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Buying beer via the web.

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DiamondEcho
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Buying beer via the web.

#217047

Postby DiamondEcho » April 24th, 2019, 5:10 pm

I always keep an eye out for beers new to me that I think might suit, but it's proving increasingly hard to find any. I'm effectively unable to find any more within a half-hour walk of my home in west London, or else the shops/beers are $$$. But then I started noticing more breweries offering direct home delivery from their ranges, plus some specialist beer retailers offering similar.

Here was a chance to access a wider pool of new beers, and not just almost 'anything new' I came upon locally, but beer types I already am sure I enjoy. One beer bottle from Norfolk or Suffolk listed their website for home-delivery, but that redirected me to https://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/ My eyes almost popped out, 'like a kid in a candy store'... 8-)

Pluses:
A vast range. You can filter vs your chosen criteria, country/style/strength etc. Their offering will keep me in new beers for a looong while.
The listings come with at least some basic style details and tasting notes.
For the convenience I was surprised that their prices do not seem inflated - as say a niche retailer might.
The beers came superbly packaged, the courier even carried them up to my flat's inside hallway (2*20Kg boxes, so very helpful).

Minuses:
I ordered over Easter, and their tracking didn't work too well for me. So I spent a couple of days staying in pending delivery not knowing when to expect it. Ordered 18/4 evening, arrived today. When the tracking kicked-in this morning, it predicted delivery today at 6pm+ ... good job I stayed in; it arrived at 9.30am!

So my beer larder is currently replete with promise. Focused on beers that are 4.5% ABV and higher. Mostly ales and darker beers. From the Orkneys, Belgium, a few Germans, one Spanish and an Estonian, and mostly mainland Brits in between. I'd never heard of Adnam's Triple Knot Tripel... bring it on 8-)

But this is just one retailer, and my first online beer purchase. So I'd like to ask others for their experiences, and to share the names of any similar companies they have used and would recommend. Some come up via Google [below from the first page of hits...]
Beerhawk
Beerwulf [lol the literary reference]
BestofBritishBeer
HonestBrew

Any experiences/tips?

PinkDalek
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217127

Postby PinkDalek » April 24th, 2019, 11:51 pm

The one time we used Beerhawk, the use by dates were nearly up. Overall the beers we ordered were disappointing but that may have been down to poor ordering on our part.

Of the darker beers you ordered, are you able to name them specifically? We don’t mind giving most things a try!

Slarti
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217213

Postby Slarti » April 25th, 2019, 12:04 pm

My son has used https://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/ a number of times and always had a good experience, other than a couple of very random choices being ... random. We don't think that they were off, or anything, just odd by design.

He does recommend them.

Slarti

chas49
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217215

Postby chas49 » April 25th, 2019, 12:13 pm

I'm happy with Beer52 beer52(dot)com . I get an interesting selection of beers every month - admittedly occasionally some are not totally to my taste, but I also get to try beers I wouldn't have found on my own.

If you (or anyone else) want(s) a code to get £12 off your first case, let me know (disclosure - I get some free beer if you sign up)

DiamondEcho
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217238

Postby DiamondEcho » April 25th, 2019, 1:18 pm

PinkDalek wrote:The one time we used Beerhawk, the use by dates were nearly up. Overall the beers we ordered were disappointing but that may have been down to poor ordering on our part. Of the darker beers you ordered, are you able to name them specifically? We don’t mind giving most things a try!

That's one thing I found useful with BoE they specifically note any lines of stock coming close (2-3 months or so?) to their expiries. It meant when they all arrived, I could prioritise those together at the front of the queue for drinking. Come to think of it, that's why I don't order fresh groceries online for home-delivery, a sense that I have little choice re: the expiry dates.
So, interesting what you say about BB's at Beerhawk. Did the close-to-expiry issue crop up more than expected, i.e. more broadly, than you had anticipated?
Before ordering, I checked the background via Google to some of the outliers that fitted my criteria, ie several of those breweries were unknown to me, and I'm warey of ordering things branded 'Skullsplitter' (even if it's from the Orkneys), or 'Very bad Elf' in case they're over-pimped kiddy-brews.

This was my order, I hope you can infer many of the darker ones amongst it...
8 Sail Damson Porter
8 Sail Winters Ale
Abbaye de Saint Martin Bruin
Adnams Explorer
Adnams Jack Brand Innovation
Adnams Tally-Ho
Adnams Triple Knot Tripel
Alhambra Reserva Roja
Augustijn Brune
Ayinger Celebrator
Beeston Magnificent Men
Bornem Dubbel
Broxbourne Brewery Angry Ox Bitter
Burton Bridge Empire Ale
Burton Bridge Tickle Brain
Coastal Euphoria
Dynamite Valley Splann (B/B Date 28/06/19)
Eagle Brewery Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale
Ename Dubbel
Great Orme Brewery Brewdolph
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 10th Anniversary
Hirter Privat PIls (B/B Date 16/06/19)
Hook Norton Double Stout
Loch Ness Wilder Ness
Marstons Owd Rodger
Mount St. Bernard Abbey Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale
Orkney Dark Island
Orkney Skullsplitter
Portobello London Pilsner
Ridgeway Very Bad Elf
Rinkuskiai Microhistory Beer Schengen Beast (B/B 05/05/19)
Thornbridge AM:PM 330ml
Thornbridge Coco Cocoa 330ml
Thornbridge Tzara 330ml
Thornbridge Versa 330ml
Thwaites Lancaster Bomber
Viru Estonian Rye Beer
Williams Birds and Bees
Williams March of the Penguins
Williams Nollaig 330ml
Williams Profanity Stout
Wychwood Black Wych
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

DiamondEcho
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217239

Postby DiamondEcho » April 25th, 2019, 1:28 pm

Noted Chas, thanks, I'll check 'em out and see if their offering appeals!

I think another thing, beyond having gone through local retail offerings, is the prevalence of - new to me - often interesting looking beers, that turn out to be fashionably over-hopped (visualise a teenager with a beard and $illy clothing marvelling over the cartoons on the can). They're invariably in 330ml cans, often with jazzy labelling, and they tend to be $$ too. I've bought a half-dozen of those by now and several have come over as almost undrinkable blunt-weapons. Perhaps it's an age-thing... :lol:

PinkDalek
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217244

Postby PinkDalek » April 25th, 2019, 1:49 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:So, interesting what you say about BB's at Beerhawk. Did the close-to-expiry issue crop up more than expected, i.e. more broadly, than you had anticipated?


I can't really assist further on Beerhawk, as I didn't do the ordering nor look at the website and, for all I know, the expiry dates may have been in plain sight when ordering. The comment I made earlier was from the other half. We probably only ordered a few so please don't rely on our anecdote.

Thanks for the list!

chas49
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217253

Postby chas49 » April 25th, 2019, 2:17 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:Noted Chas, thanks, I'll check 'em out and see if their offering appeals!

I think another thing, beyond having gone through local retail offerings, is the prevalence of - new to me - often interesting looking beers, that turn out to be fashionably over-hopped (visualise a teenager with a beard and $illy clothing marvelling over the cartoons on the can). They're invariably in 330ml cans, often with jazzy labelling, and they tend to be $$ too. I've bought a half-dozen of those by now and several have come over as almost undrinkable blunt-weapons. Perhaps it's an age-thing... :lol:


I have to admit that some of the Beer52 offerings do have cartoons on the can. It's generally a subscription model so you don't get to choose (other than a broad indication of Light/Dark/Mixed). They do now have a "beer shop" as well so you can buy (some) of the beers you've tried via the subscription.

I wouldn't choose them as my only beer supplier, but glad to have them in the mix!

didds
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217368

Postby didds » April 25th, 2019, 11:15 pm

a ,ot of the mobs akin to Beer52 (and including them!) often have enticing entry offers... cases of 24 cans for £30 inc P&P etc, with a subscription model after than but which you can cancel before the sub kicks in.

my experience of these intro offers is it can be a bit hit and miss... but... at £1 a can on the whole its no worse than the s/market equivalents andI have had some really decent stuff at that price.

Tesco have had some interesting additions to their choice recently I hear - maybe the larger stores more so?

didds

sg31
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217433

Postby sg31 » April 26th, 2019, 10:40 am

didds wrote:a ,ot of the mobs akin to Beer52 (and including them!) often have enticing entry offers... cases of 24 cans for £30 inc P&P etc, with a subscription model after than but which you can cancel before the sub kicks in.

my experience of these intro offers is it can be a bit hit and miss... but... at £1 a can on the whole its no worse than the s/market equivalents andI have had some really decent stuff at that price.

Tesco have had some interesting additions to their choice recently I hear - maybe the larger stores more so?

didds


My local Tesco store seems to be reducing their range unfortunately. Are there any new ones I should look out for if they appear?

swill453
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217436

Postby swill453 » April 26th, 2019, 10:47 am

sg31 wrote:My local Tesco store seems to be reducing their range unfortunately. Are there any new ones I should look out for if they appear?

A Tesco in Scotland I went to yesterday has Bath Ales, specifically Gem and Lansdown, in bottles and cans labelled as "new" on the shelves.

Didn't notice any less variety in other beers.

Scott.

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217444

Postby didds » April 26th, 2019, 11:19 am

Hmmm... saw this pop up in a beer drinking FB group recently...

"lots of lovely new craft beers and Magic Rock out in tesco today just don’t go to trowbridge because they are all out"

and pictures of

brewdog funk X punk
five points jupa
five points pale
unbarred mixed berry gelato pale
unbarred grapefruit new england IPA
a Cherry Gose
Thornbridge pink grapefruit halcyon
Thorbbridge Yelamu DIPA
DDH IPA
Vocation twisted sour
Dance Juice - NEIPA


Of course they may for all I know have been standard for months in Tesco, or they don't count as beers for others of you so you filter them out.

cheers

didds

DiamondEcho
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217479

Postby DiamondEcho » April 26th, 2019, 12:49 pm

sg31 wrote:My local Tesco store seems to be reducing their range unfortunately. Are there any new ones I should look out for if they appear?

Depends on where the stores are located. For example my local branch (west London) seems to stock an effectively static range of beers. Then a couple of weeks ago I was in a Tesco in Suffolk and came upon Duvel Citra, something I've never seen elsewhere never mind back home where I'd have thought it would go down well. They had a couple of other similar surprises + what seems common practise a sub-set of specifically local beers.

I had a similar experience visiting a major supermarket (Tesco or Sainsbury) whilst on a day-trip to Windsor. An unexpected group of surprises + a local offering. When out 'n about regionally I now ensure I've a rucksack with spare room for when this happens again.

Fuller's 1845 was mentioned again on a parallel topic, it's back on offer. Last time they didn't stock it in my large local Waitrose branch, but did at their small 'Express' branch 15 minutes walk away. So IME which branches stock what isn't that predictable.

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217498

Postby sg31 » April 26th, 2019, 2:07 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:Depends on where the stores are located. For example my local branch (west London) seems to stock an effectively static range of beers. Then a couple of weeks ago I was in a Tesco in Suffolk and came upon Duvel Citra, something I've never seen elsewhere never mind back home where I'd have thought it would go down well. They had a couple of other similar surprises + what seems common practise a sub-set of specifically local beers.

I had a similar experience visiting a major supermarket (Tesco or Sainsbury) whilst on a day-trip to Windsor. An unexpected group of surprises + a local offering. When out 'n about regionally I now ensure I've a rucksack with spare room for when this happens again.

Fuller's 1845 was mentioned again on a parallel topic, it's back on offer. Last time they didn't stock it in my large local Waitrose branch, but did at their small 'Express' branch 15 minutes walk away. So IME which branches stock what isn't that predictable.


1845 was one of my favourite beers at Tesco but that is one of the beers dropped. A few others that were decent have also gone. Now the shelves seem to have an abundance of IPA types. I prefer full bodied darker beers at 5% or greater, these seem to be the ones in short supply.

I don't know how the local Tesco branches decide their range of beers but if it is down to one staff member I suspect the one in charge in this branch might prefer lemonade. :cry:

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#217536

Postby DiamondEcho » April 26th, 2019, 4:19 pm

sg31 wrote:1845 was one of my favourite beers at Tesco but that is one of the beers dropped. A few others that were decent have also gone. Now the shelves seem to have an abundance of IPA types. I prefer full bodied darker beers at 5% or greater, these seem to be the ones in short supply.
I don't know how the local Tesco branches decide their range of beers but if it is down to one staff member I suspect the one in charge in this branch might prefer lemonade. :cry:


I just made a detour via 'Little Waitrose' this pm and picked up a dozen, all I could reasonably carry. I'll check my local larger branch this weekend...
Meanwhile agreed re: Tesco^, and I'm beyond tired with 'statement (over)hopped' IPA type beers. They've pushed out the more trad (ale etc) pint bottles, esp the say 4.8%+ ones. Presumably selling 330ml tins 'to the kidz' = higher margin?

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#218535

Postby PinkDalek » April 30th, 2019, 7:44 pm

Returning to your list (repeated below for ease of reference), prompted by your post (thank you!) I've been presented with the following, ordered from Beers of Europe. Only one bottle of each mind you, I'm a slow drinker when at home. I've included the best before dates as a reference point. You may get some flavour by what I meant by dark beers from our list. I didn't make the selection and imagine Dunkel was the main search term. :D

Hacker Pschorr Munchner Dunkel - October
Hannen Alt - December
Hofbrau - September
Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel - August
Kloster Scheyern Export Dunkel - October
Kostritzer Schwarzbier - July
Lauterbacher Stephani Weisse Dunkel - 1 May 2019 (tonight’s tipple)
Paulaner Hefeweiss Dunkel - September
Weltenburger Hefe-weissbier Dunkel - October
Weltenburger Kloster Asam-bock - August
Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel - November
Wurzburger Schwarzbier - November



DiamondEcho wrote:This was my order, I hope you can infer many of the darker ones amongst it...
8 Sail Damson Porter
8 Sail Winters Ale
Abbaye de Saint Martin Bruin
Adnams Explorer
Adnams Jack Brand Innovation
Adnams Tally-Ho
Adnams Triple Knot Tripel
Alhambra Reserva Roja
Augustijn Brune
Ayinger Celebrator
Beeston Magnificent Men
Bornem Dubbel
Broxbourne Brewery Angry Ox Bitter
Burton Bridge Empire Ale
Burton Bridge Tickle Brain
Coastal Euphoria
Dynamite Valley Splann (B/B Date 28/06/19)
Eagle Brewery Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale
Ename Dubbel
Great Orme Brewery Brewdolph
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 10th Anniversary
Hirter Privat PIls (B/B Date 16/06/19)
Hook Norton Double Stout
Loch Ness Wilder Ness
Marstons Owd Rodger
Mount St. Bernard Abbey Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale
Orkney Dark Island
Orkney Skullsplitter
Portobello London Pilsner
Ridgeway Very Bad Elf
Rinkuskiai Microhistory Beer Schengen Beast (B/B 05/05/19)
Thornbridge AM:PM 330ml
Thornbridge Coco Cocoa 330ml
Thornbridge Tzara 330ml
Thornbridge Versa 330ml
Thwaites Lancaster Bomber
Viru Estonian Rye Beer
Williams Birds and Bees
Williams March of the Penguins
Williams Nollaig 330ml
Williams Profanity Stout
Wychwood Black Wych
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

DiamondEcho
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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#219386

Postby DiamondEcho » May 3rd, 2019, 8:54 pm

[quote="PinkDalek"]Returning to your list (repeated below for ease of reference), prompted by your post (thank you!) I've been presented with the following, ordered from Beers of Europe. Only one bottle of each mind you, I'm a slow drinker when at home. I've included the best before dates as a reference point. You may get some flavour by what I meant by dark beers from our list. I didn't make the selection and imagine Dunkel was the main search term. :D

Hacker Pschorr Munchner Dunkel - October
Hannen Alt - December
Hofbrau - September
Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel - August
Kloster Scheyern Export Dunkel - October
Kostritzer Schwarzbier - July
Lauterbacher Stephani Weisse Dunkel - 1 May 2019 (tonight’s tipple)
Paulaner Hefeweiss Dunkel - September
Weltenburger Hefe-weissbier Dunkel - October
Weltenburger Kloster Asam-bock - August
Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel - November
Wurzburger Schwarzbier - November

I thought your short-dates were from Beerhawk? Hmmm but now you mention BeersOfEurope ...
From the latter main listings I get no BB warning at BoE on...
Hacker Pschorr Munchner Dunkel
Hannen Alt
Hofbrau Original[?] = Out of stock.
....but then...
Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel - BB: 20/08/19
That was your first four...

Seems odd though, out of my order of 48, only 4 or so (IIRC) were BB: in under say 4 months. Most others are 1yr+ > even out of 2021+ (example the magnificent Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale I had this evening with BB: 1/2021)
And when the BB is running close it's made clear. For example, re: Kloster Andechs again see:
https://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/search? ... er+Andechs x-ref the 4th listing thereunder headed 'Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel (B/B Date 20/08/19)'

Anyway, a nice range selected there, the darker/heavier ones go with this damned weather. Skol!

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#219485

Postby PinkDalek » May 4th, 2019, 11:53 am

DiamondEcho wrote:I thought your short-dates were from Beerhawk? Hmmm but now you mention BeersOfEurope ...


Yes that Beerhawk order was some time ago but this time around we used Beers of Europe.

Hofbrau Original[?] = Out of stock.


My mistake - it was Hofbrau Dunkel.

I didn't do the order and hadn't looked at the website. Thanks for looking at the first four.

The Lauterbacher Stephani Weisse Dunkel 1 May 2019 (tonight’s tipple) has been drunk and was okay and is now showing as Out of Stock. Looking at the next best before date from my list I see Kostritzer Schwarzbier - July. The website clearly marks them as B/B Date 26/07/19. No issue overall and I haven't looked further.

Anyway, a nice range selected there, the darker/heavier ones go with this damned weather. Skol!


If we are abroad we drink them in the summer as well, especially when there are mountains in the vicinity. Seems to go with the territory. Prost!

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#219524

Postby DiamondEcho » May 4th, 2019, 2:50 pm

Thanks for clarifying my crossed wires :) I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on their BBs on my next order, though have comfort they do flag any short/er-dates before you add to basket.

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Re: Buying beer via the web.

#219677

Postby didds » May 5th, 2019, 3:39 pm

Each to there won of course but I really wouldn't worry too much about BB dates on beer unless they are really ages out fo date (ages = many many months, unless left in bright sunlight maybe!) and particularly for strong beers. _Some_ brweeries are known for deliberately short dating their BB to "generate" churn n offlicences and pubs (we can debate the efficiacy of that maybe too!).

The point beign a short BB doesnt becessarily mean there is any real pressure to drink it "quickly".

YMMV.

didds


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