Friday 6 March 2015

Extreme beer reaches its ultimate conclusion?

I had to raise not one, but two eyebrows when I saw a beer with 'ALMOST UNDRINKABLE' printed on the label.


Having once made a foul tasting beer with 10% peated whisky malt I'm sure a beer made entirely from it is indeed almost undrinkable. But if an experimental brew turns out to be almost undrinkable isn't the correct response to pour it down the drain rather than sell it at a premium price?

14 comments:

  1. Some people pay good money to have their taste buds chemically damaged with pure chilli essence. Perhaps its the same bunch who want to drink peat.

    If they want to pay for it, let them. It wouldn't have me reaching for my wallet.

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  2. I suppose if people want to spend good money on something clearly labelled 'almost undrinkable' that's up to them, but I do wonder why a brewery would send something out they think is almost undrinkable.

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    1. Because they know there are enough fools out there willing to spend their money to prove them wrong? Whatever.

      Anyway, I see your "almost undrinkable beer", and I raise you STŘÍBRNÉ PIVO that is not even fit for drinking!!! It's got colloidal silver, you know, that stuff that anti-vaxxers give their kids when they are ill.

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    2. On a side note, at least they are honest, I've had plenty of (more than) almost undrinkable beer that was sold as the best thing since the invention of malts

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    3. I've just started reading Charlie Bamforth's 'Standard of Brewing' and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada writes in the foreword:

      "Not that any brewer ever wants to dump a batch of beer, but if it is seriously flawed, don't just compound your problem by selling it or blending it with good beer, use it as a learning experience. Even though it may be financilly painful to dump it, you may receive some value by showing the staff your committment to quality."

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    4. I've linked the post in my FB page and a couple of people, who I wouldn't call beer fetishists, say that the beer is actually quite good, and far from the monster the label makes it out to be.

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    5. Interesting - they must have differnt taste to me. I found the beer I made with only 10% peated malt disgusting so I shudder to think what one made of 100% peated malt is like.

      I'd also be interested to hear why they bought a beer that said 'Almost Undrinkable' on the label!

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    6. If you don't like peated malt, then you won't like this beer either. I'm not a big fan of it myself,

      Why they bought it? Well, why do people eat this types of chili or drink ever hoppier beers? It's a challenge, I guess.

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  4. The beer is by no means undrinkable, but it's definitely weird. Very, very peaty and smoky, which lingers for a long time. I thought it was interesting.

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  5. We had a bottle of this at new year and on its own it was somewhat extreme (although a whisky-loving friend who, unfortunately, can't really drink whisky anymore was well into it). As it says on another bit of the label though, it's great for blending! A tot or two in any given dark beer leads to some interesting new flavours.

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    1. I was happy to take the brewers at their word with this one.

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  6. Yeastie Boys have been doing 'Rex Attitude' (7%) made using 100% Scottish peated malt for years. It is a serious divider of opinion. Some loath it, some adore it, few lie between. I utterly adore it.

    Rex is a core beer for them too, always available - not just some random special.

    They've also done xeRRex for years - a 10% version of the same. *DROOL*

    But I love my hugely peaty whisky too. Horses for courses!

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