Nanny State
Yesterday I tried a new beer from Brew Dog. It was at a small beer festival in a pub that's just a couple of hundred yards from my front door.
I've been following the fortunes of Brew Dog since the Scottish brewery's birth two years ago. Since then, they've cropped up all over the place. I was a big fan of their core range, but lots of the stuff they've come up with since hasn't been to my taste. On the other hand, their bottled dark lager Zeitgeist was really quite nice. So it's been a mixed bag. (The fact they advertise on this website doesn't compromise my neutrality at all, you see.)
On to the beer. I suppose Nanny State is so-called because it's clearly been brewed to prove a point. Here's the blurb on the brewery's blog. Brew Dog are known for their stronger, more extreme beers, but this is a small beer at just 1.1% abv. The label on the cask claimed it was an "imperial mild" (what tosh!) and had "more hops per barrel than any beer in Britain" (or words to that effect). It was dark brown and flat as a witch's tit. It tastes harsh and astringent. It wasn't too thin - a surprise - but there wasn't much else but that unpleasant hop flavour.
So, in short, I think this is rubbish. Brew Dog have so many salivating geeks ready to lap up everything they do, they'll no doubt get a pat on the back for it. But, for the rest of us, they've already proven they can brew low-strength beers (here's my review of their 2.7% abv mild last year), so I think this is a gimmick and a waste of time.
If you want your ale served with a shot of resentment, then The Peasant's British Beer Festival is an annual event. Quaere whether somewhere staffed by people with such an active resentment for the entire affair bothers with the hassle, but there you go.
15 comments:
Sounds like Brew Dog is trying to become the Dogfish of the UK. With a bit of work yet to be done.
why do americans think that the only way to understand anything from another country is to equate it to something from the usa? brew dog are fck all like dogfish, and about three times as interesting!
Stonch, I think it's you that's trying to prove a point. Why do you beat up on the most interesting brewery in Britain while praising the likes of Timothy Taylor who only brew about five boring, old-fashioned ales?
I'm not "beating up" Brew Dog. I was writing about their beers and praising them long before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon. Here's a (very favourable) review I wrote about Riptide, a stout in their original range, back in August 2007.
I think Brewdog are trying to be like Dogfish head and I'm British. Meantime is more the Brooklyn.
Taste is a personal matter but some Brewdog beers I like and some Brewdog beers I don't like. Timmy Taylor's Landlord I also like so I wouldn't call them boring myself.
Just a small point - in my experience a witch's tit is always cold but not necessarily flat.
Glad this debate has come up on here, I was totally slated on Ratebeer for daring to criticise Brewdog. Stonch, you are spot on when you say 'Brew Dog have so many salivating geeks ready to lap up everything they do'. Brewdog knock out a few excellent beers but a lot of their beers are utterly dreadful. I rather like the Hardcore IPA and have actually consumed about 60 bottles in the last few months due to the Sainsburys deals. Give me a proper American DIPA any day, something like the fantastic Founders Double Trouble, Brewdog don't come close to that.
Nanny State is crap. End of.
I've liked everything else they've done.
Of course, I'm biased.
"It was dark brown and flat as a witch's tit"
Should do well in London, then!
Tyson, have you ever actually been to London? (And by London, I don't just mean the Wetherspoons opposite the train station, or some chain pub in the West End).
More blood, please. This is very entertaining.
Loved the Riptide myself. Have no desire to try Nanny State. I like it when brewers try to make a good beer; not so much when they try to make a point.
Tongue in cheek, dear boy. Tongue in cheek. Working in London does means I spend all too much time in the pubs of our fair capital, I'm afraid. But whilst not obviously generally up to my Northern high standard, there are a couple that will suffice...
Stonch, no mention of the Brewdog "Equity for Punks" thingy where they're offering 10,000 people the "opportunity" to buy a total of 9% of the company for £2.3 million?
So they've valued themselves at over 25 million quid.
Apparently this is because some other geezers have taken 12.5% of the company (in non-diluting shares) for £600,000 and believe in the dream....
I'd be interested in your view
Beer Bloke, I respect people who come up with novel ways of raising equity, and wish them well with their scheme.
Brewdog only do well because they make very sad, nerdy beer obsessives think that their hobby is somehow "cool" when in fact the whole thing is embarassing
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