Beer Compurgation

My inane desire to try beers I haven’t sampled has come over me and so I’ve banded together all the American beers in my stash that herald from breweries I’ve not tried before. (I really need to stop theming my evenings so much.) I ordered all of these in the hope that some of the less readily available American brewers were hiding some hidden gems. I’m excited. (As there are 6 I’ll try to keep tasting notes brief. I’ve also not bothered with individual pictures, because nearly all the beers look the same in the glass this time – seriously!) Shipyard Brewery:   IPA - Think American Craft IPA and you have the style pictured in your mind, or on your tastebuds. There have been some truly fantastic ones, so it’s always interesting to try one’s you haven’t. I’ve never heard of Shipyard, but for under £2 a bottle it seemed like it was definitely worth a go. I shan’t be bothering again. This is an English IPA that Caledonian brewery wouldn’t be proud of. It’s not BAD, there’s...

I’ll let more knowledgeable pens write about the events and conversations that led to #impoff. In a moment of pure self-indulgence I’ll just discuss my own experience. On Saturday night I was due to travel down to Chester to see some friends. When this was duly cancelled on Friday I was faced with preparing for a Saturday night in alone. Fortunately, there was another twitter tasting taking place on Imperial Stouts. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared in the slightest and originally thought I would need some of the 8 beers set to be discussed to truly participate. I only had a De Molen and a N ᴓ gne Impy in reserve. So on Friday night I went to my local organic shop which boasts a full range of Thornbridge beers, including St. Petersburgh, a full range of Buxton beers, except for Tsar and a full range of Sam Smiths, except for the Imperial Stout! There was one I’d never seen before by Liverpool Organic Brewery but this meant on Saturday I had to broaden my search and go to the city cen...