Bastards! I got an invite but was otherwise engaged hosting my parents birthday dinner (both their birthdays last week). Oh, well, we did drink PKB, VBA, Tuatara Pilsner and finish with a 21yo Balvenie so it wasn't all bad.
Yeh, I tried all of those versions at the tasting last year. A truly memorable beer experience. I've tried a couple more at the brewery too... Westmalle and something else. Can't remember now as Richard was dishing them out so fast. Would love to try the Ardennes/Achouffe as I've used that yeast a bit myself now. (hint hint).
The Very Brown Ale came really good in the last week or so.
It did, didn't it? Almost a little PKB-like in the hoppyness which shone through. It was like a totally different beer to the first half of the keg we were drinking at the RCC. So much so that Allan Hawkes and I went to check to ensure the same keg was still hooked up. Never seen a change like that in kegged beer before.
Yeh, it came up really good. So much so that I actually sent Richard a message saying so... I've done the same to other brewers in the past. I'm sure it's nice to get a positive word now and then. We beer geeks do love to bitch.
Had a few mates over last night for pre-drinks, finished the keg of my Rice IPA, then asked if people wanted a Pliny ;o) Couple of my mates were absolutely amazed, the look of confusion at the aroma and the taste on their faces was hilarious!!
Then we went to a mates leaving do at Sale St in town, its a brew on premises place but its fairly prissy.. They had three beers that they brew and the rest of the taps were full of the usual crap, I tried the Ponsonby Gold which was a fairly non offensive slightly sweet and bready lager which I guess wasnt too bad, but definately not my cup of tea, and I also tried the Red Indian Pale Ale, made with pale, amber and choc malts, and hopped with Hallertau - this beer definately had some hop aroma, but it was also slightly metallic in the bitterness, I ended up struggling to finish it...
You know the best thing about IPAs? Is giving one to someone who things they're all 'hard' and shit and can drink anything, and then watching their faces as their mouths split, tongues melt and the enamel is stripped from their teeth - absolutely priceless.
Is the one on Sale street Shakespears? I've never been there, heard it's not that flash though, have been meaning to get down to have a try.