Anarchy from the UK

Some new beers to the Irish scene were to be launched in a Tap-Takeover of WJ Kavanagh's last week, so I paid them a visit. There were 4 beers on offer, three on tap and one from a bottle. The brewers were also visiting, so it was a good chance to chat to them and get some tips for my own fledgling brewing empire.

The brewery in question is Anarchy Brew Co from the far North East of England, and Simon and Dawn were the two brewers who popped in for the evening.

I kicked off with a Citra Star, a blonde ale that packs flavour from the Citra Hops. Peaches and limes,and some grapefruit sweetness are the order of the day here. This is called a blonde ale, but in reality it's a session IPA - an unbelievable 4.1% given the range of flavours in this beer, it is the perfect ale to take into a warm beer garden. The fresh hop flavours make this a refreshing and accessible hoppy ale. Slightly cloudy, deep yellow in colour, I would have had a few more if I wasn't there to sample the rest of the range.

I moved on to the AntiVenom American Pale Ale. Certainly a more full bodied character and richer maltiness than the Citra Star. The American hops beautifully balance out the caramel from the malts. At 6% this is a fairly robust beer, but don't expect a hop-bomb, this isn't an IPA, it's a very well done American Pale, the hops do deliver, but they are not in your face or completely dominating the flavour. More resinous and piney than the hops in the Citra Star, the bitterness is sharp enough to compliment the underlying malt sweetness.

The Sublime Chaos Breakfast Stout is as flavoursome and potent as you's expect from a 7% beer. Rich, chewey with the background espresso that isn't overshadowing the other essential flavours that you expect to find in a stout. The mouthfeel is smooth and treacley , with some burnt roast notes in the back of the throat - all finished off by a pretty forward hop profile.

In bottles was the Smoked Saison. I have to make it clear from the outset here that I'm not a huge fan of the slightly sour, yeasty flavours that mark a Saison. On the flip side of that, I'm a big fan of smoked beers, the famous German Rauchbiers are among my favourites. I've been burned in the past, however, with many beers boasting "smoked" on their label just not delivering on that promise. This one does deliver a lovely smokey bacon flavour, layered over but not completely masking the spiciness of the Saison - the mix is good.

To finish off, and for a bit of fun at the behest of Simon, we were invited to mix some of the Smoked Saison with some of the Sublime Chaos, to make "the best Black & Tan you've ever tasted". The smokiness definitely compliments the burnt coffee bitterness.

Anarchy beers make a welcome addition to the choices available on the Irish market, and top of the list is the Citra Star, the perfect beer for an afternoon spent at a BBQ or watching the world go by in a warm city centre beer garden.

It was great to meet Simon and Dawn, they are obviously very passionate about their art, and this shines through in the quality of the beers.

90% of their output is for the Cask market in the UK, so hopefully we might see something pop up around the Dublin cask scene - but even if we don't, do keep an eye out and pick up a couple of bottles of whatever style takes your fancy. You won't be disappointed.