Boak and Bailey were considering the issue of "naming and shaming" the other day - firstly on their blog following some duff bottles of Norfolk beer and yesterday (I think) on twitter on the same subject. I sometimes do and sometimes don't, but was surprised yesterday to find myself in the same dilemma.
In the Marble Arch, swooping down some very drinkable "Craft", I decided I'd blog today about two 5% guest beers from different breweries. I thought they'd make a nice subject and contrast. So for my last drink, two halves were ordered, with very different results. First up was one of the whizz kids of British Brewing, Summer Wine Brewery with Rouge Hop Ale, which was a quite lovely beer. Bursting with condition, full bodied and a very resinous hop presence throughout made for a beer I wished I'd had a pint of. The other beer was billed as an IPA and was from a very respected Northern brewer. But all was not well. The beer was sharp, sour and undrinkable. We were chatting to James Campbell, the Marble brewer at the time and I passed the beer to him for an opinion. He agreed, had a quiet word with the manager and the beer was taken off. I had another half of the marvellous Rouge Red. Then another. It was that good.
Now it wasn't the end of the cask, just beer that wasn't right. I won't name the beer this time, as everyone can make a mistake, though where and when can't be readily determined in this case. In any event, I know the brewer and his beers of old. He knows what he is doing, so unless this happens more times to me, it wouldn't be right.
Pity about this example though.
Saltaire Blond in the Angel was also drinking well yesterday.
I agree you can't name and shame after one bad beer. Too many things can go wrong too many places along the supply chain. Only persistent offenders should be named.
ReplyDeleteCould be "a bad cask".
ReplyDeleteShudder to think what Rogue Ales of Oregon would do about this business of using their name and what-not though! Or is it a trendo-fad-craught-collabenbier?
It was Rouge Hop, not Rogue. No copyright/trademark infringement here...
DeleteWhy was the beer on in the first place? Do the staff know the difference between good and bad?
ReplyDeleteBen
That thought occurred to me too. All too typical these days.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm given a bad pint and it's changed promptly and without argument, I have no complaint. I don't even count it as any kind of black mark against the pub, unless it's a persistent offender, in which case I'd probably not be there anyway. The comment, which you rarely hear nowadays, that "no one else has complained" used to elicit the response from me, "it's not my fault if your customers don't know what good beer tastes like."
ReplyDelete