threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Bah!
Beer?
- Thread starter Chuffy
- Start date
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Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
Okay, just got up all hungover and it's time for a report. I tried a lot of different things last not, not all of which were Japanese, as we were basically ordering things from the massive beer menu and sharing them out between 5 of us. Here's the ones I remember:
Ginga Kougen Weizen, 5.5% - a fine example of a weizen; refreshing with just enough spiciness to keep it from being bland.
HitachinoNEST Nipponia, 6.5% - an American Double / Imperial Pilsner, rather unusual in using particular indigenous Japanese barley and hops. I was looking forward to sampling some beers from the Kiuchi brewery (who also make excellent saké). I was disappointed that they didn't have the White Ale, which has won all kinds of awards. but this brew was excellent - it had a superb balance of malt and hops with lemoney and flowery flavours in there, but with a depth and strength that made it both challenging and drinkable all at once. One of the best beers I have had here so far.
HitachinoNEST Daidai Ale, 6.2% - a sour orange IPA, this was also exellently made with the orange peel lingering in the mouth but not overpowering the hops. I am going to have to seek out more from this brewer! Even their very 70s style Owl logo bottles are cool. Apparently you can get them in the UK, through James Clay, so worth a look.
It all went a bit Pete Tong after this. I think I tried a couple of perfectly acceptable IPAs from Preston and Shonan Breweries (the latter was nice actually) and a 9.4% barleywine from YoHo, which was good if not particularly memorable, but one of our group insisted on ordering Brewdog's ridiculously strong (18.2%) Tokyo Imperial Stout, largely because of the name. And actually, although not the best imperial I have had, it was really rather good, with a wonderful aroma and oily depths, plus it had much less of an ethanol aftertaste than the one I had last week. Altogether rather too drinkable for its strength. There were others, I don't remember...
As for Popeye's itself, it does have a great selection and it is very lively with much more of a pub atmosphere than other place I've been to (not that this is a good thing IMHO), but the food was dreadful (and I mean bad even by British standards - when you order 'fish and chips' and it is a few bits of deep-fried fish and crisps, you know you are in trouble...).
Ginga Kougen Weizen, 5.5% - a fine example of a weizen; refreshing with just enough spiciness to keep it from being bland.
HitachinoNEST Nipponia, 6.5% - an American Double / Imperial Pilsner, rather unusual in using particular indigenous Japanese barley and hops. I was looking forward to sampling some beers from the Kiuchi brewery (who also make excellent saké). I was disappointed that they didn't have the White Ale, which has won all kinds of awards. but this brew was excellent - it had a superb balance of malt and hops with lemoney and flowery flavours in there, but with a depth and strength that made it both challenging and drinkable all at once. One of the best beers I have had here so far.
HitachinoNEST Daidai Ale, 6.2% - a sour orange IPA, this was also exellently made with the orange peel lingering in the mouth but not overpowering the hops. I am going to have to seek out more from this brewer! Even their very 70s style Owl logo bottles are cool. Apparently you can get them in the UK, through James Clay, so worth a look.
It all went a bit Pete Tong after this. I think I tried a couple of perfectly acceptable IPAs from Preston and Shonan Breweries (the latter was nice actually) and a 9.4% barleywine from YoHo, which was good if not particularly memorable, but one of our group insisted on ordering Brewdog's ridiculously strong (18.2%) Tokyo Imperial Stout, largely because of the name. And actually, although not the best imperial I have had, it was really rather good, with a wonderful aroma and oily depths, plus it had much less of an ethanol aftertaste than the one I had last week. Altogether rather too drinkable for its strength. There were others, I don't remember...
As for Popeye's itself, it does have a great selection and it is very lively with much more of a pub atmosphere than other place I've been to (not that this is a good thing IMHO), but the food was dreadful (and I mean bad even by British standards - when you order 'fish and chips' and it is a few bits of deep-fried fish and crisps, you know you are in trouble...).
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Probably hoping you're too pissed to remember the food, FM. UK available beer looks interesting, I'll make an effort to get hold of some for comparison purposes.
Another good write up although the consumption is increasing every Wednesday, I fear for the detail, eventually it'll just be 'drank some beer...hic!'.
Another good write up although the consumption is increasing every Wednesday, I fear for the detail, eventually it'll just be 'drank some beer...hic!'.
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
That, hopefully, won't be my regular Wednesday pattern... I don't mind going out with that lot once in a while but not every Wednesday.
U
User169
Guest
It's a fine brew - I think it's the most successful beer in their regular line-up. It's quite an effort to make - they use a champagne yeast and keep feeding it with sugar to get up to 18% - which is somewhat reflected in the price.
The Founders KSB I tried last night was something else though! Coffe, chocolate and bourbon all perfectly balanced - not a single thing I would change about it - just perfect. Only problem is, I had to swap a very rare geuze to get it and probably won't be able to het hold of any more.
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Just popped in the local farmers supermarket type thing and they had a whole batch of stuff I hadn't tried and seeing as they were on a buy 2 get 1 free offer it seemed rude not to accept their generosity, so we have:
Stairway by the Ludlow Brewing Co, extra pale beer with Czeck sladek hops.
Hogs Back Gardeners Tipple, fuggles and goldings effort.
Bewdley, Wm Muckow dark mild 6%
RCH Old Slug, usually avoid comedy named beer but I'm a sucker for porter.
Saddlers Mud City Stout, 6.6%, looks interesting, keen to try this one!
Mayfields Ducking Stool, challenger and cascade hops
Roll on the weekend!
Stairway by the Ludlow Brewing Co, extra pale beer with Czeck sladek hops.
Hogs Back Gardeners Tipple, fuggles and goldings effort.
Bewdley, Wm Muckow dark mild 6%
RCH Old Slug, usually avoid comedy named beer but I'm a sucker for porter.
Saddlers Mud City Stout, 6.6%, looks interesting, keen to try this one!
Mayfields Ducking Stool, challenger and cascade hops
Roll on the weekend!
U
User169
Guest
Nice looking haul, TBM. I'm a bit partial to spot of Sladek hopping - De Molen use it for some of their pale ales.
No need to wait til the weekend, mind!
No need to wait til the weekend, mind!
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
U
User169
Guest
turns out you can get a Founders jersey. Tempting!!
U
User169
Guest
Tough week so far, so have treated myself to a Mikkeler beer hop breakfast. Yumlington!!
U
User169
Guest
Beer geek breaky from Mikkeller. Silky from the oats, but weird off-flavour. Not really enjoying it, but at 12 eur a pop, I'll persevere.
U
User169
Guest
Last one. "Sort Gul" a black IPA from Mikkeller. Very good, although I have a slight suspicion this involves Sorachi Ace.
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
That guy's got a rolling-eyes-heavenward-that-blummin-DP's-in-here-again-photographing-his-beer-and-posting-it-to-cycling-forums look on his face!
U
User169
Guest
Ha! He wasn't looking at me - honest!!
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Stairway from Ludlow with the sladek hops is excellent. Pours pale golden with a pure white head like Duvel, small head though. Nice amount of hop flavour and a long bitter aftertaste.
