[Drinking] Why is Harveys so inconsistent??

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I love Harvey's.
I wanted my username to be "Pint of Harvey's and a Burger"but it wouldn't fit which is slightly annoying as I don't really drink other ales.
I gave up full-time drinking years ago and I only drink at the footy and special occasions.
I only drink Harvey's at the footy and I get a few bottles at Christmas,its lovely stuff.

In answer to the original question about consistency,I was drinking at the Harvey's kiosk by the bandstand at the amex and the Harvey's guy on duty told me that I wouldn't get a better pint of Harvey's than that because it's decanted straight from the barrel via a tap and the exposure to air completes the brewing process.
I have to agree with him.
The Harvey's out the front of the amex certainly seem more consistent than the ones served inside on the concourse.

This Christmas I'm planning on purchasing one of the Harvey's 36 pint polypins to see how that compares to the bottles.

 

[zefarelly]

I think God left him in charge of the weather for May but told him not to press any buttons.

BG. Gone but never forgotten.

This years weather has been a bit 'Omsung Phine' so far.

 

[zefarelly]

I love Harvey's.
I wanted my username to be "Pint of Harvey's and a Burger"but it wouldn't fit which is slightly annoying as I don't really drink other ales.
I gave up full-time drinking years ago and I only drink at the footy and special occasions.
I only drink Harvey's at the footy and I get a few bottles at Christmas,its lovely stuff.

In answer to the original question about consistency,I was drinking at the Harvey's kiosk by the bandstand at the amex and the Harvey's guy on duty told me that I wouldn't get a better pint of Harvey's than that because it's decanted straight from the barrel via a tap and the exposure to air completes the brewing process.
I have to agree with him.
The Harvey's out the front of the amex certainly seem more consistent than the ones served inside on the concourse.

This Christmas I'm planning on purchasing one of the Harvey's 36 pint polypins to see how that compares to the bottles.

Nothing beats straight from the barrel. Bottles are pasteurised, absolutely ruins some beers. Dark Star Hophead is sublime from the pump, or barrel, a waste of glass in a bottle by comparison.

 

[Notters]

God I miss Harvey's.

It's so different to all other ales - never had another one remotely like it. Don't know how they do it.

That's not to say I don't like other ales, and there are some lovely ones round here (Black Sheep, Saltaire, etc.) - but they all have similarities. Harvey's is in a league of its own.

 

[Notters]

Clooney's a fan.

View attachment 137059

Whoah where did that come from?!

 

[blue-shifted]

God I miss Harvey's.

It's so different to all other ales - never had another one remotely like it. Don't know how they do it.

That's not to say I don't like other ales, and there are some lovely ones round here (Black Sheep, Saltaire, etc.) - but they all have similarities. Harvey's is in a league of its own.

Agree mate.

It's not that Harveys is (necessarily) the best beer. It's more that it has a very distinctive flavour. Can recognise it a mile off

I also quite like the fact that it weighs in closer to 4% than 5%. It just means that after 5 or 6 hours of drinking it, I still quite fancy another, which I can't always say about the heavier beers.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Notwithstanding the fact that I was born in Sussex and spent the first twenty years of my life growing up 9 miles from Lewes, I have never tried it.

I really should one day. Which of their beers would be the one to try?

 

[Springal]

Notwithstanding the fact that I was born in Sussex and spent the first twenty years of my life growing up 9 miles from Lewes, I have never tried it.

I really should one day. Which of their beers would be the one to try?

What do you normally drink ?

 

[zefarelly]

Agree mate.

It's not that Harveys is (necessarily) the best beer. It's more that it has a very distinctive flavour. Can recognise it a mile off

I also quite like the fact that it weighs in closer to 4% than 5%. It just means that after 5 or 6 hours of drinking it, I still quite fancy another, which I can't always say about the heavier beers.

I don't find it in anyway unpleasant, and agree, it is a good session /football beer.

 

[Questions]

Notwithstanding the fact that I was born in Sussex and spent the first twenty years of my life growing up 9 miles from Lewes, I have never tried it.

I really should one day. Which of their beers would be the one to try?

I would say you’ve done very well to avoid the dreadful Ouze Ditchwater so far. Keep it up is my advice.

 

[loz]

Used to drink it as my preferred beer.... but something either happed to me or the beer, after a couple of pints it makes my guts churn and makes me a bit loose .

So I started to drink London pride and that’s ok a good session drink. My local stopped Serving Harvey’s because they couldn’t get some for a couple of weeks so I suggested London pride and it was found to be preferred by the punters and the stayed with it to this day.

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

My only complaint is that it's often served a bit too cold for my liking. Cant complain though

 

[Machiavelli]

Notwithstanding the fact that I was born in Sussex and spent the first twenty years of my life growing up 9 miles from Lewes, I have never tried it.

I really should one day. Which of their beers would be the one to try?

When people mention Harvey's, in all likelihood, they're referring to its Best, which constitutes 80-90% of its production. That figure might have diminished in the last decade or so, as they've expanded their range to take account of the increased interest in different styles of beer, so the first response you've received is an entirely valid one. But, I'd say Best -- which is my favourite of theirs, although their Mild is good too.

 

[Blue3]

I agree it was once my beer of choice but now one pint and that's my lot I have to move onto somthing else

 

[Yes Chef]

I had 3 pints of Best in The Lamb in Eastbourne yesterday. Very nice, not the most innovative beer these days but ideal for a lunchtime sesh

 

[Questions]

I used to always champion Dark Stars APA over Harvey’s in the great Amex debates but that’s pretty ordinary now..... I really don’t know if they really are worse or the bar has just been raised so much higher. I’m 60 but I still think Harvey’s is the worst of the ‘Old Mans Bitter’ around.

 

[zefarelly]

I used to always champion Dark Stars APA over Harvey’s in the great Amex debates but that’s pretty ordinary now..... I really don’t know if they really are worse or the bar has just been raised so much higher. I’m 60 but I still think Harvey’s is the worst of the ‘Old Mans Bitter’ around.

I had Dark star APA at the weekend, a fine juice. I agree re Harveys. With Southdown Ale, K&B Phoenix etc all gone there's little direct competition locally.

There has been plenty of mumbling in recent years about Dark star brews changing . . . particularly Hophead and APA. I think some of it was put down to hops, posssibly due to supply for bigger brews.

 

[jakarta]

Harveys Best Bitter is a classic English Pint, but like all real ales can be f*cked up by a Poor Landlord.

Only once had a bad pint in a Harveys Tied House in the last few years or so; I complained about it and was told the Landlord hadn't been there for a week or so and what were they (spotty teenagers more interested in looking at their phones) supposed to do about it?

Answer was change the Barrel and pull me a decent pint or I'll have my money back and go and find somewhere else. I don't suppose they had ever had to regurgitate the price of a Pint before, they seemed genuinely shocked that a Punter could make them do that...

 

[schmunk]

Where's [MENTION=2928]PILTDOWN MAN[/MENTION] on this thread?

Quality Control manager for one of the breweries mentioned*, as I recall...





*not Harvey's!

 

[Questions]

Where's [MENTION=2928]PILTDOWN MAN[/MENTION] on this thread?

Quality Control manager for one of the breweries mentioned*, as I recall...





*not Harvey's!

I must have missed it when he mentioned that........ As an aside I test quality beers on a regular basis now for up to 34 different breweries including 5 Belgium