Festive Ale Thread

Nuggs

RockyHopperShow wrote:

But nothing, absolutely nothing, comes anywhere near Shepherd Neames' Spitfire throughout the year. "Downed all over Kent"

I know it's impossible to be wrong on purely subjective matters, but in this case you are.

Great advertising campaign though.

Gazebo

My grandfather lived in Southwold, and so I have a fondness for Adnams beers generally, which are brewed there.

Also keen on Tribute which is in loads of supermarkets now.

blackworx

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

blackworx wrote:

Surprised no one's mentioned Orkney Dark Island yet. Porter to die for, and one of the few cask beers that works equally well in a bottle.

For festive ridiculousness make it into a snakebite by adulterating it with some suitably pingpong cyder. Breakfast of champions.

Ah but it's not real snake-bite without a few shots o vodka

:twisted: A true connoisseur *doffs cap*

Must look out for that Koff porter.
Oh yeah, was introduced to Innis & Gunn the other night - lovely stuff

batch78

So many how can I choose just one!!!!!!

I'd have to say that bottle conditioned is the way to go, and for some special Christmas cheer, a nice JW Lees Harvest Ale or Thomas Hardys Vintage would be on my list.

But this limits you and excludes so many exceptional, Belgian, German, American rest of the world brews.

So, your only option is to go here www.beersofeurope.co.uk close your eyes and start ordering.

As its Christmas forget the regulars that have been suggested, (yes some of them are very good), but they can be sampled all year at a more leisurely pace.

The Shiny

Fullers London Porter.

Beautiful, as is the pub I tend to drink it in

http://www.oldjointstocktheatre.co.uk/rte.asp?id=10

il_principe

RockyHopperShow wrote:

I will agree on the Harveys front that their ales are indeed superb. Their Old Ale is a favourite at this time of year. But nothing, absolutely nothing, comes anywhere near Shepherd Neames' Spitfire throughout the year. "Downed all over Kent"

Agreed,was drinking Spitfire in Oare on Saturday, not 5 minutes from the brewery. Lovely stuff.

smoo

Am I remembering correctly, did the bottled Spitfire used to be bottle-conditioned until about 5-10 years ago? I used to really enjoy it but these days the bottled form seems to lack something. Don't think I've ever had it on draft - must try sometime!

My grandfather lived in Southwold, and so I have a fondness for Adnams beers generally, which are brewed there.

Adnams, on draft, in the Southwold area - lovely! I have a friend who used to have occasional access to a cottage in Southwold. The Broadside ale in particular is a revelation if you have it locally, although I was never so fond of it when I had it elsewhere. I was told by a barman (I think in the White Hart in Aldeburgh) that it doesn't travel as well as the bitter does.

Stewie Griffin

I think you are all making these names up. Either that or you are planning some sort of atrocity on our Public Transport system and Im forwarding this link to MI5 as we speak.

beverick

sicrow wrote:

Guinness Export ale (bottled at 7%) sainsbury's £1.49 is a great buy at the moment
.....
Also Black Sheep....

1) As it's all brewed in Ireland isn't all Guiness drunk outisde of Ireland "Export"
2) Has to be RIgwelter....

Bob

neeb

I think you are all making these names up.

2) Has to be RIgwelter....

Strangely enough (or perhaps not so strangely), whenever I try to explain to someone what rigweltered means (a sheep that has been blown over onto its back and is completely unable to right itself without human intervention) they always think I am making it up.

DavidBelcher

smoo wrote:

Am I remembering correctly, did the bottled Spitfire used to be bottle-conditioned until about 5-10 years ago?

Nope, absolutely spot-on, it was indeed bottle-conditioned. I think there must have been a phase of 'live' bottled beer being the 'next big thing' in the traditional ale market at the time - even Courage dabbled with a bottle-conditioned version of Directors in the early '90s.

David

DavidBelcher

smoo wrote:

I'm normally one for pale, mega-hoppy English ales but the season does call for something that tastes like liquid Xmas pudding!

Neither bottle-conditioned nor available from the cask so not a real ale per se, but Greene King's Strong Suffolk is always a good one for this time of year.

David

beverick

neeb wrote:

I think you are all making these names up.

2) Has to be RIgwelter....

Strangely enough (or perhaps not so strangely), whenever I try to explain to someone what rigweltered means (a sheep that has been blown over onto its back and is completely unable to right itself without human intervention) they always think I am making it up.

Even though it's printed on the back of the bottle.....

Bob

smoo

I think there must have been a phase of 'live' bottled beer being the 'next big thing' in the traditional ale market at the time - even Courage dabbled with a bottle-conditioned version of Directors in the early '90s.

I think the reason it is far less common now is that the supermarkets don't like it; occasionally the bottles can gently explode... (so to speak - the pressure builds up so that even a gentle knock can break the bottle), and quality control is more difficult. Here in Finland we had a bad batch of Chimay Blue in the government Alko shops where half the beer would fizz out of the top of the bottle when you opened it, even if it was completely undisturbed! You had to open it over a large bowl and then decant it into the glass...

A real pity that the the supermarkets aren't willing to deal with the slight occasional hassle in the interests of superior beer. "Quality" only counts when it's cheap and they can market it...

smoo

Even though it's printed on the back of the bottle.....

That's probably where I got the term from then. My interactions with rigweltered sheep (strictly no wellies involved, let me make that clear! ) have been on the summits of hills in the Scottish Southern Uplands, but I have never had the opportunity to ask a shepherd if there is a local term in Scots. "Rigwelter" is a local northern English term I presume, although "rig" is used as a word for a certain type of hill in southern Scotland too.

BigJimmyB

Youngs Christmas Pudding - yum!

DavidBelcher

smoo wrote:

"Rigwelter" is a local northern English term I presume.

Comes from Norse, originally, as I remember it. Maybe I'll have to buy a bottle just to check the explanation on the label (any excuse!).

David

cee

I had a German Ale called 'Carolus' in frankfurt reently that was dark, fairly flat, about 7.5abv and truly delicious. you even get 50c back for the bottle at the bar!

JonBurns

I'm a big fan of Black Sheep, Landlord, Old Peculier, Hobgoblin etc recently I've got into a beer from my home town called 'Excelsior' by Ossett Brewery. Yummy!

http://www.ossett-brewery.co.uk/Our_Beers_-_New.html

bornagainbiker

BANKS & TAYLOR DRAGON SLAYER

Best I've tasted in the past few years currently available in JD Wetherspoons

blackworx

Wetherspoons. Screwing independent breweries to the wall since 1979.

fenski

Sort of goes against the grain to recommend it bu Tesco's Finest IPA is very good and good value too - always flys off the shelves so I'm not alone in liking it. Also currently enjoying Williams Bros Seven Giraffes which is also available in Tesco.

As I live in Perth I should really namecheck the Inveralmond brews - I prefer Lia Fail over Ossian. And finally Isle of Skye Hebridean Gold is really tasty although quite difficult to come by.

Sirius631

I don't know who I'm going to give it to as a Christmas present yet, but someone is getting an 18 pint barrel of Envil ale. I've just got to work out who is having a party, who I can get the barrel to 48 hours before hand, as it needs to stand, and who will invite me to the party so that I can drink it for them.

DavidBelcher

fenski wrote:

Sort of goes against the grain to recommend it bu Tesco's Finest IPA is very good and good value too - always flys off the shelves so I'm not alone in liking it. Also currently enjoying Williams Bros Seven Giraffes which is also available in Tesco.

As I live in Perth I should really namecheck the Inveralmond brews - I prefer Lia Fail over Ossian. And finally Isle of Skye Hebridean Gold is really tasty although quite difficult to come by.

When I lived in Leeds, the city-centre branch of Oddbins carried pretty much all of the Williams Bros. range. Very good beers indeed, especially the Gold.

David

ColinJ

I'd second the lovely Badger Brewery Golden Champion - I've had quite a few bottles of that recently.

Also, several from the Wychwood Brewery - Fiddler's Elbow, Circle Master and Hobgoblin.

No wonder I can't shift my beer belly...