Nice but weak beer

DavidBelcher

SecretSam wrote:

dhobiwallah wrote:

durhamwasp wrote:

I usually drink 2.8% Bavaria lager, its easily the best tasting low-alcohol beer around in my opinion.

Blimey - is 2.8% considered 'low alcohol' now?
It's not that long since the lagers most pubs now serve were classed as 'strong continental' and beer at 3% was 'standard'; that's what the half pint equals one unit is based on...

I learned my lesson about strong lagers whilst in Qatar (!), when I consumed just too much Leffe Blonde. It's truly evil, but so-o-o-o-o nice...

Dear me :roll: . Leffe is not a lager, it's an ale!

David

DavidBelcher

dhobiwallah wrote:

durhamwasp wrote:

I usually drink 2.8% Bavaria lager, its easily the best tasting low-alcohol beer around in my opinion.

Blimey - is 2.8% considered 'low alcohol' now?
It's not that long since the lagers most pubs now serve were classed as 'strong continental' and beer at 3% was 'standard'; that's what the half pint equals one unit is based on...

Any beer over 1.2% ABV is classed as alcoholic, but between 1.2% and 2.8% ABV there's a special reduced duty rate, which as well as making for a nice light "session" beer (without the mouth-like-the-floor-of-a-budgie's-cage feeling the day after) means they are an attractive proposition from the point of view of the brewer's tax bill.

David

BelgianBeerGeek

Indeed Mr B.

Thought I'd resurrect this to mention mild ales. One of of me fave styles of beer, sadly dwindling now. I was weaned on Bank 's mild and as a low strength ale it's hard to beat ( I am from the Midlands). Exiled to the south now, where it is as rare as rocking horse poo. Well worth seeking out, though. As well as Banks' above, Cains mild is delicious, in the SE Greene King XX mild is oddly tasty. If you can find it.

DavidBelcher

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Indeed Mr B.

Thought I'd resurrect this to mention mild ales. One of of me fave styles of beer, sadly dwindling now. I was weaned on Bank 's mild and as a low strength ale it's hard to beat ( I am from the Midlands). Exiled to the south now, where it is as rare as rocking horse poo.

I'm in exactly the same position - grew up right in the thick of Banks's country but now based down south. Banks's Mild occasionally turns up in the bigger supermarkets but not seen any on draught - when back home to see the folks I usually try to sample a pint or two. Ansells mild was also a favourite of mine during my late teens/early 20s, then it stopped being brewed in Burton*, the recipe got tinkered with and it didn't taste the same after that.

David

*Up until then, a rare instance of a beer seemingly improving after being shifted from its original home. By all accounts, Midlanders of a certain age (Dad included) concur that anything Ansells brewed at Aston was foul.

ShauNuff

DavidBelcher wrote:

laurentian wrote:

Adnams Southwold Bitter : )

Sole Star from Adnams weighs in at only 2.7%, plenty of flavour to it though.

David

This is what I have the night before a club ride if beer is unavoidable (it can be unavoidable, shut up). £1 a bottle in my local Budgens, tastes great, limit myself to 2 bottles so no traces of a hangover

rolf_f

I love Dark Milds - but these days even the mild bit can't be relied on. I once went into a pub and the dark mild was about 4.5% and the equal strongest beer on tap.

Still, I'll take any dark or tawny beer over the depressingly insipid blande beers that are now contaminating 'real ale' pubs everywhere you look.....

Another unexpected success is Tetleys Mild - much better than the bitter but I don't think I've tried it since they demolished the brewery and moved production to Bolivia (or wherever).

simonhead

Had a bottle of Ascot "on the rails" last night, very very nice, 3.8%. Do like most of their beers, the Anastasias imperial stout that you get around christmas is brilliant but at 8% a bit strong for a session.

DavidBelcher

ShauNuff wrote:

DavidBelcher wrote:

laurentian wrote:

Adnams Southwold Bitter : )

Sole Star from Adnams weighs in at only 2.7%, plenty of flavour to it though.

David

This is what I have the night before a club ride if beer is unavoidable (it can be unavoidable, shut up). £1 a bottle in my local Budgens, tastes great, limit myself to 2 bottles so no traces of a hangover

That's how I discovered it. Budgens do have some very good beer offers, although there aren't that many branches within easy reach of where I live.

David

ballysmate

DavidBelcher wrote:

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Indeed Mr B.

Thought I'd resurrect this to mention mild ales. One of of me fave styles of beer, sadly dwindling now. I was weaned on Bank 's mild and as a low strength ale it's hard to beat ( I am from the Midlands). Exiled to the south now, where it is as rare as rocking horse poo.

I'm in exactly the same position - grew up right in the thick of Banks's country but now based down south. Banks's Mild occasionally turns up in the bigger supermarkets but not seen any on draught - when back home to see the folks I usually try to sample a pint or two. Ansells mild was also a favourite of mine during my late teens/early 20s, then it stopped being brewed in Burton*, the recipe got tinkered with and it didn't taste the same after that.

David

*Up until then, a rare instance of a beer seemingly improving after being shifted from its original home. By all accounts, Midlanders of a certain age (Dad included) concur that anything Ansells brewed at Aston was foul.

I too grew up in the area dominated by Banks's and Mitchells & Butlers. Banks's mild was good but Highgates mild was far mare prevalent. A dark mild that was made for quaffing. I also remember that no-one suffered constipation on the morning following a belly full of Highgate's. :shock: You raced for the toilet, and anyone outside would think they had heard a flock of pigeons taking off. :shock:
In a similar vein, I once shared a room in Blackpool with 2 mates. We drank Chesters dark mild. The atmosphere in the room the next morning was rank. 3 lads farting and belching all night after a night on the mild was a health hazard. :shock:
And I concur, Ansells from Aston was disgusting.

DavidBelcher

Rolf F wrote:

I love Dark Milds - but these days even the mild bit can't be relied on. I once went into a pub and the dark mild was about 4.5% and the equal strongest beer on tap.

Still, I'll take any dark or tawny beer over the depressingly insipid blande beers that are now contaminating 'real ale' pubs everywhere you look.....

Another unexpected success is Tetleys Mild - much better than the bitter but I don't think I've tried it since they demolished the brewery and moved production to Bolivia (or wherever).

If Tetley Bitter is anything to go by, the cask version is probably brewed by Banks's in Wolverhampton - they know a thing or two about mild there so a safe pair of hands. It's flavour rather than ABV that defines a mild - as well as often being darker (not exclusively though, e.g. Timothy Taylor's Golden Best) they tend to be less hoppy beers; Dad's local sells a darkish mild from Black Country Ales called Pig on the Wall, weighing in at a fairly meaty 4.2%. Good beer though.

David

mr_goo

Wolf Brewery - Lavender Honey Ale. 3.7%
Currently £1.50 a bottle in Sainsburys beer festival promotion.
Not the best I've had but certainly okay and very drinkable.

secretsam

DavidBelcher wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

dhobiwallah wrote:

durhamwasp wrote:

I usually drink 2.8% Bavaria lager, its easily the best tasting low-alcohol beer around in my opinion.

Blimey - is 2.8% considered 'low alcohol' now?
It's not that long since the lagers most pubs now serve were classed as 'strong continental' and beer at 3% was 'standard'; that's what the half pint equals one unit is based on...

I learned my lesson about strong lagers whilst in Qatar (!), when I consumed just too much Leffe Blonde. It's truly evil, but so-o-o-o-o nice...

Dear me :roll: . Leffe is not a lager, it's an ale!

David

Shows how much I drank that I can't remember which was which

It's lovely galumpshious, all the same.

secretsam

Rolf F wrote:

Still, I'll take any dark or tawny beer over the depressingly insipid blande beers that are now contaminating 'real ale' pubs everywhere you look.....

My rule is, if it has a stupid name and/or logo, don't touch it - eg "Norrie's Nurdle Knocker" is likely p155 (I made that one up, BTW)

rolf_f

DavidBelcher wrote:

It's flavour rather than ABV that defines a mild - as well as often being darker (not exclusively though, e.g. Timothy Taylor's Golden Best) they tend to be less hoppy beers; Dad's local sells a darkish mild from Black Country Ales called Pig on the Wall, weighing in at a fairly meaty 4.2%. Good beer though.

David

I have only noticed strong milds in the last few years. I know that long ago Mild, like other beers, was much stronger but until very recently Mild was always about 3.5% give or take a bit.

DavidBelcher

Rolf F wrote:

DavidBelcher wrote:

It's flavour rather than ABV that defines a mild - as well as often being darker (not exclusively though, e.g. Timothy Taylor's Golden Best) they tend to be less hoppy beers; Dad's local sells a darkish mild from Black Country Ales called Pig on the Wall, weighing in at a fairly meaty 4.2%. Good beer though.

David

I have only noticed strong milds in the last few years. I know that long ago Mild, like other beers, was much stronger but until very recently Mild was always about 3.5% give or take a bit.

There used to be a Marston's beer years ago called Merrie Monk which was a strong (~4.5%) mild - basically a darker version of Pedigree with the recipe tweaked a bit. Dunno if they still brew it though.

David

simonhead

Been drinking Portobello Star, Longwood 49er and a pint of golden sheep this evening. All very drinkable.