The Beer Journey

The Outtakes

thebeerjourney — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:16:01 +0000

My first attempt didnt go so well…dont forget to subscribe to my youtube channel and you will be notified when the latest video is uploaded!

The Intro…SUBSCRIBE

thebeerjourney — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:22:46 +0000

A quick look at the intro, still a few changes to be made here and there. If you have a youtube account please subscribe to The Beer Journey channel and be notified automatically when a new video is uploaded. That way you’ll never miss a beer

Moving…In the right direction!

thebeerjourney — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:51:09 +0000

I’m taking this New Year resolution thing serious! The beer journey has taken an unexpected turn for the best (I think). Facebook has spoken and from what I gather people would prefer to watch me drink beer instead of read about it…was my grammar really that bad?. I’m now the proud owner of a youtube channel…how exciting. The first show will be recorded this time next week and should be online by the weekend. I’m going to warn you all now…I havent a clue how this is going to pan out as it’s the first time ive attempted to globally embarrass myself, so be sure to tune in and laugh at how stupid I am.

Secondly The Beer Journey blog is moving, not too far away, only around the corner. From next week on it can be found at www.thebeerjourney.com, that’s right I went all .COM on this bitch. All this chat and I still havent drank a new beer…I could do it now but I thought I’d wait for the video channel to get up and running!

Aidan

Its the New Year’s resolution!

thebeerjourney — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:34:32 +0000

Happy New Year to one and all!! So it’s the first day of 2012 and for most of the morning I lay in bed clutching my pillow while commanding the room to stop spinning. Ah yes…theres no better way to start the year, than with a hangover. The day is nearing its end and I can finally think about drink again (without getting a little sick in my mouth) which turned me back to my journey, things have been a little hectic recently and trying to find the time to drink and type hasn’t been easy, because of this im peeved. So here it is my new years resolution, Im promising to myself and anyone who reads this blog to drink the balls off 2012, write and cosume as much beer as possible and to finish the journey in 5 days* (*5 days is unrealistic, but hey we all make resolutions we can’t keep).

So here’s to 2012, here’s to a good beer year and lets pray we don’t all die in an apocalyptic meltdown!

Cheers,
Aidan

Beer #4 – England – Hobgoblin

thebeerjourney — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:16:29 +0000

BACKGROUND:

Hobgoblin is the best-known and most popular beer brewed at Wychwood Brewery. Wychwood’s head brewer, describes the drink as “full-bodied and well-balanced with a chocolate toffee malt flavour, moderate bitterness and a distinctive fruity character with a ruby-red glow”. It was the first bottled beer in the UK to feature an illustrated label, as opposed to a simple text-based one, and it is currently the 5th best-selling bottled ale in the UK. During a meeting at the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit, Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama gave each other bottles of beer from their respective home towns/cities, with Cameron presenting Obama with twelve bottles of Hobgoblin, which is from his constituency area Witney. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

TASTE & SMELL:

This is a ruby beer, I know that because it said so on the bottle…but one distinct thing is that it looks rather like ale, the colour is more of a dark umber than the light yellow I’m used to. I really like the flavours, its like a circus in your mouth when you take a sip. It has a powerful fruity flavour, with a hint of bitterness in the after taste. The aroma is subtle and smokey with the slightest hint of apple.

OVERALL:

I’ll be honest, I’ve had a busy day…big presentation in college, lots of work done in the last 5 hours and at the end of it all I just wanted a beer. Hobgoblin hit the spot…it really is a tasty surprise! I’m still drinking it while typing this, and god is it going down easy…best not say “I have a hobgoblin going down easy” out loud or the neighbours will have me locked up. But all joking aside this is a beautifully crafted beer, ideal for the end of a busy day, when you just want to relax and enjoy a nice cold beer.

WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN:

Yes, definitely. I was really impressed at how tasty this beer is!

WOULD I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO BUY IT:

I just finished up my glass, and I want more…

MY RATING:

4/5

PRICE : €1.79 per bottle SIZE:500ml ALC VOL:5.2%

Beer #3 – Scotland – Innis & Gunn Original

thebeerjourney — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:20:18 +0000

BACKGROUND:

To make Innis & Gunn they hand-select barrels which are packed with the most delicious oak flavours. Over many weeks the unique maturation slowly unlocks these flavours from deep inside the oak grain, the beer growing in character with every hour that passes. Only when it has matured to perfection do they bottle and release it. The result is a refreshing, honey-hued beer with aromas of vanilla and toffee,and a malty, lightly oaked finish.(courtesy of the bottle)

TASTE & SMELL:

It certainly has a kick (6.6%) with strong rich flavours, the colour is almost that of whiskey (check out the picture). It is said to have hints of toffee and vanilla and you can definitely pick this up, but they could have said it has hints of WD-40 and a badminton racket and I’d agree (I’m easily swayed). It has a fuller flavour than the previous two beers and its a tad sweeter.

OVERALL:

I really like Innis & Gunn original, the beer really has character…if it was a mate it would be the one cracking jokes and drawing dicks on your face when you fell asleep drunk. I’ve said before that im not one for strong-tasting beer’s but I would make an exception for this guy. Would I buy it again…yes, would I go out of my way to buy it…if I was having a quiet night in and wanted to enjoy the taste, two or three would be enough.

MY RATING:

3/5

PRICE : €1.39 per bottle SIZE:330ml ALC VOL:6.6% (wow)

Beer #2 – Laos – Beerlao Original

thebeerjourney — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:26:30 +0000

BACKGROUND:

Beerlao is produced by the Lao Brewery Company of Vientiane, Laos. The company claims to have a 99% market share of the national beer market in Laos, though this may have been eroded by the arrival of Singapore’s Tiger beer on the market. Beerlao Original, the original lager produced by LBC, is sold in 330 ml and 640 ml bottles and 330 ml cans. It is available throughout Laos, and in western-style restaurants in Cambodia it is also increasingly available in Thailand. Beerlao is very popular with foreign travelers in Vientiane. Many guidebooks recommend enjoying a cold Beerlao at one of the riverside restaurants by the Mekong River as a ‘must-do’ experience when visiting the city. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

TASTE & SMELL:

No messing…smells amazing, tastes amazing!

OVERALL:

The first words I said after taking a sip were “Holy fuck!”. This is genuinely one of the nicest beers I have ever tasted. Now I know im only two beers into this journey but im talking about all the beers I’ve had in the past…this blows them out of the water! The taste is beautiful just the right amount of sweetness, not too strong, not too light…just perfect! Take it from me, you have to try this beer! Would I drink this beer again….hell yes! would I go out of my way to get it….if I have to book tickets to Laos I will.

MY RATING:

5/5

PRICE : €1.79 per bottle SIZE:330ml ALC VOL:5.0%

Beer #1 – JAPAN – KIRIN ICHIBAN PREMIUM PRESS

thebeerjourney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND:

In 1990 Kirin launched a very special beer in Japan, called “Ichiban Shibori”, which literally translates as “first pressing”. This distinctive beer is fermented using only the very first wort, which contains less bitter-tasting tannins. It’s very mild, pure and smooth taste caused a sensational boom when launched in Japan, subsequently becoming the third best-selling brand there amongst Japanese beers. (courtesy of www.drinkstore.ie)

TASTE & SMELL:

The aroma is very subtle, not overpowering, it is highly carbonated but the head is small in size, it’s a very pale yellow colour, taste in mouth is quite watery and minimal but it has a sweet after taste, its quite light.

OVERALL:

I have to say Kirin Ichiban is quite nice, as im not one for strong beers it suits my palate. Would I drink it again, hmmm…yes, would I go out of my way to buy it, no. What food would it suit, I’d say its ideal to chug down while eating a fish or pasta dish.

MY RATING:

3/5

PRICE : €1.79 per bottle SIZE:330ml ALC VOL:5.0%

And so it begins

thebeerjourney — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:56:46 +0000

My first ever post on the start of something new. I have high hopes for this journey, one of them is that I can stick at it! I never really took to blogging, I suppose it’s because I never really had anything interesting to say, some would say I still don’t, but look at me now, Ha. The reason I started this blog can found here, but let me try to explain it in a more…complicated way.

You know the feeling when you hear a band (rapper, dj, orchestra, traveling pan pipe quartet) and think “WOW,why havent I heard *insert generic band name here* before now, they are incredible!” and then you go and buy all their previous albums, plaster your wall with posters and live out your days thinking “its lucky I heard *insert generic band name here* or I would have lost out on their amazingness”. WELL that’s how I feel about most things in life, but with a slight twist, half the time im thinking “WOW I just heard this amazing band, thank god I found them” and then im thinking “but wait! what other amazing bands is there? I could be missing out on so much!”.

Now to the point, if I go out for a pint with my girlfriend or the lads, I go to the bar, I say to myself “You know what? im going to have something different tonight” I scan the taps picking and choosing, but then the barman catches my eye….im thinking “OH SHIT, I don’t know what I want yet” he does that little head nod that means “pick something, because im not standing here all fucking night” and I shit out of it and say “pint of Heineken, mate” I throw in the ‘mate’ to show im “one of the lads” and he serves it up. As I’m walking back to the table im cursing myself thinking “GREAT! Heineken, im stuck with this all night” not that I have anything against Heineken, it’s the whole thing of “what am I missing out on?” that bothers me. (If your wondering why I would be stuck with Heineken all night, its because I have this odd thing of sticking to the same drink until I hit the shorts!)

So after that long-winded explanation I’m getting to the reason for this blog. Basically I want to taste a beer from every country in the world, and im doing this for three reasons -

1. It would be great to say “I’ve tasted a beer from every country in the world!”, your thinking, when would this come up in conversation? I plan on using it in awkward situations…like when you have to make conversation with someone you met 13 minutes ago.

2. I might find a beer that tastes amazing from Brazil or Chile…who knows, I dont…thats why im doing this!

3. Finally, I’m useless at blogging or posting anything online so this should keep me active, plus I get to try a lot of beer without looking like an alcoholic.

So now you know my frivolous reasons for taking on this journey, hopefully I’ll learn some stuff along the way and maybe you as the reader might pick up a few things aswell (I’m not promising this to be educational). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, recommendations or if you just want to say hello.

That’s all for now,

Aidan.