Mikkeller Stateside IPA, 7% ABV.

It totally passed me by that the 4th of July has a special significance for people in the US, otherwise I might have put on my Harvey's Tom Paine T-shirt and drunk some American beers. So to make up for it here's a review of a beer made in tribute to American brewers: Mikkeller Stateside IPA.



Mikkeller list the ingredients, a practice I thoroughly approve of:

Grist: Pilsner, Munich and Caramunich malt, Flaked oats.

Hops: Chinook, cascade and centennial.

I wasn't entirely taken with the first Mikkeller beer I tried but they're a very interesting brewery so I was looking forward to this one. The initial taste was fantastic. It had the strong, citrussy hop flavour you would expect from an American inspired IPA but the malts gave it a light but tasty caramel flavour which I've not found in American IPAs before. It worked really well and is definitely something I'll try in my own brewing.

Sadly on further drinking I was not quite so impressed. There seemed a sour note to it which made me think, 'hang on a minute, that's no ordinary caramel, that's diacetyl'. Some diacetyl can be acceptable in beer but this was too much. 

Excess diacetyl is removed from beer if it's given sufficiennt time to mature whilst in contact with the yeast, as the yeast reabsorbs the diacetyl and breaks it down. Mikkeller were close to a classic with this beer so hopefully they'll take a bit more time making it in future.

Buy Thomas Hardy Ale Now!

Having watched an entertaining contender style business program on Channel 4 about two breweries (Itchen Valley and O'Hanlons) an important message came across: STOCK UP ON THOMAS HARDY ALE NOW!

The classic Eldridge Pope beer that O'Hanlons revived was revealed as a loss maker the new boss wanted to get rid of. So if you want to try it the time is now!



I find it a bit sweet and syrupy myself but if you haven't already tried it its place in British brewing history means you really should while you can. The last bottle I had I used in a Birra misu but being used in cooking isn't really an ideal fate for beer.

Pedirodg

Last night I tried out a drink I've been meaning to have for some time: Pedirodg.

First take a bottle of Marston's Pedigree.



Then take a bottle of Owd Rodger.



Find a big glass and pour them in.



Bingo! The Pedirodg.

This is a combination I heard about when chatting to someone who used to work for Marston's. I'd said that I didn't think British brewers did strong beers too well as they always tended to get syrupy as they got stronger. He said the practice at Marston's was to mix Pedigree and Owd Rodger to make the Pedirodg.

I have to say it was better than either of the beers individually. The Pedigree was pretty bland apart from the sulphurousness of the Burton snatch and the Owd Rodger was too sweet and syrupy. When mixed together they made a strong dark beer of 6.3% ABV that certainly did the trick when drunk in litre at a time.

I wasn't actually as good as similar strength dark beers like Adnam's Broadside or Greene King Strong Suffolk but it was interesting all the same.

Next I need to try the London Pride and Golden Pride mix that I heard about from someone at Fullers ...