I feel like it's been a while since I posted last, of course it hasn't been, it was only yesterday, but the Welsh beer festival post was a re-hash of a previous post that had the final details on it. So what have I missed? well I missed Fridays big story, that is to say I knew it was happening but was too ill to attend or even want to attend. The launch of the world's strongest beer would usually have got me out of the house, especially when it was launched above my bar but this time it felt different, tainted somehow. I was bored by the whole thing by the time the day came around. I have a lot of time for the Brewdog guys, they're nice folks who make good beer but their marketing really leaves something to be desired sometimes.
Apparently Sink the Bismark(shite name boys, and that's all I'll say on THAT matter) was five months in the making but it just happened to be released a matter of weeks after the Tactical Nuclear Penguin had been 'bombed' off the top spot of the worlds strongest beer by the German brewer Schorschbrau with their 40% beer Schorschbock, so as much as people wanted a 'bock-off' there would be no childish one-upmanship this time, it just felt like it.
Earlier in the week I was lucky enough to have a couple of snifters of the Pliny the Younger from those Russian River beer gods. Now this is a beer that gets hype every year, it's a once a year release and this year it sold out at the brewery tap in a matter of hours. Is it worth the hype? you bet your fucking ass it is! It's like stuffing hops up your nose, into your mouth and hoping to hell that no one in the room lights a match. I'm more of a fan of Pliny the Elder but the younger is still a winner every time.
We, Rich Dinwoodie and I, also had a meeting on Monday with Jeff and Jason from Lovibonds Brewery in Henley, they make a range of spectacular beers with the Centennial hopped IPA currently being my favourite closely followed by the smokey, rich but absolutely drinkable Dark, there's also the Sour Grapes, a beer they brewed by mistake one time that just happened to turn out to be a fantastic beer.
All in all it's been a decent week at The Rake and an exciting one in the general beer world, so why the malaise? illness? maybe, over-hyped? probably, tiredness? definitely. It's all a bit much today so I'm off for lunch at a friends house with his brother and their significant others, and I'm on a day out of the beer world as of now.
4 comments:
Yes, I generally agree with your points on BrewDog. Who's to say there won't be another "world's strongest beer" along in a few months? We've already had beers with allegedly super-high levels of IBUs from Pitstop and Mikeller that only a machine can measure, so I wonder what's the point of brewing if you only want to be the biggest this or that? The Pliny was a nice time-out from such spoogery.
A malaise? Dunno, but I recommend joining one of those fantastic ticker sites. You can join in a debate on what's in your fridge, and that will renooberate your beer-fibbricles! ;-)
Hey Glyn, it was great to meet you guys the other day too. That was quite a session for a Tuesday!
Thanks for all the great beer! Keep up the good work and we'll talk to you again soon.
was it tuesday Jeff? I don't remember the day, just the beers and the good company. Speak to you soon!
I can't believe I travelled all the way to California to drink some Younger (that wasn't the ONLY reason...) and managed 4oz. You stay at home and get brought a growler, you bugger :) I'm with you though, give me Elder any day, that's a super beer.
The Lovibonds Sour Grapes is a great beer and I want to try that Centennial IPA, it's one of my favourite hops. May we be seeing a Lovibonds tap in the future? I hope so.
Post a Comment