What with it being barbecue/holiday season, now would be a good time for people to discuss their most/least favourite beers, ales, ciders, lagers, etc they have encountered, in tins, bottles, on tap, handpulled, or whatever.
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So far as bottles go:
Badger Golden Champion pale ale (5% abv) was fine for my chicken stew and is also a very enjoyable drink. Quite light and slightly fruity, sweet, but still retaining just a trace of a bitter.
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted strong Scottish pale ale (5% abv) is an excellent strong flavoured summer drink. Quite full bodied. Winner of one of the most prestigious awards in 2004.
Hoegaarden white wheat beer from Belgium (5% abv) is simply amazing: very pale yet almost completely cloudy, and likely to form a substantial white frothy head which should be considered a delicious part of the drink, not a biproduct as with some beers, Hoegaarden hardly seems like beer or indeed alcohol at all, more like a refreshing summer fruit punch with lemonade or something. Has a delicate corriander and orange peel flavour. It is a fairly strong beer, though, and as such, there is also a distinct beer flavour subtly underlying the sweet fruitiness. Goes down so easily.
I remember you telling me you were pouring yourself a nice glass of I-don't-remember-what. So this is a likely post from simps, I guess. :)
I, personally, do not drink. I have tried a few different kinds of alcohol ... none to my liking. I suppose it's not for me, and I doubt I'll acquire a taste for any beer. That, and the fact I'm only fourteen. That could definitely mean something.
I am a big stout drinker and do frequent Beer Festivals, (at one this weekend actually), but I always forget the names of what I have tried. One this weekend though was a dark ale and one of the best I have ever tasted. The others I have listed were all from the last Nottingham Beer Festival in October. I only quote these because I have the guide with me still and so can work out which ones I had. I did have a few others too, but they were less memorable.
Orkney Dark Island (4.6%): Very dark ale with a slight hint of coffee and an earthy taste. A sweet sensation at first, but no sweet aftertaste, so doesn't linger in your mouth for long.
Sooty Stout (4.9%): Oatmeal stout. Mild and sweet. Enjoyable, but only if you are a fan of sweet stouts.
Vegan Stout, (forget the name, might have been Mowbray's Mash at 3.7%): Very earthy and vegetable based taste, with hints of parsnip, peas and potato. Not too sweet, but best drank with a vegan mean than as an experimental compliment to a burger.
Wissey Valley Orange Ale (4.5%): Typical sweet pale ale with hints of orange and coriander. Not to be drunk by the pint, but the perfect ale to have during the dessert course in a country pub. Other varities on offer from Wissey Valley included Sweet Cherry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Peach and Apple. I think I tried the Sweet Cherry too, and it was similar, but obviously a different flavour.
Rocket Fuel (14%): Smelt like Malt Vinegar, tasted like Malt Vinegar, but without the aftertaste of it. Only recommended in the half pint and not the type of thing to drink too much of, certainly if you are sober and/or still have your taste buds fully operational.
Oh, by the way all those were handpumped. I rarely drink out of bottles, cans and such and am almost always drinking in public houses and festivals. Sometimes we get cans and small barrells in for our own bbqs and such, but that is usually the limit. We much prefer to be down the pub, drinking, conversing and, (like last night, with the mess out old archery club has got in this year), sorting business out.
Great topic simps, I hope it continues for the summer and I'll try and remember some of the others I have had recently and especially those on Sunday.
Edited By Steve Hill on 1121800719
Theakstons Dark Mild (3.6%): Despite its name, the colour is more of a mid brown. The flavour is certainly that of a mild though and you can taste the wood elements in there too. Not too sweet, (as you may have guessed, I am not a fan of overtly sweet ales), but enough to make it enjoyable for those who like theirs a little. Thoroughly enjoyable.
I remember one time a pub had a special offer: 25p/pint for either pale mild or dark mild from a particular independent brewery. A 1-day only promotion while stocks lasted. The mild was fair enough stuff. That pub does some great ales, inlcuding Greene King IPA, 'Oscar Wilde' (a mild) by some brewery, and a pale ale called 'English Oak'. They are always changing. Often local breweries e.g. in Maldon, Essex, or often South-Western breweries.
wowser Wrote:Hoegaarden!!
Yes. You saw my review of it at start of thread? Drank a bottle not long ago.
Accurate review. I see it as half way between a beer and a white wine, but also in a league of it's own.