I agree with you on Elusive. That always impresses me when a pub has one of their beers on. A couple of others that make me say "Ooh!" are Burning Sky, and The Kernel. (So, Destination IPA is always a BIG OOOOOH!!!)
Nice to see Ideal Day on your list - they tend to get an "ooh I wonder what they've come up with now" reaction from me, too. The other big ones for me are breweries who fairly consistently do less mainstream (and particularly European) styles well - Duration, for instance, or Lost & Grounded - or survivors from the 2010-ish pre-hazeboi wave of UK craft like the Kernel or Burning Sky.
Roosters cask ales always illicit an 'ooh' – Yankee and Baby Faced Assassin are the prime suspects, but pretty much anything they produce as cask is going to be an exceptional pint.
This has got me wondering if there are still "the usual suspects" of breweries that beer geeks talk about the most. It certainly used to be a thing but doesn't seem to be now craft beer is older and less exciting. Unless it's just me that's older and less exciting and I'm missing it!
This is a great question. We've been <a href="https://boakandbailey.com/2019/04/out-of-the-loop/>"out of the loop for years</a>, really. But when there are so many breweries, and maybe a bit more local loyalty (certainly in Bristol), it's less likely there'll be a consensus. [Ray]
Saw Utopian on a cask line the other day and that definitely made me stop in my tracks. A Woodshedding beer landing on cask also gets an 'oh?' from me every time.
Know what you mean about the reaction to certain breweries and FWIW I have a similar reaction to Oakham, Thornbridge and Timothy Taylors. I'll add in Round Corner - a wide range of styles and yet to find a less than excellent one of its type.
I agree with you on Elusive. That always impresses me when a pub has one of their beers on. A couple of others that make me say "Ooh!" are Burning Sky, and The Kernel. (So, Destination IPA is always a BIG OOOOOH!!!)
Maybe this article about vegetable beers will be useful to discover the topic 🙂
https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2022/10/12/sour-salty-umami-the-ukrainian-brewers-transforming-pickling-traditions-into-beer
Thanks!
Black Iris for me. I spent a year in Nottingham recently, and really enjoyed nearly everything they done. And The Kernal as others have mentioned.
Nice to see Ideal Day on your list - they tend to get an "ooh I wonder what they've come up with now" reaction from me, too. The other big ones for me are breweries who fairly consistently do less mainstream (and particularly European) styles well - Duration, for instance, or Lost & Grounded - or survivors from the 2010-ish pre-hazeboi wave of UK craft like the Kernel or Burning Sky.
Roosters cask ales always illicit an 'ooh' – Yankee and Baby Faced Assassin are the prime suspects, but pretty much anything they produce as cask is going to be an exceptional pint.
This has got me wondering if there are still "the usual suspects" of breweries that beer geeks talk about the most. It certainly used to be a thing but doesn't seem to be now craft beer is older and less exciting. Unless it's just me that's older and less exciting and I'm missing it!
This is a great question. We've been <a href="https://boakandbailey.com/2019/04/out-of-the-loop/>"out of the loop for years</a>, really. But when there are so many breweries, and maybe a bit more local loyalty (certainly in Bristol), it's less likely there'll be a consensus. [Ray]
OK, so links don't work that way on Substack.
Saw Utopian on a cask line the other day and that definitely made me stop in my tracks. A Woodshedding beer landing on cask also gets an 'oh?' from me every time.
Feel vindicated somewhat seeing Five Points and Timmy T’s. For me it’s Black Sheep/Theakstons away from home home, otherwise Gipsy Hill or Mondo
Know what you mean about the reaction to certain breweries and FWIW I have a similar reaction to Oakham, Thornbridge and Timothy Taylors. I'll add in Round Corner - a wide range of styles and yet to find a less than excellent one of its type.