Beers from England

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dataz722

dataz722

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A friend of mine is over in England on business and told me he would bring me back some beer if I wanted. I really don't know what is available over there that isn't here that is worth getting. Suggestions?
 
I'll also agree with the Samuel Smith suggestions. The cider is some of the best I've had, and I really can't complain with any other varieties I've tried.

I always pick up a few cases of Samuel Smith lager and Organic Cider when I go to Houston, as you can't get it where I live.
 
Jaipur IPA is outstanding, but not representative of a British IPA.

http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/thornbridge-beers.php#jaipurcast

I actually managed to find a bottle over here. Being a British transplant all I can say is that you really need to go there and drink real ale fresh from the cask. What they bottle is usually pasteurized and is quite unlike the genuine article.
 
+1 on Sam Smith, though most of their stuff is available stateside nowadays.

Meantime IPA is fantastic, but again it's not impossible to find in the US.
 
Most of the stuff listed here is reasonably easy to get in the US. So not worth his effort unless you want a really fresh one in which case make sure he buys one that is currently fresh.

Two questions?

What do you like? Where is he? Let's assume London.

If you are interested in Southern English Brown ales, a bottle of Mann's is an eye opener.
Golden Pride would be a good score as would be any of the recent Fuller's throwback/historical recipes.

Frankly England's specialty isn't bottled beer.

If he can go to Amsterdam for you, that changes everything.
 
From the bigger breweries look out for Fullers, Sam Smiths, Shepherd Neame and Black Sheep as a fairly representative sample of English Ale brewers. Also look out for micro brewers, Purity and Meantime being the most obvious ones.
From a British point of view I would love to hear an American opinion on BrewDog beers, these are the guys who where in the race to make 'the world's strongest beer' a while back and try to make mostly US style beers.

Edit to note I have no idea what UK beer is available in the US
 
remilard said:
Most of the stuff listed here is reasonably easy to get in the US. So not worth his effort unless you want a really fresh one in which case make sure he buys one that is currently fresh.

Two questions?

What do you like? Where is he? Let's assume London.

If you are interested in Southern English Brown ales, a bottle of Mann's is an eye opener.
Golden Pride would be a good score as would be any of the recent Fuller's throwback/historical recipes.

Frankly England's specialty isn't bottled beer.

If he can go to Amsterdam for you, that changes everything.
Click to expand...

I like most anything except wheat beers. I don't know exactly where he is but I think he is about an hour out of London. I don't really even know if there is much around here.



Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Strongbow's all over the place in the US, at least on the east coast. Great cider, though; that and Aspall are two of the better UK dry ciders that are somewhat regularly available.
 
I have never tried it, but I am really interested as I have taking a passion to sweeter brown ales!

Mann's Brown Ale. Supposedly the main example of a Southern English Brown. Would love to try it!
 
If he happens to get towards Bury St Edmonds, northeast of London a ways, there is a place called Bartram's that makes "Comrade Bill Bartrams Egalitarian Anti Imperialist Soviet Stout" (say that 3 times fast). It's a great beer and I'm positive you can't find it in the US. You may not be able to find it at all, it's been a while since I was through there.

As for a cider suggestion, I love Scrumpy Jack. Not sure of it's availability in the states, I know I can't get it in Arkansas (you can't get much of anything good here).
 
dataz722 said:
I like most anything except wheat beers. I don't know exactly where he is but I think he is about an hour out of London. I don't really even know if there is much around here.



Thanks for the suggestions.
Click to expand...

An hour out of London is basically London except podunk.

I would shoot for Fuller's beers in the bottle. Golden Pride and the recent series based on historical recipes, you will need to google for details.

Get a Mann's as it is easy to find and cheap and you won't understand London Brown Ale until you have had one.
 
As an ex-pat Brit, I'd suggest Fullers 1845, which should be readily available. Alternatively, Timothy Taylor Landlord (mentioned above) is very good.

Best of all though, if your friend can get it, Hook Norton 12 Days. It's a winter seasonal - I had a case delivered to my parents so I could drink it while visiting England at Christmas. It's outstanding (just don't serve it too cold - 55-65 is about right).
 
I am fortunate to live within blocks of a great 6-pack importer here in Pennsylvania , I am also a huge English beer fan and travel to England to taste and research British ales regularly, if you can find any of these , I highly recommend them.

Meantime Brewery: , IPA or London Porter

Wells and Young : Bombardier, Ram Rod , Dirty Dick's

Fuller's : 1845

Hook Norton : Old Hooky

Coniston Brewery : Blue Bird Bitter

Harvey & Son: Le Coq Russian Imperial Stout

Shepard Neame : Bishop's Finger,Spitfire
 
Spotted dick. Not a beer but just wanted to say it. Im drinking Fullers Londen Porter right now as i drop a deuce and type on my phone. Vrey tasty brew, their ESB is a winner as well. Sam smiths cider is good too, their oatmeal stout is better. Id like to do a side by side with bulmers (from there) and magners (from here). I heard thd only difference is the label.
 
oteixeira said:
They have one that is aged in barrels that is supposed to be amazing, Yorkshire Stingo, good luck finding it though. That would be what I would like to try! :mug:
Click to expand...

Our local grocery store carries it for reasons that I don't understand. It is not cheap - $17 a bottle but they had 12+ bottles. I had one a few months ago and it is really good yet different. A friend of mine was getting divorced so we drank that, Chimay, La Fin, and similar. Rough and expensive night. if anyone wants to fork out the money & shipping, I will glaldy pick up some for cost. I would be willing to trade as well.
 
mrbowenz said:
I am fortunate to live within blocks of a great 6-pack importer here in Pennsylvania , I am also a huge English beer fan and travel to England to taste and research British ales regularly, if you can find any of these , I highly recommend them.

Shepard Neame : Bishop's Finger,Spitfire
Click to expand...

Where in PA? That is an impressive list so I assume you are in the Phl area. Spitfire is really good, Have not tried Bishop's Finger nor some of the others you mention.
 
eljefe said:
Where in PA? That is an impressive list so I assume you are in the Phl area. Spitfire is really good, Have not tried Bishop's Finger nor some of the others you mention.
Click to expand...

Actually this place , which is really small but highly rated in Bethlehem PA
http://www.abescoldbeer.com/

They have a list on the website under the "beer" tab, but constantly get new beers in all the time, great place that is 3 blocks from my home.
 
Ask him to go into any of the large supermarkets (Tesco/Sainsbury) and get one of each, or pick out individual names. they all stock about 20/30 Britsh ales and a good selection of European and Worldwide beers.
They cost about £1.80- £2.00 per bottle. It just depends on how many he wants to carry.
Keep the reciept as you can claim the duty back on them.
 
johnnyboy1965 said:
Ask him to go into any of the large supermarkets (Tesco/Sainsbury) and get one of each, or pick out individual names. they all stock about 20/30 Britsh ales and a good selection of European and Worldwide beers.
They cost about £1.80- £2.00 per bottle. It just depends on how many he wants to carry.
Keep the reciept as you can claim the duty back on them.
Click to expand...

+1 - I stopped by Tesco in Swansea with all good intentions to bring beer back to the US. They didn't make it beyond my hotel room. .
 
Aspall is drier than blackthorn, and is pretty good.

Went on a brewery tour at Cairngorm in Scotland. They had a bunch of beers, including Sheepshagger. Their strongest beer available was under 5%, and all of them pretty lackluster. They tax based on abv. There are some other good Scottish micros, just can remember them now.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin/Nanny State:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1978705,00.html
 
oteixeira said:
They have one that is aged in barrels that is supposed to be amazing, Yorkshire Stingo, good luck finding it though. That would be what I would like to try! :mug:
Click to expand...

I don't know if you ever get down to Charleston, but the Charleston Beer Exchange has Stingo (or at least it did last time I was there). At $14 a pint, I gave it a pass. Perhaps that was a mistake.
 
barma16 said:
As an ex-pat Brit, I'd suggest Fullers 1845, which should be readily available. Alternatively, Timothy Taylor Landlord (mentioned above) is very good.

Best of all though, if your friend can get it, Hook Norton 12 Days. It's a winter seasonal - I had a case delivered to my parents so I could drink it while visiting England at Christmas. It's outstanding (just don't serve it too cold - 55-65 is about right).
Click to expand...

1845 is available here, and probably the best beer in the world, IMO.
 
My cousin moved to London 3 years ago and just brought me some:
Thwaite's Very Nutty Black - delicious
Wolf Brewery's Granny Wouldn't like it - fantastic..searching all over the internet for a clone

Much of what I read in this thread can be gotten here in the US...ask him to speak with the owner of a bottle shop to find stuff that's not shipped to the US.
 
Meantime IPA is simply awesome if you can find it anywhere near fresh. It's hopped to levels reminiscent of American IPAs, but with British ingredients. Man, I love that beer.
 
ScottD13 said:
My cousin moved to London 3 years ago and just brought me some:
Thwaite's Very Nutty Black - delicious
Wolf Brewery's Granny Wouldn't like it - fantastic..searching all over the internet for a clone.
Click to expand...

Have you tried contacting them for the recipe? They may give some pointers at the very least
 

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