Ale appreciation thread (1 Viewer)

[Wobbler]

i would if i could afford it and if there were any nice pubs near me serving nice ales. but theres not. and im poor.

Pity. Bottled English ale pales in comparison to the real thing.

I'm a drinker, not a brewer. And fortunately every Irish craft brewer who makes a bland lager makes at least one decent beer, so I'm rarely stuck for choice when selecting among them.

'Tis true. And I have recommended to a craft-brewing start-up not to go the traditional-but-dull stout-lager-red route. But I'm just a punter.

More American style ales like Hooker and Purgatory is an exciting prospect (well for the likes of me and you anyway). Also, there's some really good stouts on the market lately. I've yet to try the new Hooker though. Messrs' Imperial is superb.

I'm starting to think I may just not like Red Ale.

 

[TheBeerNut]

More American style ales like Hooker and Purgatory is an exciting prospect (well for the likes of me and you anyway).

Oh, any variety and I'd be happy. Frankly, Hooker and Purgatory fulfill my American-style pale ale needs adequately. Some fruit beer or an nice unhopped ale would be great about now.

Messrs' Imperial is superb.

And not really like Play Doh, as some might have you believe
WARNING: link contains images of smug bald git. Not suitable for those of a nervous disposition.

 

[flashback]

Edit: Every one of these beers is better than anything made by the industrial brewers, though O'Hara'a Stout and Galway Hooker are particular favourites of mine.

A couple of people seemed to think it was a bit manky. I'm glad to hear you like it.

So, this Galway Hooker and Purgatory are similar to a US IPA then?

I basically wont drink beer at this point unless its a US IPA. I would just rather drink gin or something...

 

[Wobbler]

A couple of people seemed to think it was a bit manky. I'm glad to hear you like it.

So, this Galway Hooker and Purgatory are similar to a US IPA then?

I basically wont drink beer at this point unless its a US IPA. I would just rather drink gin or something...

Similiar hops to an American IPA but not as strong. Quite close to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

 

[TheBeerNut]

So, this Galway Hooker and Purgatory are similar to a US IPA then?

I basically wont drink beer at this point unless its a US IPA. I would just rather drink gin or something...

Errr, US IPA is a pretty broad church: there's a lot of ground between Snake Dog and Hercules, for example. I wouldn't say either of them taste exactly like any US IPA, but they taste a lot more like it than any other Irish beer, what with the hops and all. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has been cited as an influence on Hooker, but it's far from being a clone of it.

If you like your beers hoppy then you'll like them. But neither are India Pale Ales in any real sense.

 

[flashback]

Errr, US IPA is a pretty broad church: there's a lot of ground between Snake Dog and Hercules, for example. I wouldn't say either of them taste exactly like any US IPA, but they taste a lot more like it than any other Irish beer, what with the hops and all. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has been cited as an influence on Hooker, but it's far from being a clone of it.

If you like your beers hoppy then you'll like them. But neither are India Pale Ales in any real sense.

Ah Ok, but what is a IPA in the real sense?
Stone IPA? River Horse Hop Hazard?

I have drunk a fair few of them. They have a common theme I'd say, although some are better than others for sure.

But, if its similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale I'll drink that. Deadly. That's great news.

I suppose I dont get exactly what you think a real IPA is.


edit, i just found this site:
http://beeradvocate.com/top_beers?this_cId=&this_style=150&cId=US&style=150

I think I need to do some investigating.

 

[TheBeerNut]

A real IPA is one that says "IPA" on the label. That's really all there is to it.

I've been discussing it at length over the last couple of days here. Not for the faint-hearted or easily bored.

Clarification: by "either of them" above, I meant Purgatory and Hooker, not Hercules and Snake Dog, which are, of course, real IPAs. Apologies for any confusion.

 

[Wobbler]

A

I suppose I dont get exactly what you think a real IPA is.

Very few people do. If you care...............here we go.

Back when India was a colony of Britain, Britain exported ale over there to quench the thirst of the troops they had over there. Since it was a long sea journey they needed beer which wouldn't spoil. Over time they realized that hops acted as a natural preserative (as did alcohol) so they brewed strong (probably about 6-8% in today's terms) hoppy pale ales spefically for the Indian market.

Over time, these beers became obselete until American brewers mimiked the style from the 1980s onwards but usually using American hops instead of British hops.

 

[flashback]

oh right.
I see. I just called basically anything that was a Hoppy strong tasting ale an IPA.


Anyway. No matter what they are called, they are amazing. It was like being touched by God when I found out about them here.
It was like God saying, yeah, listen I know you are not mental about the US, but for the mean time, here's this great new drink for you. This entire vista of tasty new drinks just opened up.
I got a little excited.

 

[TheBeerNut]

With Hooker you get that sensation, and the feeling that you're not further fuelling a domineering economic power, just the drinking budget of a couple of lads in a shed outside Roscommon.

 

[ernesto]

Pity. Bottled English ale pales in comparison to the real thing.

not from my experience.

 

[Squiggle]

I'd be up for a trip to CAMRA too

been getting into this. tasty. 4 for 9bobs in oddbins

Deadly!

Anyone seen any of the Wychwood Brews for sale over here anywhere, Hobgoblin and the like?

 

[broken arm]

i'm half thinking of changing our holiday this summer to a walking tour of england and wales using real ale brewery towns as destinations....

the real ale trail......

mmmm...

 

[flashback]

i'm half thinking of changing our holiday this summer to a walking tour of england and wales using real ale brewery towns as destinations....

the real ale trail......

mmmm...

I sort of did that in Yorkshire a few years back.
I was caving mainly, but the caves were scattered about and you would end up out in the back of no where all time, so you would warm up in the local brewers.

http://www.line-studio.co.uk/yorkshire-ale/46-reasons.htm

There are some great spots out that direction, great walks and caves too.
There was some massive viaduct thing somewhere around there as well. It looked good in the setting sun.

 

[Wobbler]

Deadly!

Anyone seen any of the Wychwood Brews for sale over here anywhere, Hobgoblin and the like?

Yes, they're all in Super Valu on Talbot St.

 

[Wobbler]

not from my experience.

Real ale from a dodgy boozer can be very disapointing and even off putting. Bottled English Ale is usually pasturised which means the beer will be more reliable but also less interesting. Cask ale is bottle conditioned (which means live yeast is kept in the cask) which makes the beer less reliable but potentially infinitely better. Good ale from a good pub in Britain, for me anyway, is the very zenith of beer drinking.

 

[TheBeerNut]

Cask ale is bottle conditioned (which means live yeast is kept in the cask)

Noooo... cask ale is cask conditioned. It's bottle conditioned beers that are bottle conditioned. Clue's in the name, see?

Redmond's of Ranelagh usually have a few Wychwood things, as does Carvill's on Camden Street. They're a mixed bunch: Goliath and Bah Humbug are particularly woeful. The best I've found are Pumpking and Plum Duff, but I've only seen them in Sainsbury's up north, and only in autumn and winter respectively. Hobgoblin's pretty good, likewise Fiddler's Elbow and Circle Master. Still not sure about Black Wych: it's weird.

 

[Wobbler]

Noooo... cask ale is cask conditioned. It's bottle conditioned beers that are bottle conditioned. Clue's in the name, see?

Redmond's of Ranelagh usually have a few Wychwood things, as does Carvill's on Camden Street. They're a mixed bunch: Goliath and Bah Humbug are particularly woeful. The best I've found are Pumpking and Plum Duff, but I've only seen them in Sainsbury's up north, and only in autumn and winter respectively. Hobgoblin's pretty good, likewise Fiddler's Elbow and Circle Master. Still not sure about Black Wych: it's weird.

Ooops. Right you are. I meant to say just conditioned, I don't know why I wrote bottle conditioned.

Anyway.... not mad on any of the Wychwood beers I've tried but I haven't tasted near as many as you. Hobgoblin is quite nice I suppose and the bottles look really cool.

 

[Squiggle]

Redmond's of Ranelagh usually have a few Wychwood things, as does Carvill's on Camden Street. They're a mixed bunch: Goliath and Bah Humbug are particularly woeful. The best I've found are Pumpking and Plum Duff, but I've only seen them in Sainsbury's up north, and only in autumn and winter respectively. Hobgoblin's pretty good, likewise Fiddler's Elbow and Circle Master. Still not sure about Black Wych: it's weird.

Lived in Suffolk for a time and developed a gra for Hobgoblin and Fiddler's Elbow. Thanks for the info

Anyway.... not mad on any of the Wychwood beers I've tried but I haven't tasted near as many as you. Hobgoblin is quite nice I suppose and the bottles look really cool.

For me it's partly nostalgia I guess.

 

[dAndAn]

I see Galway Hooker is on tap in Anseo. Which is nice..