Düsseldorf's on hold

I am up to my ears with a work project at the mo' so I have no time to write or read Blogs. Will post a decent review of Düsseldorf before Christmas but it was fantastic. Just go!

Apologies for the poem by the way.

I don't know what came over me.

Ode to the Alt bearing Kobes

I'm back from Düsseldorf at last

and sad, I am, it's in the past.

Alt is the new love of my life.

(Just please, please don't tell the wife.)

The Alt, I tried in many places,

from Kobes full of airs and graces.

Some were surly, some were mean,

and some were really not to keen

to give me some of that amber brew

even though I felt it was my due.

(I'd braved the weather and the crowds

and avoided 'Hooter's', wasn't I proud?

I battled with the language too

and got raw pork instead of stew.)

They made me feel it was my fault

(The Kobes, I mean, not the Alt)

for daring to sit in their hallowed place.

I guess it wasn't always the case

As some were pleasant, even nice.

(Well that's what happened once or twice.)

But I forgive them all  their lack of cheer

for giving me such food and beer

and I'd raise to them a glass of Alt

If only I had one but I have nowt.

Shepherd Neame 1698

In 1698 Sir Isaac Newtown calculated the speed of sound. Fair play to him.

I don't know if there's any connection with that and the setting up of Shepherd Neame but think about it..............

Ok, that's enough. I'm still short on time.

I have had mixed feelings and tastings on the SN offerings but I kinda liked this one.

It's very mellow and smooth. The best description I can think of is of a very mellow whisky. Not watery mind, just very mellow and subtle. Especially with it's low carbonation.

With maybe a dash of lemonade.

The Verdict

Yeah, it's nice. I'd try it again.

Shepherd Neame - 50cl - 6.5% alcohol - England

Fuller's Golden Pride - AKA Liquid Christmas Pudding

Have to sort out my bag for Düsseldorf so I'll keep this short and sweet.

This is an intense beer. I think I read somewhere that it's categorised (I hate that term) as a Barley Wine. I guess it has a sherry like quality.

Sweet, Malty, Treacle-like taste.

You can sense the alcohol level and the buzz from it.

Lovely light carbonation.

The Verdict

Not bad you know. Nice beer for a cold evening in front of the fire, sharing it and the love of a good woman.

In equal quantities.

Told you it would be short!

Fuller's Golden Pride - 50cl - 8.5% alcohol - England

Reasons to be Beer-Full - Part 1

When I started this blog I really didn't know where it would lead to. That was a few months and almost 100 beers ago.

100 beers! That seems a bit surreal. If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would go to Brussels and come back a beer addict I wouldn't have believed them. I think that's what it is with me, an addiction. I seem to look in every supermarket and off licence for something new to try. I guess I have become a Beer Ticker. 

Having said that I don't rate the beers on a scale. I just give my impression and personal experience of them.

I don't have a list of beers that I want. (Except for one or two mention by those that comment on the site)

I don't look like an Anorak, Oh wait, I actually do. I have the 3 Bs, Beard, Balding and Beer Belly. Is that 4 Bs?

But the thing is, I don't really care what others think! As I have mentioned before, this blog is for me.

I like people to comment and I like to see where people visit from but it's not like I comment on the Beer Rating sites. 

Or, for that matter, judge those who do. Maybe by saying this I am judging?!

It's like going out for a pint. I would prefer to go out with like minded people for a natter and a beer and I'd like my blog to be the same, with like minded people sharing opinions and information.

So call be a Beer Bore, Anorak, Beer Nerd whatever. Just keep reading and commenting.

I'm off to Düsseldorf on Saturday but will hopefully get in another post or two beforehand. Can't wait to try the Alt!

Morland's 'Hen's Tooth'

I'm still working my way through my stash of beer from my last visit to The Wine Centre in Kilkenny. They're getting scarce now so I better take a spin down to them when I'm back from Germany.

One of the beers I picked up was this one. I'm not really sure why, I think it was perhaps the name more so than the blurb but anyway I have it now.

It has a strange bitter-sweet taste but more bitter than sweet. Does that make sense? I got a burnt toffee flavour coming through after the bitterness.

It's not as smooth as I expected although it did mellow out a bit once I got used to it. I got a syrupy taste coming through towards the end. Couldn't taste anything else really.

Nothing special about it in my opinion although I see from the bottle that it won a silver medal in 2006 from CAMRA so maybe it was just me.

The Verdict

Certainly a strange one. Not really my kind of beer.

Morland's 'Hen's Tooth' - 50cl - 6.5% alcohol - England

Shepherd Neame Spitfire

To be honest, I wasn't overly hopeful that I'd like this one. My previous exploits with SN have bean only so-so so I expected more of the same. Oh well, here we go.....

Hey, this isn't to bad. It's not to bitter, which is good, with just a nice sour orangey tang. A bit like good marmalade. Also there seemed to be more to it than the others, perhaps a bit more depth and character. It also has a nice mellow aftertaste, no tartness.

So at last I have found an offering from SN that I like! I'm not sure that there was anything wrong with the others to be honest. Perhaps they got me on a bad day!

The Verdict

A nice beer with plenty of character. I'd have it again.

Shepherd Neame Spitfire - 50cl - 4.5% alcohol - England