here be beer

Milan Beer Tour - Birrificio Lambrate

2011-01-27T19:02:00.005Z

Torre Velasca - Milan

A tip off pointed us in the direction of a bar called Birrificio Lambrate in , surprise-surprise, the Lambrate area of the city. On the way, the metro stopped briefly at Piazzale Loreto, infamous as the place where Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci's bodies were hung upside-down from a petrol station gantry in 1945 after being shot trying to flee towards Italy's northern border. The previous year, 15 imprisoned partisans had been shot on that spot in reprisal for Allied bombing and raids by the Resistance. Their bodies had been left as a warning to others by the German command, so I guess this was payback of sorts. We resisted the ghoulish urge to go up and have a look around and instead continued on our journey to the northeast of Milan. Pliny the Elder first mentioned the Lambrate area of Milan in the 1st century BC with reference to a river, which flowed here with clear and limpid waters. The name of the area was taken from the river and we certainly hoped that liquid would flow here tonight, but not necessarily clear and limpid!
A short walk from the station, past Piazza Gobetii and on an ugly, forgettable side street sat our destination. From the outside it looked closed with low lighting and simple signage. The only clue as to its state of being was the collection of somewhat rough looking individuals smoking outside the door. We crossed the road and made our way to the front door, squeezing past the smokers who seemed less rough and quite friendly this close up.
The place was packed. Every shape and make of person was in there from young professionals to families and crusty looking hippies. The reason for the crowd, or at least one of the reasons, was the bowls and on the plates at the bar. During Happy Hour in certain bars in the city they place free food on the bar for the clientele to gorge themselves on, as well as reducing the beer prices. There was an amazing spread of food. Pesto pasta, risotto, garlic focaccias (focacce?), crostini, salads, olives and other items too numerous to mention. Perhaps forty dishes in total, were being picked at and devoured by all. Everyone seemed to be a local and they all appeared to know each other as they shouted and gestured to each other across the room. We forced our way politely to the bar and looked at the list of what was on offer, scratched on a chalkboard overhead.
Birrificio Lambrate was opened in 1996 and was the first craft brewer in Milan. The idea was to open a bar, with beer brewed on site, for people who were a bit sick and tired of the ‘normal’ beers and bars of the city. They began with three different styles and added more every few years. Today they usually have around eight available at any one time, some being seasonal and only available during winter or at other times of the years.
The friendly affable barman, resplendent with tidy goatee and a selection of tasteful tattoos, gave us the nod and we placed our order for three Ligera. He politely, and rightly, corrected our pronunciation and pulled our pints as the locals at the bar had a laugh at our poor attempts at Italian. We got the feeling that it was only die-hard beer tourists who took the trek out to here.
As we waited for our beer we took in our surroundings. There was something familiar and comfortable about the place. All the walls were clad in dark timber, which matched the tables, chairs, barstools and the bar itself. The place had a lived in feel with graffiti covered table tops and low level lighting.
We found a half free table and sat down briefly before returning, one by one, to the bar to pick up some of the tasty morsels on offer. The food was incredibly good, perhaps enhanced by the fact it was free, and we made frequent return journeys until we were full or getting funny looks from the barman. We sat back and relaxed, comfortable in our surrounds and taking in the atmosphere. The beer, Ligera, was a beautiful, bitter hoppy number, which had us smacking our lips and grinning from ear to ear.
The music playing on the excellent sound system was our kind of music. Led Zeppelin was blasting out but even though it was loud it didn't get in the way of our conversation. The bass wasn't overpowering and they seemed to have installed ample speakers. This meant that it wasn't too loud, just loud enough. It was musical engineering perfection.
We quickly drained our glasses and started working through a few more of the house-brewed offerings. Ghisa, a creamy, smoky wonderful stout with a fudgy aftertaste, was worth the trip out here alone, perhaps even the trip to Milan itself. Porpora was a malty ale with a sweet, liquorice taste. San Ambrosiana was a dunkleweizen style wheat beer with a blast of cloves to make your eyes water. All were superb. Fresh and tasty from their short trip from the attached brewery and served with a combination of professionalism and friendliness that would put the staff in many bars back home to shame.
We were in heaven and the joint was rocking, The Doors and Gorillaz followed Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solos. Many customers had left when the free food stopped and the place was filling up with a younger Saturday night crowd and a few older customers here for a meal. We had gorged ourselves on food and beer at this stage so we had no room to try the food offered from the kitchen, which was attached to the bar. Anything we saw heading for the dining tables looked wholesome and tasty, with empty plates always heading back in the opposite direction.
By now we were half standing, lounging in a corner of the pub because we had to vacate our seats, which were reserved for proper eaters only and not freeloaders like us. The only table that was free was beside the toilets, which was handy in one way but obviously has its disadvantages. Male and female toilets were side by side with a communal wash hand basin and I had just finished a visit to the facilities when the ladies' door open and a large woman came out, pulling up her trousers as she did. She was intensely ugly, the only women I had seen with sideburns and a unibrow. She grunted at me and exited without washing her hands. The whole experience gave me shivers and I recounted the encounter to BeerMat and BeerGoogles as we drank our beers. BeerMat took to watching her as she wandered through the room, hitting on anyone she could. 'Yikes.' He said, as we watched her squeeze her ample frame between two guys having a conversation at the bar and then trying to hit on every other male in the bar. Except for us strangely enough… She left soon after; no doubt before the full moon rose and her look changed again. She was the only negative thing we had come across all night.
Ozzie was shouting out 'Finished with my woman' to a pounding bass line as BeerMat made his way to the bar for the next round of drinks and came back beaming.
'These are on the house!' he said, 'I think yer man behind the bar appreciates us making the trip out here, and how much we like the place and the beer. He says this is a new brew but I didn't catch its name.'
We looked to the bar and raised our glasses to him. He smiled back before returning his attention to the beer and his other customers.
'Jesus, that's great.' I said, 'Free food and free drink! I think we're on a roll. You should go up and see if he has a couple of sisters for you and BeerGoggles.'
BeerMat just grinned his famous grin and took a big drink of his pint. I quickly followed suit. This was a little like Ligera but more bitter and with a citrus-like taste, like a shot of grapefruit juice had been added. I was another winner certainly.
The place is really rocking now with a wonderful buzz and 'Rock the Casbah' is playing. This surely must be one of the best bars in Milan. No Italy. No Europe, we decide. It shows up the inadequacies of other places really, and the importance of finding the right balance or food, drink and atmosphere. This lively, almost visceral, bar on an nondescript side street in an ordinary part of the city had got everything right tonight. And as The Beastie Boys belted out 'Sabotage', we drank our last beer, Monstella, a pilsner style beer that would have the Americans, Germans and Czechs ringing their hands with worry if it was ever unleashed on the world market. Then we headed towards the door to catch the last metro back into town, stopping at the bar to say our goodbyes and getting a cool, thumb grip handshake from the barman. With the appropriate strains of 'I just can't get enough' resonating from the bar and following us up the street, we cursed the fact that the place was so far from our base and that the Metro didn't run later. Maybe it was a blessing really as we probably would never have left the place, we'd still be there today.

(Apologies for poor photos)

Düsseldorf Beer Tour 3 - minus the beer

2011-01-15T23:44:00.009Z

A last piece on Düsseldorf for now - This is another excerpt from a longer article that I will dip back in to some other time.

We woke up the next day to an overcast sky with a chilly breeze blowing in from the east. This was our third day in Düsseldorf and so far we hadn't experienced many of the sights, instead concentrating on the beer, food and atmosphere of the city. I had read about the Rhine Tower, which in fairness is hard to miss on the skyline anyway and also of some buildings by Frank O. Gehry, the Canadian architect, down at the redeveloped harbour so we decided to take a trek in that direction.
After grabbing a light breakfast in the hotel we set off in the direction of the tower. It was mid-morning and city was quiet as we walked through it towards the Rhine. The shops and bars were opening up and the Christmas market was also beginning to show signs of life.
We arrived at the Rhine, which looked cold and foreboding this morning, with the barges, some ploughing through the current south and others literally going with the flow north. It seemed to me that travelling north would be the trickier as you had less control of your vessel. I presume the trick is to travel quicker than the current so that you have more control of your direction, a bit like life, while using its force to expend less fuel.
I was in quiet contemplation of this as we walked south, against the flow. We all seemed lost in our thoughts and a little tired from the last few days. The tower loomed larger every couple of hundred meters but in that misleading way that large building do, it deceived us on its actual distance away. We passed under the Rheinkniebrücke with the rumble of cars and lorries over our heads and eventually we arrived at the base of the tower. Looking up at it now it seemed like an almost impossible structure, like a bowl balanced on a knitting needle, and it was with excitement and a squirt of trepidation we walked up to the entrance.
The tower was completed in 1982 and stands over 230 meters high. Perched in the bowl are a viewing platform and above that a revolving restaurant. The top of the tower contains what I presume are all the TV technology and paraphernalia that the tower was built to hold. It is also the world’s largest decimal clock; the time being read by assessing the layout of the lights than can be seen on the tower's body at night.
We paid our entrance fee and made our way to the lift, our ears popping as it made its rapid ascent to the viewing platform. The doors opened and we were suddenly in the midst of fifty or more sweaty, acne-ridden teenagers on a school trip and a couple of frazzled looking teachers. We worked our way through the throng towards the glass walls. The glazing around this part of the building leans out at an angle a little like an upside down coolie hat and is certainly a little disconcerting. You could, as some of the teenagers were doing, spread eagle yourself with just the glass supporting your weight and look down to see the base of the tower, and a fair proportion of the rest of it. Why you would want to us anybody's guess but teenagers tend to show a lack of fear that is either borderline moronic or, at best, foolhardy in the extreme. I am pretty sure that the glass is strong enough to hold even my weight but when you get a little older you always have this nagging feeling that one day you will appear on a news bulletin with the words 'accident' and 'tragic' combined with your name.
Even on this slightly overcast day the views were tremendous. The immense, sinuous Rhine with its bridges and barges, the old town, the buildings on the harbour and on the west bank were all laid out in front of us, with the countryside of Germany, Holland and Belgium stretching away into the distance.
One building, the regional parliament building, stood out below us. It had clearly been built with the view from above in mind with a tangle of interconnecting geometric shapes forming a stunning pattern from where we stood. We had walked past it on the way to the tower and although it seemed bright and tidy we had no idea that it was such a beautifully designed building. I don't think you could appreciate it from anywhere but up here.

We walked around the platform a few times, avoiding the groups of death wishing teenagers, looking for somewhere for a coffee. Sadly we were too early for the restaurant on the next level and we were probably a little grotty for it anyway. Mind you, this section was not without its grottiness too. It could have done with a little sprucing up and perhaps a little coffee bar and better seating. I guess people come here to look at the view and not at the furnishings.
After a while I noticed that there were actually two school groups here, one English and one German. Both groups looked and acted the same and they seemed to be mingling but not really communicating with each other. It made me think about whether the great-grand fathers of the English group had looked down from a greater height again than this on the city. Had they dropped some of the bombs that fell while the great-grandparents of the German group hid in their shelters? Did these kids ever think about it? Or were they too far removed from that time. Perhaps it was just something you yawned over in your history books or role-played on your Playstation. It would be sad, I think if either side forgot. Being Irish it's not that easy to put yourself in the shoes of the people whose countries fought in the Second World War. I guess that like the history of my own country you need to, perhaps forgive, learn from and move on, but not forget.
I found the others and we decided to move on to the harbour. We could see it from up here but not with any detail. If anything the Gehry buildings looked a little disappointing from here. We got the lift down and made our way towards them. I half expected to hear a sharp crack of glass splintering and a piercing semi-pubescent scream starting from over our heads and ending with a damp thud behind us. It never happened though.

In 1989 work started on the old industrial harbour to transform it into a trendy office-residential-social centre. The Media Harbour, as it was christened, is now home to almost 600 companies with 8,000 employees and is still growing. One of the architectural highlights of this area is surely 'Der Neue Zollhof' buildings designed by Frank O. Gehry and completed in 1999.
We approached the buildings from the marina after first viewing the buildings from a tongue of manicured parkland that projects south from the Rhine Tower. The colours, shape and grace of the buildings had me mesmerised and banished any of the negative thoughts I had formed of them from the tower. Not even the overcast weather or BeerGoggles urging of BeerMat to, and I quote, 'Take me roughly up against this tree!' could break me from my rapture. (I might not have heard the word 'roughly' and he might have been talking about a photo but as I say, I wasn't paying a lot of attention.)
Building three, which was the first approached from our direction, is finished in white plaster and is the largest of the three, building two in polished stainless steel is the smallest, and building one is finished in brick. They twist, turn and lean in almost every angle and make your eyes water if viewed from the wrong direction. The silver building transfixed me. It reflected the clear, grey, mid-morning light in a way that seemed to make it move as we approached it. It drew me towards it with a bizarre sensual pleasure that is not entirely appropriate for a building to exude. I had to touch it. It was cool and almost soft and yielding, at least in my mind. The other two were busily sniggering at me for my feeling of misplaced affection, or affliction, and although they appreciated the architecture they were not affected in the same way. It was bizarre; I almost felt I needed a cold shower. Almost.

The others eventually tore me away from my new found love and we wandered between the other buildings in the harbour. Almost all were exceptional but some stood out more than others. The copper plated Kai 13 and the Roggendorf-Haus were two that particularly caught our eyes. The latter not because of the building itself, which was pretty mundane, but because of the Flossis. Large, multicoloured humanoid figures that scampered, crawled and climbed all over the building itself, giving it a surreal quality.

We wandered around a little more and having taken a few snaps decided to make our way back towards the Altstadt. As we passed the Gehry buildings I felt a pang of regret and a heart-wrenching tug, as I might never see this building again. I sighed and kept walking, refusing to look back. It was too difficult.
Mind you the thought of a beer and the continuing sniggers from the others soon brought me around, and by the time we were back in the Altstadt it was all just a happy, if somewhat disturbing, memory.

Düsseldorf Beer Tour 2

2011-01-09T00:47:00.009Z

Another piece on Düsseldorf ........ Better late than never?

We met again in Balthasars on the corner of Bolkerstrasse and not far from the hotel. The place was pretty packed, it being a Saturday evening, but we found a spot and settled down. We decided to grab a bite to eat here as the plates that were passing under our noses looked good and we didn't like the idea of drinking on an empty stomach. Not that we were planning to drink a lot in any case, as we were not really in Düsseldorf for a session. At our age it's quality not quantity that counts. When you hit the big 40, the same adage applies to many things.
We ordered our food, and a beer of course. I choose a Schöfferhoffer Dunkleweizen, which is a darker version of a wheat beer I had tried before. (It’s a great name, reminding me of a character from a fairy tale. 'Schöfferhoffer Dunkleweizen the troll lived under the old willow tree on the banks of the river Dunkle, from which he got his name........' would make a great start for a book.) I had picked it up in a certain German supermarket at home a few months before and enjoyed its typical - for a wheat beer - banana and clove flavour. This was a little heavier and sweeter than the pale version and although I enjoyed it, I had trouble finishing it. Perhaps it was just that it was a little early in the night for a strong, dark beer. Mind you, the steak I ordered was superb if a little over done for my tastes. After another lighter beer we headed out and down Bolkerstrasse, our hunger sated for now and eager to check out the Altstadt at night.
Halfway down the street we came across the arresting site of a guy taking a dump. Now I'm aware this needs further explanation but first let me say that he was excreting gold coins into a sack and had a smile on his face, as you would have I guess. This was the image that grinned at us from a carving on the sidewall of one of the buildings. Only later did I find out that it was Dukatenscheisser who appears in Germany and Holland in various forms and is synonymous, I think, with either being miserly or frugal depending on how you look at it.

The streets and bars were filling up now with good-natured young people. There was lots of laughter everywhere and any cares or problems these drinkers had seemed to be dissolved by the beer they were drinking. Nowhere did we hear anything but good-natured ribbing and noisy discussion. The stag and hen parties that I thought were ubiquitous to every cheap flight destination on the continent on a Saturday night seemed to have chosen elsewhere to go. We saw only one small group of hens cackling quietly in a bar half way along the street.
We decided to give the bars on this street a miss tonight, as it was not really what we wanted. Preferring a quiet beer and a chat rather than shouting over the music and noise coming from the bars here.
We soon reached Marktplatz. It looked very Christmas-like and continental with it's illuminated Rathaus, Christmas trees draped with lights and the little huts of the market. All were still open and doing a fair trade, even thought it was past nine o'clock, with many people grabbing a quick bite to eat from the food stalls before heading out into the night to their homes, or a familiar drinking place. We turned left and went past a very busy Uerige, resisting the temptation to call in again, and continued on up Berger Strasse looking for a quieter spot for a couple of drinks with the intention of having an early night. We were all a little tired and weary from travelling and lack of sleep.
We spied a quiet bar, Köpi, on the right near the top of the street and wandered in. It was nice inside with subdued lighting and music. We guessed that this was probably a refuge for the locals from the excesses happening on Bolkerstrasse. It certainly seemed like our kind of place. We all ordered different beers. I plumped for a Köstritzer Schwarzbier on draught, another beer I had tried from our local German supermarket back home. It arrived with a head that would put a certain Irish stout to shame, resembling the top of a very large, fluffy cappuccino. I savoured the appearance for a little while before taking a big gulp. The taste was superb, reminding me of rich dark chocolate with a shot of espresso bitterness. We chatted a little and had a couple more here before heading out in to the cold night. This end of the street was very quiet and as we passed Marktplatz again we decided to keep walking to see how the rest of the city looked at night, away from the Bolkerstrasse.
We arrived at Burgplatz and while looking around came across a trendy looking restaurant/bar called simply Schwan and decided to call in for a nightcap and to escape the cold. This was a place for the beautiful people and I must admit that I felt a little awkward and out of place. My scrappy beard and beer belly seemed to be making a mockery of what the proprietors were trying to achieve here. I expected at any moment to be ushered out the door by a burly bouncer saying 'Nien, nien, nien. Out, out, out.'
I was wrong; we were greeted with open arms and shown a nice table. I presume this was because it was pretty quiet here so they had to drop their standards to try and increase revenue. On the other hand, maybe I had been sprinkled with dust from the paranoia fairy that seems to sometimes follow me around.
The beer list didn't excite us so someone, me to be honest, decided that we should have a cocktail to end the night. So Mojitos all round it was.
Well maybe a couple more then.
Now I'm not sure whether it was the sugar or the mint, maybe it was the rum. Whatever it was we seemed to get a sudden lease of life that I would not have believed possible half an hour before. Suddenly we were all buzzing and eager to continue the night.
We decided to work our way back towards Bolkerstrasse with intentions of entering one of those noisy bars that seemed such a poor choice earlier in the night. We found a nightclub called Pretty Vacant and entered, resorting to drinking trendy Pilsner Urquell and Rothaus Tannenzäpfle beers from the bottle and slowly getting worse for wear.

The next few hours were passed in a haze of clubs, bars and beer. I have memories of being frisked roughly by an enormous bouncer, of being snowed on by a soapy snow machine as I passed under it, of squeezing past amorous couples intent on removing the tonsils from each other with suction alone, and of eating something piggish and tasty in a bun on a street corner. I recall noisy streets, friendly police and no trouble whatsoever. I remember how nice everyone was and how we ended up exactly where I didn't want to be, in one of the Irish bars beside our hotel, listening to U2 and singing along too loudly.
At some stage during the night I had turned into the epitome of an Irish man abroad. The drunk at the bar singing out of tune, thinking he's everyone's friend and that everyone loves you if you're Irish. The embarrassment!
It was time for bed and a mental reminder to never do that again.

Düsseldorf Beer Tour - Excerpt

2009-01-13T22:51:00.008Z

Excerpt from article on Düsseldorf – Piece about Uerige Hausbrauerei, Bergerstrasse.

Once inside we were confronted by a narrow corridor with rooms and stairs leading off in a few directions. The building certainly had a feeling of age and more than a hint of reverence, as indeed it should. It is for many beer lovers the St. Peters of their religion where they come to bow their heads at the altar of Alt and drink from the narrow glass chalice of the life blood of their faith.

There was a buzz running through the place that seemed to be coming through the walls, up from the floor and permeated our bodies making us more eager, if possible of our first taste. We looked into a few rooms that were all busy and seemed to be reserved for locals and not for pilgrims like us. We were channeled towards the back where one door opened into a high roofed, bright smoking room. Being none smokers we turned right, our only other option, and ended up in a open room with a bar, long tables and more importantly free seats.

The bar was covered in polished bronze and a small tubby wooden cask sat at an angle on top of it. A bar man was quickly filling small glasses of beer with fine heads and sliding them to one end of the bar. From there, one of the waiters would load them on to a tray and make his way around the room. We decided that we should move out of the way and looked for a free table.

We sat down at a large empty table, the only empty one there, and waited in impatient anticipation to be served. The waiters seemed to be somewhat distracted by a gentleman sitting close to us on a section of the seating that wound it's way around the wall of the room. At first glance he appeared to be sitting with a middle-aged couple but they scuttled to one end of the table that they shared with the man. A closer look at him revealed a disheveled look of someone who was down on his luck to say the least. He didn't appear to be drinking but still seemed to be worse for wear and muttering to himself while scratching all the hard to reach places of his body. It was these combined activities that brought him to the attention of the waiters. One of them approached him and asked him to leave, or at least I presume he did, I don't speak German but his hand signals were the universal sign for 'Please leave the premises as quick as you can'.

Our inebriated friend didn't take kindly to this and made this clear to the waiter with a barrage of words and a couple of even more universal hand signals. Suddenly there were three waiters there and the roughly grabbed the guy and man-handled him to the side exit. As he was dragged from his seat our attention was drawn to a large pale coloured puddle which had formed where he had been sitting. We immediately thought the worst. No wonder they got rid of him. One can't have people peeing on the seats can we?

The waiter returned from his eviction duties and reached for something from the floor where our troubled friend had been sitting. It was then that we got that unmistakable smell of sweet, pungent liquor. The waiter was talking to the people at the table beside us and we picked up the word 'Schnapps' in the conversation. He than produced the small bottle he had picked up from the floor. They guy had been drinking it and this was what was now spreading along the seat. The waiter quickly cleaned it up with a bit of a grumble and got back to the task in hand. Doling out more beer.

Home Brew Finally!

2009-01-09T22:22:00.006Z

I must admit that I was suffering a bit from beer fatigue until I got a comment on my last post which has given me a new lease of life. Wiener (or whatever his name is) has stirred me into action at last. Thanks bud!

My home brew has been sitting patiently in it's bottles for the last few months and the last time I tried it I felt it was a little harsh and just tasted of smoked bananas steeped in alcohol.

Strangely, that's not as appealing as it sounds.

So I gave it another couple of weeks and I am drinking one now. You know what? It's not too bad.

It's quite a strong flavour with a gingery, biscuity, banana taste. It's got perhaps a hint of cloves too. It has nice soft carbonation and is keeping it's head very well. I remember working out the approx alcohol level and it was about 8%, I think.

Now you wouldn't really drink a load of it but a bottle of two would be ok I think. Mind you I'm biased. I'm quite proud of it really. Especially as it's just from a kit and it's my first.

It's a Brewferm Grand Cru and if you look up my previous posts on Home Brew then you'll see how it progressed.

Anyway, I'm back!

The Verdict

GREAT!

Brewferm Grand Cru Kit - 45cl - 8% alcohol (approx) - Belgian-Irish co-production

Lazy Old Me

2009-01-06T22:30:00.003Z

I was going to spin some yarn about how I have been to busy to Blog over the last few weeks but the truth is I just couldn't be bothered!

Well that's not strictly true I guess, I was very busy before Christmas and with New Year entertaining and my daughter's Christening last weekend things have been hectic.

But I could have found time to write. It's just laziness really.

I think perhaps that I kept thinking about how I had to write something about Düsseldorf and where to start and what to say. Not that I find it hard to write as an exercise in it's self but I feel that there's more than a Blog or ICB article in it so I'm letting the whole thing sit for a while. Let my brain sort it out.

I will opinion some beers soon though!

Düsseldorf's on hold

2008-12-13T23:00:00.004Z

I am up to my ears with a work project at the mo' so I have no time to write or read Blogs. Will post a decent review of Düsseldorf before Christmas but it was fantastic. Just go!

Apologies for the poem by the way.

I don't know what came over me.

Ode to the Alt bearing Kobes

2008-12-11T22:42:00.008Z

I'm back from Düsseldorf at last

and sad, I am, it's in the past.

Alt is the new love of my life.

(Just please, please don't tell the wife.)

The Alt, I tried in many places,

from Kobes full of airs and graces.

Some were surly, some were mean,

and some were really not to keen

to give me some of that amber brew

even though I felt it was my due.

(I'd braved the weather and the crowds

and avoided 'Hooter's', wasn't I proud?

I battled with the language too

and got raw pork instead of stew.)

They made me feel it was my fault

(The Kobes, I mean, not the Alt)

for daring to sit in their hallowed place.

I guess it wasn't always the case

As some were pleasant, even nice.

(Well that's what happened once or twice.)

But I forgive them all their lack of cheer

for giving me such food and beer

and I'd raise to them a glass of Alt

If only I had one but I have nowt.

Shepherd Neame 1698

2008-12-04T23:25:00.004Z

In 1698 Sir Isaac Newtown calculated the speed of sound. Fair play to him.

I don't know if there's any connection with that and the setting up of Shepherd Neame but think about it..............

Ok, that's enough. I'm still short on time.

I have had mixed feelings and tastings on the SN offerings but I kinda liked this one.

It's very mellow and smooth. The best description I can think of is of a very mellow whisky. Not watery mind, just very mellow and subtle. Especially with it's low carbonation.

With maybe a dash of lemonade.

The Verdict

Yeah, it's nice. I'd try it again.

Shepherd Neame - 50cl - 6.5% alcohol - England

Fuller's Golden Pride - AKA Liquid Christmas Pudding

2008-12-04T22:58:00.003Z

Have to sort out my bag for Düsseldorf so I'll keep this short and sweet.

This is an intense beer. I think I read somewhere that it's categorised (I hate that term) as a Barley Wine. I guess it has a sherry like quality.

Sweet, Malty, Treacle-like taste.

You can sense the alcohol level and the buzz from it.

Lovely light carbonation.

The Verdict

Not bad you know. Nice beer for a cold evening in front of the fire, sharing it and the love of a good woman.

In equal quantities.

Told you it would be short!

Fuller's Golden Pride - 50cl - 8.5% alcohol - England

Reasons to be Beer-Full - Part 1

2008-12-03T23:21:00.005Z

When I started this blog I really didn't know where it would lead to. That was a few months and almost 100 beers ago.

100 beers! That seems a bit surreal. If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would go to Brussels and come back a beer addict I wouldn't have believed them. I think that's what it is with me, an addiction. I seem to look in every supermarket and off licence for something new to try. I guess I have become a Beer Ticker.

Having said that I don't rate the beers on a scale. I just give my impression and personal experience of them.

I don't have a list of beers that I want. (Except for one or two mention by those that comment on the site)

I don't look like an Anorak, Oh wait, I actually do. I have the 3 Bs, Beard, Balding and Beer Belly. Is that 4 Bs?

But the thing is, I don't really care what others think! As I have mentioned before, this blog is for me.

I like people to comment and I like to see where people visit from but it's not like I comment on the Beer Rating sites.

Or, for that matter, judge those who do. Maybe by saying this I am judging?!

It's like going out for a pint. I would prefer to go out with like minded people for a natter and a beer and I'd like my blog to be the same, with like minded people sharing opinions and information.

So call be a Beer Bore, Anorak, Beer Nerd whatever. Just keep reading and commenting.

I'm off to Düsseldorf on Saturday but will hopefully get in another post or two beforehand. Can't wait to try the Alt!

Morland's 'Hen's Tooth'

2008-12-02T23:38:00.002Z

I'm still working my way through my stash of beer from my last visit to The Wine Centre in Kilkenny. They're getting scarce now so I better take a spin down to them when I'm back from Germany.

One of the beers I picked up was this one. I'm not really sure why, I think it was perhaps the name more so than the blurb but anyway I have it now.

It has a strange bitter-sweet taste but more bitter than sweet. Does that make sense? I got a burnt toffee flavour coming through after the bitterness.

It's not as smooth as I expected although it did mellow out a bit once I got used to it. I got a syrupy taste coming through towards the end. Couldn't taste anything else really.

Nothing special about it in my opinion although I see from the bottle that it won a silver medal in 2006 from CAMRA so maybe it was just me.

The Verdict

Certainly a strange one. Not really my kind of beer.

Morland's 'Hen's Tooth' - 50cl - 6.5% alcohol - England

Shepherd Neame Spitfire

2008-12-02T23:12:00.005Z

To be honest, I wasn't overly hopeful that I'd like this one. My previous exploits with SN have bean only so-so so I expected more of the same. Oh well, here we go.....

Hey, this isn't to bad. It's not to bitter, which is good, with just a nice sour orangey tang. A bit like good marmalade. Also there seemed to be more to it than the others, perhaps a bit more depth and character. It also has a nice mellow aftertaste, no tartness.

So at last I have found an offering from SN that I like! I'm not sure that there was anything wrong with the others to be honest. Perhaps they got me on a bad day!

The Verdict

A nice beer with plenty of character. I'd have it again.

Shepherd Neame Spitfire - 50cl - 4.5% alcohol - England

Erdinger Weisbier Dunkel - Nescafe anyone?

2008-11-29T23:54:00.004Z

Not that I've had many, but wheat beer and especially darker ones appeal to me. I spotted this in the supermarket so I decided that it should be a good one. Or at least that's what I thought.

This turned out to be quite mild tasting. An unassuming dunkel if there is such a thing!

The best I can describe is that it tasted of a slightly burnt, watery, instant coffee. The fact that it went flat quickly added to the idea.

I guess if you were having a tasting night you could start with this one and work up from there. At least it wouldn't turn you off the style.

The Verdict

A bit mild and uninspiring for me.

Erdinger Weisbeer Dunkel - 50cl - 5.6% alcohol - Germany

O'Hara's Irish Red Ale & a Tangent

2008-11-29T22:59:00.006Z

Carlow Brewing Company are situated just a few minutes from where I live. Indeed, they are sited right beside my old secondary school in the old goods store by the train station.

In a previous existence I have used them for corporate events where we needed to demonstrate some of the delights of Carlow to visitors. We would hire equipment and get a few kegs from them and dished out their offerings to people from all over the world on one occasion. It always went down well.

Therefore I'm a bit biased as to their beer. I have only reviewed one of their beers here, their Celebration Stout, so biased or not I decided I'd better make amends.

O'Hara's Red, which was called Molings but was renamed a little while ago, poured a nice dark red colour with a big fizzy head that dissipated quickly. It had an acrid but not unpleasant smell, if that's not a contradiction.

Taste wise it has a burnt caramel flavour and a bitter hop taste with very little fragrance of anything else. Having said that it doesn't really need a whole lot else, it's not he most complex of beers. The only negative comment I could make is that perhaps it's a little watery? The taste, I guess, either suits your palate or it doesn't.

Yes, I know that I'm stating the obvious but the more I drink the more I appreciate that beer that suits me might not suit others. I have gotten really wary of suggesting beers to people unless I know their general taste. Even then I would only make general suggestions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this blog is about my tastes. I write it for myself and although I am more than delighted when people read or comment, don't take my word for things. Try them yourselves. (As I know ye do!)

Sorry. I've diverted from the plot!

The Verdict

A nice bitter red ale. Buy it, Carlow needs the money! (I'm not biased. No really!)

O'Haras Irish Red Ale - 50cl - 4.3% alcohol - Ireland

Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger - I Finally Got The Finger Out

2008-11-29T22:31:00.005Z

This was on special for two for €5 in Tesco so I grabbed it with Spitfire with my weekly shopping. I had put off trying this for no good reason really except, I guess, that it was everywhere I looked so I always tended to look for something different.

I was heading to a party that night so I brought it along. Hence the picture.

I have to say that once again this is a Shephern Neame that just doesn't do it for me. I know that others find it above average but I found it only ok at best.

The taste was a bit like burnt biscuits with a bitter aftertaste. I got very little fruit taste from it despite the promise of Seville oranges on the label. It went flat rather quickly too.

The Verdict

I am sure they're are many who this appeals to but it's not to my taste anyway. I can only hope the Spitfire is better.

Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger - 50cl - 5.4% alcohol - England

Hilden Irish Ale

2008-11-26T23:26:00.003Z

This was supposed to be a review of Rodenbach Gran Cru but when I opened the bottle it smelled of vinegar and was as flat as..............something really flat.

So, I rooted in my 'cellar' and found a bottle of Hilden Ale that I had picked up at Septemberfest and after giving it a light chill cracked it open.

It had a nice colour and a nice fine carbonation which seemed very promising. It had a slight hoppy smell of nothing in particular that I could really pick out. Taste wise, well........

It's not that there was anything wrong with it as such it's just that it seemed a bit on the light side. A bit boring perhaps. It's still a lot better than most of the 'normal' ales available in pubs but it seemed to me that perhaps they had dumbed down the flavour to appeal to a wider audience. Compared to similar offerings from Carlow Brewing or Whitewater it didn't seem to stack up but I wonder would it appeal more to non beer enthusiasts? I might do a test if I ever pick up another bottle.

Can't really so much more on it to be honest.

The Verdict

Nothing really wrong with this beer. It just didn't blow me away. Not even a little puff!

Hilden Irish Ale - 50cl - 4.6% alcohol - Northern Ireland

Master Brew by Shepherd Neame - Fancy a cuppa?

2008-11-25T23:07:00.004Z

My previous experience with Shepherd Neame brews didn't inspire me but I felt I should give them another shot. After all, they seem to have a decent pedigree, a good range of product and I have heard others speak highly of them.

Master Brew appealed to me as perhaps a nice hoppy beer. Perhaps it was the name playing with images of Kent and a brewer with a cloth cap dosing a brew with a summer ripened crop of hops. Wonderful.

The reality was different. A strange brew.

It looked good when poured but when I took a good sniff a got nothing. The taste took me by surprise, it reminded me of cold tea with a dash of lemon. I also tasted raisins and butterscotch or burnt fudge. The light carbonation helped the flavours bounce around my mouth but as I say, very strange brew.

In one way it reminded me of a beer you would have with a dessert. Perhaps a fudge cake or apple and toffee crumble.

Nothing wrong with it really. I think.

The Verdict

I really can't make my mind up on this one. It was unlike anything I've had before.

Master Brew - 50cl - 4% alcohol - England

Delirium Tremens - The beer, not the condition.

2008-11-25T22:15:00.006Z

My first taste of the Delirium brand was on my trip to Brussels where we ended up one night in the Delirium Cafe with it's 2,004 beers. We didn't try the Delirium beer there, I think it was the next day in another pub and I'm not sure who had it. It's a bit of a blur now and back then I didn't take notes.

So anyway, when a friend of mine got me a couple of bottles of it I eagerly anticipated giving it a shot on my home soil. This was a chance to remind myself of the trip and the good time we had, even if I didn't try DT there.

I cracked it open and poured it out. It seem to have a slightly viscous nature that meant it glooped into the glass. this could have been my imagination as it defies rational explanation!

The smell hit me as something peculiar. Slightly fruity but also, to my nose anyway, a slightly smokey Ranchero smell! Weird.! The taste was a fruity mix of citrus and banana with a bare hint of spiciness. It's somewhat sweet on first taste but after a few sipsI got a slightly tart after taste. Maybe this was because of the high alcohol content?

This could also explain the tingle on the tongue too but I suspect that this has to do with the carbonation.

All of these features combine to make a fine and tasty beer and looking at the picture on the bottle reminded me of the cafe too!

I must go back.

The Verdict.

A great little beer with plenty of flavour. Mind the alcohol content though!

Delerium Tremens - 33cl - 8.5% alcohol - Belgium

Budweiser Budvar Dark Lager

2008-11-20T23:20:00.004Z

I found this lurking in my fridge where I had put it a few weeks ago. I think I left it in there one night and forgot about it due to the fact that I put some leftovers on top of it. What this says about my fridge hygiene and cleanliness is pretty obvious but there you go. Look on the bright side, you don't have to live with me.

Anyway, back to the beer. I had tried and enjoyed Budvar on draught before so this seemed like a good choice.

The colour was certainly intense, being a beautiful dark amber shade and the sweet, intense malt smell wafted through my nostrils just before I took a gulp. It was beautifully smooth with a rich coffee bean taste. Not espresso coffee beans, something more subtle and less severe. I got a slight nutty taste too and a slightly sweet after taste as it went down.

As I drank more the taste mellowed slightly, or maybe it was me, and it seemed to get sweeter. I found myself drinking it a bit quicker than I had anticipated and got to the end of the bottle way too quickly. Damn!

I was looking at the bottle and I spotted that it was 2 months out of date. Mind you, that didn't seem to affect anything about it. I thought it was a fine beer and one I could drink one or two of easily, maybe even three.....

Incidentally, it also gives the malts used on the ingredients list on the bottle. (Pale, Munich, Caramel, Roasted.)

The Verdict

This is a great beer for my palate. Plenty going on in taste and smell with a lovely smooth texture.

Budweiser Budvar Dark Lager - 50cl - 4.7% alcohol - Czech Republic

Cantillon Brewery, Brussels

2008-11-17T22:17:00.004Z

I started a piece on the Cantillon Brewery for the blog but it turned into a longish article so I asked the main men at the Irish Craft Brewer site if it would suit them for their article section. It did and they have posted it there. I would appreciate any comments.

Read it here.

Ayinger Weizen-Bock - Wait for the Cliche

2008-11-16T23:32:00.005Z

With my taste buds reappearing after a slight hiatus I decided I'd better get back into the flow and dig into the reserves I've built up over the last couple of weeks.I picked this up on my last visit to Kilkenny even though the last Ayinger product I tried was not to my taste, to say the least. I hoped this was a different ball game and I usually find weizens are a safe bet for my palate.

I took a good big gulp, mainly because of greed. I hadn't tasted a beer in a while so I was a bit too eager. This didn't disappoint me. Unfortunately the cliched description of banana and clove are springing to mind at the moment as I sit here drinking it and I am trying to suppress it. It's too obvious, isn't it?

As I feel the alcohol tickle the back of my throat and the fumes help to clear what remains of my cold, I search for better words. Perhaps a little ginger? Definitely a trace of citrus, lime I think. It's perfectly carbonated by the way, the bubbles last well to the end of the glass and tingle away as it travels round my mouth and disappears down my throat.

This really is a good if not great winter weizen. I can see myself in front of a roaring fire with snow falling outside and a comely wench, if they still exist, serving me some of these. Only two or three mind, I need to be fresh in the morning for the boar hunting.

The Verdict

Great winter wheat beer. Cliched or not!

Ayinger Weizen-Bock - 33cl - 7.1% alcohol - Germany

Tasteless Stuff

2008-11-12T00:10:00.002Z

Poor me.

I've had a cold for the last week or so, which isn't an issue in its self. The problem is I've lost my sense of taste. Now many would say I had very little taste anyway but it's no laughing matter.

No Really.

I have a stack of beer to taste and review that I have been looking forward to for ages now and I dare not try them. Worst of all my own first homebrew is ready and I have waited patiently for 6 weeks plus as recommended and now I can't try it! I sampled it not long after it was bottled but I wanted to leave it a while before doing a proper tasting and review.

Who would have thought a bit of a cold would be such a disaster to my new hobby/lifestyle/way-of-life.

When I say I can't taste anything, I mean ANYTHING. I made a mustard and sausage sambo today to try to get it going and I could not taste the mustard. I tried chili and all I got was a stinging in the back of my throat. Nothing else.

Pickled ginger you say? No joy.

I'm really pi**ed about it!

I was meant to be going to Bruges this weekend for a beer festival but changed my mind thank god. Imagine being there in this state!

I am off to Dusseldorf in early December so I hope I'm OK by then. Looking forward to trying the Alt!

Any ideas on what to do about the taste thing?

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 6

2008-11-03T22:37:00.003Z

Some final thoughts.

On Galway

Galway seems to me to be a city of contrasts. A mixture of old and new both in the buildings and the people. New shopping centres stand beside medieval buildings and old men sit drinking Guinness at the bar while the youth of the city, and other countries, drink lattes in the trendy bistros. Parts of the city are covered in litter and graffiti while most areas are clean and tidy. The locals go about their daily business as the foreigners buy Oirish souvenirs from other foreigners behind the tills. You are as likely to hear a strong mid-western American accent as hear a west of Ireland one. Perhaps more likely.

All this tourism is obviously good for the community in economic terms but I can't help feeling it's a bit like selling out to the lowest common denominator.

Did I fall in love with Galway? Well, no. It's a nice city no doubt but it seemed to lack a heart or a soul, I'm not sure how to describe it. It's like many Irish tourist conscious cities, Kilkenny is similar, there's something missing.

I feel that most cities I've visited in Europe still have that soul, that inner beat, that feeling that grips your heart and mind. Maybe it's just because I am a real tourist there where as I was just a semi-tourist in Galway. It will take a brighter mind than me to figure it out.

I'd still go back to Galway, just to see if I was wrong. In a way, I hope I am.

On The Great Irish Beer Festival

The debate could go on forever as to whether it deserves the word 'Irish' in the title. One side of me says that there should have been a better selection of beers from Ireland. Galway Hooker and Whitewater via Bierhaus were the only ones I saw. From what I've heard, this is because of the charges for a stand plus percentage of turnover the organisers wanted but I've only heard one side of the argument so it's a bit unfair of me to comment. I guess it depends on whether you attach the word 'Irish' to the 'Festival' or the 'Beer'. After all, The Wexford Opera Festival probably didn't have many operas written in Wexford. Syntax can be a deceiving thing.

Anyway, no matter what way you look at it, anything that pulls people away from mainstream, poor quality beers can only be good in the long term so I think it's a positive thing. It was relatively well organised (apart from the seating). For a novice like me it was a good way of trying beer without having to go to a many different places, not to mention the fact that we could share bottles and not appear like cheapos. We also got a chance to talk to some of the suppliers, which helps with understanding the beers and beer trade.

Would I go again? I'm not sure. It would depend on the beers available next year but I would recommend anyone who's starting down the beer journey that I'm on to go to it.

On Drinking

It's no fun drinking and appreciating beer on your own. Well I guess what I mean is that it's better with a few like minded individuals. You can debate about the taste of the beer as well as the usual banter that beer drinking stimulates. Then again that's true of many things in life.

Another lesson I learned was not to judge a pub by the amount of beer it stocks. Sheridan's was my favourite pub by far and it probably had the smallest selection of the three 'beer' pubs we visited. (It still had a great selection though!)

Life's to short to listen to s**t from bar staff and be deafened. I can get that anywhere.

Surround yourself with good friends that will put up with you when you're blathering on about something they have no interest in, because they know you will do likewise. Good people will always be more important than good beer.

Here endeth the lesson.

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 5

2008-11-03T01:08:00.004Z

We arrived at the Bierhaus and again the joint was jumping. It was fairly full but not packed so there was plenty of room to move about. We split up a bit and ordered our drinks. I had a Weissbier which I was told I couldn’t have on draught as it would take too long so I was given a bottle instead! Strange, the place wasn’t that busy but I didn’t grumble.

We wandered around to find a place to chat without getting our heads blown off by the DJ. It was quite loud no matter where we went so one of our group asked if they could turn down the music a tad as everyone was shouting and trying to be heard above the din, not just our group. The guy behind the bar suggested that, and I quote, ‘If you don’t like the music you can go somewhere else’ and gave us a dismissive gesture. I was a bit shocked by this, although I don’t know why, poor service and surly behaviour seems to be the norm in many places now. He could have just said that it was out of his control, it was up to the DJ, suggest a quieter corner, whatever.

Maybe we ARE getting old.

Needless to say we took his advice. We wandered down to Salt House to check it out and we were pleasantly surprised. It’s a smallish place but they seemed to have as good a range of beers as the Bierhaus. It was much quieter and the staff certainly had less attitude. By this stage I was a bit too worn out to take note of the beer list but my draught Budvar was excellent.

We finished the night there and headed back to the hotel, regretting the fact that Sheridan’s was closed.

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 4

2008-11-01T00:48:00.004Z

I was up early on Sunday so I took a walk along the dock and up along the river. The weather had certainly improved and there were a fair few people with the same idea. I was feeling a little muggy from my shenanigans the previous night so I walked for ages and stopped for a coffee before meeting up with Beer Goggles down the town.

The plan was to go to Sheridan’s for food and a pint again and then to collect Beer Mat before heading to the festival. We headed down towards the dock and turned the corner only to find Sheridan’s closed!

Disaster. Seemingly they don’t have a Sunday licence, which I found a bit strange. Not to mention disappointing. This also meant no nightcap here tonight. I guess we were going to have to go to plan B.

We picked up BM and headed to Naughton’s instead. They had Hooker, a wheat beer and the usuals on draught and a small selection of bottles. It was a nice place, very traditional. I’d say the yanks love it. There seemed to serve only soup or full dinners so we decided to hold off on food until the Festival. We did have a couple of Hookers and a wheat beer though before heading on to The Black Box.

We got caught in a downpour on the way in and arrived like drowned rats at the Speakeasy beer stand. We tried Untouchable pale ale first and it was very smooth and tasty. Fresh tasting with plenty of malt and hops with a nice touch of orange. An excellent beer. Next up was Prohibition ale which was good but not as good as Untouchable. Perhaps a little to bitter for my taste. Big Daddy IPA was the last of the trio. I thought I would really like this but again only found it ok. It was full of flavour no doubt but it tasted a little sharp to me. For me the stars from these guys were Untouchable and the Gordon Bierschs we had yesterday. Give me more!

The place was much quieter today so we got a picnic bench and sat down. BG went off for our next beer and we were joined at the table by Mick. He was from Australia via Oughterard and was a mine of information on wine making and beer brewing. He worked as the former and had completed a course on the latter. We ended up chatting for most of the day on all kinds of beer and wine topics and we really enjoyed his input. In the mean time, BG had arrived back with a bottle of Wells Bombardier. I had heard about the beer before so I was looking forward to it. Strangely, it seemed bland to us. A poor smell I thought, BG piped in with ‘No length’ and Mick thought it thin tasting. Very disappointing, for us anyway.

I was milking Mick for more brewing information when MB arrived with a Youngs Double Chocolate Stout. I tried a little and I have to say it was kind of nice. I mean it is exactly what it says on label. No danger of being disappointed or surprised I guess.

At this stage I had to head back to the Weihenstephan guys with their decent glassware and great beer. I picked the Tradition Bayrisch Dunkel. It was ok. Quite bitter and burnt with a malty taste. My notes say, and I quote, ‘Like Burnt Water’? Figure that one out!

Next was Mac’s Gold lager which we felt was ok if nothing special. A sweet malty flavour but a little insipid. Very inoffensive really.

At this stage I remembered that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so went off for a bite. I picked up a few bites from a Spanish themed place. Lovely Serrano ham, olives, bread, peppers with goats cheese, anchovies and another cheese I can’t remember the name of. Very tasty.

I wandered back over to the Weihenstephan stand to see what else we could try. I spotted a colourful bottle with the name Korbinian on it. I asked one of the guys serving who told me that there was only 2 or 3 bottles of this in the country! Hmmmmm, yeah, right, sure. I brought it back to the table along with 2 of their decent glasses and poured it out for BG and I. Mick had left at this stage and BM was on the lighter stuff, chatting with a nice couple we were sharing the table with now.

Holy mackerel this was suberb!

There was a heavenly scent and taste of molasses or burnt syrup, a little spice and a bit of citrus too. It had so much going on but everything seemed to gel. It was smooth and full of flavour with a nice finish. I really had trouble describing it. A great end to the festival.

As we made our way back in to town , with another bottle of Korbinian to bring home (only one left now!!!)that BM got for me for free and a Weihenstephan glass I borrowed til next year, I reflected on what my favourite beers of the festival were. I liked all the Gordon Biersch that I tried and most of the Weihenstephan. The Speakeasy Untouchable was good too. I would find it hard to pick my top 3.

But I will anyway.

1 – Korbinian

2 – Marzen

3 – ~~GB Hefeweizen W Vitus Untouchable~~. I think it’s a tie.

With that we decided to head to the Bierhaus.

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 3

2008-10-30T23:44:00.005Z

After leaving the festival we moseyed back into town to see what was happening and somehow ended up in a packed bar with poor beer. The place was heaving with no room to move. The antithesis of what I was looking for.

Not my kind of place.

I made my excuses to all and left by myself for a better look around town.

I decided to cross the river and head towards the Bierhaus. It was busy there too but at least you could get a drink at the bar. The music was a bit loud (maybe it’s because I’m pushing on!) and it was hard to make yourself heard. I spotted ‘New Belfast Beers’ on the specials board and asked for a Clothworthy Dobbin but they had none left so I settled for a Bitter & Twisted from Harviestoun instead. This was served in a Bitburger tankard that suited it well and the beer was not too chilled, it was perfect.

On draught were London Porter, O’Hara’s, Becks, Staropramen, Leffe, Hooker and others I couldn’t get a good look at. They had a good few beers in the cooler too. I still wonder why the beers are not separated in different coolers, with one temperature for ales, etc and one for lagers and the like. Or maybe that’s just me.

Hunger was taking a hold now and I headed out to see if I could find something spicy to fill me up. I was heading back across the river when I spotted the Salt House and the mention of international beers. It was a bit late and I was a bit hungry so I decided to leave it until the next night.

Back across town I found a nice kebab shop, ordered a Lamb Shish and took a seat. It was very quiet and I took the time to chill out and relax. The food was exactly what I need, nice and spicy with plenty of sauce. I decided to call it a night and headed back towards the hotel.

Passing Sheridan’s I noticed they were still open and couldn’t resist a second visit. I ordered a Leffe, served in a Leffe glass, to wash down my Shish and took a seat. This place was busy too but in a better way, people could talk and listen without having to shout or use sign language.

Now if I only had someone to talk too.......

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 2

2008-10-30T00:21:00.006Z

My comrades Beer Mat and Beer Goggles turned up in due course and after they got a bite to eat we headed up to The Black Box to the festival, stepping around the broken umbrellas and puddles as we went. I have never seen so many dead umbrellas in any city, there were hundreds of them. A testament to the earlier weather and the lack of concern for littering and rubbish in this country. (and many others of course.)

We arrived around six and the place was fairly packed. We headed first to the Gordon Biersch/Speakeasy importer to see what was on offer.

I had read about these on the ICB site and thanks to The Beer Nut so decided to try the Gordon Biersch range first, beginning with the Hefeweizen. The tasting notes had mentioned banana and bubble gum but I didn’t believe it until I took a whiff. Well it certainly did smell of both, the taste being a little more subtle with a little malt and spice coming through. It was a really nice beer, refreshing and easy to drink. Next up was the Marzen, a sweet, spicy beer without being cloying. A fine and tasty beer indeed. I had decided that I would not try the Blond Bock as I thought it might be too rich and sweet but I was splitting bottles with BG so I said I’d try it. It wasn’t bad but not to my taste, perhaps it was after the Marzen, which was so good. A great start to the day, this was a great-tasting range. We decided to move on to another stand and leave the Speakeasy until tomorrow.

Seating was a bit disastrous at the event. There was a scattering of picnic tables and a few chairs. Apart from that you had to stand at tall tables or sprawl on the ground. Certainly not an ideal arrangement, surely a few more picnic tables could have been bought. It’s been a bad summer, they’d be cheap now!

We snuck in on a tall table that was quite full already and had a look at the list I had printed out. (Yes. I am that sad/efficient! Delete as applicable.) We decided on the Gulpener Korenwolf. With its blue bottle and hamster on the label it certainly looked appealing. Taste wise we thought it ok but didn’t blow us away. I got a bit of spiciness but not as good as I thought it should. A mix of flavours with a bit of lemon to the fore but the taste didn’t seem to last. I think I might have to try it again in other circumstances as I feel I might have missed something.

Next up was the Well’s Banana Bread Beer which was ok actually. I really did exactly what it said on the bottle. I’m not sure I need to say more.

After that, we moved on to the Weihenstephan range. BM and I had tried them at a tasting in Kilkenny and I was keen to try them again. We went first for the HefeWeissbier Dunkel and it was nice to get these in proper glasses and not the plastic ones. This caught me by surprise as I smelled of the seashore! It was quite rich in taste though with flavour of bitter banana and spices, perhaps a bit of clove and a touch of lemon. Not bad at all.

As we drank we commented on the amount of young people there and decided this was a good thing. They were experiencing something other than ‘the usual’ in the pubs. However much you would lament the lack of Irish beers there, it would still seem that this festival was a good thing. Not perfect but still a good thing.

The food was quite good. One stand selling German style food and another selling a mixture of continental style sandwiches and stews. BM and I had the Krakeaur (Bacon sausage) and BG had a chick pea and roasted vegetable stew. All were excellent.

We decided to continue on the Weihenstephan beer and picked the Vitus next. Wow this was good! It was sweet, tasty and spicy but, again, not in a sickly or cloying way. Loads of sweet barbecue banana with cloves and a bit of malt. A super beer, this would be hard to beat.

By now we had been joined by The Cider Girls and another mate from Dublin. The CGs were working their way through the cider on offer and the odd beer. Time was pushing on and we decided to have one last beer here for tonight. BM picked a Maisel Weisse Dunkel to keep us in the same general area. It was smooth, very smooth and subtle. I couldn’t pick up a lot in taste but I think that we had maybe gone one to far here so I will reserve judgement for another time.

It was now ten and most people still here were either very merry or worse but there was no hassle.

I have to say that I was quite cheery myself but not too bad really. Just in need of a walk and some more food.

So off we toddled into the night.

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 1

2008-10-29T00:13:00.007Z

I almost missed the connection to Galway.

Going from Carlow to Galway involves going east to head west, changing trains in Kildare. When I booked the ticket online I had 25 minutes to spare before the Dublin-Galway train arrived. Unfortunately I never reckoned for the first train running so late so I arrived in Kildare with 2 minutes to spare. I would like to think that Irish Rail held the train, were super efficient and conscientious and knew that there might be people on my train needing to change in Kildare but I think that would be one leap of faith too much. I think I was lucky.

I ended up opposite a rough looking woman who smelled of feet. I don’t think it was just her feet that smelled of feet it was kind of all encompassing. She also had two black eyes and a strange bearded husband with a small head and large hands. She had a strange habit of lying flat across two seats and sticking her feet out in to the aisle causing the odour to waft around the carriage in an almost visible manner, like the stink lines in a cartoon. I should really have changed carriages but I was too fascinated by the woman to move and I thought she might do something worth hanging around for, like spontaneously combust.

I was wrong. She left in Athlone. Her smell got off in Athenry.

When I arrived in Galway it was spilling rain. It was noon and Beer Goggles and Beer Mat had not left Dublin yet. They had a wedding there the previous day and were driving across the country at some stage. Although I got soaked getting to the hotel I was keen to get back out and get in to Sheridan’s on the Dock as soon as possible for a pint of Hooker. I quickly dried off and made the short dash along the quay and went inside.

I was greeted by friendly staff and a ferocious back draft from the lit open fire. I sat up at the bar and took a look around. It was a nice place with two separate rooms as well as the main bar area. Not very big but that seemed part of the charm.

The list on draught was quite impressive, for me anyway. As well as Galway Hooker they had Leffe, Erdinger, Staropramen, Budvar , Hoegaarden and others. They also had a nice range of beer in bottles including specials on Sierra Navada Pale Ale and Menabrea. This was the first pub I had been in that served a decent selection of beer, I’m not the Beer Novice for nothing you know!

There was a nice mix of hearty food on the menu too, ranging from stews to meat and cheese platters. I spotted a Rare Beef Sandwich and immediately knew this was the perfect compliment for a pint of Galway Hooker. I was quickly served with my beer and my food followed soon after.

Well what can I say, it was without doubt the best lunch I have had in years. The beer was suberb. I had previously tasted it at Septemberfest in Farmliegh and had liked it then but somehow, sitting at a bar in Galway with rain pummelling down outside, it was fantastic. The fact that my beef sandwich was superb helped. It was fat slices of beef in generous proportions, crammed between thick slices of bread with salad inside and on the side. Words can’t express how good it was. The fresh, hoppy taste of the Hooker combined with the rich beef was a perfect combination. This was Nirvana.

I wasn’t just the food and the beer, it was the whole sense of comfort, homeliness and satisfaction.

So as the smoke billowed out of the fire I relaxed and waited for BM and BG, who were on their way at last.

Brooklyn Lager - (Insert stereotypical New York saying here. Use a name like Vinnie and words like 'soy-ten-lee')

2008-10-23T23:57:00.004+01:00

I have to say that I wish that there were more American craft beers available over here. From what I've read, America seems to be the place for variety, inventiveness and quality.

(And to think the make Bud Lite too!)

I have really only came across a few and I don't think Sam Adams counts anymore. This might be remedied soon according to Mr Beer Nut and I hope to try some in Galway at the weekend.

In the mean time, this one has been sitting in my fridge for a week or so and it seemed like a good idea to give it a try.

Good idea indeed. When I poured it, it looked great. A really nice, fine, foamy head and a lovely deep colour. Mrs Beer Novice took and sniff and declared that it was quite 'perfumy' and I know what she meant. It had quite an intense scent that reminded me of another beer, Whitewater Belfast Lager. Surely that could only be a good thing, for me.

My comment about nettles and the Belfast brew came back to me as I got that intense hoppy (I presume) flavour and scent. As well as that I got an aftertaste of citrus, like really tangy mandarin oranges, which I seem to be picking up in the last few beers I've had so could be down to my palate. Whatever the reason I liked it. It seemed a more bitter brew than the Belfast one too. I will have to try them side by side soon. (Any excuse!)

Oh and also, it also had a strange smell towards the end, a bit like wet dog but not in a bad way(!?)

The Verdict

I liked this beer, I liked it a lot. Will certainly have it again.

Brooklyn Lager - 35.5cl - 5.2% alcohol - USA

De Verboden Vrucht (The Forbidden Fruit)

2008-10-23T23:38:00.003+01:00

I think I might keep this review short and sweet. A bit like this beer.

It's an ok beer if nothing special. It has a sweet and sour thing going on , which might appeal to some but I didn't really appreciate it. I got a citrusy, fruity taste that reminded me a little of Tango (or at least I think it was Tango) or some other orangish beverage. There was a little spice there too that does suit my palate but it seemed a bit lost in the sweet and sour thing. I got a slightly funky taste too that I couldn't shake off.

Maybe I was having an off day. Oh well, no harm done.

The Verdict

I just couldn't get enthusiastic for this one. Might try it again if I'm stuck.

De Verboden Vrucht - 33cl - 8.5% alcohol - Belgium

Schneider Aventinus - My Faith Restored....For Now

2008-10-21T23:20:00.005+01:00

I had picked up a bottle of this with the Ayinger Doppelbock that I had a couple of weeks ago. I was a little scared of it after the Ayinger until The Beer Nut and Adeptus eased my worries.

I'm glad they did.

This is a gorgeous beer and means that I might try other Doppelbocks in future. Although it might be hard to top this one.

It was smooth and slightly sweet and left a tingle on my tongue. It had a nice maltiness with no trace of bitterness. The alcohol content is 8.2% but there is little sense of the strength because it blends so well with the flavours. This is good stuff!

There's a strange fruity taste there too perhaps like a little banana with burnt oranges, I'm not sure. What a smooth tasty beer, not to mention a decent size bottle. Not good stuff, great stuff!

The Verdict

A great beer. This goes in high on my list.

Schneider Aventinus - 50cl - 8.2% alcohol - Germany

Leffe Triple - The Ugly Older Sister?

2008-10-21T22:30:00.005+01:00

As ye know by now I have a bit of a soft spot for Leffe beers in general. Yes, I know there part of InBev and as ubiquitous as a old bike in an Irish theme pub but I still like the Blond, Brunette and the Red Head.

With that in mind I was really looking forward to the Triple. I mean really.

I waited for the perfect evening and pulled out the bottle. I gently peeled away the foil and carefully eased the cap off. I tilted my glass and let it slip gracefully and easily in with just a slight gurgle. It eased up towards the rim and at this stage I could feel my heart pounding. I picked up the glass and eased it to my quivering lips, the sense of expectation palpable in the subdued lighting.

(Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?)

I took a swallow and then, and then, and then...feck!

It wasn't good. Like finding out that, up close, the girl of your dreams is not really that attractive and has a slight nasal twang that you never noticed before. Feck!

All those dreams you had about her should have stayed that way. Just as dreams. You admired her from afar for so long and now you wish that it had stayed that way, Afar. Feck she's ugly up close!

Will ok, maybe ugly is a bit strong but Leffe Triple is a bit harsh for my taste. The alcohol is over whelming, it gets up your nose it's that strong. I've had stronger beer than this but never had the same uncomfortable feeling. There's a strange metallic taste too (Maybe she's wearing braces?) so that between both of these issues you loose the lovely spicy, mellow after taste of the others. I couldn't get it at all. The last mouthful was sweet and sticky and really was the last straw. Feck.

Oh well, at least from now on I won't be wondering.......

The Verdict

Shocking disappointing. Feck again!

Leffe Triple - 33cl - 8.5% alcohol - Belgium

Edelweiss Weissbier - An Alpine Treasure?

2008-10-19T23:05:00.007+01:00

Velky Al mentioned this one a while ago so when I saw it on one of my beer fetching trips to Kilkenny I said I'd give it a shot. It's a nicely branded and well presented bottle, which I know doesn't count for much regarding taste but at least it shows a bit of professionalism.

This had a nice deep colour and certainly looked the part in the glass. The first thing that struck me was a little sweetness, which I didn't expect, that lingered a little on the tongue. There was a slight metallic (to my taste buds) tingly taste there too that was not unpleasant. It has a smooth and silky texture that makes it very easy to drink combined with a nice fruitiness of a little lemon or maybe mostly lime.

This is quite a complex beer and well worth investigating.

(I was back in Kilkenny last Friday and they were out of stock! But Liam gave me a glass to make up for it.)

The Verdict

A really nice wheat beer that might become one of my favourites. The sort of beer that I could bring 3 or 4 to party no bother. Not to share though!

Edelweiss - 33cl - 5% alcohol - Austria

Menabrea Bionda

2008-10-19T22:06:00.004+01:00

Anything Italian seems to attract me like a moth to a flame so this was one I had to try. My previous experience of Italian beers have been Nastro Azzuro, Moretti and one in Sicily that escapes me. Messina perhaps? I tried these first in Italy and I would tend to have them fairly regularly when out for an Italian meal here. I had never spotted this in Italy but that is probably because I wasn't looking at the time!

I noticed that it had a darker colour than either of the before mentioned beers so that appealed to me on some level. It's quite a sweet beer with an almost grapey taste. It has more body and flavour than N. A. or M. and certainly lingers longer on the palate. It's a well made beer I guess although it seemed to go flat quite quick but that could be just me. (Or my glass.)

The Verdict

It's a nice beer that I would probably choose over any other Italian one in a restaurant (although I still have a soft spot for Nastro Azzuro) but not one I would go out of my way to drink again.

Menabrea Bionda - 33cl - 4.8% alcohol - Italy

Spaten Premium Lager

2008-10-17T19:52:00.004+01:00

I had this at the weekend because I fancied a nice lager and, well, that's what I got.

I have to say that I don't think it was anything special but as lagers go it was good. Very refreshing and tasty. Sorry I can't say more.

I think the issue is that my tastes seem to be gravitating towards slightly heavier beers. Ales, stouts and fuller bodied brews seem to be more my thing, apart from wheat beers which still appeal to me..

I don't think there was anything wrong with Spaten Lager and perhaps in the right location and atmosphere it would fit the bill but for now I think I'll stick with what I prefer.

Mind you I still have a few to get through.

The Verdict.

Nice lager I guess but not for me at the moment.

Spaten Premium Lager - 50cl - 5.2% alcohol - Germany

Xingu Black Beer - Have a Brazilian. Go on...

2008-10-13T23:46:00.008+01:00

Black beers are always a surprise to me as I never know what to expect from them. Will they be sooty or smokey? Will they be bitter? Will they be smooth or sharp?
More importantly, will I like them?

This did not taste how I expected. It didn't really taste like beer, more like a soft drink. It reminded me of cola with a touch of treacle to give it a syrupy quality. It's lightly carbonated and very smooth so it lacks the throat cutting effect of a soft drink.
I guess it's just a very, very mild beer.

One thing that worried me were the E-numbers E224 and E316 with E405 thrown in for good measure. Now call me old fashioned but do E-numbers really have a place in beer? I have to say i don't get to worried about them in general but there's a place for them and IT'S NOT IN MY BEER!

E405 seems to be giving it the syrupy quality if not the taste and E224 is a bit bizarre as it says:

"Side effects: Due to its oxidising effect, it may reduce the vitamin content in products. It is reduced in the liver to harmless sulphate and excreted in the urine.
People who are intolerant towards natural sulphites should also avoid added sulphites (E221-228). It alleviates the effect of a hangover."

Is this the world's first beer with a built in hangover cure? Wow!

The Verdict.
Even with the E-numbers I kind of liked this. It's an easy drinking laid back kind of beer. Anyway, I need to test my theory....

Xingu - 12fl.oz.! - 4.6% alcohol - Brazil

Whitewater Belfast Lager - Mind out for the Nettles

2008-10-09T00:41:00.005+01:00

When I was young, I lived out in the country and one of my favourite times of the year was late spring. All the flora and fauna of the countryside were starting to wake up and make their presence felt in the landscape. I wasn't one for telly then, or homework come to think of it, so I usually wandered through the fields close to our home. I'm not really sure what I was looking for but I didn't find it.

Perhaps it's just nostalgia kicking in but it seemed then that the sights, scents and sounds had a different quality. Somehow sharper, crisper and more intense.

My real taste of Belfast lager brought all of this flooding back. (I had sampled a little of it at SeptemberFest.)

I have already had the Clotworthy Dobbin from the same brewery, which is one of my favourites, so expectations were very high for their lager. It didn't disappoint.

It was the smell that hooked me in. It had that fresh, clear, fragrance that I didn't think you could bottle. I could get the smell of crushed nettles and the taste of sour sorrel as I took my first sip. Sip? Well a gulp. A full flavoured lager with a nice hint of bitterness.

This is what a lager should be because, well, firstly it has taste, secondly it's really refreshing and thirdly because I said so.

The Verdict.

Another good one from Whitewater. Decent size bottle too!

Whitewater Belfast Lager - 50cl - 4.5% - Northern Ireland

Ayinger Celebrator

2008-10-09T00:03:00.004+01:00

Yikes this is sweet!

This is my first Doppelbock and I didn't know what to expect. It was slightly out of date which might explain why it was slightly flat. It was quite smooth but tasted liked, well, treacle I guess. I'm not sure what else to say ................ ah ................ ah ............ it might be nice on a cold night in front of the fire.

Did I mention it tasted like treacle?

The Verdict

Doppelbocks are not for me! An acquired taste no doubt. Feel free.

Ayinger Celebrator - 33cl - 6.7% - Germany

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil - Get Lubricated

2008-10-05T23:37:00.004+01:00

I spotted this on the Harviestoun website after I had the Bitter & Twisted from the same brewery. It sounded the business so I decided to give it a shot when I spotted it in my favourite haunt.

This is marketed as a dark beer as distinct from a stout or a porter but to my taste it's a stout. Mind you, descriptions count for nothing sometimes.

The taste reminded me of dark plain 70% chocolate, even down to the balanced bitterness. It has a wonderful smokey flavour, as distinct from burnt. A lovely creamy taste, tiny bit of spiciness and light carbonation are the other appealing characteristics of this beer.

It's a winner in by book (or blog).

The Verdict

This is one of my favourite 'dark beers'. Very tasty, pity the bottle's not a bit bigger....

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil - 33cl - 6% alcohol - Scotland

Whitewater Clotworthy Dobbin

2008-10-05T23:02:00.004+01:00

This was one that I was eagerly anticipating for the last few weeks. I tried it at Septemberfest in Dublin on cask and it blew me away. I was in Kilkenny at the weekend and spotted it in The Wine Centre so I grabbed a bottle along with a few other that were new (to me) ones.

As I mentioned before, sometimes your mind plays tricks on you and I wondered was this as good has I had remembered?

It was.

It really is a mouthful and a half. The same wonderful fresh, fruity taste that I remembered from before that almost defies description. You get a beautiful malty flavour with just a hint of bitterness and a lightly burnt taste that still reminded me of confectionery.

Having said all that I still preferred the cask version. It had a smoother more velvet quality that suits my palate better. I felt the bottle was a bit sharper perhaps.

But anyway, it's still bloody good!

The Verdict

A great, great beer.

Whitewater Clotworthy Dobbin - 50cl - 5% alcohol - Northern Ireland

Peroni Nastro Azzuro - Memories are made of this....

2008-10-05T22:08:00.005+01:00

I was fully preparing to my usual bit about this one when I realised something. Sometimes it's not about the taste, it's not about the flavour, it's not about how it looks. None of that is important.

It goes deeper than that.

One of the first holidays we ever went on was to Sorrento many years ago. It was one of the places I had always wanted to visit. It was a great holiday and we have a lot of fantastic memories about it.

Back then, I was not to pushed about beer. I just saw it as a thirst quencher that gave me a nice buzz. Nothing more nothing less. More often than not, in restaurants I'd have wine not beer but would often have one beer at the start of the night.

One night, before we went for our meal, we went for a drink in a bar at the top of our hotel. The bar had a narrow balcony with spectacular views over to Vesuvius and the island of Ischia in the distance. We both asked for a beer and the waiter arrived back with two Nastro Azzuro and we sat quietly drinking and nibbling on the snacks. It was a perfect evening. The lights started to appear along the coast like twinkling stars and a light breeze came up from the sea to cool us down. We were in a perfect place.

I have had the same beer many times since in Italy as we continued our love affair with the country. Now, every time I have it, whether in an Italian restaurant or at home, my mind

wanders back to Italy and particularly that evening in Sorrento.

Maybe that's what beer should be about? Reminding us about that perfect holiday, that certain someone or a perfect feeling.

So what about the beer? It's a better than basic lager and it's fine. Nothing special in one way but special to me.

The Verdict?

Need I say more?

Peroni Nastro Azzuro - 33cl - 5.1% alcohol - Italy

Rochefort 8 - Halleluja!

2008-10-03T15:31:00.004+01:00

My first encounter with this beer was in Brussels a couple of months ago. I did a bit of research before going over and I remember reading somewhere that Rochefort was a must drink beer. This turned out to be the case as I remember having it and thinking I had died and gone to heaven.

I had previously tried the Rochefort 6 but had come to the conclusion that it was not the one I had in Brussels. (I forgot to take notes at the time. It was before I started down the road to being a real, and proud, beer nerd.)

This was the one. The subtleness of flavours, the velvety quality and the hint of spice. Holy Moly there is a god, and he brews in Belgium.

What struck me most about this beer is that no one flavour or ingredient over powered another. They all seemed to dance on my palate in perfect harmony. Even the alcohol, at 9.2%, didn't take over the taste. It was just deliciously smooth and subtle, like a well blended whisky.

The Verdict

Fantastic. A beautiful beer.

Rochefort 8 - 33cl - 9.2% alcohol - Belgium

Timmermans Framboise Lambic - Berry Good?

2008-10-03T01:54:00.001+01:00

This was another one I picked up for the missus. Not that I'm insinuating it's a lady's drink but she enjoyed the Kriek I got her before.

I didn't get much of a look in but I got a quick taste.It was a little sweet for me but was certainly tasty. I felt the raspberries overpowered the lambic a little but that's just a question of taste. It was a little gassier than the Kriek but not too much. Timmermans do a Kriek too so will pick that up next time.

Who knows, I might get more than a sip of that one.

The Verdict

Nice and tasty. A hit with the Missus.

Timmermans Framboise Lambic - 33cl - 4% alcohol - Belgium

Flensburger Weizen

2008-10-03T00:52:00.003+01:00

I've had mixed feeling about Flensburger beers. The pilsner was good but the keller was a bit ordinary, I felt, so I was open minded about this.

The taste was quite mild compared to other wheat beers but nice in it's own way if a little watery. I thought I got a slight metallic taste from it but ,thankfully, that disappeared after a few tastes. It had an unusual quality, maybe like malty banana?

I know that wheat beers have a proportion of barley in the mix but I couldn't help the feeling that this fell between two stools. Either not enough wheat or not enough barley.

Maybe it was just me.

The Verdict

Not a bad beer my any means but I know there are better ones out there.

Flensburger Weizen - 50cl - 5.1% alcohol - Germany

Singa - Fancy a Thai?

2008-10-03T00:21:00.004+01:00

I know there's nothing terribly unusual about this one but I guess I've started down a road so I want to stop at every door.

I have had Singa before in restaurants but never thought to much about it. Probably because it was with food and it was before I had any regard for the complexities and variations of beer. I do remember I liked it.

I still like it, a little anyway. It's not a blow your mind kind of beer but it's an improvement on the 'macro swill', as others have called it, available in most pubs.

Or maybe it's just a macro swill from another continent. At least it's imported, unlike other Asian beers I've tried.

It has a sweet, fruity taste reminiscent of grape juice or to be more accurate a sweet wine like a Loupiac only not as intense. It was a nice, pleasant tasting beer to start but seemed to fade badly as I got in to it. Some ales I've had seem to improve as you drink them but this lost a lot. It even went flat quickly. Maybe I'm drinking to slowly these days.......

The Verdict

Would be ok in a Thai restaurant with a meal but I wouldn't go out of my way to drink it.

Singa - 33cl - 5% alcohol - Thailand

Leffe Radieuse - Watch out for Red Heads

2008-09-30T00:50:00.004+01:00

I'm a bit of a fan of Leffe beers. Perhaps it's because I have a soft spot for them as the Blonde was one of the first decent beers I had. I had tried the Blonde, as I say, and the Bruin so when I spotted this I decided to try it out.

This is a nice smooth beer with a mild taste but full of body. Does that make sense? I has a sweet taste that might be a bit cloying after a few. Mind you at 8.2% alcohol you wouldn't drink to many anyway. It's a nice beer, I have to say, but some of the spiciness you get in the others is lost in this or maybe it just wasn't added.

The Verdict

A tasty beer. try it if you like the rest of the Leffe beers.

Leffe Radieuse - 33cl - 8.2% alchohol - Belgium

Chimay Triple (Blanc)

2008-09-29T23:58:00.004+01:00

I had already tried the Red and the Blue from Chimay and so far had preferred the blue. I knew I would be in for a treat with the White and i wasn't disappointed. Well, not to much anyway.

The first thing you notice is the smooth, silky texture of the beer. Next thing I noticed was the alcohol. At 8% it is relatively high and to my palate is slightly, just slightly, over powering. the flavours I got were big, strong, citrusy and tasty. This was quite sweet too, which helped to bring all the tastes together. Nice rich colour too.

This is a good beer. No doubt.

But I'm not sure that it's my favourite. The whole effect was a bit too over powering for me. Perhaps it's my beginners palate but I think I prefer the Blue.

Mind you, I guess that's why there's a choice of Chimays. Everyone has their own favourite.

The Verdict.

A great beer. Do i prefer the Blue? I might have to do some more research.......

Chimay Triple (White, Blanc, Blanche) - 33cl - 8% alcohol - Belgium

Wychwood Fiddler's Elbow

2008-09-27T12:35:00.005+01:00

They say that anticipation of anything is almost as good as the real thing and certainly, I had been looking forward to finding another beer from Wychwood.

I had really enjoyed the Hobgoblin from the same brewery so when I spotted this I immediately put it in my shopping basket.

This has a milder flavour than the Hobgoblin and is almost as good. It has a fruity taste, apple & pear maybe, with a good flavour of hops. It also comes across as a little bitter and sweet combined, getting sweeter as you get nearer the end with a tiny hint of something spicy. Although it had a good head it seemed to get a little flat towards the end but that's being a little to critical maybe.

The Verdict.

A nice refreshing beer, a little lighter than Hobgoblin but very good but would probably choose Hobgoblin before it.

Wychwood Fiddler's Elbow - 50cl - 5.2% alcohol - England

Home Brew 9

2008-09-27T11:32:00.004+01:00

I finally bottled my beer this week.

My first ever batch!

It seemed to have stopped fermenting even though the SG was a bit high at 1.018. I took some advice from the guys at Irish Craft Brewer and decided to bottle anyway. the colour and smell were much more intense than I thought they would be but it certainly resembled beer. As per the instructions, I added 90 grams of sugar dissolved in a little boiled water, which I let cool.

I had sterilised the bottles and equipment so next I rinsed the bottles well. I used a stash of brown Grolsch flip-top bottles that I had kept from a different life a few years back.

The bottling went well and quickly and I soon had twenty-two 45cl bottles of Brewferm Grand Cru ready for conditioning. I had a little left over so I put it into a green Grolsch to keep it separate. (For some reason green export bottles are 50cl and brown domestic are 45cl) Hopefully I will try this in a week or so to see what it's like. Brewferm recommend letting the brew condition for 6-8 weeks before tasting. I'm not a patient man.....

I will look at the The Homebrew Company website over the weekend and see what I want to try next. Might get two more kits under my belt before I try and extract or similar.

Coopers Best Extra Stout, Something's Burning.....

2008-09-26T21:33:00.006+01:00

This is my third Coopers Beer and I've given mixed reviews on them. I discussed Stout vs Porter here and I think this compounds the thoughts I had there.

Best Extra Stout conjures up a strong, full flavoured beer with plenty of body but this fell short of the mark. Its a fine beer I guess but it's nothing special. The taste was burnt, and not in a nice way. It reminded me of something but I can't place it. I could also taste the alcohol and a bitterness, which wasn't balanced with the flavour, which was a bit bland.

I've just figured what the burnt taste is. Burnt bananas!

The Verdict

It's an ok beer but nothing special.

Coopers Best Extra Stout - 37.5cl - 6.3% alcohol - Australia

Home Brew 8

2008-09-23T00:03:00.003+01:00

The saga continues....

I transferred my beer into a fresh container on Saturday. I had checked the SG and it wasn't ready for bottling. It was still fermenting yesterday but seems to be stopped today so will check it AGAIN tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, but a little sweety at heart.

2008-09-21T16:37:00.006+01:00

My last try of Scottish Beer seemed a bit like unfinished business so when I saw this I thought it might be worth exploring our Caledonian friends' beers again.

And boy, am I glad I did!

Let's face it the bottle is appealing anyway with a cross wee mouse staring out at you and words such as 'Craft Brewed', 'Spicy', 'Aromatic' and 'Zesty' jumping off the bottle. I had been caught out by clever marketing before so I opened it with a bit of trepidation.

One sniff told me I would like it.

It poured out with a lovely fine head and a paler colour than I thought it would have, but then again it says it's a blond beer on the label. I had also read that it uses less CO2 than normal bottle production but I wasn't prepared for the fantastic smooth, almost cask beer,texture it had. Not that I've had loads of cask beer yet mind!

Then the taste. Well it's hard to do it justice but I'll try. There's a spiciness there of maybe cinnamon or clove as well as a full flavoured, seriously hoppy taste. I got a citrus taste too, perhaps not lemon more like lime? The taste is both bitter and sweet if that makes ANY sense, kind of bitter to start and a sweetness after. This beer has a lot going on and is certainly one of the best I have had. More correctly, I suppose, it's one that really suits my palate. I can't get over how smooth it is for a bottle......

The Verdict

Wow, this is the business. I will have to talk nice to the guys in The Wine Centre in Kilkenny and see if they can get in some of the others in the range. I checked the brewery website and they all sound good.

Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted - 50cl - 4.2% alcohol - Scotland

Sierra Nevada Porter, a 'flimsy' stout?

2008-09-20T15:49:00.004+01:00

My Word thesauras defines 'stout' as being (in the sturdy meaning) strong, solid, substantial, tough, robust and heavy-duty.The opposite, of course, being flimsy.

The reason I looked it up was to get my head around stout and porter. I read somewhere that stout came from 'extra stout porter' so I presume that the discriptive of stout on a beer means it will be a stronger, more solid, more substantial, tougher, more robust and heavier-duty version of porter. Consequientialy, if you've grown up on stout then porter is a flimsy stout. QED.

Discuss.

Ok it's not that simple but if my theory is right then that's a good way of getting your head around it.

Sierra Nevada Porter jumped off the shelf with it's retro label, Celtic knot effect and bright blue label. I presume it's a case of 'If it ain't broke don't fix it!' Clearly these are people who don't spend masses on marketing therefore the beer must be good.

And by golly it wasn't bad. It tasted like, well light stout? I got a nice roast coffee bitterness, not espresso coffee maybe more like a french roast. This was a tasty beer, light as I say but not watery at all just full of falvour. I thought of all those people who say that they can't drink stout when the weather is too warm (which smacks of lack of perseverance in my opinion) and thought, hey, they could drink this. It's a warm weather stout.

The Verdict.

Good stuff alright. Won't blow your mind but it won't disappoint.

Sierra Nevada Porter - 12fl. oz.! - 5.6% alcohol.

Chimay Red

2008-09-19T19:16:00.005+01:00

Having tried the Blue a couple of weeks ago I felt it only fair I give the others a shot.

This was good too but not as good as the Blue. It was a touch smoother but lacked that nice bite the other had.

But, hey, it's a good beer and worth drinking. It has a full flavour, a bit of spiciness and bitterness too. It's just if I had the choice it would be the Blue......for now.

The Verdict.

A very good beer but superseded by it's colleague. Roll on the White!

Chimay Red - 33cl - 7% alcohol

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

2008-09-19T19:16:00.002+01:00

I was rooting through my stash of bottles to see if I had something that might cure my cold when I spotted this one lurking in the back of the fridge. I had come across it in the local about a week ago. I know summer is long gone, in fact I don't think it ever came, but I had good success with the other Sam Adams beer here and here so I thought I'd purchase.

This is a wheat beer with added lemon zest and Grains of Paradise, or so the blurb says. It didn't seem to be a true wheat beer to my cold-affected, novice palate. More like a blend with something else, I'm not sure. A nice amount of alcohol too mind.

It was good though, nicely zesty as you would expect and maybe the added Vitamin C will help my cold. It had a slight spicy taste in their too but not over powering. This is a nice well made beer with appeal all year round, not just for summer so keep your eyes peeled.

The Verdict.

I easy drink beer for the summer with a feel good factor. Good stuff.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale - 35.5cl - 5.6% alcohol

Guinness Foreign Extra

2008-09-18T23:27:00.003+01:00

Ok, I can hear the groaning from here. 'Why is talking about Guinness, sure that's shockin' stuff.' But fair is fair, I'm willing to give most things a shot. Anyway, this isn't Guinness it's Guinness Foreign Extra!

I have to say I liked it. I didn't put it in the fridge, which probably helped and the fact that I drink/drank Guinness in the pub(and Miller at home. Not any more!) so I could appreciate the difference.

This was smooth, really smooth with a nice big bite. Not too smokey and just a bit bitter. Maybe it's because I thought it might be a bit crap as I had become disillusioned with keg Guinness in pubs, I'm not sure.

The Verdict

Surprisingly good?!

Guinness Foreign Extra - 33cl - 7.5% alcohol

Beer Cure for a Cold?

2008-09-18T23:27:00.002+01:00

I've Googled this but got nothing decent. Does anyone know any cures for a cold that involve beer?

If you can have hot whiskey, port, brandy, etc. then can you do the same with beer?

If so, then what beer would be best?

I don't want to waste beer by experimenting.

I need a cure.

Help!

Whitstable Bay

2008-09-17T00:05:00.002+01:00

I usually run a mile from organic products. In general, in my experience, organic products can be expensive, overrated and disappointing. This offering from Sheperd Neame jumped out of the cooler at me. Well not literally, but you know what I mean. Orange label and orangish contents can't be missed.

But this was ok really. Nice citrusy taste, good colour and a slightly bitter aftertaste that helped not hindered it's drinkability. It's a good light summer drink and i have nothing bad to say about it.

I might change my mind about organics!

The Verdict:

Nice, fruity summer drink. If you have to drink organic then give it a shot.

Whitstable Bay Organic Ale - 50cl - 4.5% alcohol

Maredsous Blonde 6

2008-09-16T23:40:00.003+01:00

Ok, so this looked interesting. A Belgian abbey beer I had not heard of (that would not be hard!) that seemed strangely familiar.

I'm to sure what to say about this one as it was ok but didn't blow me away. Sure it was easy to drink but it seemed to lack a bit of bite. Oh well, just a mild flavoured wishy-washy beer. I popped the bottle up on a shelf and spotted why it looked familiar. It's the same bottle as Duvel.

Closer inspection revealed Duvel being mentioned on the label.

Note to self: Must Google connection.............some time.

Verdict:

It's ok but nothing special. I guess if you have no other options I'd have it. Will check out the others in the range.

Maredsous Blonde 6 - 33cl - 6% alcohol

Septemberfest 2008

2008-09-15T23:15:00.004+01:00

This was my first beer festival of any kind, don’t forget I’m a beginner, so we arrived quite early. Well, at 11 am actually! I had encouraged two mates along, let’s call them Beer Goggles and Beer Mat. Beer Goggles would join us later so Beer Mat and I forged ahead. The weather was great and after chatting to the donkeys on the way up we headed towards the marquee. Brewers were still setting up so we went for a wander over to the house and came back after a half hour or so. There were a few more people around and we watched carefully so as not to get the procedure or etiquette wrong and show ourselves up as newbies. We got our glasses and took the plunge.
First went to Whitewater brewery. I had cask Clotworthy Dobbin, a red ale style of beer, after seeing it recommended somewhere while Beer Mat had the Belfast Lager. I took a big gulp and wow! It was fine, fresh and fruity with a hint of something else. Maybe butterscotch? The other difference of course was the gassiness, because it was from a cask you get fine, light bubbles that tickle the palate and don’t scrape your throat. One word, superb.
Beer Mat’s lager was good too with a sharp clean taste. It tasted really hoppy to me and not too bitter. As a lager drinker he enjoyed it
Next we moved on to Beál Bán from Beoir Corca Dhuibhne. It’s a cask conditioned pale ale from two pubs in Kerry who wanted to offer their customers something different. Now it was probably unfair to have this after the Clotworthy Dobbin but something had to come next. It looked pretty good with a cloudy, orange colour accentuated by the midday sun. First taste was refreshing and easy to drink. Beer Mat commented that it reminded him of a Weisse beer and I know what he meant. Mine seemed quite carbonated for a cask beer while Beer Mats seemed less gassy. It had a slightly watery quality which did not appeal to me and a strange chemically after taste. I have to say I wasn’t overly impressed but both Beer Mat and I both came to the conclusion it would be better with food.
We decided to take a break while we waited for Beer Goggles, the other beer beginner in our group, to arrive. We checked out the food on offer from the stands located conveniently close by. As well as two coffee stands there were people selling, sweet and savoury crepes, hotdogs, burgers and steak sandwiches among other things. We grabbed a couple of posh hotdogs and wandered back towards the picnic benches in front of the beer marquee commenting on what we thought a beer expert (anorak?) would look like as we scanned the ever growing crowds. I came up with the following list.
Beard, Glasses, Long shorts, Receding hairline, Scruffy appearance, Slightly chubby, Note book, Camera.
I thought this an amusing list until Beer Mat pointed out the fact that I ticked all of these boxes. I quickly shut up after that.
Beer Goggles arrived as we were finishing or food and we quickly headed back into the marquee as he was keen to catch up on lost time.
I had a hankering to try a stout and seeing as I was very familiar with O’Hara’s from my home town I went to Messrs Maguire stand and immediately spotted Imperial Stout on cask so it seemed the natural choice. I could get the smokey smell before I even got my nose near the glass. Sooty, thick, full of flavour with little bitterness. This is how a stout should be. ‘It’s like smokey bacon’ said Beer Mat and I could see where he was coming from. I even got a slight sweet after taste. Superb. If only I could get it at home……
Beer Goggles tried the plain from the same brewers and it was equally good. Just smoother and creamier with less smokiness.
Beer Mat had gone to the other end of the marquee and returned with a Temple Brau from The Porterhouse. He gave me a sip and I put it on my list to try later. It was refreshing with maybe a fudgy taste? Maybe that was just after the Imperial.
Hilden Brewey was next up to the plate and I liked the look and sound of the Headless dog . It was also a headless beer but maybe that’s the joke? I hope it was anyway. I have to say that this was very disappointing. As Beer Goggles said, it tasted of nothing much but after taste of……..well we weren’t sure. It had a watered down taste and just seemed pointless when there was so much nicer around. Maybe it was just lost on our undereducated palates.
Next up was Galway Hooker and make no mistake this was good. The words well crafted seem to spring to mind as it was balanced, mild and tasty. A bit like a good English bitter thought Beer Goggles. A fresh tasting beer like this is something you could deal with all night. I placed it in the back of my mind for further recall when I go to Galway in October.
We decided we needed a break again so we went for another bite. After grabbing a Steak burger and a crepe for vegetarian Beer Goggles, we wandered through the food market and I tried a chili jam among other things. I picked up a few ingredients for another love in my life, eating.
I hit The Fransican Well Brewery next and seeing how I am partial to blondes I tried their Blarney one. It was ok but nothing special a bit watery and lacking bite, taste and depth. Beer Mat had the Rebel Red but fared no better. It was tastier but again just ok. I began to wonder had the Chili affected by taste buds severely.
The Kinsale Lager stand seemed busy enough so I decided it should be the next port of call. This I liked. It had a delicate flavour and was slightly sour but this seemed to suit it. Nothing special I guess but again if it’s a choice of this or some of the other offerings here today well….
I guess I hadn’t noticed the crowd but Beer Goggles pointed out that there seemed to be more women here than men. He was right of course, and lots of kids too. I occurred to me that this wasn’t the day I thought it was going to be. I didn’t spot too many beer geeks apart from us. It seemed to be a family or even a girly thing. It was better, smarter with more of a buzz than I had hoped. I suddenly realised I was enjoying it.
I went back to Messers Maguire to try the Pils and I wasn’t disappointed. I had thought it might be a bit watery but no, it was soild with a nice full flavoured taste. Lovely fine bubbles and a great colour. Nice one. Messers Maguire didn’t let me down all day.
Beer Goggles went to Whitewater for the red ale and declared it very good. It was fruity and tasty but lacked length. Beer Goggles is a wine buff so perhaps has better language than me.
Time was pushing on and so was my stamina and internal alcohol meter so I knew I would only manage one more glass. I remembered the Temple Brau that Beer Mat had earlier. I thought this would be a perfect end to the day. I was right. It had a cleansing quality, a pureness of taste I hadn’t had before. It had that fudgy, hoppy taste I got earlier. It had been a good choice.
I went to Whitewater to pick up a couple of bottles of each of their beers but all they had left was the lager. Disaster. The only saving grace was that they say their beer will be available down south by the middle of the month. I picked up an Irish Ale from Hilden to give them another chance. Messrs had nothing for sale but they did give me a bottle of Bock free of charge! Although he did warn be the gas might not be right in it. More about those when I taste them.
I guess that’s it really. We had an eye opening day and even flirted with the idea of coming back up on the Sunday. A late bus and missing our train by 2 minutes put that idea out of our heads.
Roll on the next one. Galway?

It's just occurred to me that because I didn't try O'Hara's from my home town you might think I don't rate it. I do. I will do the others soon too.

O'Hara's Celebration Stout

2008-09-12T21:49:00.004+01:00

After trying beers from many far flung places I decided I better try something closer to home. Up the road in fact. This is brewed in my home town...or at least I hope it is. I think they farmed out some of their brewing elsewhere.
It would be nice to say that a great brew was born in my home town....and I can!
In my somewhat biased opinion this is great stuff. It has a wonderful bitterness and sooty flavour that reminds me of the back draft down a chimney on a winter night. A strange analogy perhaps but the best I can come up with. I know I have criticised bitterness before but with this it just seems right. Balanced, measured, perfect.
I think I got the temperature right too. this is one of the problems with Guinness in pubs, that Extra Cold lark killed it.
Would I buy it again?
Yes.
O'Hara's Celebration Stout - 75cl - 6% alcohol

Coopers Original Pale Ale

2008-09-11T23:06:00.002+01:00

I got this even though I wasn't to impressed with the Sparkling Ale from Coopers.

I was glad I did, this was a tasty beer. It was a nice, smooth ale. Maybe nothing about it blew me away but it's certainly high on my list of beers tried so far.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, probably.

Coopers Original Pale Ale - 37.5cl - 4.5% alcohol

Available from Superquinn and O'Brien's I think.

Affligem Blond

2008-09-11T22:09:00.002+01:00

I was attracted to this by my liking of Leffe Blonde. Again it was in my local Superquinn that had it and I liked the look and the description on the bottle. This would be good.

I poured it carefully as suggested on the bottle and toke a gulp. It was ok, but only ok. I tried again and really all I got was a watery Belgian beer. Maybe watery is the wrong word but it certainly lacked a bit of taste and bite. Most disappointing. Maybe I should have shook it......

Would I buy it again?

No. Unless some can tell me that I just got a dud one.

Affligem Blond - 33cl - 6.8% alcohol

Available from Superquinn

Sapporo Premium Lager

2008-09-11T21:36:00.002+01:00

After my experience with Schofferhofer I thought I'd check out what Aldi had to offer. Most of their beer was in six-packs or cans but they had a couple in bottles.

I picked up a bottle of Sapporo and another one or two. I wasn't expecting much from this as I spotted on the bottle when I got home 'Brewed in the EU'. It didn't say where exactly. Should I assume Germany or close by because Aldi have it?

Anyway, it turned out to be ok if nothing special. It was certainly better than a lot of the major beers out there, good thirst quencher with a slightly sweet taste.

Would I buy it again?

Yes. If I was stuck.

Sapporo - 33cl - 4.7% alcohol

Available from Aldi

Kronenbourg Blanc

2008-09-11T21:02:00.004+01:00

Spotted this in the supermarket and fancied the look of it. Nice bottle, nice style and even though I have had mediocre experience of French beer I said I'd give it try.

This looked good and smelled good from the start. A nice warm, hazy colour and sweet, fruity smell. The taste was quite good too. Nice sweet, citrus flavour with no bitter after taste. I checked the bottle and found it was a mix of wheat and barley. Is that the norm for a wheat beer? Anyway, it certainly hit the spot. At last a French beer I liked. Then I read the bottle again..

It's brewed by Scottish & Newcastle. It's strictly speaking a British beer so I'm still looking for a good French one. I wonder is the French one better? If it is then it would be fantastic.

Would I buy it again?

Yes and I'd like to try the French one too!

Kronenbourg Blanc - 50cl - 5% alcohol

Available from Superquinn and O'Brien's I think.

Home Brew 7

2008-09-10T01:31:00.012+01:00

As a virgin home brewer I didn't really know what was going to happen with my brew. I certainly didn't think it would stop fermenting and then start again as appears to be the case. Looks like the bottling might have to wait until the weekend. At this rate I won't be drinking it 'til Christmas.

On the plus side, I'm getting a wonderful aroma each time it burps. Hmmmmm, I wonder has anyone come up with a way of sending smell over the net?

On seconds thoughts that might be a bad idea.

Hahn Premium Lager

2008-09-10T01:31:00.011+01:00

This is one I had a while back but all my notes say are:

'Poor, tasteless and sour'

Maybe that's enough to say.....

Would I buy it again?

No way.

Hahn Premium Lager - 33cl - 5% alcohol

Available from Superquinn.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

2008-09-10T01:31:00.007+01:00

After the Boston Ale from the same brewery I was hoping that their Lager would be equally as good. Pouring it into the glass it all looked promising as the colour was nice and dark, for a lager.

Then came the tasting and, ye, it's good. In a strange way it didn't seem like a lager at all, maybe more like a mild, sour ale. Mind you this could be my novice mind and taste buds talking. Still, even the bubbles seemed fine and more ale like. Does that make sense?

Anyway, it's a good one. Nice smooth taste with just a bit of bitterness to let you know that your drinking it.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, definitely. Would be good for encouraging Bud and Miller, etc. drinkers to try something new.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager - 35.5cl - 4.8% alcohol

Available from supermarkets and others.

Fuller's ESB

2008-09-07T17:08:00.002+01:00

I was a bit wary about this one after my run in with London Pride. I had bought it at the same time and I wasn't holding out much hope.

Well guess what? I was wrong, it's really very good.

It's got a fantastic full, slightly sweet taste that's really, really moreish. Mind you at 5.9% so you'd better be careful. It's not to gassy either.

Just perfect for Sunday afternoon.

Would I buy it again?

Yes and it as restored my faith in Fuller.

Fuller's ESB - 50cl - 5.9% alcohol

Available from Superquinn among others.

Home Brew 6

2008-09-07T14:40:00.004+01:00

My brew had stopped bubbling, or so I thought so I decided to see if it was ready for bottling. I checked the gravity which read 1.02. It's meant to be 1.01 so it looks like I'll have to wait a little longer. Nearly there.

Leffe Blonde

2008-09-07T00:40:00.002+01:00

This is another beer that I sampled first when I knew I was going to Belgium. At the moment it seems to be everywhere. No doubt thanks to the good people at InBev, god bless them one and all.

As I mentioned when I reviewed Leffe Bruin, there seems to be a bit of snobbery about Leffe in some circles but it's still one of my favourites. It's like a lighter version of the Bruin so I think that the herby-spicy-fruity taste comes out better. It's a tasty beer that I think would be a good starter beer for a novice. It was for me anyway.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, I always have a stock of it to help convert the pagans.

Leffe Blonde - 33cl - 6.6% alcohol

Available everywhere!

Kriek Boon 2006

2008-09-07T00:01:00.003+01:00

This is another one I tried in Brussels. We had it on tap at the start of a good night so when I spotted it in Kilkenny in a bottle I thought I'd get it for Mrs Beer Novice. Not that it's a lady's drink mind, I just thought she might like it. I was right.

This is a blend of Lambic beers with cherries added during the brewing process. I visited a brewery where they make a similar beer while in Belgium, about which I'll blog another time. It's certainly an unusual process.

I managed to get a taste by prying it from the hands of Mrs BN and I must admit, it was really good. It wasn't to sweet and cloying just a nice tasty drink, Ideal as a summer drink or for an aperitif. Not to bubbly, more like a Prosecco than a Champagne. I wonder would it replace Alcopops in the bars? Mind you I think that after three or four it could become a bit sickly. Still, might be worth it....

Would I buy it again?

Yes. One (or two) for me and one for herself

Lambic Boon 2006 - 37.5cl - 4% alcohol

Available from The Wine Centre, Kilkenny

Schofferhofer hefeweizen

2008-09-06T15:37:00.003+01:00

I have to thank Mrs Bn for this as she picked it up in Aldi for me. I have not gone there yet in my travels.

This is my first taste of a wheat beer I think apart from a Hoegaarden that I picked up somewhere before my trip to Belgium. I was a bit unsure what to expect.

My initial reaction to a fruity almost shandy tasting beer was good. Easy to drink, tasty not bitter, it tasted clean if that makes sense. It tasted better than what I remembered the Hoegaarden tasted but I need to revisit that as part of the blog anyway so I won't comment to much yet. I feel this would be great summer beer for having when the weather is hotter and you're really thirsty. I was really impressed with it by the time I had it finished. I think I might have to visit Aldi sooner than I thought.

Would I buy it again?

Yes and I'll see what other offerings Schofferhofer have.

Schofferhofer hefeweizen - 50cl - 5% alcohol

Available from Aldi

Wychwood Hobgoblin

2008-09-06T15:22:00.002+01:00

The picture on the bottle should have told me that this would be a sneaky beer. A dodgy looking cray-chur with a glint in his eye, I should have been wary.

My previous attempts at finding a good English beer had not gone well (admittedly I've only tried a few in my short beer career) so I was beginning to wonder what the fuss was about. My first taste of this one made me thing 'here we go again', but then something magical happened....

Taste after the taste, it got better and better until I got to the end and I thought 'wow!' that was excellent, I need more. Unfortunately the beer fairy didn't hear my wish and no magic bottles appeared.

This is a great beer. Tasty, full flavoured and lots going for it. I got all kinds of carmely-coffee things going on and then a hint of something spicy right at the end. Maybe it was the fairy dust......

Would I buy it again?

Definitely.

Hobgoblin - 50cl - 5.2% alcohol

Available from Superquinn

Fuller's London Pride

2008-09-05T01:06:00.005+01:00

Another one that was a bit disappointing, again probably because I heard some positives about it and thought it would be good.

It was ok but nothing special and certainly would not live up to the hype on the bottle.

Oh well, the search continues.

Would I buy it again?

No thanks! Not for me.

Fuller's London Pride -50cl - 4.7% alcohol

Available in supermarkets

Leffe Bruin

2008-09-05T00:43:00.005+01:00

Leffe was the first 'real' Belgian beer I tried although it was the Blond and not the Brunette I had then. Leffe seem to get some bad press because it's part of InBev and perhaps because it is now available in all the supermarkets so it doesn't have the elite status of Fenwicks Old Hairy Knob or whatever.

Well this Bruin is very tasty I have to say and perhaps a good introduction to Belgian beers without putting someone off by giving them something stronger. It had an enormous head when I poured it but that could be because it wasn't cold. Great colour too. What more do you need?

Would I buy it again?

Definitely!

Leffe Bruin - 33cl - 6.5% alcohol

Available from The Wine Centre, Kilkenny.

Duvel

2008-09-03T19:54:00.011+01:00

I have to say that this was my most disappointing beer to date. I guess it was because I heard so much about it that I thought it was going to be fantastic. Maybe that was the problem, that I had built it up too much in my head.

As beers go it was ok I guess but I didn't get anything fantastic from it in taste. If anything, I got a slightly sour after taste.

Compared to the Chimay Blue it was not at the races. I think I might have fallen foul of good marketing.

Would I buy it again?

I think I might have to just to see did I miss something first time.

Duvel - 33cl- 8.5% alcohol

Available lots of places.

Home Brew 5

2008-09-03T19:54:00.006+01:00

Fermentation seems to have stepped up a gear as I am getting bubbles and fumes every few minutes now. That nice bready smell I was getting is gone and it's more of a sweet, beery smell.
Looks like I will be bottling at the weekend.......

Staropramen

2008-09-03T19:54:00.003+01:00

Mrs Beer Novice said she fancied a Bud with her dinner tonight (I know, I know) and I told her I'd find something better. I had seen this beer many times but never bought it until I started on this Blog. I was in Superquinn yesterday evening and decided to stock up on a few beers I hadn't tried before. They still have a buy 4 get a 5th free deal on some of the less common beers so it seemed a good idea and I hadn't really tried any Cech beers yet.

Anyway, we shared this one and I have to say I'm very impressed. As an everyday beer and thirst quencher it was very good. Smooth, full flavoured (for a lager) and very easy to drink, perhaps to easy. I fancy another, I wonder if Mrs BN is finishing hers.........

Would buy it again?

Yep. Good alternative to 'normal' lagers if trying to convert someone.

Staropramen - 50cl - 5% alcohol

Available loads of places.

Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer

2008-08-31T22:01:00.009+01:00

Well now, I'm not so sure about this one. On paper it looks good, nice bottle, nice label, nice colour (Sorry, I drank it before I took the photo!), nice blurb. It talked the talk......to me anyway.

Taste wise it was ok, nice and smooth. Very drinkable with good flavour but I felt it didn't live up to its promise. I guess I felt a little cheated as I felt it because it was oak aged it would have more to it, an earthier quality perhaps. Where did the come up with the 47 days in the barrel? I think I may have to Google that one.

Now let me say here and now it's a good beer but I think it's missing something. I think this is one I'll have to try again. I'll keep you posted.........if you pardon the pun.

Would I buy it again?

I think I'll have to.

Innis & Gunn - 33cl - 6.6% alcohol

Available from Superquinn and others.

Rochefort 6

2008-08-31T22:01:00.005+01:00

This was one of the beers I had in Brussels but I think it was the 8 not the 6. Apart from what my memory told me the taste seemed different too.

Ok, so in a bar in Brussels the beer had some home advantage but apart from that I think it was a stronger flavoured beer than this. Now don't get me wrong, this is a great beer but I felt it had a slighlty water quality, like some one had emptied out some of it and added 10% water. One thing it did make me want to do was to get the 8 and the 10. So, roll on my next trip to Kilkenny.

Would I get it again?

Yes but I'll know more after the 8 and 10.

Rochefort 6 - 33cl - 7.5% alcohol

Available from The Wine Centre, Kilkenny.

Home Brew 4

2008-08-31T22:01:00.002+01:00

My brew is still well....brewing.
I expect it should be done during this week but I think it started late so I'll have to keep an eye on it. Hopefully it will turn out as planned and I can review it here!

Marketing Lesson

2008-08-30T23:57:00.002+01:00

Beer marketing at it's best. He could teach Guinness a lesson or two!

Flensburger Pilsner

2008-08-30T01:03:00.004+01:00

My last try of a Flensburger beer was a bit disappointing so I wasn't overly hopeful of this one but I was surprised by how good it was.

This is a fresh wholesome beer with a pleasant taste. Ok, so it's not as full bodied or flavoursome as other beers in general, it's still good for what it is. I would have no hesitation in bringing a few to a party or bbq. I feel it would be a great thirst quencher on a hot day. (If we had one!)

As you know I'm no expert but as far as my limited experience of pilsners goes this a a good one.

Would I buy it again?

Yes and my faith in Flensburger is restored!

Flensburger Pilsner - 50cl - 4.8% alcohol

Available from The Wine Centre, Kilkenny

James Boag's Premium Lager

2008-08-28T23:45:00.002+01:00

Up to now my experience of Australian was the odd can of Fosters when it came to Ireland way back when and the Coopers from the earlier post. I spotted this offering from Tasmania in the supermarket and felt it deserved a go.

I quite liked it. It had a nice full taste for a lager and was very smooth tasting. I had expected it to have a bitter after taste but none came. I guess if you want a fuller bodied, tastier lager then give it a go.

Would I buy it again?

Ye, I'd try it again. Not very exciting but nice and refreshing.

James Boag's Premium Lager - 37.5cl - 5% alcohol

Available from O'Briens and Superquinn.

Home Brew 3

2008-08-28T00:23:00.007+01:00

Well after a slow start and a bit of a break, my beer seems to be fermenting ok. It's bubbling intermittently and a wonderful bready smell is coming up from under my desk!

You can see nice blotches of scum on sides of fermenter and just above the brew itself. (See my back lit picture.)

Temperature is where it should be.

It just did another 'burp'. Ah, wonderful..............

Kasteel Cru

2008-08-28T00:23:00.006+01:00

This is one I had a week or two ago but I kept notes!

This is another French beer or more correctly an Alsace beer as it says on the label. It's brewed with Champagne yeast and I'm not sure what that SHOULD mean.

This is another beer I just didn't get. Was it trying to be a posh beer for wine lovers perhaps? Maybe it's best drunk with canapes and fine food? I'm just not sure.

It's not that there was anything wrong with it or that it seemed watery it's just that it seem very unassuming. Too unassuming.

I guess I might try it again in the right setting or restaurant but only if the beer list was very limited.

Would I buy it again?

Maybe, see above.

Kasteel Cru -33cl- 5.2% alcohol

Available from O'Briens and Superquinn

Chimay Blue

2008-08-28T00:13:00.005+01:00

Wow! What a cracker.

This is a Trappist beer from Belgium. It comes in a few different types of which more to follow. this one was fantastic. Full flavour yet smooth and tasty. Highish alcohol content at 9% but tastes right for the beer if that makes sense. I had avoided this in Belgium as I knew it was available in a good few place back home. Now I'm sorry i waited this long.

This kind of beer should not be drunk in large quantities but is more of a slow relaxing drink. Drink it as our continental neighbours would. Even after one you can tell it has high alcohol.

Think I could manage 2 though.......

Would I buy it again?

Yes. Definitely.

Chimay Blue - 33cl - 9% alcohol

Fairly freely available.

Tsingtao

2008-08-26T23:37:00.003+01:00

Some beer connoisseurs might cringe at me tasting this but a beer is a beer and I'm not going to be swayed by popular opinion! First time I had this was in a Lemongrass restaurant and I quite liked it with my meal. I have to say I still kind of like it.

Sure, it won't blow you away but as oriental beers go I though it was good. It has a slightly sweet taste, which might explain why it was nice with Asian food.

I probably won't go out of my way to buy it again but I would certainly have it in a restaurant again.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, see above.

Tsingtao - 33cl - 4.7% alcohol

Fairly freely available.

Coopers Sparkling Ale

2008-08-25T23:14:00.005+01:00

After the Samuel Adams Ale (see below) I was expecting this to be as good or better but in my mind it just doesn't cut it. It was ok, I guess, but was a bit to average for me. I got a watered down taste from it and a slightly sour after taste.

I will try the other offering I saw, which was a pale ale I think.

Would I buy it again?

No, I've already had better than that in my short existence

Coopers Sparkling Ale - 37.5cl - 5.8% alcohol

Available from Superquinn

I don't pretend to be an expert on beer as you can get from my blog name and description. I also don't go in for pretentious twaddle when describing the beers but I know what I like so I'll keep trying to give it to you straight.

Desperado

2008-08-24T23:24:00.015+01:00

Ok, this is a bit weird. A beer called Desperado that's flavoured with tequila therefore it must be Mexican. No? Maybe American, Texan possibly. Ah, no. Believe it or not it's french and no, I don't get it either.

Seemingly this is popular in France and much of Europe. Indeed I remember seeing it in Brussels but didn't pay it much attention. I guess some guy came up with the idea of serving a beer and a tequila chaser in the one bottle. Clever? Maybe not.

I spotted this, again, in The Wine Centre in Kilkenny and decided to have a punt. I have to say I can't make it out. Admittedly I can see it selling in bars in Ireland if launched, especially with a clever marketing campaign.

It tastes exactly as you think it would. Like a cheap beer with tequila and some lemon or lime derivative. I have checked the ingredients and it contains 'Aromatic Compounds' of which 75% is Tequila but I wonder what the other 25% is?. It also contains 'Hop Extract' which smacks of an attempt to make it taste like beer when the over did the Tequila. We also have Glucose Syrup and Sugar, I presume these were added for the fermentation process but it doesn't mention Yeast so.......

As I say, as a clever marketing ploy it's a winner but as a drinkable beer it's not my taste. Having said that, a bit like driving in Italy, it's probably something everyone should experience once so maybe give it a try.

Would I buy it again?

Maybe for the novelty factor for someone else but probably not for myself.

Desperado - 33cl - 5.9% alcohol

Available from The Wine Centre, Kilkenny.

Home Brew 2

2008-08-24T23:24:00.014+01:00

I started my home brew yesterday. It is currently sitting under my pc desk and will (hopefully) start fermenting soon. After some consideration I decided to go with a Belgian Grand Cru by Brewferm so hopefully I can pull it off. If all goes well I'll be reviewing it in 8 weeks or so. I'll keep you posted. (Excuse the pun!)
So far so good.

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

2008-08-24T19:15:00.004+01:00

I think this sneaked in to Superquinn by the back door. There were a few bottles beside the Samuel Adams Lager that caught my eye and when I went to pay for one it would not scan and I got it for free! Pity I hadn't got more.

I was pleasantly surprised as I hadn't tasted any of the Samuel Adams range as I felt they might be a bit commercial and akin to Miller and Bud. Firstly this has a wonderful amber colour and nice head so from the start it had me hoping for something special. It had a fantastic, full, malty taste. To be honest I could have drank it off in two swallows but I steadied myself and took it handy. This is a beer I could drink a few of way to easily.

It seems to be part of a Brewmaster Collection so I'll keep my eyes peeled for more. Hopefully Superquinn will mess up again!

Would I buy it again?

Yes. Good for bringing to a party or BBQ if you fancy a decent beer you can drink a few of.

Samuel Adams Boston Ale - 35.5cl - 4.8% alcohol

Available from Superquinn. Free!! (or it was.)

Flensburger Kellerbier

2008-08-24T09:45:00.004+01:00

I came across this one in The Wine Centre in Kilkenny. I went there because I remembered from previous visits for wine and whiskey that the had a good selection of beers. the had a range of Flensburger beers and this one had a Bioland organic symbol on the label. I often find that apart from veg and fruit, many products labelled 'organic' can be disappointing to say the least. sadly this proved to be the case.

Certainly appearance wise it looks cool with it's swing-top cap looking very like a mini Grolsch bottle. I guess I had been expecting a strong, full flavour but what I got was a slightly weak, washed out taste. Dare I say it reminded me of Miller or similar!? It's probably more to do with the style of beer than the fact it was organic but it would make me wary of organic in future.

Having said all that, it wasn't dreadful or anything it was just mediocre. It certainly would not inspire you.

Would I buy it again?

No. It just wasn't to my taste. Too watery!

Flensburger Kellerbier - 33cl - 4.8% alcohol

Available from: The Wine Centre, Kilkenny.

Aldaris Zelta Lager

2008-08-23T13:21:00.005+01:00

Ok, so I didn't go out of my way to find a Latvian beer. I saw it on the shelf in Dunnes in Kilkenny and liked the look of the bottle. Yes, I know that's not the way to select beer, god knows I complain when herself brings home a bottle of wine because 'the label looked pretty' but it does look good.

I was pretty impressed with the taste. It's very refreshing with a nice full flavour. I drank it quite cold and I didn't seem to loose any taste. It would be a great beer for a summer bbq (if we had summers) and if very moreish. There's a lovely hint of sweet fruity after taste too.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, definitely. It gets a thumbs up from me.

Aldaris Zelta - 50cl bottle - 5.2% alcohol - Latvia

Available from: Dunnes Stores. Although my local store didn't have it but the larger one in Kilkenny did.

I would be interested in any feed back or opinions of others.

Home Brew!

2008-08-22T18:40:00.004+01:00

In addition to sampling all the beer I can get my hands on, I have also decided to brew my own. My kit arrived from The Home Brew Company today so I will keep you posted on how it's progressing. I have a stash of Grolsch swing top bottles that I hope to use but I guess I have a week or more to wait before that and who knows what might go wrong. I tried making my own wine years ago and the result was not even fit to put on a bag of chips! More on my progress soon.

How it started

2008-08-21T23:46:00.004+01:00

I guess it started when I read and article in a travel magazine about a guy that traveled in Germany sampling the different types of beer available. It got me thinking about doing something similar. Not a p**s up you understand, just a trip with a few guys somewhere to sample a few beers and wind down a bit. After some research we decided on Brussels and off we went.
The variety of beers over there shocked me out of the complacency that I had been in regarding Irish beer and it made me wake up the variety of beer available here. Unfortunately most can only be bought in off licenses and not in pubs but beggars can't be choosers so off I went to see what I could find.