Gourmet Beer

the_rook

Any beer connoisseurs out there? The last time I was in Belgium I was about 15 and couldn't really appreciate what they had to offer, I was still in the quantity over quality disposition.

Could someone recommend some beers and the offlicense where they are available? I don't really like lager in general, I much prefer ale but my experience of beer is really what you find in the typical irish pubs - Guinness/Murphys/Beamish, Miller/Bud/Heino/Harp/Coors/Carlsberg etc./ Smithwicks/Bass/Kilkenny.

I've tasted some of the ales from Maguires and Porterhouse, I'm not mad about them. Also some of the Australian beers from the Wool Shed whos name escapes me.

Any my point is, any one want to recommend some beers they enjoy drinking and maybe I'll try a few and see if I can find something I like.

Blub2k4

start with the best beer in the world, Budwar, you can find it in most off-license these days.
Staropramen is another great czech pils.
Warsteiner is available in Obriens at the moment. at 1 euro a 333ml bottle this is hard to beat.
I find Stella Artois to be a good easy drinking lager, available in most offies these days.
If you like something with a bit of kick and heavy on taste then go for the likes of Duval from Belgium.

Rule #1 is always bottles, beer from a can is not beer, unless it is guinness draught which is surprisingly good.

whiskeyman

the_rook wrote:

I've tasted some of the ales from Maguires and Porterhouse, I'm not mad about them.

The PorterHouse serve a lot of Belgian beers (mostly all bottled) and a whole range from around the world.
A lot of off-licences (even Tesco and Spars) are getting in on the act and are selling foreign beers such is the demand. (sophistication on our part, and the huge number of foreigners now living here).
I've noticed a few Russian beers here too... quite tasty... the name escapes me at the moment. Dark brown bottle with blue label.
Hoegarrden is still a favourite of mine after a trip to Belgium a few years ago... and its sold on tap (with the proper glass) in a few pubs in Dublin.

Happy drinking! (sensibly of course )

paconnors

i remember once drinking two types of ale they were called

1. the sheep shagger
2. the dogs bolix

Kingp35

mikegannon wrote:

[*]the dogs bolix

Yeah I had that one before myself, it was quite nice as well although the name would kind of turn you off.

Look at the Weissbeer thread plenty of good recommendations in there. I personally love a good Weissbeer. Recommend you give it a try.

Bateman

For me, I still think you can't beat the proper Stella; ie the stuff served in the Porterhouse, with the foil cap seal, and not the Interbrew (brewed in Luton) stuff you get in the pubs / off licences.

Nastro Azzuro (Blue Ribbon), the Italian flagship beer, is also quality.

Sarky

First of all, huzzah for the new forum. Kudos to Ms./Mrs. Ajackdaniels.

I'm assuming you're Dublin-based, so I can't help with offlicences. However...

I highly recommend a Belgian beer called Kwak. It's amber, about 8%, and is ideally served in one of the coolest glasses in the history of mankind. It's really smooth and tasty, and goes down a lot more easily than any other strong beer I've tried. Cost me about €4.50 in the local pub in Galway, offlicence prices are doubtless lower...

The Delerium Tremens and Nocturnum (sp?) beers are tasty too. And they have pictures of pink elephants and crocodiles with sunglasses onthe front.

paconnors

Sarky wrote:

Cost me about €4.50 in the local pub in Galway,

Do You mind me askin what pub can you purchase it in Galway??

Sarky

Bierhaus, Dominic St. You've never been? You should, they have something like 40 different beers on the menu...

If you have been, and they don't have it, they just ran out. They don't get a lot of it in, and it's quite popular...

Karl Hungus

Ah... Time for me to shine. As a drinker of such fine beverages when I can afford it, I'll let you know what's what.

Duvel is a great Golden Ale to start with, nice crisp taste and it's 8.5% but you wouldn't know it. Leffe is one of the tastiest of the Belgian Trappist beers, quite sweet and a bit of an aftertaste of honey. Hoegaarden is one you can seem to get everywhere, but it's still quite a good beer, it's bitter, fruity and really tasty, personally a favourite of mine to drink on a hot summer day. La Chouffe is quite a fine beer altogether, and it's almost like champagne. For those in Galway you can get a 750ml bottle in the Bierhaus for €10. Chimay is another Trappist beer that comes in 3 different varieties, all of them very tasty, but my personal preference is either the White of Blue bottle, or if you can find it, the Chimay Grande Reserve which comes in a magnum bottle. Delerium Tremens and Delerium Nocturnum are excellent beers, with a rather fruity taste. Well recommended.

Hope that helps you get started.

Kinetic^

Bulmers

Karl Hungus

Keyser Soze 69 wrote:

Bulmers

Oh yes, because Bulmers is a beer now.

Kinetic^

Karl Hungus wrote:

Oh yes, because Bulmers is a beer now.

No its not silly!!! :rolleyes:

Karl Hungus

Right... So that's why you posted it in a thread about beer?

Well, any Galway lads up for joining my Bierhaus raiding party? I think it could be arranged for the coming month.