Comments for Boak and Bailey

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Bailey

Bailey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:13:48 +0000

jesusjohn — I guess we’re warmer towards the Kernel project than towards those of their beers we’ve tried so far (dark and pale). Others seem to love them, but we keep drinking them and thinking, really, is it meant to taste like that?

Maybe it’s that we don’t like historical recipes as much as we think we do, or perhaps it’s just that they’ve got a distinctive flavour (from the yeast?) that we’ve just not got the hang of yet.

After all, it did take us several attempts before something clicked and we really started to love Harvey’s Imperial Stout.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by jesusjohn

jesusjohn — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:01:37 +0000

Interesting – please elaborate…

For my part, I love Kernel when on form but: a) find the *huge* amount of sediment in the IPAs a little off-putting; b) don’t think every beer is a success (and while Evin is charming enough to admit this, there will be some who say it is a useful position that every batch is different, avoiding the requirement to be consistent. I think this is a little unfair, but concede it’s annoying that just as a gorgeous beer is released you have such a short window before they’re off making something else); c) I think the dark beers – particularly the porters and stouts – are excellent (less sold on the brown porters, etc.)

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Bailey

Bailey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:59:59 +0000

Ah, I see — hadn’t made the Kernel connection. (And [whispers] not sure we’re that convinced by Kernel based on what we’ve had so far…)

Comment on Horselydown Denied by jesusjohn

jesusjohn — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:58:02 +0000

I’m not dissing the Oak!

But you said: ‘If you want to drink a historic interpretation of imperial stout in Southwark, Harvey’s at the Royal Oak is your best bet.’

And I suspect the Dean Swift is a better bet if you want it a stone’s throw from Courage, as Kernel’s efforts are largely Courage clones, if I recall correctly.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Bailey

Bailey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:07:08 +0000

Ed — how much!? That does help to explain why they’re targeting the US market. Most people here would probably be reluctant to spend more than, say, £4 a bottle. (And they’d grumble at that.)

Sid — the Royal Oak is one of those pubs that just ‘has it’, whatever mysterious quality it is that makes a pub work. It’s the wrong shape; it’s too small; and the beer’s only usually fair-to-middling but, nonetheless, it’s a great place to spend Friday night with mates. Victorian building doesn’t hurt.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Bailey

Bailey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:04:43 +0000

John — yes, we must check those two out next time, although we were specifically suggesting the Royal Oak for Harvey’s Imperial Stout.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Sid Boggle

Sid Boggle — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:19:05 +0000

Funny, I was at Cask today talking to a regular about the Young’s Royal Oak in Regency St. A rare tied lock-up pub. The Morpeth Arms used to sell a lot more Young’s bottles until Youngs (at that time) prettied it up and drove most of the regulars out. Still an OK pub, just lost its soul in the refurbishment…

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Ed

Ed — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:36:48 +0000

Considering the size of the American beer geek market it’s a mystery why it took Wells & Youngs so long to brew Courage Imperial Russian Stout. Though they’ve obviously caught on now as they’re only selling the first batch in the states at $15 a bottle.

And speaking of Barclay Perkins the next time Tsar Top is brewed I’m going to go further back in time and do it to a Barclay Perkins recipe.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by Bailey

Bailey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:35:34 +0000

Zak — sigh. Yes, that’s exactly what we’re saying, because we’re dreadful snobs.

Our point is that breweries that make interesting beer than fail to stock it in their pubs. In other words, interesting beer is being ghettoised while big breweries fail to recognise a growing market. We want to drink beer they make in their pubs while eating burgers; they won’t sell it to us.

Sigh again.

Comment on Horselydown Denied by zak

zak — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:20:52 +0000

“London is simultaneously spoiled for beer, and oddly neglected — out-of-the-way locations are increasingly stuffed with craft beer bars while more traditional breweries use their flagship locations to sell burgers and Peroni”

Yes, it’s disgusting the way these successful companies pander to populist tastes.