TOPIC:

I just got delivery of my beer club collection. It's an outstanding collection of bottle conditioned ales and stouts along with 4 free bottles of noted American brew. The American stuff included Goose Island IPA, Brooklyn Lager, Anchor Steam Ale and (I can't believe it!) Sierra Nevada IPA! I didn't think I'd get ahold of that stuff until I made my way to the West coast of America.

The British beers include 4 of each of White Shield, Mauldons Black Adder, Cotleigh Buzzard, Arran Brewery Milestone, and Ridgewood IPA. It cost 40 sterling plus postage and you'll get a delivery every 3 months of different bottle conditioned ales. Sign up now!

I couldn't resist so I'm tucking into the Sierra Nevada IPA. It's billed as a true English IPA and it doesn't disappoint. The hops are EK Goldings and Challenger. It has all the hop intensity we associate with American IPA but the hop character is English. It's amazing stuff. Intensly bitter with a decent malt sweetness. It's amazing really because the Americans have now done an English style IPA as good as any produced in England.

Their attitude to beer is only way to do it, really. They produce what ever they feel like and do it well. For example I just read in Beers of the World that the Sam Adams brewery brewed a beer using hops that were harvested, kilned and in the kettle within 24 hours. Nothing too great there until you realise that the hops came from Germany. The beer is called Sam Adams Hallertau 24 and the hops were the Hallertau Mittelfrueh which is one of the finest aroma hops around but slowly being driven to extinction due to a fungus.

Here's to our friends across the pond!

I didn't realise they delivered over here - sounds like a nice package to get every quarter <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

I was actually surprised to see Sierra Nevada IPA in McHugh's on the Malahide Road last weekend. Naturally I grabbed a couple of bottles. I expected it to be a supercharged version of their pale ale but as you said it's more in the style of an English IPA. I thought it was excellent and I'd love to try more of their brews. Their porter is supposed to be good.

Was it this selection? <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.beerclubofbritain.co.uk/camra.html">www.beerclubofbritain.co.uk/camra.html
It's £45 plus £16 postage if you're not a member of CAMRA.

But the enthusiasts scheme from the beer club seems to be fixed at 39 quid per quarter for 20 bottles.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.beerclubofbritain.co.uk/main.asp?category=enthusiast+scheme">www.beerclubofbritain.co.uk/main ... ast+scheme
It all looks really good, but seems a bit dear though when there's £16 postage, and considering the crappy exchange rate. About €4 per bottle all told <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->

Still, cheaper than the pub I suppose <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

I'm not a member but the nice lady e mailed me and said they charged me the members price because of the expense of posting to Ireland. Very kind indeed!

It's a little pricey but there's little chance of getting these beers in Ireland and English ales are my very favourite style so I don't mind paying it.

I spotted the Sierra Nevada IPA in Mc Hughs yesterday and grabbed another 2 bottles. It's fabulous stuff. I tried their porter many years ago. I vaguely recall it being roasted but not at all choclately but that's the American way when it comes to porter, mostly black malt for colour and flavour.

Sierra Nevada can be got in Redmonds, the Beer and Wine Warehouse and in the O'Briens chain of off-licencies. It really is a world class beer, if a little pricey at around €3.35.

The SN brew company has an impressive range of beers though sadly I've only had those available in Ireland.

This IPA, and most typical US IPAs, is a little hoppier than their UK equivalents.

Tip for those extract brewers using a gas burner that can maintain a rolling boil:
To make a clone of this great beer using extract, add only a little of the syrup at the beginning of the 60 min boil along with the hops. Then turn off heat and add the rest of the extract after 30mins, stirring fast. This technique reduces the effect of carmelising any extract that gives it that famous 'extract taste'.