Take a Chance

I visited yet another Growler Station, this time as Baggot Street Wines were launching their Growler System.

I was very interested in visiting as I'd heard that the O Brother guys were going to be in residence for the evening with their beers in tow, available to take home. I was interested as only a few weeks previous I'd been in The Porterhouse in Bray and happened on their American Pale Ale called The Chancer. Now usually I'll jump around the beers in a place like The Porterhouse, especially if they've a few that I've not had before, however I just had to stay on this one for more than one or two that evening, I was stopped in my tracks with how good it actually is.

With that in mind, I headed across the city to Baggot Street to pick up a growler-full of this ale so I could give it a proper appraisal from the comfort of my home.

O Brother are based in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow. Three brothers who obviously have a passion for their craft, and not the only recent addition to the Irish scene from that part of the world. I'll do a review of the Wicklow Wolf brews at a later stage too.

The Chancer pours a light pale yellow colour, with a nice white head that lasts down the glass. You are immediately struck with a piney-resiney hop aroma, it's definitely striking. Once you start quaffing you can definitely detect the malt in the background, but that hop profile is pretty up front. Not so much as in an IPA, but tropical fruits followed up by bitter grapefruit are allowed to take centre stage.

The underlying sweetness from the malts mean that bitterness is not taking over the palate - which is a very good thing, meaning your tatsebuds are just piqued enough to be left wanting more and more of this excellent ale.

It's one I will be returning to again and again, and I just cannot wait to grab a pint of it some sunny afternoon this summer, it will go perfectly with a fresh sea breeze in a warm beachfront beer garden.

At a time when the Irish Craft Beer scene is getting a slight bit crowded, O Brother are doing very well to stand out in the crowd.

Brew Pub Bottled

Sometimes you just want a couple of beers, a couple of beers that aren't going to strip your tastebuds with powerful hops, or coat your palette with malty richness. Sometimes you just want something quaffable and familiar. At times like this you turn to Pale Ales. Not India Pale Ales, they'll kick you in the face, but something easier drinking. This evening The Beer Mistress arrived home with just such a beer, a Kerry Lane Pale Ale from The Cotton Ball Brewing Co.

The Cotton Ball is a pub in Cork's Mayfield, perhaps an unusual spot in which to find a busy Brew Pub, and they've recently start bottling their house-brews - of which they are producing four. A Stout, a Lager, a Pale Ale and an unusual Ale-Lager Hybrid "Summer Ale".

I was delighted because this was one of those nights. Just a beer or two after a long week in work to relax with on a Friday. It pours a lovely inviting golden-orange, almost amber colour, with a fluffy head. It's not overly carbonated, and the nose is reminiscent of English pale ales like Old Speckled Hen or Bishops Finger. The blurb on the label tells of "traditional" and "classic" hops, I'm assuming East Kent Goldings or Fuggles are in the mix, the typical English hops - however there is an obvious new-world addition too, lifting this ale away from the oftentimes flat and uninviting English bitter territory and into the realm of other Irish Pale Ales, and this takes it's place among them with ease.

Brewery Tour and Beer Chat

In my last entry, I mentioned the lovely people at J. W. Sweetman were one of a number of Dublin pubs who currently had a Growler system in place. Well, as it happened, I received an invite from them to pop in for the first Brewery Tour of 2015, which took place on a Wednesday evening. There were various beer bloggers, tweeters and writers present. Located on Burgh Quay, on the Southern side of O'Connell Bridge, Sweetman's has been a craft brewing institution in Dublin for well over a decade. Dublin's only (current!) Brewpub, you can see the Mash Tun and Kettle proudly on display as you enter the premises. Situated over three floors and a basement, you shouldn't ever be short of a place to rest your legs. I won't get into the history of the place, suffice to say that the Sweetman's name has been associated with brewing in Dublin as far back as the 18th Century.

Our two guides for the evening took us up to the top floor and began the evening with a short talk about the history of brewing in Dublin and the modern Craft Beer story. We then headed down into the basement where tables were set with small sampling glasses - 5 each, one for each of the current range of house beers that they have on offer, all brewed on-site - one brew per week.

We started off with a Kolsch Style Golden Ale. When I hear about "golden ales" I invariably turn to thoughts of bland ales, geared toward the macro drinkers who are looking to dip a toe into the unknown. They are a safe colour to start with (yellow and fizzy), and usually have a pretty safe flavour (ie, none). However, with this one you do get a little hop bite, and the digestive-biscuit malt flavour is not totally drowned out. This is definitely still in crossover territory, and it won't frighten off any lager drinkers. Equally, it won't be offensive to people seeking out a bit more flavour either. This is an excellent example of a brewer knowing his target market and hitting the sweet spot.

Next up was the Weiss. A German-Stlye Hefe-Weizen Wheat Beer. It's everything you expect from a Weiss. Cloudy, fruit flavours strong to the front, hints of clove and banana. I often find this style to be quite heavy, but this one is light enough as to allow you to not feel bloated or full. This beer should please the drinkers of the bottled Weiss beers that are more widely available, and also for anyone looking for something a little bit different this is worth trying.

After that we were presented with some delicious food to sample. Three trays of Pulled Pork, bread, braised red cabbage, pork scratching, pork rilettes, Bailey's & Apple Sauce, gravy and chips. A delicious interlude, and if the rest of the menu is up to that standard, then a visit to J. W. Sweetman's for the food as well as the beer would be a trip worth making.

At this point I should say that all the beer being served was poured from the J. W. Sweetman's branded Growlers. As I mentioned on the previous entry, Growlers are re-usable, sealable containers that enable you to take draught beer away from the premises with you, for later consumption at home. Or on the bus on the way home. The Sweetman's growlers contain just short of 4 pints of beer, and are filled for €12 (€10 with the Beoir discount).

Onwards to the Irish Red Ale. Malt forward, minimal hop character, easy drinking and a perfect example of all an Irish Red Ale should aspire to be. There is nothing wrong with this beer, it's just that the whole Irish Red style is never going to set tastebuds alight or cause anyone to go into raptures about deliciousness. It's a solid ale though, and for anyone who enjoys Irish Reds, this is one that has to be sampled. An excellent example of the style, drinkable, strong malt flavours and just the slightest hint of bitterness to balance it out.

I want to do the fourth and fifth beers out of order, for reasons that will become obvious. The last of the beers to be sampled was the Pale Ale. A great beer. Not as in-your-face, tongue-twistingly hoppy as IPAs, but there is still a pretty good flavour coming through from the Cascade hops, used both in the boil and in dry-hopping. With Cascade being the prominent hop, this is described as a California-style Pale Ale. I would rate this higher than most other Irish beers of the style, the hops are backed up by a kind of slightly toffee-ish malt profile. Very more-ish, and definitely worth a visit to the bar for.

Finally, we come to the Porter. I don't wish to seem fawning over the people who allowed me in to their premises, gave me beer and food samples and allowed me to stomp around the brewery. But for my money, this is euro-for-euro the best beer available on draught in Dublin.The perfect example of a roasty, dark porter. It's just nice. It's simple, unassuming and just gets on with delivering flavour and doing what it needs to do. Sure, there may be other beers that come more highly rated, but they aren't €4.70 a pint, on O'Connell Bridge. One qualm, it's served a touch cold from the tap, almost lager-like temperatures, if they could raise it a couple of degrees it would be the perfect pint.

Finally, we were taken in to see the brewery itself. As an avid homebrewer myself, this was very interesting. To see the various workings of a fully functional micro-brewery. I think an assumption may have been made that this particular group was well versed in brewing process - but it was still amusing to see containers, jugs and various other bits and pieces sterilising in a very familiar fashion.

All in all this was a very enjoyable evening, with a couple of excellent, interesting and talkative tour guides who were more than willing to answer questions. I would recommend anyone with an interest in Irish Craft Beer to book in and take this tour. Or if you don't fancy that, just pop in for a pint, it's right there in the middle of Dublin City and the quality of the house beers, and food, is second to none.

Take Home Hag

Having seen the set-up in Carry Out Tyrellstown I've been waiting to try the new Craft Beer Growler System for a while. I got the chance just last week when White Hag had a sampling event in the Carry Out off licence in Clongriffin. Available to sample, in draught form were Tuireann Bán - a White IPA, and Meabh Rua - an Irish Bog Ale (really, a high % Red Ale, or Imperial Red Ale).

I should probably rewind a bit and explain what a "Growler" is. Simply put, it's a way of getting draught beer into your home by non-nefarious means. A system of sealed containers containing draught beer to bring home and enjoy at your leisure. Craft Beer Growlers are the people behind the system in Off Licences, and various pubs across the City of Dublin are also getting in on the act. I personally have a growler from L Mulligan Grocer, and I know the Galway Bay pubs have their own now, as do J. W. Sweetman's.

The actual system supplied by Craft Beer Growlers looks just like a bar with taps, and kegs under the counter. There is a selection of 4 rotating beers to choose from, and the line-up changes regularly enough, so that most times you arrive back with your growler, you'll probably end up with something different to bring home to sample.

The Growler Filling Station

As this was a sampling night for The White Hag Beers, I'll give a review of both of these. I had a small sample of the Meabh Rua while in-store, and also took home a 1 Litre Growler of the White IPA with me, which I drank over the course of the rest of the evening.

To start with, the Meabh Rua packs a whopping 8.2% alcohol volume - so it's definitely a sipper. It's a Red Ale, in the Irish Style - which means lots of up front Malt flavours (well, the 8.2% means lots more Malt too!). This leads to a nicely warrming, complex sweetness. Intense dark berry fruits, treacle and a bitterness to balance. The alcohol is comforting and not harsh. The amount of malt that goes into the production of "imperial" or "double" Ales needs to be balanced, and there is some hop flavour coming through here - however, in line with the style, they are not overpowering the malt profile, but simply serve to balance the beer. As you make your way through the ale and it begins to warm up slightly, the complexity becomes even more apparent  - brown sugar, molasses, caramel and toffee are all vying for attention, leading to an immersive experience of flavour, aroma and warmth that is not to be missed.

This is quite possibly the best Irish Red Ale I've ever drank, and during this cold snap, I'll be stocking up on these - even better if they are on draught from my Growler.

Next up was the Tuireann Bán, a take on a Belgian Wit, hopped up with some American style hops. It's quite lightly coloured, cloudy lemon yellow. Citrus hop flavours dominate, but there is a cleaner, sharper hit with less of a malt background that pure IPAs. In the background you can definitely detect Belgian influence, some yeasty earthiness, even spices and herbs - nothing specific, but enough to properly differentiate it from just being a cloudy paler version of their IPA. This hybrid style is worth seeking out.

White Hag is a pretty recent arrival to the ever-growing array of Irish Craft Brewers, and I also sampled the IPA and Christmas Ale recently too. Again, both of those beers are welcome addition in their respective styles, and if White Hag can maintain the quality they'll become a mainstay of the scene for years to come.

With my new Growler ready and willing to accept new and exciting beers from taps I can't wait to see what comes next.

New Brewery Beers

It's not often I get to review a beer I've not seen mentioned around the tubes before I've gotten my hands on it, let alone four of them. So, it is with great pleasure I introduce to you The Brehon Brewhouse range

Based in Co. Monaghan, and launched in mid-2014 they bring to the table four familiar, but different, styles of beer. I can see from the brewery website that the brewer has previously worked in L Mulligan Grocer public house, which is one of the very best craft pubs in Dublin, and which means that he'd have at least some contact with the Brown Paper Bag guys. This is all very encouraging, and it's no surprise that the beers being produced by this particular brewery are, as a collective range, excellent,.

It's no secret that when I see an Irish Craft Brewer come to the table with a Red Ale I immediately begin to dismiss the beer as yet another boring addition to the list of brews from this island. However, the beer presented here, Killanny Red, is different enough as to be interesting yet true to the style. A strong malty backbone is where it usually begins and ends for Irish Reds, however there is a definite hop bitterness in this one. Now, it's pretty obviously early-addition bitterness and not up front aroma, but it is distinctive enough as to mark this out from the pack. I'm never going to sing from the rafters about this style, but Red Ale drinkers should definitely seek this one out as a striking diversion from the norm.

Next up is the Blonde Ale offering, Brehon Blonde. And once again, it's all a Blonde Ale should be. Refreshing, crisp and easy going. It's no secret that craft brewers come up with blonde or golden ales in an attempt to go after the macro-lager crowd, and this is not a bad effort at doing that.  Nice to quaff, and sessionable, this beer would be at home alongside the well established craft powerhouse -  Galway Hooker. Effortless to drink, this accessible ale is a very good straightforward example of just how good a lighter coloured ale can be.

Brehon next come to Stony Grey IPA. Named for the famous old poem, this is a proper IPA, and it must be stated early on that it's not easy for a brand new brewer to approach the market with a beer like this. Often we see Irish brewers send a beer to market that does not live up to the name. This is not one of those. Some lovely pine overtones offset by a delectable grapefruit finish, pouring a slightly cloudy orange, this IPA offers a cleansing sense to the palette, the light, but noticeable carbonation really brings it to life. This IPA would not taste amiss among some of it's robust American counterparts. As an initial offering in the world of hop forward pale ales, this is an encouraging start from Brehon, and sets expectations as to future libations of this line.

Finally we come to the daddy of the range, the 7.7% Shanco Dubh Porter. Packing as much flavour and taste as the 7.7% hints at, the actual ABV is well hidden by the bold flavours from the roasted malts and chocolate, coffee and even vanilla overtones. This is a statement beer, a real HERE-WE-ARE kind of proclamation. The fact that this has crept onto the stage is not so much a disservice to the rest of the range, as a benovelence to the competition. Once this porter gets a name for itself, there'll be no stopping it. Rich and flavourful, big and powerful - this is where Stout Porters should be, this is where they were meant to be, this is a brewer who understands flavours and how to combine the bitterness with warmth, without the harsh tones of a higher alcohol content. Porter lovers go and get this, stout aficionados you will not be disappointed. This is a perfect example of a sipping beer, pair it with some pungent blue cheese, you won't regret it.

If I hark back to my roots, I cannot but be impressed that a new brewer on the scene has seemingly put a porter ahead of an IPA in his range - usually they are all about the "how hoppy can you go" brigade, but this porter proves that malts can take the centre stage as well, and actually they can do more, be more intricate when it comes to flavour than hops can.

What we have here is an excellent launch range, from the simple entry level beers to the incredibly intense and complex IPA and Porter. Well done Brehon Brewery, I look forward to everything else you produce.

Beer of The Year

It's coming to the end of the year, and it's been a great year for Irish Brewers, with many new ales appearing on the scene. It's always amazing to see the number of Irish Craft Beers available, and it's growing all the time.

I've been meaning to write about one particular beer for a while now, and having been prompted by a few "what was your favourite Irish beer this year" comments around the various forums and blogs, I decided the time was right to decide on my own. In my mind there is only one clear winner.

Other people are mentioning Galway Bay Brewery's Of Foam and Fury as being their favourite. It's a great representation of the DIPA Style, lots of up front hops, balanced by some great caramel malty sweetness, and a quite decent 8.5% ABV.

I, however, prefer less hoppy, less in-your-face and more accessible libations. I also like to drink beers with lower ABV than 8.5%.

I had tried, and reviewed a different beer from the brewer. I had also tried and loved a similarly styled beer from a different brewer, so when I saw this beer I immediately thought it was going to be good.

I brought home a couple of bottles and had them while watching a movie, I also saw it on sale in a couple of pubs - by the bottle, and finally I had one recently just after myself and the Beer Mistress had put up our Xmas Tree.

Kinnegar Rustbucket Rye Ale.

This beer does not disappoint. Pouring a lovely rusty orange colour, it is immediately inviting and you can smell some lovely hop aromas, but you can also get the spicy rye in there too.

I really enjoy the flavours that appear with Rye, spicy, peppery, even a little hint of sweetness. All combining to tame the underlying hops and present a really drinkable, warming and also refreshing russet ale. Perfect for a late Autumn or early Winter evening.

The fact that it's 5.1% ABV means you can enjoy a few of these, which really is a major plus point, to be able to drink a few bottles of this extremely tasty beer is a very good thing.

About halfway through the glass, I picked it up and got a really lovely hit of caramel toffee in the aroma, it was surprising and very welcome. This malt character balances rather well with the fresh and spicy hops and rye, to give a fully complete beer drinking experience.

I want more brewers to use Rye in their creations, but for now Kinnegar continue to impress with their small but innovative range of brews.

Well done to the brewers, they have created a real gem here.

Bravo!

Something Hoppy

Over the last few months I've been boldly going into the land of the hop. Never a fan of overtly hoppy ales, I decided I'd need to take a leap, and so I've been sampling progressively hoppier beers. (Metalman Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada, Punk IPA...).

Last evening I found myself presented with a choice. O'Hara's have released a bottled version of their Double IPA. But exactly what does "Double" mean in this context? I took myself off around the internet and found - as always - beer styles are not defined in stone. Ratebeer has this description:

"Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support."

Well, O'Hara's Double IPA is 7.5%, so we are in the right territory - you can tell that it's up there in the ABV stakes too, which is not a bad thing to my mind, I like to know I'm drinking a big hitter.

Unfortunately, this is where the beer stops resembling any other DIPAs I've come across. It's not "intensely hoppy" - in fact, for someone like myself, who isn't a died in the wool hop-head, it's actually ok. There is nothing too resin-ey, there is nothing extremely bitter, you don't get that huge hop hit when the bottle is opened and poured into the glass.

What you do get are lovely complex malts, some sweetness, caramel even toffee at points. They've done a good job on the malts used to up the ABV. This Double IPA does have a more in-your-face hop profile than the standard O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale. What they've done here is made a perfectly palatable Double Irish Pale Ale. It tastes good, but I think it's mis-labelled.

I don't like drinking beers much stronger than 6% on a regular basis - I prefer to drink 3-5 beers at a time, and I can't do that with this one, however, in saying that, I wouldn't be averse to getting this again, now knowing what to expect. If you're a fan of Irish Pale Ales like O'Hara's, Metalman, Comeragh Challanger then this would be right up your street.