Seisiún, Sunburnt take Best in Ireland at 2021 World Beer Awards

Seisiún, Sunburnt take Best in Ireland

 at 2021 World Beer Awards

Country Wins for Eight Degrees Brewing’s Seisiún IPA and Sunburnt Irish Red Ale, silver for Devil’s Ladder Belgian-Style Tripel and Full Irish IPA at the 2021 World Beer Awards.

Eight Degrees Brewing's Seisiún IPA and Sunburnt Irish Red Ale have been named Best in Ireland at this year’s World Beer Awards. eisiún IPA took the win in the session category while Sunburnt Irish Red Ale was the winner in the amber category.

Seisiún IPA and Sunburnt Irish Red Ale now go forward with all other Country Winners and compete to become the World’s Best in their categories, the results of which will be announced on 9 September.

Devil’s Ladder Belgian-Style Tripel, the final beer in the Eight Degrees 2020 Irish Munros series, took Silver in the Wood Aged category and the multi-award winning Full Irish IPA was the Silver winner in the English-style IPA category.

“We are extremely proud of the hard work and consistency displayed by all the team to earn these awards, said head brewer Daniel O’Shea. “To be recognised for the core beer range is extremely satisfying and demonstrates the incredibly hard work all the team put towards making quality beers on a daily basis.”

Head Cellerman Derek Neville added: “These awards are a real testament to the hard work and attention to detail that we hold ourselves to every day. We are also particularly delighted to receive silver for the Devil's Ladder. This one-off special was the culmination of our Munro series and a beer which weaved many different threads together to become the quality product it is today.”

The World Beer Awards are global awards selecting the very best in all the international recognised styles. Each year the World Beer Awards award and promote the world’s best beers to consumers and trade across the globe. Drawing on the expertise of over 200 international judges, the WBA ensures that each beer is judged both rigorously and fairly to give it its best chance in the competition. All Country Winners go forward and compete to become the World’s Best in their Style and Category. The winners will be announced on the 9 September.

Press release

 

A Quart of Ale± #65. On the craft journey with Eight Degrees, Heaney's, Sullivan's and Tom Crean.

A Quart of Ale± #65

On the craft journey with Eight Degrees, Heaney's, Sullivan's and Tom Crean

Eight Degrees Original Gravity Juicy IPA 6.5%, 440 can O’Donovan’s

This new juicy IPA from Eight Degrees has a colour like a field of ripe barley in the July sun. There’s a slowly sinking soft white head on top and 2.11 zillion (margin of error ± 2.5%) micro bubbles rushing upwards through a slight veil of haze. Aromas are quite intense, citrus and tropical. On the palate, the feel is like a Rolls Royce drive with all the add ons, soft, smooth, beautifully balanced, more than enough to brighten up your journey. So go on and take it for a test drive. Lift your jour out of the ordinaire. As my Cajun friend might say (or sing): Laissez les bons temps rouler.

They say: This juicy IPA was brewed with Irish pale ale, wheat and oats before being lightly kettle hopped with Enigma. We used Sabro and experimental hop HBC 630 in the whirlpool, triple dry-hopping with the same hops for added aroma. This beer has intense tropical fruit and coconut aromas and flavours, with a soft body and smooth mouthfeel. Just what we need for brighter days.

As always, Eight Degrees come up with food pairings:
This is the summer of outdoor dining, much of which will be taking place in your own back garden, so pair the Original Gravity Juicy IPA with a homemade pizza cooked on the barbecue – it’s well worth checking out Donal Skehan’s recipe: Thin Crust Barbecue Pizza. Try topping the pizza with thinly sliced new potato, artichoke and rosemary or Gubbeen chorizo with roasted red peppers and Toonsbridge mozzarella for a couple of pairings that will showcase this juicy IPA to perfection. Finish with some grilled apricots, topped with mascarpone and chilli honey or a summery peach melba: poached peaches, a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry coulis to make the stone fruit flavours in both beer and food sing. 

Laissez les bons temps rouler. Encore!

As you may know, Eight Degrees had a serious competition for the design on their Original Gravity cans and this, the first, was designed by John Culhane of Graphic Jam. “The most luminous of all the colours of the spectrum, yellow reflects happiness, optimism, enlightenment and sunshine. My design is based on the concept of humans flourishing and the joy of knowing that better times are coming. CARPE DIEM!” He could have had added: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Okay. Forget the foreign languages for a sec. What is this Original Gravity thing? I’ll let the Brewer’s Friend explain: Original gravity (OG) measures how much sugar is present in the wort before it is fermented. The final gravity (FG) is how much sugar is left over when fermentation is done. For a beer to fit into a certain style, each of these numbers must be within the specified range as the chart depicts. A lower final gravity indicates a dry or crisp flavor, while a higher final gravity indicates a sweet or malty flavor.

Heaney’s Irish Stout 4.3%, 500 bottle Bradleys

Not my first time having this stout from the Heaney Farmhouse Brewery in Co. Derry. It is black, with a coffee coloured head that loses volume pretty quickly. Stick your finger in the head and taste the coffee and 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, a good bite at the finish. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Competition in the stout arena is quite stiff and this one is now, as it  was last time, well up to the average. Then again, virtually everything the Heaneys produce is in the top bracket.

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

Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout 5.1%, 500ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Black as the famed marble of the county is this stout by Sullivan’s of Kilkenny. The off white head doesn’t hang about. An exploratory finger into that head confirms that this has quite a bitterness and  that same quality is tasted on the palate, with roast coffee prominent and fruit notes also in the mix. And there’s a good long lip-smacking finish.

They say: Enjoy the true taste of traditional Irish stout brewed with roast barley, chocolate and wheat malts and choicest hops. A generous stout with extra depth of flavour. The hops are Admiral, Magnum, and Goldings.

With the many changes in the mainstream Cork brewing scene over the decades, Beamish Stout has maintained an enduring respect even among those who have turned to craft. And if you spot similarities to Beamish here, then well done. 

The brewer of this Kilkenny stout regularly walked past the Cork brewery in his youth and enjoyed the smell of the hops and, after some 15 years producing Guinness in Africa, his aim on the banks of the Nore was to produce a traditional Irish dry stout, to give us more taste, more balance, more roast, more character, more flavour, to make it more balanced, more velvety.

That brewer is Ian Hamilton who has accumulated in total over three decades of brewery and packaging experience in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Africa. He is experienced in production of world-class lagers ales and stouts. Hamilton is widely considered to be one of Ireland’s most experienced technical brewers.

Now where did I go wrong? For many years, I drove home daily past Murphy’s Brewery, opening the car windows to take in those tempting aromas. But I never thought of making a career out of it!

Tom Crean Scurvy Dog IPA 4.2%, 440 can At the Brewery

A clean light gold is the colour of this Tom Crean IPA which has an incredible low abv of 4.2% which puts it into the session category. Micro bubbles galore. Head retention is close to zero but no matter. Aromas are citrusy and that continues on the palate where this crisp and light beer provides refreshment enough. Easy to enjoy this one. Or two.. or three…

They say: A session IPA known to convert wine drinkers to beer drinkers!  Crisp and light with a refreshing after taste, not over bittered, relying on the aroma hops to do all the work.

And they add: A session IPA known to convert wine drinkers to beer drinkers.

Tom Crean Expedition Red Ale 4.2%, 440 can At the Brewery

This was the name that, contract brewed in 2015, launched the Tom Crean family brewery in Kenmare. “Now modified into a different ale, pushing a balanced malty sweetness, with chocolate malts giving rich colour to complement our combination of American and European hops. The beer is named after Tom’s three Antarctic expeditions and our 2016 Centenary expedition to South Georgia.  See the shop and the book Honouring Tom Crean.”

The brewer's book!

It has that rich amber colour with an off white head. The malt makes its first impression in the aromas and continues to lead the way on the palate where you’ll meet caramel flavours in a clean and refreshing flow. Quite a simple drink but quite often less is more and that is the case here.

You may visit the little brewery in Kenmare for guided tours and tasting sessions with the brewer himself, the witty Bill Sheppard. Find out Bill’s methods and hear the fascinating story of explorer Tom Crean.

Red Ales are usually pretty good with food and they suggest pairing it with: grilled or roast meats, mature cheese and goats cheese, cheese cake and caramel or toffee based dessert. That last option is an interesting one - must keep it in mind!

Beer of The Year 2021. The candidates, so far!

Beer of The Year 2021

The candidates, so far!

July: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

June: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

July final

Hazy IPA: Blacks Ace of Haze Battle of the Tropics DDH Hazy IPA 5.5%

Lager: Boundary Very Serious Situation Pils 4.8%, Mescan “Seven Virtues” Lager 4.9%,

Red Ale: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale 4.5%

Pale Ale: Rascals with Hopfully “Siamese Dream” Pale Ale 4.5%

Sour: Otterbank Brewing “Mates Rates” Tart Session IPA 4.9%

IPA:  Blacks Wild Atlantic West Coast IPA 4.5

Session: Blacks Ace of Haze DDH Cryo Hazy Session IPA 4.2%

Overall: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

Previously...

June

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

Session: Brú Lager; Brú Cheep Flirt IPA

Pale Ale: Lineman Electric Avenue #2 Extra; Wicklow Brewery Hopknut; 9 White Deer “Stag Ban”; West Kerry “Blue Rose”; Whiplash Midnight Dipper;

Red Ale: Western Herd Atlantic

IPA: Brú IPA; O’Hara’s Hop Adventure Strata

Golden Ale: Sullivan’s Irish Gold

Non Alcoholic: Stonewell 0% Cider

Blond: Mescan Westport Blonde

Overall: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May Favourites

White/wheat/wit: Heaney Irish White Ale

Rye Ale: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

Lager: Western Herd "Loop Head" Pilsner 

Red Ale: Brú

Amber Ale: Kinnegar Devil’s Backbone 

IPA: O’Hara’s 51st State IPA

Session: Rising Sons “5th Horseman” session IPA 

Overall: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April Favourites

Sour: Wide Street “Peach Berliner” Sour or Wheat?

Brown Ale: Whiplash “The Ocean Wide” 

NEIPA: Heaney New England

Session: Blacks The Session IPA 3.5%

German style IPA: Rascals Wunderbar IPA

IPA: O’Hara’s Tropical IPA,

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout,

Overall: Heaney New England

March Favourites

Lager: Wide Street “Mill Pils”

Session: Eight Degrees Bohemian Pilsner Lager

Red Ale: O’Hara’s Irish Red Traditional Ale, 4.3%

Baltic Porter: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

Overall: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

February Favourites

Lager: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

Pale Ale: Blacks Kinsale KPA

Session: Rascals “Fruitropolis” Pale Ale, 4.3%

Overall: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

January Favourites 

Pale Ale - Lineman Vesper

IPA - Hopfully Graciosa

Session: Whiplash Northern Light

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play Rye Lager

Porter: Elbow Lane “Liberty”

Overall: Lineman Vesper

No lists kept for 2020 but the “winners” were

Stout: Brehon Brewhouse “Ulster Black” Oatmeal Stout 5.0%

Belgian Tripel: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

Golden Ale: West Kerry Brewery “Béal Bán” Golden Ale, 5.0%

Imperial Stout: Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%

Pale Ale: Trouble Brewing Ambush Juicy Pale Ale, 5.0%

Session: Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8%

Lager: White Gypsy Munich Lager, 5.8%

American IPA: Kinnegar “Crossroads” American Style IPA 6.2%

Saison: Third Circle “Unsocial Creatures”  Dry Hopped Saison 4.4%

White/Wheat: Mescan “Westport White” 5%

Cider: Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016 6%

Sour: Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%

Red: The White Hag “The Fleadh” 6.8%

Hybrid: Hope Underdog Hoppy Lager 4.8%

Non Alcoholic: Highbank’s “Drivers” Cider

Overall: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

The Beer of The Year 2021. The candidates, so far!

Beer of The Year 2021

The candidates, so far!

June: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

June

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

Session: Brú Cheep Flirt IPA

Pale Ale: Lineman Electric Avenue #2 Extra

Red Ale: Western Herd Atlantic

IPA: Brú IPA

Golden Ale: Sullivan’s Irish Gold

Non Alcoholic: Stonewell 0% Cider

Blond: Mescan Westport Blonde

Overall: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May

May Favourites

White/wheat/wit: Heaney Irish White Ale

Rye Ale: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

Lager: Western Herd "Loop Head" Pilsner 

Red Ale: Brú

Amber Ale: Kinnegar Devil’s Backbone 

IPA: O’Hara’s 51st State IPA

Session: Rising Sons “5th Horseman” session IPA 

Overall: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April

Sour: Wide Street “Peach Berliner” Sour or Wheat?

Brown Ale: Whiplash “The Ocean Wide” 

NEIPA: Heaney New England

Session: Blacks The Session IPA 3.5%

German style IPA: Rascals Wunderbar IPA

IPA: O’Hara’s Tropical IPA,

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout,

Overall: Heaney New England

March

Lager: Wide Street “Mill Pils”

Session: Eight Degrees Bohemian Pilsner Lager

Red Ale: O’Hara’s Irish Red Traditional Ale, 4.3%

Baltic Porter: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

Overall: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

February

Lager: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

Pale Ale: Blacks Kinsale KPA

Session: Rascals “Fruitropolis” Pale Ale, 4.3%

Overall: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

January

Pale Ale - Lineman Vesper

IPA - Hopfully Graciosa

Session: Whiplash Northern Light

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play Rye Lager

Porter: Elbow Lane “Liberty”

Overall: Lineman Vesper

No lists kept for 2020 but the “winners” were

Stout: Brehon Brewhouse “Ulster Black” Oatmeal Stout 5.0%

Belgian Tripel: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

Golden Ale: West Kerry Brewery “Béal Bán” Golden Ale, 5.0%

Imperial Stout: Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%

Pale Ale: Trouble Brewing Ambush Juicy Pale Ale, 5.0%

Session: Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8%

Lager: White Gypsy Munich Lager, 5.8%

American IPA: Kinnegar “Crossroads” American Style IPA 6.2%

Saison: Third Circle “Unsocial Creatures”  Dry Hopped Saison 4.4%

White/Wheat: Mescan “Westport White” 5%

Cider: Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016 6%

Sour: Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%

Red: The White Hag “The Fleadh” 6.8%

Hybrid: Hope Underdog Hoppy Lager 4.8%

Non Alcoholic: Highbank’s “Drivers” Cider

Overall: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

Favourite Beer of The Year 2021-The candidates, so far! + May Favourites

Favourite Beer of The Year 2021-The candidates, so far! + May Favourites

Monthly Favourites

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

May Favourites

White/wheat/wit: Heaney Irish White Ale

Rye Ale: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

Lager: Western Herd "Loop Head" Pilsner 

Red Ale: Brú

Amber Ale: Kinnegar Devil’s Backbone 

IPA: O’Hara’s 51st State IPA

Session: Rising Sons “5th Horseman” session IPA 

Overall: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April Favourites

Sour: Wide Street “Peach Berliner” Sour or Wheat?

Brown Ale: Whiplash “The Ocean Wide” 

NEIPA: Heaney New England

Session: Blacks The Session IPA 3.5%

German style IPA: Rascals Wunderbar IPA

IPA: O’Hara’s Tropical IPA,

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout,

Overall: Heaney New England

March Favourites

Lager: Wide Street “Mill Pils”

Session: Eight Degrees Bohemian Pilsner Lager

Red Ale: O’Hara’s Irish Red Traditional Ale, 4.3%

Baltic Porter: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

Overall: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

February Favourites

Lager: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

Pale Ale: Blacks Kinsale KPA

Session: Rascals “Fruitropolis” Pale Ale, 4.3%

Overall: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

January Favourites 

Pale Ale - Lineman Vesper

IPA - Hopfully Graciosa

Session: Whiplash Northern Light

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play Rye Lager

Porter: Elbow Lane “Liberty”

Overall: Lineman Vesper

Not quite the same attention to detail paid to the lists for 2020 but the “favourites” were:

Stout: Brehon Brewhouse “Ulster Black” Oatmeal Stout 5.0%

Belgian Tripel: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

Golden Ale: West Kerry Brewery “Béal Bán” Golden Ale, 5.0%

Imperial Stout: Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%

Pale Ale: Trouble Brewing Ambush Juicy Pale Ale, 5.0%

Session: Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8%

Lager: White Gypsy Munich Lager, 5.8%

American IPA: Kinnegar “Crossroads” American Style IPA 6.2%

Saison: Third Circle “Unsocial Creatures”  Dry Hopped Saison 4.4%

White/Wheat: Mescan “Westport White” 5%

Cider: Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016 6%

Sour: Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%

Red: The White Hag “The Fleadh” 6.8%

Hybrid: Hope Underdog Hoppy Lager 4.8%

Non Alcoholic: Highbank’s “Drivers” Cider

Overall: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

The Quart of Ale± Special. Favourite Beers 2021 (and belatedly 2020)

The Quart of Ale± Special

Favourite Beers 2021 (and belatedly 2020) 

April Favourites 

Sour: Wide Street “Peach Berliner” Sour or Wheat?

Brown Ale: Whiplash “The Ocean Wide” 

NEIPA: Heaney New England

Session: O’Hara’s Session IPA, Wicklow Brewery Coola Boola Session IPA, Blacks The Session IPA 3.5%

German style IPA: Rascals Wunderbar IPA

IPA: Rising Sons Fandango Hazy IPA, O’Hara’s Tropical IPA,

Stout: O’Hara’s Irish Stout,

Overall: Heaney New England

March Favourites

Lager: Wide Street “Mill Pils”

Session: Eight Degrees Bohemian Pilsner Lager

Red Ale: O’Hara’s Irish Red Traditional Ale, 4.3%

Baltic Porter: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

Overall: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter

February Favourites

Lager: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

Pale Ale: Blacks Kinsale KPA

Session: Rascals “Fruitropolis” Pale Ale, 4.3%

Overall: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path”

January Favourites 

Pale Ale - Lineman Vesper

IPA - Hopfully Graciosa

Session: Whiplash Northern Light

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play Rye Lager

Porter: Elbow Lane “Liberty”

Overall: Lineman Vesper

++++++

2020 

Stout: Brehon Brewhouse “Ulster Black” Oatmeal Stout 5.0%

Belgian Tripel: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%

Golden Ale: West Kerry Brewery “Béal Bán” Golden Ale, 5.0%

Imperial Stout: Lough Gill Dark Majik Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Cream Stout 11.0%

Pale Ale: Trouble Brewing Ambush Juicy Pale Ale, 5.0%

Session: Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8%

Lager: White Gypsy Munich Lager, 5.8%

American IPA: Kinnegar “Crossroads” American Style IPA 6.2%

Saison: Third Circle “Unsocial Creatures”  Dry Hopped Saison 4.4%

White/Wheat: Mescan “Westport White” 5%

Cider: Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016 6%

Sour: Yellow Belly Castaway Passionfruit Sour 4.2%

Red: The White Hag “The Fleadh” 6.8%

Hybrid: Hope Underdog Hoppy Lager 4.8%

Non Alcoholic: Highbank’s “Drivers” Cider

Overall: Eight Degrees Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel 11.5%