On the Craft Trail with Third Barrel and Rascals. A Pale Lager and White IPA

On the Craft Trail with Third Barrel and Rascals. A Pale Lager and White IPA

Third Barrel Hello Yes Czech Pale Lager, 4.1% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

clean crisp and refreshing, this lager hits the spot every time.

Third Barrel claims “this lager hits the spot every time”. The recipe was already a winner before the Dublin brewery got their expert hands on it, as it was the winning recipe for their 2024 homebrew competition. Third Barrel were delighted to be asked and even more delighted “when we found out it was a proper order lager!”

The Third Barrel version looks the part, with a dark gold hue, no shortage of carbonation, and a soft white head. It is certainly clean, crisp and refreshing on the palate, and there’s a perfect balance between malts and hops. Very Highly Recommended.

Retailers, Bradleys, say “Third Barrel Hello Yes is lager as it's meant to be. Clean, crisp and ultimately refreshing, low on ABV, but with a big hit of flavour and notes of Golden Syrup.”  

I’ve seen that Golden Syrup mentioned a few times but fail to find that kind of sweetness here. That’s just as well. Back in the day, I would have table-spooned the syrup straight into the mouth. I enjoyed it then, but nowadays, I wouldn’t be too keen on it dominating my lagers! By the way, the lager is proving very popular in Bradleys, lots of repeat orders. Be sure and get your hands on one or two before they’re gone.

Rascals Yankee White IPA, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Belgian Wheat meets American IPA. Orange zest fusion 

This hazy mid-amber ale is very crisp, very refreshing and full of hoppy character, right from the aromas to the very satisfying conclusion. 

Aromas, as you might expect from the hops used and the addition of orange peel, are predominantly citrus, with some pine and herb notes also present in the complex mix. 

And you get much the same on the palate as the soft hop-loaded beer moves gently across. Soft and light but with a refreshing and crisp finish. While the touted contribution of spice from the Belgian yeast is barely noticeable, Witbier does have some presence here; however, the complex hop flavour is centre-stage and I’m happy enough to place this under an IPA heading.

When Yankee won the Bronze at the World Beer Awards, this was the citation: "Hazy golden orange with a pillowy head, and a nose that's all citrus and candy sugar. The taste is dominated by mandarin oranges, lots of orange pith on both aroma and flavour. Biscuit and zesty aromas are also present on the palate, accompanied by a pleasant mouthfeel. " -

Rascals say: Yankee is hopped with two of the finest American hops, Citra and Amarillo, which give the beer big citrus and peach aroma, while the Belgian yeast adds a subtle spice. It’s very crisp, very refreshing and full of character. Very Highly Recommended.

Speaking of characters, Rascals have quite a few. Why not visit and check out the bar, the pizza, the events, and the tours

A couple of highly rated Italians, a Barolo and a Verdicchio di Metalica. Each produced by a cooperative

A couple of highly rated Italians, a Barolo and a Verdicchio.

Each produced by a cooperative.

Enzo Bartoli Barolo (DOCG) 2019, 13.5% ABV

€22.50 (reduced from 28.50) at Dunnes Stores

Made by “the most humble man from the hills of Piedmont”. Or maybe not!

Wax seal over cork. Medium garnet with the lightning expected at its age. Aromas are fruity and spicy. A super mix of flavours in the mouth with amazing structure from 38 months of ageing. With its strong tannins and lively acidity, it is superbly balanced. Very Highly Recommended.

Enzo, the most humble man from the hills of Piedmont, who devoted his life to finding and cultivating the perfect soil to produce the finest fruit from the vineyards at the foot of the mountain and handcrafting wines that reflect the majesty of Piedmont, is not a real person! Just the character that represents the region and its wine production.

Nebbiolo, the grape for Barolo and Barbaresco

But there is little else left to the imagination. Nebbiolo, the Barolo grape,  has been cultivated here since the 13th century, and Barolo has flourished since the 19th century….  “After centuries of experience, Barolo wines are as close to perfection as is possible…” according to VINI.

Food Pairing

With its intense tannins and lively acidity, Barolo is a terrific food wine. It is ideal with roasted meats, aged cheese, and white truffles from Alba (if you’re lucky). It is recommended to open two hours before serving at room temperature between 18-20° C. Note that the cork of this rather squat bottle is sealed with a wax coating, easily removed with a blade on your waiter’s friend.

Wine Folly advises seeking dishes with higher fat content and creams or cheeses to counteract the intense tannin. “Dishes like truffle risotto or butternut ravioli are a revelation.” Wine-Searcher.com says it “can handle dishes with richness and fat. Slow-cooked lamb shanks, braised beef cheeks, and aged cheeses such as Parmigiano or gouda will pair well.”

All you have to do now is check out your local Dunnes and keep an eye out for offers!

Belisario “Valbona” Verdicchio di Metalica (DOC) 2022, 12.5% ABV

€16.95 at Bradleys 

This 100% Verdicchio is pale lemon in colour, with a lovely aromatic and clean bouquet of acacia, complemented by a hint of honey. Surprisingly full-bodied, it shows great balance between its crisp green apple character and the richer honey and lemon flavours. The finish is dry and vibrant. Very Highly Recommended.

Cantine Belisario is a 300-hectare cooperative winery in the Matelica DOC, Marche, where the only permitted grape is Verdicchio. The co-op boasts 24 organically farmed vineyards, inland from the Castelli di Jesi DOC, where the climate is more continental. Here, the combination of warm days and cool nights extends the growing season, allowing the grape’s aromatics to develop. As a result, harvest occurs as late as the second half of October. Grapes for their ‘Terre di Valbona’ are planted in vineyards between 350 and 450 metres above sea level.

Niepoort Sempar Tinto Alantejo Portalegre. “A vibrant and juicy glass of red.”

Niepoort Sempar Tinto Alantejo Portalegre (DOC) 2019, 13.5% ABV

€19.95 at Bradleys

“A vibrant and juicy glass of red.”

 

This red is a blend, as are many of the red wines from Portugal. While it has generous fruit and body, it is not at all complicated—quite an easy drinker, in fact. 

It is light ruby in colour with impressive fresh red berry aromatics. The palate is also fruity, with darker fruit now (such as cherry and plum), and there’s a lively acidity. Rounded and engaging, it finishes very well indeed. Highly Recommended. Get a few bottles in for the barbecues ahead.

“Sempar” signifies “unequalled,” “unique,” and “incomparable”—a name that encapsulates Dirk Niepoort’s wine philosophy. He strives to produce straightforward wines that fully express the character of their vineyard origins. Dirk has a deep appreciation for the region around Portalegre, a sub-region in Alentejo. He unleashes his creativity to craft light and bold Alentejo wines brimming with individuality.

“Niepoort? Is he one of the famous Port family?” you may well ask.  Indeed, he is and was highly instrumental in the firm’s move into making still wines. He was soon a very influential winemaker in the Douro region (where Port comes from) before turning his attention southwards to the Alentejo region.

Close-up of the bark of the cork tree (Quercus suber) that
you can see in Fota Gardens, East Cork

While much of the region is planted to vines, there is still room to grow the thick-barked Quercus suber trees for which Portugal is so famous. These are the sprawling oak trees from which cork is made. Other oak varieties are Alba (the American white oak) and Robur, the European version. The Irish tree Quercus Petrea is also known as Sessile Oak and is used locally by whiskey makers such as Midleton and Donegal’s Crolly Distillery.

The sprawling Quercus suber tree in the arboretum at Fota.

The Characteristics Scream Cabernet! D’Arenberg The High Trellis from the McLaren Vale.

D’Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale, Australia) 2021, 14.5% ABV

Widely available, expect to pay around twenty euro. This bottle was purchased at Bradley's.

The Characteristics Scream Cabernet. 

Cabernet Sauvignon is a giant among grapes, and this particular expression from down under perfectly illustrates its intensity and happy habit of growing well in so many places around the globe.

Though Australian winemaking has quite a long history, it is best known as a modern, innovative country.  The fruit for this one comes from a 1912 Osborn family vineyard, and the production includes an early gentle crushing and foot-treading undertaken two-thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and transferred to old French oak barriques to complete fermentation. The barrel ferments are aged on lees, and there is no racking until final blending. No fining or filtration.

So quite traditional! And the results are good; the producers are very happy with it: “The Characteristics Screams Cabernet. The bouquet displays red cherry, bay leaf, spices and a hint of black pepper. A palate of blackcurrant, cedar, paprika and leafy notes tell the story of classic McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. The multitude of welcoming, fine tannins leave you wanting more. A serious Cabernet for the price that can be enjoyed anytime with pleasure and confidence.”

Like all Sauvignon Cabernets, it pairs well with a variety of food. Cheese, of the harder variety, is often mentioned. Luckily, I had been to Iago's (Cork) earlier in the day and had bought a wedge of Hegarty’s Ballinvarrig Cheddar and it turned out to be the perfect match.  

On the Craft Trail with Brehon Brewery, Western Herd, Third Barrel and Eight Degrees

 On the Craft Trail with Brehon Brewery, Western Herd, Third Barrel and Eight Degrees

Eight Degrees Howling Gale Pale Ale 4.5% ABV, 440 cl can 

Like a smack around the gills 

when you're "clain lifting it" down Ballyhoura hills

I'm not the only one to rate this Pale Ale highly. Howling Gale was the first beer Eight Degrees ever brewed. We’ve all changed a lot since then but not this superb ale, their first, and it is still their most popular beer.

They add: “It’s like blitzing down the Ballyhouras on a bike with an icy wind in your face, this pale ale delivers a refreshing crisp smack around the gills.” Never came down those hills on a bike but I can certainly relate to the smack around the gills, especially with the refreshing finish.

It pours a pale golden colour into the glass, with a white head. And yes, you do get that citrus on the nose, along with pine notes. It is smooth and crisp with that modest whack of bitterness in the finish.

Eight Degrees, now happily restored as a team, got this right from the start. And, also from the get-go, they provided food pairing hints. “Try with fish and chips, smoked salmon or anything off the barbecue…. With a pleasant grapefruit citrus aroma from Cascade and Simcoe hops, it is a great match with spicy or fried food”.

Malt: Irish pale malt, Carapils, Munich, Cara
Hops: Nugget, Cascade, Simcoe

Brehon Red Right Hand Barley Wine 11.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

“gentle to drink, clean, mellow and smooth”

A gorgeous ruby red is the colour of out Barley Wine from Monaghan’s Brehon brewery. It is crowned with a coffee coloured soft head. Despite the high abv, It is a bourbon-aged beer, earthy and sweet. The bourbon influence is unmistakable but quite subtle here. It also has a very high abv, but nonetheless, it is gentle and easy to drink, clean, mellow and smooth. Like any good wine, it comes with a lingering finish, leaving the taste buds anticipating the next sip

Brehon have made a name for themselves with barrel-aged beers, beginning with their Crann Beatha barrel-aged stout. This Barley Wine is well up to standard and, by the way, is a terrific match with Christmas pudding, with the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Black Barrel Whiskey edition in particular. Yum on the double.

Speaking of their strong beers, be sure and look out for the super Oak & Mirrors Cask Aged Imperial Porter.

They say: The red right hand is symbolic of the historic clans of Ulster. It embodies strength, unity and character, just like our Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine. 

Western Herd Blue Jumper IPA, 6.2% ABV, 440 ml can Matsons

Baptised by Fr Dougal!

The bright amber colour and all those little bubbles of this Western Herd IPA is quite a come-on. The beer’s name is a Father Ted reference.

There’s a citrus and tropical fruit presence in the aromatics and palate, plus a hint of pine and resin, even a little dankness as well. And that vibrant hoppy edge continues all the way. After all, as the brewery indicates, India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a bigger, hoppier version of a pale ale. 

This one certainly is and that background bitterness is with you right to the finish, quite a good finish as it happens, with the malts having a say in the outcome ensuring that it is not all about the hops. But make no mistake, this a hoppy beer, an old school IPA.

Inspired by Father Ted! Yep, the name Blue Jumper comes straight out of the classic Fr. Ted episode where Sr. Assumpta is re-introduced to Fr. Dougal. “You were wearing your blue jumper? Ah Sister Assumpta!” An icon of Irish comedy meets an icon of West Clare brewing.

 The Clare brewery has been in good form on social media in eecent weeks. Having explained the beer’s name, they have a question. Spot the Coastline? “The can design features the stunning Clare Coast line, an epic slice of the Atlantic coast that’s as refreshing as the beer inside. But which part of the coast features on the can?”. Not too sure myself, but I think it is from Liscannor Bay up to Black Head.

Geek Bits

Style Indian Pale Ale

Colour/Appearance Amber in appearance with a clean white head

Aroma Orange and other citrus, pine, and light peach

Flavour Candied orange and a background bitterness

Hops Citra, Idaho 7, Centennial

Malts Pale, Stout Mix, Caramunich I, CaraPils, White Wheat

Yeast LAX

Original Gravity 1.059

ABV 6.2%

Third Barrel Texture Like Sun American Brown Ale, 5.5% ABV, 440 ml can, Bradleys

“absolutely SLAMMABLE American style brown ale”

The colour is a deep red, rather than brown, with a soft off-white head. Caramel and chocolate are in the aromatics, and they are also found in the mouth along with citrus flavours from the Centennial hops, the only one used. Quite an interesting example from Third Barrel and Highly Recommended. The brewers are very happy with this one: “Complex yet absolutely SLAMMABLE American style brown ale.”

 

The history of this style dates back to U.S. homebrewers being inspired by English-style brown ales and porters. US Craft brewers then took it up; while inspired by the English, the Americans weren’t content to be just imitators and took the style in different directions.

One of the Brit beers that came under the US focus was the Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. This “was a huge influence on a generation of American craft brewers.. in 1983,” according to Jeff Alworth in the Beer Bible. American-style brown ales generally have evident low to medium hop flavour and aroma and medium to high hop bitterness.

Not many Brown Ales are being produced by Irish brewers, and most have been once-offs. Look out for examples from Ballykilcavan (Bambricks), Lough Gill (McNuttys), Lineman (Big Calm), and Outer Place (Silent Orbit). Samuel Smith is already mentioned but the first English Browne Ale to catch my attention was Newcastle Brown Ale, and that came in a generous 550cl bottle.

Beer of the Week. Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout

 Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout, 6.5% ABV, 440 ml can

“A full-flavoured stout that will leave you wanting more.”

“A full-flavoured stout that will leave you wanting more.” That’s the message from Wicklow Wolf.

The stout is black with a coffee-coloured head (short-lived). Coffee is also in the aromatics. On the palate, intense stuff (coffee and chocolate) with a semi-sweet creamy smoothness. It is creamy and full-flavoured from start to finish. And yes, more is the request! No surprise that there have been a few "spin-offs" from this superb stout, including a Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout, Apex Tiramisu Oatmeal Stout, and Chocolate Oat Milk Coconut Stout.

Very Highly Recommended and Beer of the Week.

It is a member of the Alpha Pack, their core range. They say: Apex champions a heavy malt bill, brewed with only the best flaked Irish Oats, specialty chocolate and coffee malts.” Expect an intense burst of fresh roast coffee, milk chocolate & a delicious creamy smoothness. A full flavoured stout that will leave you wanting more.

Bravo hops hit the scene around 2006 and quickly became a preferred bittering hop. Yakima Hops says it also contributes fruity and floral tones that work well in IPAs, Pale Ales, and Red Ales. It's not the first hops you’d think of when it comes to stout, but the folks at Wicklow Wolf know a thing or two, and it certainly works very well here.

Geek Bits

Hops: Bravo 

Malts: Pale, Chocolate, Roast Crystal, Brown, Carafa, Oat, Cara

* What are your favourites from our 2024 Beer of the Week list? Check it out here.