Cheers #24: Blacks Distillery. Teeling Masterclass. Waterford's Organic Spirit. White Hag Smash. Austria's Sweet Wines.

Cheers #24: Blacks Distillery. Waterford's Organic Spirit.

White Hag Smash. Teeling Masterclass. Austria's Sweet Wines.

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Blacks Distillery Hitting Milestones

Cask No. 100 was filled this week! It's great to meet this first major production milestone ! It feels like we have been filling casks for years until a reminder like this comes along. The distillery is in full swing with both the  finest single malt and single pot still spirit  flowing well. To reach cask 100 this week really does feels great! Thanks to all the founders for your support in helping us reach this historic milestone. Founders with cask numbers 100-200 will be contacted over the course of next two weeks to confirm your inscriptions! More on Blacks Brewery and Distillery here.

IRELAND'S FIRST CERTIFIED ORGANIC WHISKY IS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE FROM 12TH OCTOBER

The Arcadian Series represents our otherworldly garden of delights. We sought out maverick farmers, inspirational growers, iconoclasts whose ethos & way of life respects the land & the old ways in the pursuit of pure flavours over yield imperatives. Gaia, the neopagan goddess of yore, a personification of Mother Earth herself, is a fitting custodian to bring forth Ireland’s first whisky distilled from certified organic Irish barley. More info from Waterford Distillery here

White Hag's Brand New Union Series

Union is the unification of two or more things, for a common purpose. SmaSh stands for “Single malt and Single hop”. Our Union series looks to expose our fans to some of the exciting hop varieties that we use here in our brewery . Each beer consists of only one malt - Irish Ale malt, and one hop; in this case we’re showcasing Australia’s famous Galaxy hops, and the Strata hop from Oregan, US. We use the hop throughout the entire brewing process, from kettle to dry hop, to showcase every aspect of the variety. It's an expensive beer to make, but a one off we want you to taste, so we're doing a 10% discount on the double mix case for the next 5 days - stock up in case the off licenses close! More here. 'A Taste Of Dublin 8' with Teeling Whiskey Join Master Distiller, Alex Chasko, Head of Operations, Iain Wood & Global Brand Ambassador, Robert Caldwell for a live exclusive masterclass on November 5th, where they will be tasting a premium selection of our Distillery Exclusive and Dublin Distilled Whiskeys. The masterclass will be streamed virtually via Zoom and attendees will be treated to A Taste of Dublin 8 Pack including 30ml samples of our next Fill Your Own Experience (launching soon), our 1996 Rum Cask ‘Fill Your Own’ Release available exclusively in our distillery gift shop, our Distillery Exclusive Chinkapin Oak Whiskey and our soon to be released Peated Single Malt that is fully Dublin distilled in the Teeling Distillery. The pack will also include our Dublin Pale Ale Beer collaboration with DOT Brew. T&Cs Apply. Tickets here PROTECTION OF ORIGIN FOR SWEET WINES FROM AUSTRIA'S LAKE NEUSIEDL Sweet gold from Rust (pictured) and the winegrowing region Neusiedlersee enjoys protection of origin. © AWMB/Marcus Wiesner As one of Austria’s most tradition-steeped wines, Ruster Ausbruch can look back on centuries of history. After in-depth deliberations within the region, this world-famous sweet wine has now been given legal protection of its origin as Ruster Ausbruch DAC, creating the first DAC regulation exclusively for sweet wine. With this, the number of Austria’s protected designations of origin in the DAC system has grown to sixteen. “Ruster Ausbruch is a unique and distinctive part of our Austrian heritage,” emphasises Chris Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). “The fact that it has now been legally protected by the DAC regulations is an important step on our way to promoting regionally typical wines.” More here.

Blackwater's October Taster Box. Little Rascals Session. Blacks Beer Winner. Hugh Johnson's Top 10. Wines Direct in Grenache Groove. Cheers #22

Blackwater's October Taster Box. Little Rascals Session. Blacks Beer Winner. Hugh Johnson's Top 10. Wines Direct in Grenache Groove. 

And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #22

October's Blackwater Tasters Box revealed

Back in August we launched Ireland's first craft distillery subscription club and were overwhelmed by the response. Since then we’ve been busy in the orchards and fruit gardens of the south-east working on two new unique spirits for the October Blackwater Tasters Club box, and we can now reveal the contents: a Windfall Apple Spiced Gin and a luscious Wexford Blackcurrant Cassis.

Join the club here 

Happy Days With Little Rascals

Picked up a can of this session pale ale in the local Supervalu the other day. Very impressive - terrific balance. Well worth looking out for!

They say: "Happy days is our 4.1% session pale ale. A mouth watering hop combination of Vic Secret, Citra, Cascade, Mosaic and Hull Melon ensures this beer gets the VIP treatment. Expect fresh mango, passion fruit, orange, melon and much more. A delicate caramel malt backbone perfectly balances this juicy pale ale. It is the perfect session beer …HAPPY DAYS!"

Blacks Feature In World Beer Awards

"An amazing week for awards here at Blacks as we won the Worlds best Session IPA and Worlds best Speciality IPA for two of our newest beers, Ace of Haze IPA and 2020 Vision Triple IPA. An amazing achievement from all the team here, the Ace of Haze is going to make it into the core beer range and we have another batch in the fermenter which will be canned  very soon." Pot still whiskey production is also in full swing! We have got the brewhouse up to near full speed and managed to run 3 brews of pot still wash on Monday this is a major step in the right direction and a new weekly production record of 12 brews this week! which we should smash again next week! Check out all the news from the busy Kinsale producers on their new website here HUGH JOHNSON’s 10 WINES TO TRY IN 2021 Over 12 million copies of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Guide have been sold since its first publication 44 years ago. His seminal World Atlas of Wine is also on its 8th edition. Here ..he.. goes into some detail about which are the top 10 wines we should be trying in 2021. Click here. Wines Direct Loving Their Groovy Grenache This weekend Grenache Day was celebrated, so we decided to extend the festivities and create a case around our love for this unique varietal. Grenache is responsible for some of the most delicious and expensive wine in the world. This case is well thought out to showcase Grenache at its finest. You will go on a Grenache adventure from France to Spain and back again. You will enjoy customer favourites of noteworthy bottles and at a most incredible value. More details here.

BLACKS BREWERY & DISTILLERY CONTINUE WINNING STREAK! PLUS A GARDEN GIN COLLABORATION WITH BALLYMALOE

BLACKS BREWERY & DISTILLERY KINSALE CONTINUE WINNING STREAK!

   -Blacks Irish Gin & Black Ops Whiskey Win Silver At London Spirits Competition 2020 –

- Blacks Collaborate With Ballymaloe House To Create Ballymaloe Garden Gin-

 

Traford Murphy, Rachel Allen and Maudeline Black at the Ballymaloe launch.

Blacks, Ireland’s first co-located Brewery & Distillery based in Kinsale, Co. Cork, have once again made the winners list with their boutique spirits. Founded by husband and wife duo, Sam & Maudeline Black, this unstoppable pair proudly accepted Silver Medals for both their Blacks Irish Gin and Black Ops Irish Whiskey at the 2020 London Spirits Competition.

A London Spirits Competition medal is the ultimate seal of approval in the global spirits industry. Unlike other competitions, where distilling ability and technical expertise are often the primary consideration at the expense of drinkability, the goal of the London Spirits Competition is to award and celebrate spirits that consumers actually want to buy and drink.

Silver in London

The London Spirits judging panel, comprised of mixologists, bar managers, and spirit buyers, were looking for brands that ticked all the boxes – the full package. Spirits were judged in three categories; Quality, Value and Packaging. Only those spirits who scored consistently high across each of the three criteria were awarded medals. 

Now in its third year, 2020 saw stiffer competition than ever before. There were entries from 69 countries across the globe, with 424 entries into the gin category and 122 whiskey brands fighting for recognition. Blacks were one of only three Irish distilleries to win silver for their gin, Blacks Irish Gin, inspired by the Wild Atlantic Way. In the whiskey category they were one of four Irish distilleries to proudly accept this silver accolade.

In March it was their rum that was receiving all the attention, winning Gold at the World Rum Awards for their Blacks Golden Rum. Not afraid of trying something new, this innovative distillery produces Ireland’s first-ever and only rum, made entirely from start to finish on the island of Ireland.

 

A Couple of Stars

Speaking with pride in relation to their award wins Blacks Brewery & Distillery Co-Founder, Maudeline Black commented “This has been an amazing year for us so far at our Brewery & Distillery in Kinsale. While the recent global Covid19 pandemic threw a lot of challenges our way, the entire team rose to the test and we continued to produce exciting craft beers and spirits. To receive silver medals for both our Blacks Irish Gin and Black Ops Whiskey is recognition for the passion we have for our craft. It is a testament to the time and talent invested by all of our team in Kinsale, and to receive this recognition on a global scale, especially when up against such long standing and established brands it was just phenomenal.’

Want to sample these award-winning spirits for yourself? Both are delicious served neat over ice, or as a tall drink with a premium mixer, but if you like your spirits shaken not stirred why not try one of Blacks’ signature cocktails:  

Blacks Dark Side of The World 

Ingredients:

·      40ml Black Ops Irish Whiskey

·      30ml Blacks Brewery Worlds End Imperial Stout

·      20ml Strong Coffee (Chilled )

·      10 ml Simple Syrup (1:1 ratio Brown Sugar : Water)

Garnish:

·      Coffee Beans

·      Dark Chocolate Shavings

Method:

1.    Place all of your ingredients into a cocktail shaker or large jar with a lid

2.    Dry shake for 10 to 15 seconds

3.    Add ice & shake vigorously for a further 10 to 15 seconds

4.    Fine strain your mixture into a chilled martini glass

5.    To serve, garnish with two coffee beans & dark chocolate shavings

6.    Sip & enjoy your journey to the Dark Side of the World!

 

Blacks Whiskey takes silver in London

Blacks Sour Sailor

Ingredients:

·      60ml Blacks Irish Gin

·      30 ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice

·      15ml Fresh Lemon Juice

·      10ml Simple Sugar Syrup (This can be easily made at home by mixing sugar with water - 1:1 ratio Sugar : Water)

·      1/2 Egg White

·      Dash of Angostura Bitters

Method:

1.    Add all your ingredients, except the bitters, into a cocktail shaker

2.    Dry shake all ingredients for 10 seconds

3.    Add ice and shake again for a further 10 seconds

4.    Fine strain into a chilled martini glass

5.    Add a dash of Angostura Bitters

6.    Sip & enjoy

Awards are not the only exciting development Blacks have to shout about at present. They are a creative Brewery & Distillery, always looking for a unique approach, be that in the form of seasonal craft beer recipes, production methods or eye-catching packaging. Using their distilling skills and creative talents, they have teamed up with Ballymaloe House to create a bespoke gin, Ballymaloe Garden Gin, which is available exclusively at Ballymaloe House. 

Recipe development began for this new Cork gin in Autumn 2019 and is the brainchild of Darren Murphy from Blacks Brewery & Distillery and Ballymaloe House’s award-winning bar Manager Traford Murphy. Hand-picked Lemon Verbena, Myrtle Berries (for flavour, but also in loving memory of Myrtle Allen), Mimosa, Coriander and Fennel, all grown in the Ballymaloe walled garden are expertly blended and infused at Blacks Brewery & Distillery to create this truly unique spirit. 

To find out more about Blacks award-winning Blacks Irish Gin, Black Ops Irish Whiskey, or their full range of craft beers and boutique spirits visit www.blacksbrewery.com, or stay connected online at Instagram/blacksbrewery, Twitter @BlacksBrewery or Facebook/BlacksOfKinsale

Celtic Ross team all geared up to look after you well in Rosscarbery

Celtic Ross team all geared up

 to look after you well in Rosscarbery 

Union Hall (on the left) and Glandore (tucked away on the right) are just a few minutes from the hotel

A cool and welcome drink

Rosscarbery’s Celtic Ross was the last hotel we stayed in before the Covid hit and the first visited after the lockdown was lifted. And you could see the team here had worked their socks off to make the current experience as safe and as comfortable as possible for all their guests. No shortage of personnel to help you as you arrived and in the dining room later on.

The only place you didn’t see any staff member was in your room. That room had been sterilised by fogging machines prior to check-in. The room was then sealed until our arrival and no staff member allowed enter until we left. They have taken a myriad of precautions and you may see the full list here. 

The new normal

You’ll notice too that your room has been pared back - no hotel guide (but you can check it online via a QR code). Same with your dining table - no extras. Pared back perhaps but, masks or shields, there’s no cutting back on the welcome. It’s as warm as ever and we also had a terrific dinner and breakfast here.

Earlier, we had been driving around West Cork and were feeling the heat. A cool glass of water helped immediately on arrival and our order for a couple of Blacks Brewery Session IPAs was soon delivered to our room and we enjoyed them! Revived, we took a short walk in the direction of The Warren and watched some of the many seabirds that visit here as they fed on the incoming tide.

Sri Lankan Style Curry

There were some excellent choices on the dinner menu, though we both felt like ignoring the mains and eating through the list of starters. They were all very tempting indeed. And there were a few specials as well. We continued with the beers here, that Session along with the Roaring Ruby Red Ale (on draught) our choices.

Rosscarbery Pork Belly

Speaking of choices, my starter was Korean fried Rosscarbery Pork Belly Popcorn, Culture Food Co kimchi, Gochujang Korean style chili sauce, toasted sesame seeds. Very happy with that one, high in quality and not lacking in quantity either. And that local kimchi impressed very much indeed, so much so that I purchased a jar of it the next day in the deli in the Customs House in Baltimore.

Dessert

Local suppliers are always well supported here and CL’s choice was the Sun View Goats Cheese Salad Rolled in pistachios, heirloom tomatoes, pickled fennel and pinto beans, salsa verde cocida. That cheese comes all the way from Macroom! And was well used here in a delicious salad.

CL continued with Shannonvale Chicken Supreme (GF), Crushed peas, herb and potato cake, crispy onions and red wine jus, another local supplier well highlighted here, another excellent plate. We did call for a side order of fries but, to tell the truth, there was little need for them.

Breakfast pancakes

I stayed on an Asian tack, ordering the Sri Lankan Style Cashew Curry Chickpeas, potato, roasted vegetables, spiced pilaf rice. And I took the option of adding chicken, another piece from Shannonvale. This was one of the best curries I’ve eaten out, full of flavour but nothing at all extreme and indeed it would have been quite sufficient even without the added chicken (lovely and all as it was).

They have always prided themselves on their shielded breakfast buffet but that too has changed. Now you get a menu and a pencil and you tick your choices, like doing an exam our server joked. Worked quite well though and, while I know the Full Irish would have been gorgeous, we both decided on the pancakes. And they were top notch - might have been improved a bit with a few local berries (thinking Bushby’s here!) but “doused” with Maple syrup we enjoyed them very much indeed. 

Soon, we were heading out, having been seen off in style. Even if the desk was shielded, we had a lovely chat and all the details were correct. 

We were heading for lunch at the Customs House where top Chef Dede now operates. There was no rush so we decided to detour to Glandore and Union Hall (another place that doesn’t come up on our Sat-Nav, by the way). On the way to Glandore, we were asked to detour as there was a funeral on the regular road. So we did as requested and got some lovely views of the two villages and the water between them.

Eventually we got away on a narrow side road (with grass in the middle), only to find that blocked by a truck delivering fuel who had the little road blocked! Will we ever make to Baltimore in time? But, fortunately, he was nearly finished and soon moved off. A few minutes later we were on our way to a sunny Baltimore and a delicious lunch. 

Also on this trip:
Mizen Head Visit
Lunch with Chef Ahmet Dede at Customs House in Baltimore

A Quart of Ale±. #2 Featuring Blacks Brewery, Yellowbelly, Trouble Brewing and Wicklow Wolf

A Quart of Ale± #2
Featuring Blacks Brewery, Yellowbelly, Trouble Brewing and Wicklow Wolf

Number Two in a new series on beer. I'll be doing the best I can to cover a broad range but, if I'm missing out on your brewery, just let me know. While the focus will be mainly on Irish craft beers (and ciders), I'll also dip into the best of imports. Today's selection roams over the range, with beers from Blacks of Kinsale, Yellow Belly of Wexford, Trouble Brewing Dublin and from the Wicklow Wolf brewery.

Blacks “Ace of Haze” DDH Cryo New England IPA, 4.2%, 440ml can, Bradleys Cork

We came to this one, our lips still wet from drinking a bottle of Blacks KPA during a meal at the excellent Cornstore in the heart of Cork City. I have to say straight up that we agreed that this New Englander is a lovely beer, very drinkable, but also agreed that the KPA is our favourite of the two.

Okay. KPA stands for Kinsale Pale Ale, so a pale ale. But what’s a New England IPA? Blacks say: Characterised by juicy, citrus and floral flavours and a smoother less piney taste than some other IPAs you might be familiar with, New England IPA is a style that became popular in Vermont USA in the 2010s. Hazy in appearance with a soft mouthfeel, NEIPA's are brewed without adding hops to the boil and with the use of specific yeast strains to achieve the desired result. Often described as a more fruit forward IPA with lower perceived bitterness but massively hop forward with flavours and aromas derived from the use of dry hopping techniques.

This NEIPA (hardly an abbreviation!) is a hazy yellow. It weighs in at 4.2% (as against 5 for the KPA) so it certainly a session contender. No shortage of hops in the mix but it’s the fruit, citrus and exotic, that makes its mark rather than any bitterness (which is there, in the background). Very drinkable though and sure to gather up lots of fans. By the way, Blacks have at least one other Haze edition.

They say: This banging beer was brewed with passion and an absurd amount of cryogenically frozen Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops not forgetting a touch of inspiration from some rock classics that are commonly heard on the brewery floor on brew days. The malt bill of Barley, Oats and Wheat gives plenty of body and character but we have kept the ABV on the lower end for IPA's so you can enjoy more than 1 or 2 in a sitting.

Yellowbelly “Citra Pale Ale” American Pale Ale, 4.8%, 440ml can, Bradleys Cork

Hazy yellow is the colour here, a white head (size and length depends a lot on how you pour, probably best if on draught). You’ll probably de-juice that Citra Hops are used here. Head Brewer Declan Nixon has also employed German and Belgian malts. I think he’s judged this to a “T” and has come up with a really well-balanced beer.

A hint of pine in the aromas and this smooth drinking beer has citrus flavours, is very pleasant on the palate and, with all that, plus the help of a modest enough alcohol count of 4.8%, has that second glass appeal for sure.

Let us hear what the Wexford crew have to say for themselves: Our Citra Pale Ale is brewed with the finest German & Belgian malts, fermented with a super clean American ale yeast and dry hopped to the gills with Citra. The resulting beer should be enjoyed as fresh as possible to appreciate the grapefruit and pine aroma and super clean finish.

They regard it as a flagship beer. Citra Pale Ale can be enjoyed year-round on draught or in can from your favourite bars, restaurants and off-licences. It was voted Best Beer in Ireland 2019 – Beoir Awards

Trouble Brewing “Dark Arts” Porter, 4.4%, 500ml bottle, Bradleys Cork

Pours black as you’d expect and you can get quite a head (coffee coloured) if the pour is more rapid than usual. Chocolate, caramel and coffee among the aromas. And they also feature in the flavours, balanced by a freshness, almost like acidity in wine. Indeed this lighter bodied black reminds me of those well made light dry red wines that have become very popular in recent years. A very decent porter even if I still retain a preference for stouts.

Trouble Brewing are very happy with the early success of this one, and why not. Their Facebook: Dark Arts is the second beer we ever brewed here in Trouble and has stood the test of time to become one of Ireland's outstanding porters. 

I’m regularly amazed as to how often brewers get things right from the get-go. Howling Gale by Eight Degrees, Black’s KPA are early examples and Trouble say they never touched the Dark Arts recipe since the initial production. Eight Degrees also started with a porter but that has been sidelined and replaced with their Knockmealdown Stout. Perhaps there’s a message there. 

Wicklow Wolf Mammoth IPA, 6.2%, 440ml can, O'Briens Wines

Colour of this West Coast IPA is close to amber with a nice fluffy head that sinks quite slowly. It gets its name because a mammoth amount of Simcoe, Chinook, Cascade and Eureka! have been used to pump up the fruit. And the hops take the lead in the aromas as well. Very much floral and citrus in the palate as you’d expect but no shortage of malt either (Pale ,Cara Ruby the varieties used). Rather a muscular beer (compared, say, to Trouble Brewing’s Ambush) but the muscle’s not out of control and the Mammoth will find a welcome in any good beer circle.