Beer And Beer Drinking
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Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
I'm in the US at the moment and have been drinking various local "ales". It's weird, some of them aren't too bad (although they're still pasteurized, chilled to a microkelvin above absolute zero and served through a pressure tap) but they seem almost like, I dunno, a caricature of British beer styles. Like an IPA that's just soooo hoppy and soooo citrusy, it seems almost as if someone has heard of the idea of an IPA and thought they'd have a go. I mean, it's drinkable, it' just a bit...much.
Slothrop
Tight but Polite
Cambridge Beer Fest is ace - I think it's now the second biggest in the country after the GBBF and is a generally pleasant experience because it's got a nice venue (marquee in a park) and some nice food etc and hence attracts a good mix of people beyond the hardcore beer geeks. Also the beer list tends to give the lie to the whole CAMRA vs Craft Beer false dichotomy.
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
It does sound pretty good - will have to go at some point. It seems East Anglia is a particularly great part of the country for real ale. Norwich has apparently declared itself City of Ale 2013! (starts in three days, the Dissensus East Anglia chapter may like to know)
The only big beer fest I've been to besides the GBBF is the North London one held in the Camden Centre, that's pretty good. Keep meaning to get to the Catford one.
The only big beer fest I've been to besides the GBBF is the North London one held in the Camden Centre, that's pretty good. Keep meaning to get to the Catford one.
comelately
Wild Horses
Got a bottle in my fridge - can't actually justify all the hype, but, for better or worse, I did have to have one.
comelately
Wild Horses
Fuck that, if it ain't been dry-hopped, smoke-hopped and then had more hops added in cold conditioning, then I just don't want to know.
Slothrop
Tight but Polite
Beer of the day, probable beer of the week, solid shout for beer of the year:
http://www.harveys.org.uk/shop/bottled-beers/53-imperial-extra-double-stout-275ml.html
It's like being punched in the face by a black velvet glove full of figs and esspresso beans. Massive and complex but perfectly balanced. The first beer in a while that's actually shut me up in gobsmacked appreciation while I drank it...
Particularly interesting because I'd always thought of Harveys as a producer of excellent but resolutely traditional mid brown bitters.
http://www.harveys.org.uk/shop/bottled-beers/53-imperial-extra-double-stout-275ml.html
It's like being punched in the face by a black velvet glove full of figs and esspresso beans. Massive and complex but perfectly balanced. The first beer in a while that's actually shut me up in gobsmacked appreciation while I drank it...
Particularly interesting because I'd always thought of Harveys as a producer of excellent but resolutely traditional mid brown bitters.
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comelately
Wild Horses
I quite fancy a pint of that Dark Star damson and chocolate stout.
On the Harvey's tip, I've heard good things about their 'Knots in May' Mild. I generally find their stuff a bit boring though.
On the Harvey's tip, I've heard good things about their 'Knots in May' Mild. I generally find their stuff a bit boring though.
viktorvaughn
Well-known member
the super hoppy APA ~6 or so % does seem to be a new paradigm of boozing that has been created in West Coast USA based on a UK style then come back to UK as a US craft beer inspired style!
I think you've gotta drink them and not image them as versions of our classic balanced IPA but something else entirely. I have had a couple that were so bitter they were horrible but if you can try Magic Rock's High Wire it's delicious. Not too strong, too bitter or too hoppy but a fantastic version of the APA
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
So, a bit like American 'EDM' producers aping British producers who were influenced by Chicago house and Detroit techno in the first place - but in reverse?
comelately
Wild Horses
I was talking to the barmen at the Evening Star about how it was fairly embarrassing that the Americans have basically taught us to appreciate beer again. His response was: "Yeah, but we taught White America to appreciate the blues" 
Slothrop
Tight but Polite
Depends what you mean by "British Beer Revival", basically. Long story short, there have basically been two British Beer Revivals:
i) since the 70's, revival of interest in cask ale, brewing traditional styles of beer on a small scale with attention to detail then and keeping them well, based pretty much straight up on the existing british brewing tradition and
ii) since the late 90's / early 00's, revivai (or possibly just vival) of interest in varied / innovative / experimental / outright weird beers, strongly influenced by the American craft beer scene.
Although there's a lot of blurring between the two.
FWIW tonight I've had great examples of both - Harveys Sussex Best representing a really well brewed mid brown session bitter, and stuff like Magic Rock's Dark Arts, Moor's Dark Alliance and Oakham's Hare and Hedgehog at the less traditional end of things...
i) since the 70's, revival of interest in cask ale, brewing traditional styles of beer on a small scale with attention to detail then and keeping them well, based pretty much straight up on the existing british brewing tradition and
ii) since the late 90's / early 00's, revivai (or possibly just vival) of interest in varied / innovative / experimental / outright weird beers, strongly influenced by the American craft beer scene.
Although there's a lot of blurring between the two.
FWIW tonight I've had great examples of both - Harveys Sussex Best representing a really well brewed mid brown session bitter, and stuff like Magic Rock's Dark Arts, Moor's Dark Alliance and Oakham's Hare and Hedgehog at the less traditional end of things...
comelately
Wild Horses
Dark Star Brewery started brewing properly in 2001, but I think you have to look at Brewdog starting in 2007 and getting Punk IPA into Tesco as the real kick off point (also worth noting that they used to produce lagers too but don't seem to feel the need now). Brodies started in 2008, Kernel in 2009 and Magic Rock in 2011.
The other key thing is the KeyKeg, which was brought out around 2009 and enables microbreweries to sell beer in relatively small amounts and, because the keg is disposable, there isn't the problem of getting the keg back to the brewery.
The other key thing is the KeyKeg, which was brought out around 2009 and enables microbreweries to sell beer in relatively small amounts and, because the keg is disposable, there isn't the problem of getting the keg back to the brewery.
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
Oh yeah, I meant the real ale revival in the broad sense of the movement since the 70s, which (I would guess) was/is a largely home-grown thing. I think it's cool that breweries like Brew Dog are doing more adventurous things but I'm much more glad that Timothy Taylor, Brakspear and Jennings are doing well and have their beers widely available in pubs and supermarkets.
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