Bottled beer ..... not good

[rogertb]

So I'm a beer drinker and am missing my evening pint, I've been having a g&t early evening and a glass or two of wine, a glass or two is turning into a glass or four, I guess a need for 'volume' ... anyway I thought I'd get some bottled beers instead of all the red wine, a bottle of 'Doombar' arrived with the grocery delivery, chilled it in the fridge and behold .... it tastes of nothing but gas, I guess CO2 (though I'm not sure) ... are there any beers, canned or bottles, that compare to the taste of a cask ale ? ie taste of beer and not gas ... Guiness maybe ?

[Spinko]

The cans of Vocation Smash and Grab I had on Friday were as good as any cask I remember. But I'll always avoid bottles, they just don't work for beer.

[Aqualung]

The cans of Vocation Smash and Grab I had on Friday were as good as any cask I remember. But I'll always avoid bottles, they just don't work for beer.

I'll go along with that generally. The advances in bottles and cans has been considerable over the years. I'm speculating that this is partly due to using a mix of Nitrogen and CO2 rather than just CO2.
I'm going to suggest (and you knew I would!) that choosing Doom Bore wasn't a great decision.
I'm getting the majority of my beer delivered free by ELB. Two cases of 12 x 500ml bottles comes to £55.00 which is a price drop by them but I'm sure is giving them a better margin than delivering casks to chain pubs. Some local breweries seem to be still charging full price which I think is very short sighted.
I've just checked out Old Dairy and they seem to be doing something similar. I don't know if you live within 15 miles of Tenterden but my advice is check out the local breweries. If a bottle is gassy then disperse the gas with a utensil of some sort.

EDIT: My eyesight isn't that great and I read your username as someone I know lives in Kent! My advice remains the same, check out what local breweries are offering.

[Wittenden]

Welcome to the site! Camra and SIBA have launched a website listing brewers who sell direct to the public.https://camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/
I tend to agree than cans seem to maintain the quality of beer better than bottles nowdays.Also they're lighter, so delivery should be cheaper.

[oldboots]

So I'm a beer drinker and am missing my evening pint, I've been having a g&t early evening and a glass or two of wine, a glass or two is turning into a glass or four, I guess a need for 'volume' ... anyway I thought I'd get some bottled beers instead of all the red wine, a bottle of 'Doombar' arrived with the grocery delivery, chilled it in the fridge and behold .... it tastes of nothing but gas, I guess CO2 (though I'm not sure) ... are there any beers, canned or bottles, that compare to the taste of a cask ale ? ie taste of beer and not gas ... Guiness maybe ?

You probably have two choices,

a. get a 5l mini-keg from one of the good breweries, as long as you can store in a cool place, it's good but not quite cask and you can drink pints rather than children's portions from a can or bottle.
b. pour the beer out and then get a spoon and give it a brisk stir to remove the excess gas (don't over do it).

[sheffield hatter]

But I'll always avoid bottles, they just don't work for beer.

I find that stronger and darker beers work better in bottles. I do occasionally try a Black Sheep Ale 4.4%, but before drinking I'll stir the beer in the glass with a fork to get rid of some of the carbon dioxide.

Some modern canned beers have a mouth feel that is very similar to cask (Vocation is an example, but Abbeydale (https://www.abbeydalebrewery.co.uk/) are also good).

I've been getting 3 litre containers of beer (a bag-in-a-box) delivered by a local brewery - Stancill (https://www.stancillbrewery.co.uk/). It's £15, which works out at less than £3 a pint. Delivery is free but only to local postcodes. (It keeps well because the bag collapses as the beer is drawn out, so no oxygen comes into contact with the beer.) No doubt other breweries have similar schemes.

[ROBCamra]

My order from Brewdog arrived. So Elvis Juice, Hazy Jane and Clockwork Tangerine last night.

I find their cans better than the draught in their bars as I can choose what temperature to serve it at.

Not cask, but not bad at all.

Vocation Life & Death, Pride & Joy and Heart & Soul are all equally as good. :cheers:

The Vocation beers are cheaper at our Asda than ordering direct from the brewery. :confused:

[sheffield hatter]

...it tastes of nothing but gas, I guess CO2 (though I'm not sure)...are there any beers, canned or bottles, that compare to the taste of a cask ale?

There's some intersting stuff about CO2 in beer and why/how/whether it affects the taste here (http://edsbeer.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-german-view-on-extraneous-co2.html):

"fermentation derived carbonation [is] a more delicate, more integrated effervescence than the coarse bubbles that result from CO2 delivered by gas suppliers and injected in-line. One theory ... [deals] with saturation aspects of CO2 around haze particles, visibly perceived or not evident. Arguably, a slow evolution of CO2 leads to a more gradual saturation and better mouthfeel properties in the final beer."

[AlanH]

There's some intersting stuff about CO2 in beer and why/how/whether it affects the taste here (http://edsbeer.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-german-view-on-extraneous-co2.html):

"fermentation derived carbonation [is] a more delicate, more integrated effervescence than the coarse bubbles that result from CO2 delivered by gas suppliers and injected in-line. One theory ... [deals] with saturation aspects of CO2 around haze particles, visibly perceived or not evident. Arguably, a slow evolution of CO2 leads to a more gradual saturation and better mouthfeel properties in the final beer."

Whether extraneous CO2 affects the taste has never been in doubt. We have always known that. It is the basis that Camra was formed 49 years ago.

[sheffield hatter]

Whether extraneous CO2 affects the taste has never been in doubt. We have always known that. It is the basis that Camra was formed 49 years ago.

Well, yes, obviously I totally agree. But beer always has carbon dioxide in it, and it's a matter of how that gas arrived there (a natural product from the fermentation or injected from a cannister to deliver it through a tap) that is the point in question.

The other thing about real ale is the way it continues to develop in the cask, rather than having its fermentation stopped by filtration and pasteurisation. It's not often that I have the same beer from cask and then the same beer from a bottle or served by gas pressure and think that the first beer was not superior. Actually, almost never.

[rogertb]

Just trying a can of guiness and I am able to drink it and not put it down the sink ...

[rogertb]

In case anyone is following this I've just tried a tin of Amber Adder from Lidls, pretty good, beat some gas out of it and it's very drinkable cheap and 5% helps !

[sheffield hatter]

In case anyone is following this I've just tried a tin of Amber Adder from Lidls, pretty good, beat some gas out of it and it's very drinkable cheap and 5% helps !

Thanks. Haven't been to Lidl for any "essentials" since lockdown started, so might give it a go next week.

[Blackthorn]

I’m no beer expert, but Moor Beer were the first (only?) company to be accredited by Camra as doing real ale in a can. Delivery looks to be free if you spend over £50 (or £30 in Bristol and London).

[Aqualung]

I’m no beer expert.
Neither are a lot of CAMRA people!