What is your favorite beer?

I like variety, though it's fair to say there is a lot of diversity in dark beer. I enjoy lighter-coloured beers, with the caveat that they are hoppy and bitter. If there is sweetness, I'd rather it was fruity rather than sugary or malty. I've never liked the traditional Scottish 80 shilling ales, because they tend to be malty-sweet. This is understandable because hops don't grow in Scotland, but of course we get hops from all sorts of places these days, so beer is more diverse than ever before.

It's interesting, though, to try some of the beers based on old fashioned methods, such as heather (fraoch) ale and beer made from porridge oats. Williams Brothers do a good version of the former and there is an excellent porridge oat ale from the Isle of Skye brewery.
Tried the heather beer [used to tour Scotland a lot on the bike some years ago - beautiful motorcycling country] but found it had an odd sort of aroma, the heather I suppose - the porridge oat ale I tried was however as you say pretty good.
 
Yes, I'd agree that the heather ale has a slightly curious aroma. It's one of those beers I don't mind once in a while - I wouldn't want to spend an evening drinking the stuff.

The Stout Hearted has been started (one has to make sure it's in acceptable condition, obviously). I think that's about the third New Year we've had this particular beer. At 4.3%, it is quite low in strength for a stout, but it is very deep in terms of flavours. Another good thing about the strength is that one can have a few over the course of an evening without the room spinning round.
 
Strangely enough a friend of mine today reminded me of Black Sheep bitter which I recall I last tasted in a hotel in Kirkby Lonsdale some 14 years ago. Unfortunately:)okay:) they also served Timmy Taylor's so I obviously had to sample both. Luckily I was staying the night.
 
As Shakespeare almost wrote, "Let me have men about me that drink stout."

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Yes, I'd agree that the heather ale has a slightly curious aroma. It's one of those beers I don't mind once in a while - I wouldn't want to spend an evening drinking the stuff.
I do rather like it though. One bottle is all that is needed in an evening, but then I will only ever drink one bottle of anything normally.
 
I'm rather partial to Nile Special but its a little strong, so no more than two at a time was my golden rule when I worked in Uganda.
 
I see that the execrable Brew Dog are being shown in their true colours of late, being exposed for their bullying attitudes. So much for so-called punk values.

Vile company, vile beer.
 
Mooching around a well-stocked off licence in Pitlochry yesterday, we came across some craft-brewed Italian pomegranate wheat beer.

As I remarked to my companion, a man who has no wish to try craft-brewed Italian pomegranate wheat beer is a man who is tired of life.
 
Guinness draft..smooth..creamy and 'light' for a non-light beer.
Other 'favs'.....Foster's Ale (the green can)...Bass Ale...Heinenken.
Not a fan of the very popular 'craft beers'. They all seem to have the same 'sweet' kind of after taste.
 
A first acquaintance with McGrath's Irish Stout from the Clanconnel Brewing Company in Craigavon. Now this is good. This is what stout should taste like. Darker than the devil's nether regions, hints of burnt toast, a pleasing bitterness and not remotely overpowering.

Ooh, aah, like McGrath's...
 
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