little creatures pale ale

I just picked up a bottle of this in Oddbins in Liverpool - after some rocky years it seems Oddbods' beer range is getting a little better - Victory Hopdevil, Anchor Steam, a few decent Belgies, Schneider Weisse, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the Little Creatures (£1.40/330ml IIRC), but the Rochefort10 at £2.99 seemed a bit steep, or at least odd when the Duvel next to it was £1.49 or summat. cheers MikeMcG

Which Liverpool Oddbins please? I may take a wander at lunchtime on Thursday, purely out of curiosity you understand.

Tony.

I just picked up a bottle of this in Oddbins in Liverpool - after some rocky years it seems Oddbods' beer range is getting a little better - Victory Hopdevil, Anchor Steam, a few decent Belgies, Schneider Weisse, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the Little Creatures (£1.40/330ml IIRC), but the Rochefort10 at £2.99 seemed a bit steep, or at least odd when the Duvel next to it was £1.49 or summat. cheers MikeMcG

I'd given up on Oddbins, but the Stockport branch has for some time had a "real ale - 4 for £5" on the window. Are they really coming back from the dead?

Brian

'Twas the one on Bold Street, tho this reply may have reached you all too late for Thursday lunchtime.

BrainW wrote

I'd say they're still not fully recovered yet, but perhaps opening their eyes after a lengthy coma? :~)

IIRC after years of speculation Oddbins were finally bought out by someone (the previous owners were Canadian multi-national drinks-co, Seagram) & I read that the wine list swung very much in favour of brands owned by the new owner (as had been the case to an extent with Seagram), but long before that good beer just seemed to fall off their priorities list.

I didn't spot anything too interesting in the way of UK ales, but I didn't have a very long look. Their heyday of Salopian, Hanseatic, etc, & occasional Saturday beer-tastings still seems a long time ago.

I think they stock Hopback SL, & a few from Youngs & GK, but their homepage makes no mention of beer, a search for "beer" gives the following message "This product may no longer be available" and "ale" gives a list of mainly portugeuse wines! Their regular pricelist seems also to igore beer entirely.

A member of staff told me that they had been taken over by a French company "which couldn't give a damn about British ale". He didn't seem wonderfully impressed by that either. I've not been there since. That was a couple of years ago.

Brian

BrianW wrote -

I had my bottle tonight, with a homemade curry - it was blooming lovely

- very fresh tasting & a lovely full up-front fruity hoppy flavours; similar to a good US pale ale (SNPA, etc) tho maybe not quite so bitter. Very good indeed. & unlike almost all UK BCAs it's in a 330ml bottle (or thereabouts) cheers, MikeMcG.