Old mans Off License

While waiting for my wife's train to come in I drove around Mullingar looking at Off licenses. The first one I went to had nothing but the usual crap, I then went in search of "The Stand" as I read on boards.ie that it had some decent beer.
I walked in and it was a little like walking into a time warp. The place was tiny, packed to the brim with Whiskey and beer. I think wine too but I did not venture that far. I headed straight for the beer and was drawn to a set of shelves full of beer I know and love as well as beer I have never had. I spent about 10 minutes deciding and picked 3. There was dust covering the bottles, they had expensive whiskey and sold Cigars. I have no interest in Cigars but good Beer and Whiskey I do. It is not cheap though, probably why I only picked 3 beers.
Anyway here are the three I picked.




Firstly is the Green King IPA. Apparently the official beer of the England Rugby team. The first thing I have to say about this beer is the size of the bottle. It comes in a 660ml bottle making it more than a Pint but less than a bottle of wine.
Secondly is the taste. I am a big IPA fan, I love a hoppy brew and most IPA's have Hops in abundance but this one was light and not very noticeable. However, It is a real thirst quencher as I had just installed a new washing machine that night and was left hot and sweaty and this was my reward. So my conclusion is, this beer is nothing special to taste but I can imagine in going down very well working in the garden on a hot day and the large bottle is a bonus.



Next up is a Fullers London Porter. I have only had London Pride and Honey Dew before and I realy like both, especially the London Pride (thanks VelkyAl). I have never actually had a porter before and to be honest I can not tell any obvious differences between a porter and a stout. They might be different beers and made in a different way but the end result can be very similar as you can see in the image, It looks just like a Guinness.
Well I have to say I absolutely loved this beer. It was pure excellence from start to finish, well except the finish because I only had one and I wanted more. I will definitely get more of this.
It is full of Roasted Coffee and chocolate, evident both on the nose and in the taste. It is complex, very easy to drink and certainly one of the best beers I have had.


Lastly is the most expensive of the bunch. At €5 for a tiny bottle. Thomas Hardy's Ale. I think I got a good vintage though. This beer is aged like a wine and will happily sit in a cellar for decades. According to the bottle, at least 25 years.

I got the 2003 bottle 20411. It is 11.7% making it the new strongest beer I have tasted. The taste is very sophisticated and reminded me of no beer I have ever had. In fact it reminded me more of a Port wine than a beer. There is no carbonation at all. It tastes of syrup, All types of syrup and that includes cough syrup. Caramel & Malt are very evident in this beer. I poured it into a Whiskey glass as it seemed fitting. It smells sweeter than it actually is but it certainly is sweet.

Personally this beer was not for me. I am sure there are plenty of people who love it and might even collect them but for me it is just not something I would be bothered purchasing again.