What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

Macy0161

BeerNut wrote: »

ALD IPA isn't one of their own brands, and it's pretty good too.

Made specially for Aldi, so is it really different to the Station Works and Carlow Brewing beers? I'll file the others in the "only when you're hammered and desperate" section of the stash though.

BeerNut

Beanstalk wrote: »

haven't tried the Memphis Blvd, don't really want to, Elvis Juice has lost its charm for me since they dialled down the bitterness a couple of years ago.

The good news is that it's nothing like Elvis Juice...

Macy0161 wrote: »

Made specially for Aldi, so is it really different to the Station Works and Carlow Brewing beers?

ALD IPA was not made especially for Aldi.

youcancallmeal

BeerNut wrote: »

Anti-Establishment and Memphis Blvd are both awful, I thought.

Anti-Establishment I would agree is awful but Memphis Blvd I actually like more than Elvis Juice. I wouldn't drink a load of them together but it's a nice break between other heavier beers. Interestingly Whenever I'm in my local Aldi there always seems to be loads of Anti-Establishment but little or no Memphis Blvd on the shelf

Macy0161

BeerNut wrote: »

ALD IPA was not made especially for Aldi.

I stand corrected!

BonnieSituation

So December 1st is upon us meaning I finally get to open Mikkeller's box of joy:



Mikkeler Kölsch it is!

Tom Dunne

Beer Cloud Advent Calendar day #1: Rascals Happy Days Pale Ale, 4.1%

Fruity as would be expected, but thankfully not too hoppy.

I'm generally a big fan of Rascals, so I didn't expect it to disappoint.

That’s a really nice one.

Dillonb3

Opened the Beerclub advent calendar and enjoying the O'Hara's extra Irish stout

Poorside

Mother Mac's was Wicklow Wolfs Lochavore stout, lovely one to get the ball rolling.

ciaran76

Dillonb3 wrote: »

Opened the Beerclub advent calendar and enjoying the O'Hara's extra Irish stout

Was going to keep mine but decided to open it last night too.
Really enjoyed it.

Mickeroo

Got the Martin's Off license advent calendar but not gone near it yet.

Got one for each of my two brother for Christmas too so will likely wait to open it until they have theirs after Christmas day.

I also have a white hag 12 beers of Christmas to get through that I got for myself. I'm generally a one or two beers at the weekend kind of person so I could be quite a while getting through all this :pac:

BonnieSituation

BonnieSituation wrote: »

So December 1st is upon us meaning I finally get to open Mikkeller's box of joy:



Mikkeler Kölsch it is!

On this; had myself a Mescan Lager with dinner last night. First time having one of their beers.

Have seen the reviews and thoughts about the place and was expecting good things, and I have to say I'm not at all disappointed. Delicious, crisp and clean. Loads of flavour without being overly malty. Have a couple of their Saisons there as well now that I'm looking forward to over the weekend.

The Mikkeller Kölsch was as great as I expect all of their beers to be at this stage by default. Similar to the Mescan in the clean stakes and no lingering after tastes as you can get with lesser Helles and Kölschs I find.

Very much looking forward to seeing what day 2 brings but will resist opening it up until this afternoon lest I be tempted by a boozy brunch.

Tom Dunne

Beer Cloud Advent Calendar day #2: Four Provinces "The Poddle" lager, 4%

Very pleasantly surprised with this one as I had never heard of Four Provinces before. Your crisp, very refreshing and dare I say light (in colour) lager. None of your fancy-pants hops or grapefruit aromas here.

BonnieSituation

And day 2 of Mikkeller's Advent Calendar sees us get Warpigs Christmas Cruncher DIPA:




This is a new one on me, but will report back after dinner. Still hankering after that Koelsch from last night.

Tom Dunne

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Beer Cloud Advent Calendar day #2: Four Provinces "The Poddle" lager, 4%

Very pleasantly surprised with this one as I had never heard of Four Provinces before. Your crisp, very refreshing and dare I say light (in colour) lager. None of your fancy-pants hops or grapefruit aromas here.

Check out some more of their stuff, one of the best around. Only thing I don’t like is the small cans.

baron von something

Brewdog advent calendar day 2 - JetStream transatlantic pale ale. It's the one they have on BA flights

Pen Rua

baron von something wrote: »

Brewdog advent calendar day 2 - JetStream transatlantic pale ale. It's the one they have on BA flights

One way to get rid of that stock. :pac:

overthebridge

Poorside wrote: »

Mother Mac's was Wicklow Wolfs Lochavore stout, lovely one to get the ball rolling.

Agreed on that. A very nice stout. I seen a couple of different beers being tweeted last night for the 2nd beer so I'd have
to assume the packs are not all the same from here on ?

My 2nd beer was Red Noir by Yellowbelly. It's a dark red ale. It was pretty good actually. Very easy to drink.
I'll keep an eye for it in future.

dominatinMC

overthebridge wrote: »

Agreed on that. A very nice stout. I seen a couple of different beers being tweeted last night for the 2nd beer so I'd have
to assume the packs are not all the same from here on ?

My 2nd beer was Red Noir by Yellowbelly. It's a dark red ale. It was pretty good actually. Very easy to drink.
I'll keep an eye for it in future.

I would have assumed all the boxes from Mother Macs were the same? My second beer was also Red Noir, usually not a fan of red ales but it was nice enough, probably wouldn't buy it though. The first beer (stout by Wicklow Wold) was savage!

Insect Overlord

Red Noir was definitely under door number 2 for me. Maybe someone opened the wrong slot? I'm opening it all up day by day, but trying to save the beers for the weekend. It's testing my willpower.

dominatinMC

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Red Noir was definitely under door number 2 for me. Maybe someone opened the wrong slot? I'm opening it all up day by day, but trying to save the beers for the weekend. It's testing my willpower.

Fair play, I wouldn't have the willpower for that! Kind of a nice novelty too to have a different beer each evening after work

overthebridge

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Red Noir was definitely under door number 2 for me. Maybe someone opened the wrong slot? I'm opening it all up day by day, but trying to save the beers for the weekend. It's testing my willpower.

I thought they'd all have been the same too but see tweet below.

https://twitter.com/johnfino72/status/1334242264135200769?s=19

Lurching

I really missed out this year.
It's the 3rd Dec and I haven't even ordered a calendar yet.

Does anyone know which ones are still available?
I'd love the Mikkeller one, but it doesn't look like it's on their website any more.

BonnieSituation

I can't recommend the Mikkeller one high enough and we're only on Day 3.

---



Day 3: Mikkeller Spontan Cherry Sour Ale (7.2%)

Cherry.

Sour.

Could not be more up my street. Will be holding onto it though for a special occasion.

Pen Rua

BonnieSituation wrote: »

I can't recommend the Mikkeller one high enough and we're only on Day 3.

---



Day 3: Mikkeller Spontan Cherry Sour Ale (7.2%)

Cherry.

Sour.

Could not be more up my street. Will be holding onto it though for a special occasion.

Are there any sour and/or cherry beers normally available worth picking up? I've had some in the past and not been super into them, but maybe that's just because I've had bad ones.

BonnieSituation

Pen Rua wrote: »

Are there any sour and/or cherry beers normally available worth picking up? I've had some in the past and not been super into them, but maybe that's just because I've had bad ones.

Well, I would say yes. But I love them.

It's been a rare (to the point of zero) occasion that I've drank a sour ale, Berliner Weisse, Lambic, Geuze/Gose or Saison and not been in thrall afterwards

What have you had before to give me an idea?

---

Easily available ones anyway would be any of the White Hag Púca Sours which like most WH stuff are pretty consistent and tasty.

https://www.thewhitehag.com/range_categories/sour-range/

Lindemans are cracking for lambics.

Boon Oude Kriek is great stuff as well.

Omnipollo's Cherry Pulp sour is my favourite I've ever had. But it's a prick to find. I have 2 here stashed away for a special occasion.

And Special mention to White Hag's In Cahoots colab with Bodytonic/Beertonic which has become my white whale beer. They WILL make it again.

Have a gander through here:
https://martinsofflicence.ie/collections/sour-beer

Pen Rua

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Well, I would say yes. But I love them.

It's been a rare (to the point of zero) occasion that I've drank a sour ale, Berliner Weisse, Lambic, Geuze/Gose or Saison and not been in thrall afterwards

What have you had before to give me an idea?

---

Easily available ones anyway would be any of the White Hag Púca Sours which like most WH stuff are pretty consistent and tasty.

https://www.thewhitehag.com/range_categories/sour-range/

I can't remember tbh - it was in Belgium a good few years ago. I remember a kriek, but couldn't tell you more than that.

WH is in the 4 for €10 in Bradley's - good to know. I've often glanced over them, but need something to add to the rotation that isn't more IPAs.

BonnieSituation

Pen Rua wrote: »

I can't remember tbh - it was in Belgium a good few years ago. I remember a kriek, but couldn't tell you more than that.

WH is in the 4 for €10 in Bradley's - good to know. I've often glanced over them, but need something to add to the rotation that isn't more IPAs.

Pick up some of them you can't go wrong for a tenner and when you're there look out for Lervig, Omnipollo and Mikkeller sours and Berliner Weisses. You won't go wrong, even if they are a pretty penny. But definitely worth the risk. Trust me.

I'll root out what I have in the pantry later and post them up as recommendations.

randomname2005

BonnieSituation wrote: »

I can't recommend the Mikkeller one high enough and we're only on Day 3.

---



Day 3: Mikkeller Spontan Cherry Sour Ale (7.2%)

Cherry.

Sour.

Could not be more up my street. Will be holding onto it though for a special occasion.

I wonder where it was sourced from, lucky if it got through customs in Ireland.

Tom Dunne

Beer Cloud Advent Calendar day #3: Black's Brewery, Kinsale, Ace of Haze, 4.2%

Hoppy to the nose, very fruity. Cloudy in the glass. On the palate, nowhere near as fruity or hoppy as I expected, somewhat sharp and sour. Very interesting, would definitely try it again.