Beer!

[ian]

Saison à la Provision. Burning Sky. Awesome. Very Belgish.

One of my favourite breweries. I have a Pretty Mess IPA cooling in the fridge and a Burial Vault. If my pizza dough doesn't hurry up and prove, I might have to drink them.

Their cuvée is rather splendid too.

I also have two cans of Even More Jesus, but I'm not nearly ready for that, plus it will make me sad for Bible Belt (barrel aged Even More Jesus) which I can't currently find. And that's awesome^∞. Though Pirate Noir is awesome^∞+1.

[ElyDave]

westmalle dubbel on sale in waitrose at the moment, plus Leffe Blonde at 4 for £4

[ian]

I have thusly acquired a large bottle of Burning Sky Saison Anniversaire and a large bottle of Saison Reserve.

I wish it wasn't a school night.

[Hot Flatus]

They have been having Burning Sky on a lot at the Alehouse in town, I see from their facebook page.

Bodes well. It's my day off tomorrow...

[lahoski]

It might not be the *most* exciting thing in the world. But we have a Brewdog in Oxford now and I, hipster that I am, seem to be finding plenty of excuses to go there.

Especially when they open on a Sunday and serve brunch.

[menthel]

I have been drinking some St Austell Sayzon. Its not quite a farmyardy as a real Saison but its very refreshing.

Also been trying out the local brews from Park Brewery which are rather nice.

[Pingu]

IMG_9645_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Hot Flatus]

[ian]

For those who like the malt rather than the hops to the fore, I can recommend the rather splendid Brighton Bier's Downtown Charlie Brown. But you're not having mine as I'm drinking it.

ETA: my chief smutology advisor tells me that 'Downtown Charlie Brown' is slang for oral sex. I swear most of this is made up. As a once-upon-a-time literary pornographer-in-chief (erotica, dear), I made up all kinds of sex things. I possibly know more synonyms for 'erection' than any person alive. It occasionally comes in useful.

[Hot Flatus]

You seem like the sort of person who may have been caught doing a 'Brown Derby, in public.

[ian]

It's the only dessert to follow a big Bender-in-a-Bun.

Apropos of nothing (there I go again), Wimpy was the first and only restaurant I went to before I was 18. Once a year, during Christmas shopping.

Alas, post eighteen I ventured out the into the world and discovered Berni Steakhouse. It was gateway to a world of Little Chefs and Harvesters.

This is why I'm the classiest and most sophisticated person here.

[ian]

I've probably not promoted Burning Sky enough, but as I've not yet quaffed the Reserve and Anniversaire (I sadly have to wait for my beloved to be in the same country and at the same time*), I have a Saison Automne in front of me and it's rather spiffing.

I made the mistake of looking at RateBeer earlier. What a bunch of knobs. It's all that tastes of goat leather and foraged grass nonsense. Fuck off back to the wine snobbery world.

*she did text me last week to say he was five miles and one airport security perimeter away.

[Jaded]

I've probably not promoted Burning Sky enough, but as I've not yet quaffed the Reserve and Anniversaire (I sadly have to wait for my beloved to be in the same country and at the same time*), I have a Saison Automne in front of me and it's rather spiffing.

I made the mistake of looking at RateBeer earlier. What a bunch of knobs. It's all that tastes of goat leather and foraged grass nonsense. Fuck off back to the wine snobbery world.

*she did text me last week to say he was five miles and one airport security perimeter away.

Well, your wife is fairly understanding.

[David Martin]

I'll just leave this here...

2017-02-08_06-52-21 by The Pingus, on Flickr

If you're wondering why the choice on my side of the cupboard is a bit shit, it's because someone drank the good stuff.

I thought the Radical Road was alright at the Dundee food and flower festival. The only 'garden' festival where you have to stop tasting things because you are driving home.

[Hot Flatus]

Stroud Brewery Hazy Vermont.

Let's just say, it's the only thing I'm going to be drinking for the foreseeable future. Almost Cloudwater quality.

[ian]

Vibrant Forest's Kaleidoscope is a very good hazy IPA for Cloudwater fans. I had one the other day.

Also go for anything by Verdant, everything I'd had has been fantastic.

[ian]

Some more Saison Automne, because it is autumn and seems to go well with fireworks and the smell of a forthcoming fire brigade call out (which has just reminded me to close the window vents).

My wife is giving me a running commentary of her adventure in a Marseilles beer cave. No bats apparently. Some fantastically murky beers. I'm not sure I need pictures. I need samples.

[menthel]

A bottle of Orval (my first but not my last- a wonderful beer) and Twickenham Honeyed Mild- was a bit too sweet for my taste, the first half was enjoyable but sickly second half.

[ian]

Happy Seasons, a Cloudwater gig with a Beijing brewery. Apparently brewed with lychees. I couldn't taste them, but then I was reminded that lychees don't actually taste of anything so I shouldn't be surprised. Still, quite tasty as a pale ale but probably not worth the effort of the adding the lychees.

[Hot Flatus]

Happy Seasons, a Cloudwater gig with a Beijing brewery. Apparently brewed with lychees. I couldn't taste them, but then I was reminded that lychees don't actually taste of anything so I shouldn't be surprised. Still, quite tasty as a pale ale but probably not worth the effort of the adding the lychees.

Not true.

They taste of eyeballs.

[ElyDave]

or do eyeballs taste of lychee?

[ian]

Neither tastes of much.

Had a fabulous Northern Monk Attack on Blue Falcon blueberry IPA in the bar under Hungerford Bridge yesterday evening. Then we perambulated over the new Mother Kelly's by Vauxhall. Nice selection of beer, let down by crappy bar staff who (a) didn't know anything about the beer or (b) how to serve*. Can't say I'll be keen to repeat the experience.

*Firstly, take note of the people waiting and serve them in that order, don't just wander off and serve a random chap who just turned up. Etc. Secondly, how does it take twenty minutes to serve a three modest groups. I don't know either.

[Ham]

Yesterday due to road closed shenanigans I drove past The Pretty Decent Beer Co and - despite almost bursting into laughter with the sheet hipster quotient of the three denizens there as I walked in, I walked out with a goodly number of bottles are, well, pretty decent beer. I commend it to the house.

[menthel]

Had a 0 ending age related piss up in a brewery on Saturday. Was at By The Horns in Tooting, their beers have always differed in quality and success but the Lambeth Walk porter is always great and the lime and lemongrass flavoured Samba King has been improved to a point of now being great on tap. The stiff upper lip is also always good but I didn't have a chance to get in an Old Smoke as they don't seem to do it anymore. Was Tea Flavoured IPA that was the nectar of the gods when drunk with Fish and Chips.

[lahoski]

Last night... Redchurch In Barrels: Plums.

Cor, blimey. Pinot noir barrel-aged sour with plums. That was a bit filthy. And tasted of all of those things.