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paint_it_black

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About a month ago, I moved from the Pacific Northwest, capital of microbreweries and craft ales, to England, capital of "real ale" -- which, don't get me wrong, is an admirable movement, but let's be honest, they're just hardly-hopped, bland pale ales, with no carbonation and not served cold enough. (Apologies to my fellow Brits -- chalk it up to cultural difference and preference) And it gets worse: if you're not going to a pub that serves real ale; if you're going to a regular bar, or if you're buying bottled/canned beer, the selection is terrible. Unless you love Carlsberg and Carling (UK Coors Light).

So I'm already going through withdrawals, and long for a nicely hopped ale. But worse times are to come. Because I know that very soon, all you folks back home will be enjoying some wonderful winter warmers and other seasonal beers. To think of enduring the coming winter without a Widmer Brrr or Deschutes Jubelale -- hell, I'd even take a Sierra Nevada Celebration -- is just so depressing, I might not make it through the cold season.

Please continually enjoy those fine beers for me while I'm here across the pond. And if you feel generous and want to send me some, I wouldn't object :p

Updates on new winter seasonals that come out would be cool. You can tell which are my favourites from reading above; how do any of those brews that are just entering the market compare? I have to live vicariously through you guys, so give me info, so I at least know what to look for next year :)
 
I knowwww, but I'm only living here for 9 months and don't want to buy all the gear and then have to get rid of it again (not to mention I'm a poor college student who can't afford it). And I haven't met other homebrewers yet.
 
About a month ago, I moved from the Pacific Northwest, capital of microbreweries and craft ales, to England, capital of "real ale" -- which, don't get me wrong, is an admirable movement, but let's be honest, they're just hardly-hopped, bland pale ales, with no carbonation and not served cold enough. (Apologies to my fellow Brits -- chalk it up to cultural difference and preference) And it gets worse: if you're not going to a pub that serves real ale; if you're going to a regular bar, or if you're buying bottled/canned beer, the selection is terrible. Unless you love Carlsberg and Carling (UK Coors Light).

So I'm already going through withdrawals, and long for a nicely hopped ale. But worse times are to come. Because I know that very soon, all you folks back home will be enjoying some wonderful winter warmers and other seasonal beers. To think of enduring the coming winter without a Widmer Brrr or Deschutes Jubelale -- hell, I'd even take a Sierra Nevada Celebration -- is just so depressing, I might not make it through the cold season.

Please continually enjoy those fine beers for me while I'm here across the pond. And if you feel generous and want to send me some, I wouldn't object :p

Updates on new winter seasonals that come out would be cool. You can tell which are my favourites from reading above; how do any of those brews that are just entering the market compare? I have to live vicariously through you guys, so give me info, so I at least know what to look for next year :)

No offence, but you're flippin crazy. First, hardly-hopped, bland pale ales with no carbonation and not served cold enough? You are obviously among the unenlightened. I think most of us over here would love to spend some time in England where we could walk to the corner pub and enjoy beautifully crafted cask-conditioned ales.

Secondly, you would "even" take a SNCA? You know you are talking about one of the best beers produced in the US right?

My suggestion? Develop a taste for "hardly-hopped, bland pale ales", because you are in the one place in the world they are widely available and done right.
 
Listen man, I have the seasoned taste buds of an all-grain homebrewer and drinker of quality beer. I know my beer, and I greatly appreciate real ale, as stated above. I have even had some that I've THOROUGHLY enjoyed (please try anything Liverpool Organic Brewing puts out, because it's great). However, this does not change the fact that most of the cask ales I have tried thus far just don't have qualities that stand out, and taste more or less the same; nor does it change the fact that I miss Northwest beers.
As to Celebration, respectfully, I enjoy BRRR more, and see Celebration as a runner up.
 
Listen man, I have the seasoned taste buds of an all-grain homebrewer and drinker of quality beer......

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....you kill me kid. "Highly seasoned?" At 24??????? Come back when you learn how to shave. ;)

I would have maybe cut you some slack and shown a little sympathy until you made that comment. I've been drinking microbrews since there were FIRST Microbrews available, and I STILL have a lot of beer to taste before I would ever throw a line like that out, especially here.

I've got underwear older than you......Heck I've got stains on my underwear that coulda been your older brother...:D
 
Remember, he came from the Pacific Northwest. After living there, the beers in England must be horribly bland to him. Personally, I would take an English Pale Ale over anything from the Pacific Northwest any day of the week, but to each his own.
 
Ha yaa... I come from a family line of craft brew drinkers... Every male member of my family has been a brewer or done home brewing... I first learned brewing from my grandfather who learned it from his... As someone as young as you I traveled over much of Europe and the Middle East to try different and unusual beers... Yet not many places in North America can match the finely crafted beer even the average street corner pub of London can pull out... You should get out there get over your American ways ha! and try some of those English bitters!!! Enjoy the women as well you won't believe the trouble you can get yourself into with a Brit! On a side note where exactly are you staying because you do know Russian Imperial Stouts are the go to winter brew of the smaller hamlets outside of London right?!?!?!
 
Remember, he came from the Pacific Northwest. After living there, the beers in England must be horribly bland to him. Personally, I would take an English Pale Ale over anything from the Pacific Northwest any day of the week, but to each his own.

I blame Starbucks for this phenomenon...

I mean, their coffee is severely over-roasted, to the point of charcoal. The denizens of the PNW have spent so much time drinking this bitter stuff (due to the rainy, cold weather, perhaps?) that it has permanently affected their taste buds, much in the way a smoker can't taste much. Therefore, in order to taste their beer, they have to over-hop and the heck out of it.
 
"I've got underwear older than you......Heck I've got stains on my underwear that coulda been your older brother..."

That's funny!! Sound like a line I'd hear around a construction site. I have to agree with Revvy on this one though.

It took me a while to appreciate the English ales, but as I type this I'm finishing a pint of an old ale I made trying to clone an Old Peculier. It is very close, but still needs a little tweeking.

You are young and have an incredible opportunity to do a very in depth study of some great beers and styles.

Embrace it, don't ***** about what so many here would love to have the chance to do!:mug:

Bull
 
You guys know it IS possible to be 24 and have a pretty well-developed taste for beer, right?

The guy knows what he likes, and hasn't found lots of hoppy ales in England. Not that difficult to understand.
 
I blame Starbucks for this phenomenon...

I mean, their coffee is severely over-roasted, to the point of charcoal. The denizens of the PNW have spent so much time drinking this bitter stuff (due to the rainy, cold weather, perhaps?) that it has permanently affected their taste buds, much in the way a smoker can't taste much. Therefore, in order to taste their beer, they have to over-hop and the heck out of it.

You might be onto something here... They definitely have some wierd taste buds out there.

Starbucks is horrible. I actually got sick the last time I had it and almost threw up on the Ferry coming home from Manhattan. My friend was visiting from California and his wife wanted Starbucks. Like an idiot, I got one. NEVER AGAIN.
 
Rex: thanksfor backing me up here mate :)

Everyone else:
Sorry this became such a big deal. I had a feeling I might have worded my message a bit too strongly, however I didn't think I'd have to deal with such a strong response.
I definitely appreciate the opportunity I have here, to drink so many different types of cask ales, and I definitely plan to take advantage of it. My message was just about missing home, and beers I associate with it - surely anyone who's been halfway around the world for an extended period of time can relate. I suppose I assumed that many on the board are from the PNW and the States, so my wording was maybe "playing to the home crowd" a bit. Apologies if I offended your beer preferences.
I think the thing to do here would be to RDWHAHB. Or in my case, a real ale at Ye Crack.

(P.S. Few self-respecting PNWers -- who really take pride in their area and enjoyment in their coffee -- touch Starbucks).
 
Get yourself a copy of The Good Beer Guide, published by CAMRA, and you'll find the best ale pubs in your area and around the UK.
Also, try to go to a beer festival and you'll find some great UK beers in various styles.
 
As a fellow PNWer from Seattle, I tend to agree with paint it black. Not for the fact that brews over there are "boring or stale" but for those of us who live in the region we tend to believe we are spoiled- to an extent. We grew up drinking these beers, whether you see them as "overly hopped" or not, it is what this regions beers are known for.

However, if I had the chance to move to England, I would be drinking any and all of the beers that were available for me to try. As many have mentioned, it is not everyday that that opportunity comes along - so enjoy it for what it is. The Widmer, Pyramid, Deschutes, and Sierra Nevada's will all be here on your return!

On a separate note, I bought the Deschute Jubel 2010 - their once a decade brew when it was released in February of this year, and still have two bottles remaining for November, December. What a great beer!
 
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