Showing posts with label Stout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stout. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Beer Of The Week: Rye River Nocturne Export Stout

Beer Of The Week


Rye River Nocturne Export Stout, 6.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle, Dunnes


In the dark of the night, a nocturne worthy of an encore.



Rye River's Nocturne Export Stout is a midnight-hued masterpiece that blends the rich intensity of espresso and dark chocolate, laced with wisps of smoke that engage the nose. The flavours are equally intense, with rich roast caramel gently blanketing the palate and lingering long after the final sip.  It is a smooth stout with a harmony of flavours that demands to be savoured, and it's sure to leave you craving more.


One nocturne worthy of an encore. Very Highly Recommended.


The Rye River brewery also does a Eventide Irish Stout at 4.5% ABV. I haven’t had an opportunity to try this one so far.


Much of the flavour comes from the speciality malts used: Carafa Special 2, Chocolate Malt, Munich 2 Malt, Pale Malt, Special W, and, yes, Smoke Malt.


Rye River uses just one hop, the American Columbus. This is not at all unusual. Quite a few breweries use it solo for a range of beers from IPA to Barley Wine. 


See Beer of the Week Weekly Index here.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

CorkBillyBeers #6 .Craft Stout with Galway Bay, Heaney, Left Hand and Croatia's Garden

CorkBillyBeers #6

Craft with Galway Bay, Heaney, Left Hand and Croatia's Garden

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Galway Bay Ostara Irish Stout, 5.00% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys.


Brewers Galway Bay are enthusiastic about this: Here is Ostara Stout, our take on the concept of ‘Dublin Stout’. Brewed to be complex but quaffable. We took some of our Imperial stout tricks and adapted them to a lower abv base recipe. The result has layered malts with some lovely soft chocolate notes finished with a nice hop zing to help clean the palate.


From the city that drank and exported so much stout in the early days, it is difficult to take the Dublin bit but not at all difficult to swallow this Galway stout. It looks the part, with black body and soft tan head, and also smells the part, toast and coffee.


Not too long ago, I doubt that many Irish drinkers deliberately smelled their stout before that first big swallow. 


The man in the bar had a small wine glass in his hand. But that wasn't wine in the glass. He covered the opening with his hand and shook the glass. Taking away his hand, he asked me to smell. As I do so, he said “Toffee Bar”. I agreed. Then he said: “Beamish”. 


And it was indeed the old Cork favourite (still going strong with many local devotees, including craft beer drinkers), the toffee bar aromas enhanced by the agitation and the shape of the glass. The man in the Kiln at Murphy’s Stout in Leitrim Street, was Marc Stroobants, a renowned beer expert from Belgium. I’ve been nosing my beers since that eye-opener ten years ago.


Thanks to M. Stroobants, I quite often stick my finger into the head in the glass and suck it. It often gives a clue to what I may taste later on. But sticking your finger into the head and sucking will sometimes get you some curious stares.


When Ostara hits the palate, the toasted notes of the malts (traces of coffee and chocolate) lead the way to a dry and lip smacking and palate cleansing finish. But I do feel there is something little bit lacking between the aromas and the finalé.


The name? Not too sure. Google tells me Ostara marked the Spring Equinox in German and Celtic tradition and there was a festival. But no mention of beer!


Highly Recommended.

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Heaney Irish Stout, 4.3% ABV, 500 ml bottle can Bradleys


I’m somewhat prejudiced here, prejudiced through practice that is. I’ve been enjoying this stout from the Heaney Farmhouse Brewery in Co. Derry over a few years now. And I know satisfaction is guaranteed! 

It is black, with a tan coloured head that loses volume pretty quickly. Stick your finger in the head (there I go again!) and taste the roast coffee and dark chocolate which are more or less what you’ll get from the aromas. No oatmeal here but the palate is rich and smooth, caramel and chocolate and that roasted malt finish, a dry one also, and lip-licking finalĂ©. Satisfaction!

Heaney’s are always handy with food pairings and here they suggest slow-cooked meat dishes or a rich chocolate dessert.

Highly Recommended.


They say: For generations, our family farm has been a place of harvest and inspiration. Our beers are for after the graft. Rural thirst quenchers. Brewed and bottled by Heaney Farmhouse Brewery at The Wood, Bellaghy, Co. Derry.


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Excellent head 
on the Left Hand.

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout Nitro, 6.0% ABV, 404 ml can Bradleys


“Experience America’s Stout. Milk Stout Nitro is a full sensory experience. Gaze at the mesmerizing cascade of all those tiny Nitro bubbles.”

Nitro is the key word here. They use nitro to get the bubbles going rather than “old” CO2. Then again Nitro has a 60 year old plus history to its credit, with most of the credit being claimed by Guinness and its widget.


And this Left Hand  does try hard to live up to its billing. “This portable draft beer experience is Good to Go straight from the can or served Like a Pro in a glass. From the bottle, Pour Hard to release the Nitro magic inside.” Pour Hard is also key! You do indeed stare at the rising bubbles and then see them fall back down the sides of the glass.


The body colour is black, the pillowy head, that really stays around, is tanned. There is coffee and cream in the moderately (if even that) intense aromas. The sensation on the palate is ultra smooth, creamy/milky, and that head coats your upper lip, a bit on the sweet side though. Initial roasty, mocha flavours rise up, with slight hop and roast bitterness in the finish. 


I like the theatre at the start and like the finish but the overall experience is all a bit moderate, a bit on the slight side, more butterfly than bee, a dance at arm’s length rather than a clinger. More shadow than substance. Give me Cotton Ball or Elbow Lane any day.


Still it is an interesting one, easy drinking,  and well worth a try and I fully understand why quite a few drinkers rave about it. Just not me. I have a Brewmaster nitro in the queue and I must also try and get the O’Hara’s one. Any other suggestions? 


Geek Bits

IBU 25

Malt: 2-Row, Crystal, Chocolate, Munich, Rolled Oats, Flaked Barley, Roasted Barley

Lactose is also listed in ingredients.

For the best experience, pour hard at 180 degrees into a 16oz glass. Different gas, different pour. Cheers! #PourHard


Firestone Nitro tip

To enjoy this beer (Firestone) to the fullest, you want to master the surge pour. Just invert the can three times, then pour hard into the glass. This way, you can experience the “theater of the pour” with a brilliant cascading effect and a creamy foam that makes drinking Nitro Merlin Milk Stout all the more delicious

Check video here.

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The Garden (Croatia) Stout, 5.7% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys



First time trying a beer from Croatia and it comes with a hefty enough 5.7% ABV. It pours dark with a soft tan head that slowly sinks in the glass. Aromas are modest enough, mostly roasted coffee. I note a streak of acidity as it hits the palate but it is the coffee and chocolate that go on to make the running with a little, barely noticeable, sweetness. 


Lactose is listed as an ingredient here, presumably to add the sweetness.  The lactose (milk sugar) is not eaten by yeast. But the result here is rather modest. Indeed, the stout itself , though pleasant, is a modest effort overall.


It is produced by the Garden Brewery in Zagreb. “We’re lucky to have a huge garden, with plenty of seating and tables sheltered under the shade of more than 40 mature trees. There’s also an outside bar, a large lawn, an area for DJs and Live Music and events. When the sun is shining, there’s not much that beats an ice-cold beer in The Garden!”


In those circumstances and with the right company, and the Croatian football team on the TV, then this stout may well shine!

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Tuesday, October 6, 2020

A Quart of Ale± #15. Moving on over to craft with Stout

A Quart of Ale± #15

Moving on over to craft with Stout



Stout


Brehon Brewhouse Ulster Black “Oatmeal Stout” 5.0%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork


This small brewery is housed on the farm, just a short distance from the old homestead and set amongst the rolling drumlins of County Monaghan, just a few miles from the birthplace of Patrick Kavanagh, the inspiration for their India Pale Ale –  Stony Grey IPA.


Don’t know who inspired this Ulster Black but it is a star in this particular firmament. Black as a wet sod on a rainy day in the bog. The fleeting head has some of the colour of a well-dried sod. Aromas also from the dark side: coffee and dark chocolate. And that theme continues on the palate. But it is not exactly like other oatmeal stouts, not over-richly smooth. There is a balance, a harmony, that lifts this toasty stout well above the normal. All before a lip-smacking finish. Try it out for yourself! Best served around 8 to 10 degrees.


The brewers say it is “Ideal with game or strong red meat, smoked meats and hearty stews, desserts with chocolate, caramel or dark fruits.” I reckon they’ve tried them all! Me, I’d say it goes best with another one.


Our aim is to create distinct beers that are brewed with care and affection.  Our brewer has created a range of well balanced and flavoursome ales that reflect the changing face of the beer market in Ireland.” 


I’ve tried a few of their beers, including that Stoney Grey, in the last few weeks and Brehon is certainly on an impressive track.


Black Sheep “Milk Stout” 4.4%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork


First of all let’s hear it for the Black Sheep himself.


In 1992, Paul Theakston took a daring leap into the unknown. As a fifth generation brewer of his family company, he chose to leave T&R Theakstons following its sale to a national brewery. Instead, he chose to champion independent brewing in Yorkshire and built his own brewery from reclaimed equipment in the very same town, Masham.


Black is the colour, of course, with a coffee coloured head (also tastes of coffee). And coffee too in the aromas, not so much the dark chocolate that the producers mention.No doubt though you get the chocolate and coffee on the velvety palate. Should be terrific with that chocolate brownie! Pretty good balance compared to some milk stouts and this one certainly has that second bottle appeal.


They say: A velvet, creamy stout packing notes of chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Brewed with lactose and a robust malt blend, this milk stout offers a satisfying sweetness that cuts against a light bitterness, brought together through an irresistible velvet texture. Aroma:Rich dark chocolate with subtle notes of coffee and vanilla.Taste:Vanilla with notes of chocolate coffee.


Ingredients: Hops, Malted Barley, Lactose, Torrefied Wheat, Water, Yeast.


Founders “Breakfast Stout” 8.3%, 355ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork



The coffee coloured head is on the shy side, barely existing for a few seconds above the black body. By the way, the label boasts that the head lasts forever, yet each of the three times I tried it, the head vanished quicker than a fancy dan winger ahead of a “bite yer legs” Norman Hunter tackle. 


Then I smell the coffee and the chocolate and soon I taste it, wrapped in the smoothness of the flaked oats, and I realise this is turning out somewhat better than anticipated from looking at the spoon-sucking infant on the label. 


It is indeed a “creamy and decadent sipper, perfect for everything from contemplative mornings to laid-back evenings”. Not too sure about that stretch but certainly a good pairing with extra time in the European Super Cup final. Quite impressed now from being a bit sceptical in advance. 


Now, what I do find hard to believe is the IBU of 50 on the website, even more incredible is the 60 on the label. Is there a tendency towards tall tales in Michigan? This little stubby - I think that’s what they’d call this bottle in Australia - proves for sure that there is certainly a tendency towards good beer there.


Galway Bay “Buried at Sea” Milk Stout 4.5%, 330ml can Bradley’s of Cork



It’s black - no big surprise. The head, coffee coloured, has  close to minimum longevity. Coffee and caramel in the aromas, though the impact is restrained. It is certainly refreshing on the palate, rich and chocolatey and with a smooth finish. Not bad at all, good stout and that sweet finish.


They say: Decadent and complex while remaining wholly refreshing and drinkable. This 4.5% stout is brewed with Milk Sugars and Chocolate to give rich flavours and body that goes down smooth.


Food pairings: Buried at Sea is great alongside glazed meats, steaks, yet finds its perfect partners in rich chocolate desserts.


  • Speciality Malts: Oats, Munich, Chocolate, Crystal, Roast Barley
  • Hops (32 IBU): Magnum, Cascade

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Porterhouse Hop It Up. Taste of the Week

Porterhouse Hop It Up
Taste of the Week

The Porterhouse brewers have come up with a cool winner in their new Double Hopped Pale Ale which they've called Hopped the F**K.

The spin says “.....double hopped extreme pale ale”. “So hoppy it will poke your eye out” is another line I've been reading.

It was launched in Dublin last Wednesday and I tasted it last Friday in Porterhouse Cork and the only way extreme comes into the equation is that it is extremely good. And don't worry about your eyesight, the double hops and double alcohol have been handled very well and the beer is beautifully balanced. The attractive aromas and even more attractive flavours are all under control, no rough edges, all smooth and clean and a pleasure to sip. And the finish rolls on and on, a better finish than many wines, class in a glass. Very Highly Recommended.

I used the highly regarded and well established Brewdog Punk Ale (it also uses multiple hops) as a “control” here and the new Hopped to F**K beat it out of sight. I had started with the Porterhouse and, perhaps, the gulf between the two might not have seemed as large had I began with the Punk.

A variety of hops has been used.  Belma and Bravo, for a clean bitter character, Cascade and Centennial to add aroma, Simcoe and Citra to generate a hefty hop nose and aromatic character. With notes of mandarin, orange and citrus with some tropical fruits, Hopped the F**K is 8.5% ABV and deceptive in its strength, a firm fist in a velvet glove.

James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout, 5% abv, Bradley’s of North Main Street.
Very pleasant stout, chocolate for sure and the characters morphs towards caramel at the dry finish. Maybe you'll find the orange - I didn’t. Excellent stout though, especially for a first try. It tends more towards the traditional than the label’s “off the wall”. Already a medal winner and recommended.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Happy New Beer! Mayfield’s Cotton Ball. Ireland’s Latest Micro Brewery

Happy New Beer!

Mayfield’s Cotton Ball. Ireland’s Latest Micro Brewery
Forward planning. Jack Lynch in the Cotton Ball Brewery.
Months of research and hard work paid off this week when Ireland’s newest craft beers began to flow at the Cotton Ball Brewery in Mayfield.  The Cotton Ball pub, under which the brewery is built, was the venue for an early tasting of Lynch’s Lager, called after the family that founded the pub back in 1874.

While touring the new facility yesterday with Jack Lynch, I was shown a number of barrels previously used by Jack Daniels (and to be used in the future for a Lynch special brew). At least one of the barrels, Number 59, is stamped with the name of the American distillery and the address is Lynchburg, Tennessee, and that is one of the places where Jack Lynch’s grandfather, Humphrey, worked while in the United States in the 19th century. And it is Jack's son, Humphrey, who is the Cotton Ball brewer.
A lot of lager here!
More beers are planned but, for now, there are just two, a Lynch Lager and a Lynch Stout, and these are exclusively available at the bar and at a very good price, I might add! My first venture was a pint of the lager. It is superb, full of great flavour and with a good cut in the finish. 
Christmas Stout

The Stout (left) is also excellent, flavour, smoothness and a long dry finish the striking characteristics. You get the hints of your old toffee bar in the aromas and on the palate and the flavours last, still a pleasure well after the swallow. Both beers are available on draught at the bar but you can expect to see them in bottles sometime in 2014.

Aside from the special, an Ale is planned for the New Year and should make an appearance as the Spring kicks in. And there are also plans to increase the food element at the Cotton Ball and indeed produce specially matched bites for the beers.

This barrell has quite an aroma, all the way from Lynchburg to Lynch's!
The brewery will be officially launched on January 25th (6.00pm to 9.00pm) when you may try the new pints, enjoy the music and the new food menu.

Just to go back to Humphrey and his working trip to America. One of the souvenirs he brought back was a full size Stars and Stripes with 39 stars on it. This is an oddity as there were never 39 states in the union. The legend in the photo says the flag manufacturers took a gamble thinking that the Dakotas would be admitted as one state but instead North and South Dakota simultaneously joined the union as two separate states, taking the numbers from 38 to 40.
The 39 star flag
The flag is displayed in one of the loveliest corners of the Mayfield pub, a corner that Jack says will now be called the Brewery Room and one that will contain quite a lot of Brewing memorabilia in the months ahead. 

Must say I am looking forward to visiting on a regularly basis to keep an eye on what Jack and his sons Eoin and Humphrey are bringing up from underneath. It is no great hardship to me. The walk is short and the beer is good. Happy New Beer!

The "Brewery" room, just one of many cosy sections in the Cotton Ball
Lynch’s Stout
Hand crafted from 5 malts and traditional flaked barley. Bittered moderately with American and New Zealand hops. Late kettle hopped with premium Kentish aroma hops beer. Warm matured on the same aromatic hops, after which the beer is cold matured on Jack Daniels impregnated American oak.
The result
A phenomenal marriage of coffee roast, caramel, lush, balanced by a clean bitterness exploding into a tangerine, mandarin aromatic delivery with the faintest hint of oak.



Lynch’s Lager
Pilsner lager made with 100% Cork malted barley ,is clean Bittered with Columbus and galena U.S.A grown hops. Late kettle addition of hallertĂŁu perle and hersbruker, fermented with our rapidly settling yeast strain. With a proven record of making clean cut pilsner lagers portraying the individual hop aromas from New Zealand to Norway and the east and west of Europe.
The result
Another unchallengeable quality lager delivering, subtle aromatic hop flavour and aroma from a bed of light malt caramel flavour with a thirst cutting clean bitterness.

Cotton Ball details:
18 Old Youghal Road, Mayfield
Cork Ireland
Phone  (021) 450 3096
Hours: 
Mon - Thu: 10:30 am - 11:30 pm
Fri - Sat: 10:30 am - 12:30 am
Sun: 12:30 pm - 11:00 pm

What is  your favourite Christmas Beer Moment? Some opinions here.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Guinness Storehouse Visit

Guinness Storehouse Visit
Got a terrific welcome as we arrived in the multi-storey Guinness Storehouse in Dublin last week. The place was surprisingly busy for the time of year but there was still time for the personal touch. The staff that we met were top class, friendly, helpful and informative. Chatty too and unhurried. Take a bow folks.
The Atrium is the central focus of the building and is in the shape of a giant pint glass. Some pint! 14.3 millions pints to be exact.

Water - a key ingredient
The self guided tour has a variety of sub headings. The ingredients (the brewery buys 100,000 tonnes of Irish barley annually) and craft of brewing, cooperage and transportation, advertising and sponsorship are among the subjects covered.
Lots of info. Not just words and images. See the actual machinery as well
As you move up the floors (via a combination of stairs, lifts and escalators), you’ll come to a spot where you’ll learn to pour your own perfect pint. Too many waiting there so we moved on up and had a look at the Brewer’s Dining Hall where a visitor can sample their “world famous” Beef and Guinness stew.
Good old days. I liked this cheeky one.
The Gravity Bar takes over the top floor and there is a 360 degree view of the city to be enjoyed, if you can find a space. We were patient with our free pint and eventually found a chair and enjoyed the views.

You can check all this out before you go on a well illustrated very informative and comprehensive website. You may also book your tickets online at a discount. Having your tickets in advance will save you from joining the bigger queues on arrival.
The view from the Gravity Bar.



Thursday, January 5, 2012

ALE AND HEARTY AT THE WELL



HAPPENINGS AT THE FRANCISAN WELL

Craft Brewing has taken off in a big way this last 12 months but the pioneering Franciscan Well  on Cork’s North Mall still has a trick or two up its sleeve.

And indeed, the brewers there have produced two of the best beers of the year in my opinion: The Shandon Century Extra Stout and the formidable Bellringer, both limited editions.

The Shandon made its debut at the end of October. This was a fabulous stout and I was lucky enough to get a bottle or two from the 1,000 made, also enjoyed a couple of tastings, each with cheese.

And perhaps the best match-up came during the Jazz Weekend when Willie Healy of URRU matched it with a mature Hegarty’s Cheddar at the pub itself. Memorable stout – like to see it back again sometime soon!

The Bellringer, also a 1000 bottle run, came about a month later and only last Monday came the news from the brewery: “Bellringer is sold out. Next batch will be a bottle conditioned I.P.A. “ You might be lucky as, of yesterday, Bradley’s in North Main Street still had a few bottles left. I finished mine off last night and was delighted with it, perhaps the best Irish ale I’ve tasted. Like to see that come back as well but in the meantime I’m looking forward to the IPA.

And another Franciscan event to look forward to has just been announced: “Our annual Cask Ale Festival will take place on the 10th, 11th and 12th Feb. It’s going to be one of the best ones yet!” They usually keep to their word so mark this in your diary.

All goes to show there is life in the Old North Mall dog yet and those newbies, promising and all as they are, will have their work cut out to top the Cork star. We can only benefit from the brewing battles ahead!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Shandon Century Extra Stout


Just reminding everyone about next Thursday's launch of Shandon Century Extra Stout at 6pm in the brewery. We are also announcing details of the upcoming Octoberfest. All are welcome, so bring a friend and have a free glasses of Shandon Century Extra Stout on us as well as some nibbles and live music!
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