Ale appreciation thread (2 Viewers)

[flashback]

Mmmm, ale. Being just back from America, I had my fill of ales. Shipyard in Maine, Geary's in New Hampshire, Dogfish Head in Rhode Island and Brooklyn Ale in, er, Brooklyn.

All of them were 'India Pale Ale' beers, which, so I'm led to believe, are a particularly American way of preserving beer when they had to ship it to India. Totally yum out.

It's amazing how shit Irish beer on tap is. Even the Guinness, which I love, but it's still a shite stout.

yeah, this is what I've been bleating on about for ages.
The American or Indian Pale Ales here are stellar.
When I'm back home I basically don't drink beer. The old man thinks I'm being fierce snobbish and difficult, even though when he came over a while back at the first glass of River Horse's Dry Hopped bottled beer, he said that this was the best beer he had ever tasted.
Even the bog standard buy it at gas stations Sierra Nevada IPA is great.

 

[Wobbler]

All of them were 'India Pale Ale' beers, which, so I'm led to believe, are a particularly American way of preserving beer when they had to ship it to India. Totally yum out.

Actually, it's an English thing which the Americans adopted, using their own delicious hops.

 

[potlatch]

It's a preservative, inni', but they used different hops that seem more um... blossomy. I've had Shipyard and Geary's a good few times, but these other ones blew me away. Even the really, really strong ones were really nice - not too sickly sweet but strong. For me, the beer hierarchy goes like this:

1. Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
2. Belgium
3. USA

Of those that do awesome ales, it's 2 and 3.

I did have a really manky stout, though. First, it was fizzy. Second, it tasted somewhere between Guinness, chcolate and toothpaste.

Another beer I'm mad for now is root beer. Why oh why can't we get it here?

 

[Wobbler]

Yes, hops work as a preservative, which is why India Pale Ales are so hoppy (it was a long boat trip from England to India). Since the early 80's, the yanks have taken over the style (it had all but died out in the UK.

American hops are unique and taste wonderful.

My beer hierarchy would go something like this
1.Uk
2.US/Begium tie
3.Germany/ Austro Hungarian empire (way too much complacency, in my view)

 

[frambosenshmak]

I'm having one of these now. It has been aged in oak casks that contained rum so it initially tastes like rum and coke. I reckon that could put a few people off but i reckon it's well tasty.

7.4% and they'll only make 84,000 bottles..

tried it and it was just okay. had to have a second bottle to see if it was just the palette getting used to it. nothing special despite the fanfare of it aged in another boozes bed. god bless that offy in fairview.

one ale i do have a hankering for now is this beauty

wonderful served ice cold. as it warms up the flavours become stronger and it has that great sucking on a 2p piece bitterness to it that i like in all good ales.

only stockist i can find for it in dublin is off licence in malahide. anyone spotted it nearer to town?

 

[Wobbler]

one ale i do have a hankering for now is this beauty

Comes and goes but I've seen it loads of places around over the years. I love their porter and stout. St Peter's own a cracking boozer in London called Jerusalem Tavern. Well worth a visit.

 

[piratecore]

made a fantastic homebrew ale there called dogbolter, out of a kit from the firkin brewery in london. really really nice. probaly the best homebrew ive made so far and one of the nicest ales ive tried at all. fucking rocket fuel.

if anyone else likes homebrewing from these kit things i would recommend it and also headcracker and nelsons revenge. all very strong bedwetting material.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

only stockist i can find for it in dublin is off licence in malahide. anyone spotted it nearer to town?

Ive seen that in sheils on dorset st., up near the canal. not exactly in town but not to far out. Havent been in for a while so can be definite if they have it at the mo.

 

[nEiLo]

tried it and it was just okay. had to have a second bottle to see if it was just the palette getting used to it. nothing special despite the fanfare of it aged in another boozes bed. god bless that offy in fairview.

one ale i do have a hankering for now is this beauty

wonderful served ice cold. as it warms up the flavours become stronger and it has that great sucking on a 2p piece bitterness to it that i like in all good ales.

only stockist i can find for it in dublin is off licence in malahide. anyone spotted it nearer to town?

seen it in loads of places. most recently in carvils and the offie opposite griffith college on SCR.

 

[Squiggle]

only stockist i can find for it in dublin is off licence in malahide. anyone spotted it nearer to town?

I can second Carvilles, and Fresh in Smithfield also stock the St Peter's brews, or did a month ago.

 

[Lolo]

Yes, hops work as a preservative, which is why India Pale Ales are so hoppy (it was a long boat trip from England to India). Since the early 80's, the yanks have taken over the style (it had all but died out in the UK.

A few nice British IPAs still to be found, Deuchars and Pitfield are particularly yumcious and both veggie friendly. Pitfield do a personalisation service where you can get the name of your choice printed on the label, bless their little hop-stained socks:
http://www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk/farmlinks.htm

 

[Wobbler]

Deuchars isn't really an IPA, just a bitter that calls itself an IPA (Greene King do the same). To be a true IPA, it needs to be around 6%+ alcohol and properly hoppy.

Not familar with Pitfield's beers but I've heard loads of good things about the brewery.

 

[Lolo]

Deuchars isn't really an IPA, just a bitter that calls itself an IPA (Greene King do the same). To be a true IPA, it needs to be around 6%+ alcohol and properly hoppy.

Not familar with Pitfield's beers but I've heard loads of good things about the brewery.

That's just cheating then. It does taste quite hoppy but it's not that strong. But if that's the case the Pitfield one is the real deal, it's 7%. Hic.

 

[Stan Bowles]

The Drink Store in the 'batter are doing 6 for 10 euro offer on these babies:

Bloody lovely.

 

[Wobbler]

The Drink Store in the 'batter are doing 6 for 10 euro offer on these babies:

Bloody lovely.

Yeah, nothing wrong with that beer. Cooper's Stout is nice too.

 

[Hector Grey]

The Drink Store in the 'batter are doing 6 for 10 euro offer on these babies:

Bloody lovely.

we simply must share a few in the near future, eh?

 

[nEiLo]

brooklyn lager 6 for 6 euro in carvills! the best bargain in town. bought 12!

 

[flashback]

jaysus.

Not too into the Brooklyn anything any more. I always have terrible reaction to that drink. First of all I think it tastes a bit shitty.
I dunno what it is about it.
Last Friday I went out and drank two, as in one, then another one, Brooklyn IPAs, since it was the only IPA in the bar.
I woke up with a blinding hangover at 7 am the next morning, sauntered out to the jacks and had a nice puke. It was a through the nose special too.

Last time I mess around with that company.

 

[ilovehoovering]

if anyone's passing by the Bull & Castle i highly recommend dropping in for a pint of Phuca. it's a winter ale from the Franciscan Well brewery and is very tasty.

 

[Wobbler]

brooklyn lager 6 for 6 euro in carvills! the best bargain in town. bought 12!

Cool. Thanks for the tip.

jaysus.

Not too into the Brooklyn anything any more. I always have terrible reaction to that drink. First of all I think it tastes a bit shitty.
I dunno what it is about it.
Last Friday I went out and drank two, as in one, then another one, Brooklyn IPAs, since it was the only IPA in the bar.
I woke up with a blinding hangover at 7 am the next morning, sauntered out to the jacks and had a nice puke. It was a through the nose special too.

Last time I mess around with that company.

I was a little underwhelmed by Brooklyn IPA, but then my expectations were very high. I think Brooklyn Lager is one of the best lagers going.