Disapointing beers during the Rugby

Yesterday was a fine day. It was a little cloudy unlike previous days but it was still warm and after a 2km walk with my wife, I got home and started a quick brew before the rugby started. I wanted to enjoy the rugby so I decided to break into my stock of interesting beers I had not tried yet.

First up was the Innis & Gunn oak aged beer. I have to say I have never been more disappointed in a beer before. It looks so promising in its 750ml bottle and its oak barrel aged claim on the label. Add to that, it is a champion beer according to the label also. In the past, I have enjoyed Scottish beer and thought this would be an excellent big beer to have with the Rugby. Wow is all I can say, wow because I was incredibly wrong on all counts about this beer. It is an absolute disaster, a train wreck to my taste buds.
I can certainly taste the oak in the beer, however it is completely overshadowed by an overpowering metallic taste of what I can only assume rusty water would taste like. It completely killed my taste buds while in my mouth and I had to force myself to drink it. I even tried knocking it back real fast as if I was a child forced to take medicine I did not like. This is no way to drink a beer so I poured it down the sink in disgust. The only good thing was I can recycle the bottle and use it for wine (or beer if I like).


Next I decided I would go for a beer that had to be good, Its Fullers and in my book they can do no wrong. So I opened my Fullers 1845 and had high hopes.
I'm afraid I was disappointed by this too, only because I expected so much more than it gave me. I do get the feeling that after the Innis and Gunn that my taste buds were not working so I'm going to have to get another bottle of this some time. I had this at room temperature which was probably about 20c at the time. There was certainly a rich malty character with some fruity undertones and some spice. I get the feeling this might have gone down better with some food. It was nearing dinner time and I had not eaten. I did enjoy this beer, I just think I was overwhelmed by the previous monstrosity and that this is not a session beer and needs something to go with it.
As I neared the end, my wife came in with a bowl of Jambalaya using a kit we picked up in New Orleans at the New year and a bottle of Brooklyn Lager. Spicy Jambalaya and Brooklyn lager it seems is the perfect combination and even sweeter when Ireland narrowly beat Wales in a Titanic show of skill and effort by both teams and won the Championship, Grand slam and Triple crown.

On a different note, My Dark Cerveza is bubbling away nicely. Also we just bottled 6 bottles of peach wine and 6 bottles of Cherry wine.