tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post7663845331321934055..comments2023-08-22T17:10:29.661+01:00Comments on THE GOOD STUFF: Shepherd Neame Winter Hop AleLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05512660051158275112noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-45797630211526856662009-03-01T11:49:00.000+00:002009-03-01T11:49:00.000+00:00Changes are afoot at Sheps - David Holmes is an aw...Changes are afoot at Sheps - David Holmes is an awesome brewer!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-25626432654227094682009-02-11T18:01:00.000+00:002009-02-11T18:01:00.000+00:00I had some winter hop ale myself and I have to say...I had some winter hop ale myself and I have to say, it is the nicest new ale I have tried in a while.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-24600726900669524552009-02-02T21:33:00.000+00:002009-02-02T21:33:00.000+00:00"I get a lot of beer bought for me" - what a great..."I get a lot of beer bought for me" - what a great problem to have! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-21120955383102977582009-01-28T17:10:00.000+00:002009-01-28T17:10:00.000+00:00jan - yeah i know what you mean. One of the simple...jan - yeah i know what you mean. One of the simple points of me sharing my thoughts and observations with people is simply to point them in the right way. I agree the pub trade seems to swing in either 'an embarrasment of riches' or 'nothing at all', but hopefully our 'missions' if you will let people know 'the good stuff' is out there.<BR/>John - as tow northern lads i'm sure it'll be settled by heated debate over a pint of Taylors (served at the right temp, of course)!!!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05512660051158275112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-77504724756889731682009-01-27T08:52:00.000+00:002009-01-27T08:52:00.000+00:00I thought John's comments were really interesting....I thought John's comments were really interesting. I don't have a good enough palate to even approach being a beer expert, but what I enjoy is finding a pub with a good range of ale - bottled or draught - so I can sit there sampling (along with the steak pie, of course). And therein lies the problem. There's a lot of foodie-pubs with safe-but-limited beer choice, a lot of pour-it-down-yer-throat bars, far fewer try-this-and-see-if-you-like-it pubs. Perhaps the brewers are aiming for the first two markets too much, because that's where they see the volume - and that's a real shame because it undermines beer-drinking as a pleasurable past-time. I noted a BBC news item today (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7852695.stm) stating that Pub beer sales were falling at record levels; a Treasury spokesperson regretted this, saying that "higher duty was being used to fight child poverty". In a pig's ear it is! New Mission Statement for the Industry: "Drink more moderate beer: it helps suffering children"!!!Joos de Littlemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05806185291689654897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-49096234554583092492009-01-26T23:57:00.000+00:002009-01-26T23:57:00.000+00:00Ha ha ha, provided it doesn't involve any fistycuf...Ha ha ha, provided it doesn't involve any fistycuffs I'll be glad to take it up with you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-58184889452889383012009-01-26T20:00:00.000+00:002009-01-26T20:00:00.000+00:00Tastes are subjective guys - nice comments! John, ...Tastes are subjective guys - nice comments! John, i'll take this Taylors thing up with you in York!!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05512660051158275112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-45330163237927887382009-01-26T19:28:00.000+00:002009-01-26T19:28:00.000+00:00You've got a good set up. We need to find somethi...You've got a good set up. We need to find something that will encourage folks to bring it to us freely!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-63612447479705012732009-01-26T01:32:00.000+00:002009-01-26T01:32:00.000+00:00American beers aren't really about balance. They'r...American beers aren't really about balance. They're about hops and alcohol. The argument over here is English beers are bland. So it's a two way street. Get a young American beer freak to travel to the UK and he'd probably wonder if England is really the birthplace of his beloved ale. Same sort of thing an Englishman experienced when he came over here the first time and tasted Bud.Whorsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784943453195129865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-80914546810520020132009-01-25T21:48:00.000+00:002009-01-25T21:48:00.000+00:00This post has got me thinking about overrated brew...This post has got me thinking about overrated breweries and at the risk of being castigated here is my list.<BR/><BR/>Timothy Taylor - (Specifically Landlord) Yes, shock horror, I'm having a pop at Taylors. I've been building my case for a while, I remember when you got a pint of Landlord and the aroma used to slap you in the face when the pint was only half way across the bar, nowadays it's a shadow of its former self a whimpering snivelling excuse for a pint, I could be laying it on a bit thick here but you get the picture. Granted this doesn't stop me ordering it in pubs in the vain hope I'll be proved wrong.<BR/><BR/>Copper Dragon - if "M'eh" had a flavour it would taste like the output from this brewery. I can't explain it but I've never had a beer from Copper Dragon I found interesting.<BR/><BR/>Theakstons - A less controversial choice perhaps but compared to Jennings beers (a brewery I perceive to be a similar size) they don't even compare.<BR/><BR/>Brewdog - This choice comes with some qualification, I'm not saying that I don't like their beers, in fact I admire their uncompromising attitude and commitment to turning out quality product as well as their shrewd marketing. <BR/><BR/>What gets me is the size of the boner the beer community have for their products, it comes across as very sycophantic, fawning fanboy nonsense of the highest order. The beer has an almost Obamaesque" level of hype to live up to.<BR/><BR/>Actually my gripe isn't with brewdog it's with their fanboys, I'll shut up now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-38195400099587298232009-01-25T20:48:00.000+00:002009-01-25T20:48:00.000+00:00I'm with you on not being a huge Shep fan, and I'm...I'm with you on not being a huge Shep fan, and I'm a man of Kent! I'm always underwhelmed by them and get a distinct cardboard taste. I did have a great pint of Whitstable Bay organic ale which has changed my mind a little. I'll have to look out for the Winter Hop Ale, it sounds good and should see it soon as the supermarkets are full of Shep beers down here!Mark Dredgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11421095862178324693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-61502683038327631992009-01-25T11:09:00.000+00:002009-01-25T11:09:00.000+00:00Thom - yes it was - and like I say, I don't genera...Thom - yes it was - and like I say, I don't generally drink SN's stuff myself. It does all seem to taste the same.<BR/>Heather -And therein lies the problem with many american beers - lack of balance.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05512660051158275112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-28553981252720178572009-01-25T00:56:00.000+00:002009-01-25T00:56:00.000+00:00I'll take a malty mouthfeel over the bitter cloy o...I'll take a malty mouthfeel over the bitter cloy of hops zealotry (problematic in many Oregon beers, imo) any day.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630354073303047529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38739054.post-53681430291542886062009-01-24T21:10:00.000+00:002009-01-24T21:10:00.000+00:00I was in a clear bottle, I assume? It's a pity bec...I was in a clear bottle, I assume? <BR/><BR/>It's a pity because even if this one turned up in Ireland I wouldn't buy it. I find the light strike overpowering in poorly handled Neame ales.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09734969599278020673noreply@blogger.com