They sell a good range of Irish Craft Beers on tap, and the attached off licence is also fairly well stocked. The owner is a bit of a legend too, and with claims to be the "longest bar in Ireland" this establishment is well worth a visit, if not for the beers then for the food, which is also excellent.
As mentioned, the off licence is well stocked with Craft beers, which you can buy for drinking in the bar, the bottles are priced at €3/€3.50 for off sales, and a fiver for drinking in the pub.
I was having a poke around the selection and the owner asked me what kind of beers I liked, and I said I was in the mood for a stout, or a dark ale. He whipped out a bottle from behind the till area, saying he had just had a delivery.
It was a 500ml bottle of Chorca Dhuibhne Carraig Dubh which is described by the West Kerry Brewery as a "Rich Chocolate Stout".
This is a lovely porter, as the name suggests it is rich. There is a strong roasted taste from start to finish, which does not get cloying. There are only slight chocolate notes, so it is not sweet like the Chocolate Stouts like The Porterhouse Chocolate Truffle or Young's Double Chocolate so don't be put off by the mention of it. It doesn't even appear on the labelling.
As you can see, the head after the initial pour is a nice creamy colour, and the porter is a nice and dark. This porter has a robust, deep flavour just like a porter should, and at 6% ABV has a nice warming feeling too.
I really recommend that you give this porter a go, it is a five star brew worth searching out. The off licence I bought it in only had one case, and it seems the brewery only brews in small batches, which is fine as long as the beers remain of this quality.
Go get yourself some, you'll thank yourself for it.
