Real Ales And British Beers In Phuket.....not Many But Some

[BestBitterPhuket]

More news!

The very traditional and excellent English bitter, Well's Bombardier, can now be found at Villa Market in Chalong.

It costs 145bht for 500ml, and has a good "session strength" of 4.3% abv.

Strongly recommended! It is sold in cans, which is often an advantage. Beers don't get skunked in cans.

[eezergood]

Now that is a top drop.......

[madmitch]

More news!

The very traditional and excellent English bitter, Well's Bombardier, can now be found at Villa Market in Chalong.

It costs 145bht for 500ml, and has a good "session strength" of 4.3% abv.

Strongly recommended! It is sold in cans, which is often an advantage. Beers don't get skunked in cans.

Tried a can two nights ago. Not very impressed. Had that pasteurised taste that many canned beers suffer from.

Bombardier is a reasonable cask ale, but in my opinion does not have the character to make a good canned or even bottled beer.

The bottle of Krombacher Weizen that I had last night was a far superior product for the same price, but of course it isn't British, nor is it an ale.

[eezergood]

More news!

The very traditional and excellent English bitter, Well's Bombardier, can now be found at Villa Market in Chalong.

It costs 145bht for 500ml, and has a good "session strength" of 4.3% abv.

Strongly recommended! It is sold in cans, which is often an advantage. Beers don't get skunked in cans.

Tried a can two nights ago. Not very impressed. Had that pasteurised taste that many canned beers suffer from.

Bombardier is a reasonable cask ale, but in my opinion does not have the character to make a good canned or even bottled beer.

The bottle of Krombacher Weizen that I had last night was a far superior product for the same price, but of course it isn't British, nor is it an ale.

again another good drop (dont mention the war)

[BestBitterPhuket]

More news!

The very traditional and excellent English bitter, Well's Bombardier, can now be found at Villa Market in Chalong.

It costs 145bht for 500ml, and has a good "session strength" of 4.3% abv.

Strongly recommended! It is sold in cans, which is often an advantage. Beers don't get skunked in cans.

Tried a can two nights ago. Not very impressed. Had that pasteurised taste that many canned beers suffer from.

Bombardier is a reasonable cask ale, but in my opinion does not have the character to make a good canned or even bottled beer.

The bottle of Krombacher Weizen that I had last night was a far superior product for the same price, but of course it isn't British, nor is it an ale.

Well, I have not had the same experience, but I do agree that it probably is a better cask ale like many (but not all) are. I still think it is a good bitter, and fat better than anything from Belgium or Germany, but that is my taste, I like malted top fermented beers and flavoured with fuggles and goldings hops. Those are British, not German or Belgian, but on international rankings, British beers score poorly compared to the Americans, Germans and Belgians...but it's still a matter of taste.

[madmitch]

In Central Food Hall yesterday afternoon. One last bottle of Fuller's London Pride on the shelf. I'll have that, I thought and was about to put it into the basket when a sudden realisation hit me: it was only 4 o'clock.

So my evening tipple was scuppered by one of the most stupid laws in Thailand.

[BestBitterPhuket]

In Central Food Hall yesterday afternoon. One last bottle of Fuller's London Pride on the shelf. I'll have that, I thought and was about to put it into the basket when a sudden realisation hit me: it was only 4 o'clock.

So my evening tipple was scuppered by one of the most stupid laws in Thailand.

I understand your grievances. If they had the stocks, you could have bought 20 bottles to get an exemption. I did that once. I was going to buy 5-6 bottles of Fuller's at Tesco, but I was late by 3 minutes at the cashier and it suddenly became impossible, so I went back in and got 15 bottles more, as from 10 liters and above the rules don't apply.

A good alternative to London Pride is Well's Bombardier at Villa Market Chalong. It reminds me of London Pride in many ways. At 145bht for 500ml it's not nearly as expensive as the Hook Norton, St Austell or Wadworth beers, not to mention the +300bht Shepherd's Neame sold at Central.

[BestBitterPhuket]

News update! Villa Market in Chalong has now added the excellent Young's Special London Ale and the bottled version of Well's Bombardier, which is stronger than the can.

[madmitch]

I am really of the opinion that beers that are generally brewed to be drunk as cask ales do not usually make good bottled beer. This is a generalisation and there are many exceptions of course. I gave my opinion of Wells Bombardier in a previous post and I was very disappointed with the London Pride: it just didn't taste like the beer it was purporting to be, the character being removed by filtration and pasteurisation. The ESB was a bit better, due, I think, to the strength. Proper bottle conditioned beers are a different animal.

I bought three foreign bottles at the same time: Paulaner Salvator, Paulaner Hefe Weissbier and Coopers Stout. All are beers made for the bottle and it showed in the superior taste.

I generally prefer English ales: St Austell do produce good bottled beers, as do Marston's (available here?) and I'll give the Young's Special London Ale a try shortly, but I'm a fussy sod when I am paying a relatively high price for a beer (same with wine).

I hope to get some good recommendations from this thread.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Young's Special London Ale is bottle conditioned. This is one of the few English beers with good ratings at ratebeer.com.

Edited April 2, 2014 by BestBitterPhuket

[durianfan]

In Central Food Hall yesterday afternoon. One last bottle of Fuller's London Pride on the shelf. I'll have that, I thought and was about to put it into the basket when a sudden realisation hit me: it was only 4 o'clock.

So my evening tipple was scuppered by one of the most stupid laws in Thailand.

I understand your grievances. If they had the stocks, you could have bought 20 bottles to get an exemption. I did that once. I was going to buy 5-6 bottles of Fuller's at Tesco, but I was late by 3 minutes at the cashier and it suddenly became impossible, so I went back in and got 15 bottles more, as from 10 liters and above the rules don't apply.

A good alternative to London Pride is Well's Bombardier at Villa Market Chalong. It reminds me of London Pride in many ways. At 145bht for 500ml it's not nearly as expensive as the Hook Norton, St Austell or Wadworth beers, not to mention the +300bht Shepherd's Neame sold at Central.

Really? I didn't know you could do that. One the dumbest rules in Thailand.

On a similar note, I saw Murphy's Irish Stout (can) in Central Supermarket the other day. But alas it was 2:30 so I couldn't partake, even though it was a Saturday (for some reason I thought this stupid rule didn't apply on weekends).

[BestBitterPhuket]

Really? Do you remember the price of it?

Yes, it's true. Read the small print on the notices in the alcohol section and you will indeed discover that if you had bought more than ten liters of Irish Stout, it would have been perfectly legal.

[durianfan]

I believe it was 179 baht per can.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I believe it was 179 baht per can.

That's still higher than Fuller's in bottle, which they sell for 169bht if I remember correctly. A bottle of Fuller's London Porter at 169bht VS a can of Murphys Stout at 179bht........one is excellent and the other good. Easy choice

[durianfan]

^True. I bought both last night while I was there. I saw Young's as well but there was no price. In fact, pretty much the entire bottom 3 shelves are just stacked randomly with beers with no matching prices.

[madmitch]

Young's Special London Ale is bottle conditioned. This is one of the few English beers with good ratings at ratebeer.com.

Thanks for the heads up on this one. Had a bottle last night and being bottle conditioned had a proper English strong ale taste with none of the creaminess and blandness that often affects bottled beer as a result of pasteurisation. Rates with St Austell Proper Job as the best of the English bottled beers I have had in Thailand.

Always been a fan of Young's beers anyway. I lived not too far from the original brewery and I'm a 135 club member. Unlike some brews which change completely when the production facility relocates (Boddington's for example), the taste wasn't affected too much when the brewery moved to Bedford.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Another English beer has made it to Villa Market in Chalong, Well's Waggle Dance, a 5% pale ale made with honey. The honey taste is distinct. Can be compared to Fuller's Honey Dew.

I like this beer. It is way better than the terrible (my opinion) Well's Banana Bread beer and the strange Sticky Toffee Ale.

Retail price is 169bht for a bottle.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Another update!

Young's London Gold and Well's Bombardier Burning Gold are now available at Central

Festival. Both are golden ales, but the Young's beer is bottle conditioned. Both are 500ml and sells at 169bht.

[eezergood]

Another English beer has made it to Villa Market in Chalong, Well's Waggle Dance, a 5% pale ale made with honey. The honey taste is distinct. Can be compared to Fuller's Honey Dew.

I like this beer. It is way better than the terrible (my opinion) Well's Banana Bread beer and the strange Sticky Toffee Ale.

Retail price is 169bht for a bottle.

I cant stand these joke beers, tried the Waggle Dance - 1 was enough, borderline mead

[BestBitterPhuket]

Another English beer has made it to Villa Market in Chalong, Well's Waggle Dance, a 5% pale ale made with honey. The honey taste is distinct. Can be compared to Fuller's Honey Dew.

I like this beer. It is way better than the terrible (my opinion) Well's Banana Bread beer and the strange Sticky Toffee Ale.

Retail price is 169bht for a bottle.

I cant stand these joke beers, tried the Waggle Dance - 1 was enough, borderline mead

The Banana Bread is becoming a best seller. It's the worst beer I have ever tried, so I wonder who buys them. The Waggle Dance I like, but I like mead too.

[eezergood]

Another English beer has made it to Villa Market in Chalong, Well's Waggle Dance, a 5% pale ale made with honey. The honey taste is distinct. Can be compared to Fuller's Honey Dew.

I like this beer. It is way better than the terrible (my opinion) Well's Banana Bread beer and the strange Sticky Toffee Ale.

Retail price is 169bht for a bottle.

I cant stand these joke beers, tried the Waggle Dance - 1 was enough, borderline mead

The Banana Bread is becoming a best seller. It's the worst beer I have ever tried, so I wonder who buys them. The Waggle Dance I like, but I like mead too.

HAve no idea who buys these, but they are welcome to them! BTW wishbeer has a sale at the moment

[BestBitterPhuket]

Another English beer has made it to Villa Market in Chalong, Well's Waggle Dance, a 5% pale ale made with honey. The honey taste is distinct. Can be compared to Fuller's Honey Dew.

I like this beer. It is way better than the terrible (my opinion) Well's Banana Bread beer and the strange Sticky Toffee Ale.

Retail price is 169bht for a bottle.

I cant stand these joke beers, tried the Waggle Dance - 1 was enough, borderline mead

The Banana Bread is becoming a best seller. It's the worst beer I have ever tried, so I wonder who buys them. The Waggle Dance I like, but I like mead too.

HAve no idea who buys these, but they are welcome to them! BTW wishbeer has a sale at the moment

I have already bought some Skovlyst ales from them (at a huge discount). They are offering Whychwood as well.

By the way, the Waggle Dance is almost sold out at Villa now.

Speaking of honey beers, try the Belgian Barbar honey beer at Wine Connection. It is my favourite Belgian beer. It has a strength of 8% abv, and is a lot more intense than the Waggle Dance which is "sessionable". It might change your perception of beers brewed with honey.

[madmitch]

I'm generally with Eezergood regarding these flavoured beers. Seem to remember a British bitter brewed with coriander that was interesting but I like proper beer. Exceptions include kriek, framboise and other Belgian fruit beers. I think the fruit infusion works with the Belgian lambic style more than the English ale style of beer. Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know. May give that one a try.

[NamKangMan]

I'm generally with Eezergood regarding these flavoured beers. Seem to remember a British bitter brewed with coriander that was interesting but I like proper beer. Exceptions include kriek, framboise and other Belgian fruit beers. I think the fruit infusion works with the Belgian lambic style more than the English ale style of beer. Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know. May give that one a try.

"Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know." - your comment got me thinking. It's been a long time since I have had a pint of mead. Does anyone know if it's available on Phuket?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead

[BestBitterPhuket]

I'm generally with Eezergood regarding these flavoured beers. Seem to remember a British bitter brewed with coriander that was interesting but I like proper beer. Exceptions include kriek, framboise and other Belgian fruit beers. I think the fruit infusion works with the Belgian lambic style more than the English ale style of beer. Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know. May give that one a try.

"Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know." - your comment got me thinking. It's been a long time since I have had a pint of mead. Does anyone know if it's available on Phuket?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead

I know the Mikkeller bar and bistro in Bkk serve mead, but I have yet to come across it in Phuket.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I sampled the bottle (strong) version of Bombardier 5.2% together with the can 4.3%. It's like two different beers. I like both, but I would suspect that more of you posting here would prefer the stronger Bombardier.

I tried Young's London Gold as well. Being bottle fermented, adds a distinct taste. It was good. Of the golden ales available at Villa, I would still prefer Hooky Gold, which is sold out long time ago and has not been brought back (so far).

[BestBitterPhuket]

Update!

For those of you who like American style beers, you can now buy beers from the Scottish bewery, Brewdog, in Phuket Town. The place is called Phuketique, and is actually a coffee place, with a beer enthusiast owner. They have about 8-10 different beers from Brewdog. In addition they have beers from Evil Twin, which is an Danish American craft brewery.

[NamKangMan]

I'm generally with Eezergood regarding these flavoured beers. Seem to remember a British bitter brewed with coriander that was interesting but I like proper beer. Exceptions include kriek, framboise and other Belgian fruit beers. I think the fruit infusion works with the Belgian lambic style more than the English ale style of beer. Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know. May give that one a try.

"Never tried a Belgian honey beer as far as I know." - your comment got me thinking. It's been a long time since I have had a pint of mead. Does anyone know if it's available on Phuket?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead

I know the Mikkeller bar and bistro in Bkk serve mead, but I have yet to come across it in Phuket.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind when next in Bangkok.

They have a very basic webpage. It only really has their location. What's the place like?

http://www.mikkellerbangkok.com/

[NamKangMan]

I haven't seen Baltika Beer here yet.

If they start importing "Baltika 9 Strong" for the Russians, I expect to see a lot of drunken behaviour here. It's a high alcohol content beer.

http://eng.baltika.ru/brand/0/3/16/nine_extra.html

Edited April 11, 2014 by NamKangMan

[madmitch]

I haven't seen Baltika Beer here yet.

If they start importing "Baltika 9 Strong" for the Russians, I expect to see a lot of drunken behaviour here. It's a high alcohol content beer.

http://eng.baltika.ru/brand/0/3/16/nine_extra.html

Baltika 7 is available in Villa Market and Central Food Hall but I haven't seen Baltika 9.

Haven't tasted it and have no intention of doing so unless I visit Russia one day.