h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

After the success of my live crisp tasting thread (still going strong), I thought I'd up the ante.

Safeway's are offering bottled beer at 4 bottles for £5, so I have 8 different brands in my fridge. The catch is that I have tasted them all many times before, but tonight I will be - with Odo's assistance - tasting them blind. The 8 bottles are:

Fuller's London Pride
Hopback Summer Lightning
Marston's Pedigree
Deuchar's Caledonina IPA
Thwaites Liberation
Youngs' Waggledance
Black Sheep 'Emmerd'Ale
Badger (Badger, Badger, Badger etc.)'s Tanglefoot.

So nothing obscure - 8 fairly mainstream ales. I'm guessing that my tastebuds will be struggling to differentiate between them, even beers like Pedigree and Deuchars of which I have consumed vast quantities Let's see how I get on...

B

1908 Hours. Pint 1.

Odo has served me a delectably poured pint. A pale brown, good smooth head.

**sups deeply**

A hoppy beer, quite lively, with the leathery sort of aftertaste that I don't like much. My money says Waggledance or London Pride.

B

Or maybe Liberation - it's a long time since I've tasted that.

B

That doesn't sound like Waggledance to me.

Looks like Pedigree to me.

No, I know Pedigree very well; it's got that slightly sulphurous taste to it - tastes like drinking beer with fart in.

B

I'm halfway down the pint and decided on Liberation.

My money is that Odo will save the Pride until last because it's her favourite.

B

Looking at the list I know for sure that I've drunk four of them - London Pride, Wagglesdance, Tanglefoot and Pedigree.

Two - Black Sheep and the Caledonian IPA - I might have drunk. So they obviously didn't make much of an impression on me.

And the final two I've never tried.

1934 hours - Pint 2

A much paler colour. Thin head, rather fizzy. For a moment I suspect Odo has slipped me a pint of Fosters.

But the taste is very clear. Malty, fruity, that's Deuchar's - no question.

B

Ok, that's 26 minutes per pint. So at this rate you'll have supped all eight of them by 10:36 tonight, and ought to be pretty messed up.

Haven't you got school to go to tomorrow?

*makes mental note to check this thread later on*

"Haven't you got school to go to tomorrow?"

Why do you think I'm drinking so much?

B

20:12 - Pint 3

Nothing special, this one - a ruby rich colour, no strong flavours, smallish head.

Possibly the Summer Lightning.

B

No! On second tasting, I get that nice, flowery aftertaste that says 'Youngs' to me. Waggledance, it is.

B

Isn't it school holidays or smetihng? There seem to be a plethora of scratter kids hanging aorund during the day over the last week or so.

Isn't that just your average everyday truancy?

Half term - the little oiks should all be back in the jug tomorrow

Yeah, with muggins here keeping an eye on them.

B

Hard lines

We got a delivery from the people who make Fat Tire last week - I noticed a couple of cases of Old Speckled Hen on the lorry as he was hauling the kegs out. Never tried that one meself, and I certainly never thought I'd see it in Texas.

But then I never thought I'd be pulling pints of Fullers or opening bottles of Holy Grail in Texas either.