I tried a blueberry porter recently, I presume it would be the same one, and TBH I wasn't over impressed. That said I'm not a fan of either porters or blueberries. That might be relevant,

Ah, you've met me then.

I know what you mean.

It's as though they are extra-hopping to make up for lack of body.

They're OK but you want something more rounded, more complex after you've had one.

The heavy hopping seems to have come from the US, pretty much every beer I've had from there has almost been chewy, they've had so many hops. I do like some of the more citrus flavoured ones, but some of them are so sour that they're awful.

Perks of Immigration Part 1



Lovely little international food store down my way which stocks a multitude of great European lagers.

I recommend Erdinger Dunkel to those who haven't tried it!

I listened to one of Michael Jackson's last radio broadcasts- he was a great rugby league fan incidentally. The programme was about the poor quality of English brewed lagers and he commented something in the line of:



"Bordeaux produces the best full flavoured wines, you wouldn't expect the locals to drink Liebfraumilch. Yet England produces the best full bodied, full flavoured beers and Carling is our best seller".



As has been previously said, people drink what is advertised. I have a colleague who was involved in the marketing of Magners cider. They were given a taste and had to come up with ideas to sell it. He said it was tasteless, but somebody in his group threw in a giveaway comment about showing it served over ice, and a campaign was born.



Remember when perry was renamed pear cider? I knew a couple of guys who drank it, until I pointed out we used to call it Babycham.

I live in Keighley and I have to admit I find it pretty frustrating when somebody orders a Carling instead of a pint of some of the fantastic locally brewed stuff we have around here.

I live in Keighley and I have to admit I find it pretty frustrating when somebody orders a Carling instead of a pint of some of the fantastic locally brewed stuff we have around here.

Heard you the first time.



I live 9 miles down the road from you and very popular round here are beers we import from your locale .

I refer, of course, to the tried and tested range of Taylor's beers.

TBF though the second-stage drinking journey to which the young-uns refer is very little to do at all with the question of enjoyment of drink, and very much to do with going to the place where a large proportion of the required gender will also be, with a view to intercourse therewith, and getting in a state as quickly and as cheaply as possible, method not important. And also taking into account that on the odd occasion, alcoholic beverages just might not be the only mood-altering substances in use.



The what might be described, in deer terms, as rutting pubs and clubs want to serve you in ten seconds, at as high a profit margin and low poor quality product as possible, and have equally as little interest in their bar staff fannying around taking the time to pull a decent pint, as you would have in savouring one.



Their customers are pretty oblivious to the prices, the products or anything else other than this is where everybody goes, so they have to go there too. I understand this, we all did it.



Having a decent real ale is fantastic, but it's not better than getting laid. The nearest pubs come to a demographic where both activities are catered for would probably be Wetherspoons, but only to a very limited extent.

Timothy Taylor's set the bar very high, proper "beer for men of the north" as their wagons proudly display.



Lots of good smaller breweries around like Goose Eye, Naylor's and Old Bear.



A little further afield, some of the stuff coming out of Saltaire is fantastic.

Was in Leeds on Friday evening and had a Naylors (Black & Tan) and a Saltaire (Hazelnut Coffee Porter), both excellent drinks.

Do you want me to tell the story about the Goose Eye pub again