The Lemon Fool

servodude wrote:

Mike4 wrote:

kempiejon wrote:
Let me know what you reckon. I tried one of their intro offers earlier in the year and they didn't win me as a new customer, delivery arrived damaged and beer not especially inspiring. £48 for 48 beers, I probably got what I paid for.

I never really understand this apparently constant search for new beers. Once I find one I really like and am happy with, I just keep on buying it!

That's fine until the beer you really like gets taken over by Lion Nathan and they decide to rip the flavour to pieces by using cheaper hops
- sd

Or worse, ripping the guts out of it by reducing the alcohol content!

Mike4 wrote:

servodude wrote:

Mike4 wrote:
I never really understand this apparently constant search for new beers. Once I find one I really like and am happy with, I just keep on buying it!

That's fine until the beer you really like gets taken over by Lion Nathan and they decide to rip the flavour to pieces by using cheaper hops
- sd

Or worse, ripping the guts out of it by reducing the alcohol content!

Indeed! (Looking at YOU brewed under license Sierra Nevada pale ale)

Mike4 wrote:

kempiejon wrote:

AleisterCrowley wrote:I'm not drinking anything right now as I'm 'on the wagon' - but had a delivery on Thursday from Flavourly.
Offer, with no subscription required - 48 cans of beer for £48-95 inc. delivery, spotted on MSE
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/flavourly/
It's expired now but I'm sure similar will turn up...

Let me know what you reckon. I tried one of their intro offers earlier in the year and they didn't win me as a new customer, delivery arrived damaged and beer not especially inspiring. £48 for 48 beers, I probably got what I paid for.

I never really understand this apparently constant search for new beers. Once I find one I really like and am happy with, I just keep on buying it!

But how do you know there's not a beer out there that you'll like more ??!!!

I do know what you mean - a couple of friends are what I call 'beer twitchers' (in the birdwatching sense). They'll go out of their way to drink new stuff and tick it off on the Untappd app. At the other end of the spectrum are people who stick to their regular beer come what may. "I've been drinking Thruttock's 'Old Bustard' since 1957 and I see no reason to change" It's a bit like ordering the same meal every time you go to a restaurant because you've decided you like lamb pasanda and don't want to gamble on anything else..
I'm somewhere in the middle - there are core beers I will drink regularly, particularly when I'm back home (Hobson's, Holden's, Salopian) but I do like to try new stuff, particularly from breweries I 'trust'
Round these parts (Reading area) some of the pubs I go to don't seem to have a core beer selection so no option to stick with one regular beer

The problem with trying new bottled beers is that so many are just not tasty enough compared to the draught version. So I might come across a new beer on tap, then buy the bottled version and it's "meh". Of the widely available beers, there are very few that are almost as satisfactory in the bottle. I'd say Proper Job is still good in the bottle, but Tribute, Landlord, Jaipur and many others I no longer buy but would on draught. I'm not suggesting any of these are necessarily great beers, just commonly available.

Mike4 wrote:I never really understand this apparently constant search for new beers. Once I find one I really like and am happy with, I just keep on buying it!

Some people are just wired to seek out novelty, others seek comfort in the familiar - I guess the species needs both. I will never watch the same film twice, but know other people who will watch the same one 30 times.

But it also depends a bit where you are on your beer "journey" - this piece from Boak & Bailey resonates :
https://boakandbailey.com/2017/09/the-s ... beer-geek/

bluedonkey wrote:The problem with trying new bottled beers is that so many are just not tasty enough compared to the draught version. So I might come across a new beer on tap, then buy the bottled version and it's "meh". Of the widely available beers, there are very few that are almost as satisfactory in the bottle. I'd say Proper Job is still good in the bottle, but Tribute, Landlord, Jaipur and many others I no longer buy but would on draught. I'm not suggesting any of these are necessarily great beers, just commonly available.

It's complicated, because a lot depends on how the retailer stores the bottles, and how long they have sat on the shelves.

I'm buying from supermarkets with good turnover. The "bottled" effect has to do with pasteurising I think.

bluedonkey wrote:The problem with trying new bottled beers is that so many are just not tasty enough compared to the draught version. So I might come across a new beer on tap, then buy the bottled version and it's "meh". Of the widely available beers, there are very few that are almost as satisfactory in the bottle. I'd say Proper Job is still good in the bottle, but Tribute, Landlord, Jaipur and many others I no longer buy but would on draught. I'm not suggesting any of these are necessarily great beers, just commonly available.

I'd say the opposite. Love Proper Job on draught, but avoid the bottles. Tribute the draught is - at best - great, but can also be crap. Other things being equal I'd choose Proper Job if buying draught but Tribute (or indeed Landlord) if buying bottled.

Each to his gout.

I'll try them again then!
Cheers.

Yep, I've never found a beer that tastes as good from a bottle (or can) as it it does on draught
I don't know how much of this is psychological, and how much is 'molecular' !

Psychological factors do affect one's taste perception of course. Fish and chips always tastes better on the sea wall at Southwold, compared to eating it in a cafeteria in Doncaster, even if the fish and chips is identical

bluedonkey wrote:I'll try them again then!
Cheers.

I wouldn't go out of my way.

These days when buying bottles I have a sadly limited choice of decent beers. Tribute, Proper Job and Landlord are among those generally available, and there's just a small handful I'd recommend over those.

I've just bought some Woodforde's Wherry in bottles, as I vaguely remember it being pretty good (it's absolutely NOT a 'challenging' craft beer with an A-Z of American hops)
Purity Mad Goose and Oakham Citra are fairly reliable in my experience. Adnam's Ghost Ship can taste a bit tomcat-pissy if I'm not in the right frame of mind

AleisterCrowley wrote:I've just bought some Woodforde's Wherry in bottles, as I vaguely remember it being pretty good (it's absolutely NOT a 'challenging' craft beer with an A-Z of American hops)
Purity Mad Goose and Oakham Citra are fairly reliable in my experience. Adnam's Ghost Ship can taste a bit tomcat-pissy if I'm not in the right frame of mind

Ah yes, your post reminded me, Ghost Ship is good in bottles/cans. Also Lidl's own IPA.

bluedonkey wrote:I'm buying from supermarkets with good turnover. The "bottled" effect has to do with pasteurising I think.

Combination of various things - smallpack are often made to different recipes (Young's Special is an extreme example, at 6.4% versus 4.5% in cask), particularly if in clear glass, sometimes in different breweries (notoriously bottled Doom Bar is made in the unCornish location of Burton-on-Trent), pastuerisation, and supermarket supply chains generally not very geared to looking after beer.

Today had a pint of Jaipur on draught at Wetherspoons. A beer I know well from reputation but have rarely drunk in the past. To be honest, rather underwhelmed. Dry, slightly hoppy but not much rounded flavour or strong hops. My previous pint at this session was Twickenham Naked Ladies and I wish I had stuck with that.

Yes, had a draught pint of Jaipur at a (very good) pub in Reading a couple of weeks ago. Not as good as I remember it in bottles (particularly the sensible 500ml bottles)...

I'm popping to the shops ont he way home tonight for 2 bottles of King Goblin and 2 of Guinness West Indies Porter; Morrisons have 4 for £6 deals on 500ml bottles

Had a few pints of a very well kept Harvey's yesterday. I don't know if I am just being parochial but I think it's one of the very best bitters you can get these days.

MM

I'm on the wagon again

AleisterCrowley wrote:Yes, had a draught pint of Jaipur at a (very good) pub in Reading a couple of weeks ago. Not as good as I remember it in bottles (particularly the sensible 500ml bottles)...

Jaipur is still a favourite even though I'm pretty sure they changed the recipe a couple of years ago, and it's no longer my favourite Thornbridge beer. I agree it's a shame you can only get it in 330ml cans or bottles now rather than the good old 500 ml bottles. Unfortunately, I cant remember the last time I saw it on draught round here it was so long ago

All the best, Si

Yes, I was a regular drinker of the 500ml bottles as they were stocked by my local (at the time) Waitrose in Windsor
I was wondering if the recipe had changed or if it was just 'different' on draught. I trust the pub in question to look after beer (they are CAMRA regional champions many times over)