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Thread: Serendipitous Moment of the Week

  1. #31
    This Space For Hire aleandhearty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bucking Fastard View Post
    Theakstons Old Peculier ,which was very enjoyable and a real upside surprise.I will treat it with more respect next time I find it on.
    Was quite surprised to read this FB. I've always considered a decent pint of OP to be a lovely drop. Was your impression of Theakstons based on the truly execrable Best Bitter? I must admit we don't see an awful lot of their other beers in West Yorkshire, maybe 'oldboots' could fill in a few gaps.
    'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.

  2. #32
    Old & Bitter oldboots's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    maybe 'oldboots' could fill in a few gaps.
    Theakstons Best Bitter is phenomenally popular round here, so much so that the Hambleton Ales brewery tap had to put it back in alongside their own beers after a customer revolt. Most prefer it to Black Sheep, probably because Theakstons Best is sweet whereas the Sheep Bitter is fairly dry. The popularity can be a problem as it can be in outlets that shouldn't have any cask beers, but when on form it's very drinkable just a bit too sweet for hop addicts.

    OP isn't so much of a North Yorkshire favourite in spite of it being such a good beer, maybe that's why there's less difference between OP and Riggwelter than between the bitters. North Yorkshire drinkers are a bit conservative, they don't like it too strong and certainly no degree of haze is acceptable in a pale beer. Even John Smiths cask is a big seller, as is the Black Country Tetleys. You have to remember we only have the fleshpots of York, Scarborough and Harrogate everywhere else is rural and multi-pump "craft" beer bars don't exist there, we travel to the metropolitan delights of Leeds for that.

    Getting back to the beer, Theakstons Lightfoot isn't bad, XB is very good and some of their seasonals can be excellent but Theakstons are not as adventurous as Black Sheep who have a small batch brewery and the My Generation brand, however their beers do taste similar. I'm not keen on Theakstons Black Bull and have no problem drinking Best Bitter when it's right. Theakstons are also just getting over a serious yeast infection and are now back to full production.

  3. #33
    This Space For Hire aleandhearty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldboots View Post
    Getting back to the beer, Theakstons Lightfoot isn't bad, XB is very good and some of their seasonals can be excellent but Theakstons are not as adventurous as Black Sheep who have a small batch brewery and the My Generation brand, however their beers do taste similar. I'm not keen on Theakstons Black Bull and have no problem drinking Best Bitter when it's right. Theakstons are also just getting over a serious yeast infection and are now back to full production.
    Never knowingly had Lightfoot. Agreed XB can be very good. Like you, I'm not keen on Black Bull. We'll just have to agree to disagree on the Best.
    'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.

  4. #34
    Between pubs sheffield hatter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    Agreed XB can be very good.
    I understand that Theakstons XB is in fact a blend of Best Bitter and Old Peculier in the proportion of approximately 66:33. Certainly it was proposed as such to me by the then landlord of The Newfield Inn in the Duddon Valley about 20 years ago. He had Best and he had Old P, and when I expressed regret that he didn't have XB he said he would make one for me, in those proportions, because that was what it was. It certainly tasted like an XB, and I have never had reason to doubt what he said.
    Come On You Hatters!

  5. #35
    This Space For Hire aleandhearty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheffield hatter View Post
    I understand that Theakstons XB is in fact a blend of Best Bitter and Old Peculier in the proportion of approximately 66:33. Certainly it was proposed as such to me by the then landlord of The Newfield Inn in the Duddon Valley about 20 years ago. He had Best and he had Old P, and when I expressed regret that he didn't have XB he said he would make one for me, in those proportions, because that was what it was. It certainly tasted like an XB, and I have never had reason to doubt what he said.
    I'll have to take your word for it, Will. TBH, it's quite a while since I've had a pint of XB.
    'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.

  6. #36
    This Space For Hire Wittenden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    Never knowingly had Lightfoot. Agreed XB can be very good. Like you, I'm not keen on Black Bull. We'll just have to agree to disagree on the Best.
    Looking back, Theakston BB is the beer I always miss,gravitating towards Lightfoot.I have a soft spot for it,being a ray of sunlight in the gloom of mid 70s County Durham. I'm yet to try XB.Something to look forward to in the New Year.
    "At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.

  7. #37
    Waterborne Beer Inspector Bucking Fastard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    Was quite surprised to read this FB. I've always considered a decent pint of OP to be a lovely drop. Was your impression of Theakstons based on the truly execrable Best Bitter?
    Being a southern based drinker of real ale in the 70's and 80's ,it was quite common to see Old Peculier in those days in free house real ale outlets that were springing up.I suspect there were quality issues at some of these pubs,often in London,and maybe that coloured my perception of OP.However I did find a Theakstons tied house in Handsacre with very good OP a couple of years ago,so I was pleased this wasn't a one off,as confirmed by my pint of it recently in the Queens Head,Uxbridge.
    "Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson

  8. #38
    This Space For Hire Aqualung's Avatar
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    Theakston's BB and XB were Spoon's stalwarts back in the 1990s before they decided that GK was a better option than S & N. A really horrible concoction called Younger's Scotch was thw cheapo option. This was so bad it made GK beers seem like trendy craft alternatives.
    I've been drinking OP for forty years but never on a regular basis so can't comment on any S & N vs Theakston's debate. It did strike me that Riggwelter was an obvious copy of OP.

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    This Space For Hire Rex_Rattus's Avatar
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    I visited the Mad Hatter a couple of days ago, and it being a Fuller's pub/hotel I pretty much expected to find the Fuller's usual suspects on. Yes of course London Pride, Oliver's Island, Seafarer's and ESB were all on, but there was also a pump with a Vintage Ale clip on it. I've only ever seen this in bottles before, but observing my interest the friendly barman offered me a taster - and who's going to say no to that? A magnificent 8.5% rich and fruity ale such as this for £4.50 a pint seemed good value to me (by London standards anyway).

  10. #40
    This Space For Hire Aqualung's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rex_Rattus View Post
    I visited the Mad Hatter a couple of days ago, and it being a Fuller's pub/hotel I pretty much expected to find the Fuller's usual suspects on. Yes of course London Pride, Oliver's Island, Seafarer's and ESB were all on, but there was also a pump with a Vintage Ale clip on it. I've only ever seen this in bottles before, but observing my interest the friendly barman offered me a taster - and who's going to say no to that? A magnificent 8.5% rich and fruity ale such as this for £4.50 a pint seemed good value to me (by London standards anyway).
    It's good value by any standards You have to grasp the nettle when opportunities like this arise. How many pints did you get through?

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