British Real Ale Lovers - Happy Christmas from Villa Market

[draftvader]

I was going to buy at M&S in Singapore, where they sell British food and plenty if alcohol, but among all the French and Italian wines, I could not find a single BRITISH beer. What a disgrace! Fortunately I got a few bottles directly from UK. The Cornish Ale from St Austell is one if the best I ever had. Simply stunning!

It is very good indeed I agree...but I prefer the Citra IPA from Cambridgeshire...also brewed for M&S. Much ligher and hoppier...perfect for hot weather I think.

That CITRA is actually the Oakham Citra we all love so much! They're based in Peterborough which is in Cambridgeshire. Still waiting for the M&S buyer here to slip up and tick the wrong box......

[BestBitterPhuket]

For those who still do visa runs or planning a weekend in KL: This is the place!

http://tapsbeerbar.my/thetaplist.html

I was there last weekend and I fell in love with Hitachino's Pale Ale on tap. Wow!

[meatboy]

there's only one best bitter BRAINS S.A.known locally as "skull attack".brewed in Cardiff you know.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Brain's SA is a great session beer!

[justjen]

Anybody ever seen Abbot Ale in Thailand?

[jimbeam1]

Any gluten free beers?

Not a troll.

jb1

[smokie36]

Its a TradeWinds day....what a joy!

[BestBitterPhuket]

Anybody ever seen Abbot Ale in Thailand?

Yes, I have. They are selling it at Irish Times in Phuket and they used to have it Brew Beer & Cider at Suk55 in Bangkok.

I have bought Abbot's Reserve at Big C a few times, but they have now stopped selling it. The last I bought was badly skunked.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Tried a lot of new beers at the beer festival. One of my favourites were St Austell's Tribute Extra.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Letters from Singapore.

The Japanese supermarket, Meidi-Ya, at Clarke Quay, are hosting a British fair, where also British beers from Sambrook's, St Austell and Theakston are featured. I bought Two bottles each of Theakston's Old Peculiar and Lightfoot. I have had Old Peculiar before, and had high expectations. Sadly, the name should have been Old Skunk, as both bottles were badly skunked. The Lightfoot was ok, but it's an inferior beer under normal circumstances, but at least it was not skunked. What a disappointment and what a way to promote British beers

[jlelouer]

Most British brews (Ruddles County, Abbot, Belhaven, etc.) are back on Wishbeer.

[BestBitterPhuket]

My first Oakham Ale, Inferno pale ale. Very good!

[smokie36]

My first Oakham Ale, Inferno pale ale. Very good!

The Citra and Scarlet Macaw are better.

[BestBitterPhuket]

My first Oakham Ale, Inferno pale ale. Very good!

The Citra and Scarlet Macaw are better.

Those will be tested next time I go to singapore. Can only dream about those coming to Thailand.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Well's Waggle Dance is back in Villa Market! Just had two. Courage's Russian imperial stout sold in Central!! It's a 10% abv stout. Not sure about the price.

[draftvader]

Have just spent a few weeks back on the beer as we had family in town then my wife's 40th! Hasn't helped my weight loss but was nice. Anyway, I digress.

My point was to talk about the stocks and re-stocking (i.e. the whole selfish purpose of this thread ) of British Beers in Thailand.

My first observation was that 1 Villa (Prom Phong) had Young's London Gold at the same price as Central. Looks like they are paying attention to the competition. My 2 local Villas have a lowering stock of some of the British beers but do seem to be replenishing the Sambrook's and the Hook Norton brews (thankfully). The biggest gain is that my local TOPS (Central, Chaeng Wattana) has just replenished their stocks of Youngs and Fullers beers. I know these aren't as good as the Villa brewers but at B169 they are substantially cheaper. I LOVE Hooky Gold but find the London Gold to be nearly as good and B70 cheaper so I opt for that as a mainstay with the odd treat from Villa.

I really hope the Villa buyer wises up to their mistakes (Wadworth's) and reads this forum. If they charge B239 for Oakham beers then I may well be inclined to make that stretch more often.

As an aside I had the Andersen Valley Boont Ale.....WHAT a corker!!!

[smokie36]

Currently drinking Jarl here in the UK....on my wish list for Thailand this one....would be perfect lightly chilled by the beach.....

[BestBitterPhuket]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

[draftvader]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

I actually prefer the Hop 'Ottin IPA to the Dead Guy! Lovely beer, especially on tap!

[draftvader]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

Double post, buggy connection....wonder why!?

Edited June 30, 2014 by draftvader

[BestBitterPhuket]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

I actually prefer the Hop 'Ottin IPA to the Dead Guy! Lovely beer, especially on tap!

I missed the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar on tap at the Singapore beer festival as it sold out too quickly, but I tried a hazelnut chocolate porter from Heretic brewery instead, and it was great!

[draftvader]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

I actually prefer the Hop 'Ottin IPA to the Dead Guy! Lovely beer, especially on tap!

I missed the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar on tap at the Singapore beer festival as it sold out too quickly, but I tried a hazelnut chocolate porter from Heretic brewery instead, and it was great!

I had a bottle of the Rogue Hazelnut Brown recently and was "happy" with it. My real favourite US beer available on the shelves here, right now, is Anderson Valley - Boont Ale. If anybody sees that on tap in BKK I want to know!

[BestBitterPhuket]

I had the Anderson valley IPA on tap at Roadhouse BBQ on Rama IV. Sadly the great Rogue Dead Guy Ale was finished on tap.

I actually prefer the Hop 'Ottin IPA to the Dead Guy! Lovely beer, especially on tap!

I missed the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar on tap at the Singapore beer festival as it sold out too quickly, but I tried a hazelnut chocolate porter from Heretic brewery instead, and it was great!

I had a bottle of the Rogue Hazelnut Brown recently and was "happy" with it. My real favourite US beer available on the shelves here, right now, is Anderson Valley - Boont Ale. If anybody sees that on tap in BKK I want to know!

Perhaps you could buy a keg from Beervana. Imagine coming home from work and having a few pints of that in the comfort of your own home.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Stopped by the CentralWorld Central Market the other night, and did one of my usual beer checks.

The Hazelnut Brown Nectar of my prior visit was gone, but now replaced by a few bottles of Anderson Valley Boont Pale Ale and its neighbor. (I quite like both the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and, a bit less, the Dead Guy Ale. But I've yet to try any of the Anderson Valley bottles).

Had some other nice offerings as well, more than I was inclined to buy.

Fuller's London Porter and London Pride

Fuller's ESB

Young's Double Chocolate, Wells Bombardier, Young's London Ale, Young's London Gold

Japanese Nest and Hitachino beers

Since I already had plenty of Young's Double Chocolate at home, I ended up deciding to try for the first time Wells Bombardier and Young's London Gold. Both sitting on the shelf at home awaiting their unveiling.

What would you have chosen (apart from the Double Chocolate) from among the stock??

Edited July 3, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Visited Central today and got a major surprise! They were offering Young's London Gold (aka Kew Gold) and Well's Bombardier Burning Gold, none of which I have tasted before, but both were bought on the spot (of course). They are both "golden ales", competing with Hook Norton's Hooky Gold and Wadworth Golden at Villa and Morland's Old Golden Hen at Big C.

Just tried the Bombardier Burning Gold, and at 169bht for 500 ml bottle, it's quite good. I still prefer the Bombardier bitter though, but that's a matter of personal taste. More looking forward to Young's London Gold, which is bottle conditioned.

Seems I ended up by happenstance matching your shopping choices of the day...

I must say, it's VERY nice to finally have some choices that don't entirely taste like piss water.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Next in line should be Courage's Russian Imperial Stout. They sell it at 279bht. It weights in at 10% abv, and is definately a heavyweight. Loaded with taste and receiving very high ratings online

[draftvader]

Stopped by the CentralWorld Central Market the other night, and did one of my usual beer checks.

The Hazelnut Brown Nectar of my prior visit was gone, but now replaced by a few bottles of Anderson Valley Boont Pale Ale and its neighbor. (I quite like both the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and, a bit less, the Dead Guy Ale. But I've yet to try any of the Anderson Valley bottles).

2014-06-30 18.58.35.jpg

Had some other nice offerings as well, more than I was inclined to buy.

Fuller's London Porter and London Pride

2014-06-30 18.58.50.jpg

Fuller's ESB

2014-06-30 18.59.00.jpg

Young's Double Chocolate, Wells Bombardier, Young's London Ale, Young's London Gold

2014-06-30 18.59.59.jpg

Japanese Nest and Hitachino beers

2014-06-30 18.59.12.jpg

Since I already had plenty of Young's Double Chocolate at home, I ended up deciding to try for the first time Wells Bombardier and Young's London Gold. Both sitting on the shelf at home awaiting their unveiling.

What would you have chosen (apart from the Double Chocolate) from among the stock??

Anderson Valley Boont....gorgeous! Young's London Gold - chilled! Nest is a little sweet at first but is a quality brew and very nice chilled too. The Bombardier is a classic British pint but needs to be served at 16-20c which is warm in England but cold here. The flavours don't come out when it is cold.

Young's London Ale is too sweet for my liking and ESB just doesn't stand up to the Bombardier.

Pride is another classic, not amazing but highly dependable and if you are lucky enough, like I was for a lot of my life, better if drunk in West London. London Porter is a good porter, nothing fancy but quality for sure. I would still prefer the Sambrooke's Powerhouse Porter (Villa, B239) though.

[balo]

I can confirm that Friendship in Pattaya suddenly decided to stock Wells Honey Ale again together with the other Wells beer types. So I was surprised about this since they told me 2 months ago they would never stock them again.

The price is cheaper than wishbeer.com , you save about 30 baht per bottle .

But I will still recommend wishbeer, they have a great selection of beers and they will deliver for free in most parts of Thailand.

[kickstart]

Stopped by the CentralWorld Central Market the other night, and did one of my usual beer checks.

The Hazelnut Brown Nectar of my prior visit was gone, but now replaced by a few bottles of Anderson Valley Boont Pale Ale and its neighbor. (I quite like both the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and, a bit less, the Dead Guy Ale. But I've yet to try any of the Anderson Valley bottles).

2014-06-30 18.58.35.jpg

Had some other nice offerings as well, more than I was inclined to buy.

Fuller's London Porter and London Pride

2014-06-30 18.58.50.jpg

Fuller's ESB

2014-06-30 18.59.00.jpg

Young's Double Chocolate, Wells Bombardier, Young's London Ale, Young's London Gold

Haveing had the misfortune to live near Bedford for some years I would not drink Bombardier taste's like the river Ouse near the brewery.

About 7-8 years ago I brought some cans of Bodingtons at 250 bart each in bkk, so prices to day are not to bad,maybe this new government might extend they "happyness " to the farangs and lower the import tax on these imported beers.(dream on).that Fuller's London Porter sounds ok ,do miss a pint of mild.

Japanese Nest and Hitachino beers

[url=http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=273766'>2014-06-30 18.59.12.jpg

Since I already had plenty of Young's Double Chocolate at home, I ended up deciding to try for the first time Wells Bombardier and Young's London Gold. Both sitting on the shelf at home awaiting their unveiling.

What would you have chosen (apart from the Double Chocolate) from among the stock??

Anderson Valley Boont....gorgeous! Young's London Gold - chilled! Nest is a little sweet at first but is a quality brew and very nice chilled too. The Bombardier is a classic British pint but needs to be served at 16-20c which is warm in England but cold here. The flavours don't come out when it is cold.

Young's London Ale is too sweet for my liking and ESB just doesn't stand up to the Bombardier.

Pride is another classic, not amazing but highly dependable and if you are lucky enough, like I was for a lot of my life, better if drunk in West London. London Porter is a good porter, nothing fancy but quality for sure. I would still prefer the Sambrooke's Powerhouse Porter (Villa, B239) though.

[draftvader]

Just received an e-mail from Wishbeer that put a smile on my face. They've got to be reading our little thread....I'm tickled!

Anyway, they have announced that they are competing directly with TOPS, Villa, etc as they are price-beating. OK it is only by B1 per bottle but it will certainly help us point more business towards them. Just so glad to see a competitive stance from our suppliers this has to be a sign that sales are good enough and the interest is there.

Keep spreading the good news and we might well see more beers being represented in Thailand. Nicely done everybody!