A Quart of Ale± #114. On the craft journey with Dot Brew, Wicklow Wolf, Rye River, Abbot's Ale House, and Whiplash

A Quart of Ale± #114

On the craft journey with Dot Brew, Wicklow Wolf and Whiplash, Rye River and Abbot's Ale House.

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Dot Brew Loose Session IPA 3.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Dot are happy with this one:  ”A perfect all year round thirst quencher.” Think I could go along with that.

A light orange colour with a fleeting white head. Citrus-y aromas, notes of pine there too. And the bold hoppy stuff marches on through the palate. Low ABV yet mid to full bodied with high refreshment values. One to look out for when organising a session.

Dot indicate there’s a place for Loose Session as a “new core”. “Full thundering hits of fresh stone fruit, built with flaked & malted oats / low rider yeast whirlpool & dry hop additions of Idaho7 & Centennial.”

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Dot Go Go IPA 6.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Closer to orange than lemon is the colour of this Dot Brew IPA. It is of course hazy and is classed by some, though not the brewery (at least not on their limited social media info), as a New England IPA.

Used my usual finger in the (short-lived) foam to test for flavour, and citrus was the first to show. But there’s more as we progress to actual drinking including mango and other sweet fruits. The reinforcements lift the Go Go from a middle of the road beer and it chugs amiably, if not over impressively, but never really threatening the leaders of the IPA pack.

Geek Bits:

Hops: Mosaic, Citra and Centennial (all USA)

Suitable for vegans.

Ingredients included malted and flaked oats.

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Wicklow Wolf West Side Story West Coast Kveik IPA 6.6%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Wicklow Wolf seem to be on quite a run this year and this West Coast IPA, featuring the popular Kveik yeast, is another quality beer.

Colour is an amber/orange, hazy of course. Aromas on the dank side, citrus and pine. Strata is one of the hops used and has been described as described as “Passion fruit meets pot.” So maybe I’m on the money with dank.

And that dank quality is found on the palate also, along with citrus-y traits and floral notes. It is bitter but not overly so, as any extremes are smoothed down by the dank influence. 

The other hops used by the way are Idaho7 and Talus and malts are listed as Golden Promise, Pilsner and Cara Clair.

American Ale Yeast and the British Brett may be tops of the pops in yeast but Kveik is coming up fast, another illustration that “brewers and beer drinkers owe everything to these single-celled fungi”, that quote from Craft Beer for the Geeks. Kveik is getting popular here: Eights Degrees, Metalman, and Wicklow Brewery have been among its users in recent times.

The endangered species brews (this is #29) are a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers from Wicklow Wolf. "These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct.”

By the way, Wicklow Wolf have been in touch about their taproom news. "We've just added a whole new list of tour dates for the rest of the Summer! Book in for your tour and beer tasting now. We're delighted to now offer flights of beer at the taproom, the perfect accompaniment to a pizza from our friends in the firehouse!" 

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Whiplash Alma Witbier 5.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Bright fresh lemon peel, tangerine, white wine, limes, white pepper and a hint of clove dominate the initial aroma while the body and flavour is airy, silky, fluffy, gently sweet and reassuringly citrus forward.

A Belgian style beer from Whiplash, a Witbier. Amarillo is the main hop and it is used in the dry hop while the other two,   Nelson Sauvin (gooseberry, Grape, passion fruit) and Moteuka (tropical, lime, lemon), both from New Zealand, are small additions to the brew at the whirlpool stage.  Just before finishing they add fresh lemon zest to the tank, “electrifying the whole affair and transforming this Wit into something extremely special.”

Colour is a light orange, hazy for sure. Aromas are zesty as is the first impression on the palate. The lovely and lively lemony zestiness continues strongly on the palate, with peach and pine there also. 

Whiplash say they “always approach our Belgian style beers in a less than traditional way” and the divergence continues throughout, though you may find little hints of clove in the aromas and at the end. Something different, something special as they say themselves. 

Geek Bits

ABV 5.0%

440ml Cans & draught

Artwork by @sophie_devere

Pilsner Malt

Wheat Malt

Amarillo

Lemon Zest

WLP550 (yeast)

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News from Cork's Abbot's ale house

@HouseAbbot

Event Alert!! We are proud to welcome our old friends Rye River for a tap takeover weekend!! This event will take place all weekend long from Thursday 11th August - Saturday 13th. There will be 9 taps pouring ! And free giveaways too!

A Quart of Ale± #112. On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Kinnegar, Clonakilty and Trouble Brewing

 A Quart of Ale± #112

On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Kinnegar, Clonakilty and Trouble Brewing

Third Barrel Day Drinkin Simcoe Session IPA 4%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Day Drinkin is the first of a series of “summer slammers” by Third Barrel. It’s a hazy lemon colour with a soft bubbly head that loses volume slowly. And with Simcoe taking the solo hops role, you can expect aromas of citrus and pineapple. 

And it starts with the nose, pineapple and orange zest popping out of the glass. And more of the duo on the palate as the engagement gets a little more serious (in a good way!). No letting go now, as Wayne Wonder might have sung. Well he did sing it:

Got somebody she's a beauty

Very special really and truly

Take good care of me like it's her duty

Want you right by my side night and day.

Not too sure about night and day but Day Drinkin, at the 4% abv, would certainly make for a good session, night or day. As they say themselves: “be sure to pick up a few for your next bbq, camping trip or even just sitting on your own in the kids paddling pool.”

Kinnegar Brewers at Play #24 Summer Ale 4%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Colour is close to lemon, topped by a soft foamy head that sinks slowly. And a soft citrus breeze wafts up from your glass. This is summertime and the soft and supple citrus continues its merry way on the palate.  

You deserve refreshment at the end of a hard hot day and this Donegal Summer Ale opens the door to a relaxing interlude whether in the newly opened Kinnegar taproom or in your own back garden. And, at four per cent, you and your buds could well have a summertime session. It’s a won won situation as someone might say.

One thing that is not immediately apparent, not that anyone is trying to hide it mind you, is that this beer, number 24 in the excellent Brewers at Play series, is a wheat ale. But be aware too that this is a once off. You get one chance. Jump aboard and sip in that rounded citrus experience.

They say:“Brewers at Play presents new beers designed to keep our brewers on their toes and our customers on their tenterhooks.” I say: “Keep ‘em coming!”

Ingredients: Water, barley, wheat, hops, citrus peel, yeast. 

(No bergamot then?)

Clonakilty Foxy Red Ale 5.0%, 500ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Clonakilty’s “fierce” independent brewery are the producers of Foxy, a Red Ale. They have stopped short of proclaiming it as an Irish red ale. 

Colour is a murky red brown with a bubbly white head that won’t keep you company for long. Aromas are pleasant and mildly malty; they have oats in here as well as barley. And it continues on its modest way on the palate, smooth of texture and smooth of flavour, the malt, with the slightest hint of sweetness, leading the way to a refreshing and satisfactory conclusion. One to note, methinks.

Ingredients: Well water, Irish malted barley and oats, hops, yeast and lots of passion.

Just one hop used, the East Kent Golding, brewer Frank Fredriksen told me. 

He had bad news: It’s was a seasonal beer last autumn, only did a few batches of it, you might still find it a few places, but we're not stocking it at the moment. 

And he had good news: Might brew it again in a few months though as many are asking for it.

They say: We are passionate about making beer with no compromise, brewing small batches with big personality. Using locally sourced grains, the best hops and water from our own well, our beers are handcrafted with care in our Brewhouse in Clonakilty by head brewer ‘Thirsty’ Frank Fredriksen and his team.

Clonakilty is at the centre of such a positive mix of beautiful scenery, amazing food, interesting characters, quirky local stories and strong town spirit. We consider ourselves hugely lucky to be able to make our beer here and become part of the tapestry of this place. It also pushes us to brew beer that stands with the best and make the town proud of what we do.

Trouble Brewing Trick Of Light IPA 6.3%, 440 ml can Bradleys

This recent Trick of the Light IPA from Trouble pours a hazy orange in the glass and there’s a soft white head that stays around for a spell. Tropical aromas rise up to greet you. And there’s a tropical posse on the palate also, along with the none too subtle spice of the rye, no shortage of citrus either, as all the hops contribute. Quite a forceful palate actually before a lip smacking finish.

The Kildare brewery, who also added oats here, say: “…Trick Of Light, a 6.3% IPA that has been dry hopped with Azacca, Cascade & Idaho 7 to deliver a big fruity blast of orange & grapefruit pith. The Idaho 7 gives a hint of pine that balances beautifully with the spiciness of the rye malt.”

Trouble Brewing was founded in 2010 by three friends: Paul, Tom and Stephen. Tom had been homebrewing for years (there’s always one!) and insisted on sharing the fruits of his labour with Paul and Stephen.  On nights out, he dragged them to drink pints of various styles and flavours at pubs like the Porterhouse and the Bull and Castle beer hall, both Mecca’s for great beer in Dublin.  

Paul soon developed an interest in brewing himself, and it wasn’t long before he realised making beer was a relatively inexpensive process and buying it was quite the opposite.  With this in mind he approached Tom and Stephen with the idea of setting up a brewery of their own. It could provide an income for the three and get them out of the unfortunate situation of working for “the man”. They gathered up all the money they could (about €45k between them) and borrowed the same from the bank with the help of a well prepared business plan. Then they set about putting together a functioning brewery.

And they are functioning very well indeed, thank you!

A Quart of Ale± #111 with Cotton Ball, Lough Gill and Athletic Brewing

 A Quart of Ale± #111

On the craft journey with Cotton Ball, Lough Gill and Athletic Brewing

Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout 4.3%, 500ml bottle O’Donovan’s

The Lynch’s Stout from the Cotton Ball brewery is an excellent one, flavour, smoothness and a long dry finish the striking characteristics. 

You get the hints of your old toffee bar in the aromas, coffee there also, and on the palate; the flavours last, still a pleasure well after the swallow. The beer is available on draught at the bar and also in bottle.

Lynch's at The Cotton

Humphrey Lynch, an American Civil War veteran and a cotton mill foreman, returned to his native Cork in 1874 to set up his own public house which he called the Cotton Ball. It is still here today and the current generation are brewing a selection of craft beers named after their great great grandfather who left the West Cork countryside as a teenager. The brewery, under the Mayfield pub, was founded in 2013.

A day or two after finishing the bottles in bought in O'Donovan's, I headed up to the nearby Cotton Ball for a quart± from the tap. Excellent stout and excellent company.

Hand crafted from five malts and traditional flaked barley, moderately bittered and late hopped with US and New Zealand hops, they say: “This stout is as dark as our great grandfather Humphrey’s black humour and has a warm and mature flavour. With a phenomenal marriage of coffee roast, caramel lush, balanced by a clean bitterness exploding into a tangerine, mandarin aromatic delivery.`’

They reckon it’s a great accompaniment for hearty meat dishes, stews and steaks. But, with a shameless piece of name dropping, they say that the ultimate food pairing is "our Famous Cousins’ Clonakilty Black pudding"!

 

Lough Gill Mo Chara Hazy Seisiún IPA 4.8%, 440 ml can 

Bradleys

This hazy IPA is a collaboration between Lough Gill and their friends at Mo Chara. 

It is pale in colour, almost lemon, hazy for sure with a white head that soon sinks down to leave a circular trace. Citra and Mosaic are the hops so I’m expecting Citrus and Mango and that’s what I get both in the aromas and, after a little shyness, on the palate. It’s not a big tiger of a beer, more like a pussycat, gentle and compatible over a session I’d say.

Lough Gill indicate that the Norwegian Yeast called Kveik has been used here and that does help bring out fruiter notes and that is the case here with exotic notes including Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Tangerine and Passion Fruit. Quite a pleasant posse of flavours indeed.

Dundalk based Mo Chara are craft beer supporters, big time. “With 24 taps of craft beer, wines & cocktails, we have one of the biggest selections in Ireland on tap. Ten of our taps are rotational which means we change to a new beer after every keg so you can try something new every time you call in for just the one.” 

Dundalk’s First Craft Beer Taphouse are not just about the drink. Here you may also get coffee, sambas and pizzas, And lots of craic by the look of it!

Athletic Brewing Run Wild Alcohol Free IPA <0.5%, 355ml can Bradleys

The American producers of this beer tell us Run Wild is the ultimate sessionable IPA for craft beer lovers. “Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops, it has an approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body. Always refreshing and only 70 calories.”

Nice slightly hazy golden colour on this IPA with a decent white head that’s not for hanging around. Aromas, citrus and hoppy, are modest. And it looked as if the palate would continue that trend. But I gave it a good swirl around and that approachable (modest) bitterness made its appearance. Refreshing enough but not deeply so.

Still I’d be happy enough to agree with their assertion that "This isn’t your traditional watery, tasteless alcohol-free beer.” It is certainly more than that and better than many on the market. It could certainly do the job for a night if you are driving. And I’d also see it useful to alternate it with an alcoholic beer over a session where you want to exercise restraint. No major sacrifice! And I could say much the same about the Golden Ale, though with less enthusiasm.

When I picked it up first, I thought it was Irish but Athletic Beer are US producers with an office address in Dublin. And the US connection is written on the can which comes in a slightly different size to the usual European one. By the way, why do most non alcoholic beers, with the exception of the German ones (probably the best of the style), come in smaller sizes?

They say: Whether you’re looking to cut out alcohol for life or just for a night, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your ability to be healthy, active and at your best, to enjoy great beer.

Run Wild is the ultimate sessionable IPA for craft beer lovers. Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops, it has an approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body. Always refreshing and only 70 calories.

Geek Bits

INGREDIENTS: Water, Organic Vienna Malt, Malted Barley, Oats, Hops, Wheat, Yeast.

Pair with: Burgers, Pizza, Tacos

Hops: a blend of five Northwest hops

Calories: 70.

Atlantic Brewing Upside Dawn Alcohol Free Golden <0.5%, 355ml can Bradleys

Made in a “classic craft Golden Ale style", this is the other Athletic Brewing alcohol free beer that I recently picked up in Bradleys.  Again it is a pale orange colour with haze and a white head that doesn’t hang about. Aromas are more floral than fruity (citrus). On the palate it is not that dissimilar to the IPA but is that bit milder, easier-drinking.

They say: Classic craft Golden Ale Style. Refreshing, clean, balanced, light-bodied. Aromas subtle with floral and earthy notes. Brewed with premium Vienna Malt along with combo of English and traditional American hops. Crafted to remove gluten*.

While Upside Dawn is crafted to remove gluten, it may still contain gluten. Here’s why: “This product is fermented from grains containing gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.”

Ingredients: Water, Organic Vienna Malt, Malted Barley, Oats, Hops, Wheat, Yeast.

Vegan - yes

IBUs:15

Style: Golden Ale

A Quart of Ale± #110 On the craft journey with Lineman, Brú and Dot Brew

 A Quart of Ale± #110

On the craft journey with Lineman, Brú and Dot 

Lineman Green Light West Coast IPA 7.0%, 440 ml can

A hazy bright light gold is the colour of this West Coast IPA. It has a lingering soft white head. More importantly, it has been “packed with a large hop load”. 

And that load makes its mark first on the pungent aromas. Well balanced though on the dank palate. No shortage of flavour with pine and grapefruit prominent and bitterness galore, the hop load delivering all the way to the impressive finish. Impressive finish, impressive beer.

Not surprisingly, they’ve picked a trio of US hops for this one: Columbus (also known as CTZ), Centennial and Idaho7.

So what is a West Coast IPA? It started off as an IPA made on the west coast of the US. Nowadays, the style may be made anywhere in the states, anywhere in the world. The most important elements, according to the current Beer Bible, “are enhanced bitterness and a pronounced citrus or pine flavour”. On that basis, Lineman’s gets the green light here. I’m good to go again!

Lineman Stopover Blond Ale 5.1%, 440 ml can Bradleys

It is widely acknowledge that we owe much to Belgian brewers, not least for Amber and Blond Ale inspiration. As you can see , Lineman used a a Belgian yeast strain in their Stopover. 

And they also used Golding and Saaz hops. And in what other beer do you find those two? Well in the Duval, which gets the nod “as the world’s most beautiful beer” in the Beer Bible. Author Jeff Alworth tells us the Duval Yeast is legend… and the secret to Duvel is its balance. Would be nice to compare the Belgian and this Lineman side by side!

Lineman, an independent Irish microbrewery based in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, consistently produce quite excellent beers and this Blond Ale is one of the most recent.

It has a gorgeous gold colour and soft white head, regularly reinforced by upward streams of bubbles. No shortage of hops here and they’ve been generous with the Golding, Saaz and Hallertau. But they’ve also used a Belgian yeast strain that also contributes to the fruit as well as adding some spice flavours. And the malts also play a role here in a crisp and refreshing beer that is a bit different to the norm.

Available in cans and draught.

Brú Howling at the Sun West Coast IPA 5.7%, 440 ml can Bradleys

“Part of the Urban Jungle series that celebrates the brewery’s adventurous side. A classic West Coast Pale Ale, Howling at the Sun delivers bitterness alongside a big hit of juicy tropical notes.”. That’s the brewery intro to Howling at the Sun. 

It’s a very hazy mid-orange, the haze hinting at east coast rather than west. Head is foamy, soft and white. The power of the hops jumps up from the glass. And your first sip confirms bracing bitterness, a bitterness that outguns the flavours right to the end.

No doubt, hop aficionados will go for this one. Can’t take a shine to it though; I prefer a bit more balance and its lack leaves me howling at the moon😉. 

Dot Brew General Population IPA 6.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys.

Dot Brew’s General Population, a New England IPA apparently, has a light orange colour with a pillowy white head that’s slow to sink. The hops, two from Australia and one from the US, head up the aromatics. First thing I noticed on the palate was the softness, probably down to the oats. And there’s quite a bit of fruit, mostly tropical such as Passion Fruit and Pineapple and some from nearer home like Peach and Grapefruit. A hint of sticky stuff from the pines too that those of you who have ever sawed evergreen trees into firewood, when times were tougher, may remember. Good balance though and easy-drinking.

Geeks Bits:

Ingredients: Barley, oats (expect creamy), hops, yeast.

Hops: New England IPA w/ Aus Galaxy (Passion fruit, Peach, Citrus), AUS Vic Secret (Passion fruit ResinousPineapple) & USA Amarillo (Grapefruit, Peach, resinous) Easy drinking, soft and pillowy