tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post5059930583967890866..comments2024-03-23T04:23:48.076+00:00Comments on Tandleman's Beer Blog: It's Meant to be Like ThatUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-73074740044650922452016-08-28T12:04:31.097+01:002016-08-28T12:04:31.097+01:00Never, ever go to a beer festival on a Saturday.
...Never, ever go to a beer festival on a Saturday. <br /><br />Except to work, of course.Erlangernickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564871714656285737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-49798301380386786582016-08-27T07:09:31.626+01:002016-08-27T07:09:31.626+01:00Realistically, you don’t expect the beer at a beer...Realistically, you don’t expect the beer at a beer festival to be as good as that in a pub because of the inherent difficulties of keeping it at the right temperature. Yes, you can do what you can to cool it, but it’s never going to be quite the same.<br /><br />Another factor militating against good beer at festivals is the modern-day insistence that all beers are put on as soon as the festival opens. If that’s Thursday, there are going to be some pretty tired pints by Saturday evening.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-57843955601219386822016-08-26T15:59:00.439+01:002016-08-26T15:59:00.439+01:00It's not just a CAMRA thing. Just look at beer...It's not just a CAMRA thing. Just look at beer facebook groups when people ask where they store their bottles and lots of people insist that on the side in the kitchen is fine, because 'ale' is meant to be served at room temperature. I've been round to friend's houses (none of them CAMRA members as far as I know) and they'll have lagers in the fridge, PBAs on the side. It is seemingly part of the consciousness in this country and I'm not sure it's really down to CAMRA. Personally, I blame Asterix in Britain.Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-88369017027113193032016-08-21T22:01:02.034+01:002016-08-21T22:01:02.034+01:00Its by no means just a London thing. Wherever CAMR...Its by no means just a London thing. Wherever CAMRA is, then warm beer follows. Go to any CAMRA summer beer festival, the beer is always served as warm as day old piss. You wonder why its the foreign beer bar that always runs out first?<br /><br />Deny it all you like, reply with some pointless childish insult if that is really the best you can think of, but CAMRA have done more than anyone over the years to damage the quality of cask ale.pynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-15024335761263617172016-08-20T13:03:01.656+01:002016-08-20T13:03:01.656+01:00When people criticise London because "it'...When people criticise London because "it's all that murky craft muck" or "it's daft expensive", I just tune out. There is murky craft muck, but there are also exceptional young breweries. Complaining about London being expensive is tired - yes, it's a major world city. What do you expect?<br /><br />But I don't think critiquing the generally poor level of cask conditioning across the city counts as London bashing. Cellars are typically too warm - even in some feted venues - and quality at point of sale is crucial for cask's sustained presence on the bar.John Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15471796457374078158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-8719740278000854372016-08-19T13:20:23.678+01:002016-08-19T13:20:23.678+01:00Fair enough but as others have remarked it happens...Fair enough but as others have remarked it happens with monotonous regularity in London. We all know drinking cask beer that duff pints can be part of the game.<br /><br />We all need to do something about that. I can see why you might feel protective about London though and I respect that too.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-636879794859585942016-08-19T13:20:06.622+01:002016-08-19T13:20:06.622+01:00Fair enough but as others have remarked it happens...Fair enough but as others have remarked it happens with monotonous regularity in London. We all know drinking cask beer that duff pints can be part of the game.<br /><br />We all need to do something about that. I can see why you might feel protective about London though and I respect that too.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-68180860878042768852016-08-19T13:12:49.105+01:002016-08-19T13:12:49.105+01:00Interestingly we visited a city north of the borde...Interestingly we visited a city north of the border earlier this year and felt that the beer being served was warmer than that to which we were used to in London. On returning one pint, in a pub in the Good Beer Guide, the initial reaction, whilst changing the beer was less than might have been otherwise expected, I would say a tad unbelieving of our opinion. Subsequently, the barman came to our table and said that yes, as that beer had not had a pour for some time, he accepted our point and did his best to apologise without using the A word. But keep bashing London, we don't mind. John Crynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-54101624217629316612016-08-19T13:10:36.536+01:002016-08-19T13:10:36.536+01:00The time has come to do away with cask marque and ...The time has come to do away with cask marque and have "TAND Approved" on pump clips or keg fonts.<br /><br />How many times must we ask this question before we accept its inevitable answer?Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-65075667750093491682016-08-19T12:57:44.610+01:002016-08-19T12:57:44.610+01:00I see most of this discussion is London-based. I a...I see most of this discussion is London-based. I almost never drink there, and it seems I'm not missing very much. Cask Marque's 2016 Beer Quality Report said that the region that scores worst for beer quality is also the one where beer is most expensive: the South East.RedNevhttp://rednev-rearm.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-53573821307837918502016-08-19T10:14:05.671+01:002016-08-19T10:14:05.671+01:00Too true Mudgie.Too true Mudgie.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-64783201729173026172016-08-19T09:52:49.925+01:002016-08-19T09:52:49.925+01:00At our revitalisation meeting, beer quality at poi...At our revitalisation meeting, beer quality at point of sale was identified as a major issue. <br /><br />But it's very hard to wean members, branches and magazine editors off the automatic assumption that more handpumps = better.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-53683611334207901452016-08-19T09:46:11.045+01:002016-08-19T09:46:11.045+01:00Des: Thanks for the comments and I do agree. Telli...Des: Thanks for the comments and I do agree. Telling the Revitalisation folks was a shrewd move too.<br /><br />JohnC:I think the problem is more general than the Bree Louise. One thing would be to have the confidence that bar staff will at least pass the issue on to those that could do something about it. There is such a degree of indifference in London about the state of cask beer. We need more education here.<br /><br />py: Another idiotic comment BUT. If you had related this to London I might have had some sympathy. And who is offering bottles of GKIPA to whom?Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-82175937449881685472016-08-19T08:56:17.150+01:002016-08-19T08:56:17.150+01:00Beer highlights for me in pubs last week (besides ...Beer highlights for me in pubs last week (besides Sam's & Harvey's...fabulous condition & temp at the Royal Oak, where he says he does run a cooler in the cellar) was ...wait for it... Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and their lighter summer beer. At the Nicholson's pubs at either end of the Tower Bridge. No, not the Tower Bridge. The bridge where Blackfriar's is at the northern end and that gigantic, multi-storey place at the southern end.<br /><br />UNSPARKLED<br /><br />Chat with the landlord at the Royal Oak revealed that the hub-bub a couple of months ago, about Harvey's supposedly evicting them in order to renovate the place and up-scale it was a result of mis-communication from within Harvey's, more or less. And they're staying on, as-is, another two years at least.<br /><br />I never did get round to having a half each of cask OBB sparkled and unsparkled for comparison's sake. Barmen at a couple of places did say they would happily do it for me if I wanted though.<br /><br />I am slowly growing to like the city. Was actually great fun navigating around by tube.Erlangernickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564871714656285737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-76083695482700077662016-08-19T00:26:26.937+01:002016-08-19T00:26:26.937+01:00Wholly agree. Visited a number of pubs and breweri...Wholly agree. Visited a number of pubs and breweries in London last week and drank quite a few good beers, but finished on a downer with 12 flat beers in poor condition in 4 pubs.<br /><br />I get the feeling that many bar staff often don't really understand cask ale and how to look after them - although there are pubs with staff that DO know.<br />JimmyRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-40522273550698447662016-08-19T00:26:13.868+01:002016-08-19T00:26:13.868+01:00I've only been to the Bree Louise once, but th...I've only been to the Bree Louise once, but the beer was bloody awful - second flattest pint I've ever had. Weekday evening, and the place was buzzing. Nowt so queer as folk.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07009879034507926661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-81153040505325604522016-08-18T22:59:16.265+01:002016-08-18T22:59:16.265+01:00CAMRA appears to be busy popularising this idea th...CAMRA appears to be busy popularising this idea that beer should be served warm, at least that's what a significant proportion of its rank and file members seem to think and actively try to encourage potential new beer drinkers to try warm bottles of GK IPA served at room temperature. yummy.<br /><br />and we wonder why beer consumption has fallen so dramatically since the formation of CAMRA... or the "campaign for shit warm beer" as it should really be known.<br />pynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-29542729354517324302016-08-18T20:18:58.910+01:002016-08-18T20:18:58.910+01:00the last time I went to the Bree Louise in April t...the last time I went to the Bree Louise in April this year,from my part of the world the train service is one above Southern service so London is sadly only an occasional visit at the moment, the beer was fine, actually better than fine I could have stayed there all afternoon, unfortunately I had to get aforementioned rubbish train & bus combo to get back home but I stayed for 3 pints, when Id only planned a quick half,it felt a worthy winner to me.<br /><br />but that said in general, London & warm beer,hmm, post GBBF pub crawl using Des's guide,cant say I visited a single pub whose quality of cask ale made me think, yeah lets stay for another. though the funniest interchange I overheard was a customer asking the bar staff "is the Punk IPA a lager ?" to which the barstaff replied "yeah its the same colour"Stonohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656315721111561414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-46370380355824180582016-08-18T17:09:43.736+01:002016-08-18T17:09:43.736+01:00@JohnCryne - the electorate may well have been peo...@JohnCryne - the electorate may well have been people who value choice over quality and see nothing wrong with beer served flat as a fluke at above room temperature. A CAMRA democratic vote isn't automatically correct. There have been many reports from out of area drinkers about truly terrible beer at the Bree Lousie.<br /><br />@BenViveur - and people who haven't got a clue what real ale is supposed to be like.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-57376926194212091452016-08-18T16:53:21.932+01:002016-08-18T16:53:21.932+01:00Pre GBBF beer at The Mall in Notting Hill was warm...Pre GBBF beer at The Mall in Notting Hill was warm enough to bathe in. Took it back and the bar manager cheerfully told me that Cask beer isn't supposed to be cold, poured herself a half and realised it was very warm, pulled a pint or so through with no change, tried a different Cask beer found that was also warm and walked away. Bar staff looked lost at lack of help from her boss.ABrewHaHahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03380577738378902797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-20766093318294906332016-08-18T16:50:09.919+01:002016-08-18T16:50:09.919+01:00I'd like to see a Venn diagram showing:
- peo...I'd like to see a Venn diagram showing:<br /><br />- people who actually like the Bree Louise<br />and<br />- people who believe 'the fight for real ale is won'<br /><br />I suspect there might be considerable overlap...Ben Viveurhttp://www.benviveur.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-55330786712252277122016-08-18T16:45:25.623+01:002016-08-18T16:45:25.623+01:00One other POSITIVE note about that day at the Bree...One other POSITIVE note about that day at the Bree Louise: To the young guy's credit, when he was pouring my first beer (what I'd wanted before getting the infamous warm one), he stopped and turned the clip around, claiming it was off, just by eyeballing it. So he had no concern about taking a suspect beer off, just oddly didn't want to investigate the warm one at all.Erlangernickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564871714656285737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-42451619143685302302016-08-18T16:02:01.255+01:002016-08-18T16:02:01.255+01:00"Given the North London branch's bizarre ..."Given the North London branch's bizarre continued love of the Bree Louise". Well it may be bizarre to the commentator but there was an open vote for the Branch Pub of the Year and it clearly topped the poll. I think that may be called democracy. Perhaps someone will wish to conclude that the people voting did not know what they were talking about? I reported Tandleman's/Erlangernick's warm beer experience to the owner. I noted they raised the issue at the point of service and having seen the further comments, I will also feed these back. The Branch also uses the CAMRA National Beer Scoring system in making its deliberations. The Bree receives a huge number of scores from CAMRA members across the country. Its average score is well above the average and indeed for the 31 scores in June rated the beer at the mid point between good and good/very good. But I would not like the facts to get in the way.John Crynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-32907709388618441152016-08-18T15:42:18.435+01:002016-08-18T15:42:18.435+01:00Absolutely, complaining more is essential, but jus...Absolutely, complaining more is essential, but just as important is praising places that get it right and don't try to fob off the customer.Alistair Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929927359428659775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629758183547510158.post-69329141288858045002016-08-18T14:44:25.451+01:002016-08-18T14:44:25.451+01:00@Nick - I think the India Ale is priced on a par w...@Nick - I think the India Ale is priced on a par with the Pure Brewed Lager of the same strength. <br /><br />In my local Sam's pubs, OBB is £1.90, but Pure Brewed Lager is £3.00. Still a lower price than local competitors for a similar beer (and much better) but not the same gobsmacking bargain. I have no idea about Sams' London pricing.<br /><br />Incidentally, India Ale seems to have been withdrawn from the Swan in Holmes Chapel, presumably because it didn't sell.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.com