A bullet dodged

Cheers to Thom of Black Cat Brewery fame for spotting that Samuel Adams Winter Lager was being sold in the Bull & Castle last night, and for buying me a bottle.

I had previously complained that Redmond's were selling it by the six-pack only, and that I wasn't prepared to shell out that much money for that much of it. Since I wrote that, I got talking to the management in Redmond's who said that American beer by the six-pack is definitely the way forward and that people will buy a cardboard basket of US imports for nearly €13 who wouldn't buy single bottles of it. I can only count my lucky stars that the Holiday Porter is not being supplied in such baskets, because Redmond's would have no qualms at all about flogging it exclusively in this form. Mind you, it'd be worth it, but I wouldn't know that unless I'd already been able to buy a single bottle.

I'm horrified by the whole development and hope it's a passing fad rather than a permanent fixture, especially now that I've had the Winter Lager and hated it. It's very similar to Boston Brewing's excreable Octoberfest beer: oversweet, heavy and cloying with an unpleasant maize-like character.

Words cannot express my relief at not being stuck with five more bottles of this rubbish. Thanks again, Thom.

Smooth operators

The slow trickle of American beers into Ireland seems to be continuing. Redmond's had a couple of new ones on my last visit and I snapped them up. Samuel Adams Holiday Porter first. It's a magnificent beer from start to finish. Colourwise it's a deep black with ruby edges. The attractive sweet aroma will follow you round the room. A sharp prickly fizz starts the mouthfeel, but quickly subsides leaving a full and silky texture. Following the richness of the texture there's the richness of the flavour: milk chocolate and raisins first, dark chocolate and plums at the end. Very much in the same league as St Peter's magnificent Old Style Porter and a crime to sell in mere 355ml bottles.

Next up is one of those beers whose style I had no idea of until I opened it: Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale. The big hoppy aroma on uncapping the bottle was the first clue, and the orange amber colour was the second suggestion, that this is an American-style IPA. I rather like Sierra Nevada's own IPA for its rough and uncompromising bitterness. This is a much smoother affair, full bodied and lightly carbonated. The flavour is full of peaches: sumptuously bittersweet with a gorgeous sherbety quality. It is, in short, Goose Island IPA by Sierra Nevada. I had me a Goose Island last Friday night, but I've always room for another, whatever the label.

More American beer like this, please, Mr Importer, sir.