1st April 2013

So it was Easter, which meant that Monday was a day off work, which meant that my internal calendar went haywire and I had no idea what day of the week it was, so I forgot to write my blog. Yesterday I was just lazy, no excuses.

Old Empire (England)

Saturday evening, I'm at home drinking this. Pen and paper at the ready to write some brilliant literature about a great British beer. Except that doesn't happen. I can't think of anything to write other that I like the beer, but there's just nothing that excites me about it. Apparently this is similar to the stuff that they used to serve a century ago in the "Old Empire". One bonus it gets is that it reminded me that I should watch more cricket, since the brewery sponsors the England cricket team. I guess that advertising in reverse.

Coopers Best Extra Stout (Australia)

When people think of Australian beers they tend of think of some crappy lager, mentioning no names... *cough* Fosters *cough*. In fact I had no idea that the chaps down under could even brew proper beer. This, however, is one of the finest stouts I've had so far. I know I say that about every stout, but they all just taste so good. Thanks to the Aussie Bar in Helsinki for this gem.

25th March 2013

Last weekend I went to Helsinki to see an exceptionally awesome gig by Funeral for a Friend, my most favourite band ever. If you've never heard of them check them out, just don't blame me if you don't like it.

And as you may have noticed there was no blog last week. This was due to me being bed-ridden with a debilitating fever. I'm much better now, and I'm feeling generous, so I decided to give you two beers this week to make up for it.

Rodenbach Grand Cru (Belgium)

This is one of those beers I just don't get, and neither could the three friends who also tried this stuff. I don't know if it's supposed to taste like that, but if it is, then who the hell orders this stuff? The book says that this is a "blended" beer, and to me it tastes like they blended Dr. Pepper with sour milk. If you are ever thinking about attempting to tackle the "1001 beers you must try before you die", a word of advice: Save this one for last, because it might very well end you. Really disgusting.

Bikini Blonde Lager (USA)

Brewed and canned in Hawaii, I'm sure this stuff is perfect for hot days on the beach after a fortnight of surfing. Light and refreshing, and a little bit citrusy, this is definitely one of the best lagers I've had. Even though I think I drank this in December. In Finland. At least it took my mind to warmer climes.

11th March 2013

So, the football game didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to, as Barnsley were twatted 5-0 by Manchester City. But you can't will them all, hell, we can't even win a few. Still nice to drink some nice beer to help you forget your pain.

Bintang (Indonesia)

The name Bintang doesn't really work very well in English. It brings to mind a sour taste you would find in your rubbish. And I'll be honest, after having a couple of Asian beers that didn't have much flavour, I wasn't expecting much from this. But I can happily report that I was pleasantly surprised. It was strong, yet fresh and a little bit fruity... a bit like this gif of Jean-Claude Van Damme...

4th March 2013

As fans of my Facebook page might know, last week I moved house. So I had many more things to do that to write about beer. Granted it only takes about 15 minutes, but I thought the 15 minutes would be better spent wrapping plates in newspaper as if it's going to offer any protection when I drop the whole box.

Grottenbier (Belgium)

Grottenbier sounds a little bit pornographic, although once the yeasty smell hits your nose you'll be thinking about non-pornographic things. It smelled a bit like unbaked bread, and that's a little bit how it tasted too. Imagine you've taken a bit bite of your favourite wholegrain and chewed on it for a few minutes. You are now imagining the taste of Grottenbier. I'm probably not doing it any favours, because I'm making it sound disgusting when it really isn't. And it did look like severely muddy water.

So in conclusion:

Looks: dirty

Tastes: bready

Sounds: Pornographic

Add all these things and it's a winner. It shouldn't be. But it is.

18th February 2013

I had a damn good reason to celebrate this weekend. My favourite football team, Barnsley FC, made it to the quarter finals of the FA Cup. Might not seem like much, and any non-British readers might not have a clue what I'm talking about, but it's still cause for a celebration for me.

Black Albert (Belgium)

It's hard to believe that you're drinking beer with this stuff. It tastes more like a red wine that a beer. There's a definite sweetness which I've never noticed in a beer before. That sweetness can be explained with a close inspection of that there picture. There you will see the list of ingredients, and the final one is "candy". Doesn't say which kind of candy it is, which is a little bit perturbing. And it certainly doesn't mean it's suitable for children. At 13% this will give you the same kick in the head that red wine will. Enjoy in moderation, because everyone knows that red wine hangovers are the worst.

And I know what you're all thinking, but don't worry... I've already had a haircut.

11th February 2012

At the pub last week was a beer theme. That theme was dark beer. Stouts and porters aplenty. Luckily for me, a couple of them were in my book. And here's one of them...

Founders Breakfast Stout (USA)

The glass was passed around the table and everyone gave their input. "Like licking the bottom of an engine" was one comment. I don't know from where he drew the comparison, but it must have been a very nice engine that he'd licked the bottom of. 

Double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout it says on the bottle, so that explains the breakfasty name, I guess, although I'm not sure about chocolate for breakfast. I'm also not sure that my boss would appreciate me drinking this for my breakfast either. Although it would be a handy excuse to avoid working with heavy machinery. 

This 8.3% beer has just the right strength and bitterness to keep me very interested, while safe in the knowledge that my missus won't steal it. Because she's not going to like it.

4th February 2013

So January is over, and now I can drink again. Technically I could still drink during January but I chose not to and I'm quite proud of the achievement. But to be honest, I missed sitting down on a Friday evening after work with a carefully chosen bottle of some wonderful craft beer. Let the good times roll from now on.

Duvel (Belgium)

I wanted my first beer after my self-inflicted prohibition to be something a bit special. This ticked all the boxes for everything I wanted to drink, strong, pale and fresh. It seems to be quite a popular choice too, at least among the people on Twitter, and it's easy to see why. The strength (9.5%) is well hidden, which could be dangerous if you're not careful. But this would be a good starter beer for those who are only comfortable drinking lager, but would like to become a bit more adventurous with beer. For example women and children. The taste isn't overly powerful, but several times better than that can of Carlsberg you're holding.