From a recovering alcoholic..my weapons of choice were blackstorm, was 99p per 500ml can, and Karpakie was a treat if I had extra money. Apart from the obvious damage due to the high alcohol content, in my experience the other bad part is your guts. It absolutely wrecks them. 3 years sober tomorrow sept 20 2024.
Congrats on being and staying alcohol free! 3 yrs is great! , wishing you continued success!! I'm coming up to 5 yrs being alcohol free myself after about 45 yrs of heavy drinking.
Respect for having the balls to do an honest review! I was expecting you to pan them all. I know the majority of critics would have lamely turned their noses up.
Special Brew was originally brewed in honour of Winston Churchill's first visit to Copenhagen after WW2, around 1950. It was intended to have tasting hints of cognac, which Churchill drank for breakfast. And all through the day!
I used to buy Special Brew occasionally when it was 9%. It tasted OK if heavily chilled. I haven't tried the other two. I definitely prefer strong lagers to weak lagers. These days if I want strong pale beer, I usually buy Belgian.
Isn't that the point, you need to chill the life out of it to avoid the pain stripper burn whilst drinking it , why bother when there's so many great tasty beers out there.
Nice review Simon, cheers. For me Carlsberg Special Brew was the best beer in the world bar none, but I`m going back 30 years ago. Then they started messing with it to the point of ruination, it just wasn`t the same liquid anymore. I did try a can some years ago but in comparison it was vile so I`ve not had it since & won`t revisit it. Wasn`t it the nanny-state intervention that harmed UK-brewed higher strength beers suggesting that you couldn`t be within recommended daily alcohol levels if you consumed a whole can? Anyway the brewers & the public have succumbed & made their way to the `naughty corner` & those that enjoy strong beer & alcohol in general are now forced to pay more for the lesser experience.
I stumbled upon a pub in Blackpool last year that had tennants on draft. Someone had wrote on the wall outside 'I will kill again' seemed like a lovely pub.
back in 1998 I started getting drunk with friends at the weekend. one night in West Stow at the local pub my friend got a load of these really strong beers called "Gold Label", I've never seen them since and not sure if that was the proper name but the bottle was small and the beer was around 10%. It was absolutely awful...the next week we went camping and took some White Lightning cider...and that was even worse. always avoided cheap and strong beers/ciders since then...there's one in B&M at the moment called FAXE...looks nasty!!!
Kestrel Super 20 odd years ago was fantastic..Nowadays I love Bavaria 8.6 but you can only buy abroad.Nothing wrong with a good strong brew if it tasty..
I remember a strong version of Red Stripe called "Crucial Brew", that I think weighed in at 9%. But that was a long while ago. For my stronger beer these days, I go with Belgian stuff like La Chouffe.
Never a truer word spoken, you try these beers in your youth spew up and learn the lesson, if you don't its a life of dependency that ultimately ends in an early death.
@@andrewcarr5923I’m 30 and every now and then I pick one up, probably like 3 a month just for something different. They’re good beers if you’re late to the party after being at work and everyone else is pissed up and you turn up sober. It gets the job done quick for that occasion.
Karpackie recently underwent a rebranding. It seems they no longer want to be recognized as a beer for bums. There is a new 6% ABV lager on offer, and one of the strong lagers is advertised as containing "smoked malts." Their advertising campaign is quite prominent on social media in Poland.
If I’m not mistaken Special Brew used to be 10%vol. As teenager my cousin would order two bottles at the bar and pour them into pint glass. Yes, he became an alcoholic.
Great video simon but like you said, you just picked up the beers that were available to YOU. I think everyone would agree that the 3 iconic super lagers are special brew, tennents super and kestrel super 😂
Remember in 1999-2000 Peterborough drinking Skol super strength before going to gigs at the Crown. Would be steaming after 2 so wouldn’t need buy lots in the pub.
Nice vid Simon thanks :) I'm not a fan of super strength lagers and it stems from a party I was invited to back in 1991. It was a bring your own beer type party and I knew the hosts (a lovely couple btw) liked a drop of lager, so I sought to impress them with 8 cans of Tenants Super. It started out ok, but sometime during the evening one of the hosts threw a raging tantrum and it led to an an almighty row between them. The rest of the partygoers (myself included) slinked out through the front door into the night leaving the mayhem behind. It was definitely the Super T that tipped the poor girl over the edge. I've never trusted the stuff since. Fair play to those that like and can take it, mind.
You've gotten more into Lagers and so now these stronger Lagers are something you are able to tolerate as opposed to a few years ago. You have got me more into Lagers the last couple years and so when I'm at a small pub over here in the US and I have had no choice but to have regular Budweiser I can actually tolerate it now where a few years ago I would have hated it.
A tiny Polski Sklep (Polish shop) used to sell ALL its beers at just £1 per 500ml can. Anything from a "lady's 2% fruit lager" to 9% Karpackie. If I bought a slab of Karpackie, they added a free can of another brand to try. Then along came the Welsh Arsembly "Minimum Unit Pricing" for alcohol, so they had to sell it at a minimum of £2.25 per can. Sales dropped, profits withered, the shop was shut. Amazon now sell it (with free delivery) for £2.33 a can. But instead of being marked "Super Mocne" (super strong), it is now marked "Slody Dymione" (smoked malts), so is it a change of marketing or a change in recipe?
My brother used to own a pub in the north of Scotland. He used to have a queue outside prior to opening with local guys wanting a carry out of Special Brew and Super T. I believe the caramel you speak of is the old school Glucose syrup which sweetens a harsh beer. Bought 6 cans of super t for a colleague down in Liverpool as he wanted to try it, think he was done after 3.
they have cut the avb because of the sugar tax, I had the polish 1 years ago when I lived in London there was a shop which sold everything an they had the best selection of strong beers I've ever seen it was in Croydon by the tram stop good review taff
I remember buying Special Brew in bottles ( my girlfriend loved the stuff) it was about 9% and made with quality ingredients...like alot of beers nowadays its changed (still not a bad drink though) I think Churchill had it made for the King Of Denmark lol
I like craft beer and I like my imperial stout. But sometimes when I am somehow poor and somehow want a high abv beverage that is CHEAP, the Carlsberg Special Brew will do the job.
Question is why is it a worry that these taste ok when Guiness export is also 7.5% abv gets a pass? Is it the price per unit because special brew is about £8 for 4 in my local morrisons which is hardly cheap
Yes, there's a grey can called OJ, 8.5 on the side, exactly the same beer as that red can..Lynnx strong beer is usually found in 24 hour petrol stations.Havent seen Tenants super for around Two years now.(Eastbourne areas UK)
@@ScottishT you might be surprised at times, but in general you're right mate. I've never seen the cans, only bottles, although I've seen it on draft in Naples, they have Tennents XS over there too, have never seen it in Scotland, over 9%
@@robertcramb9922 Yeah I remember drinking Tennant's export in Barcelona too around 7 years ago, think it was 6.5%. it was actually lovely but it seems we can't be trusted. Lower out abvs and charge us more . Bet the super on draft is decent lol
An honourable mention for Heldenbräu Super. Prefect outside a youth club disco with a bottle of Merrydown. Before waltzing back in and getting the knockback off the girl you fancied and then drowning your sorrows in a sausage dinner from the chippy before trying to sober up as you roll in way past your bedtime.
“I have definitely had worse beers” …. damning with faint praise but I get you. When there are so many lovely strong beers at 5 to 6%, it seems silly to drink malt driven syrup!
I absolutely love a great barley wine or an Old Ale, but I'm not gonna lie I occasionally find myself sipping on these purely for the quick buzz as they are not super tasty but pretty smashable...lol
The first time I came across Special Brew was in the hot summer of 76, I went in to an off-licence and got 4 cans out of the fridge, I sat drinking them watching the tele I went to get up and I had a job to walk across the room, after that I treated that stuff with the utmost respect 😂
In the words of Dave Lister in Red Dwarf, after this he'll be saying ''I'm fine, i'm not pished''. All joking aside though, why do people question themselves when ''tolerating'' this beer or even saying it is nice, or there is some sort of stigma attached too these beers because of their strengths, yet i can go in too Tesco, pick up a Northern Monk Pale Ale or Beer at 8.2%, and nobody says a thing? Or Brewdogs Mr President that is ridiculously strong. In fact, in the aisle at Tesco, the IPA's and all the craft beers, i would say the weakest in terms of strength is around 6% and they go up and up. I don't get why drinking those these days is almost a fashion statement, but you drink a Special Brew that can be weaker! And you are almost looked upon like you have a problem? Society is weird.
I suppose because they’re cheap, bad quality and don’t taste good. You drink a New England DIPA for the taste as much as anything. You drink these to get drunk
Oh dear ringing back memories of the Atom Bomb . A bottle of Carlsberg Special into a pint glass , followed by a bottle of babycham , 5opped up with cider. Deadly .
Aslong as its freezing cold, Special Brew is actually an alright beer. It just has a bit of a notorious reputation. Its also acrually very popular within the Carribbean community.
I can remember as a college kid one of us swiped a can of this from a shop in the late 90s. We all tried it and it was like pure gasoline, wretched stuff🤢 Trampagne 😂
Nice review. I dabbled with the oranjeboom 8.5 on account of being partial to the oranjeboom blue, mixture of value, dutch quirkiness, nice cans and and rare corner shop availability mystique! Just as a night cap one or two after some standard beers. Not sure that speaks so well of my relationship with the booze;) to be fairto me I don't go there these days though. It's actually not bad for what it is.
Late comment but I remember one called Crest in the late 90’s, I’m sure it was something like 9.5 abv. When I was skint I’d mix it with a weaker lager to make it more palatable or make snakebites with it. These days I don’t drink much but don’t mind the Polish lager called Perla, the green can version is okayish, the black can is what you would expect, a bit like Karpackie. Saying that my taste buds have probably gone, like yours are in the video 😂 Don’t know if you review cider but there is one sold in B&M Bargains called ‘Union Black’, it’s like Blackthorn on steroids. Anyway, I enjoy your videos 👍🏼
Where did you get the Karpackie from? I'm a wine drinker (normally red, as white generally is too acidic) i know barley wine used to be a thing but i dont like gold label
Special brew and tennets super has a bad rep. The odd can is a treat and can be tasty on the right occasion. Especially if you get the carlsberg 7.5% in a 330ml bottle ice cold. 🤤
Simon I used to drink special brew on a regular basis loved it still do but my missus banned me from it ironically I now drink red wine and weekends Henry Weston vintage cider and my wife loves it 8.2%
great review Simon i have always drank strong lagers on a regular basis for 25 years carlsberg special was my go to then i found Tennants super which i really liked and now cannot find, kestrel super has been my recent regular tipple but that seems to be fading out so its Skol super which i can still get thanks to my local off licence but i fear that will fade away soon will give the aldi Steinhauser a go and let you know , Bottoms up🍺🍺
Here in France, these strong canned lagers have almost replaced 'normal' beers in supermarkets. French beer is piss, so it's no loss, but even so, 8, 9, 10, up to 11.5 abv is now everywhere.
After sampling the beer, what do you do with the left overs? Drink them yourself, share with your lovely neighbour, or (god forbid) donate to the alcohol pixies?
Back in the day (40 years ago now 😱) when I was 17, me and my buddy were heavily into reggae and would chill out to acts like yellow man while drinking special brew and thunderbird as part of the culture. Learned a very important lesson that summer, 4 cans of 9% special brew and a few swigs of thunderbird will give you the WORST hangover known to man 🤢 …. Did I learn my lesson ? … hell no 🤣
Faxe 10% is surprisingly palatable given its strength. Doesn't have that syrupy quality most supers have. Someone on FB said the same of Leffe 9% though sadly I've never seen that for sale in the UK.
Carlsberg Spesh was my favourite drink to start a weekend night out in '90s. It was taxed on gravity 1.080-1.085 which as a home brewer meant 9% ABV. Tennents Super was it's Scottish competitor. I never liked it as much. I really liked the taste of all Carlsberg lagers back in the early '90s and they had something for everyone. Regular Carlsberg 3.5% for the women, Carlsberg Export 5% as a session beer, Special Brew 9% for the tramps and students, and my favourite was bottles of Carlsberg Elephant 7.5% at my favourite Indian restaurant (before that Cobra shit took over). It was perfect. Strong enough to enjoy, but not too much liquid to get in the way of a mountain of curry. It's sad to see the classic Spesh has been downgraded to a corner shop can of 7.5% and I have not seen a bottle of Elephant in decades in any BIR.
Someone once told me that special brew was first made for Winston Churchill. I don't know how accurate that is like but that's what I heard. I've never bothered looking into it.
I remember Carlsberg Special Brew going to shit in 2007 when they changed the inner can from gold to silver. It totally ruined it, and the taste dramatically changed. The same happened with Tennent’s Super. Both were great in the 90s and early 2000s. Now they’re 7.5% and shite.
beer concentrate lol brave man, i like a strong beer but not like them ales are always better, yeah man when special brew seems a ok idea its time to dry out hahaha
I'm not sure if it's available in the UK(or if you've featured it before) but I buy LIDL's Perlembourg Strong 7.8% (in France & Suisse)it's a bloody lovely beer and only 89 cents for a 0.5l can.
I was temping that Covid grade hand sanitizer they had on the table at shop entrances. I’ve since jacked it in but I still wonder what that might have done.
I uses to be a Special Brew drinker many years ago, it must have been a phase I was going through. I didn't realise the alcohol content had been reduced since then.
Interesting that you don’t see the old school super strength beers cans on streets anymore. I used to see it everywhere…them and large bottles of super strength cider. What are the street drinkers drinking these days? Wine or vodka maybe…it certainly is no less of a problem than it used it be, just don’t see the same litter
I did used to like special brew cold out the fridge it was on special offer at the supermarket so i got four cans for old times i didn't really like it after two cans they just sort of slipped down no real taste
I bought 6 bottles of Steinhauser from Aldi. You were spot on, it's a cracking drop!
Your welcome
Same here had 6 bottles over the weekend. Also picked up the coffee stout they do which was awesome.
@@CJARTUK that coffee stout is good!
I agree love that steinhauser brew
Also bought and enjoyed after that review
Disappointed Simon, this needed to be done on a park bench in a town somewhere with a bit of antisocial behaviour to keep things authentic 😂
What a d###
LOL yeah he could finish off with a Spice joint and shouting at someone who isn't actually there.
@@captaincat1743and all bought with tax payers money (because alcoholics get benefits now) 😂
With dog on string lead. 😊
having a bit of wee dribble showing on the outside of your dirty jeans
From a recovering alcoholic..my weapons of choice were blackstorm, was 99p per 500ml can, and Karpakie was a treat if I had extra money. Apart from the obvious damage due to the high alcohol content, in my experience the other bad part is your guts. It absolutely wrecks them. 3 years sober tomorrow sept 20 2024.
Congrats on being and staying alcohol free! 3 yrs is great! , wishing you continued success!! I'm coming up to 5 yrs being alcohol free myself after about 45 yrs of heavy drinking.
Congrats on your sobriety!
Good oh ,👍
Karpackie mate
"It's quite refreshing".... a few moments later... why is it morning and why am I naked 🤣🤣🤣
Respect for having the balls to do an honest review! I was expecting you to pan them all. I know the majority of critics would have lamely turned their noses up.
Special Brew was originally brewed in honour of Winston Churchill's first visit to Copenhagen after WW2, around 1950. It was intended to have tasting hints of cognac, which Churchill drank for breakfast. And all through the day!
Sir winston Churchill
@@louisbeerreviews8964 Quiet
@@Dlck.C.Normous no, why should they?
@@robaudi20v Maybe because your royal family are cringe pdf file tax leeches
I used to buy Special Brew occasionally when it was 9%. It tasted OK if heavily chilled. I haven't tried the other two. I definitely prefer strong lagers to weak lagers. These days if I want strong pale beer, I usually buy Belgian.
Isn't that the point, you need to chill the life out of it to avoid the pain stripper burn whilst drinking it , why bother when there's so many great tasty beers out there.
Nice review Simon, cheers. For me Carlsberg Special Brew was the best beer in the world bar none, but I`m going back 30 years ago. Then they started messing with it to the point of ruination, it just wasn`t the same liquid anymore. I did try a can some years ago but in comparison it was vile so I`ve not had it since & won`t revisit it.
Wasn`t it the nanny-state intervention that harmed UK-brewed higher strength beers suggesting that you couldn`t be within recommended daily alcohol levels if you consumed a whole can? Anyway the brewers & the public have succumbed & made their way to the `naughty corner` & those that enjoy strong beer & alcohol in general are now forced to pay more for the lesser experience.
I stumbled upon a pub in Blackpool last year that had tennants on draft. Someone had wrote on the wall outside 'I will kill again' seemed like a lovely pub.
It was a sad day in 2015 when Carlsberg reduced the strength of Special Brew. No reduction in price to go with it either.
Its 10 quid in spar near me for 4x cans lol
back in 1998 I started getting drunk with friends at the weekend. one night in West Stow at the local pub my friend got a load of these really strong beers called "Gold Label", I've never seen them since and not sure if that was the proper name but the bottle was small and the beer was around 10%. It was absolutely awful...the next week we went camping and took some White Lightning cider...and that was even worse. always avoided cheap and strong beers/ciders since then...there's one in B&M at the moment called FAXE...looks nasty!!!
...back in the day, we used to mix Gold Label with Special Brew..it was called an Exocet. Messy days..
FAXE is Danish and it is sold here in France in one litre cans. It's great.
Fax is a lovely drink comes in a 1 litre can
I remember in 70s and 80s seeing people mix special brew with gold label barley wine 😂
Kestrel Super 20 odd years ago was fantastic..Nowadays I love Bavaria 8.6 but you can only buy abroad.Nothing wrong with a good strong brew if it tasty..
I remember a strong version of Red Stripe called "Crucial Brew", that I think weighed in at 9%. But that was a long while ago. For my stronger beer these days, I go with Belgian stuff like La Chouffe.
It was 8.6% for crucial brew. Used to make it.
The Belgian strong ales are proper good beer made with skill and care. These tramp juices are a different breed.
Karmelait Triple goes straight to my head lol 🤪
As you've said before Simon, these strong beers are marketed to those who have drifted into the arena of the unwell. Best avoided.
And also those who have gone on holiday by mistake 😂
Never a truer word spoken, you try these beers in your youth spew up and learn the lesson, if you don't its a life of dependency that ultimately ends in an early death.
@@pauly2303 For an evening at The Crow
@@andrewcarr5923I’m 30 and every now and then I pick one up, probably like 3 a month just for something different. They’re good beers if you’re late to the party after being at work and everyone else is pissed up and you turn up sober. It gets the job done quick for that occasion.
Karpackie recently underwent a rebranding. It seems they no longer want to be recognized as a beer for bums. There is a new 6% ABV lager on offer, and one of the strong lagers is advertised as containing "smoked malts." Their advertising campaign is quite prominent on social media in Poland.
Karpachie and orangeboom beat Carlsberg Speacialbrew every day of the week and twice on a sunday!!!
when I was at my worst I used to drink 3 cans of Karpackie before work. Used to love the sweet malt. Glad I'm not in that place now.
BEFORE work? Fuckinghell man
Good on you man, I hope your well.
Did you stop completely or just cut back?
could they not tell you were drunk?
@@06hurdwpit’s hard for alcoholics to actually get drunk because of their tolerance, they basically drink just to feel normal.
If I’m not mistaken Special Brew used to be 10%vol. As teenager my cousin would order two bottles at the bar and pour them into pint glass. Yes, he became an alcoholic.
9
@@louisbeerreviews8964 Correct definitely 9
Great video simon but like you said, you just picked up the beers that were available to YOU.
I think everyone would agree that the 3 iconic super lagers are special brew, tennents super and kestrel super 😂
Remember in 1999-2000 Peterborough drinking Skol super strength before going to gigs at the Crown.
Would be steaming after 2 so wouldn’t need buy lots in the pub.
Nice vid Simon thanks :)
I'm not a fan of super strength lagers and it stems from a party I was invited to back in 1991. It was a bring your own beer type party and I knew the hosts (a lovely couple btw) liked a drop of lager, so I sought to impress them with 8 cans of Tenants Super. It started out ok, but sometime during the evening one of the hosts threw a raging tantrum and it led to an an almighty row between them. The rest of the partygoers (myself included) slinked out through the front door into the night leaving the mayhem behind. It was definitely the Super T that tipped the poor girl over the edge. I've never trusted the stuff since. Fair play to those that like and can take it, mind.
You've gotten more into Lagers and so now these stronger Lagers are something you are able to tolerate as opposed to a few years ago. You have got me more into Lagers the last couple years and so when I'm at a small pub over here in the US and I have had no choice but to have regular Budweiser I can actually tolerate it now where a few years ago I would have hated it.
A tiny Polski Sklep (Polish shop) used to sell ALL its beers at just £1 per 500ml can. Anything from a "lady's 2% fruit lager" to 9% Karpackie. If I bought a slab of Karpackie, they added a free can of another brand to try. Then along came the Welsh Arsembly "Minimum Unit Pricing" for alcohol, so they had to sell it at a minimum of £2.25 per can. Sales dropped, profits withered, the shop was shut. Amazon now sell it (with free delivery) for £2.33 a can. But instead of being marked "Super Mocne" (super strong), it is now marked "Slody Dymione" (smoked malts), so is it a change of marketing or a change in recipe?
I don't mind the occasional special brew, it takes ok in my opinion. I also really like the redesigned can, looks very nice!
It used to be 9% ABV years back
My brother used to own a pub in the north of Scotland. He used to have a queue outside prior to opening with local guys wanting a carry out of Special Brew and Super T.
I believe the caramel you speak of is the old school Glucose syrup which sweetens a harsh beer.
Bought 6 cans of super t for a colleague down in Liverpool as he wanted to try it, think he was done after 3.
Tried a few polish beers and love them but you don’t relies the strength until the next day great video Simon.
they have cut the avb because of the sugar tax, I had the polish 1 years ago when I lived in London there was a shop which sold everything an they had the best selection of strong beers I've ever seen it was in Croydon by the tram stop good review taff
I remember buying Special Brew in bottles ( my girlfriend loved the stuff) it was about 9% and made with quality ingredients...like alot of beers nowadays its changed (still not a bad drink though) I think Churchill had it made for the King Of Denmark lol
Does your moth have sideburns by any chance?
I like craft beer and I like my imperial stout. But sometimes when I am somehow poor and somehow want a high abv beverage that is CHEAP, the Carlsberg Special Brew will do the job.
Hi Simon, you should do a real ale vs series.. wainwrights vs pedigree etc.
Question is why is it a worry that these taste ok when Guiness export is also 7.5% abv gets a pass? Is it the price per unit because special brew is about £8 for 4 in my local morrisons which is hardly cheap
“It’s gonna be an interesting afternoon today isn’t it” hahahaha
Yes, there's a grey can called OJ, 8.5 on the side, exactly the same beer as that red can..Lynnx strong beer is usually found in 24 hour petrol stations.Havent seen Tenants super for around Two years now.(Eastbourne areas UK)
OJ is a belgian rip off of Oranjeboom
Tennents Super is massive all over the South of Italy, they love it. They are shocked when I tell them it isn't popular in Scotland
I think they drink differently, we will hammer 6 of them and they will sip 1 or 2 lol
@@ScottishT you might be surprised at times, but in general you're right mate. I've never seen the cans, only bottles, although I've seen it on draft in Naples, they have Tennents XS over there too, have never seen it in Scotland, over 9%
@@robertcramb9922 Yeah I remember drinking Tennant's export in Barcelona too around 7 years ago, think it was 6.5%. it was actually lovely but it seems we can't be trusted. Lower out abvs and charge us more . Bet the super on draft is decent lol
@@ScottishT 22 degree heat and Tennents Super is a recipe for disaster in Scotland, I can hear the police sirens thinking about it
And in Milan too! I was walking around wondering wtf Tennents Super was in all of the fridges in the bars there.
An honourable mention for Heldenbräu Super. Prefect outside a youth club disco with a bottle of Merrydown. Before waltzing back in and getting the knockback off the girl you fancied and then drowning your sorrows in a sausage dinner from the chippy before trying to sober up as you roll in way past your bedtime.
Did you try the cheese board
For some reason they're mad for Tennent's Stupor in Italy - tons of it over there
“I have definitely had worse beers” …. damning with faint praise but I get you. When there are so many lovely strong beers at 5 to 6%, it seems silly to drink malt driven syrup!
Very fair point!
Well said.
Like the black n red oranjeboom used to get a can after a nightshift would sleep till 3 serves a purpose haha
I absolutely love a great barley wine or an Old Ale, but I'm not gonna lie I occasionally find myself sipping on these purely for the quick buzz as they are not super tasty but pretty smashable...lol
Same! Nice one
"Smashable " love it !
The first time I came across Special Brew was in the hot summer of 76, I went in to an off-licence and got 4 cans out of the fridge, I sat drinking them watching the tele I went to get up and I had a job to walk across the room, after that I treated that stuff with the utmost respect 😂
In the words of Dave Lister in Red Dwarf, after this he'll be saying ''I'm fine, i'm not pished''.
All joking aside though, why do people question themselves when ''tolerating'' this beer or even saying it is nice, or there is some sort of stigma attached too these beers because of their strengths, yet i can go in too Tesco, pick up a Northern Monk Pale Ale or Beer at 8.2%, and nobody says a thing? Or Brewdogs Mr President that is ridiculously strong.
In fact, in the aisle at Tesco, the IPA's and all the craft beers, i would say the weakest in terms of strength is around 6% and they go up and up.
I don't get why drinking those these days is almost a fashion statement, but you drink a Special Brew that can be weaker! And you are almost looked upon like you have a problem? Society is weird.
I suppose because they’re cheap, bad quality and don’t taste good.
You drink a New England DIPA for the taste as much as anything. You drink these to get drunk
Money I guess
Oh dear ringing back memories of the Atom Bomb . A bottle of Carlsberg Special into a pint glass , followed by a bottle of babycham , 5opped up with cider. Deadly .
That old 9% Carlsberg used to be like paint stripper along with the others you mentioned Tennets, Kestrel all tramp juice
I used to get that when I just wanted to get drunk and it was awful but I wonder if at 7.5% it might be a bit better haha
After this video Simon was last seen up the high Street asking passers-by for 20p or a fight
Aslong as its freezing cold, Special Brew is actually an alright beer.
It just has a bit of a notorious reputation. Its also acrually very popular within the Carribbean community.
Yeah my cousins husband is of jamaican decent he is well known for drinking special brew 😂
I can remember as a college kid one of us swiped a can of this from a shop in the late 90s.
We all tried it and it was like pure gasoline, wretched stuff🤢
Trampagne 😂
My wife drinks Cider out of a champagne glass when we have company & refers to it as Trampagne.
Not sure where you live but Tennents and Kestrel are both very easy to find in my area of west London they're basically sold in almost all the Offys.
Nice review. I dabbled with the oranjeboom 8.5 on account of being partial to the oranjeboom blue, mixture of value, dutch quirkiness, nice cans and and rare corner shop availability mystique! Just as a night cap one or two after some standard beers. Not sure that speaks so well of my relationship with the booze;) to be fairto me I don't go there these days though. It's actually not bad for what it is.
Late comment but I remember one called Crest in the late 90’s, I’m sure it was something like 9.5 abv. When I was skint I’d mix it with a weaker lager to make it more palatable or make snakebites with it.
These days I don’t drink much but don’t mind the Polish lager called Perla, the green can version is okayish, the black can is what you would expect, a bit like Karpackie. Saying that my taste buds have probably gone, like yours are in the video 😂
Don’t know if you review cider but there is one sold in B&M Bargains called ‘Union Black’, it’s like Blackthorn on steroids.
Anyway, I enjoy your videos 👍🏼
Karpackie is dangerous! I stay well away from anything above 6% now days 😅
Know what you mean. Got caught out buying Polish Mocne beers in the past?
Carlsberg Elephant beer, 9% if i rember correctly, is a very nice beer. Last drank it in Berlin
Super Tennent's was near 10% at one point back in the 90s lol
Where did you get the Karpackie from? I'm a wine drinker (normally red, as white generally is too acidic) i know barley wine used to be a thing but i dont like gold label
Most corner shop off licences sell it, if outside a big town look for a Polish shop, plenty about if you look enough.
Spesh is a shadow of former itself, always head and shoulders over the other trampagnes
Next week: White Lightning, Thunderbird and Mad Dog 20:20
Used to be little brown bottle called Gold Label back the day it was like treacle.
I hear Simon is struggling to walk this afternoon.
Special brew and tennets super has a bad rep. The odd can is a treat and can be tasty on the right occasion. Especially if you get the carlsberg 7.5% in a 330ml bottle ice cold. 🤤
Yeah, it tastes delicious to me when cold - I genuinely don't get the hate for these stronger beers.
Simon I used to drink special brew on a regular basis loved it still do but my missus banned me from it ironically I now drink red wine and weekends Henry Weston vintage cider and my wife loves it 8.2%
great review Simon i have always drank strong lagers on a regular basis for 25 years carlsberg special was my go to then i found Tennants super which i really liked and now cannot find, kestrel super has been my recent regular tipple but that seems to be fading out so its Skol super which i can still get thanks to my local off licence but i fear that will fade away soon will give the aldi Steinhauser a go and let you know , Bottoms up🍺🍺
Here in France, these strong canned lagers have almost replaced 'normal' beers in supermarkets. French beer is piss, so it's no loss, but even so, 8, 9, 10, up to 11.5 abv is now everywhere.
I've not had hazy Special Brew before🤔And my local Asian grocer still sells Kestral Super 👍although it's been a long time since I indulged
After sampling the beer, what do you do with the left overs? Drink them yourself, share with your lovely neighbour, or (god forbid) donate to the alcohol pixies?
Back in the day (40 years ago now 😱) when I was 17, me and my buddy were heavily into reggae and would chill out to acts like yellow man while drinking special brew and thunderbird as part of the culture. Learned a very important lesson that summer, 4 cans of 9% special brew and a few swigs of thunderbird will give you the WORST hangover known to man 🤢 …. Did I learn my lesson ? … hell no 🤣
Try Perla from Poland in the black can, if you can find it. 7.6% I think.
7 . 1 % now
@@teddy11179 the green one is and the black one i had last night was 7.1 , used to be 7,6
The lads at bus stop in town swear by the stuff 😂
All available still Tennants etc usually in a smaller shop not the big shops although you can get special brew from anywhere buddy
Simon get a can of 10% Crest super lager its back on Waitrose shelves i noticed lol
Crest was hardcore, if you drank too much it felt like you could trip your tits off.
Faxe 10% is surprisingly palatable given its strength. Doesn't have that syrupy quality most supers have. Someone on FB said the same of Leffe 9% though sadly I've never seen that for sale in the UK.
It's on the perfectdraft, not bad, just needs a little respect!
Must have been blizted by the end of this review! Assume you didn't finish the three beers after stopping recording?!
Carlsberg Spesh was my favourite drink to start a weekend night out in '90s. It was taxed on gravity 1.080-1.085 which as a home brewer meant 9% ABV. Tennents Super was it's Scottish competitor. I never liked it as much.
I really liked the taste of all Carlsberg lagers back in the early '90s and they had something for everyone. Regular Carlsberg 3.5% for the women, Carlsberg Export 5% as a session beer, Special Brew 9% for the tramps and students, and my favourite was bottles of Carlsberg Elephant 7.5% at my favourite Indian restaurant (before that Cobra shit took over). It was perfect. Strong enough to enjoy, but not too much liquid to get in the way of a mountain of curry.
It's sad to see the classic Spesh has been downgraded to a corner shop can of 7.5% and I have not seen a bottle of Elephant in decades in any BIR.
Nothing wrong with a strong beer if you can enjoy it in reasonable moderation.
Great stuff brilliant seeing your channel buzzing!
Someone once told me that special brew was first made for Winston Churchill. I don't know how accurate that is like but that's what I heard. I've never bothered looking into it.
Love the glass from the Sunflower in Belfast!
Wot no Tennant’s Super? Italy’s favourite.
I drank a can of Altra super strength when I was 15. I crashed my mountain bike into a lamp post avoiding a guy walking his dog.
I used to like King Cobra that was about 7.5% and very smooth but I just noticed it's now dropped to 5.2%!
Really, that is pathetic.
Nah not for me, used to work with a old fella who drank a special brew at the start of our shift gave me a sip and it was absolutely minging.
I remember Carlsberg Special Brew going to shit in 2007 when they changed the inner can from gold to silver. It totally ruined it, and the taste dramatically changed. The same happened with Tennent’s Super. Both were great in the 90s and early 2000s. Now they’re 7.5% and shite.
Fancy walking into a corner shop and asking where is karpackie....prob get punched
@@teddy11179 thanks for patronising mate it was a shit joke that's all
Its all those 10% plus Imperial stout and DIPA beers ure palate is used to. makes these more drinkable
At first and I recall Luxus 8,5 it’s almost vigery sweet en syrupy yes but I’ll grown to love it but very cold I put them in freezer for 25 min
Do some strong ciders. That Westerns at 8.3 is a head spinner. Good review
and tastes delicious
6% is my limit for lager , maybe 7%-8% for a good IPA.
beer concentrate lol brave man, i like a strong beer but not like them ales are always better, yeah man when special brew seems a ok idea its time to dry out hahaha
I'm not sure if it's available in the UK(or if you've featured it before) but I buy LIDL's Perlembourg Strong 7.8% (in France & Suisse)it's a bloody lovely beer and only 89 cents for a 0.5l can.
In the 80's when we were drinking over fields as teenagers, I'd have two cans of special brew and two bottles of Newcastle Brown,
I was temping that Covid grade hand sanitizer they had on the table at shop entrances. I’ve since jacked it in but I still wonder what that might have done.
Where are you buying these strong beers from??
Currently enjoying two lovely cans of lynx!!! Gorgeous 😁
I actually like the oranjeboom, has a complex flavour. I've sworn off it though coz i have 2 cans and start going blind.
We’ve got all the classic supers in my local offy. Might even buy myself a Skol Super. Has been a while 😂😂
I uses to be a Special Brew drinker many years ago, it must have been a phase I was going through. I didn't realise the alcohol content had been reduced since then.
Great vid. That's because we wanna get pissed and not drink piss. I will be honest I have turned to girly wine because beer now is weak as piss.
Ah you've become a wino then, more choice, spirits are a early death
Great video interesting …still 2 special brews before I go out cheaper night 😂😂
Keep up the good work enjoyed that review thanks
Only corner shops selling this says it all dosent it 😬
They've ruined Special Brew. Give me a Leffe Tripel over any of these any day of the week.
Interesting that you don’t see the old school super strength beers cans on streets anymore.
I used to see it everywhere…them and large bottles of super strength cider.
What are the street drinkers drinking these days? Wine or vodka maybe…it certainly is no less of a problem than it used it be, just don’t see the same litter
I did used to like special brew cold out the fridge it was on special offer at the supermarket so i got four cans for old times i didn't really like it after two cans they just sort of slipped down no real taste