Beer

[machin05]

I have to say, Shepherd Neame are probably my least favourite brewery in the country. Every one of their beers, including the supermarket own brand stuff they do, has the same heavy earthy almost soil-like taste to it. Must be their house yeast or something. Spitfire always gives me an instant headache too!

As for drinking in a pub on my own, my local (an identikit M&B pub) only really has either Bombadier and Greene King IPA on cask. For about a pound cheaper I can get a bottle of Axe Edge or something by Cloudwater from the Wine Seller down the road which are far supeior to those bland cask offerings, so I mostly drink at home if I want the odd pint. I definitely wouldn't want to travel to sit on my own in a pub.

 

[PPB]

:icon_lol:

I wouldn't Frankie Bathams, or Golden Glow for me.

Leeds, maybe, but you still don't see it very often though. Does the Western have a fire, if so in December if anyone should see a lone woman sitting by it minding her own business, reading her book,whilst supping ale, it could well be PPB!

 

[Langers]

I have to say, Shepherd Neame are probably my least favourite brewery in the country. Every one of their beers, including the supermarket own brand stuff they do, has the same heavy earthy almost soil-like taste to it. Must be their house yeast or something. Spitfire always gives me an instant headache too!

As for drinking in a pub on my own, my local (an identikit M&B pub) only really has either Bombadier and Greene King IPA on cask. For about a pound cheaper I can get a bottle of Axe Edge or something by Cloudwater from the Wine Seller down the road which are far supeior to those bland cask offerings, so I mostly drink at home if I want the odd pint. I definitely wouldn't want to travel to sit on my own in a pub.

If that's the only choice you get down your local I'd do the same as you! Greene King and Bombadier are probably the most mundane beers you can get! (Still better than Doom Bar mind you...)

I prefer drinking in a pub to drinking at home - I like the atmosphere inside a good local pub and TBH since I've lived on my own, I rarely drink at home unless I have guests round.

 

[machin05]

If that's the only choice you get down your local I'd do the same as you! Greene King and Bombadier are probably the most mundane beers you can get! (Still better than Doom Bar mind you...)

I'm finding that's more and more the case recently. As brilliant as CAMRA might see it, there aren't many winners from having a pub with just those two offerings on, in perpetuity.

I prefer drinking in a pub to drinking at home - I like the atmosphere inside a good local pub and TBH since I've lived on my own, I rarely drink at home unless I have guests round.

Some (most) of the best beer I've had over the last two years has been from bottles at home. I guess going to the pub is about more than just that, but pricing (tax) and choice need to improve massively at a hell of a lot of boozers, IMO.

 

[leedswolf]

I don't drink at home. I just don't enjoy it. I've no problems drinking on my own and because of my job I'm invariably out of town. I couldn't think of anything more depressing than sitting in a hotel room with a beer.

 

[Langers]

I'm finding that's more and more the case recently. As brilliant as CAMRA might see it, there aren't many winners from having a pub with just those two offerings on, in perpetuity.



Some (most) of the best beer I've had over the last two years has been from bottles at home. I guess going to the pub is about more than just that, but pricing (tax) and choice need to improve massively at a hell of a lot of boozers, IMO.

Couldn't agree more. I think I'm fortunate in that where I live, there are a lot of very good pubs that serve awesome local ales. Within walking distance I have a Bathams, Holdens, Enville pub - and a couple of Craddocks pubs that always have a decent guest. And the Bathams pub is £2.65 a pint (it's gone up 5p recently - bastards). You can't argue with the quality and price there.

If the only choice was somewhere who sold Spitfire, Greene King, Brakspear, Bombadier, Jennings etc I wouldn't bother.

 

[leedswolf]

I too have some great options available within reasonable walking distance. Local brews such as, leeds, Kirkstall, Whippet, North and Northern Monk. Ossett Brewery at Wakefield, Shipley, Magic Rock, etc.

 

[Langers]

I love Ossett. Don't think I've ever had an Ossett beer that hasn't been excellent.

 

[leedswolf]

Ossett are very good and they do an awesome selection of beers. They purchased the Old Peacock opposite Elland Rd about 3 years ago. Completely re-modelled it and it serves good grog and grub. In leeds there is the recently opened Turk's Head which provides some brilliant craft ales to complement their next door neighbour and sister pub Whitelock's traditional casks.

 

[Langers]

Fortunately, The Wellington in Brum like to stock Ossett beers quite often and they keep them really well.

 

[leedswolf]

The whole beer/ale regeneration is brilliant compared to the dark times of the late 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s whereby traditional cask beer was shunned by the majority of brewers.

I am just surprised that with so much choice available and so many different styles and tastes to experience that there are those who are so fixed in their ways and attitudes. There again, I'm not really surprised.

 

[SSB]

I think I'm fortunate in that where I live, there are a lot of very good pubs that serve awesome local ales. Within walking distance I have a Bathams, Holdens, Enville pub - and a couple of Craddocks pubs that always have a decent guest.

Don't mind having a beer on my own as long as I've got something to read or my phone to play with.

That pub list sounds great. I may have to plan another pub crawl to investigate!

 

[machin05]

I don't ever drink what you'd class a traditional ale at home as it's not a patch on it's cask counterpart. It's not about the need for alcohol consumption for me. If it was a choice between a bottle of Bathams at home on my own on a Friday night, or nothing, I'd probably save my money. The stuff I can get from the offy is so so much better than most of the pub fodder on offer nearby that that's what I'll choose if I'm having a night on my own.

On my own - Craft beer in a bottle at home beats most cask beer in my local.
With mates - session in the local pub with generic cask ale beats craft beer at home.

Ideal scenario would be for more pubs to sell craft beer, for which CAMRA 'could' play a helpful part.

 

[Langers]

Don't mind having a beer on my own as long as I've got something to read or my phone to play with.

That pub list sounds great. I may have to plan another pub crawl to investigate!

Not the first time I've mentioned this, but the Wollaston to Stourbridge road is a brilliant pub crawl. Combine it with the rugby at Stourbridge RFC and it's a cracking day out. The route back:

Rugby Club - various guests, always Enville available
Forresters - Enville
Plough - Hobsons Town Crier + guests (they often have Trooper on)
Unicorn - Bathams
Graham's Place - loads of guests
Katie Fitzgeralds - varies, great for live music
Royal Exchange - Bathams
Duke William - Craddocks + guests

There are a few excellent curry houses in Wollaston as well should sustenance be required.

 

[Langers]

Ideal scenario would be for more pubs to sell craft beer, for which CAMRA 'could' play a helpful part.

Scary Canary gets this bang on. Two casks on, more often than not of the calibre of Dark Star or Tiny Rebel and a fuckload of bottled/canned craft beers.

There's a new bar in town called Bar Bridge which apparently has some craft beers on but I'm yet to go there.

Stourbridge - a proper 21st century town centre :icon_lol:

 

[machin05]

Scary Canary gets this bang on. Two casks on, more often than not of the calibre of Dark Star or Tiny Rebel and a fuckload of bottled/canned craft beers.

There's a new bar in town called Bar Bridge which apparently has some craft beers on but I'm yet to go there.

Stourbridge - a proper 21st century town centre :icon_lol:

Light years ahead of Wolves per capita I would have thought! All we've got is Slaters, which has always been spot on, if not a bit 'bar' as opposed to 'pub' - CAMRA only offer discount on the cask selection though :facepalm:

Oh, there's a new burger place opening next to the Wallis, where Pizza Hut used to be, which will serve craft beers apparently!

But this is what I was touching on earlier - even the better ale pubs in Wolvo have gone downhill and are just seemingly serving the same old rotation of beers. Combemere and Posada being the most notable. Not had a good pint in the Comb for ages - St. Austells Tribute (not even Proper Job!!) about as tasty as it gets. And the Posada has Marstons EPA on all the time and not a fat lot else.

I exaggerate of course, but it's annoying when you can get better beer at home than you can in a pub nowadays!

 

[machin05]

We were looking at houses in Stourbridge actually - now I know the beer scene is so hot, I may take the search a bit more seriously!

 

[Jolemai]

Not the first time I've mentioned this, but the Wollaston to Stourbridge road is a brilliant pub crawl. Combine it with the rugby at Stourbridge RFC and it's a cracking day out. The route back:

Rugby Club - various guests, always Enville available
Forresters - Enville
Plough - Hobsons Town Crier + guests (they often have Trooper on)
Unicorn - Bathams
Graham's Place - loads of guests
Katie Fitzgeralds - varies, great for live music
Royal Exchange - Bathams
Duke William - Craddocks + guests

There are a few excellent curry houses in Wollaston as well should sustenance be required.

+1

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Odd how perceptions differ, I made my Slater's debut last week and it was no more than 6/10, doesn't feel like a pub, £3.20 for a pretty average Murphy's-esque stout is underwhelming to say the least as well (their offerings in 2/3 pint sizes are jokeshop prices, ludicrous), then on the other thread the praises are being sung of The Station which I barely ever use despite being living 20 minutes walk away!

 

[Langers]

We were looking at houses in Stourbridge actually - now I know the beer scene is so hot, I may take the search a bit more seriously!

Well if you need someone to help you research the local amenities, I'd be happy to lend a hand! I haven't even mentioned the choices to the north of the town centre like The Red Lion, The Swan, The Starving Rascal, then up a bit into Wordsley which has the newest Bathams pub (The New Inn) which is a minute's walk away from a Black Country ales pub (The Queens Head).

Pub crawls galore.