Londoners -- question about MEANTIME BREWING COMPANY

[Plenum n Heather]

I am wondering if anyone in London has checked out Meantime Brewing Company yet, and what their impressions are.

They are apparently making US-style craft beer in the UK, but I cannot find it here and am very curious as to how it compares to traditional English ales and the new breed of American ultra-hop bombs like 21st Amendment, Peak Organic, Dogfish Head, and Stone.

http://meantimebrewing.com/

[Andrew W]

Meantime make decent beer in Greenwich. Their beers are more modern in style than the more traditional London breweries like Fullers or Youngs but they don't make massive in your face US style IPAs. I am very fond of Meantime's Yakima Red and their Chocolate Porter. I'm not sure Meantime really count as craft anymore, they're a pretty large operation, by UK standards. I did their brewery tour last year and it was a lot of fun.

If you want to try some UK craft beer, and I'm being very London centric here, I'd really recommend trying anything by Brew By Numbers, Weird Beard, Kernel, Partizan, or Beavertown. Some really amazing stuff, especially from the first two.

[gwEm]

i've had it on draft several times and its readily available in my area.

i would largely agree with Andrew W. They are more modern in style, but dont make in ya face American IPAs. although their london pale ale is in a bit the US direction the others aren't. i've not tried their indian pale ale, and would imagine that the heavily hopped taste is what to expect, its 7%-ish ABV i believe.

everything i tried from them is good stuff. and i would say they are something like a large craft brewery. not really completely mainstream yet.

my favourite london breweries are redemption and london fields brewery, which are also widely available where i live. but those are more hipstery-american in style.

[Philly Q]

Have you heard of a beer called Ale Satan?  It was one of the sponsors of the Frightfest film festival.

6.66% apparently. 

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, I know nothing about craft beers or real ale etc.  I don't even know if this stuff is British or imported.

[Plenum n Heather]

Thanks! Turns out a contact of mine in the beer world was able to score me a couple bottles of porter and IPA, and I will be picking them up today. :)

[Plenum n Heather]

Bottles are in the house and cooling. :)
Will be drinking them over the weekend.

[Ian Price]

Have you heard of a beer called Ale Satan?  It was one of the sponsors of the Frightfest film festival.

6.66% apparently. 

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, I know nothing about craft beers or real ale etc.  I don't even know if this stuff is British or imported.

I know next to nothing too Phil although that particular marketing gimmick would also make me 

[Kiichi]

Beer discussion!! Yeah! I am a biiiiig beer nerd myself (and homebrewer), so I love this.

Meantime has some good stuff, though nothing over the edge kind of thing. The Chocolate Porter and the Coffee Porter were great examples of the style. Nothing crazy, just really well done "standards" was my impression. You donŽt always want something as intense as the Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel. Loved their Pilsner though when I had it, that one did it for me.

In London Camden does some tasty things. In the UK in general there are things like the great Magic Rock, The Kernel, and Williams Bros Brewing (making awesome light pale ales with things like Elderflowers. Brilliant summer beers imho).

And of course the new Juggernaut and probably my favorite Brewery in the world, BrewDog. From great solid standards to insanity plus. Tokyo* just remains mindblowing.

[Plenum n Heather]

Unfortunately I am 3k miles from London, so unless they are exporting, I will have serious issues trying out these other beers. :)

I brew my own as well and it was a random conversation I had @ my local which led to my getting the Meantime, which is not available here (NYC).

Now that it's had a couple of days to cool down, I will probably start w the porter tomorrow. Anyone have any pairings they would suggest?

As for the IPA, my go-to IPA's are:
Stone Ruination
21st Amendment Bitter American or Brew Free Or Die
Peak Organic
Lagunitas IPA

Definitely on the face-melting, iconic super hop bomb US style IPA's. I am going to try the porter first, since I am very unfamiliar w porters in general, and recalibrate my expectations for the IPA. :)

[Plenum n Heather]

Well, the porter was very good. Don't know much about porters, but the Meantime has a roasty, almost coffee like thing going on that I found worked really well w last night's BBQ.

Unfortunately, something must have been wrong w the IPA. It was unusually cloudy, like a weis beer. It had a citrusy overtone to the aroma that also didn't sit right, and the flavor was off -- definitely sour. I suspect diacetyl, fermentation gone awry, or it just didn't survive the trip across the Pond, probably due to temperature fluctuations.

Back to the 21st Amendment!

[Kiichi]

As for pairing with Stouts and Porters (which are essentially the same, since first there were Porters and then extra stout Porters, though by now some differences have come out, mostly that a porter usually is smoother, maltier, sweeter, and not quite as dark, though you can hardly pin it all down) I would usually go either with something dark chocolaty, be it just chocolat, or truffles, etc. or a really nice and hearty dish like some pork of beef dish ouzing heartyness, unami, and a bit of sweetness.
You are gonna get a big mouthfeel with roasty notes, dark chocolat hints, and some coffee, on the canvass of a round maltyness. Full, indulgent, and drinkable. That is kinda the baseline expectancy with all porters, so you can imagine pairings too. Their chocolate and coffee porters are obviously geared towards that while the normal one will be more malty in that great roasted grain way, which imho goes extra well with savory meals.

I really envy you for being able to get those great American IPAs and other beers fresh. When Stone open their place in Berlin I will rejoice so much (but that is still a long way out). Especially the possibility of getting Pliny the Elder (or Younger) fresh and stuff like DogFish Head 60min (I dare not even dream of the other numbers) is like a dream to me. Finding a DogFish Head here is like Christmas. Raison DŽetre I have had before, even a Bourton Baton. The India Brown Ale I will open soon and when I got a 60min once it was....wow.

In the US you can always look for Mikkeller beers though. While he is a danish brewer, I live right over the water from Copenhagen in Sweden where he has 3 bars now, he is the godfather of Gipsy Brewing so you have a chance of finding his stuff everywhere. Also one for insane beers both in concept and intensity. Makes over 120 different beers a year IIRC. Also a big buddy of the insane Three Floyds, who must also produce stuff for you.
He is the creator of two of my favorite beers ever, the Frederiksdal Spontancherry, a sour cherry lambic that is 10 times more intense than anything I have tasted thanks to the guys from Frederiksdal who make the worlds best cherry wines. And then there is Beer Geek Brunch Vanilla Shake, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout packed with vanilla. Brilliant.

In the same vain but more drinkable is his estranged brother who goes under Evil Twin Brewing. Also a gipsy, but he is now based in New York where he also has a beer. Had an Imperial Doughnut Break Stout he did and oh my...

There are a lot of other great craft brewers in the US, some of which I had the pleasure of meeting at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration, but have a look out for Mikkeller and his Evil Twin. Amazing and weird stuff.

[Plenum n Heather]

Will do, thanks.

Dogfish is .... amazing. Truly someone searching for the uncommon chord! He had a show on the Discovery Channel (I think) called Brewmasters. If you've not seen it, definitely check it out.

60 and 90 Minute IPA are very common here, but 120 and beyond are rare and have to be ordered in advance, but usually worth the expense. Being just a little north of Delaware has its advantages! :)  I really need to get down there for a tour.

You would probably love Lil Sumpin Sumpin from Lagunitas if you are adventurous. Hopus Maximus is great as well, though I really enjoy their standard IPA as well.

21st Amendemnt Back in Black and Bitter American are also great. Peak Organic IPA is also way way up there.

Speakeasy Prohibition Ale ... Bear Republic Racer 5 ... You're right lol. Good time to be in the US as far as beer is concerned!

[Kiichi]

Yeah, I have watched that one and really liked it. Lotta inspiration. Then however came Brew Dogs, which is running on Esquire in its second season now, and that I thought was even cooler all in all. It features the guys from Brewdog and they are insane Scottsmen. Bloddy heck.

I keep those beers in mind in case I ever see them. Sometimes when you got a shot you also got a choice and recommendations come in handy.

Yeah, the US really is the main place to be. In Europe we are catching up, but especially Germany is far behind cause the standard is already so high. When they churn something out though...oh my. Especially cause Germany produces insane hops, and I mean bloody insane. From high quality classics to stuff like Mandarin Bavaria, which tastes like mandarin; Huell Mellon, which tastes of mellon and strawberries; and Polaris, which is a around 20 AA juggernaut full of oils, super smooth bitter, fruit, mint, and everything.

The places that are here however are already really freaking good. From the local brewpub to the juggernaut of Brewdog, to the massive king of Mikkeller, finishing at the swedish monters of Omnipollo (whose Fatamorgana might be the best IPA I have ever had)...give us a a couple of years and we will be just behind you I recon.

If you ever want to have something really excessive get a Brewdog Tokyo*. 18,2% Stout with cranberries, jasmin, dryhopped, and thrown on french toasted oak barrels. Super intense, but shockingly drinkable. Feels a bit like a liquor though (hardly any alcohol bite though). Be warned, last time it took me around 3h to kill a bottle by myself. ;)