The Lemon Fool

UncleIan wrote:

swill453 wrote:What's a "free range" beer? Hops hopping around the farmyard?

a marketing gimmick.

Indeed. But everybody needs one. And the beer tastes good

News from Fullers this morning:
'Proposed Sale of Beer Business
Fuller’s announces that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of its entire beer business to Asahi Europe Ltd (“AEL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd (“Asahi”), for an enterprise value of £250 million on a debt free, cash free basis (the “Proposed Disposal”).
The business being sold comprises the entirety of Fuller’s beer, cider and soft drinks brewing and production, wine wholesaling, as well as the distribution thereof, and also includes the Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewing and Nectar Imports (the “Fuller’s Beer Business” or the “Beer Business”).
Under the terms of the Proposed Disposal, AEL will acquire the brands of the Beer Business (including “London Pride”) and will receive the benefit of a licence, on a perpetual, global, exclusive and royalty-free basis, to use certain trade marks (including the “Fuller’s” name, logo and cartouche) for the provision of beverages. Ownership of the licensed trade marks will be retained by Fuller’s. [continues]
https://www.fullers.co.uk/blog/brewery- ... s-to-asahi

Ocado still have Fuller's 1845 on offer for 4 for £6...
Stock up now before it gets brewed in factory in Northampton.

... and nice Mr Ocado has just stocked me up with a further twenty Fullers 1845s, plus four large Innes & Gunn Originals - with free delivery.
With sleet and 0 degC promised for tomorrow, I am well provisioned.

Less sure about the Lidl Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt whisky I have just bought: their Speyside one (ex Tamnavulin?) is OK and good value, but the Islay one tastes like somewhat characterless Laphroaig - the salt and peat are there but something is missing 'in the background'

Pliny the Elder. It was voted America's best beer 7 years in a row although more recently lost it's number one rating.

Even so, it's pretty special although at 8% ABV, it's a beer to be respected, and should be sipped not gulped.

https://www.brewbound.com/news/how-plin ... in-america

Hi Lootman

Did you source that Pliny in the UK. If so would you care to share where you sourced it?

Cheers.

My local has this one on tap at the moment - for a 4% IPA, it packs quite a punch - Lincoln Green Brewery - Archer

https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/lincoln-g ... er/263722/

I think its doing the rounds in Everards pubs across Leicestershire at the moment

Lootman wrote:Pliny the Elder. It was voted America's best beer 7 years in a row although more recently lost it's number one rating.

Even so, it's pretty special although at 8% ABV, it's a beer to be respected, and should be sipped not gulped.

https://www.brewbound.com/news/how-plin ... in-america

I'm visiting their Brewpub in Santa Rosa this summer and will be having some of this; really looking forward to it too!

Imbiber wrote:Hi Lootman

Did you source that Pliny in the UK. If so would you care to share where you sourced it?

Cheers.

Sadly not. My wife's family live in the US and bring me a bottle now and then.

BrummieDave wrote:I'm visiting their Brewpub in Santa Rosa this summer and will be having some of this; really looking forward to it too!

Yeah, I've been there a couple of times, including one memorable visit for the annual release of Pliny the Younger. It's only brewed in casks so to drink it you have to go there, right about now in fact.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/21690/

Yes, I see from the link that 'Pliny the Younger' is a seasonal winter drink, weighing in at 10.25% ABV so there won't be any of that for me to drink in June!

Interestingly perhaps, BeerAdvocate's top four beers, out of the thousands in their review tables, are all stouts and between 11% and 15%, which may be a surprise to anyone still thinking that all Americans like their beer light and thin. Dark and heavy seems to be the preferred choice with some US drinkers at least.

I'll see what's on tap in Santa Rosa when I get there, hoping the more frequently available 'Pliny the Elder' is on tap, and report back on my return.

In the meantime, I'll continue with my more readily available beers at two local bars, including the current favourite and very excellent 'Wild Beer Madness IPA': https://www.wildbeerco.com/item/218/Bee ... s-IPA.html I'm hoping to visit Wild Beer in March.

BrummieDave wrote:Yes, I see from the link that 'Pliny the Younger' is a seasonal winter drink, weighing in at 10.25% ABV so there won't be any of that for me to drink in June!

Correct, it sells out in a couple of weeks, and the queue to get in means that you can wait hours to be admitted.

It's a few years since I have been there, and since then they have built a new brewery elsewhere, so technically it may no longer be a brewpub, but being in Santa Rosa itself means that you won't have to drive.

While you are in Santa Rosa also check out the Moonlight Brewing Company. It's signature IPA is called "Bombay by Boat" and the guy who runs it is quite a character:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_Brewing_Company

https://moonlightbrewing.com/

BrummieDave wrote:Interestingly perhaps, BeerAdvocate's top four beers, out of the thousands in their review tables, are all stouts and between 11% and 15%, which may be a surprise to anyone still thinking that all Americans like their beer light and thin. Dark and heavy seems to be the preferred choice with some US drinkers at least.

It's a bit of a myth that American beer is mostly weak. Even the "keg" stuff is not weak. Budweiser is 5% ABV and even the light beers from Coors and Miller are over 4%. Still undrinkable though

Hogs Back Gardener's Tipple, then a T.E.A., then another Tipple. Weirdly, both the Tipple's were out bottles, but the second one tasted much fuller and maltier. I guess the TEA in between affected my palette. All in plastic glasses, so less than ideal anyway.

BrummieDave wrote:Yes, I see from the link that 'Pliny the Younger' is a seasonal winter drink, weighing in at 10.25% ABV so there won't be any of that for me to drink in June!
Interestingly perhaps, BeerAdvocate's top four beers, out of the thousands in their review tables, are all stouts and between 11% and 15%, which may be a surprise to anyone still thinking that all Americans like their beer light and thin. Dark and heavy seems to be the preferred choice with some US drinkers at least.

I've reviewed beers for years on that site and am not American, as are many other reviewers. What I've found is that there a geographic clusters - certainly you'll find plenty of UK, and US reviewers. Find a 'big' UK stout, or other UK beer, and expect the UK reviewers to be out in force.

BrummieDave wrote:...In the meantime, I'll continue with my more readily available beers at two local bars, including the current favourite and very excellent 'Wild Beer Madness IPA': https://www.wildbeerco.com/item/218/Bee ... s-IPA.html I'm hoping to visit Wild Beer in March.

I've tried several of their beers but don't get on with them too well, they seem generally really quite sour. Whereas this pm I had a Fullers Golden Pride, and was reminded what [to me] it's all about

Currently on a Red Cat C60, a rather piney/chewy since effort, which is pleasant but not the best I've had from them
(Purchased from The Grumpy Goat, a rather good beer shop in Reading. Pop in if you're in the area..)

AleisterCrowley wrote:Currently on a Red Cat C60, a rather piney/chewy since effort, which is pleasant but not the best I've had from them
(Purchased from The Grumpy Goat, a rather good beer shop in Reading. Pop in if you're in the area..)

Since = Simcoe (bl00dy autocorrect)

My father-in-law bought me a few beers over from his homeland (Germany) as a belated birthday gift - plus a number of fine beer glasses.

Tonight I cracked open the first of them - 3 Korn Hefeweizen from the Berg Brauerei in Ehingen-Berg. The brewery is fairly local to where he lives and my wife was dragged up - the region of Baden-Wurttemberg.

The beers name is pretty unimaginative as the beer is made from a combination of barley, wheat and spelt malt. But it is super smooth. It's not as tart as some wheat beers, definitely lots of light banana flavour, some butterscotch. Somebody on ratebeer said it was the beer he'd had from the brewery in which case they make some very fine beers indeed. Well they have been around since 1466!

I'm getting used to walking into supermarkets and finding zero beers on offer that I haven't tried before, most ranges seem to remain pretty static and are pretty unexciting. FWIW M+S seem a little different they had a rotation about 6 months ago when quite a number of new beers were introduced, but since nothing new to be seen.

Rapidly on my way to 400 ratings on Beeradvocate I always have my eyes open. Last night I was out in Soho and came upon Amathus, a drinks shop. It's probably 80% wine, but also perhaps 20% beer. The theme with beer seems more towards world beers, than any focus, in fact it's probably light on UK trad beers but has quite a number of European beers which are non-mainstream.

I walked in last night and it was a case of 'where do I start'. They must have 30 beers I haven't tried before, but realistically the 8 I bought was the limit I wished to carry about for the evening. Amathus @ 113/117 Wardour Street. They've a decent listing on their website too.

Currently on Neck Oil (Beavertown) from M&S, after a nice Mikkeler from same. Reading M&S have a pretty good range

When I went into M+S it seemed really pricey and also had lots of craft beers that I am wary of - stuff in cans with hipster names.

Yes I am on old fart.

Anyhow continuing with my mini German beer tastings... tonight I've got Hirsch Hopfensau:

Google translate of the breweries own notes:

Traditionally, like the Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet, our hopsauce comes every year at the beginning of the fifth season. During the harvest of the Tettnang hops, the one who picked the last hop pot got the honorary title "Hopfensau". Even today, this tradition lives on in its own fool character in the Tettnang Carnival, with one difference: the Hopfensau from Wurmlingen is there for every beer connoisseur.

This crispy, naturally cloudy and amber, seasonal beer specialty convinces with grainy notes and a fine caramel topping. Her namesake, she makes with a strong, yet fine hops note all honor. This dark beer specialty also rounds off your Ash Wednesday meal not only as a venerable fool's vesper - for after the Hopfensau is before the Hopfensau. On the gold of our fools!

Original wort: 12.8% - Alcohol: 5.7% Vol.

Fasnet is a Carnival.

I've never heard of Tettnang hops I must admit.

My bottle says Alcohol is 5.2%

It comes in a flip top bottle, fairly traditionally labelling and bottle style. Mine was garage cool. It is a little cloudy and a dark amber. I didn't like the first few sips. A tad metallic Not sure there's much depth to it. It's not a bad beer and going down smoothly. Would suit those who like a malty beer I'd say. But it's not having me want another one in rapid order.