TOPIC:

Over the last week I've noticed tesco have launched their own brand craft beers contract brewed through Marstons in the England.
The range is a Dark ipa , rye pale ale, steam beer, saison ,wheat and a lager.
They are €2.99 for 500ml bottles. I've tried the saison , dark ipa and the rye so far.
The dark ipa is a delicious red but not an ipa. The rye is very tasty. Dry nice copper color dry hopped with citra and Amarillo.
The saison is a bit sweet and is more like a light tripel.
Will be interesting to see how much shelf space they give to their own brand beers.

Noticed them a few weeks back but decided I wasn't paying €3 for tesco own brand when I know I can get good Irish beer for even less usually.

Seems a bit expensive for Tesco's own brand. Craft beer tax anyone? They used to have their over label[/url:1qqjeeel] Hardcore IPA a few years ago for a very reasonable price, I think £1.59.

I suspect that they will go on offer before Christmas on some kind of multibuy...

Curiosity got the better of me and I tried most of them. Wouldn't bother with them again apart from the Saison maybe.

Nothing really wrong with them but they feel a little watery and bland, a toned down version of what the could be. I like how the put the hop variety and other information on the labels though. Maybe that's relevant at the moment!

As was mentioned already with the deal on Black's, O'Hara's and others in Dunnes they are not anything approaching value for money.

"Saruman":2qcn2855 wrote: Noticed them a few weeks back but decided I wasn't paying €3 for tesco own brand when [b:2qcn2855]I know I can get good Irish beer for even less usually.[/b:2qcn2855][/quote:2qcn2855]

Can you, though?

(Not to hijack this thread and turn it into a pricing debate, but...)

I've noticed quite a few new Irish breweries (many still with questionable quality control) launching with 500ml bottles at €4.

"KeeganAles":1r2n5jpj wrote: I've noticed quite a few new Irish breweries (many still with questionable quality control) launching with 500ml bottles at €4.[/quote:1r2n5jpj]

True- but the other side of this coin- I bought 4 bottles for a tenner from both Trouble and Dungarvan at the Saviour Kilkenny festival.