Timothy Taylor Landlord

[KillerB]

Voted CAMRA beer of the year so many times that it's now an embarrassment.

When I first had it, I thought "Why? It's nice but nothing special." Well, that's what so special. If you think of what a good pint should be, it should make you feel all nice and cosy, cheer you up and make you buy another... That's Landlord and it's lovely. Feelgood beer.

[jdaw1]

Peter Eells
Timothy Taylor & Co. Limited
Knowle Spring Brewery
Keighley
West Yorkshire BD21 1AW

11th April 2007

Dear Mr Eells,

Earlier this year I visited The York, a fine pub near Angel tube station in London, wherein, with a friend, I thoroughly enjoyed six pints of Timothy Taylor Landlord. A beautifully bitter bitter, well cellared, and deserved winner of numerous prizes.

Then I came home. I came home to land that the Lord hath smitten with a pestilence. Sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence: the fully Monty. For I live in New York, the largest beer-free city outside of the Middle East. And so often — so often — a barman asks what’s wanted, and I reply “a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord†. Some bar staff know nothing and know not how respectfully to reply; some know something and reply respectfully, but not helpfully. There is no beer.

Please, I throw myself at your feet (well, metaphorically, this is a letter—pretend!). Enough of my beer-free existence: I want real quality proper Timothy Taylor beer. Landlord. Six pints please, one every twenty-five minutes. Please ship it to New York. Open a chain of bars if you have to, I will keep them all in business. (And it would be so easy to advertise, mocking sweet American children’s confections made with rice.) Please!

Yours, thirstily in hope,

Julian D. A. Wiseman

Dear Mr Wiseman

Thank you for your marvellous letter that I received today. It gives all the Brewing team a lift to read such paeans of praise.

Although I am sure my friend, Garrett T Oliver, of Brooklyn Brewery, would be horrified to hear that New York, New York is No Beer, No Beer, we take your remarks as supreme compliments.

However, we have tried to send some ‘samples’ of beer to the U.S. before, and it is a complete nightmare. Between the abstemious Pilgrim Fathers and the more modern but equally fastidious New York Customs Authority, rules have been devised for a few bottles of beer to cost a fortune to send, and then they are routinely impounded. So, there is no possibility of assuaging your thirst.

However, I am sending you a sweatshirt and a glass so that it gives you the inspiration to tear up the American Constitution and close the New York Docks.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Eells
Head Brewer

That was a splendid letter, even if the heralded sweatshirt and glass never came—presumably having been impounded by customs.

Dear Mr Eells,

Thank you for your letter of 17th April, responding to mine of the 11th. Entertaining, knowledgeable, generous but — despite the forthcoming shirt and glass — useless. Beer-free.

“My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.† Since you won’t send beer, I’ll ask for better: a brewery. Open, in upstate New York, Timothy Taylor In Exile. The promotion would be stupidly easy, and the ruder, the more effective.

• Children’s drinks are sweet and cold. A man’s beer is bitter.

• If you have not tasted bitterness, you have the innocence of a child. Enjoy it.

• Rice is a cheap carb. Beer made with rice is for cheap people who don’t know better.

• Some beers advertise using cute women. Those women are cute, but we sell real ale.

Yours in growing desperation,

Julian D. A. Wiseman

As yet there has been no reply to this second letter.

[KillerB]

I've still got no reply to this but would like to point out that a string of Timothy Taylor breweries across this country would not go amiss. It travels better than many beers but all traditional beer tastes better within cycling distance of the brewery. Although Todd may debate how far cycling distance is.

[uncle tom]

A great beer indeed - until you sample Woodforde's Wherry...

Tom

PS Just come back from a short cricket tour to Brighton. Lager peasants aside, all the serious drinkers agreed that Hophead - made by whom I am not sure - was a superb drop..

[jdaw1]

In Brighton I would have gone for Harvey Sussex.

[DRT]

Confession: I am a lager lout

I will be in London for 4 nights this week - where can I find some nice warm, brown TTL?

Derek

[KillerB]

You are more likely to find it further North but there is a pub in Covent Garden that serves it. Sadly, I didn't try it there so it may be badly kept. As you come out of the tube and head towards the market hall, the first pub on the right corner serves it. Nice, small pub.

[DRT]

That's no help to me. You'll have to meet me there at 17:30 on Wednesday

Derek

[KillerB]

I think I will be in there with Ronnie at that time.

[DRT]

Txt me when you get there with the name of the pub. I will make yet another sacrifice and make best efforts to join you

[jdaw1]

where can I find some nice warm, brown TTL?

…

Earlier this year I visited The York, a fine pub near Angel tube station in London, wherein, with a friend, I thoroughly enjoyed six pints of Timothy Taylor Landlord.

Fancy A Pint review

[DRT]

I will report back

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've been busy moving all my appointments for Wednesday forward in the day so I should be able to get over to Covent Garden between 4:30 and 5pm. I'll drag you out of the pub and into the Crusting Pipe for some proper drinking.

But let me know the name of the pub just in case I get lost or delayed there.

Alex

[DRT]

I finally came across this in a pub on the south end of Blackfriars Bridge.

I have to agree with KillerBs assesment at the top of this thread, this is just a good pint of beer. If it was varnish, it would be Ronseal

[RonnieRoots]

I must confess that I never read this thread until now... and only now I understand what was the lead-up to the imperial drinking we did while we still had to go throught 15+ bottles of port...

Now, the only ale we can get here (from can) is Fuller's London Pride. I like it, but due to the lack of alternative I like almost everything that has a faint idea of taste. I even enjoy a pint of John Smith's UltraSmooth (with widget). So, how does the Fuller's compare to TTL?

[DRT]

So, how does the Fuller's compare to TTL?

Like Cruz Ruby compares to Fonseca 1966.

[jdaw1]

No. A well-kept pint of London Pride is a joy. TTL has a slight advantage, but both are excellent ales. TTL = F66, agreed, but FLP = F77.

[RonnieRoots]

I'll settle for that.

And Derek: I'd actually be happy with Cruz Ruby. Must be better than Cockburn Ruby!

[DRT]

No. A well-kept pint of London Pride is a joy.

But the comparison was London Pride in a can with a widget. Do you wish to revise your response so as not to build Ronnies hopes too high?

[jdaw1]

Ahh, less good. Sorry. Open an F77 instead.

[RonnieRoots]

No. A well-kept pint of London Pride is a joy.

But the comparison was London Pride in a can with a widget. Do you wish to revise your response so as not to build Ronnies hopes too high?

The London Pride cans actually come without widget. A good thing if you ask me. Can I get a new comparison based on this knowledge?

[DRT]

No. A well-kept pint of London Pride is a joy.

But the comparison was London Pride in a can with a widget. Do you wish to revise your response so as not to build Ronnies hopes too high?

The London Pride cans actually come without widget. A good thing if you ask me. Can I get a new comparison based on this knowledge?

I will leave that to the expert, but suspect that anything in a can could not qualify as "a well-kept pint"

[RonnieRoots]

Joy and celebrations: a new addition at our off-license: Fuller's 1845. Bottle matured for 100 days. And I must say, it's a really good glass of ale.

[Tony]

I am new to this forum, but I have been a real ale anorak for years!

TT Landlord and Fullers London Pride seems a strange comparison as they are completly different beer styles. TT is typical beer from north of the Trent, hoppy, sulphur and a crisp taste where as LP is more heavily bodied and malty. Both beers are widely sold but they are often not looked after very well, particularly the LP. However the Vintage Port's of the real ale world are surely those beers that you have to hunt down...crawling around obscure parts of the country and scouring beer festivals for something special.

Maybe Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (from the West Midlands) would be a real contender!

[jdaw1]

To my shame and I do realise the failings embedded in the admission I have never liked mild, nor porter.

Further, your reply hints in the direction of liking recherché merely for its recherchéness? Which is fine, but perhaps should be acknowledged.