The Bar Towel

Some further thoughts: I recall tasting around 1980 some of the keg beers then available in England. I think by then Red Barrel has been taken off the domestic market but others were available (and still are) which gave an idea of the character. If you put, say, the keg version of Bass next to the r...

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend this event. However, and regardless whether a cask breather is used for the real ale, I am not surprised there is not a large difference in the taste of each pair of beers. Yes, some tasters have reported differences and I have noted these, but overall my sense...

In what form will the Chiswick be available?

Gary

The New Yorker has shown occasional interest in good beer before. I think Corby Cummer had a piece once on Belgian beer and there may have been others on particular aspects of good beer and its links with gastronomy. This current article is impressive for its accurate survey of the modern craft beer...

I agree re Traquair but I find Belhaven's Scotch Ale a mite dry for the style - or for my taste, rather. I agree with the comment re John Smith's but the current MacEwan's is really a cut much above. I wonder how they get the smoky taste (all the Scotch ales mentioned have it). I don't think the mal...

This 8% ABV classic strong Scotch ale is tasting better than ever. In the past, while never a bad beer, I thought I could detect use of brewing sugars or other adjunct. The current version seems all-malt or close. It has a rounded malty and sweet palate edged with good metallic-like hopping. It has ...

The story of what India Pale Ale was originally like is complex, entertaining, revealing, and yet still full of mystery or rather imponderables. Noted beer authors such as Martyn Cornell and Pete Brown have investigated the style and added significantly in my view to the knowledge previously availab...

We've had many stimulating discussions about this. I'll open another thread to pursue.

Gary

I agree about the Erdinger. Michael Jackson states in his Beer Compansion text that the brewery uses wheat with an unusually low protein content and this contributes to the "delicacy" of the beer (some would say blandness). Therefore, while I am sure Erdinger uses at least 50% wheat in its...

Cask ales that drop bright and taste like beers in England. While I enjoy beers using North American hops, we need more cask beers IMO that have the estery, rounded flavours of the best English beers.

Gary

I find this quite similar to the IPA, a tad softer maybe but with the same structure.

Gary

Thanks Cass. I know that blending beers strikes some as odd and fine, if it doesn't suit them they shouldn't do it. I just don't see how this is different though from making a gin and tonic, or martini, or three threads as I mentioned (or half and half and the countless other pub mixtures seen in En...

Oh there is no disrespect of brewers: I have the greatest respect for them, whether sampling their wares as such or sometimes combining them. It's the old three threads approach...

Gary

Excellent rich stout which has been quite consistent over the years. I find the Sam Smith approach to brewing best exemplified in this beer with its appetizing yeast background and big malt and hop flavour. Sets the standard and then some for fine strong stout.

Gary

This is from the holiday gift pack. A good round tangy beer, with some of the St. Peter's markers but brought to a higher amperage. It reminded me quite a bit of the late lamented Ballantine India Pale Ale of the 1970's and 1980's. It has quite an individualist palate and in the end I enjoyed it, in...