Episode IX: The Beer Returns.

I bring you the ninth instalment of my advert free, ever so irreverent, pragmatic Manchester based beer blog.  Are you not entertained? Are you not amused? What? do I amuse you? Like a clown? Forget about it!

So I return to beer drinking after a ten day break for health reasons, because I'm sensible like that, me.  Presenting the main matinee feature 'Skol vs Lost Lager'.

Now, cards on the table, let me be brutally upfront here.  Skol is made by Carlsberg, a corporate macro machine I hate with a vengeance.  Lost Lager is made by Brewdog, a brewery that in my opinion put money and hype before good beer, bores me something rotten.  In all honesty the table is slightly slanted in Brewdog's favour.  Skol is not only 2.8 percent, sold in cheap cans and here reduced to clear. Counting against of Lost lager is that a 660ml bottle costs £2.80 whereas £1 delivered 880ml of Skol, admittedly reduced not a RRP.

Considering all the negatives Skol is the surprise winner, an average tasting lager with a surprising body despite the low alcohol content. Lost Lager loses due to a pretty similar end result of a fair to middling quality pils but with the massive detraction of a peculiar perfumed palate.
What isn't a shock is the round up of the beers I've sampled recently, purchased easily.

Redwell's Ghost Dance, £1.29 for a 330ml can from Aldi.  Doesn’t really pay proper respect to the proud Native American tribe or the proud Native American hop. Like your average, everyday American beer, but in an alternative universe where the craft movement never happened. Dull.

Hawker's IPA, £1.79 for a 330ml bottle from Marks and Spencer's.  Sold as reduced to clear, so might not be around for long.  The aroma is old time health food store, the flavour is candied peel and carob. It sounds all wrong but somehow the end result is so right.

Thornbridge's Green Mountain, £1.80 for a 330ml can from Tesco.  I take it that a Vermont IPA is a session New England IPA, this being cloudy and in the mid four percent alcohol strength bracket.  In any event this is a great tasting beer that has so much citrus juiciness proving Thornbridge should can their wares more often.

Thornbridge's Florida Weisse, £1.80 for a 330ml can from Tesco.  Described on the can as a hazy raspberry sour.  It is hazy but the sourness is so overwhelming,  I lost any fruit flavour.  I really like sour but I found this a struggle.  A very sour fruit sour, sour. Did I mention sour? SOUR!