| Bottled beer trialling 11:49 - Apr 9 with 4442 views | Ryorry |
Am in the lovely situation of finding that, after 30 years, my guts are now allowing me to drink beer once more :) Quite a revelation coming back to it, had forgotten how bitter 'bitter' actually is! but it remains my favourite drink, & my taste-buds are being re-educated - nice work, they got it ...
Started with alcohol-free as wasn't sure if I was OK with hops, but no problem. The 'like' test so far then -
St Peter's organic best bitter 4.1% (brewed in Suffolk) 9/10 - really nice, mild, malty taste.
Erdinger alcohol-free 0.5% - possibly the most refreshing drink of any kind I've ever had - 9/10
Fullers London Pride 4.7% 7/10
Small Beer IPA 2.3% 7/10
Erdinger Weissbier 5.3% 7/10 (a wheat beer, "bottle fermentation").
Empress organic lager, 4.5% (gluten-free) 5/10
St Austell Tribute Pale Ale 4.2% 4/10
Adnams Ghost Ship Pale Ale alcohol-free (0.5%) 3/10 - nice citrus-tasting drink without the citrus, but I wouldn't call it beer!
Also an honourable mention for Guinness alcohol-free cans - but the cans themselves are a total pain - impossible to open without contents foaming over, even if you've let em rest for 30 mins on work surface beforehand.
More to follow! Any recommendations for me to try?
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| Bottled beer trialling on 14:42 - Apr 9 with 1332 views | Guthrum |
| Bottled beer trialling on 13:13 - Apr 9 by stonojnr |
think youll find most of them went the other way because people always complained they dont like the bitter taste, which is why you end up with Doom bar tasting like a sugary mess, its not the only reason for that, but certainly alot of traditional bitters were toned down to have more mass appeal.
and is also why alot of craft beers are sugary messes also, as the full hop bite isnt that appealling, and mixed with over gassed CO2 makes you think you are drinking salt water, though interestingly you can numb your taste buds to hops and with the cooler temperature dulling the senses anyway, which is also why craft beers searching for taste end up stupidly overhopped.
Landlord is great on cask, its too variable in bottle though to be guaranteed, plus they seem to go through phases where brew batches just arent right
Butcombe gold is a classic example of them trying to tone down a bitter to have wider appeal, I think Rare Breed Pale is probably the best one they produce still |
Perhaps my palate has altered, too!
Always preferred beers with more body and less outright sourness (I'd have been no good in the 19th century, when they used to deliberately expose it to the air). When brewing my own have gone the way of adding more malt extract rather than pure sugar. |  |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 14:50 - Apr 9 with 1311 views | N2_Blue |
| Bottled beer trialling on 13:21 - Apr 9 by Ryorry |
Is it a myth about bottles keeping beer better than cans? Cos I can only find those in cans. |
No.
Anything in a bottle is far superior to a can. Cans after a time will impair the flavour of the contents. Not a problem for tinned food which is gnerally added to, mixed, heated or stronger tasting but for drink you will get a disntict 'tinny' taste if it has been 'tinned' for some time.
Glass does not tend to impair the taste of the contents inside. |  |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 14:58 - Apr 9 with 1289 views | iamatractorboy |
| Bottled beer trialling on 13:15 - Apr 9 by stonojnr |
Big Drop Brewing make the best alcohol free beers going (St Peters probably the worst Ive tried), and based in Ipswich too, so supporting a local brewer. |
Second this. Excellent non alcoholic beer.
Cans only seem available on the internet, although my mother used to get her milkman to deliver bottles of the stuff (I am not making this up). Not sure if they are available anywhere else. |  | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 14:59 - Apr 9 with 1290 views | blueislander |
| Bottled beer trialling on 14:42 - Apr 9 by Guthrum |
Perhaps my palate has altered, too!
Always preferred beers with more body and less outright sourness (I'd have been no good in the 19th century, when they used to deliberately expose it to the air). When brewing my own have gone the way of adding more malt extract rather than pure sugar. |
Adnams Southwold Bitter for me if I can get it, but usually it’s Old Speckled Hen. | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 16:13 - Apr 9 with 1241 views | DJR |
My favourite beers are the Belgian and northern French brown beers. They aren't necessarily easy to get hold of (Leffe Blonde is everywhere but not Leffe Brune), but M&S does an excellent one, St-Feuillien Brune (or Bruin in Flemish). It is though 8.5% so might not be for you.
https://belgianfamilybrewers.be/belgian-beers/st-feuillien-brune/ |  | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 16:17 - Apr 9 with 1232 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Bottled beer trialling on 14:50 - Apr 9 by N2_Blue |
No.
Anything in a bottle is far superior to a can. Cans after a time will impair the flavour of the contents. Not a problem for tinned food which is gnerally added to, mixed, heated or stronger tasting but for drink you will get a disntict 'tinny' taste if it has been 'tinned' for some time.
Glass does not tend to impair the taste of the contents inside. |
I would suggest that completely the opposite is true. Especially with green bottles. | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 17:07 - Apr 9 with 1202 views | Ryorry |
| Bottled beer trialling on 14:58 - Apr 9 by iamatractorboy |
Second this. Excellent non alcoholic beer.
Cans only seem available on the internet, although my mother used to get her milkman to deliver bottles of the stuff (I am not making this up). Not sure if they are available anywhere else. |
😂 She sounds like a woman after my own heart! | |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 17:55 - Apr 9 with 1163 views | DBaldy |
I'm a big fan of all things beer related - have journeyed through lager as a yoof, then through real ale and now a big craft beer drinker in my 40s, but while some people try to criticise one or the other, there is a place for all of them IMO.
Some sound recommendations on this thread & from what you've said I'd suggest craft beer probably isn't for you, but one thing I would recommend is keeping a record of what you like and dislike if you're "rediscovering" beer. There are lots of apps out there for this, but UnTappd is by far the best and every beer worldwide is listed on there. Far easier than keeping a written list as I found out around 8 years ago! | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:01 - Apr 9 with 1148 views | DBaldy |
| Bottled beer trialling on 14:50 - Apr 9 by N2_Blue |
No.
Anything in a bottle is far superior to a can. Cans after a time will impair the flavour of the contents. Not a problem for tinned food which is gnerally added to, mixed, heated or stronger tasting but for drink you will get a disntict 'tinny' taste if it has been 'tinned' for some time.
Glass does not tend to impair the taste of the contents inside. |
Bottled beer needs to be kept somewhere dark (if it's not in the fridge) as too much light can impact the flavour.
Not a problem for cans obviously, although both suffer if not kept at the correct/consistent temperature. | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:14 - Apr 9 with 1133 views | bluelagos |
For something less bitter than bitter, get on a Czech lager.
Budweiser/Budvar (not the yank p*ss), Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell all rather nice. |  |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 18:16 - Apr 9 with 1129 views | giant_stow |
Fosters |  |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 18:19 - Apr 9 with 1124 views | bluelagos |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:16 - Apr 9 by giant_stow |
Fosters |
I see your taste in beer is as good as your taste in football clubs. | |
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| You are so pretentious! (n/t) on 18:19 - Apr 9 with 1122 views | Bloots |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:16 - Apr 9 by giant_stow |
Fosters |
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| "He's been a really positive influence on my life, I think he's a great man" - TWTD User (May 2025) |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 18:21 - Apr 9 with 1119 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
I have recently moved on to this rather than Adams.
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| Bottled beer trialling on 19:38 - Apr 9 with 1076 views | jontysnut |
Flemish sour reds. Rodenbach Grand Cru, Duchesse de Bourgogne. Wonderful. Gateway to lambics and a whole new world.. |  | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 19:42 - Apr 9 with 1075 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:14 - Apr 9 by bluelagos |
For something less bitter than bitter, get on a Czech lager.
Budweiser/Budvar (not the yank p*ss), Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell all rather nice. |
Staropramen is nice if it is real Staropramen.
The stuff you buy here is not. Its brewed in the same massive vats as all the other stuff somewhere up north. And tastes much the same. | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 20:34 - Apr 9 with 1059 views | jontysnut |
| Bottled beer trialling on 19:42 - Apr 9 by redrickstuhaart |
Staropramen is nice if it is real Staropramen.
The stuff you buy here is not. Its brewed in the same massive vats as all the other stuff somewhere up north. And tastes much the same. |
Home Bargains does bottles of Budvar Dark for about £1.70. | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 20:59 - Apr 9 with 1039 views | Ryorry |
| Bottled beer trialling on 17:55 - Apr 9 by DBaldy |
I'm a big fan of all things beer related - have journeyed through lager as a yoof, then through real ale and now a big craft beer drinker in my 40s, but while some people try to criticise one or the other, there is a place for all of them IMO.
Some sound recommendations on this thread & from what you've said I'd suggest craft beer probably isn't for you, but one thing I would recommend is keeping a record of what you like and dislike if you're "rediscovering" beer. There are lots of apps out there for this, but UnTappd is by far the best and every beer worldwide is listed on there. Far easier than keeping a written list as I found out around 8 years ago! |
Thanks - was debatiing whether to write em all down, decided to c&p both pages of thread! | |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 12:50 - Apr 10 with 993 views | Ryorry |
| Bottled beer trialling on 18:01 - Apr 9 by DBaldy |
Bottled beer needs to be kept somewhere dark (if it's not in the fridge) as too much light can impact the flavour.
Not a problem for cans obviously, although both suffer if not kept at the correct/consistent temperature. |
So, from what I've gleaned from yourself, N2 & Redrickstuhaart, bottles are better than cans as long as you store them in the dark and at the correct temperature, is that rght?
Looking up correct temps, I came across these two helpful articles - the first is USA-based, so 50F = 10C & 55F = 12.7C.
Thought I was gonna have to buy an extra fridge for beer! till I remembered house has an old cellar beneath outhouse.
Franziskane, Wiehanstephaner & Titanic Plum Porter all arrived in this a.m.'s Sains delivery, thanks Redrick & Zombies 👍
https://www.hopculture.com/the-hop-review/how-to-store-beer/
https://londonbeercompetition.com/en/resources/beer-guide-2524/how-to-store-beer | |
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| Bottled beer trialling on 16:45 - Apr 10 with 953 views | BudapestByBlimp |
I'd recommend Blandford Fly from the Badger Brewery. Has a really subtle, ginger/spicy aftertaste - goes lovely with a curry (if your guts can handle it) or just by itself. |  | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 16:55 - Apr 10 with 942 views | soupytwist |
| Bottled beer trialling on 13:23 - Apr 9 by andytown |
Harvey’s Best Sussex bitter is good.
Tribute (Cornwall)
Fullers ESB
Bath Ales
Bishop Nick (Essex)
Not seen it in years, but Benskins (Watford?) bitter always seemed to help with colds!
Always preferred Murphys to Guinness for a stout |
Another thumbs up for Bishop Nick from me - their Ridleys Rite is just a great East Anglian session bitter and the entire range is worth investigating.
Also worth consideration (despite being from Norfolk and maybe even a minor sponsor of Norwich City) is Woodforde's. Both Wherry and Nelson's Revenge are good solid bitters and there are some decent beers in the rest of their range.
They've recently employed someone previously at Purity Brewery (their UBU is good) as head brewer, will be interesting to see what happens there. What he said in the article I read about it did have me slightly worried but we'll see. |  | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 17:41 - Apr 10 with 899 views | redrickstuhaart |
I actively get excited about my Friday Weihenstephaner! | | | |
| Bottled beer trialling on 09:03 - Apr 11 with 825 views | soupytwist |
Bradfield's beers are sold at the popular pre-away at Sheffield Wednesday pub, The Railway. | | | |
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