What to spend Santa's money on (kit suggestions)?

[drmick]

Hi All

got some money from Santa for Christmas and am going to spend it on brewing. Already decided to get a couple more kegs to join the two I've got. Now got to decide what kits to do next. I finished off all my bottles of Wherry and was quite pleased with it and am wondering what to replace it with. Thinking of Woodfordes Admirals Reserve - anyone got an opinion on this as to whether its good or bad? Also want to do a pale ale - I quite like Old empire, so anyone know what kits would produce something similar?

Already got a keg of the magical Coopers stout (not really mine made it as a present for my brother-in-law but been steadily working my way down it), so will make another one of those as well but probably not right away.

Thanks for any suggestions

DrMick

[Titanium Tone]

Just finished a Admirals Reserve and very good.

[Ditch]

Having read ye list there, and genuinely given it all some consideration; I'd to point out Coopers Dark Old Ale.

This one I'm going to get in soon. I actually have an order filled out, including one. I'm just waiting to sort a cheque book out and I'll send the order. But that's a brew I dearly want to try.

I've already had Wherry, and their (Muntons) " London Dockland Porter ", side by side with Coopers Stout. Wherry, I found weak, sweet and not exactly top of the hit parade in the moth feel dept. This is not to say I didn't think it a reasonable pint. It was the first HB I'd done in decades and was light years ahead of what I used to produce, back in the day.

The LDP was, again, on the weak side and a bit thin. Great 'Taste' ~ or should that be Flavour? But neither could hold a candle to Coopers Stout.

Ad's I've never bothered with. I'm perfectly content that it'd taste nice. Be weak and too thin and sweet too. I reckon Coopers 'Dark Old Ale', however, should be what Muntons Admirals can only dream of being.

I guess ye can condense all that then to: If Muntons " Admirals Reserve " was something approaching what ye could enjoy? Try Coopers Old, Dark'. I'm going to!

[Grumpypig]

Happy new year. I'm in the same boat of deciding where to go next. Logic says stick to what you know and like but the niggle is that there might just be someting you are missing out on by not trying it!

Milestone Black Pearl is superb and the Woodfordes Nog is like a Hobgoblin and equally excellent to me. I have a Wherry on the go again as I have liked it before and have given a Ad Res to a mate for Christmas.

I think I am looking at one of the Brewpaks jobs or a Milestone IPA or Woody Great Eastern.

Let me know what the decision is!

[davekermito]

As far as kits go, I've recently made the move from the Muntons empire (which seems to incorporate every kit manufacturer in the UK) to our Antipodean friends at Coopers and haven't looked back.

A good taste, reliable easy kits and at an excellent price.

[drmick]

after much deliberation and several bottles of cider I made a few online orders. So hopefully winging its way to me now is a Coopers Dark Ale, Coopers Bitter and a Coopers IPA (the fancy one as that was all that was in stock). After the Stout and the initial impressions of the lager I am quite impressed with Coopers (shame they're from Australia can't we produce anything in this country anymore? - or is it 'brewed' under license like Fosters?) so thought I would stick with them for the time being. Also had to get a couple of extra kegs as well - but Santa didn't stretch to that much so they're out of my own pocket. With any luck everything will arrive before this weekend resulting in a mammoth brewing weekend, I've got a raspberry beer coming as well but I think that may have to wait a few weeks until everything else is kegged.

If all goes well should have a good range of beverages to sample in February - will post some results when I get them

Cheers
DrMick

[JayBee]

The IPA is a corker. I`ve done it 3 times this year all done slightly differently and all damn good.
Yeah, they are a real Aussie company and still in the same family as far as I know. I`ve had a couple of queries that I`ve fired off to them and they always answer within a day or so.
I`ve literally just sat down after bottling my Coopers Wheat Beer which I`ve experimented with a bit and its gonna be a real cracker, I shall report in a week or two.
At the minute I cant see me doing any kits other than Coopers and Brewferm although the Morgans ale I did was very promising and one of the Aussie sites reckons Morgans is part of Coopers as well.

[Ditch]

I'll be looking forward to ye reviews, come February. Sounds to me like ye made the right decision!