What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

Pen Rua · 26-05-2022 04:02PM

Dot have a short write up in the Irish times, and costs are mentioned in relation to their new core range (which I have not sampled).

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/joining-the-dots-dot-brewing-launches-new-core-range-1.4873296

“We’ve had an insane amount of cost increases; you see it everywhere in the supermarkets and at the petrol pumps, but the pressure is less obvious with producers. We have had three rounds of price increases since January alone. The utility costs for running a kettle and cooling a tank are enormous, and our supply chain is tricky.

“For instance, most aluminium comes from Russia and Ukraine, but there is a squeeze on malts, labels and all the other materials – we have retained our original retail price by adjusting our processes while still retaining quality.”

Sebastian Dangerfield · 26-05-2022 10:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119102783#Comment_119102783

Are Jaipur and Punk similar? Ive seen Jaipur in Lidl many times but never pulled the trigger on it

BeerNut · 27-05-2022 06:20AM

Not really any more but they were both created by the same person and originally were very similar. Jaipur is well worth trying. All Thornbridge beer is.

youcancallmeal · 27-05-2022 07:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120212#Comment_119120212

Nowadays I much prefer Jaipur to Punk although you have to be careful when buying either from Lidl as they are often short dated. It's great that Lidl sell them but turnover is probably relatively low compared to other beers they sell

Black Sheep · 27-05-2022 07:57AM

I think Thornbridge might be my favourite UK brewery for core line up / general drinking.

youcancallmeal · 27-05-2022 06:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120399#Comment_119120399

Case in point, bought a 4 pack of Jaipur in Lidl a few weeks ago. This is the last one. Lucky I didn't wait until tomorrow, it would be undrinkable

adaminho · 27-05-2022 07:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119123507#Comment_119123507

That would be good for another few months at least.

the beer revolu · 28-05-2022 07:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119123677#Comment_119123677

No, on the 28th it turns to poison!

Would have killed him stone dead.

Hotblack Desiato · 28-05-2022 11:38AM

They really should give minutes and hours as well as a date 😁

Geuze · 15-06-2022 11:10PM

I have three queries:

(1) what is the general opinion of Lomza? I see several versions: unfiltered, Export, etc.

(2) what are people's general opinions on common weissbiers available in supermarkets?

Franziskaner

Paulaner

Erdinger

Lidl own-brand / Perlenbacher

(3) what are people's general opinions on common CZ beers available in supermarkets?

Staropramen

Budvar

Pilsner Urquell

Pissy Missy · 15-06-2022 11:19PM

Desperado 🍻

BeerNut · 16-06-2022 07:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209156#Comment_119209156

Łomża: the unpastuerised one is OK, the rest is rubbish.

Franziskaner is the best of the weissbier. Perlenbacher is fine if the price is good. Paulaner is passable and Erdinger is bland.

Budvar is excellent, though the Czechs will tell you it's more German-style than Czech. Urquell is good as long as you can tolerate the buttery flavour, and is considerably better on draught than bottled. Staropramen was never great but has been horrifically degraded in recent years and now isn't worth drinking at all.

toffeeshel · 16-06-2022 07:08AM

Session IPAs are my go-to beers. I got some Shaka from Lough Gill last weekend and thought that it was really good

the beer revolu · 16-06-2022 09:37AM

I've been really enjoying Trouble Curveball Pale Ale.

Old school, flavoursome but light, crisp, balanced.

It shouldn't be a remarkable beer, but in these days of confused IPAs, it stands out for a new release.

Hotblack Desiato · 16-06-2022 09:38AM

@Geuze if you like Budvar, give Spaten a go as well.

Lomza is kinda the new Tyskie (which was blanded and weakened a few years ago). Decent ABV, tastes OK. A step up from Stella etc. at a reasonable price - well, if you could call any alcohol prices reasonable these days

Xofpod · 16-06-2022 09:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119209156#Comment_119209156

To my mind Lomza is the best of the Polish beers., particularly the Unpasteurised one. Lived there for a few years and gravitated towards this as the "cleanest" of the beers, least likely to give your head an absolute kicking the following morning. A close second would be Zubr but that's not so widely available here. Tyskie and Zywiec are muck.

neris · 01-07-2022 08:54AM

That Perlnbacher stuff from Lidl is gut rot and a few bottles arent good for the head next day. Ive had killer headaches the next morning after that stuff and generally dont get headaches after drinking

Citizen Six · 04-07-2022 11:48AM

Does anyone else have issues with Dot Brew barrel aged stuff being oxidised?

Some of their stuff can be lovely when it's done right, but I'm getting less than a 50:50 rate where the beer hasn't been oxidised. I just wouldn't take the chance again these days. I also don't see how they can put stuff in a can that clearly isn't up to scratch.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 10-07-2022 04:57PM

Got a pint of Full Sail earlier. It tastes nothing like it used to, and looks nothing like it either. Its nowhere near the same colour.

Maybe the standard answer is true and my palate is changing, but surely my eyes arent

Passenger · 10-07-2022 05:41PM

Exactly what it says on the tin. Toffee and banana.

Passenger · 10-07-2022 05:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318270#Comment_119318270

All GBB beers have changed drastically over the years and not for the better. They used to have quality brewers creating interesting beers but at some point the focus shifted.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 10-07-2022 05:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318510#Comment_119318510

The point where they started opening Mexican restaurants selling pre-bottled cocktails at eye watering prices, possibly...

Passenger · 10-07-2022 05:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318528#Comment_119318528

Well they only started doing that this year. The beer quality dipped years ago imo.

hynesie08 · 10-07-2022 06:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318528#Comment_119318528

Long before that, when Chris left quality control went way down, they're not brewing for people who like craft anymore, they're brewing for people who want something that tastes like something they know who are drastically overspending on food.

The odd canned release has been very good though.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 10-07-2022 06:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318543#Comment_119318543

Very true. The whole craft beer movement, or at least the mainstream players in it from a pub point of view, seems to be turning in on itself. Its a shame

Passenger · 10-07-2022 06:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318556#Comment_119318556

Just look at the tap selection in any of their Dublin bars. It's mostly GBB/Brú scutter with the odd token alternative beer.

Hotblack Desiato · 12-07-2022 02:41PM

Think we've passed "peak craft" tbh. Far too many "me too" producers out there, and GBB and Porterhouse just seem to be catering for the don't-frighten-the-horses market now. Food and slightly-less-blander-than-mainstream beers appear to be the thing now for them.

Meanwhile I got my White Hag Clann box last week, the single "guest" can was brewed by... White Hag (Dick Mack IPA). FFS. The rest just their own mainstream IPAs which are unremarkable (no Fionn) except for two coffee/oatmeal stouts which were almost tasteless, and a 330 of non-barrel aged Black Boar which was very nice. But the cost of the box really is not justified lately, it was better than this a few months ago.

Pen Rua · 12-07-2022 03:29PM

I have found the volume of new releases finding their way to Bradley's has drastically reduced in recent times. Whiplash the brewery I notice the most who's output has declined rapidly - not a bad thing per se, as I found their volume of new releases almost dizzying to keep up with.

Macy0161 · 12-07-2022 03:55PM

I assume more going into kegs now?

I personally wouldn't be as down on GBB as some - about a month ago when I was last in the Beer Temple they had O'Brother, Lineman and Whiplash specials iirc. About the only issue was pint sized prices for 330ml glasses. Wasn't as many options more recently in Against the Grain though.

The Buster · 12-07-2022 05:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327222#Comment_119327222

Totally agree re the Clann Box. Very disappointing. The funny thing that annoyed me was the Roc Helles - the standard size is 440ml for €2.50. They sent 330ml one with a shorter shelf live. Similarly the two oatmeal stouts are from the batch they brewed before Xmas. It very much stinks of just send the leftovers to the Clann members. Very disappointed.

What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

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