Take the Doombar challenge

[london calling]

As we all seem to be in agreement that Doombore is pretty horrible. Hows about over the next few weeks we try a pint and objectively say what we think.I have never thought much of it but remember a night in a pub in Richmond about 3 years ago having 2 pints of stunningly good beer.Recently in Devon I was unable to finish my pint it was so dull.Probably be next week before I get a chance to try again. cheers john

[Mobyduck]

As we all seem to be in agreement that Doombore is pretty horrible. Hows about over the next few weeks we try a pint and objectively say what we think.I have never thought much of it but remember a night in a pub in Richmond about 3 years ago having 2 pints of stunningly good beer.Recently in Devon I was unable to finish my pint it was so dull.Probably be next week before I get a chance to try again. cheers john
I'll give it a go, and I'll let you know if I'm getting any autumn berries from the complex brew. :D

[Mobyduck]

I'll give it a go, and I'll let you know if I'm getting any autumn berries from the complex brew. :D
I should have some available to me tomorrow evening, I will get some stick if I am seen drinking it though.:o

[Aqualung]

As we all seem to be in agreement that Doombore is pretty horrible. Hows about over the next few weeks we try a pint and objectively say what we think.I have never thought much of it but remember a night in a pub in Richmond about 3 years ago having 2 pints of stunningly good beer.Recently in Devon I was unable to finish my pint it was so dull.Probably be next week before I get a chance to try again. cheers john

I'll go along with that but I must remember to take a sick bag!
A pub up in Chingford that has struggled for years under Enterprise Inns has been renamed and is now part of the Bermondsey Pub Company which is the recently formed managed house division of er, Enterprise Inns. They proudly tweeted their opening beer selection as Doom Bore, London Pride, Broadside (they got the name wrong!), GK London Gory, and Otter Ale. I was told that the Otter Ale was unavailable today.
A new contributor who is a local has already berated the quality of the free food offering they gave him or her. I really hope this doesn't get reported as a "food rant" as I have a real problem with posts being removed for this reason.
I'm hoping to drop in on Monday and will definitely go for the Doom Bore!

[Mobyduck]

As we all seem to be in agreement that Doombore is pretty horrible. Hows about over the next few weeks we try a pint and objectively say what we think.I have never thought much of it but remember a night in a pub in Richmond about 3 years ago having 2 pints of stunningly good beer.Recently in Devon I was unable to finish my pint it was so dull.Probably be next week before I get a chance to try again. cheers john
The last pint of Doombar that was good ,that I can remember was in the Falcon (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24449/) some 5 or 6 years ago, I have tried since then , probably 5 or 6 pints which at best were uninteresting at worst unbearably bland to the point of being undrinkable. So I approached the challenge this evening with some trepidation and bottled it straight away, having two pints of Darkstar Hophead first ,(to cleanse the palette ) , I opted for a half. Last night I had already written my tasting review in my mind and was going to have a right old laugh at Sharps expense, however my plans have been dashed, my half was served in excellent condition,clear as a bell and retained a small head,nothing much aroma-wise ,not that I am to fussed about that, but I was surprised at the initial fruitiness in the mouth, a memory of Doom Bar past, a little to sweet for my taste overall but shockingly it had taste,as I got into the second half(of my half) an underlying taste of Caramel began to encroach, and for me this was not so enjoyable. So I can see where the berries came from in the clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWG_TNxzQhE) but complex? I don't really think so. As for food matching I think it is such a versatile beer it would go equally well with either burnt offerings or indeed Wine Gums :evilgrin: ,(well I couldnt stay serious all post). But in summary it was nowhere near as poor as I was expecting, will I make a bee line for it next chance I get? Not a cat in hell's chance.

[london calling]

My daughter asked me for a lift to Chiswick so I went in the Lamb (now Nicolsons).Poured perfectly clear amber with a good head.Short measure and £3.80 a pint.I have little or no sense of smell so cant help you there.Subtle taste, not overly malty and a bit of fruity hopiness.Good lacing on the glass all the way to the bottom.Sank the pint In less than 10 minutes.Quite impressed BUT I think this is the sort of beer to start your first pint or stay on all night and would be enjoyable.After 2 pints of hophead I doubt if I would taste much.

[london calling]

The last pint of Doombar that was good ,that I can remember was in the Falcon (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24449/) some 5 or 6 years ago, I have tried since then , probably 5 or 6 pints which at best were uninteresting at worst unbearably bland to the point of being undrinkable. So I approached the challenge this evening with some trepidation and bottled it straight away, having two pints of Darkstar Hophead first ,(to cleanse the palette ) , I opted for a half. Last night I had already written my tasting review in my mind and was going to have a right old laugh at Sharps expense, however my plans have been dashed, my half was served in excellent condition,clear as a bell and retained a small head,nothing much aroma-wise ,not that I am to fussed about that, but I was surprised at the initial fruitiness in the mouth, a memory of Doom Bar past, a little to sweet for my taste overall but shockingly it had taste,as I got into the second half(of my half) an underlying taste of Caramel began to encroach, and for me this was not so enjoyable. So I can see where the berries came from in the clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWG_TNxzQhE) but complex? I don't really think so. As for food matching I think it is such a versatile beer it would go equally well with either burnt offerings or indeed Wine Gums :evilgrin: ,(well I couldnt stay serious all post). But in summary it was nowhere near as poor as I was expecting, will I make a bee line for it next chance I get? Not a cat in hell's chance.

Any food would obliterate the flavour of this beer.

[Mobyduck]

My daughter asked me for a lift to Chiswick so I went in the Lamb (now Nicolsons).Poured perfectly clear amber with a good head.Short measure and £3.80 a pint.I have little or no sense of smell so cant help you there.Subtle taste, not overly malty and a bit of fruity hopiness.Good lacing on the glass all the way to the bottom.Sank the pint In less than 10 minutes.Quite impressed BUT I think this is the sort of beer to start your first pint or stay on all night and would be enjoyable.After 2 pints of hophead I doubt if I would taste much.
It did enhance the following third pint of Hophead.

[NickDavies]

The problem is the same with Pride and most other mass produced beers. If conditioned and served correctly you won't find much technically wrong with them. But most of it goes in chain pubs as the default real ale where no-one has much idea what they're doing, and even if they do they're too lazy to bother. It will be served a few hours after it's landed in the cellar without secondary fermentation, and still be being served flat as a pancake four or five or six days later. During the day you've got a good chance of getting something that been sitting in the line for several hours and the lines themselves will be none too clean. The same may well go for the glassware. Much of that is what turned people off real ale in favour of keg bitter and then lager 50 or 60 years ago and it's still going on today.

[sheffield hatter]

I'll give it a go, and I'll let you know if I'm getting any autumn berries from the complex brew. :D

I gave it a go today when I went to the Noah's Ark (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/53851/) to watch Luton Town on Sky Sports. (If you don't know the result, look away now.) We lost, of course, and I really could have done with drinking something with more alcohol than Doom Bar. However, I gave it the three pint test, and I have to say that the third pint was a definite improvement. This was probably because what had been resting in the pipe overnight hadn't been fully pulled through before pouring the first. I would have stopped after just the one, but for the fact that the alternative was the equally boring Jennings Cumberland Ale.

I'm off now down to Kelham Island (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/kelham-island/south-yorkshire/) in hope of finding something more interesting.

[Alesonly]

I took the challenge Had a Pint Doom Bar or should that be glum bar in the Wetherspoons The Admiral Byng it was not inspiring at all very weak and bland tasting not a patch on years ago. Same as London Pride it just not the same now.

[sheffield hatter]

I'm off now down to Kelham Island (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/kelham-island/south-yorkshire/) in hope of finding something more interesting.

Dark Star Darkness 3.5% at Kelham Island Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56068/), Wharfedale Black 3.7% at The Fat Cat (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43149/) and Little Ale Cart Annesley Runner Stout 5.2% at The Wellington (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43091/). Yummy!

[Mobyduck]

Dark Star Darkness 3.5% at Kelham Island Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56068/), Wharfedale Black 3.7% at The Fat Cat (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43149/) and Little Ale Cart Annesley Runner Stout 5.2% at The Wellington (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43091/). Yummy!
now your talking :notworthy:

[london calling]

Dark Star Darkness 3.5% at Kelham Island Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56068/), Wharfedale Black 3.7% at The Fat Cat (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43149/) and Little Ale Cart Annesley Runner Stout 5.2% at The Wellington (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43091/). Yummy!
That was your reward for going beyond the call of duty with 3 pints of Doombar.

[london calling]

The problem is the same with Pride and most other mass produced beers. If conditioned and served correctly you won't find much technically wrong with them. But most of it goes in chain pubs as the default real ale where no-one has much idea what they're doing, and even if they do they're too lazy to bother. It will be served a few hours after it's landed in the cellar without secondary fermentation, and still be being served flat as a pancake four or five or six days later. During the day you've got a good chance of getting something that been sitting in the line for several hours and the lines themselves will be none too clean. The same may well go for the glassware. Much of that is what turned people off real ale in favour of keg bitter and then lager 50 or 60 years ago and it's still going on today.
I saw Doombar in a pub at lunchtime Friday but avoided it as it would have been the first one pulled that day. . Although in a good beer pub that should not be a problem. I would not worry about secondary fermentation as Sharps have said before 80 percent of their beer goes out bright and needs little or no settling.Something the bigger brewers are doing to quicken turnover.

[Mobyduck]

I saw Doombar in a pub at lunchtime Friday but avoided it .
You started it ,you cant avoid for ever, just go for it. :sick: :D

[london calling]

You started it ,you cant avoid for ever, just go for it. :sick: :D
I have.

[Mobyduck]

I have.
Serves you right.

[Quinno]

Much of that is what turned people off real ale in favour of keg bitter and then lager 50 or 60 years ago and it's still going on today.

Too true and I think we're running the danger of that repeating itself right now.

[oldboots]

I managed a couple of halves in different pubs last night, unedited notes straight off my phone;

Pub #1
Sampled as fourth beer of a slow evenings drinking and proceeded by a selection of other mainly bland session beers: Bland with a slightly fruity taste, thin body, not much aroma, the half I sampled was in excellent condition with just the right amount of natural carbonation. Not on the "avoid like the plague " list but just a third rate beer.

Pub #2
This time a thickish malty syrup with faint fruitiness still bland and less appealing than the previous pub but to be fair I had been warned this was and I quote "a shithole".

[aleandhearty]

Fully intend to give this a go, when I can somewhere locally that sells the stuff. (Well, there is the local 'spoons, but it'll definitely be over-chilled, so that's not really fair.)

[Aqualung]

I'm out, the pub I went to try it this afternoon didn't have it on, they had a luggage ticket on the pump to indicate this rather than just turning the clip round. I endured London Glory instead and it wasn't very glorious!