Craft and (crap) beer at Glastonbury

[Boomtowner]

3 hours ago, p.pete said:

I had a Fererro Rochet (New Bristol) stout last night - it was very nice - didn't leave me with a sense of having had the actual thing though.  I reckon they make it with certain flavours, and just make up a name - would be really interesting to know more about how they make them actually.  

Guy in the shop said that New Bristol are having a 'cinder toffee-February', if that's of interest to anyone - especially like their espresso martini one - he was expecting 5 different versions.  I assume they don't actually chuck toffee and coffee into the thing, but like I say, I'm interested 😛 

Only just recently started getting the New Bristol stuff on tap up here but what I've tried, I've liked. Had a salted caramel popcorn and a dark chocolate and cinder toffee one at the weekend. I think they're ok, but not as good as the plain cinder toffee one, which I love. Brew York have a similar issue with their Tonkoko beer. They do a load of slight variations and play with the AbV, but very few are as good as the original. 

[Greenelk]

4 hours ago, Quark said:

I'm nowhere near as into beers as you lot, but I do like to try new stuff and see what comes my way.

Question for you though. At what stage do you find that some of these beers (particularly the ones like dessert in a can) stop being about "beer" and become "what can we make something taste of"?

There are definitely some I've tried (couldn't name them mind) where the beer part is definitely incidental and you might as well be drinking a milkshake that's slightly gone off 😄

If that's what you're after then fair enough, but it's one of those ones that's always confused me a wee bit.

So this doesn't take your fancy? 😂

My go to will be a chocolate heavy impy stout, but I love my IPAs as well.  I've just started getting into things like the monstrosity pictured due to my sons liking heavily fruited sours.  I wouldn't call them beer, but some of them taste pretty good to me!

[Greenelk]

4 hours ago, p.pete said:

I had a Fererro Rochet (New Bristol) stout last night - it was very nice - didn't leave me with a sense of having had the actual thing though.  I reckon they make it with certain flavours, and just make up a name - would be really interesting to know more about how they make them actually.  

Guy in the shop said that New Bristol are having a 'cinder toffee-February', if that's of interest to anyone - especially like their espresso martini one - he was expecting 5 different versions.  I assume they don't actually chuck toffee and coffee into the thing, but like I say, I'm interested 😛 

A lot of the stouts do very much chuck toffee and coffee into the mix.  I've seen pictures of thousands of little marshmallows being shoveled in, as well as chocolate hobnobs!

[Quark]

8 minutes ago, Greenelk said:

So this doesn't take your fancy? 😂

My go to will be a chocolate heavy impy stout, but I love my IPAs as well.  I've just started getting into things like the monstrosity pictured due to my sons liking heavily fruited sours.  I wouldn't call them beer, but some of them taste pretty good to me!

It doesn't scream "drink me" no! 😄

I think I've been traumatised by an AF thing that was based on the milk from a lucky charms / fruit loops esque cereal and hops. It was feckin revolting!

 

 

[kingbadger]

51 minutes ago, Quark said:

Ha, similar! Couldn't tell you the right names for all the flavours and hops, but know what I like when I drink it! Which is most things. My taste in beer is almost as eclectic as my music! 😂

Yeah there's nothing in my craft beer place I wouldn't try, but if I want a 'normal' pale, IPA, DIPA, TIPA etc then I just ask someone to pick me one out for me. 

Might as well plug it, if you ever find yourself in Colchester and need a pint then head to Two Brews! 

[fightoffyour]

1 hour ago, kingbadger said:

Pretty much my taste in beer is what can give me diabetes as swiftly as possible. A lot of sours just taste like fruit juice. I'm not too much of a thin stout kinda guy - prefer them nice and thick. 

When it comes to pale ales, IPAs etc I still have no idea what hops I like or what each one brings to the table. Just know that West Coast is much hoppier/danker than New England.

West Coast - clear, bitter hoppiness
New England - hazy, hop aromas

So WC "hoppier" if you mean IBU (bitterness) sure (more hops used in the boil = higher IBU), but a NEIPA will tend to be "hoppier" in terms of quantities used for "dry hopping" (nothing dry about it, hops added after fermentation to release aromas, typically of tropical and citrus fruits, but little bitterness).

Naturally, different hop varieties are suited to different styles. You wouldn't put Fuggles in a NEIPA, which is why the style comes from the US originally where suitable hops grow (and now AUS/NZ).

[p.pete]

13 hours ago, Greenelk said:

A lot of the stouts do very much chuck toffee and coffee into the mix.  I've seen pictures of thousands of little marshmallows being shoveled in, as well as chocolate hobnobs!

Sounds joyous - I might have to do some youtubeing later

[p.pete]

13 hours ago, Boomtowner said:

Only just recently started getting the New Bristol stuff on tap up here but what I've tried, I've liked. Had a salted caramel popcorn and a dark chocolate and cinder toffee one at the weekend. I think they're ok, but not as good as the plain cinder toffee one, which I love. Brew York have a similar issue with their Tonkoko beer. They do a load of slight variations and play with the AbV, but very few are as good as the original. 

Interesting - I was talking to someone recently who'd tried the plain cinder and didn't like it as much as their heavier-mixed ones (that's why they change things up!).  I have a can of dark chocolate & ginger to try, and a 'big ginger', might have to see if they've made it to any taps locally.

[Quark]

Wrong thread...

Edited February 1, 2023 by Quark

[BambooShanks]

This thread has taught me that I don't know as much about craft beers as I previously thought.

 

For what it's worth, Shipyard IPA is a perfectly adequate beer that can be enjoyed at lukewarm backpack temperature and has served me very well in the past

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

15 hours ago, kingbadger said:

Yeah there's nothing in my craft beer place I wouldn't try, but if I want a 'normal' pale, IPA, DIPA, TIPA etc then I just ask someone to pick me one out for me. 

Might as well plug it, if you ever find yourself in Colchester and need a pint then head to Two Brews! 

I lived in Colchester for over a year. If I ever went back again, I certainly would need a pint -of something, anything - as long as it was alcoholic. That's not a slur on Colchester as a place / people - it's because I was in a dark place mentally while there.

Quite a long post just to shoe horn a joke in, really.

[Alvoram]

17 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

This thread has taught me that I don't know as much about craft beers as I previously thought.

 

For what it's worth, Shipyard IPA is a perfectly adequate beer that can be enjoyed at lukewarm backpack temperature and has served me very well in the past

You and me both... 🙈😂

[moogster]

19 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

This thread has taught me that I don't know as much about craft beers as I previously thought.

 

For what it's worth, Shipyard IPA is a perfectly adequate beer that can be enjoyed at lukewarm backpack temperature and has served me very well in the past

Don't worry too much about knowing, just enjoy!

[marathonsteve]

This is quite good

[Alvoram]

41 minutes ago, marathonsteve said:

This is quite good

Yeh it’s not bad… 

 

this better though 😜

 

(Sorry the images are dark, we’re closed right now.) 

[moogster]

3 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

Yeh it’s not bad… 

 

this better though 😜

 

(Sorry the images are dark, we’re closed right now.) 

Ummm what are those colourful bottles in the back?

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 hour ago, Alvoram said:

You and me both... 🙈😂

Yes, it's very educational.

[Alvoram]

21 minutes ago, moogster said:

Ummm what are those colourful bottles in the back?

Brew Dog 😬, More Jaipur and a couple of Sierra Nevada ales... All of them will be switched out soon. (hopefully for some of the reccomendations here) 

Edit: Or did you mean the Gins up top left? 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Alvoram

[moogster]

3 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

Brew Dog 😬, More Jaipur and a couple of Sierra Nevada ales... All of them will be switched out soon. (hopefully for some of the reccomendations here) 

Edit: Or did you mean the Gins up top left? 

YEah I meant the "is that for hen dos?" bottles. Doesn't give you much Craft Beer street cred 😛 (although they are maybe very good gins, what do i know)

[Alvoram]

9 minutes ago, moogster said:

YEah I meant the "is that for hen dos?" bottles. Doesn't give you much Craft Beer street cred 😛 (although they are maybe very good gins, what do i know)

I definitely have no street cred... But it does mean lots of walking couples can visit the pub and find a nice drink that they both enjoy. 😉 

We're not a craft bar, not by a LONG shot, we're a country pub that targets walkers, and others using the country park, one which happens to sell some decent ales, decent gins and incredible home made food. 🙂

[moogster]

4 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

We're not a craft bar, not by a LONG shot, we're a country pub that targets walkers, and others using the country park, one which happens to sell some decent ales, decent gins and incredible home made food. 🙂

Yeah don't get Cloudwater, but I think you got that clear by now 🙂 

Whisky?

[Alvoram]

22 minutes ago, moogster said:

Yeah don't get Cloudwater, but I think you got that clear by now 🙂 

Whisky?

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. I was looking to replace the range of Brew Dog mostly, not because it doesn't sell, it does, just because I find their ethics more and more questionable over time, and now looking at some other options, including Plot2pot's beers. 🙂 (But I also need to find a replacement for the incredibly popular alcohol free Nanny State.) 

Whiskey, not really, we tried a decent range of single malts / blended, but they really didn't sell. Now we just offer the usual suspects in terms of scotch, Irish etc... (You know, Bells, Grouse, Teachers, etc etc) And just a couple of the nicer singles / blended that did sell... Glenlivet (house) Bruichladdich Classic Laddie (unpeated) Monkey Shoulder (blended) and Balvenie. 👍

Edited February 1, 2023 by Alvoram

[moogster]

Which reminds me of that terrible Jack Daniels bar at Glasto (as in your offer is much better)!

I have a go to N/A but it's a Dutch brewer so you won't care.

AND that reminds me I need to check on my last batch of prepared Rum!

 

[Quark]

13 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. I was looking to replace the range of Brew Dog mostly, not because it doesn't sell, it does, just because I find their ethics more and more questionable over time, and now looking at some other options, including Plot2pot's beers. 🙂 (But I also need to find a replacement for the incredibly popular alcohol free Nanny State.) 

Whiskey, not really, we tried a decent range of single malts / blended, but they really didn't sell. Now we just offer the usual suspects in terms of scotch, Irish etc... (You know, Bells, Grouse, Teachers, etc etc) And just a couple of the nicer singles / blended that did sell... Glenlivet (house) Bruichladdich Classic Laddie (unpeated) Monkey Shoulder (blended) and Balvenie. 👍

On the AF front I'm personally always happy to walk into a pub and find they have Big Drop Pine Trail, Lucky Saint or Brooklyn Special Effects. 

Whisky-wise, good shout on the Balvenie. Their Doublewood is probably my go-to favourite, and the Caribbean Cask is also lush.

[kingbadger]

Cheap Lager by Mash Gang is the best AF tipple I've found. Athletic IPA wasn't bad either.