What are we drinking this weekend?

Lagers: Bitburger. Staropramen. 77.
IPAs: Firestone Walker Union Jack, Brewdog Hello My Name Is Beastie.
Other: Alesmith X and Speedway Stout.
Now: cheap white wine from M&S
Later: bombers of Punk. (Zimbo: Sainsbury's, bottled mid-August)

For a brewer's leaving do, we were remarkably restrained. Although I can't vouch for what's happening at the Marquis of Granby right now.

Here's a taste of earlier shenanigans:

Kicking off with the good stuff, a mini bottle of St. Omer Export.

Like taking a bite into a cinnamon pastry that then mysteriously disappears
more peculiar than ... You can guess the rest.

4 pints up the local tonight. 2 x Longdog Golden Poacher, 2 x Dark Star - Hophead. Both in top nick. De-crafted for the day

Cains double bock and pork bangers.
The beer is okay but the Dragon Heart brown ale was much more enjoyable.

A Shepherd Neame Spooks Ale, which I personally think is a phenomenally great brown ale given that it's a Halloween novelty ale. Now a Manchester Star Ale and then some Tesco DIPA....

The St. Omer was actually OK (for a macro). I've also finished a Greene King Reserve IPA (not bad).

I'm now on Alvinne's Morpheus Extra. Not sure what to make of this one - yeasty....

MOAR DIPA PLZ KTHXBAI

Alright, just sank a Mikkeller Koppi Coffee IPA. In a word - superb. I'd have it again in a heartbeat - if you like coffee then grab this beer.....

Drinking Marble Dobber like a bastard.

Off to Branston, a jewel of a village not far from Granby.A mini beer festival (but this is after all a village of under 200) at the Wheel Inn, lovely place. Began with a Belvoir Star (an old favourite, a clone of the much missed Shipstone's Bitter) then on to Blue Monkey BG Sips (lovely, great new brewery) and then Brewster's Young Guns which at 5.1% is amazing for its gravity. Unlike some brewers who brew relatively bland high gravity beers which I've mentioned earlier. As I was driving it was back to a gratis Belvoir Star to finish off.Thankfully the roads back were traffic free

Yesterday: DESCHUTES Abyss - 2010 (shared). Marshal Zhukov last night..all mine. Today. Green Flash west coast IPA - with slo cooked BBQ today for lunch. Tonight..another Marshal awaits. Cheers...Ryder cup..go USA!

Why the corpse paint, if I may ask?

Cascade Apricot Ale, and it's a top notch, not unusual for the brewery, sour Ale.

Query, are there any UK brewers doing the sour thing?

Deconstruction Ale from Odell. An American Wild that left me wanting. Not at all my cup of tea. Especially after drinking their The Meddler...

Williams Impale ale. Nice & fresh.

Done with beers for the weekend. Borefts Beer Festival 2012 was awesome






Erm, yes... not sure where that last one came from.

Arbor Ales Pacific Pale Ale. Yummy.

Need to watch out for those Punk Bombers at Sainsbos. On the up side though I've been drinking outrageously fresh punk for weeks now. My weekly Friday bottle was bottled something like 9 days ago.

Oh my.

Arbor ales are superb - I've loved everything of theirs that I've tried.

Currently sipping on a Boston lager.....

Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown. Trying to get my wife to drink the other half of my 750. If she passes I may offer it to my kitchen sink drain.

No !!! which is a shame !

There are, actually. (Well one) Brodies just did a London Sour, which I've heard mixed things about (you have to get it really fresh, apparently), but managed to miss every time it went on tap. Not sure if they plan to bottle it. There are a few other UK brewers that consistently make sour beers, however this is sadly not by design.

This weekend I had Surly Furious, Surly Fest, New Belgium Abbey and of course the mighty Pumking!

Unfortunately, UK-produced sours are extremely rare. A pity, as I like the style - I'm sure the market would be there if a brewer would step up.

The only one that comes to mind is a recent release from the Durham brewery - Diabolus (sour imp). I've got one but haven't tried it yet. I believe the label says something like 'brewed with lambic yeast' (?) - make of that what you will. I'll try and review it sooner rather than later.....

In other news, I'm just finishing a Rewired Brown ale from 8-Wired - tasty stuff (even if it is out of date).

Um, drinking the nearest bottle of fucking great red wine that comes to hand as Yerp monster USA to another Ryder Cup.

Just don't let me see the label tomorrow morning. Please.

Just finished Barney's Papua Coffee Porter - it's all coffee.....great if you love coffee.

Now rounding off the night with a Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

Can someone get Scoops this for Christmas?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stella-Ar..._Alarmclocks&hash=item4abcab1222#ht_500wt_922

Courtesy of me Julie.

Leaving party for a mate who's off to Australia. He's black metal, so we had a zombie metal beach party.

Like you do.

You know that thing where you drink too much, pass out, come round and start drinking again?

That.

The only reason I didn't paint my face blue with yellow stars last night was total and utter physical incapability.

Hmmm. Might be that BCBS 2009 I've been meaning to drink. Or a 2007 Fuller's Vintage. Can't decide

Go big or go home!

I've just cracked a Banks Caribbean lager - one sip in and I can already tell it will be crap.....

Finallly had that Fullers Vintage 2007 tonight. Holy mother of God was it a jizzfest.

Will I top the 2007 in the near future?
A bomber of Firestone Double Jack will tell tonight.

The 1999 vintage was too much for me. It was all stale dried plums. Maybe I just don't like aged beers too much, should probably get round to cracking the older bottles I have.

My dad has just got back from St. Ives Cornwall and has just dropped off the usual fudge and Cornish Pasties but also
bottle conditioned

SPINGO

Middle and Special.

Oh the found memories of the Blue Anchor in Helston and watching the beer brewed as as boy.
Seeing the copper cornucopia and smelling the brewers mash.

Guessing thats the one I slipped you?

I've had 4 '99's this year.

One was top draw 9/10, one a 7/10, one a 6/10 and one had gone and was drain poured.

The risk you take with 14 year old brews!

Had a 2000 last weekend, it was excellent!

Yep, beer that old is a risk. IMHO many BAs see beer too much like wine in their expectations of how it will age. Three to five years is usually my max though there are a small number of noticable exceptions.
Not long till that bomber is mine...

Haven't had that since I don't know when. You lucky dog. Enjoy.