tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post2281810949400188373..comments2024-03-29T12:39:30.010+00:00Comments on Paul's Beer & Travel Blog: A couple of unexpected surprisesPaul Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-9871987548794901612018-02-11T07:13:24.565+00:002018-02-11T07:13:24.565+00:00Doom Bar is another beer that is stronger in bottl...Doom Bar is another beer that is stronger in bottle than in cask - I think 4.3% vs 4.0%.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-21808633220328346192018-02-10T21:59:47.995+00:002018-02-10T21:59:47.995+00:00I'll be interested to know what you make of th...I'll be interested to know what you make of the Doom Bar, Paul (not joking, I really will).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-1036974854627734912018-02-10T12:38:23.370+00:002018-02-10T12:38:23.370+00:00If Old Crafty Hen is not aged in the 5X barrels, a...If Old Crafty Hen is not aged in the 5X barrels, and is the normal OSH cut with a small amount of 5X, wouldn't "Master Blender" be a better term, rather than Master Brewer?<br /><br />I can see where GK are coming from, as space in those large oak vats, used for aging 5X, must be quite limited, but surely the evidence against using clear glass is sufficiently damming for the brewing team to over-rule the marketing people?<br /><br />As Mudge has pointed out, Marston's use brown glass and although Doom Bar is packaged in clear glass, Sharps use brown bottles for their other beers. Although anonymous describes people who like to see beers in clear bottles as "stupid", they might change their tune if they knew the reason why beers have been packaged in brown glass ever since bottled beer first became popular.<br /><br />Perhaps "educating" bottled beer lovers about the perils of "light-struck" beer could be a job for a "Revitalised" Campaign for Real Ale?<br /><br />Paul Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-85535825326844341372018-02-10T08:24:40.632+00:002018-02-10T08:24:40.632+00:00Marston's, to their credit, put all their bott...Marston's, to their credit, put all their bottled beers in brown bottles, and I think they've done the same for Charles Wells products following the takeover.<br /><br />The fact that Old Crafty Hen is 6.5% ABV and yet still often appears in 4 for £6 offers may not be entirely unconnected with its high ranking in the sales charts ;-)Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-61183606541389040012018-02-10T01:34:37.127+00:002018-02-10T01:34:37.127+00:00Yep, Crafty Hen is establishing itself as one of t...Yep, Crafty Hen is establishing itself as one of the go-to bottles for ...err... more discerning drinkers in the supermarkets, albeit not on the same level as Guinness FES and Fuller's Vintage (in Waitrose). FYI it's not aged in 5X barrels, it's normal Hen cut with a small amount (5-10%?) of yer actual 5X (apparently the GK one and not a "Morlandified" equivalent.<br /><br />It was the 7th-biggest-selling bottled ale in Britain in 2016, and must be a better option for the brand than getting into endless wars of how many bottles you can sell for £6.<br /><br />On clear bottles you only have to look at a list of the top 10 bottled beers to see why they do clear bottles - Doom Bar, Speckled & Crafty Hens, Newky Brown, Spitfire are all inthere, and memory says that at one point it got up to 7 out of the top 10. Punters like to see their beer. They may be stupid, but they like it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722137562852954269.post-91527023983568752722018-02-09T22:49:49.260+00:002018-02-09T22:49:49.260+00:00"The bottled London Pride had a fuller flavou..."The bottled London Pride had a fuller flavour, if you’ll excuse the pun. "<br /><br />Heh, almost missed that. ;)<br /><br />"The only slight grouse I have is the beer being packaged in clear glass."<br /><br />[nods] You'd think they'd know better in this day and age. <br /><br />"And a lesson as well to be learned about approaching a beer with an open mind, and not allowing any preconceptions you may have to cloud your judgment."<br /><br />Good point Paul. While I won't go out of my to purchase a big brand beer, neither will I turn my nose up at it if offered one, for free. :) And yes, the whole point is to drink what you appeals to your personal taste. Canned or bottled Guinness (draught) used to be my go to over here but has not been for some time now. I keep giving it a second chance every six months or so but it still doesn't taste like it used to. Could be me I guess but the bottom line is I'll go for someone else's Porter (or Stout). <br /><br />On the flip side I started buying an IPA (5.5%) from a small semi-local brewery some months back, partly due to the cheaper price. It's now one of my go to beers when I want something that I won't drink too fast. :)<br /><br />CheersRusstovichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11493687426847380993noreply@blogger.com