Tag: Ale

Blog

A climb up Kilimanjaro & Brains beer a good mix? In this case yes

Post author By wilco
Post date February 2, 2010

On of my colleagues is taking part in the Kilimanjaro climb for cancer (you can sponsor her here).

But another good thing to come of this is a new beer has been brewed by Cardiff Brewer Brains

‘Up and Over’ ale has been specially created for the Brains SA Captains Climb. The 500ml bottle is being sold exclusively in all Welsh Tesco Extras and Superstores, and is available as part of Brains’ 3 for £4 offer. 15p from each bottle sold will be donated to the challenge.

The name ‘Up & Over’ was the inspiration of Stephen Katchi who won a MediaWales competition to name the beer.

I have been lucky to get a bottle and will let you know what is tastes like, but Brains have provided some tasting notes

‘Up & Over’ is a fruity, light amber coloured beer. Fuggles, Goldings, Styrian Goldings and Cascade hops coupled with the unique Brains yeast and balanced malt flavours creates a deliciously refreshing pint guaranteed to be a high point in our ale range.

Tags Ale, Beer, Brains, Cardiff

Blog

Beers of the Week – unique beers from a Scottish dog and south west hare about time

Post author By wilco
Post date January 17, 2010

Not blogged about the beers I have drunk for a while, one good reason for this – I have cut down – well in the week and during the day anyway.

So these beers are either with meals or while running my shed empire and used as a typing aid.

UNION 4.9% ABV

This was a lovely European style lager from the great London brewery Meantime – UNION 4.9% ABV, great label as well.

Dark Hare 4.0% abv

Another great regional brewery Bath Ales – I love their beer but this is the first time I have drunk the Stour from the bottle as been lucky to have it both in Bath and my local once!

Dark Hare is a lovely stout – but if your drink the Irish one you wont recognise it, its smooth and the roasted malt gives it a great after taste.

The next few beers are from the outlandish but excellent brewdog brewery.

77 lager 4.9%

AS with a lot of brewdog beers the hops hit you.. and this is not different, unfortunately the Mrs liked it as well, so only had half a bottle, If you can get it try it on your lager drinking mates you will convert them.

zeitgeist 4.9% Black Lager

Another Lager from brewdog but so different from anything else I have had in the UK- I first tried this at a local golf club from cask and was blown away with it – it reminds me of Czech black lagers. Its smooth and has a nice roasty flavor I had it with a curry and it worked a treat.

Bashah 8.60%

Been wanting to try this for a while Strong IPA from brewdog, it’s a Black Belgian Double IPA with help from Stone Brewing (from that America) its a great taste but the alcohol hits you (so that means the mrs does not want to share it!), it was like an expresso hitting you…. i can see me using some of it in a stew or something – be wonderful , if I could spare some.

I have a few bottles of Paradox (10%) in the shed, but don’t think drinking the same time as the Bashah would help me get to work tomorrow.

Tags Ale, Beer

Beer

Beer Swap – a trumpiant in beer swapping

Post author By wilco
Post date December 24, 2009

What a great Idea Beer Swap is.

I was lucky enough to get some great beers from the Bucks Area in my swap, but I lost the contact details for the person who sent them… so let me know!

[flickr]photo:4154476465[/flickr]

The glad tidings was my favourite out of the lot from Vale Brewing company, it was quite bitter but had nice fruity aroma and nice and sweet, closely followed by the Grumpling Old Ale… the barley wine was a nice sipping one and my misses liked that (so hope for her yet)

I sent my Welsh beers to seanEclark who works for Adnams brewery.

And he and Sarah did some great Video Reviews of the beers I sent, makes me want to go and drink them myself.. I think Brains Dark and Otley O8 where their favourite with Rhymney Export coming in there – aren’t we lucky in South Wales to have some great beers I don’t think we realise how luck we are.

I can’t wait for the next one, I hope to do better reviews as well, maybe following their video lead.

Have a great Beer Xmas and New year

Tags Ale, beerswap

Beer

The 13 beers of christmas including De Koninck, Zeitgeist , Rodenbach Vintage

Post author By wilco
Post date December 20, 2009

Took delivery of Christmas beers from the lovely Beer Merchants

Barbar, Blond Speciality Ale, 8.0%, 33cl, Bottle (2 of)
Brugs Wit, Witbier, 4.8%, 33cl, Bottle (2 of)
De Koninck, Amber Speciale Belge, 5.0%, 25cl, Bottle
De Koninck Blond, Blond Speciality, 6.0%, 33cl, Bottle
Lindemans Pecheresse, Peach Lambiek Fruit beer, 2.5%, 25cl, Bottle
Palm, Extra Amber Speciale Belge, 5.4%, 33cl, Bottle
Meantime Union, Vienna Style Amber Lager, 4.9%, 33cl Bottle
Meantime Coffee & Porter Style Ale, 6.0%, 33cl Bottle
Bath Ales, Dark Hare, 4%, 50cl, Bottle
BrewDog, Zeitgeist, 4.9%, 33cl, Bottle
Rodenbach Vintage 2007, Limited Edition, 75cl.

Some of the beers were selected as I wanted to relive the times I went to antwerp when my friend lived there – Barbar,
Brugs Wit, Palm and of course the beer of Antwerp De Koninck.

The Rodenbach Vintage 2007 was a special treat and I got a bottle for Rob from beerlens as well, as this year he has introduced me to some great beers(brewdog & Saints & Sinners) and it’s good to have an offline/online friend interested in beer even though he is from newport.

Tags Ale, Beer, Christmas

Beer

Great Video Review of Brains Dark from BeerSwap

Post author By wilco
Post date December 2, 2009

As you know I am taking part in the beerswap thing and I sent Four Welsh Beers to a chap Called Sean who works for Adnams Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk.

Read their blog review of the beer

My beer reviews will be up very soon! but don’t think I can compare with Sean and Sarahs review!

Tags Ale, beerswap

Beer

Brewdog brew worlds strongest Beer Tactical Nuclear Penguin 32%

Post author By wilco
Post date November 26, 2009

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.

Tags Ale, Beer, BrewDog

Beer

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

Post author By wilco
Post date November 23, 2009

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.

Tags Ale, Beer, london

Beer

Beerswap : the South Wales Beers

Post author By wilco
Post date November 8, 2009

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.

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!

Tags Ale, Beer, beerswap

Beer

Interested in Beer then there are some good reads out there

Post author By wilco
Post date October 30, 2009

[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.

markdredge – Visit website
chilliupnorth – Visit website
woolpackdave – Visit website
ToonBeerFest – Visit website
the_beer_bear – Visit website

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