Coors haven't done too badly - compare with what eg Greene King did to Ruddles and Morland for instance, at least they're still brewing most of it in Cornwall despite the obvious logistical nightmares.

I can't think when I last had a pint of Doom Bar but there's definitely a role for that kind of gateway beer in weaning people off lager and nitrokeg ale - as long as it's kept properly. Too often it's on in pubs as their one token cask ale and it's kept horribly - whereas if it's in a proper cask pub it can still be enjoyable albeit a shadow of what it used to be.

[didds]

and all very decent points.

The none about it being the sole cask ale being possibly the most pertinent.

The point about lager is in itself maybe ironically the same point I was making about doombar... the majority is rubbish. But get a good lager (eg freedom, as served in my local) then lager is not a "doombar" as i hinted above but a genuine drink that is very tasty etc



didds

[UncleIan]

Went to my local friendly Farnham (Surrey) beer festival, at the appropriately named "Maltings" community/arts centre, a sprawling solid old building that, obviously, used to be a maltings. The beer festival takes over the place with beers in the great hall and another room, and ciders/perrys in another. With a courtyard in between. It's all a lot more atmospheric than, say, the Woking beer festival in the 70s leisure centre.

What did I drink? Good question. I never take a pen. Never make tasting notes.

Salopian - Darwins Origin.
Tiny Rebel - Cwtch
Triple fff - Hallelujah
Fyne Ales (Argyll, that's a long way) - Jarl
Heavy Industry Brewing (NE Wales) - 77

and looking at the beer list in the cold light of day, there's a couple of others that seem familiar, but I can't be sure.

I really liked the Jarl, Darwins Origin was good, didn't like the 77, and the other two (and any others) were not bad at all.

Managed to refuse any ciders or perrys, and the "starting to talk to random strangers" time was 8:40. Not bad as I got there at 7ish. They may have been there for longer mind.

My kitchen cupboards were thankful I managed to offload my handled 1/2 pint straight glass on to someone else that wanted it.

Going to a cocktail bar afterwards was probably an error, one of those decisions that seemed like a good idea at the time, in the cold hard light of the following morning however...

[AleisterCrowley]

I remember the Maltings - had a couple of friends who lived on Red Lion Lane, and we were often to be found in the Cobbett on the corner...

Of your list I've had Salopian - Darwin's Origin (of course, it being a local brew 'back home') and may have had the fff one but not being a record-keeper I don't know. DO is a good one, although I prob prefer Lemon Dream/Golden Thread

Did the Reading Beer Fest on Friday - very busy, but well organised and I got in on my advance ticket straight away at 5.30pm
From memory I had;
Purple Moose Ysgawen - a favourite of mine, good clean session ale with a hint of elderflower
Black Cat Scratch - very nice indeed !
Salopian Nephilim - mental full-on hop explosion, pushing 8% ABV
Dark Star Hophead - nice enough , but think I had it after the Nephilim, so taste buds were shot
Purple Moose - Glaslyn Accidental as I went for more Ysgawen , but thought i'd give it a go -OK but not great, bit dull to be honest
Siren - Yu Lu can't remember, OK I think
Thornbridge Jaipur, just for a familiar good beer
They'd run out of Tiny Rebel Cwtch, it was on my 'to do' list.

[redsturgeon]

Black Cat Scratch - very nice indeed !

I think you mean Red Cat, Scratch, one of my favourites and often on tap at my local, that a Prowler are my "go to" beers.

I had some at the weekend along with Red Cat Seven, a American Pale Ale style brewed with seven hops and coming out at 7.7% but very nicely balanced and not overpoweringly sweet or strong tasting.

Also tried their wheat beer which was OK but it was bottom of the cask stuff by then.

The local FlowerPots ale from Cheriton an old favourites was also good...and was the first to run out.

Unfortunately though I also tried other beers, practically all local with 50 mile radius, I can't for the life of me remember any other specifics.

They needed a new delivery of barrels on Monday morning to keep going for Monday night.

My daughter was working on the Sunday and Monday nights and she said it was carnage!

John

[AleisterCrowley]

Ooops sorry , my mistake - half asleep, Red Cat of course
I did have Flowerpots 'marked' but ran out of time, and also needed to get back to the station upright and fairly 'operational' to get my train home

[simoan]

Had a pint of Saltair Triple Chocoholic an hour ago. Don't let the name put you off - the chocolate is nicely handled and the beer is not sweet. A really nice pint... if you like stout.

All the best, Si

[AleisterCrowley]

Bingham's Vanilla Stout is rather pleasant - may have some tonight if it's on in Reading somewhere (local brewery)

[redsturgeon]

Just had a two days in Brighton, great place. In the bar of the trendy hotel with Mrs RS, her drinking a cocktail, asked what bottled beers they had and was shown either a Moretti or Staropramen...not impressed. Had the Moretti...cold.

Went up to room before going off to the restaurant booked for later and while other half got ready I felt a little thirsty. Opened the fridge and pulled out the can of beer that was in there. Not expecting much I poured it and took my first sip, it was delicious! Refreshing and light enough but with bags of flavour.

It was this 4.0% pale ale from the local brewery.

http://www.brightonbier.com/brighton-bier.html

Recommended.

John