Beer

[johan]

OK, run and hide, folks, I'm about to post to the journal.

Inspired by something I read on the big web thingy, I decided to log the different beers I drink during a year. Ideally, I'd also make some rudimentary tasting comments about them, but that's a lot of work and although ultimately satisfying, I don't like to have to think and analyse everything I drink with respect to smell, colour, bitterness, and sweetness during the different phases of drinking. And my palate is quite ordinary, I'm not a supertaster.

Here goes the first month:

Lindemans Apple
Traquair Bear Ale
Samuel Adams Black Lager
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
La Cidraie (yeah, ciders are included in this log)
Nøgne Ø God Påske
Slottskällans Imperial Stout
Jever
Timmermans Kriek
Newcastle Brown Ale
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Old Speckled Hen
Pilsner Urquell 3.5% ABV
Pilsner Urquell 4.4% ABV
Primator Premium Dark
Pumpviken Påsköl
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
Nørrebro Skärgaards Porter
Oppigårds Easter Ale
Oppigårds Spring Ale
Great Divide Titan IPA
Michigan Wheatland
Williams Black
Williams Gold
Young's Double Chocolate Stout

A few comments:

The easiest ones, the ones that just went down the throat and made me happy without being complex or challenging were the Michigan Wheatland and, surprisingly enough, the golden ale Williams Gold. That one was much better than I thought it would be. Timmerman's kriek is really boring; just sweetness and glue. Why on earth do Systembolaget not replace it with a decent kriek? And Oppigård continue to make yummy beers.

Comments

[feorag.livejournal.com]

I've been keeping records this year, in the guise of taking beer scores for the local CAMRA branch -- the scores are averaged out to help determine which pubs are considered for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide.

It doesn't half make me look a lush! Even if I note that some of the beers are just a taster of the one my friend was drinking, it's a lot of beer. And the list doesn't note when I spent an entire evening on one beer, beers drunk outwith the branch area, beers that are not real ale (mostly German Weizens) or bottled beer.

A decent kriek has now become very difficult to find with the demise of Leifmans. One or two of the specialist off licences have the Cantillion and Frank Boon ones, but nothing has hit the pubs yet. Also, the Leifmans was pretty much unique, being based on a brown ale, not a gueuze.

[jophan.livejournal.com]

I used to be a fanatic devotee of Liefman's gueuze, so the news that they were closing down really made me sad. But the monopoly here haven't sold any other krieks than Timmermans for years now, so that's not the reason.

To put a beer on the list, I stick to the rule that I must have drunk at least five fl oz worth of it.

Do you know if there will be any real ale in Orbital's bar? I can't remember if I've read anything about it.

[feorag.livejournal.com]

Do you know if there will be any real ale in Orbital's bar? I can't remember if I've read anything about it.

Someone in the pub last night mentioned the existence of such a thing, and I will be dreadfully upset and surprised if there isn't one. Ask on orbital_2008?

[jlms.livejournal.com]

http://www.orbital2008.org/hotel.html

"We will have Real Ale in the con bar, and there will be mushrooms for breakfast."

[bara-fantasier.livejournal.com]

Åh, vad tyckte du om Young's Double Chocolate Stout? Jag drack den häromveckan, ty jag har ett ambitiöst projekt att prova mig igenom V-Dalapubens ölkyl. Men jag måste säga att jag föredrar t ex Hobgoblin.

Och hur är egentligen Old Speckled Hen? Jag har varit sugen många gånger, mest för namnets skull.

[jophan.livejournal.com]

Jag är väldigt förtjust i chokladstouten. Den är inte särskilt spännande och hade gärna fått vara mer komplex och lite beskare, men den är lättdrucken, fyllig och jag gillar verkligen den tydliga smaken av kakao i bakgrunden. Den är en av mina favoriter om jag bara vill ha något smaskigt och lättdrucket.

Old Speckled Hen är precis samma typ som Hobgoblin, fast elegantare, något beskare och stramare. Mer balanserad. Jag är inte särskilt imponerad av Hobgoblin, så det är inte säkert att du skulle hålla med mig. Men testa den! Gillar man brittisk ale så är det en höjdare, kanske den bästa som går att få tag på på flaska ur Systemet standardsortiment.

[time-freak.livejournal.com]

I would love to try the sam adams black lager. You tried all those beers in one month?? Go you.

[mainfisch.livejournal.com]

Jever. I grew up with that brew. :-)