I like Black Sheep Beer and I am proud of it!

[Gann]

Yep, I'm with the General on this one and will proudly say I also like Black Sheep beers.

I too got a taste for them on numerous visits to the North Yorshire Dales over the last 25 years and have done the brewery tour on a few occassions.

I have been a little surprised by perceived negativity towards Black Sheep, especially by several of my yorkshire colleagues who seem to have the same view towards the brewery that us soft southerners have towards Greedy King.

I've always put it down to the fact that in the Dales, Black Sheep beers are ubiquitous, and to the great British trait of knocking anybody who has become very successful from humble beginnings.

But if I am missing anything, would be glad to here it from our North of England contributors with greater knowledge.

[oldboots]

There is nothing 'ubiquitous' about Black Sheep.

Well as Wittenden almost says it is in the Dales (in fact in most of North Yorkshire) although it's not as wide spread as John Smiths in some places. It is also the best of the four most widely available, Tetleys, John Smiths, Theakstons, Black Sheep, It's also better than Hambleton in my opinion but not a patch on Copper Dragon, Daleside, Wensleydale, Roosters, etc. Of course since we have 28 decent breweries in North Yorks, plus 2 that are crap, the bar is a bit high

[oldboots]

I have been a little surprised by perceived negativity towards Black Sheep, especially by several of my yorkshire colleagues who seem to have the same view towards the brewery that us soft southerners have towards Greedy King.

I've always put it down to the fact that in the Dales, Black Sheep beers are ubiquitous, and to the great British trait of knocking anybody who has become very successful from humble beginnings.

But if I am missing anything, would be glad to here it from our North of England contributors with greater knowledge.

I've noticed that the four widely available in Yorkshire are traditional Yorkshire bitters while the others I mentioned before are mainly golden citrusy type beers, well apart from Daleside and Hambleton. Probably a case of familiarity breeds contempt combined with a preference for golden citrusy beers among Yorkshire ale drinkers these days. I don't think it's dislike of success, I've never come across anyone in North Yorkshire who would dream of comparing BS with GK, apart from on grounds of limited ubiquity. Tetleys and J Smiths, or their multinational owners, can be compared to GK but they're also just not very good beers while Theakstons and Black Sheep make good beers but are a bit boring in the Yorkshire context. There's also the truism that the more widely available a beer the higher the chance of getting a bad 'un.

[General Staal]

I've noticed that the four widely available in Yorkshire are traditional Yorkshire bitters while the others I mentioned before are mainly golden citrusy type beers, well apart from Daleside and Hambleton. Probably a case of familiarity breeds contempt combined with a preference for golden citrusy beers among Yorkshire ale drinkers these days.

Ah, now I personally find citrussy beers unpalatable. I have had this debate with my brother-in-law who really likes beers that are very, very pale and citrussy. If I wanted a citrussy drink, I'd have lemon cordial. I would much have a hoppy beer rasping on my tongue, a caramel beer melting down my throat, or a creamy stout/porter/mild to soothe my tonsils.

[General Staal]

I really want to like the beers by Purity - its a relatively local beer - and I know they are very good. But they are very citrussy and I avoid them. Occasionally I will try a half to see if my taste has changed, but I can never finish it!

[Oggwyn Trench]

Which Black Sheep was it? I had a pint of Bitter two weeks ago in Henley. Like all the beers that day, it was warm and flat. Mind you, it was a hot day. It was the best pint I had that day though.

It was Black Sheep Bitter , i dont mind it normally but this one was just badly looked after

[oldboots]

Just to add some empirical evidence to the argument, I visited one of Yorkshire's best free houses today, it sells Black Sheep bitter as a regular plus up to six guests, Todays choice of guests was, Crown HPA, Wensleydale Semer Water, Durham White Velvet, Hopback Summer Lightning, Outlaw Stars and Stripes plus one whose name I forget but it was a golden citrus type. Best sellers were HPA and Semer Water, no-one ordered Black Sheep. I thought the Stars and Stripes excellent and the HPA a bit thin, the Semer Water uses an English hop that I don't like, although their other beers are excellent including a dark MILD.

[runningdog]

I've never quite understood the attitude behind the habit of calling an ale bad simply because you don't like the taste. I'm not a lover of Black Sheep Bitter or it's Golden stablemate, they are simply not my kind of beer. However I might well fight you for a decent pint of Riggwelter. That said I've had more than the odd pint of Black Sheep that went down a treat.
Well that's made up me mind, a bottle of Riggwelter it is..........

[Wittenden]

I've never quite understood the attitude behind the habit of calling an ale bad simply because you don't like the taste. I'm not a lover of Black Sheep Bitter or it's Golden stablemate, they are simply not my kind of beer. However I might well fight you for a decent pint of Riggwelter. That said I've had more than the odd pint of Black Sheep that went down a treat.
Well that's made up me mind, a bottle of Riggwelter it is..........

Exactly:same with Greene King-GKIPA isn't a bad beer ,it's not really to my taste, and it is everywhere, especially in pubs that can't be bothered to look after it properly. On one of the beers sites/blogs someone called Zak Avery,who keeps a well known beershop in't North, wrote an interesting peice about GK, not at all knocking it.

[RogerB]

Black Sheep Best is one of the few beers I could correctly name in a blindfold test. The waft of the malts through Masham when I visited the town is forever etched on my tastebuds and every time I have a pint, it all comes back. I love the stuff but agree that the Rigwelter is also a great pint if you want something a bit more heavyweight.