Monday 14 June 2010

Group E - not as impressive as we'd have liked...

Group E: E's are not good...

This has been a problematical group. We had a really good micro-brewed IPA for Denmark called Mikkelle, but it got smashed and I could not get another. Then we had massive problems getting Cameroonian beer, to the point where it was the 32rd and final one we got, and even then it was French. On a brighter note, COGH has just now had visitors from 50 different countries (4,650+ hits), with El Salvador giving us this accolade. Thanks so much to our international readers, hope you're enjoying it. Oh well, here goes nothing... on with the action.

Holland
Oranjeboom, 5%
‘Pale yellow. Good foam retention for this style. Nice active carbonation. Flattens out quickly. Lots of dry grass and strong barley malts. Fortunately, there is a dry, crisp mouthfeel. I also like the taste a bit. It's not like grass, but actually more like hay. Pretty dry. Unfortunately, the metal taste consumes everything with this beer.’ Beeradvocate.com

Japan

Sapporo, 5%
‘Poured transparent golden yellow color with small head that quickly dissipated leaving almost no lacing around the glass. Mostly grains and slight hint of rice scent. Very light hops and grains, mostly very plain and simple. Light bodied with medium carbonation.’ Beeradvocate.com

Denmark
Carlsberg, 5%
‘Pale, gold color with a steady stream of bubbles. Faint hop odor combined with a hint of hops. This beer also has a metallic character. Slight bread-like flavor noted in the malts with a medium hop flavor. In all, the flavors are well balanced.’ Beeradvocate.com

Cameroon
Fischer Tradition, 6%
‘Washed out, watery tastes of nutty, faintly sweet caramel and salted bread speckled with brown sugar. Fruitiness akin to a splash of Mott's apple juice and white wine. Mild herbaceous hop character with a light, balancing bitterness. Small touch of alcohol warmth. Finishes relatively crisp with lingering tastes of bread and apple.’
Beeradvocate.com
COGH Excuse - we couldn't get Cameroonian lager anywhere, and colonialism is a tried and tested French tradition going back centuries.

Match 9:
Holland 0

Denmark 0

The first COGH washout. This could have been because by this point we were 20 beers down... Dan's notes for Holland were non-existent and we were starting to witness - and indeed be - some of the World Cup's first casualties. James also thought Oranjeboom was a sub-standard issue from the global Lagerland factory, and that Carlsberg smelled of feet. Stu and Deaks had stopped taking notes completely by this point... Nil points for all concerned. Move on - there's nothing to see here...

This is what Nuts Magazine was focusing on during our goalless draw…

Match 10:
Japan 2

Kawazaki 45, Mmmbeer (o.g.) 61

Cameroon 0


Contrasts a-plenty here. Cries of 'FOUL!' rang out from the lads after tasting the French / Cameroonian entry. Peter thought it had a solvent-like mid flavour, an aftertaste beyond horrible and was without doubt the most offensive beer so far - and we should know after this many. Sapporo, on the vastly less deformed hand, was according to James 'pleasing, light and refreshing'. No contest.

Biggest joke of the group - Tradition is a lovely beer

Next up:- The Azzurri, The All Whites and some South Americans playing in Sunderland shirts...

2 comments:

  1. Hi Guys.
    I am enjoying the blog. I'm a beer blogger from Edmonton, Alberta. My blog is On Tap.
    http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/ontap/default.aspx

    Here's a couple of better Japanese beers to try:

    W-IPA
    Minoh Beer
    Osaka, Japan
    9 % alcohol, 330 ml bottles, non-twist cap

    The beer pours copper/orange/amber with a thin white head and quite a bit of small particle floaties.

    The aroma has a cirtusy/orange hoppiness and lots of caramel/toffee with a slight alcohol tang.

    The first sip has super pucker power, very hoppy with big caramel on the start. Then bitterness spreads to the back of your mouth and a wave of slight sweetness slides in behind and floats there. The finish is a dry bitterness that lingers until you start smacking your lips and going for another sip because it's so good.

    This is a fine, powerful IPA with the balance tipped a bit in favour of the malts instead of the hops.

    Big and Bitter.
    http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/ontap/archive/2010/04/10/taste-test-w-ipa.aspx

    The Triple Hop Pale Ale (5 % alcohol, 500 ml bottles, non-twist cap) is brewed in Japan by the Ise Kadoya Brewery in Ise City. The brewery is only 12 years old but the family run cafe has been in business for 430 years. This is a tasty brew. It's not at all like a traditional pale ale. The brew pours a murky, unfiltered amber colour with a frothy white head. The beer is quite hoppy - more on the floral citrus side than pine needles. There is quite a caramel sweetness to the brew and a very chewy, creamy quality. Very low bitterness. A fine beer.
    http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/ontap/archive/2009/12/20/christmas-cheer-mean-christmas-beer.aspx

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  2. hi Mark,

    sorry for not responding sooner - have been busy writing match reports. good to see Canada getting behind COGH even though you didn't qualify. I think all five of us will be advocates of quality beers in the future, and less reluctant to settle for bog-standard rubbish on tap. Jesus, the Minoh beer sounds evil. will definitely keep an eye out for it. Best, Peter

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