Name your favourite shop bought beers.

[Leon103]

This is impossible, especially as we are also including all local bottle shops. At present anything by Pressure Drop will do me. If I was to name one though - DEYA Steady rolling man is consistently excellent.

 

[NormanHurst]

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But I haven't had an Old Peculier for yonks and my interpretation was miles off the mark.

I had great memories of drinking Old Peculiar in the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lakes 25 years ago. Recent bottled versions didn't provoke a Proustian Madeleine moment. It might have changed, or me, or 1995 cask v 2020 bottle... Beer's a funny thing.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Don't know the last one, but can't imagine it would be anything other than excellent. I'm impressed, Chippy, I'd got the idea you were strictly wine.

I used to be a lager drinker but having read so many posts about bought beer (mainly in the what are you drinking tonight threads) i decided to give it a go, my lad brought a keg of Hobgoblin home a few Christmases ago and offered me a drink i liked it and decided to try others, i worked my way through most of the ones in bargain booze then moved onto the supermarket stuff, i have lost count of the ones i have tried but have a selection i buy regularly and try ones i haven't usually when SWMBO goes shopping and buys me something new to try.

I don't brew simply because SWMBO doesn't like beer and we don't have the space to make wine and beer at the same time (storage etc) i do like a glass of wine (or three) so it works out well for both of us.

 

[obscure]

First up Titanic Plum Porter


Wye Valley Butty Bach

Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout

Must say my favourite can often change on a whim however these are all commercial beers that if I see in a pub will be amongst my first choices.

 

[NormanHurst]

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First up Titanic Plum Porter
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Wye Valley Butty Bach
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Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout

Must say my favourite can often change on a whim however these are all commercial beers that if I see in a pub will be amongst my first choices.

I will order Butty Bach in any pub thst has it on. My Dad often buys the bottles too. The Bristol Milk Stout is a regular purchase from local Spa too. Top beers both.

 

[Linalmeemow]

I had great memories of drinking Old Peculiar in the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lakes 25 years ago.

I've been camping and walking at Dungeon Ghyll for about 30 years, used to stay at Stickle Barn. The National Trust owns the pub now, it's probably better now than it's ever been. Loads of good local beers on tap and good food.

 

[NormanHurst]

I've been camping and walking at Dungeon Ghyll for about 30 years, used to stay at Stickle Barn. The National Trust owns the pub now, it's probably better now than it's ever been. Loads of good local beers on tap and good food.

I am long overdue a return visit. Happy memories and glad to hear it is better than ever.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Best three commercial beers is impossible for me, there's so many amazing beers out there.

I'll always be happy with a Duvel.

I've only ever found it once (and in Japan at that) but Ballast Point Sculpin is the best big hoppy west coast IPA I've ever had. Really exceptional, it took me right back to when I first got into hoppy beers and couldn't believe how intense beer could taste.

Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout, it defines the style and is delicious.

Anything from Weihenstephaner but especially Vitus, there's a reason the brewery is the best part of a thousand years old and still going strong. Also Schneider Weisse Aventinus.

Oakham Green Devil is lovely.

There are too many Belgian beers to even begin listing.

 

[AdeDunn]

View attachment 32449
First up Titanic Plum Porter
View attachment 32450

Wye Valley Butty Bach
View attachment 32451
Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout

Must say my favourite can often change on a whim however these are all commercial beers that if I see in a pub will be amongst my first choices.

Plum porter WOULD have been on my list, but last couple of times I've had it it's not been anywhere near as nice as it used to be back when it was seasonal. I still remember getting bought a case for my birthday one year, and picking it up from a local (lived in Stafford at the time) Titanic pub, and combining it with a Birthday lunch... lol Then they started selling it in supermarkets etc, and it's just not the same. Still ok, but just not amazing like it used to be.

 

[Ajhutch]

I can only have 3?! Yikes. Ok I’ll restrict availability to supermarkets rather than specialist shops.

Lost and Grounder Keller Pils
Westmalle Dubbel
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

would probably choose a different trio next week!

 

[Pennine]

cannot find these locally but ones I always pick up when I see them.

 

[andrewrjones]

At the moment my favourites from Tesco:

• Northern Brewery Sputnik
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Brewdog Punk IPA

I’ve also been buying more direct from breweries recently, and my top 3 at the moment:

• Belgian Brewer Saison
• Redchurch Paradise IPA
• Mad Squirrel Sumo

 

[obscure]

Plum porter WOULD have been on my list, but last couple of times I've had it it's not been anywhere near as nice as it used to be back when it was seasonal. I still remember getting bought a case for my birthday one year, and picking it up from a local (lived in Stafford at the time) Titanic pub, and combining it with a Birthday lunch... lol Then they started selling it in supermarkets etc, and it's just not the same. Still ok, but just not amazing like it used to be.

I admit that plum porter isn’t as good as it once was, seems to be inevitable when they ramp up production, same issue seems to affect a lot of breweries. , I.e. Hobgoblin while still very pleasant I would say is not as good as it once was.

Plum Porter is in my view superior on cask the pub near where I work in Oxford is part owned by Titanic, so it is a regular beer, and easily one of my first choices their, but even in a bottle it is pretty good for a semi widely available commercial beer.

If you see it it is worth getting the Titanic reserve which is a 6.5% seasonal version they do, also if you can get it they do a Cherry version which if you can get on cask is great.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I can only have 3?! Yikes. Ok I’ll restrict availability to supermarkets rather than specialist shops.

You can post as many as you like, from OP -

"Name your top 3 shop bought beers (more if you wish)"

I said 3 hoping members wouldn't post 20 different beers in every post.

 

[Braufather]

GooD thread

uk styles

whitsable bay pale ale
Masterbrew
Headless dog
Landlord
Marks Spencer’s 10 hop Kent ale

Us style
Saucery ipa
Gone of brew dog lately but used to love them.
marks Spencer’s ones are ok.
Loads of good us style brews out there but not too many in supermarkets.

 

[AdeDunn]

I admit that plum porter isn’t as good as it once was, seems to be inevitable when they ramp up production, same issue seems to affect a lot of breweries. , I.e. Hobgoblin while still very pleasant I would say is not as good as it once was.

Plum Porter is in my view superior on cask the pub near where I work in Oxford is part owned by Titanic, so it is a regular beer, and easily one of my first choices their, but even in a bottle it is pretty good for a semi widely available commercial beer.

If you see it it is worth getting the Titanic reserve which is a 6.5% seasonal version they do, also if you can get it they do a Cherry version which if you can get on cask is great.

One of my new local breweries has started doing a plum beer now, so if I can track it down I'll give that a try. Plum Pig, from Black Country Ales. From wha t I can gather, it's a plum mild... Titanic is only really in supermarkets around here sadly, there's way more BCA, Holdens etc here these been the local breweries. We used to go to a BCA pub quite regularly but stopped when I started brewing my own.

 

[RGeats]

 

[Barley Rubble]

From Tesco;
1.) Leffe Blond in the 750 ml bottles.
2.) Shepherd Neame 1698 Kentish Strong Ale.
3.) Brewdog Punk IPA.
Of course there are many,many, more.....

 

[CD]

These three are very acceptable, as bottled beer goes. Happily I have 15 gallons of what is in the glass to enjoy on draught before I need try them. It is made with the same base malt as the Timothy Taylors Landlord, Simpsons Golden Promise, and similar un-chlorinated spring water.

I’d probably buy more Innes & Gunn Oak aged beer if it didn’t come in such miserably small bottles, as it has a lovely taste. Wadsworth’s Old Timer is bottled conditioned so needs pouring carefully, and if you don’t read the label carefully you could miss that point.

 

[Sandimas]

I had great memories of drinking Old Peculiar in the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lakes 25 years ago. Recent bottled versions didn't provoke a Proustian Madeleine moment. It might have changed, or me, or 1995 cask v 2020 bottle... Beer's a funny thing.

Cask Old Peculier was a thing to behold. A pub I used in the 90s used to sell it from what looked like a wooden barrel, it was heavenly. I don't think too many cask beers translate well to bottles. I do brew an OP clone regularly and bottle it, and it's great, but the commercial bottled version seems to be missing something.