Real Ale lovers take note!!

Si · Post by Si » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 11:24 am

Reginal Perrin wrote: Can i justfly the flag a bit for John Smiths smooth? I've tried to drink the cask stuff in local pubs but they don't keep it well / don't shift enough to keep it fresh. Often it is too warm.I will not drink "random" lager and strong lagers are, well, too strong. I find JS Smooth to be consistent, the right temperature and a decent everyday pint.Tetley's on the other hand is, of late, a disgusting drink, cask or not. I never touch guest beers as you have one barrel sat for two weeks going off.Leeds Best is a lovely pint but not many will drive into town on their own of a Sunday lunch because of the beer.If some of you deride us Smooth drinkers what do you make of the Budweiser brigade? Each to his own, Reg. I prefer cask, but as you rightly point out, you have to have confidence in the landlord. I have to admit that I drank smooth in my local when the landlord at the time couldn't keep a decent pint of cask, and the smooth was preferable to the vinegar that was served through the pump marked "Tetley's!" I never drink draught lager, or anything in a can, as bottled beer (ale or lager) tastes better IMHO. As for Budweiser and their ilk, it just doesn't taste of anything to me - just cold, fizzy and wet. I am also very sceptical of their marketing methods, ie making a big deal of using the "finest ingredients" when using rice/corn. They have no place in a beer AFAIC, and are there to bulk out the product as cheaply as possible. Sorry for being cynical! However, I think Czech Budweiser (Budvar) is a very pleasant tipple.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 1:06 pm

subjectivity my friends, subjectivity!!

Reginal Perrin · Post by **Reginal Perrin** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 2:33 pm

Absolutely each to their own but bitter needs shifting for it to keep it's taste. When everyone drank the house bitter whatever it was it went quickly and was usually pretty good. Now you have to look at it differently, bitter does not shift as quick and many cask ales are off and not worth the risk. Try taking pint back to a landlord who makes £20k a year between him and his missus and telling him thatt he remaining 30 pints in his barrel are now onion juice. I'll stick with smooth unless I know the cask is cock-on. If I went tothe pubs where they had more interesting beer I'd be going on my own. I go for the company not the type of beer. I reackon most are the same.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 3:40 pm

Depends on the pub imo.. Have a pub, who's main drinkers are real ale or cask als drinkers and it will, usually, always taste good. Have a sat night kids club who only drink alcho pops or fancy mexican beers and bang, yer bitters off!!

Reginal Perrin · Post by **Reginal Perrin** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 4:00 pm

Yeah, I guess it's down to the clientele too. We have guest beers in our local but many pretend to like them as I've tried them and they are foul.Must take a trip to yours mate. Where is it?

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 4:48 pm

My pub? I don't have it anymore. over 10 years now since we left the gaffe. Shame really, cos I liked the place. Loved the job, the people, but hated the company we worked for.

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Fri 09 Jan, 2009 8:28 pm

The Fox and Newt are brewing again.The Fox Brewery Co.is the brewers choice and it's a lovely drop(4.5)I can remember when they used to brew their own before,must be 20 years ago.Called Burley Bitter,I tried my best to like it but it was bland and watery,also dearer than the other guest beers.They've got the right idea this time,their own beer is 20 pence cheaper than the rest.(£2.20)

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 10 Jan, 2009 12:26 am

Reginal Perrin wrote: Can i justfly the flag a bit for John Smiths smooth? I've tried to drink the cask stuff in local pubs but they don't keep it well / don't shift enough to keep it fresh. Often it is too warm.I will not drink "random" lager and strong lagers are, well, too strong. I find JS Smooth to be consistent, the right temperature and a decent everyday pint.Tetley's on the other hand is, of late, a disgusting drink, cask or not. I never touch guest beers as you have one barrel sat for two weeks going off.Leeds Best is a lovely pint but not many will drive into town on their own of a Sunday lunch because of the beer.If some of you deride us Smooth drinkers what do you make of the Budweiser brigade? For me all smooth beers taste more alike than different, which is the beauty of cask ale. Sure you get a bad pint now and then, but mostly you get a satisfying drink with complex flavours and an aftertaste. Smooth is just alcoholic pop IMO.

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Sat 10 Jan, 2009 4:56 pm

Trojan wrote: Reginal Perrin wrote: Can i justfly the flag a bit for John Smiths smooth? I've tried to drink the cask stuff in local pubs but they don't keep it well / don't shift enough to keep it fresh. Often it is too warm.I will not drink "random" lager and strong lagers are, well, too strong. I find JS Smooth to be consistent, the right temperature and a decent everyday pint.Tetley's on the other hand is, of late, a disgusting drink, cask or not. I never touch guest beers as you have one barrel sat for two weeks going off.Leeds Best is a lovely pint but not many will drive into town on their own of a Sunday lunch because of the beer.If some of you deride us Smooth drinkers what do you make of the Budweiser brigade? For me all smooth beers taste more alike than different, which is the beauty of cask ale. Sure you get a bad pint now and then, but mostly you get a satisfying drink with complex flavours and an aftertaste. Smooth is just alcoholic pop IMO. Agree totally, you might as well be drinking a can of widget beer because that is what the smooth beers taste like to me. They are served too cold for ale (Maybe to hide the lack of any real flavour) which should be seved at 12ºC-14ºC. I've tried Tetley's smooth, John Smith's smooth ect, ect and they all do seem to have the same taste. The beauty of real ale is that each breweries beer tastes different to any other brewers. The smooth beers are killing off the diverse and distinct regional brews. It's a sad state of affairs when in Leeds city centre some of the best known pubs don't even have handpulled bitter or mild anymore.

simong · Post by **simong** » Sat 10 Jan, 2009 5:11 pm

Hats Off wrote: Agree totally, you might as well be drinking a can of widget beer because that is what the smooth beers taste like to me. They are served too cold for ale (Maybe to hide the lack of any real flavour) which should be seved at 12ºC-14ºC. I've tried Tetley's smooth, John Smith's smooth ect, ect and they all do seem to have the same taste. The beauty of real ale is that each breweries beer tastes different to any other brewers. The smooth beers are killing off the diverse and distinct regional brews. It's a sad state of affairs when in Leeds city centre some of the best known pubs don't even have handpulled bitter or mild anymore. It's also easier to keep as it's heavily pasteurised and therefore doesn't go 'off'. I think I must be really lucky living up here as practically every pub in Yeadon now has at least one working handpull to my knowledge, and the ones that don't I never go in anyway. You're not short of decent options in town really either although I suppose it's a question of persuading people that you're with to go to the right pubs.