What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

Insect Overlord · 16-08-2019 09:45PM

Remember when Black's of Kinsale first released Hi-Viz? The hype was ramped right up, similar to Amber Ella from their Cork-based brethren at 8 Degrees. Beer enthusiasts spoke of quotas and limits at events like the Alltech festival.

I was still fairly new to beer back then, mostly into stouts, and couldn't really appreciate hops. I had tried Of Foam and Fury and loved it, but that may have been because I was drunk. Hoppel Hammer occasionally made its way south from White Water, Hoptimum was a rare treat from across the Atlantic, and Trouble Brewing's pale ale was still enough to blow my young mind.

Tonight I'm drinking Hi-Viz again for the first time in a long time. And I am loving it. My girlfriend just described it as "too IPA-ey". Nuff said. :cool:

CiaranMT · 16-08-2019 11:08PM

Hi Viz is a great beer. I haven't had it in years so will have to order some in next time. Can or bottle? Do they bottle it any more?

irish_goat · 17-08-2019 09:15AM

Had a can of Sierra Nevada California IPA last night. It's part of the Tesco 2x4packs for £9 (along with BrewDog, Jaipur, Fourpure) so works out good value. Really citrusy, refreshing summer pale ale. Will be picking up more.

bobbysands81 · 18-08-2019 07:15PM

irish_goat wrote: »

Had a can of Sierra Nevada California IPA last night. It's part of the Tesco 2x4packs for £9 (along with BrewDog, Jaipur, Fourpure) so works out good value. Really citrusy, refreshing summer pale ale. Will be picking up more.

Have one of these in the fridge at the moment, will crack it open in a while.

Currently supping on a Founders KBS, it really is as good as beer gets. Magnificent stuff.

Losty Dublin · 20-08-2019 12:57AM

Cracked open two bottles of Ewe Rebel by Whitewater. An IPA by name but it's more of a classic Bitter by nature. Decent and drinkable but as 7% it's not to be messed with; two is definitely my limit here.

Hotblack Desiato · 23-08-2019 09:02PM

Manager of the local Molloys told me this evening that Yellowbelly are concentrating on the draught market and pulling out of bottles / cans - seems a bit strange.

L1011 · 23-08-2019 09:08PM

I can't remember the last time I saw anything other than Citra on draught at this stage. Sounds suspect really.

Subcomandante Marcos · 23-08-2019 09:27PM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Manager of the local Molloys told me this evening that Yellowbelly are concentrating on the draught market and pulling out of bottles / cans - seems a bit strange.

They should concentrate on Brewing the same version of cirta twice in a row instead of releasing a new mediocre beer every 5 days like some sort of ADHD riddled 7 year old was allowed run a brewery.

Hotblack Desiato · 23-08-2019 09:33PM

Ironically, the one I bought tonight - Belly Dance - is the first Yellowbelly I've tried which I thought was decent, although it's a collaboration so does it count? :pac:

Subcomandante Marcos · 23-08-2019 10:23PM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Ironically, the one I bought tonight - Belly Dance - is the first Yellowbelly I've tried which I thought was decent, although it's a collaboration so does it count? :pac:

Is that the "lime sour IPA"?

If it ia thought it was drain pour tbh.

n97 mini · 23-08-2019 10:38PM

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Manager of the local Molloys told me this evening that Yellowbelly are concentrating on the draught market and pulling out of bottles / cans - seems a bit strange.

Makes no sense. Every brewery is in it for the money and the margin on cans is way bigger. Plus they have invested in a canning line.

L1011 wrote: »

I can't remember the last time I saw anything other than Citra on draught at this stage. Sounds suspect really.

They only seem to have one core beer of their own, Citra. Castaway was originally a collaboration.

ben.schlomo · 23-08-2019 10:40PM

Haven't seen anything new from them in a while. They've had some great stuff over the last few years.

Subcomandante Marcos · 23-08-2019 11:02PM

n97 mini wrote: »

Makes no sense. Every brewery is in it for the money and the margin on cans is way bigger. Plus they have invested in a canning line.

They only seem to have one core beer of their own, Citra. Castaway was originally a collaboration.

The changes to the original labels to hide all traces of the collaborators is kinda funny tbh.

RasTa · 24-08-2019 11:21AM

Lots and lots of sonoma on cask. There is no better beer

BaZmO* · 24-08-2019 10:13PM

RasTa wrote: »

Better then expected at 6.8% and well worth the £3 which is €3 at today's exchange rate. Sold out everywhere already.

£4.50 a half in the brewdog bars doesn't make much sense to me

Had one earlier. Not bad. Very much in the “off the shelf, painting by numbers” NEIPA style.

senordingdong · 25-08-2019 02:56PM

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

They should concentrate on Brewing the same version of cirta twice in a row instead of releasing a new mediocre beer every 5 days like some sort of ADHD riddled 7 year old was allowed run a brewery.

Not long now and they'll go the way of eight degrees and Galway bay.

CiaranMT · 25-08-2019 04:13PM

I don't see the link between either three?

senordingdong · 25-08-2019 05:35PM

CiaranMT wrote: »

I don't see the link between either three?

As both of them got bigger, their quality declined.

CiaranMT · 25-08-2019 05:42PM

Agreed on Eight Degrees, though their barrel aged stuff has been consistently good over the years. GBB's quality hasn't declined, quite the opposite i'd say. Yellowbelly aren't getting bigger either, they've had financial difficulties, hence the concentration on draught only for now.

senordingdong · 25-08-2019 05:45PM

CiaranMT wrote: »

they've had financial difficulties, hence the concentration on draught only for now.

What do you know that we don't?

Subcomandante Marcos · 25-08-2019 06:18PM

CiaranMT wrote: »

Agreed on Eight Degrees, though their barrel aged stuff has been consistently good over the years. GBB's quality hasn't declined, quite the opposite i'd say. Yellowbelly aren't getting bigger either, they've had financial difficulties, hence the concentration on draught only for now.

Why would a brewery who own a canning line focus on the less profitable draught market?
That makes no sense.

CiaranMT · 25-08-2019 06:27PM

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

Why would a brewery who own a canning line focus on the less profitable draught market?
That makes no sense.

I don't know ins and outs, just what I've heard. Canning line may be out of action and it's too expensive to fix for now? Draught is where your volume is also, you'll shift a 30l keg quicker than you will 70 odd 440ml cans.

L1011 · 25-08-2019 08:01PM

senordingdong wrote: »

As both of them got bigger, their quality declined.

GBBs consistency was abysmal in the past and is fine now though?

senordingdong · 25-08-2019 08:46PM

L1011 wrote: »

GBBs consistency was abysmal in the past and is fine now though?

It's consistent alright. It's just not as good as it used to be.

L1011 · 25-08-2019 08:49PM

senordingdong wrote: »

It's consistent alright. It's just not as good as it used to be.

The only one of the core range I can identify as having had a reduction in taste quality to me is Buried at Sea. I'll trade that off for having consistent bottles of Full Sail and Bay Ale in the Centra down the road though.

n97 mini · 25-08-2019 10:38PM

CiaranMT wrote: »

Draught is where your volume is also, you'll shift a 30l keg quicker than you will 70 odd 440ml cans.

Kegs are a much harder sell. Only pubs/bars that stock craft beer will take them, and that's probably less than 10% of all pubs/bars. Otoh, virtually every off licence sells craft.

Additionally, cans have a huge margin compared to kegs. Publicans expect almost double the margin that off licences do (65% vs 35%)

CiaranMT · 25-08-2019 10:53PM

n97 mini wrote: »

Kegs are a much harder sell. Only pubs/bars that stock craft beer will take them, and that's probably less than 10% of all pubs/bars. Otoh, virtually every off licence sells craft.

Additionally, cans have a huge margin compared to kegs. Publicans expect almost double the margin that off licences do (65% vs 35%)

Every offie may have some sort of craft beer range nowadays but very few outside (and plenty within) Dublin have any sort of extensive range. It's just as hard to get listed in offies as pubs on the whole. Pub margin is about right but an offie making 35% on beer is frankly overcharging. It is beer after all and you have to move it on quickly enough unlike wine or spirits. Taking into account special offers it's closer to 25%, going by prices I've seen around.

n97 mini · 25-08-2019 11:10PM

CiaranMT wrote: »

Every offie may have some sort of craft beer range nowadays but very few outside (and plenty within) Dublin have any sort of extensive range. It's just as hard to get listed in offies as pubs on the whole. Pub margin is about right but an offie making 35% on beer is frankly overcharging. It is beer after all and you have to move it on quickly enough unlike wine or spirits. Taking into account special offers it's closer to 25%, going by prices I've seen around.

If you deal with O'Brien's (who are excellent to deal with btw) they could take 25% of your stock in one swoop.

I don't really want to get into a discussion about margins as I'm really undecided about that, for both pubs and off licences. Some have massive overheads, some don't (edit: and ergo, some are price gouging, some aren't).

To compare YB availability, I live 10 miles from O'Connell St. Every off licence around has their cans, but I'd have to travel 9 miles to get draught (Underdog).

BaZmO* · 26-08-2019 01:19AM

n97 mini wrote: »

To compare YB availability, I live 10 miles from O'Connell St. Every off licence around has their cans, but I'd have to travel 9 miles to get draught (Underdog).

Huh? Does not compute

OOnegative · 26-08-2019 03:36PM

Loads of Vertigo a delicious DIPA by Brouwerij Frontaal and North Brewing, right up there with the best beer i’ve tasted.

What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

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