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Beer

Brewdog brew worlds strongest Beer Tactical Nuclear Penguin 32%

Not shy of trying new things those scottish brewers at brewdog have brewed they say the worlds strongest beer.

penguinblog_440
The BrewDog team have pulled off our most audacious and ambitious project to date, and smashed a world record in the process. We have today, Thursday 26 November 2009, set a new world record after creating the strongest beer in the world. Weighing in at an ABV of 32%, BrewDog’s ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’ beats the previous record of 31% held by German beer brand Schorschbraer.

This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level. It is about achieving something which has never before been done and putting Scotland firmly on the map for progressive, craft beers.

This beer is bold, irreverent and uncompromising. A beer with a soul and a purpose. A statement of intent. A modern day rebellion for the craft beer proletariat in our struggle to over throw the faceless bourgeoisie oppression of corporate, soulless beer.’

The Antarctic name inducing schizophrenia of this uber-imperial stout originates from the amount of time it spent exposed to extreme cold. This beer began life as a 10% imperial stout 18 months ago. The beer was aged for 8 months in an Isle of Arran whisky cask and 8 months in an Islay cask making it our first double cask aged beer. After an intense 16 month, the final stages took a ground breaking approach by storing the beer at -20 degrees for three weeks to get it to 32%.

Beer has a terrible reputation in Britain, it’s ignorant to assume that a beer can’t be enjoyed responsibly like a nice dram or a glass of fine wine. A beer like Tactical Nuclear Penguin should be enjoyed in spirit sized measures. It pairs fantastically with vanilla bean white chocolate it really brings out the complexity of the beer and complements the powerful, smoky and cocoa flavours.

A warning on the label states: This is an extremely strong beer, it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.

In typical BrewDog style the beer comes packed not in an elaborate box or case, but a brown paper bag with a hand-drawn penguin on it. You can buy yours here: http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

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Beer

It’s not all about big smoke – the odd decent pint

I visited the big smoke that is London for a few days, if you care why you can read about it on the shedblog, otherwise I will just list the few beers I had (it was not not a big session) which was a shame.

Thursday evening started well after getting off the steam engine from Cardiff and settling into to our palatial top floor suite 😉

A pint of Youngs in Marylebone train station pub Victoria and Albert – it was closest pub to the hotel. and we need to get tickets for the next day, but half decent for a train station pub.

Next pub was The Perseverance a small local boozer not bad but the misses said the loos had a lot to be desired, the London pride was drinkable.

Final pub before going back to hotel was this interesting pub at the top of Baker street The Volunteer – real ales & ciders plus Belgium/German on tap – a bit trendy for me but perfect if you are that way inclined, nice pint of Tribute and mrsUW had a half and it was in a nice handles glass.

Friday I was busy all day, but met up with Mrs later in the day and we went for some food at the lovely Cafe Below under St Mary-le-Bow Church on cheapside – had a bottle of Meantime – London Stout, lovely and went well with the Lamb stew I had, sorry for the photo but it was in a crypt of a church!

Walking back (we did a lot of walking round) we popped into the St Stephen’s Tavern‎ by Big Ben for half decent pint of Badgers Pickled partridge, never had it before.. the mrs had a half of Badger Bitter, decent pub but some over exuberant (ie pissed) office workers.

That was it really not a great amount of ales, I had a bottle of Chinese lager on the Saturday as we eat in China Town.

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Beer

Beerswap : the South Wales Beers

I have just packed my beerswap beers and will hopefully drop them off to the Collect+ point tomorrow, please note they are not just in the box as the photo would have you believe!

As its the first time I have done something like this I thought I would pick some good honest Welsh beers they may not be ground breaking but I am happy drinking them. I wont go into much detail as the person who gets them can make up their own mind.

Beerswap

Brains dark 3.5% it’s a classic Welsh mild from SA Brains

Rhymney Export – 5% – Easy to drink but full of body – from Rhymney

08 -8% award winning (Champion Beer of Wales 2008-09) strong ale from Otley brewing

Cwrw Gaeaf – 4.7% a seasonal beer from Tomos Watkin

Enjoy!

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Beer

Would you be afraid of me on a friday night in Cardiff?

update: The photo of me made page 2 in todays South Wales Echo I wondered why people where looking at me strange (more than usual)

In my day job I sometimes get asked to pose for photos (no not like that), I think it’s because I sit next to the picture desk and if they need someone with ladies wrists or a sock model then they turn to me.

But today I was asked by Andrew James to break a bottle with a brick and attack him as if I was a drunken nutter in Cardiff on a Weekend (no sniggering), who says regional Newspapers are not true to life!.

Two things wrong with these pictures

1) I would never drink budweiser
2) I am a pacifist (coward)

Who says the camera never lies.

Anyway you can see more of Andy’s shots over at his blog and his shots of Kate humble are worth a look.

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Beer

Interested in Beer then there are some good reads out there

[flickr]photo:4039646914[/flickr]

Since I have taken part in the #beerswap (getting my 4 Welsh beers ready this weekend)

I have been looking at the some of the people taking part’s websites and there are some great Beer blogs out there, these are the ones I have managed to read so far.

markdredgeVisit website
chilliupnorthVisit website
woolpackdaveVisit website
ToonBeerFestVisit website
the_beer_bearVisit website

of course if you love seeing photos of pubs and beer then beerlens.com is always worth a look

Buckingham Arms, London From beerlens.com
Buckingham Arms, London From beerlens.com

And for Welsh Beer news then there is only one bar to lean on.

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Beer

Two Welsh Beers in Indy Top 50

Great news that Otley 08 and Brains Dark have made it into the Indepenedant list of The 50 best beers, there were some mighty beers in that list… I suppose we are so used to Dark in Cardiff and a good pint is always a pleasure.. 08 what can I say – hope to get some 08 this weekends OCT O BAR FEST 2009.

In search of the perfect pint? Toby Green presents the experts’ guide to crisp and clear lagers, hoppy ales and brilliant bitters

The STRONG category
Otley O8
< otley08

‘O8, from stylish new Welsh brewer Otley, is a heady beer that combines the zing of summer ales with the richness and depth of barley wine,’ says Pete.

Brewery Otley Brewing Company (www.otleybrewing.co.uk)
How much £3.34 8% ABV – 500ml

and in the DARK ALE/STOUT Brains Dark

brains-dark
‘Finally achieving widespread recognition as a minor classic, this dark ale is chock full of coffee, chocolate and liquorice flavours, along with a faintly briny savoury note,’ says Zak.

Brewery Brains Brewery (www.sabrain.com)

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Beer

Fancy a tour of a real ale cellar – Goat and Tricycle Bournemouth

A work friend of mine is leaving Cardiff and moving to Bournemouth in Dorset.. so after saying congrats the first thing to do is of course look what decent pubs are there in case me and mrs UW get invited down for a visit.

I have not been to the town for a few years but I do recall (after a few beers) going to this great pub The Goat and Tricycle

Photo taken by Bill

The Goat and Tricycle is a traditional real ale pub, with a huge range of hand pulled real ales including the Wadworth classics which are always available: Bishops Tipple, Horizon, 6x, JCB and Henrys IPA, there are up to 11 Guest ales which change every 2 – 3 days, so there is always plenty of variety to choose from.

Situated in Westhill Road which is about 400 yards from Bournemouth town centre in an area known as The Triangle, we serve a superb range of real home cooked food; there is even a real Goat Curry and yes it is very nice indeed!!

They have a video on youtube showing their cellar as well.

So do you know any other great pubs in the Bournemouth area..

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Beer

My Beer Goggles – Chimay Red

You must know by now that I love the beer/photo blog Beerlens Rob and Kim do a great job.

I have a new lens myself so thought I would give it a go with a beer I need to drink.

Chimay-red-bw

Chimay-red

not happy with the 2nd one too much glare..
I still need to get used to the lens but with a bit of effort and some time.

Categories
Beer

Beer of the Week : Cwmbran pure welsh

I have not had this brew before but I am sure ArfurD may have some more info on it..

Cwmbran pure welsh

I like a Cwmbran beer, crow valley being my favorite , closely followed by Crow Valley Stout, they are a great little brewery and always worth a punt.

But this one tasted like beer I had when I was younger (like a Crown or Buckley brew) it was very malty but drinkable..maybe its the memories of your youth that makes it a nice lunch session pint..

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Beer

Spoilt for Choice in terms of Welsh Beers

At my local ‘Spoons (Thanks rob @beerlens for the shorten) they still had some GREAT Welsh ales left over from their mini Welsh Beer Festival this past bank holiday.

I narrowed it down to two.. both Bullmastiff Beers

and the Welsh Black won – I may pop back for the Slobberchops later but that Rymney Dark is also a fav, which was on the other bar…