After 30 odd years of being a lager drinker, and dabbling with other things in between, as you do, I went on a brewery trip a couple of months ago to The Wychwood Brewery in Witney, Oxfordshire.
Having tasted the malt (even the fuggle stuff) and some other ingredients, it now goes down better and makes sense as I can pick out what I'm tasting. Before it actually used to make me gag and tasted like cold tea to me. Something has triggered in my head and I've turned into a bitter/beer man in a big way.
On my nights out now I'd rather have a cool Hobgoblin than an ice cold Peroni. And I do. Sometimes in the pub right adjacent to Wychwoods.
And then there's Porter. Holy shit. I'm absolutely loving the stuff. Black Wych is the most beautiful pint ever.
I'm not too keen on the lighter, paler ales. It's the stronger/darker ones that excite me. Why I don't know.
So. Is it an age thing? Or am I just a late starter? How can one go from hating the taste of something to relishing it? At age 46?
Mmmm beer......
Thoughts? Tips? Anyone?
Comments
If you have the opportunity i recommend doing a brew your own session at a brewery. You really get a chance to do something totally unique. I brewed a slightly hopped amber. 200 bottles for £100. Winner.
As you like darker beers already you must try Titanic Plum Porter.
i tend to go between Scrumpy Jack Cider, Stella, Cobra or Broadside.
years ago I used to pop out for a pint at lunch to a little pub near my work and they used to have an Abbott cask behind the bar with a wooden spiggot and a blanket on and pour direct from the barrel. The best pint of Abbott ever, you could taste the difference between barrels.
1. Meantime London Porter on tomorrow's shopping list
2. Brew your own trip to research
3. Samuel Smith Taddy/ Oatmeal/ Nut brown all major possibilities when I venture up North at Christmas
4. I'll definitely look for Thornbridge Raipur ( just the name sounds great)
5. Titanic plum porter. Wow. Yes. That sounds awesome.
Cheers!
It's a whole world of taste out there. I've found a good local shop that sells all sorts of interesting stuff - local breweries, Belgian classics, obscure USA imports. I love it all. I particularly like supporting local breweries. Everybody's jumping on the double-hopped American IPA bandwagon now, which is fine... I also like dark beers. One of my favourites now is Reverend James Rye from Brains.
My birthday present from my sister and her husband last year was a brewery tour of Cwrw Llyn (another one of my favourites) in north Wales. He was driving so as well as mine I had his 3 1/3rd pint samples at the end, and I congratulated him on organising a piss-up in a brewery.
it's an beer lovers dream, they stock 1700 different beers and claim to be Britains biggest beer shop
Nowadays I like the lighter beers, ambers and IPAs.
I have to admit to liking high quality Pilsner-style lagers too - as long as not served too cold.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Best ever, Dragons Breath brewed by Dartmoor Brewery. I haven't found it outside of Devon but it's just gorgeous.
I like it though and don't care.
Re. pale ale/golden - have a try of Boondoogle or 49er from Ringwood.
Butty Bach is also very nice.
I'm the opposite - I've never drank lager. Possibly due to a northern upbringing!