Martin Clues: I really liked this one. Genuine question - do you think being BJCP certified 'ruins' your enjoyment of beers as you understand more about the nuances that then prohibits you just enjoying a beer for what it is?
Andrew is drinking a West Side Glory by Thornbridge Brewery at Rustington Village
Can
Asda contract sees this brewed monthly at the moment, but a stock rotation cock-up saw me drinking the c/o 3/11 batch earlier in the month before this c/o 3/10 batch. Interesting to see how less bright this is across the board. Seven to go. #HopsFadeFast
Purchased at Asda Superstore
Andrew is drinking a Fortnum's Christmas Ale by Westerham Brewery Company Ltd. at Rustington Village
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A rhapsody of trad British hops on display with Northdown, Target, Brambling X, Goldings, Challenger, and gold old Whitbread Brambling Variety all doing their thing. This is in the vicinity of my urbeer/objet petit a, Ind Coope Burton Ale. TY Rob G. 🍻
Purchased at Fortnum & Mason
Andrew is drinking a Harrods Knightsbridge 1849 Premium Lager by Hofmark Brauerei at Rustington Village
Bottle
Double win here with a real Franconian from a new brewery to me, based in Loifling, NE of Regensburg. Thanks Rob G. 🍺 #LahDiDahLager
Purchased at Harrods Food Halls
Earned the Lager Day (2025) badge!
Earned the Das Boot (Level 73) badge!
Andrew is drinking a Common Ground Bright IPA by Brewing Brothers at Rustington Village
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TL;DR: decent Alpine Beer Co-style brew, albeit with intrusive yeast. Or: I blame Beak for the whole 'bright' thing. And this X is gently hazed. And the back puff describes it as an 'East meets West-style' beer: Sussex, or Mountain? Confused? You will be.
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Andrew: In short, no. Let's clear some ground.* If absolutes exist, we either have no access to them as they are in themselves (Kant's take), or we want to see universals in them that are both specific to them (think ABV, EDC colour) and shared with others...
Andrew: ...which is contradictory (Hegel's take). Beer style categorisations want to uphold universals through examination of particulars, which is shaky ground to say the least.
Andrew: I don't believe 'beer styles' exist as universals (and that doesn't bother me), but the idea that they do does bother me. *I'm IBD B&CA not BJCP qualified :)
Andrew: It's a suitable metaphor for the whole process: no guide to beer styles can ever be complete, so it always exists in contradiction -- just like its user does! Lack is constitutive.
About as unsubtle as a pastry can be, but fine as a dessert beer on a Sunday. They've gone for the 'sticky toffee pudding in a glass' for the mental conditioning, but it's mostly dextrose. Date purée may well be in there, but who'd know? #RISorDie
Purchased at The Beak Brewery